Reflections Of Angels

New Faces

A/N: Spoilers for The Birdcage. Though that might just apply for the entire story now.

Declan's bar was full of new faces; The Nook was a clamour of chaos and sounds, filled with people of all kinds and from every corner mingling together with ease.
Declan was in his element, serving drinks with a smooth smile and chatting with people at the bar; a little joking here, a little flirting there, none of it designed to mean a thing.

"How's it going?" Travis asked from the doorway of the backroom behind the bar, where he'd been hanging out in their den.

"Business is booming." Dec chuckled. "I think soon I'm going to reach the point where I could retire from all my other business and just run this place."

"This before or after you buy Majorca?" Travis teased.

"After, obviously."

Travis shook his head. "Nah, I don't think you'll be retiring anytime soon. You need the challenge to keep your brain occupied."

"... Yeah, that sounds like me." Dec admitted. "Speaking of challenges, been trying to track down the escaped asylum patients without much luck."

"Seriously? You've found none of them?"

"None of the ones we're worried about."

"Ugh." Travis groaned, putting his head in his hands. "I don't believe this. This city is insane- there's literal psychos on the streets!"

"I'm funding repairs and a refurb of the hospital." Dec said. "Though it might not be much good since most of the remaining doctors have quit."

"There were multiple doctors left?"

"... Granted, only one that was any good." Dec conceded. "Which was the other main problem with the place."

"Excuse me." A girl at the bar interrupted. "But I couldn't help but overhear... did you say you were trying to track down escapees from the asylum?"

Both men turned to look at her. She was perched on a bar stool with her legs crossed one over the other; tall and lean, she had tanned skin and golden brown eyes, and wore black skinny jeans and a simple tank top. Her hair, previously coloured a bloody red was now a flowing silvery-grey- and behind her curled a long, flexible golden-scaled tail, as dexterous as a fifth limb.

Picking up her tumbler of whiskey off the counter, she downed it in one swallow. "Because I might be able to help you with that." With a smile, she extended her hand in introduction. "I'm Katherine."