Welcome to Oak Hollow (Open to all)

"WELCOME TO OAK HOLLOW" a large, luminescent sign blared.  Leif Axelsson was arriving in the capital of Xastristan, the tech capital of the world.  He had to cover his eyes from the bright lights of the city, even though the bus' windows were heavily tinted.  The bus screeched to a halt at the edge of the city, and people began to get off.  Leif, following suit, got off with everyone else, even though he had no idea where he was going.  The air smelled of plastic and gas, just like he imagined a big city would be.  He coughed once and looked around awkwardly, searching for a map of some kind.  A large board with a map of the city plastered onto it came into his line of sight as he spun around, looking.  The blonde approached it and saw exactly what he was looking for.  "The Broken Butcher," he mumbled to himself.  It was a small tavern near the center of town, and it had very good ratings when Leif had checked online.  He had applied online a few months earlier and hadn't gotten an email back until about a week prior to his trip.  In the morning, it would be his first day on the job, and he planned to do his best, but for now, all he needed was to find a place to sleep.

Xylnthian was in the city for some relaxing. He lived close to the edge of Oak Hollow in a nice condo because he's a rich kid not really, and it was probably around a 30 minute drive to his workplace. It wasn't bad, it was in fact very nice. Did he mention he had a condo? Yeah. It was great. Life was great. Xylnthian strolled through the city, shooting some lady-killing smiles at the females walking by, but of course he wasn't going to stop and flirt with them. Nope. He had a bae of his own, and Xylnthian had never felt more content in his life. Haru was just that adorable and amazing and Xylnthian just really wanted to snuggle him right now. Now, all he needed to do, was find a roommate. They could pay the rent together, and it would totally make Xylnthian's like a lot better, because who didn't like roommates? Plus the fact that the condo was actually pretty spacey, and it sometimes got a bit lonely. Viper, his younger twin sister, visited him occasionally with her fiancee, but it wasn't much.

He ran a hand through his bright red hair, making sure it was styled up all nicely as he roamed the streets. He had to make sure he looked dashing, even when not around his boyfriend. In case you hadn't noticed, Xylnthian was somewhat of a narcissist. As he walked past, a blonde-haired guy seemed to be staring at the map intently.

He stopped in his tracks and tapped the guy in the shoulder. "Hey," he greeted with a pearly white grin. "You lost?" Huh, he was an inch taller than the other guy.

"Huh?" Leif said, turning around to see Xylnthian standing before him.  Even though the stranger was only an inch taller than the new arrival, it seemed like a foot to Leif.  Trying to take in all of the the stranger's details at once was relatively easy for him, but his hair was what stood out the most.  It was almost the color of a bright flame.  I wonder what kind of dye he uses.  "Uh, yeah, I am kinda lost.  Do you know where The Broken Butcher is?  I received an email from them a few days ago saying that they were gonna move forward with my job application."  He rubbed his head nervously.  This was the first hot guy he had seen in the city, and he had to make a good impression on him, just in case.  A drop of sweat formed on Leif's face as he nervously chuckled.  He never got this nervous around other men, so what was different about this one?  "Would you also happen to know of anyone selling an apartment or condo, or looking for a room mate?  I kinda need a place to stay while I work there."  Hopefully, this stranger had some attractive friends that he could stay with until he had the funds to fully buy his own place.

Xylnthian just grinned brighter. This dude was pretty nice, Xylnthian definitely wanted to be buddies with him! And he was looking for a place to stay!? Oh hell yes! One point for Xylnthian! Xylnthian mentally cheered to himself. He was so glad that he had made the decision to come out today. Oh, this would be awesome. Xylnthian wouldn't have to spend so many lonely nights in his big-ass yet amazing-ass condo. He circled around the guy in his excitement.

"No problem," he laughed. "I've actually been there a whole bunch of times. Their drinks are delicious. And dude." Xylnthian spread his arms open, stopping his circling. "I'm looking for a roommate as well. You should absolutely room with me. I don't live far from The Broken Butcher." Xylnthian gestured with his arm in a come on motion. "Here, I'll take you."

Leif smiled, This'll be perfect!  He was incredibly amused by the stranger's little 'happy dance'.  He stopped in place for a moment and thought, I don't even know this guy's name.  I mean, it would probably be good to ask if we're going to be room mates.  Waiting until he offered to take him, he said, "I just realized that we haven't been properly introduced.  I'm Leif Axelsson."  Looking around for a moment, he said to himself, I should also probably get a good look at the bar before I start working there.

(( Sorry it's so short ))

Xylnthian held out a hand for Leif to shake. "I'm Xylnthian, nice to meet you. Now come on! The bar's about a 10 minute walk from here." As he walked, Xyl's eyes flitted over to the slightly shorter male. The guy was already dressed like a bartender, did he want the job that badly or something?

"So, if you aren't around here, where are you from?"

Not actually waiting for a response, Xylnthian forged on ahead and pushed the door open. Inside, the bar was actually rather spacious yet cozy at the same time. A few dim lights hung from the ceiling, and the bar itself was located on the right side with stacks of wine and glasses sitting on top of the shelves. There was no one working at the bar itself at the moment, but there were a few people sitting here and there. Booths lined the backside of the bar while wooden tables were placed up against the left side.

"Here ya go. The Broken Butcher."

After he shook his hand and they began walking, Leif answered Xylnthian, "I'm from a town called Skarð, it's pretty out of the way, so I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't heard of it."  As he entered the bar, the smell of beer and wine entered his nose and he smiled even brighter than before.  He loved alcohol of all kinds, and loved to see what it did to other people.  He had Norwegian heritage, back when everyone still lived on Earth, so he could hold his liquor.  He looked around and noticed that the bar was relatively empty, which was surprising, especially at this time of day.  "Well, thanks for showing me where the bar is.  I start work tomorrow, so I should probably get some sleep."

Izzy was sat on a barstool at the front, her legs swinging back and forth in opposite directions as she talked to some of the patrons, who seemed to be eagerly waiting to become drunk. Her hands were under her thighs. She was wearing a patterned white crop-top, and a rose coloured dress underneath. She had black tights and black faux-fur boots. Out of her headphones blared out some K-Pop, through the speakers of her cat ears. It was a real wonder how no one had taken her headset out of frustration and snapped it clean in half. Although, it's probably better than listening to quiet murmurs, since there wasn't any other music.

The conversations she held all jumped from person to person, and Izzy found herself talking to about six people at one time. Then, she heard someone enter, and her head turned to see a person with flaming red hair - an impossibly natural scarlet - and someone else with a waistcoat on. "God, finally! The barman is here!" Her face fell when - as soon as he came in, may she add - he said, "I should probably get some sleep."
"UGGHHH. And I was hoping to have some fun tonight!"

Haru walked though a long hallway of a pretty adverage looking appartment building. The rooms were set neatly in rows, with number orders that made little to no sense in his eyes. That was aside the point though, for the real reason he even came was so the he could visit Xylnthian's apartment. The pink haired male knocked the door slightly impatiently and took a large breathe. He stood there slightly swaying his body while waiting for around 5 minutes. Double checking to make sure that he had heard his knocks, Haru knocked harder and more loudly on the door once again. Getting bored of standing he decided to sit down next to the door outside the room until his phone let out a cheery beep.

The pink fox pulled the awfully large phone out of his tiny girl pocket in his short shorts, nearly dropping it onto the ground, but not quiet. Attempting to take more precaution, he slowly turned it on then looked at the message of which he had just received. It was from Xylnthian; the message told of his boyfriend's current location. Haru giggled and let out a soft smile before he began to run over to the Broken Butcher, for it was very close to where his Xylnthian lived. Haru stopped for a breathe right outside of the bar. It appeared to be cool and classy, but the fox was still nervous. Trying to take his mind off of what was going on, he readjusted his black t-shit and short jean shorts and walked into the bar. The male took a deep breathe and tried to holler "X-xylnthian! I am here, should I go over to you?" The poor fox had never been there before, and was a little nervous. He slowly and awkwardly weaved his way through the crowd and tried to get to Xylnthian.

(bump)

Xylnthian pocketed his phone happily after having sent a text towards Haru to meet him here. Hopefully the foxcharm would arrive quickly; Xylnthian was ecstatic to see him again. As he glanced up again, one particular scene caught his eye. One lone girl wearing a pair cat headphones blasting k-pop music was sitting surrounded by at least 6 other people. Damn, that was a lot of people, even though Xylnthian kinda did that on a regular basis. She was cute, he'd give her that, and he would probably hook up with her for a fling if it weren't for Haru already being by his side. Nothing could take Haru's place.

And so Xylnthian kinda just ignored her for the time being, glancing at the door every few seconds to see if Haru had arrived. And when the foxcharm finally did, and called out Xylnthian's name hesitantly, Xylnthian immediately rushed towards Haru's side, sweeping him up in an excited hug. "Haru!" he cheered, pecking Haru's lips quickly. He dragged--painlessly--Haru back over to Leif, an arm wound protectively to ward off any other people who might snatch a quick grope or two.

Isabelle was very disappointed when everyone who seemed to be actual people, not just characters in the background, ignored her. She decided to get up and talk to them. They already seemed more interesting than the dudes at the bar anyway. As she marched over, she saw an extremely pink person get swooped up by the flame dude. Bartender penguin seemed to be doing nothing. Why not join in a conversation?

"Hey there!," she said in a sweet voice, a sickly smile on her face. What are you boys doing her tonight? It's pretty boring here, so I'd suggest you bail. The mixologist seemed to have stood us up." She purposely ignored the 'woman', seeing if she could be particularly mean and start a fight once they'd all had a few drinks.

"Mixologist?" Leif asked, "I've never heard a bartender called that before.  I start here tomorrow, but I guess I could start early."  Turning to Xyl, he began to ask a question, but he had disappeared.  He looked back to the stranger and introduced himself, "I'm Leif.  I start work here tomorrow."  As he began to look around for his new friend, Leif saw him dragging a young girl to the small group that had formed.  Damn.  He's straight, the blonde thought, sad that he couldn't get with the hottest guy he had met so far.

Leif glanced around and saw a lot of angry patrons.  If they come back tomorrow and I'm here, they'll probably think that I was gone last night.  That won't be good.  He thought to ask Xyl about his girlfriend, but decided against it.  They could meet later, and Leif had work to do right now.  Hopping over the bar, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Hey!  Everybody!  Shut up so I can take your orders!"  He had already started doing what he loved, and he had only been in the city for 15 minutes.  As he began pouring drinks and mixing margaritas, he began to smile.  He hadn't smiled like that since he had been working in the restaurant back in Skarð.

Haru excited ran towards Xylnthian  weaving through all of the different groups of people with odd scents. Trying to ignore that, he smiled and cheered as he was swept up into his boyfriend's comforting embrace. Having Xyl there made him feel a lot more comfortable, so he turned over to the male that he had never seen before deciding that it was a good idea to try to start a conversation. While trying to think of a decent way to introduce himself, he was interrupted by some sort of woman. She was wearing odd cat ear headphones, and had a swarm that she was leaving behind as she approached their group. The male trying to be kind decided to just let out a pleasant smile along with a welcoming "Hello!". Deciding that he wanted to know more about the male that was with Xylthian, he then turned back to this strange new person. Well, not strange, but it was strange that he was with Xylnthian. Haru took a breath and began to speak to him. "Hello, umm, sir! Would you mind if I asked your name?" Trying to not seem too casual or anything, Haru awkwardly and swiftly placed his arms on the counter, like he saw in a moive once, or something like that.

bump

((Joining, I hope you guys don't mind!!))

It had been a busy day at the library, and Nightingale was exhausted. About a year ago on days like the one she just experienced, she would... Just tolerate it. But Night really was tired. It was probably because of her pregnancy, which was about 7 and a half months in. Without thinking, the librarian turned towards The Broken Butcher. Her throat was burning like hell, thirsting for a drink. She had drunk alcohol on a regular basis (she never abused it) before she got pregnant, so that must be why her brain urged her to this bar. She didn't drink all that much anymore though. I don't think I need to explain why.

I'll just get green tea or something, Nightingale reassured herself and stepped into the building. It was pretty empty which was pretty strange for this time of day. Lots of people would be getting released from work at these hours and often poured into the bar for a swig of liquor. She strode to the bartender, and, caught in a small bustle of people, raised a hand and softly called out, "Uh... Water, please! If you have it!" She quietly cursed herself. Water? Well, it was pretty unlikely to get tea in a bar without alcohol in it. But then again, it was really strange in itself to get water at a bar at all. But, Night was already here, and paying a guy a couple bucks won't hurt. Not that she had an issue with alcohol, but she was very protective of the baby she was carrying in her womb. After calling out her order, she held her baby bump. Her face was turning red in embarrassment. God. She must look like an idiot.

(Bump)

bump

As he slid another drink over to a different patron, Leif smiled at the young girl who asked what his name was.  "I'm Leif," he answered.  As he took another drink order, he decided to ask Xylnthian, "Is this your girlfriend?"  Hearing someone else call out for water, he went to reach for another glass and stopped, realizing that he was in a bar.  Who the hell orders water in a bar? he thought.  Trying to push away the thought, he turned around to the sink and filled the glass in his hand with tap water.  They didn't have purified water at the Broken Butcher, since most everybody ordered alcoholic drinks, but that wouldn't stop the blonde from making customers happy.  He looked behind him to see who had asked for the water and saw a woman.  She was either obese or incredibly pregnant by the looks of it.  Instead of sliding the water over to her, he took the drink straight to her and set it down in front of her.  He almost glared at her for having a baby in a bar, but then thought of the fact that she was only ordering water.  Good on her.

Xylnthian brought Haru even closer with a grin, kissing Haru's cheek. He almost snorted with laughter when leif asked if Haru was his girlfriend. Honestly, Haru was just so feminine that he could easily pass off as a girl no matter what he was wearing. His petite form fit perfectly into Xyl's side, and Xyl wanted to keep it that way. But he was being a hypocrite, as Xyl had thought the same thing when he first met Haru.. Ah, memories. They had met at a Japanese festival and a few more times after that, before Xylnthian legitimately saved Haru from falling off a cliff after Haru's gender reveal. And then they began dating.

But Xylnthian was perfectly fine with it. After all, he was gay exclusively for Haru.

"Not my girlfriend," he chuckled. "Haru's my boyfriend." His gaze shifted over to the woman with the obese belly. She must be pregnant. Either that, or she had a fantastic beer belly going for her. Whatever the case, she seemed like a sweet woman.

Now on the other hand, the young woman with the cat ear headphones...

"Well, we've got a bartender right here, so s'all good."