He picked a fight with a bar stool three weeks ago

"Hmm~ Hm, hm, hmm~"

Dahlia hums a calm, unfamiliar tune. She touches the screen behind the counter and after a few swipes and presses, a slow electronic jazz plays through the bar's ambient speakers.

I add a drop of milky white Grenadine-7 to a glass of Red Gin. The clear red drink turns bright pink and Jacob delivers the freshly mixed BitterSweet to a female customer sitting at one of the tables.

I keep eyeing Dahlia who is next to me behind the bar counter with an unusually cheery mood. She didn't return from her business yesterday so we had to inform Reggie about ending our shift. When she reaches out to a bottle displayed at the shelves behind us, I notice a peculiar sheen on her metallic hand.

"Did you have your hand adjusted Dahlia?"

"Mm? Yeah something like that."

With a smirk, Dahlia starts jabbing at the air with her right hand.

"Much lighter than before. Hey, you know how to box Noa?"

"I am well-versed in both armed and unarmed combat."

"Right. Security droid. I should take you sparring some time."

"Will I get paid?"

"No but I'll pay for your entrance fee."

"If I'm free then."

"Uhh, Miss Dahlia?"

"What is it Jacob?"

"There's two guys looking for you at the back?"

"One of 'em blonde?"

"Uhh, yeah actually."

"Ah shit. Noa! You're in charge."

Why is it always me? Jacob aside, everyone else has been working here longer. Before I could even reply, Dahlia has already gone through the kitchen doors. Jacob has also returned to cleaning tables and serving customers, leaving me by myself.

"Hey. Get me a Dahlia Special, will ya?"

A well-built man with a gruff voice sits by the bar. He has a clean buzz cut, almond eyes, and a 'D17' tattoo on his neck. D17 most likely refers to District 17, the gang district.

"Gangster."

"I'm sorry?"

"That what you thinkin'? You were starin'."

"I apologize. I'll prepare your drink immediately."

I pour Sky Vodka in a short oval glass. Then add in a bit of Grenadine-7 and NON-Absinthe simultaneously. The white and purple do not completely mix with the blue vodka. Instead they swirl around one another. From the side it looks like a frozen tornado but from the top it looks like a blooming flower.

"As long as you do not cause any trouble, you are more than welcome here."

"Thanks."

I slide him his drink and he nearly downs it all in one go.

"Guessin' you're Jak's replacement."

"You know Jak?"

"Yeah. We're... friends. I guess."

"You don't sound very certain."

"We know each other, talk every now and again, never had a fight which is something you don't normally hear about Jak."

"He picked a fight with a bar stool three weeks ago."

"Yeah he's a bad drunk."

"He wasn't drunk at the time."

"....."

Lost for words the man decides to finish his drink and points at the displayed bottle of Xtra Red Gin. I prepare a glass for him and he takes it in silence.

"So Jak really is part of a gang."

"Nah, he's not."

"...? So he just hates androids then?"

"Pretty much."

He takes a sip.

"Wait you think android-hate is a gang thing now?"

"Is it not?"

The man sighs and shakes his head.

"It's that bad huh. Hey listen, just so you know, we don't all hate androids. Hell, there are androids living in D17."

"This is the first time I've heard of android gangsters."

"That fuckin' word again."

The man shakes his head again, the irritation apparent.

"You have any idea who started that shit?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question."

"The whole thing about D17 being a gang."

"I thought you styled yourselves as gangsters?"

"We do now but only 'cause that's how outsiders treat us. I bet it's some bullshit propaganda by those corpos..."

He chugs his drink and wipes his mouth clean of the red liquid.

"Why would they do that?"

"You don't even know that?"

"No I've heard nothing about it."

"Then it's a hundred percent them. Corpos wanted to take over our district since last year. Replace a residential district with another corporate one. Obviously we said no. This right here is a sign of unity... and loyalty to our home."

He points at the tattoo on his neck.

"Got nothin' to do with gangs, just wanted to show we'll fight for what little we had left."