I don't know why animals are calling this the "roaring" 20's, there is only one word I can think of to describe my daily life; tumultuous. My name is Elaki, I'm a quite lion and do my best to keep out of other people's way. I keep my brown mane clean and trim, my suits are nicely pressed and clean, and my bow-tie is never crooked. I was a bartender a few years back, that is until prohibition shut down my bar. now according to the tax man, I'm a dock worker and day laborer. though when I think about it, my days and nights haven't changed as much as that. Now I run a speakeasy out of Atlantic City. Times are tough, I barely get by with having to pay for both illegal product and protection for myself and my bar. My bar, if it can even be called that, is a collection of rooms underneath a small store. it's dusty, and can get cold in the winter. little light shines in through what I can only guess is a storm drain of some kind, it's a little wonder that this place doesn't flood. where I serve my drinks is the closest thing to my old bar that I have, polished wood surface with brass trim, upholstered bar stools and the giant mirror that I managed to bring over from my old place. I find myself, when we're slow in the mid day, staring into my reflection while polishing an obligatory glass, wondering how I could have gotten into so much trouble with the mob.

I have two major problems that are plaguing my bar, the first is my drop away shelves have become defective. in theory they work to dispose of liquor by flipping into a hidden hallway behind the bar in case of a raid. All I have to do is pull a small switch under the register and then the shelves flip up and the wall simply folds away to make room for the shelf, like a Murphy bed. the bottom of the shelf takes the place of the wall and no one is the wiser. The alcohol is lost when it hits the floor on the other side but the business stays running and I don't go to jail. lately, however, they have been flipping for what appears to be no reason, costing me a lot of money to replace it. this process of resupplying my bar has put me into some serious debt with the mob that provides me with my booze. which brings me to my second problem; Alistar.

Alistar, a curious cat indeed, he works as a point man and mid level enforcer for the mob, and I have seen him too frequently for my liking. Just thinking about how he shows up when I have problems makes my mane stand on end, like he has some kind of "Elaki just fucked up" sixth sense. I can picture it all too clearly, my shelves will drop, then within half an hour, two husky brutes by the names Roscoe and Borrs show up leading Alistar. You can't even see Alistar over their shoulders but I get the impression that the two huskies are afraid of him the way a child fears the boogie man. The brutes will take a quick glance of the bar, checking for any danger, then turn to Alistar and take his trench coat. He'll approach me calmly, usually with some form of blunt object, his favorite is a Louisville Slugger he ironically calls "Ripper". He'll grin in his way that I'm sure turns the dames to butter but when it's pointed at me I just feel a quite discomfort.

Today has been a quiet day so far, only a few of my regulars have shown up. Gem is here, she comes and goes all the time because this is her stalking grounds. Today she's wearing a black gown with a dusting of sequins, reminds me of the night sky with the diamond mark on her forehead as the north star... A hunter disguised by elegance, I almost feel bad for the mice she takes home to play with. other than Gem, only Kara & Tawn are here, they are playing a card game that I can't quite catch, not sure whose winning. My mind begins to drift as I gaze into the storm drain skylight and I think to myself if things will start to go my way soon. minutes pass by, maybe even hours when I am jolted out of my daze by the predictable sound of glass crashing down behind me. The patrons of the bar begin to panic, looking for the police raid that I know isn't coming. After I turn back to the barroom, I see that Gem has already found her escape when I wasn't looking and the card players are trying to divvy up the winnings before they leave too. Unfortunately it's too late for them to clear the room, I can already hear Roscoe sliding his key into the door.

Imagine my surprise when instead of Roscoe and Borrs, in walks Alistar, alone. Alone! my mind races at the implications of what this means, is this the day that I'm going to be put out to pasture for the loss of the alcohol? Alistar walks in and while holding the door open, looking out to Kara and Tawn and simply says "leave". they damn near scurry to get out of the bar as Alistar starts to tap the door with Ripper. I find myself near trembling behind the bar, the only obstacle I have between me and this Oxford-cloth psycho and his Ripper.

"Elaki, what are we going to do about this? you've forced my hand in this matter..." Alistar says to me as he closes the door, locking the sliding bar into place, his way of saying that I'm closed for the day.

"Where are Borrs and Roscoe?" I ask trying to make sense of the unusual situation I have suddenly found myself in.

"They are outside. I gave them instructions that you are closed and we are not to be bothered. also that I would need a tarp... it may get messy in here" his cold demeanor as he clearly laid out his plans to butcher me put me into a panic. how could I calm him down before it was too late?

"It's not my fault Alistar! It's the shelves, they keep triggering and I don't know how to fix it. Please have mercy..."

"Oh, it's the shelves is it?" he chuckled to himself as he began his approach to the bar. "I find that hard to believe, seeing as how I built them myself. are you saying that I can't make something so simple work when I want it to?" He stops just short of the bar, resting his hands on Ripper, using it like a cane. "that's not what you are saying are you?"

"When you want it to..." I mutter out loud, the words barely escaping my throat as I realize that my two problems have been one and the same the whole time.

"Oh dear, it looks as if the cat is out of the bag now." He says with his smirk as he looks right into my eyes.

"How could you! You know what your boss is going to do when he finds out about this! so why would you torment me so?" my fists are shaking in anger as I slowly undo my bow-tie, a gesture that Alistar did not miss.

"Oh poor Elaki, what you missed so long ago, as many have, there is no more boss. Well that's not entirely true. you see two years ago I 'replaced' the boss. I've been running the show ever since. So you see, it's my bar, my liquor, and you are mine too. Or at least that's how I'm hoping this ends."

I stagger back against my mirror, reeling from everything my brain has just been forced to process.