The Devil's Nest, Monday Evening

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity tossed the club soda hose down in disgust, not sure why she'd even bother trying it. It didn't matter what the nozzles were attached to (and yes, she'd double-checked that they were attached and also triple-checked, just in case); everything was pouring out eggnog. The actual bottles were still fine, which was why she was helping herself to a shot of vodka, but it looked like the only mixer available was eggnog.

Only one thing to do then:

Today Only, All Eggnog Drinks 1/2 Off!
Traditional (Eggnog with Rum)
Fancy (Eggnog with Bourbon)
All Dressed up (Eggnog with Amaretto and Vodka)
Yule Log (Eggnog with Fireball Whiskey)
The Bad Idea (Eggnog and Tequila)

"Tiny, head out and get us some cinnamon sticks," Verity ordered. "And a whole nutmeg. We'll garnish them like we're fancy and maybe no one will realize it's tapwater eggnog or whatever."

This island.

[No OCD!]

Comments

[battlewithstyle]

"...is there anything else," Mitsutada said, looking at the specials board with a certain level of dismay.

Look, he had just reached complete nog-saturation far earlier in the day.

[arboreal_priestess]

"There are always shots," Verity said, sympathetically. "Or anything in a bottle."

But if Mitsutada wanted something on tap, it was gonna be eggnog.

[battlewithstyle]

"Sake?" Mitsutada asked in a hopeful little voice.

[arboreal_priestess]

"We've got," Verity confirmed. "We can probably even heat it up for you? Just don't ask for it on the rocks."

Not that anyone would, but she was just saying.

The ice had been the first casualty.

[battlewithstyle]

"...I don't want to imagine what that would be like," Mitsutada said. "Who knew this... festivity could be so horrifying?"

[arboreal_priestess]

"Is this your first Christmas here?" Verity asked. "Oh, this is just warming up. It's gonna get a lot weirder before it gets better, promise."

[battlewithstyle]

"I arrived shortly before it last year," Mitsutada said. "But I think I must have blocked out much of the memory. As long as we get water back I'll be happy with whatever happens, honestly. Though it's not much of a sentimental holiday to me."

[arboreal_priestess]

"This will hopefully just be a one-day thing," Verity assured him. "Though no guarantee that it won't get circumvented by something else in a week or so anyway."

She reached for the sake and poured a few fingerfuls into a glass. "You and your brothers don't celebrate it?"

That made sense. Verity wasn't much of a student of non-cryptid histories, but she was pretty sure that Mitsutada and his brethren were mostly from before Christianity had made serious inroads in Japanese culture.

[battlewithstyle]

"Other winter festivals are far more traditional, where I'm from," Mitsutada said. "Though Christmas made its way to Japan, it doesn't have quite the hold on the older swords, though I think some of the Tanto like it even if it's not exactly of their time."

Something to do with their child-like personalities, probably.

"I do look forward to experimenting with the traditional foods, of course."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Ooooh, are you going to make Christmas dinner?" Verity asked. "If I didn't have strict orders to hightail it home for the holidays this year, I'd probably see if I could crash."

Mitsutada liked to cook. Verity liked to eat. Honestly it was one of the things she liked best about Liam's roommates.

[battlewithstyle]

"I can make it ant any time, really," Mitsutada said. "Like I said, I'm not exactly one who celebrates the particular holiday. So we could do it far in advance, if you'd like."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Oooh, that would be awesome," Verity said with a grin. "I could bring..."

She thought about it.

"...Booze."

Honestly, it was for the best.

[what_the_shock]

"So I'm guessing my plan to drop by to get anything else is a bust?" Miguel asked.

[arboreal_priestess]

"You can get something in a bottle," Verity said. "So beer, cider, or shots."

[what_the_shock]

"Beer'll work," Miguel said. "Whatever tastes halfway decent; I'm not picky. Though I may have to see if there's such a thing as bottled coffee if this keeps up."

[arboreal_priestess]

"We have coffee liqueur?" Verity offered. "That probably wouldn't even taste half bad in eggnog."

Though she was already cracking a bottle of hard cider and passing it over.

[what_the_shock]

"Does it have caffeine?" Miguel had his priorities. He toasted her with the cider, though.

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity helped herself to a cider of her own and toasted him back. "I believe so," she said. "It's made with real coffee, after all."

[what_the_shock]

"I'll take it," Miguel said. "How early do you open?"

It wasn't like he needed it now.

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity laughed. "Pretty late in the morning, I think," she said. "Maybe I could just sell you a bottle at the end of the night?"

[what_the_shock]

"But then if the water's normal tomorrow, I'll be stuck with a bottle of coffee liqueur." Miguel paused. "I'm not seeing a downside, actually."

[arboreal_priestess]

"I was going to point out then that would be a double-win," Verity agreed. "I mean, then you could just spike your coffee with more coffee."