Another night, another crowd – if the smattering of folks around the bar could be called a crowd. Middle of the week keeps most away, the weather even more. Phiora – Phi to everyone – found her job even more dull than usual. Only so much to do, watching a door that’s been used twice in the last hour and keeping an eye on the handful of suspects. A good, congeal lot tonight. Not that it mattered too much, Phi thought to herself, the cold and mist would keep tempers from boiling over.

She shrank into her sweater, seeking what refuge there was from the drafty door. Stealing a glance at her phone when the owner wasn’t looking and a drag on her cigarette when he was. Ashtray was starting to overflow and her pack was running dry. Still three hours left until her shift was over. All in all it was a nicer gig than before. Place’d only looked like it’d had a couple serious brawls; hardly any bullet holes to be found. Downside was the owner wasn’t keen on letting Phi keep herself armed.

“What’s the fuckin’ point,” she muttered to herself, pondering yet again the reasoning behind leaving the bouncer unarmed.

Maybe one of the stools would work, but she’d feel rather more at ease with her usual tool for the job, as simple as it may have been. Stool’d probably break with one hard swing, probably wouldn’t even make a Jinko or somethin’ equally nasty when good and pissed off flinch. If it came to it, she’d just have to improvise.

A rush of wind sent goosebumps along her skin long before the bell above the door chimed. Phi shuddered despite herself, then set about what she was paid to do.

Someone like Phi didn’t have much of an education, didn’t live in the ‘nicer’ parts of town. Made her living, watched her own way and her own back. Worked these sorts of jobs half her life. Might not be much to the people living on the other side of Oak Street, but the years on the street honed an instinct in the way only being in her world could.

Soon as her eyes met that woman’s, she knew. Tonight she was going to be earning her pay. Finally, a sense of excitement. For the first time since taking on the job at this rather high-class establishment, Phi’s blood pumped.

The Minotaur snorted and looked around, then at Phi. Not too many around that could see with her eye-to-eye.

Phi knew the horned cow-beast wasn’t expecting an Oni at a place like this. No, they always hired smaller, more agreeable women and men to work the door.

To make matters worse, or better depending on the perspective, the present company that had looked to see who the new arrival was all had that confused stare. This Minotaur was a newcomer, wearing far too much wealth for this neck of town.

Usual ID check. Oh, she was a young one. Cass. Fresh and full of piss and vinegar and sporting for a bit of action. Most certainly used to getting her way. Phi smirked. Hopefully whoever Cass targeted would decline and she’d take poorly to being rejected.

Phi said nothing as she handed back the Minotaur’s ID. Cass responded in kind and made her way in slowly while, as Phi thought, she sized up her quarry.

“Doesn’t waste a second, does she?” Phi chuckled to herself – sure enough, the bulky woman forced herself between a pair of guys that’d been there for over an hour already. “Can’t read the mood worth a fuck neither…”

If there was going to be trouble, Phi wanted to be prepared. Though the owner probably wouldn’t mind, no reason to be so flagrant about it. A flask kept in her pocket, topped off with 190. Burned like hell, but that was the point – it kept on burnin’. And really, what kind of Oni would she be if she couldn’t keep a straight face after a few swigs?

Phi grinned some more. She wasn’t the only one feeling the burn. Cass must’ve set some kinda fuckin’ record there. Minotaur’s face was red, and it sure as hell wasn’t from a drink. Not that it’d dissuade her, no, she was quick to saunter over to a loner will all the grace of a bull in a china shop.

In here all of ten minutes and already the bovine was making herself well-known, for all the wrong reasons. Shot down again. Only two real options left, which would she take? Phi gambled on Cass going after the smaller dude here with, who she figured, was at best a friend over the trio of college guys.

She clucked her tongue and rolled her cigarette to the other side of her mouth. Wasn’t usually wrong about these things, but then again, no one’s perfect.

A little more finesse this time, opening up with drinks. Not bad, not bad, but she oozed desperation. Probably’d mount them here and now if this was that kind of place. Too bad it wasn’t. Good thing it wasn’t.

Some chatting, ha ha, such a funny joke. If their laughter was any more forced… Phi wondered what brought a girl like that here. A dare? Some kind of stupid challenge? Just slumming it? Such ideal thoughts provided no end of amusement and wonder.

Scarcely half an hour later and the big bull managed to send the three of them cowering to the other side of the table. Phi had to shake her head. And take another shot when the owner’s increasingly worried expression lingered on their newest patron.

Cass was getting loud. They weren’t biting. Everyone was getting nervous. Even in a full house you’d hear that cow from anywhere. Still, not just yet. Almost…

“Whaddya mean, no?! You should be fuckin’ honored!” Cass shouted, slamming the table.

And that’s the ticket. A nod from the owner, though Phi was already halfway over.

“Somethin’ the problem here,” Phi said in that mock, questioning sort of way that implied she was giving a certain party the chance to back down.

Three sets of fear-filled eyes fell to her, begging for their salvation.

“None at all,” Cass said with the biggest bullshit smile Phi’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. “Me and the fellas here were just about to head out for some… fun.” She made a little gesture with her head back towards the cowering trio. Without her attention on them, they were rather honest in how they shook their heads.

“Oh, that so? I believe they’d rather you left them alone,” Phi began calmly, bringing herself up to her full height. “If that’s an issue, then I’ll hafta ask you take your business elsewhere.”

The owner nodded at Phi’s choice of words. Cass brought herself up, and got in excruciatingly close. The minotaur may have had a slight height advantage, but that didn’t matter one fuck. Bitch had probably never been in a real scrap in her entire life.

Seizing the opportunity, the trio of men slipped away to the safety of the bar. Cass scowled, and even growled under her breath. “Now look what you did, gone and ruined our fun.”

“Shame. You gonna behave yourself?”

Getting close, invading personal boundaries; it was all posturing. Bluffs and bullshit. Phi wanted to egg on her, but she didn’t need to. Knew from the start she wouldn’t have to.

“You gonna make me?”

Phi’s heart soared and blood thundered in her temples.

Cass pushed Phi’s shoulder. In a flash the red Oni’s hands clamped on the minotaur’s still outstretched arm, pivoted to her side, and in one deft motion threw the hulking bovine to the ground, face-first.

“Damn straight I am,” Phi growled, keeping Cass pinned to the ground.

“You bitch!”

Phi had to hand it to the Minotaur, she wasn’t going down without a fight. The leg sweep got her by surprise, and as the world went sideways, she flashed a razor-tooth smile. The minotaur lunged from prone at the fallen Oni, balling her fists up and driving them straight into soft flanks and kidneys. Phi grunted and sucked in a hissing breath through clenched teeth.

Bottom wasn’t a great place to be. Fortunately the dumb cunt reared back and gathered her fists together for some kind of downward smash. Clumsy and so very very slow – Phi’s fist shot out and connected with Cass’ jaw, glazing the Minotaur’s eyes for a moment. In that moment the tables were turned and Phi rolled out from under the cow woman and staggered to her feet.

Didn’t even notice everyone else in the place cowering against the walls or making a break for the door. Or the look of horror from the owner.

Cass shook the webs from her mind and rolled backwards, putting some distance between the pair as she rose to her feet. Phi had to give her credit, most would try to bluff or sound tough. The Minotaur just did what she did best and charged again. Strength and youth may have been on her side, but that only counted for so much.

Cass flew at Phi with outstretched arms, but once again Phi simply delivered a sharp strike to her jaw that momentarily stunned the Minotaur. Though the mind may have been disconnected from the beast for a brief second, physics kept its course and the two came together in a crash, slamming into the bar itself.

The owner was howling for Phi to take it outside, but all she could hear was his voice. The words weren’t quite so important.

Once again Phi found herself on the floor, and once again on the wrong end of things. Youth may have counted for more than she gave credit for. Quick to recover. Quick enough to leave a few telling blows on the Oni’s face. But not near enough to put her out of the fight.

Solar plexus was an easy mark, one that left Cass gasping. A stool to the back dropped her, but the sturdy beast managed to pull Phi’s feet out from under her. That’s one thing Phi hated about these fights. Too much time on the ground.

A sharp blow left the taste of blood in her mouth, but she gave twice as good as she got. Close call with the horns left her with a nice furrow across her stomach, along with the tattered scrap that was once her sweater and shirt.

That really pissed her off. Not so much having her tits bared – she was quite proud of their size and shape – but having a gift shredded really rubbed her the wrong way.

Another stool upside the cow’s head dazed her for a good, long while. Long enough to put her in a proper hold, long enough for the owner to finally get out the fucking cuffs and keep ole’ Cass properly subdued.

Still, bloody face and tits hanging out, Phi couldn’t have asked for a better night on the job. Owner decided to close up early, little wonder why. He’d clean up, she’d go home.

So Phi waited with a satisfied grin and a crumpled smoke, staring out the window while the police and the owner discussed events. She’d already gave her piece, so she just had to wait for him.

Then he came through the door.

“Hey Hon—What the hell happened?!”

Nearly as fast as she’d dealt with Cass, Phi smothered him in a hug, smooshing her face into her bare, and slightly bloody breasts. “I had the best night at work!”