Prepping for a Casual Game Night

Summertime was Kiernan's least favorite time to work. It was hot and everyone, himself included, was more cranky and irritable. Despite having short-sleeved shirts for his job, it still was uncomfortable and had a bad habit of sticking to his fur or his fur would get tangled up in the buttons by the end of the day. He would end up looking like a sweaty, hot mess and not give off a professional appearance like he wanted. So, to help combat the summertime blues, Kiernan had dedicated at least one evening a week to casual gaming.

There were some nights when he would spend extra time gaming, specifically on games that required more focus and were multi-player co-op type games. He rarely used the same gamer tag, just to keep his online identity more of a mystery, but he had a knack for getting praised for his ability to deal high amounts of damage on the characters he played, regardless if they were meant to or not. Someone had found out who he was and bought him a custom shirt that said "#1 DPS" on it. It wasn't much, but Kiernan considered it his lucky shirt.

However, tonight was not a night for more focused work. He was going to dust off his 3DS and play some Pokemon, perhaps do some shiny hunting. But, before that, he wanted to stop by the Ice Shack down the street from him. As soon as he got off work, he stripped off his uniform and threw the pieces into an overflowing laundry hamper, most dirty articles of clothing sporting longer tufts of fur or hair that Kiernan had opted to just yank out instead of trying to untangle them from whatever he was wearing. He turned on a floor fan on high and allowed his fur to be buffeted for a few minutes, enjoying the air circulation through his matted and partially wet fur. After that, he took a heavy duty brush and brushed out some of the more problematic parts before dabbing a bit of cologne to freshen up a bit. Satisfied with being a little more publicly presentable without having to worry about a shower, he turned his attention to the couch, piled high with clothes both clean and mostly clean. On top of its usual spot, Kiernan found a d quickly grabbed his lucky shirt and flung it a few times to dislodge and loose fur or hair before throwing it on in addition to a loose pair of sweatpants. Digging his wallet and keys out of the pockets of his dirty uniform, he grumbled to himself about being forgetful, and eventually made it out the door with what he needed.

As soon as he was out the door, he was greeted by a blast of dense, hot air that made him want to turn right back around and curl up in a ball in the basement where it was cooler. But, he decided against it; he trekked on, letting his tongue hang out a little as he made his way to the Ice Shack. Along the way, he saw numerous younger critters playing in sprinklers or tiny, inflatable pools under the watchful eyes of their parents. The sky had very little traffic at this time of day to no surprise. Though, he did envy the avians at a time like this; being able to almost effortlessly glide through the air at high speeds on a hot day must feel at least a little refreshing. Well, it couldn't be worse than being covered in thick fur meant for cooler climates, anyways. Much to his dismay, the Ice Shack was busy with customers... and short on help. Groaning inwardly, Kiernan approached the haphazard cluster that was supposed to be a line. His ears drooped a little as he tried to tune out the the overpowering noise of the cicadas and children aggressively trying to bargain with their parents or older siblings about what they wanted to get. Kiernan found himself spacing off after a minute or so, and was surprised when he heard someone clear their throat loudly behind him. His ears perked up as his head slightly jerked as he snapped back to reality. There was only one other customer in front of him -- a good ten feet ahead of him.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought."

Kiernan sheepishly trudged forward, ignoring the eye roll of a parent and scowl of what appeared to be a pre-teen behind him. Thankfully, Kiernan didn't have to go over what was on the menu. He knew exactly what he wanted, and with the bit of luck he had, the owner of the place was working and knew exactly how to make Kiernan's order.

"Kiernan, my friend! Good to see you! Will you be having the usual?"

There was something about being greeted cheerfully by someone who recognized you solely by how often you visited their workplace. Said greeter was the owner, Mr. Rajaram, whom Kiernan usually referred to as just Raj if there weren't any other customers around. Kiernan nodded enthusiastically in response to the question.

"Yeah! But can I get it in Grape this time, please, Mr. Rajaram?"

"Sure, friend! One Grape Unicorn coming right up!"

As Raj spun on his heels, Kiernan couldn't help but admire him. No matter how busy it was or how hot it was, he always had a smile on his face. Kiernan had never seen him in anything other than a white shirt sporting the logo of the Ice Shack, a pair of jeans with a brown, braided belt, and a pair of glasses that seemed too small for the longer-than-average face that some Pariahs tended to have. Raj wasn't pure Pariah from what Kiernan had gathered, but that was the most noticeable part about him. That part of him shone through and was perhaps the main reason he was so friendly -- because of where he originally came from.

"Ma, what's a Grape Unicorn?"

Kiernan's ears swiveled slightly as he heard a tiny voice behind him speak up, questioning Kiernan's order. In all honesty, it wasn't even on the wooden menu plastered on the side of the shack. It was a custom order that took at least twice as long to make due to all the work put into it. Kiernan half-turned, waiting to see if the mother of whichever young'un would let him speak or shrug it off.

"Maybe you should ask this young man what it is,"

Well, Kiernan hadn't expected that, not after the eye roll and scowl he had received earlier. Regardless, he wasn't going to be rude back, not this time.

"It's a slush that has mixed flavors in the middle, and one coating the outside of the slush. On the outside, it appears to be just one color or flavor, but on the inside, it's colorful like a rainbow gleaming on a unicorn's horn, in both looks and taste."

He always had fun describing that to others. However, the parent didn't seem to be amused.

"Ma, I want to try one!"

"You absolutely will not. That is too many flavors and it probably costs more than what we usually get anyways."

Kiernan sighed inwardly to himself. He just couldn't win when kids with parents were involved. He turned his attention forward, right as Raj slid his order forward, the slush coming to a halt mere centimeters away from the edge of the drop-off for the order window. Kiernan began to dig out his wallet, but was met with a few words from Raj first.

"Today for you is on the house, my friend. I see you often and you are a good customer, least I can do for you! Hope to see you again soon, friend! Enjoy your night!"

Kiernan was about to protest, but knew with the line building behind him, it was not the time. He would rather get glares and scowls from others wondering why he got a free order as opposed to trying to convince Raj to let him pay. With a little more pep in his step, he shrugged off the appalled looks from those who had heard the owner say his was free this time, and quickly made his way back home.

By the time he returned to his basement, the fan he had left on had done a decent job of making it feel cooler, at least. Halfway down the stairs, there was about a sudden ten degree difference that slowly got larger with every step, as opposed to the top of the stairs. His blue-grey eyes quickly scanned the table at the foot of the stairs. They locked onto a shiny, like-new, purple and black 3DS. With one paw, he tossed his keys and wallet onto the table before swiping up the 3DS. He took a few steps before doing a 180 and letting his behind flop into a couch unoccupied by a smorgasbord of clothes. He flipped the power switch on his handheld and began sucking some of the mushy, flavored ice through the straw. An explosion of flavors entered his mouth, the most noticeable being grape. A small, contented half-smile crept to his face on the side that had the straw. The combination of a satisfying slush on a hot day whilst casually playing a game that, to him, never got old, was a recipe for a good night.