《The Bartender at the End of the Universe》Ch 60: The Quiet Ones
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Bakade Crouched down and took a seat next to the hollow king. It was quiet out here, with the faint sound of muffled conversations coming from the other side of the wall. Cold and wet thanks to the ever-present fog, but here the hollow king sat and Bakade had decided to join him. She lifted her mug up but realized the one she had gotten for him was just sitting there.
Bakade set her own mug down. She reached over and grabbed his hand and put it around the mug. His body was stiff. As she pulled his arm, it was like forcing a rusty gate to move, but whatever position she moved him into he seemed to stick with. After struggling a bit, she finally managed to slip his fingers through the mug's handle and closed his hand around the rest of it. She struggled and forced his arm to lift up the beer. A little spilled out onto his faded loincloth, but the hollow king didn't react at all. She let out a small, angry groan as she opened his mouth with one hand, and finally put the mug up against his lips, and tilted it up ever so slightly.
As a trickle of beer poured into his mouth, Bakade sat back and grabbed her own mug. "Ddddrrriiinnnkk." She said before taking a drink herself.
The hollow king just stayed in the position she had put him in. with the beer slowly climbing into his mouth. By the time she pulled back her mug, a small stream had started to overflow at the edge of his mouth.
Bakade put both her hands around her mug. "IIII'mmm aaa mmooonnnsssttteeerr tttoooo," she sighed as she lifted her head up and looked towards where the sky should be, but instead there was only the gray of the fog.
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The beer spilling out of the hollow king's mouth had reached the edge of his cheek and was dripping onto the ground now.
Bakade took another sip and let out a long sigh. She turned towards the hollow king and asked, "Hhhoowww iiiisss iiittt? Ggggoooddd, rrriiiggghhhttt? Iiiittt'sss mmaaaddeee wwiittthhh pppiinnneee nnneeeeedddllleessss fffrrooommm mmmyyy fffooorrreessstttt." Bakade let out a small chuckle. "Iiittt'sss fffuunnyyy. Tttthhheee ddddrrriiinnkkk ffeeelllss lliiikeee mmmeee. Aaaa mmmiiixxx offf ttthhheee wwwiiilldddsss aaannnddd ccciiivvvvillliiizzzzaatttiiooonn."
The hollow king still didn't move.
Bakade either didn't notice, or didn't care, as she went on. "Hhhuummmaaannniitttyy iiisss hhhaaarrddd tttooo gggeeettt bbbaaacckkk ooonncceee yyyoouu llooossseee iittt..."
Bakade set her drink down and tilted her head up completely. Her antlers knocked against the wall and made it impossible for her to tilt her head all the way up. "Iiisss iiittt lliiikkeee ttthhhaaattt fffooorrr yyyooouuu?"
The hollow king didn't reply. Although, the beer had stopped spilling out of the edges of his mouth.
The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. Bakade stared up at the sky, and the hollow king sat in the position she had moved him into. With the mug of pine beer pressed against his open mouth with both tilted up so a steady stream kept flowing into his mouth. Finally, the flow of beer seemed to have run out. As the last few drops fell into the hollow king's awaiting mouth.
Bakade finally moved as she looked over at him. "Nnnneeedd aaa rrreefffiilll?"
Slowly, and with stiff, jerky movements, the hollow king stretched the mug out towards her and nodded. His movements were like a young teenager first learning to drive, pushing down on the gas and then overcompensating with the break. A constant jostling and bobbing of his body with each subtle movement he tried to do.
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Bakade grabbed his mug and walked back inside. After a moment, she returned and put a fresh mug back in his hand. This time, he grasped it himself, and held it near his chest.
"Gggoooddd, rriiggghhhttt?"
The hollow king didn't reply, or really move at all.
Bakade nodded slowly. "Gggoooddd pppoooiiinnnttt. Jjjuuussstt eeennjjooyyy iiittt. Nnnooo nneeedddd tttooo rruussshhhh."
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