"Let me see what you got on tap!"

"I'll have the New Tricks IPA, please."

"Actually, could I get a bottle of the Pinot Noir?"

I had one hand halfway running through my hair and the other hand holding the drinks menu as my eyes frantically danced about the various brands and varieties. While I had been drinking before, it was only ever something like a girl's night out with Violet and some of her revolving-door friends, and even then I just followed whatever recommendations they gave me. Sometimes they tasted good, but every so often Vi would order me some sort of beer that was very dark in colour and tasted like I was sipping sap out of a tree stump.

So when I told Violet that I would decide for myself, it was with a mix of naivety and hubris that I thought it would be a simple process to find exactly what it was that I would enjoy and look for. So here I am now, muttering my thoughts out loud under my breath as I searched for something that wouldn't have me make a face like a child taking cough syrup, while Violet sat next to me doing her best to stifle her laughter as she teased my indecisiveness.

"Think, Sue, think," I whispered.

"And what will you have, miss?" The waitress, a short and bubbly looking college student who somehow looked simultaneously awake and more tired than ever.

I, of course, yelped in surprise and blurted out, "I'll get the cider!" I could see the life leave the waitress's eyes as her expression remained unchanged. "Another one of THOSE people," I'm sure she was thinking.

"And will that be the Steep Orchard Big or Little Dry, the Sheep Dog Red Berry, or one of the Wolf Pack varieties that we have on tap?"

Frazzled as ever, I just managed to stammer out, "Th-the little dry, please." The waitress let out a small sigh and nodded as she moved onto the next person in our party, and I let myself sink into my chair in embarrassment a little.

"So, Sue!" Jonathon called over, and I felt myself bolt back upright in an instant. "How did your day go!"

"Oh, y'know, it was a day," I started sheepishly, wishing that he hadn't started this round of questions with me. "Had to talk to the boss about passing out yesterday, but y'know it was really no big deal! Just a little chat and a couple reminders and that's all."

"God, that Grigori is such a demon," One of the other ladies at the table said, and I jumped in my seat.

"What?! H-how did you know?!" I asked. The lady looked at me funny and laughed.

"Uhhh, because he's an ass? What, is he playing favorites with you or something?"

"N-no, sorry, I thought you said something else," I muttered and sunk back into my chair.

"Carol, don't be rude! He's fine once you get to know him, he just has to work with company policy is all," Jonathon said, elbowing Carol in the shoulder softly.

"Hey, you okay?" Violet whispered into my ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just nervous in these kinda settings is all," I whispered back.

"I know, that's why I asked," Violet said. "Seriously, if it's getting too rough, just say the word and I'll drop a couple cherry bombs in the toilet or something and we can skedaddle."

"What?! No! No cherry bombs!" I hissed back.

"Relax! Just a joke! I wouldn't waste them on a place like this."

"Really, though, I'm glad things turned out okay for you!" I realized Jonathon was still talking to me and turned back to the conversation at hand as quickly as I could. "I know you're often the quiet type, Sue, but when I saw that you were getting called in I was starting to worry for the worst!"

"Wh--" I stammered, and just as I started to talk the waitress placed my drink next to me and I quickly took a large swig. Despite the usual burn of alcohol, the drink itself wasn't very bitter and actually felt nice to sip. "Why were you worried?"

"Why wouldn't I be worried about a coworker?" Jonathon asked.

"I mean, if you weren't gunning for Grigori's job..." Carol said to the other ladies with a snicker.

"I'm not gunning for his job!" Jonathon insisted. "That's just who I am!"

"He's lying," I heard Ping whisper in my ear, and almost jumped again. Would people just stop sneaking up on me already?! "Well, not quite, but I definitely saw what's left of his aura tremor there for a second. It wasn't the whole truth."

I furrowed my brow for a second, and for once in a social gathering I figured out what it was that I wanted to say next. "So, what is it you do want to do?" I asked Jonathon, and I could hear Violet almost choke on her drink in surprise. "I mean, it puts bread on the table, but I'm sure you didn't study to be an accountant!"

At this question, anyone, including myself, could see the light leave Jonathon's eyes, but his smile was as wide as ever. "Really, I just love working with people!" He said. "What better dream is there than working with your friends in a company you like?"

"There," Ping whispered again. "That was a big lie."

"Hope and aspiration," I muttered under my breath. That was what made the connection for the human soul, right? That's what the daemons wanted to break. But Ping said he still had some, right? Just a little bit?

"You sure that's all there is to it?" I asked Jonathon, and it seemed to be his turn to almost jump in surprise, as if it were a question he was not expecting. "I get the sense that there's more to you than that."

"Ooooh!" Carol chimed in with a sneer. "Looks like lil' Quiet Sue's comin' on to the hot shot Jon!" Judging by the red in her cheeks I figured that she had been drinking quite a bit faster than the rest of us.

"Th-that's not true!" I insisted. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to--"

"She's ribbing you," Violet said, a little more quietly than usual, and her attention seemed to be distracted. "I know you got better taste than that."

"You'd be barkin' up the wrong tree anyways! Girl, I've gone down that path before and..." By now the noise of the party seemed to bleed into each other, and even Jonathon's cheerful facade was beginning to break away to the discomfort that he was feeling in the moment.

In a vain attempt to escape from the situation, I tried to see what it was that Violet was looking at, and there at the bar I saw something. I didn't know if she was seeing what I was seeing, but staring at us from across the restaurant floor were three shadowy figures. It could be just the lighting, but even so I could still make out a couple distinct features: large horns jutting from their heads, and eyes that glowed with a fierce amber.