[OPEN] Tried on 13 different pairs of shoes

[businessorlibation]

Who: Johnny Summer and You
When: January
Where: Hurikane, Tommy Bahama
Summary: December's aftermath settles in hard. Johnny folds himself up, tucks himself away, finds distractions.
Warnings: Alcohol, maladaptive coping strategies, mental health

1. I am dented by the skies [Hurikane]
Sometimes, you just want to slot into old familiar routine, step back into what was work and just. Wear the customer service face, letting people tell you what they want of you and delivering that to the best of your ability. Johnny's behind the bar, mixing cocktails and hoping no one notices how mask-like his smile feels to him right now. Come on over, he'll just...make a drink happen for you. It's the best he can do for anyone in this moment.


2. They keep me up at night [Tommy Bahama]
And sometimes a man's feet get restless, when the end of day comes and lying down in bed feels impossible. There's no snow-covered wilderness to wander here, and that suits Johnny Summer fine. He's an indoor cat, after all, has been ever since...

...so he's at Tommy Bahama alone, taking advantage of its endlessness to go for a nice long walk to try to get the fog out of his mind. Maybe. Or maybe he'll run into a werecougar and have a fight, always possible. He does have his scissors.


3. It’s just a lack of air supply [Wildcard]
darkersolstice or darkersolstice #9463 to plot

Comments

[pineapplesalmon]

César laughs slightly at the idea. "No, no, there's a filtered straw that we use called a bombilla—" pronounced 'bombizha' in Argentine Spanish. "I'll set up everything, don't worry. But it'll go underneath everything once I've got it all properly hydrated."

He grins. "You have to start with cooler water so it's prepared for warmer water, otherwise you'll 'burn' it and you won't get the best flavor."

[businessorlibation]

"Ah, sort of like the process of blooming coffee when using a pour-over method. Not exactly, but a similar idea. Bash taught me that."

In one of their several comparative conversations on their crafts. Bash may not drink alcohol, and Johnny's interest is primarily in espresso instead of standard coffee, but they do enjoy one another's infodumps.

[pineapplesalmon]

"Mmm, similar to that, yes. That man knows his coffee." César chuckles a bit. "Don't tell him I like this more than coffee."

"Now if you would...." César takes the gourd back. "We have to get rid of the dust. Usually I use my hand, but... not appropriate here."

He gets one of the napkins and lightly moisturizes it, then covers the gourd and tips it over, shaking it so the dust will settle on the bottom. A grin as he shows Johnny the dust. Then he slants the gourd at a 45 degree angle and pours water lower to the bottom of it.

"Pouring the lukewarm water like this will help prepare the drinking hole for where I'll insert the bombilla and start pressing the yerba to make room while keeping the top part of it dry to create a little mountain. I just... have to hold this here for a minute while the water gets absorbed. Then I'll add in some hot but not boiling water alongside the bombilla, drink the first drink, which isn't very good."

He shrugs. "After that, it's basically just smooth sailing... refill and drink to empty repeatedly and passing it around, although the host often does the refilling. The flavor changes over time. Eventually, you don't get much flavor, so you can collapse the mountain and get a bit more."

[businessorlibation]

"I see. It's almost...ritualistic." He's fascinated by the process, and loving this infodump as much as all the rest. That's a large part of what he fell in love with about César.

[pineapplesalmon]

"Mmm, it feels like that to me. You told me I need to slow down. That includes being more present." A little laugh as he looks to the gourd he's holding at an angle. "You can't rush mate, and you need to pay attention so you make it right."

[businessorlibation]

“Time, attention, care…ah, I see.” He is literally chin on his hands, watching with love, understanding what he’s being shown in this moment. This is a perfect example of what he wanted to see from César.

[pineapplesalmon]

César's smile softens, and he gives that look right back to Johnny. "Mhmm. I never actually tried speeding up this process, although I certainly could've come up with a way to do it. But sharing mate is about connection. It's perfect the way it is."

[businessorlibation]

"Reminds me of espresso culture. What it is to share an after dinner drink with someone." Like he did with Mimley, so long ago, before they understood one another.

[pineapplesalmon]

César nods, smile still soft and eyes warm. "Yes, just like that. Cafés are common in Buenos Aires, too."

[businessorlibation]

Johnny relaxes, watching the process with fascination, letting the moment linger. It’s good, being able to just. Vibe with his husband for a bit.

[pineapplesalmon]

A warm and carefree moment César worried would never happen again between them. It's less than a minute after that César adds the hot water and takes the first full sip of tepid water. The second time he fills it and offers it to Johnny.

[businessorlibation]

Johnny takes a slow sip, closing his eyes.

(Yes his brain is already working on ‘will it cocktail’, that’s not the point.)

“Huh, I think I like it.”

[pineapplesalmon]

César has pillowed his own head on a hand, smiling indulgently. "I'm glad. It's a good brand." He doesn't need a label to know.