Shots in Honor of the Moonlight

Three lovers. One bar. A sacred bottle of sparkly booze. It’s month-end at the Gutterlight, and that means it’s time for their most ridiculous ritual: a dice-fueled drinking game!

Closing Time

It had been a long, somewhat stressful week at the Gutterlight. The end of the month often is. Aurora was at the till grumbling about how it was always messing up. Sam was stacking chairs. Frankie was preparing Something Special™ for the night's festivities. It was Monday night and Tuesdays are closed at the bar, so Month End was usually marked, somehow.

“I swear this thing f***s up harder when the rent is due!” Aurora grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear.

Sam piped up with, “Maybe Frankie Blessed it again?”

Frankie dramatically gasped, gasped even! They clutched at imaginary pearls and proclaimed, “My Blessings only create Good Vibes and are used for Good, and Great Justice in that order!”

Sam groaned, “The last time you invoked great justice there were sparkles in my hair for days.”

Frankie beamed, “And you were Fabulous! You’re welcome!”

Aurora sighed, with a hint of drama, “Great Justice doesn’t help with the rent.”

Frankie scoffed, and scoffed again for good measure and said, “Oh ye of little faith. Behold The Elixir of Moonlight!!, (mark IV),” and held aloft with pride of a proud parent a sparkly slightly glowing bottle of Something.

Aurora wide eyed looked at the bottle held aloft and wearily said, “Ok, but that’s like, you know…  Food safe, right, hun?”

Frankie aghast, replied with, “There is definitely, definitely nothing marked as poison in here! I use only the most joyful and moonlighty ingredients and loves!”

“Ok, but it also has glitter, right? That’s glitter I’m seeing here,” Sam said, her task now completed.

“Yes, freshly procured moon tickles to joyfully play within my Elixir of wonderment.”

“I think that’s a fancy way of saying you’ve been shopping at the Dollar Store again,” Aurora quipped.

“Well, yes they were imported from the Emporium of the Dollar from the lost realm of Capitalism.”

Aurora snorted. “That’s where you got the foam swords, too.”

Frankie grinned. “Those were blessed blades, forged in the fires of discount enthusiasm.”

Sam, now back to the bar, squinting at the bottle now on the bar, simply said, “Ah, it’s going to be one of those nights.”

“Well, it is Finalization of the Month,” Frankie said simply and continued, “behold! The Stones of Truth!”  With that they produced three slightly old looking dice.

“Each speckle engraved upon these treasured surfaces is a mark of divine destiny! Going back generations, our honored ancestors were bound by their decrees!”

Aurora smirked, “Well, first, I bought them from the same Dollar Store I’m sure you got the glitter from.  Second, they look like they’ve been covered in soy sauce.  And third…  Uh, no…  That’s it.  Two. Two very solid points.”

“Your mundane truths do not diminish the Sacred,” Frankie scoffed.

“Okay, um sure, but maybe wash some of the sacred off before we play?” Sam interjected.

Frankie blinked and proceeded to wash them.

“No, not in the mop bucket!!  Argh, ah, give ‘em here.” taking the dice from a flabbergasted Frankie, Sam went off to the bathroom to give them a wash with actual soap.

And in a quick moment Sam was back and presented three clean dice.

“There, sanctified, no more soy and mop water energy here,” they were quickly scooped up by Frankie who then practically jumped into one of the chairs at the only table that still had any.

“Let us resume the time-honored tradition and commence the rolling of the ritual dice of truth!”

Then without missing a beat tossed back over their shoulder, “Babes, can you grab the Sacred Bottle?”

Sam grabbed the bottle while Aurora gathered the three required shot glasses, and poured three beers, for quality control purposes only. She then carried the sacred implements to the table on a free tray.

With that the three were fully settled in their positions.

Sam then piped up, “oh crap, gotta pee, don’t start without me.”

Frankie was aghast at the mere suggestion, but did actually wait for Sam’s return, fidgeting heavily with the Sacred Objects whilst they waited.

Aurora faithfully performing her quality control duties, sipped from her beer.

“You know you’re going to wear a hole through space-time if you keep vibrating like that?” Aurora said dryly with a dash of love.

Frankie paused mid-fidget, hands frozen hovering above the dice like a wizard in mid-spell. “That’s just how you open the portal to the Moon’s Will.”

Aurora replied, “and here I thought it was alcohol and bad decisions.”

Frankie grinned, “That’s just the opening ritual!”

Sam returned and smiled warmly at the two.

Frankie glowed in return, Aurora smiled and sipped her beer.

“Let us begin the time-honored ritual of truth!”

“You mean the game you invented last month?” Aurora interjected quietly.

“Well…” began Frankie, “It’s been time, and we’re here honoring it!”

Frankie hovered their hands over the table, and you would think that the lights dimmed just for them to say with deep reverence, “Three souls, three fates. One moon, and one truth!”

Sam leaned in and said, “One truth? Did you just add that?”

Frankie, unfazed, “The moon hath phases, and doth so do our rituals!”

Aurora grinned and with mock seriousness, “If you start speaking in tongues again, I’m definitely cutting you off!”

Frankie sipped their beer, cleared their throat, and said simply, “Babes, your implements of divine truth.”  They then handed a die to each Sam and Aurora.

The Game of Ultimate Truth and Fate

“As we begin this game, I accept my fate,” the three said in close unison �" though not quite, as it took half a sec for Aurora and Sam to kick in.

“Ok, roll for divine order!”

The three roll their dice, clattering across the table with divine randomness we got:

Sam: �™3

Frankie: �™1

Aurora: �™6

Aurora, “Yes!”  While writing down the results on a bar pad from her pocket.

Sam, “damn, a one right out of the gate!”

Frankie, “Fate has spoken!”  Aurora fills all the shot glasses, and they all throw them back. Wincing as they do so.

Aurora takes the time to refill the glasses.

“Okay,” Aurora said solemnly, holding up her die like a relic. “As the holder of the six, I hereby decree:  If you roll a three… you have to take two shots.”

“Damn, it really is going to be one of those nights!” Sam exclaimed.

Sam, Frankie and Aurora roll again, and for hecks sake, the results were:

Sam: �™4

Frankie: �™1

Aurora: �™1

“Double shots,” they all yell!

And they take two shots each. Things are getting real now; the ones have been out in full force! Shall we watch as the fates decide yet again?

Sam: �™3

Frankie: �™5

Aurora: �™1

“Shots!” They all exclaimed!

The three performed their sacred duty, Aurora as usual refilled.

It was time to roll again.

Sam: �™2

Frankie: �™6

Aurora: �™1

Aurora exclaimed, “Seriously?!”

“Shots!” Frankie and Sam yell.

More shots were consumed.

“As the newly anointed chosen one of the rules, I shall decree…” Frankie intoned with as much gravitas as they could muster�"followed by a perfectly dramatic pause. (And definitely not because they needed a moment to think!)  They continued, “on a two…  Thou shalt dance the dance of the pixies!”

Aurora and Sam groaned audibly while sipping their beers.

The three tempt fate once again:

Sam: �™2

Frankie: �™3

Aurora: �™6

Sam simply said, “F**k!”

Frankie practically glowing, “the Pixies demand their dance!”

Aurora, “Make it whimsical, hun!”

Groaning, Sam took a larger-than-strictly-necessary swig of her beer �" definitely not to stall the inevitable.

Then she slid out from the table and stood. Took a deep breath and thought for a moment. Frankie held their breath in glittery anticipation. They were a child about to open their presents on Christmas morning!

Sam steeled herself…  She then raised her hands slowly, beginning with glitter hands while shaking her hips, not with 100% grace, but definitely with 100% commitment! She then twirled around while doing this, and of course she shook it all down. She shook it sideways. She twirled, not once or twice, but thrice! This continued for a generous thirty or so seconds.

Looking deeply chagrined she sat down to thunderous applause!

Aurora took a sip of beer and shouted, “snacks!” before running to the office.

Frankie positively alight with joy said, “The pixies are duly honored, babe!”

Sam groaned into her beer, and muttered under her breath, “so embarrassed…”

Frankie gently placed a hand over hers �" warm, steady, a little sticky from the elixir. “You were glorious. The pixies have never been so blessed.”

Sam looked away smiling, “you’re lucky I love you.”

“And you’re radiant, Babes! Now drink your beer, Celebrator of the Pixies!”

Sam complied.

A Minor Interlude of Snacking

Triumphantly, Aurora returned, carrying a bag of bags of chips, pretzels and three bowls in her other hand. “Hah!” she said, dropping her payload onto the table. “I was ready for tonight!”

The three of them gleefully tore into the bags, filling their bowls with reckless abundance. Then, with the satisfaction of champions, they commenced munching.

“You know,” Aurora said from behind a hand of chips, “I don’t remember so many ones last time.”

Solemnly Frankie said, “The Light of the Moon provides. We can only guess as to their wishes.”

Sam snorted and added, "Remember last week when Jim kept challenging Aurora to darts? I think it's because he knows she sucks at darts."

“Hey, f**k off, I’m totally fine at darts!” Aurora added indignantly.

Frankie giggled, and Sam continued, “I bet you Frankie could kick your a*s.”

At that Frankie full belly laughed. “Totes Babes!”

“Hey! I won that one time!”

Frankie giggled again like sunlight manifested, “Yeah, but Babes, you were standing by the juke! That’s not regulation! And fuzzing me with kisses is not a clean duel!”

Sam raised her glass, smirking. “Pretty sure that was the only bullseye she ever hit.”  Then she took a hearty ‘sip’ of beer.

Sam and Frankie clinked their glasses in celebration of a point scored.

Aurora harrumphed at the indignity of it all. Grumbling, she continued, muttering, “I don’t suck at darts…”

It was time for a trio of bathroom breaks.

Scores Kept; Titles Won

Upon returning Frankie popped up with, “Oh s**t, Babe, you gotta choose the new wild card rule!”

Aurora blinked, and referred to her score sheet, “Oh f**k, yeah. I forgot I got a six last time.”

“Umm… on a three, you gotta… do three shots!” Aurora Stumbled.

Frankie squinted, “Hey that’s the same as last time, no repeats!”

Aurora shot back, “Yeah, but I upped the ante �" it still counts as new!”

Frankie crossed their arms in a full mockery of indignation, but conceded, nodding solemnly and frowning slightly. After a pause, they then say, “Fine the Moon accepts…  This dubious escalation.”

Looking down again at her page Aurora exclaimed, “Oh last round!”

Sam and Frankie mock gasped!

“Very well, let us cast the dice of the final decree!”

The dice were thrown to their final destiny.

Sam: �™4

Frankie: �™5

Aurora: �™1

Aurora bounced, “what the f**k!”

“Shots!” the other two exclaimed!

The three took their medicine. Aurora glanced down at her tallies.

3 1 6 �" Aurora *

4 1 1 �" Sam

3 5 1 �" Frankie

2 6 1 �" Frankie *

2 3 6 �" Aurora *

4 5 1 �" Frankie

Mock gasp, mixing a bit with a sigh, “Frankie wins,” Aurora conceded.

Frankie squealed and jumped up doing a pretty reasonable impression of Sam’s pixie dance!

“It is done; I am chosen!”  Frankie exclaimed!

Sam sighed and asked, “So, what will your title be? Aurora was Bartender of Awesome last time.”

Frankie paused, making the most important decision of their life…  Their head then popped up like an exclamation point, wide eyed, they ran behind the bar.

They rustled around for a moment or two and scrambled their way to the top of the bar. Holding aloft what looked like a sad twig with a bit of gum on the end…

Frankie proudly proclaimed:

“Behold,

For I am the Regent of Moonlight™,

Protector of the Sparkles,

Invoker of the Moonbeams,

Walker Under the Stars,

Loved by Their People,

And Holder of the Scepter of Ultimate Truth!”

With that they thrust their stick even higher into the air.

Sam and Aurora golf clapped in unison.

At that Frankie did a version of their Pop-Pop Dance, though with much less stability than other times.

Sam shouted, “Frankie, don’t break your damn neck!”

Aurora in one of her rare shields down moments, said reflexively, “Damn, you really do light up a room.”

Our newly anointed Regent of Moonlight halted mid dance and looked almost shocked and glowed red.

Papering over the moment they grinned from ear to ear, “You’re right, I do shine!”

But really, they were going to hold that moment forever like a polished gem.

Author's Note

Cozy queer throuple + sparkly booze + ridiculous dice rituals. Alcohol is present but it's all safe, playful, and rooted in love. Let me know how it reads!

Reviews

[JayG]

Take a deep breath, because this will sting. BUT... the problems I’m about to talk about are not related to your talent or potential, only the new-writer traps that catch us all—traps that can be easily avoided if you know about them as-you-write.

For example, had you known the three issues we must address quickly and unobtrusively on entering any scene, to provide context, your opening would be very different.

You’re trying to write fiction by transcribing yourself, as if the reader is attending a storyteller’s performance. That works for you, because you ARE attending that performance. So for you the performance is real and you see no problems. But the reader? Can they hear the emotion in your voice? No. Nor can they know what they should place there. No again. How about knowing the gestures that visually punctuate, the body language you’d use, or, the facial expressions of the storyteller? Nope.

The approach you use also causes you to leave out what seems obvious to you, like who we are, where we are in time and space, and what’s going on (the necessary issues I mentioned above).

Look at the words, not as the storyteller, but as a reader:

• It had been a long, somewhat stressful week at the Gutterlight.

1. Who cares what yesterday was like? That’s history, not story. NOW is when the story takes place. Always, begin with story, not history.
2. What’s a Gutterlight? A factory? A restaurant? You know. The reader? Not a clue. But as I already mentioned, the reader needs context as they read each word. Were this included in a query letter, here is where the rejection would come. And this is a mistake that about 90% of hopeful writers make, so you have a LOT of company.

• The end of the month often is.

For who, and why? The reader has no idea of what YEAR it is. They don't know the country, the city, or even the planet. So this line, too, is meaningless as read. It’s what your words suggest to any given reader, based on THEIR life-experience that supplies meaning, not your intent. That never makes it to the page.

Here’s the deal: When you left school, were you ready to write a film script or work as a journalist? Of course not. Those are professions which require specialized knowledge. We know that, but because the pros make it seem so easy and natural, we never apply it to fiction writing. But they’ve been refining and expanding the profession for hundreds of years. And as part of it, they’ve been identifying the traps and learning the tricks of hooking the writer on page one. They know what matters to the reader, and what doesn’t. Most of all, the pros know the character-centric and emotion based skills that make fiction a far more exciting read than do the fact-based and author-centric report-writing skills that are all we were taught in school.

The short version: You want to write fiction? Great idea. I support it wholly. But to write fiction you need fiction writing skills that will make the reader feel they’re living the adventure, not learning about it secondhand, in the dispassionate words of someone they can neither see nor hear.

Two suggestions:

1. For an overview of the traps, gotchas, and misunderstandings waiting to trip you, my own articles and YouTube videos may help.

2. Grab Debra Dixon’s, GMC: Goal Motivation & Conflict and dig in. It’s an excellent first book on adding wings to your words. I think you’ll find it eye-opening. And, it will make the act of writing a LOT more fun.

But whatever you do, hang in there, and keep on writing.

Jay Greenstein
Articles: https://jaygreenstein.wordpress.com/category/the-craft-of-writing/the-grumpy-old-writing-coach/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@jaygreenstein3334

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“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it’s raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.”
~ E. L. Doctorow

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
~ Mark Twain

“In sum, if you want to improve your chances of publication, keep your story visible on stage and yourself mum.”
~ Sol Stein

[Slyph Shadow]

Thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it!

I'll check out the resources you suggested!

-Chloë