Passive Hatred

Work at Grillby's

Alex moved through the motions of work at Grillby's, determined to keep his mind blank. He took orders, cleaned tables, refilled drinks—anything to keep his hands busy and his thoughts far away from his head. The bar was buzzing with its usual energy, but Alex barely registered the noise. He had perfected the art of seeming present while his mind was elsewhere.

As Alex scribbled down another drink order, he suddenly felt the familiar tug of his hood, pulling him out of his focus. He glanced up, but before he could react, the drunk bunny monster girl had already grabbed onto it, her paw yanking at the fabric with a sloppy, eager grin.

"Hey! What's under there?" she slurred, her eyes a little too wide with mischief. She gave another forceful tug, her voice bouncing through the bar like a loud, annoying echo. "I bet you've got a cute face under there, don't you?"

Alex's pulse quickened, panic flaring in his chest. He instinctively pulled the hood closer, shielding himself further as his hands trembled. He didn't need anyone—anyone—seeing what was hidden underneath. He couldn't.

"Stop," Alex said in a low, sharp voice, his tone louder than he intended, but it didn't matter. He needed her to stop. "I said no."

The bunny monster girl, though clearly drunk and unsteady, wasn't giving up. Her paws wavered, but she just giggled and tugged again, her ears twitching as her eyes sparkled. "C'mon, don't be such a buzzkill! I wanna see!" she whined, swaying as she took a step closer, her voice carrying across the bar, catching the attention of a few nearby patrons. "It'll be fun!"

Her words were louder than she probably realized, and soon, a few curious glances began to turn in their direction. A few of the regulars at the bar muttered to each other, clearly confused by the commotion. Alex could feel all eyes on him now, and that only made things worse.

He stepped back again, feeling the brunt of their stares, but she closed the distance, almost stumbling into him. "Why are you hiding, huh? Shy or something?" She was almost whining now, tugging insistently on his hood. "Let me see your face. I wanna see!"

Her voice was no longer just  a scene. The room was paying attention. The regulars leaned in, some laughing or giving Alex looks of amusement, while others just watched with thinly vield curiosity.

"Stop!" Alex said again, his voice louder, trying to push her away. His hands were shaking, frustration building with every second she didn't back off. He could feel his heart racing, every inch of him screaming to run. But he couldn't—not here, not in front of everyone.

"Aw, c'mon!" she persisted, pulling harder now, nearly stumbling into him again, her clumsy movements only making the scene mor  funnier to  everyone around them. "You're so boring! Just let me see already, you're not gonna let me have fun?!" She tugged again, and this time, a few drinks spilled over as the bar's patrons started to laugh.

Her persistence only fueled the attention. A few people snickered at the sight, some raising eyebrows, others whispering to one another. Alex felt like he was drowning in the spotlight, unable to escape the eyes on him. He couldn't deal with it anymore.

The bunny monster, clearly not understanding the panic she was causing, tugged again. Her voice was slurred and too loud, forcing attention back to them, and in that moment, something inside Alex snapped.