《The Bartender at the End of the Universe》Ch 286: What's in a Name

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"What do you think of Killamanjaro?" Og'drimun asked.

The horse's only reply was to continue to stare into the void. The tiny demon lied on its back and stared up at the ceiling.

"I think it's a good name. Tough. Really invokes fear into people, you know." He continued.

I'm telling you, a name like that just doesn't git this horse. Death explained as he tried to balance on a skateboard.

"Pfft, what do you know?" Og'drimun scoffed. "Your name is Death. I mean, that's just so blunt."

I didn't really choose it man. The skeleton replied. It's the name I was born with.

"I'd have called you Callo, the corpse eater! Or like something else epic like that." Og'drimun explained.

But bro, isn't corpse eater just as blunt? Death asked. Like, same lyrics different tune to being called Death. Wait no.

"I would say," Sid interjected. "That the implications are less of a reaper, and more of a scavenger picking the dead clean."

"Which is totally rad! Really go into the blood and guts of the situation." Og'drimun grinned.

Death shook his head. Corpse Eater just doesn't really feel right to me. Same as Killamanjaro or whatever. It just feels off.

"Okay, but what is off about it then?" Og'drimunflew up from the back of the pale horse, and fluttered over to Death to stare right at his face.

Death shrugged. But, raising his shoulders seemed to throw his balance off, and he tumbled off of his skateboard and onto the ground. He landed with a thud and his legs popped put of their sockets and rolled away.

Death scratched his chin as he watched his legs get further and further from him. Like I said, it's just a feeling I get. No logic I can point to, just a gut feeling.

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"Hah! Pretty rich coming from a guy without any guts." Og'drimun teased.

What! I'm plenty brave. Death replied as he held his head up. I'll have you know that I only cried for like twenty minutes when Pockets destroyed my favorite shirt...when I got a chance to really mourn that is.

"I believe that was an attempt at humor since you have no organs due to your purely skeletal nature." Sid explained.

Death looked down at his own body and then slapped his forehead. Duh! Man I'm a total airhead for missing that, huh?

"More like a numbskull!" Og'drimun suggested.

The three of them started to laugh. Though Sid's laugh was slightly stiff sounding. The tension from the names earlier had completely disappeared. Now they focused on finding increasingly niche puns based on what the others were doing or how they looked.

"Ugh, that demon really knows how to hold things up." Narissa complained.

"Og'drimun? What do you need him for?" Lulu asked as she held down two tentacles that were sprouting from the pages of a book.

Narissa slowly dripped an orange liquid on the book as it squirmed and struggled. But, Lulu did well in keeping it in place as the liquid was slowly absorbed.

"Despite his looks and attitude, he is actually a powerful font of magic." Narissa explained as she focused on her task to ensure not a drop spilled where it wasn't supposed to.

As the vial emptied the book convulsed, but Narissa quickly put her gloved hands on both covers and slammed it shut. The tentacles were slurped out of Lulu's hands and back into the pages. The book struggled to escape Narissa's grasp, but she forced it down onto the table, and the sat on top of it.

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As the book struggled under her, Narissa continued. "When he's with me, I can draw on a lot more magic, and manipulate it in far more drastic ways."

"So, you're saying you need him to do any of this stuff?" Lulu asked.

Narissa glared at the girl in suspenders. She frowned and then clicked her tongue. "Tsk. That's not what I said, is it? I'm quite capable, with or without him."

"You just can't do it as well without him here to hold your hand. No, I get it." Lulu smirked. "Like trying to rig a game without any rope or other basic tools. You can get it to work, it's just more difficult."

"You still don't seem to get it." Narissa said. "I do not need him. Anything I can do with him, I can do without him. I am far more elegant, powerful, and yes, beautiful than he could ever hope to be."

"Yeah, not sure he's trying to win any beauty contests. But with those frown lines, I'm not sure you'd win any either." Lulu agreed.

Narissa was rocking back and forth from the struggling book trying desperately to escape. "You really don't have any tact, do you?"

"Lookie here," Lulu said, "You may be taking this a bit too personal. It's just business. I'm only saying what's true, see? I don't mean any offense."

The book slowly stopped struggling, and Narissa reached under and pulled it out. She forced a smile as she said, "I've found that when people say, no offense, they tend to say something rather offensive."

Narissa gripped the book so tightly her nails started to dig into thre leather bound cover through her silk gloves. "And I don't make it a habit to let an insult stand. So, in the future, perhaps you should think of your words a little more carefully."

Lulu grinned greedily as she shrugged and shook her head. "Ah, sorry sorry. Could've sworn I already told you that I reserve that sort of politeness to paying customers only. And seeing how you're only paying me a split of the profits...you aren't paying at all yet."

Narissa rubbed the bridge of her nose as she let out a frustrated sigh. "Then why don't you just leave me alone to do my work? Or better yet, make sure that demon didn't forget he was supposed to meet me here."

"Oof, no can do gal." Lulu laughed. "That sounds an awful lot like an order. And I don't do that kind of work for free."

"But you know I won't pay you, so why not try and squeeze money from anyone else? I mean, there's what, three new guys up there? That's a bug untapped market for you."

Lulu stroked her chin as she seemed to think it over. "Problem is," she said, "I'm stubborn as a mule. Can't leave without some form of palm greasing."

"I hate you." Narissa hissed.

Lulu smiled. "Don't I know it! All the more reason to pay me sooner rather than later."

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