Inktobertale 2021 : Compilation of novels

16th of October : Cocktail

Ink arrived a bit late, and saw Fell was waiting in front of the bar.

"Hey !" he saluted him, hoping he wouldn't ask what he was doing.

"'sup." simply answered Fell.

"So, is this the place you wanted to show me ?" Ink pointed at the bar.

"Yeah. Since Blue insists that we hang out, I thought I might take you to my favorite place. At least, I hope you can get bored quickly enough so that I can be free to go."

"Fell, anything is interesting to me !"

"That's unfortunate." he replied, as they pushed the wooden doors to enter the bar. "You'll see, this guy makes the best cocktails I've ever seen ! I'm trying to taste them all, but that might occupy me for a looong time."

"Cocktails ? I'd have expected mustard, coming from you."

Fell pretended to be hurt by this remark.

"Me ?! How can you say such a thing ! Besides, I can't do otherwise now that my brother locks the bottles away."

"I told you it would happen if you weren't more cautious !"

"Well, you certainly didn't forget that, did you ?"

They had installed on seats at the counter, and a faceless slimy monster wearing an elegant uniform appeared from behind it, ready to serve them.

"Today, I think I'll take... A Hotland Heat ! What about you, Ink ?" 

Ink looked at the dozens of choices on the card again and again, and ended up choosing the first.

"A Spear of Justice, please !"

Fell smiled.

"A classic ! I must say, mixing whole limes into it was a bold choice, but the result sure is worth the promise."

"Heh, I didn't know you could be so refined !"

"Why, my deareth friend, it wasth a choiceth of minesth to haveth this hobby !"

The slime came back with two glasses, and Fell dropped his imitation.

"Thanks Slimy !"

The monster quietly nodded before walking back into the kitchen. 

"To be honest, I don't know what this guy's name is, but he seems fine with me calling him Slimy." whispered Fell to Ink.

Ink looked at his drink. It had a cyan/lime taint, with slight shades of yellow, and small red leaves in it. The glass was decorated by dark blue sugar on the borders, and a small plastic cyan spear. Probably to be used as a toothpick. Fell's was more red and orange, and seemed to emit a heat wave. It was less decorated, but had a white straw in it on which were painted small elevator doors, and combinations of letters and numbers.

"Crazy, heh ?"

"I admit, I'm curious to see what the other cocktails are like."

"Well, who said we only had to take one ?"

Ink smirked.

"It's not like I could get drunk anyways, so I might as well..."

"...but what if you mixed your paint with the alcohol ?" suddenly said Fell.

They looked at each other.

"...What ?"

"C'mon, let it all out, pal. You'll feel better afterwards." said Fell, holding Ink as he puked against a wall. Instead of the usual black ink, it had more colors, seemed more slimy, and was growing bubbles that would pop after a few seconds. "I mean it's on me, I had the idea, and I clearly should have stopped you at the fifth drink."

No reaction from his friend. Fell had an amused grunt.

"At the same time, I couldn't miss that drum solo you did with the glasses. You never told me you could do that !" he added, as he thought that the alcohol was also having the best of him. He looked away, and his sight locked on a familiar silhouette. And it did not look very happy.

"One evening. I leave you two alone just one evening." said Blue.

"Oh hey, we were just having some fun together ain't that right, Ink ?" quickly said Fell, with a look of fear in his eyes.

Ink simply gave a thumb up as he kept puking. 

"Uh, listen, we just wanted to try somethiiiiing !" shrieked Fell as he was gravity-dragged to Blue. 

"While I am very impressed that you somehow managed to get Ink like this, I met a very angry slimy man on my way to find you. Apparently, a skeleton has been drinking in his bar for the past few months without paying a cent."

He moved a hand, and lowered Fell so his eyes were right against his.

"So since I'll have to explain to my brother why we must house a drunk paint-puking guardian of universes in our house, on our couch tonight, I assume it's only fair that you have to explain to yours the huge bill he should have received just-"

A huge raspy scream resonated from the other side of the town.

"-now."

If Fell had a heart, it probably would have stopped working by now. Blue dropped him to the ground, and directed towards Ink, that had finally recovered. He sighed, as he saw that the guardian had now empty blank eyes. He had puked all of the paint he had ingurgitated.

"...I'm hungry."

"Sure Ink, come with me. I'll try to find some paint for you tomorrow."