Depression it hits hard to those who never experienced it before, the feeling of inadequacy the feeling that no matter what happens you lose. To those who have experienced this feeling before it is easier to pull yourself out of it. Bacchus couldn’t keep his eyes off of the building it had been a month since he left for home, had to take care of some business it was handled and he was back stateside with less purpose than before.

His home the one across the pond on the other side of the world was burnt down, his loved ones, his friends wanted nothing to do with him. It was his fault they were dead. He understood why no one wanted him to stay. Jon was dead, his best friend a bullet to the head to prove a point Minnie his woman, the one to pull the trigger.

There was some sick irony in that. Bacchus should have killed her when he first met her. It would have been the first woman he knowingly killed but it was Minnie so he wouldn’t have been too broken up about it. Never did like her. She was shark chum now though he made sure of it before he hopped back on the plane to come state side there was nothing left back their for him just pain full reminders.

The sanctuary didn’t change much from the looks of it, he had kept in contact with Ulysses kept him in the loop with all that happened it was he that suggested the giant say goodbye to the island and call this city home. It was where his heart was right?

Turning his back from the building he figured a walk around the block or three would do him some good. He wasn’t ready to go back just yet, he had to get his mood straight the only way he knew how.

It was a bar he never entered before it was mutant friendly that’s what someone said right outside it before passing by, Bacchus grinned, “Location, location, location…” the owner defiantly knew how to operate. The immediate area was mostly mutants the sanctuary was to thank for that.

He entered the bar, it was a typical bar scene mid-day the occasional drunk sitting at the bar stooped over in his empty shot glass, slim build. Bacchus’s eyes passed over him paying him no mind. ‘Shadow’s light, interesting name for a bar’ thought Bacchus his eyes continuing to pass over everyone counting them making sure they weren’t anyone that would give him a hard time. There were eight of them, all in their own little world. Best yet none seemed to be cops.

It had been a while since he had a run in with the police but Bacchus was sure they wouldn’t soon forget the drunken rampaging giant he once was. However if he kept some facial features slightly different than what he normally looked like and he did his best to keep quite no one would recognize him for what he was. Right now he was just a guy who was late for his medication. ”One scotch, one whiskey, one beer.”

Business was going pretty well, she had even turned a profit a couple days. Word had spread quickly through the twin red Giants, Jupiter and Venus. Things had calmed down after the first few day's as she had figured it would. However business had stayed such that she was nether losing or making money. She took some pride in that most businesses took far longer to reach that point. Still as she advised a bar drunk he was cut off and needed to call a cab.

SHe would be happy when the place developed a regular crowd. Until then she just had to stay positive she told herself. She called back into the kitchen. "Jose, i need a fresh Keg of Molson for the tap" she called back, and Jose of course complained the entire way into the basement storage area. She smiled, Jose annoyed her to know end some times, but he had believed in her enough to move across the country.

She refilled a shot glass, biting her lip as she did, worried it might be one to many. Typical mid day crowd of drunk's who had long ago lost much interest in much other then the wound the booze never quite closed. It was sad to see but it was money and if not her then someone else would make it.

She noticed Bachuss for the simple fact that the man was huge. Even with many of her customer's mutations they were not that tall. Her eyes looked him over as he sat down and ordered, she quickly filled his order. "My name is Melissa, and you are?" she said in greeting with a smile. SHe enjoyed this part of bar tending more then the rest, getting to know her patrons.

Looking to the other side of the bar two drunk's were having a heated discussion over football draft choices. Melissa liked football enough, but the individual players tended to run together in her head. They seemed civil enough so she ignored them for the moment.

The giant closed his eyes and reopened them and his order was before him like magic, the bartender had the quick service down which was good he was already late for his medication. Bacchus took a look up from the glasses and spotted the bartender, ”In love,” Bacchus said before giving her a small smile and a head nod. She was attractive, small but attractive. Bacchus might have been depressed but blind wasn’t a symptom.

Scooping up the scotch and throwing it back he set down the glass slowly as the fire liquid trailed down his throat. His stomach was empty and his medication hit the spot. ”Bacchus,” he said picking up the whiskey and repeating the process he had with his scotch. ”Pleasure to meet you, sweet heart.” Reaching down he took his beer and sipped on the contents.

His eyes traveled to one side as he heard two of the customers start to argue about football. Bacchus smirked to himself behind the beer and shook his head, ”Football…” he could have taken on an entire league of football players if he wanted, they would have to rename the super bowl after him thought the Bacchus bowl didn’t have that good of a ring to it. ‘Maybe I could get some cash if I signed on to a team?’ Bacchus thought silently to himself before dismissing the idea. His record probably wouldn’t have allowed it.

”Another round, please stronger if you will trying to make my day better.” he said with a smile and another large sip of his beer emptying the bottle, ”And could you upgrade the size of the beer?” he set the bottle down gently and then smiled to the woman, ”Please, Melissa.”

"Nice to Meet you as well" She said. He seemed a sweet talker so far, but some people changed the moment liqueur filled their systems. SHe was use to it, you had to be in this job.
She took his reaction to football as Bacchus was not interested in the sport. He was kind with his word's which was nice as well. His request was something she could fulfill and considered just for a moment on how to do that. "Oh i can make your day a whole lot brighter" she Said with a bit of a giggle.

To fill his order, she prepared a pitcher of the beer he had been drinking, the shot however came from a bottle, with a violet band around the top. The 120 Proof bottle had been hard to make, she always made some sort of booze but getting the proof within a percent or two was much harder. She Poured two shot glasses. and with skilled Hands served him the Pitcher and the shot. "Im not sure what flavor you like, but try this" She said.

Grabbing her shot she smiled and waited for him. "This is 120 Proof" She said. He had been unclear what he wanted. People who wanted strength often did not care about flavor but each person was different. "You drink this with me and wnat somthing stronger, it's on me" She said, with confidence he might be able to do it, From the rate he drank the beer, he prolbely drank pretty often.

The giant smirked, she wasn’t joking she was defiantly making his day better and offering to buy him a round if he wanted something stronger? Icing on the cake! With the pitcher of beer before him and a mystery shot Bacchus looked back to the woman and lifted his eyebrow, ”120 eh?” he tried not to smile too much. It wasn’t the first time or the last time he had something so strong to start off the day. After all he had been dependent on alcohol for some time to help dull his senses, one of the drawbacks to his mutation.

”Not to particular on any one flavor love, vodka, whiskey, gin, scotch, and absinthe, all good in my book usually like them on different occasions, however I wouldn’t recommend offering me up shots on the house.” Bacchus smirked and lifted the shot glass in the air and sniffed it ”I’m damn competitive.”

Lifting the glass in the air Bacchus smiled and tipped it back and felt the burn all the way down. He didn’t reach for his beer or give a look of disgust; in fact he smiled and pushed the shot glass forward, ”Might be taking that stronger one, so long as you pour one for yourself as well, my day just got brighter.”

He took the 120 like a champ and seemed less then fazed by it. The man had a good tolerance, not the average weak end hero who thought he could drink. She preferred a direction when it came to drinks but had worked in a bar long enough to work with it. She did not voice she was fairly sure the man could not out drink, it's supply on tap if one liked the taste of alcoholic water. Such a thing would be costly and for all she knew the guy's mutant power was being immune to getting drunk.

"Point taken, and i could take a shot with you" she said with a shrug. Her power as a side effect had given her a decent tolerance, though the stuff she considered now was a bit past her typicality enjoyment. She took a bottle with a pink ribbon tied to it's neck, checked it and nodded to herself. Her Land lord had yelled the last time she had made a batch of the stuff but it had a a decent cherry flavor though.

SHe grabbed two shot glasses and setting them down poured the 160 proof alcohol . "This is from out west and that's what im here for, to help people feel better again" she said. It was true, though money played a good amount of it as well. When Gane bane did, she would touch glasses and drink her shot, feeling ht booze warm her neck and twist her stomahc slightly, though she grabbed no chaser.

Bacchus gave her a grin and lifted his beer in cheers when she said she could take a shot with him. He didn’t mind her company she was a good looking gal and as long as she kept the free rounds coming, hell she could start calling him an idiot like Isabel used to.

Bacchus took another sip of beer chasing Isabel the bow wearing bone-mancer from his mind. The sudden urge to hit something started to creep into his thoughts but was quickly tossed out the window when he spotted the woman reach back to her shelf of magic and lift a shiny bottle with a nice pink ribbon on it. ”Got some interesting looking drinks and bottles here.” Bacchus said offhandedly as he looked from the nameless bottle to the gents behind him who were still talking football but getting louder and louder.

Looking back to the woman Bacchus smelled cherries when she opened the bottle and poured them into the glasses, ”Out west huh?” Bacchus said as he lifted the glass into the air cheering Melissa, ”Cheers!” Bacchus slammed it back and licked his lips after the drink started to go back down to his stomach to mix with the rest of the alcohol he was consuming, ”Not bad, stronger but not bad. Cherry, not bad.” Bacchus took a sip of beer and then continued on with his conversation before the shot, ”I’m from out west too, or east depending on how far we are talking.”

Interesting bottles in deed. She was happy that he let it drop. The less then legal liqueur while not dangerous had never seen any regulation and she knew the state would likely frown on the use of her bathtub to brew. She also figured they would not enjoy that she made it with her powers even less.

She smiled with some pride as the man complimented the drink. She always enjoyed praise of one her personal products. "San Diego, born and raised till i came here, much to my parents dismay. They wanted a Doctor" she said with a laugh. "How about you? Im guessing not quite as far west?" she said curiously. His previous word's made her think he might be from the Midwest. Of course most of the country was west from here she reminded herself.

"A house special" she mentioned at the drink. SHe scanned the bar which was still mostly empty. A woman with a beak came in and dragged one of the men discussing football out of the bar. She had seen it happen a number of times already. It was hard not to notice how much the man drank, but harder to turn down the money and she knew he would never drive.

Bacchus smirked and took a swig of his beer again when she mentioned her parents wanted a doctor. What did Bacchus’s parents want? His dad was now in the ground but if he wasn’t he’d want a bottle of whiskey or some beers something Bacchus would have sooner consumed then dig a deeper grave for his father. As far as Bacchus was concerned death was too easy for him he should have suffered first and his mother? Bacchus was pretty sure she would have liked it if he didn’t exist. ”Guess I had it easy, my folks never expected much of me. Guess I can never disappoint them.” ‘other than being alive.’ Bacchus finished thinking to himself as to keep the majority of his life back home under wraps.

”Can’t tell from my accent?” Bacchus asked loudly taking care to put a little extra Australian spice to his words. ”Came over from Australia a year or two ago, haven’t really wanted to go home since then. The city is more my style.” lied Bacchus as he lifted the shot glass towards Melissa. She was busy watching one of the blokes behind him be escorted out by a beakish woman. ”Bet it can get quite entertaining here what with the old ladies coming in and taking their men out of her during prime drinking hours.”

Bacchus lifted the glass higher towards her and knocked it back and licked his lips once the drink was downed. ”Normally not one for fruity drinks but that was delicious. Whatcha call it?” Bacchus asked setting the shot glass off on the counter closer towards Melissa so she wouldn’t have to lean over the bar much. ”Get a lot of muties in here?” Bacchus asked nodding his head towards the door where the woman just left with what the giant thought was her husband.

"Well with the stories i hear in this place, maybe we both had life pretty easy then, I hear some pretty bad stories here. Good one's to, but the bad ones seem to stick around longer." she said, having heard quite a number of horrible stories, some of which seemed to bad to be true. Good stories, even like her's seemed to be the rarity, which was even sadder.

"Wow, iv'e never left the states. I grew up in city's though, so im more comfortable in them as well. " she said mentally joking that she was qualified to live in the country area as she could already make moonshine.

She nodded. "Yes, most of the people who come here, are mutant's. I figured their biker bar's, sport's bar's and just plain old bar's, but their wern't any Bar's specifically targeting Mutant's. So i Looked for the highest population's of known mutant's in the city, and bought and remodeled this place. Built like a bomb shelter" she said with a smile. "Humans come once in a while, but most don't stay long" she went on. Even the tolerant one's tended to be worried by the presence of lots of drunk mutant's. She could hardly blame anyone for that.

"The Drink is called 7's cloud, I brought quite a bit of local booze from back home and still have some contact's. no one had really challenged her claim yet, and no one had seemed to check for the existence of any of them.

It was the Jose, The raccoon Mutant made his way back upstair's the keg looked almost as big as him, but he moved it into place. He grumbled and made his way back to the kitchen, more then one fowl word could be heard from his mouth. She felt bad for the Raccoon chef, despite him somehow being cleared by health inspectors, their were few that would even consider letting what amounted to a giant furry animal cook.