Well It's All For Me Grog, Me Jolly Jolly Grog,

Towering Above

It’s hard to miss the fact that a new building has appeared on the eastern edge of town. Made entirely of brick and stone, the Watchtower stands at the forest’s edge as if it might serve as a last stand against any sort of creatures that might crawl through.

And yet it becomes clear, as stray bottles and cups are piled into trashed crates outside, that the Watchtower is far more than that. This is your new bar, Grove residents. And right now, Luca Aurelius is currently toiling away to get it in working order. Offering help in your own way might just net you a few free drinks and get the bar open that much quicker.

Opening Night

Just a few days after the tower goes up, the doors are opened to the public. The announcement is short and simple — a scrawled page in the Netbooks for all to see.

The Watchtower Bar is now open. Free drinks to anyone who helped with cleanup
Must be 15 or up for Cider and Wine. 17 or older for hard liquor.
Food provided.

Entering the premises will reveal that no expense has been spared, or at least no expense within the parameters of what the Grove can provide. Though the Watchtower itself is three floors, only the first two are available for patrons. The first floor has plenty of tables at hand, all arranged around a central hearth with various pots of food and snacks left to simmer above it. The bar itself is arranged against the back wall, with additional stools to accommodate patrons in need of more direct service. Casks of wine, beer, cider, and ale are all arranged along the wall, while bottles of the harder stuff are sat above.

Visible from the first floor is the second. The lofted seating area provides the perfect view for the revelry below, all while staying out of sight. There are plenty more tables up here, though they’re more spaced out to provide slightly more intimate conversations. You’ll just have to be the one to fetch your drinks— there are no barmaids to help you here.

A Night of Revelry

That isn’t to say you’re without the bare basics, though. Naturally the liquor will flow, especially as long as you’re providing currency. Luca isn’t all that picky — shells, sticks, bones, it’s all the same. The food, at least, is free. Whether you reach for the cheese and crackers laid out on various tables throughout the bar, choose to ladle out some of the stew simmering over a fire, or pour some of the fondue beside it, you’ll have plenty at hand to satisfy your munchies.

One table in particular features a deck of cards. There’s no game in particular to be played, and any money you decide to put on the line is your choice. Poker, Blackjack, Rummy — whatever suits your fancy is on hand. Or if you feel like hogging the table, play some solitaire. Luca isn’t going to shoo you away.

Close by, another table has been pulled away. A somewhat messily carved dartboard has been hung against the wall. Rather than actual darts, you’ll have to play with knives but… that’s just part of the fun, right?

One final table is adorned only with a single jug. Peering in, you’ll find that it’s filled with wine, and the faintest compulsion to just drink it. Doing so without any prep will only result in disaster, however. Failing to plug up three specific holes and angle the jug just right will result in your clothes being stained with wine. Worse still, you might even hear a whisper in your ear. “Take two shots.”

Weird, but hey! What’s a party without a drinking game?

All Good Things…

When the moon rises high and the liquor stops flowing, it’s bound to happen that the fun comes to an end. Whether patrons are passed out or have stumbled home, you might find yourself alone at the bar.

Well, not entirely alone.

There’s the sound of a whistle as a chair scrapes its way back into place. The smell of tobacco and spices might encircle you as your plate and glass are gathered up and carried off into the storeroom. You can’t always see him, but someone seems keen on looking out for you.

Unless you’re passed out in a ridiculous position. Then you might hear the ghostly laughter of a man long dead.

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[A bar!! Imagine his surprise upon reading this message left by one Luca in their notebooks. This town has been in dire need of something new that isn't a Church run by a crotchety man who acts like he's 75, so Sesa will be popping over for a visit first thing after his daily trip to the bathhouse. Anyone seeing Sesa this evening may notice that his hair is exceptionally fluffy and soft, having just been washed.

He carries with him a mug of beer as he mingles with the other residents, his good mood only heightened by the alcohol flowing through his blood stream. He will most certainly hit you up for conversation, whether you're out at the bar or wallflowering.

Eventually, though...Sesa finds the lone wine jug, and that compulsion to drink from it is strangely strong. Strangely difficult to ignore...and thus, he puts down his mug and grabs the jug a bit clumsily, tipping it back with no finesse whatsoever.

Wine spills out onto his chin and front near instantly, pattering audibly onto the floor between his feet. He stands there, dripping.]

...I don't understand.

[Zahliya shows up because he smells human food. That's it. That's why he's here. He was not expecting a big pot of pre-melted cheese, though, and he can be seen quite literally sticking his fingers in it approximately one time before his reptile brain goes "oh yeah wait, that's not polite". He will lick his fingers clean though. Sorry everyone, this is your Guardian.

After that initial incident, though, he will be here the Rest Of The Night dipping Various Foods into cheese, including vegetables (normal), crackers (normal), meats (getting a little spicy there), fruits (what the fuck), and sweets (please remove him from the fondue).

He looks like he's having fun, though.]

[Wolfwood is at the bar...possibly sooner than anyone else, I'm dead serious. The literal instant he sees the words "Bar is now open", he's already leaving, bye. He wasn't around to help for cleanup largely because the bar is far enough from both the Church and Vash's house that he didn't see it went up initially, but paying for drinks isn't going to be a problem. He's been hoarding shells for cigarettes, he's been ready for this moment.

He will enter, prop the Punisher up somewhere by a wall sorry he brings this places, and plant his ass at the end of the bar. Whoever is tending it will be treated to him dropping a handful of assorted shells and coins onto the surface.]

Give me a shot of whiskey. The hardest you've got.

[And so...Wolfwood will drink. For a considerable length of time you'll find him stapled to the bar proper, knocking back shots for as long as he's allowed without someone being like "oookay buddy you've had enough. It might be a good time for conversation though, cause. You know. Drinking.

Eventually, though...even Wolfwood is not immune to booze, and once he's had enough it will leave him feeling pleasantly drunk. Unlike with the candies, this is a feeling he's used to, leaving him much more open for chatting and fucking around with people. Case in point, he's set himself up at the card table with a bunch of his gathered shells piled up in the center. If he catches you coming by while he's cutting the deck, he'll wave you over.]

C'mon, you wanna play? Winner takes the pot.

[Feel free to bet something more valuable, if you want to make the game spicy.]

[Being that he's busy behind the bar for a decent chunk of the evening, there isn't a lot that can be done about Zahliya. Not that Luca would. When he has a quiet moment or two, he might steal a look toward the Gargoyle. He's watching the progression of cheese dipping with growing amusement.

Is he weird? Yes. Does it absolutely delight Luca? Also yes.

Eventually he does find a free moment to bring himself over. He comes with several pieces of cheese in hand. Staring Zahliya down, he dips the cheese into the melted cheese, then brings it up to take a bite.]

You missed a step.

[Of course Luca is going to be at his own damn bar on opening night. After all the work he's put into it, he's not about to shirk his responsibilities and let other people ~~ruin~~ enjoy it while he's away.

That being said, most of the night Luca can be found behind the bar itself. Whatever you want, he'll get it for you. He's spent the last eight years moonlighting at the occasional bar to gather up a bit of spare income. He moves with precision and even a bit of artistry.

Notably, though, Luca himself doesn't drink. Maybe that's professionalism. Maybe it's a taste preference. Maybe you ought to ask him about it between rounds?

At some point in the night, he does excuse himself for one game. The dartboard had been made with himself in mind, after all. He waits his turn politely, and then takes the set of knives procured just for this occasion. All three are thrown cleaning, hitting the board in a near triangle. Only one actually hits the bullseye, but the rest are close enough.

He retrieves the knives and offers them to the nearest person waiting their turn. Is he smirking? Maybe a little]

Go ahead.

[As the night winds down and the crowds clear out, though, Luca does begin to grow a little more nervous. A few glances are cast toward the bar when he's away, where alcohol still flows despite there being no one there. When the smell of spices and tobacco ends up hitting his nose, he excuses himself swiftly, stepping outside in order to catch some air. He'll shove past anyone necessary to get out there, too. Sorry about that!]

Edited 2024-02-07 02:20 (UTC)

[Zahliya has determined that strawberries do not go in cheese. He's making a Face about it as he polishes off the remainder of the fruit, but he hasn't gotten the hang of people food yet, so the leaves get eaten as well. That's about when Luca comes over.]

...I did not think to put cheese in the cheese. [Incredible. Human foods are so versatile.] It melts when I handle it for too long, normally.

[He is... not going to question the leaf eating. He isn't going to do it! It's weird, but so is Zahilya, and they've already established that.

Anyway. Luca is nearly smirking as he carefully polishes off his fingers. He tilts his head toward the plate of cheeses.]

As long as you're quick, it should not be a problem. And I don't suspect you would leave cheese uneaten for long.

[Zahliya has an inferno for a stomach probably. It's fine. The taste of Leaf does not bother him.]

I do like it. Your melty human foods are so entertaining. Have you had a s'more before, Luca?

[Talks about s'mores like they're some newfangled thing and not a common camping food... he's going for the cheese as quick as he can, though, picking up a thick slice and dunking it into the fondue and cramming that into his mouth before he can get cheese gunk everywhere. Mission complete.]

Melty human foods is a new phrase. [It is also not an incorrect phrase. Luca will be thinking about this for some time.]

I - can't say that I have. What are they?

[Sounds like a newfangled thing for Luca. Which means he's at least somewhat curious, even if he has to keep it subdued. Equally as subdued is the smile that he hides with a false cough. Watching Zahliya enact his idea made him feel almost pleasant.

How terrible.]

[Oh my God, they're a newfangled thing for Luca... Zahliya's eyebrows shoot up into his hairline before he zips off behind the counter to cause Problems (look for food).]

They are cookie-things. It's a graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate. You heat the marshmallow over a fire until it melts and then assemble the cookie-thing and eat that. Do you have any of those things here?

[Get Out From Behind The Counter]

[Gnosis (white girl wasted already) sees this and just ekes out the sort of laugh that only a crane can make. He spins around from where he's seated at the bar, a jug of mead in one hand, glasses crooked, where is your husband is he letting you drink like this—]

I think you're supposed to plug up the holes.

["Supposed to" comes out more like "shuposed ta", but you know, air of elegance and all.]

[Ooooh Gnosis is not in his right mind (read: probably seconds from alcohol poisoning) to play cards. Anyway he sits down—]

What's the game?

[shouldn't you go to a hospital look at you. look at him. look at all y'all.]

[Why throw knife when can make own knife??

Anyway, Nai is here because ?? fuck it everyone else is here, what's going on, what are your human establishments™ about. He's watching the knife-throwing with decent enthusiasm, and that's when they get handed to him.

Alright. Sure. He stands from his seat and rolls his shoulders, standing a good distance away before giving it a go. Like Luca, only one lands on the bullseye; another gets very close, and the last flies wide, but he throws those things damn quick without really calculating it. Thunk thunk thunk.]

[Sesa blinks slowly, like a lizard blinking one eye at a time, as he lifts the jug to try and peer at where the holes are. He's nowhere NEAR as sloshed as Gnosis (dude, you good), yet he's...well. He's Sesa. He was going to be like this regardless.]

Holes? Where...?

[Honestly if Gnosis needs to go to the hospital, Wolfwood is not the one getting him there. He seems fine to him wdym.]

Blackjack. I'd need to get some more people here for poker, so. You know it?

This sounds very... sweet.

[There is a note of disdain in his voice but - judging by the fact that Zahilya is still behind the counter and hasn't been yelled at, it's probably not him. Though Luca does promptly address that with a nod of his head toward the door beside the bar.]

You'll likely find what you want in the storeroom.

[Consider him impressed. The accuracy leaves something to be desired, but they're all close enough that it doesn't really matter. On a human body, a few inches might spare a life, but they were still going to be bleeding and in pain. As long as there was a decent follow-up, what did it matter.

... None of this should probably be brought up in a civilized conversation. Least of all with one Millions Knives. Luca doesn't know him, but he gets enough of a read off of the man from a spare glance. Not to be trifled with.

Though that does make Luca want to trifle.]

You missed.

[Ah! The storeroom. The room where things are stored. That's where he's headed, clop clop clop of his hooves on the floors as he goes.

Unless he is Stopped, there's going to be the sound of careful rummaging coming from there. If he were human, where would he put the chocolate...? Somewhere high-up, probably? Where no one else could get it? Yes, that makes sense.

Problem: Zahliya is exactly five feet tall.
Other problem: He doesn't actually know if the chocolate is Up. Or if anything else is Up for that matter.

Are there shelves up here, because Zahliya is going to try to dangle off of them while grabbing a High Up Object if so—]

[It's actually incredibly rare for Luca to be taller than anyone. Not that his extra two inches do much to help in this situation. If it had been him organizing, things would be much more accessible to the shorter kinds of folk amongst them. Unfortunately, it's not his decision but a certain ghost.

A ghost who, in life, had to hide any bit of chocolate from his "youngest" child, lest they tear into it when left unsupervised. And so the scant few bars that are stocked are at the top shelf, high enough to be knocked down by either a ghostly hand, a cane, or -

Well. A hanging gargoyle.

Luca just happens to be leaning over as Zahilya happens to reach for said high up object. It's not what he's looking for, but it does dislodge his prize. Dislodges it straight onto Luca's head!]

Hey! [He squawks almost exactly like a distressed bird, complete with the puffed out feathers.]

[Zahliya, still dangling, glances over right on time to watch that bar of chocolate bonk Luca right on the noggin, and he... very maturely.... snort-laughs. He tries not to make it obvious when he hops to the floor, half-muffling that laugh into his palm while he leans over to pick up the chocolate. It gets set atop a nearby crate while he rummages for everything else.]

Watch out, [bit too late for that,] they say, in these parts, there are falling chocolate bars.

[oh my god]

Very [Said with acidic annoyance dripping from his words. He rubs the back of his head as he continues.] Well timed.

[He reaches for the chocolate two seconds too late. It's a shame. He would have held it over Zahilya's head, if given the chance. Alas.

The good news is that some marshmallows are found! You don't even get some weird Renovan equivalent that I spent 10 minutes googling and putting together, only to realize that it wouldn't make sense for that to be in the fucking Grove.

The bad news is that Luca spots them first. And these are what he holds over the Gargoyle's head.]

These are what you're looking for, right?

[He reaches for them. ...and then reaches for them again, with a more insistent swipe, like a cat batting at a string.

P o u t s.]

Really! You are not that much taller than I am! [But a couple inches is a couple inches, and Zahliya can't exactly stand on the tips of his toes to reach because he has fucking hooves. He cannot balance on the edges of them, he'll fall over.] Oh, I see. You're mad about the chocolate avalanche. Unfortunately for you, I don't control gravity or where you choose to walk.

[Sticks his tongue out. Very mature.]

And yet every inch seems to count.

[And you know, because he's being a shithead? He'll reach over and ruffle Zahilya's hair while he's at it. It's exactly what others have done him in an attempt to patronize. He isn't trying to be mean of course. Just a little spicy.]

And I cannot control how tall I am. Terribly sorry about all of that.

[He relents eventually, handing over the marshmallows.]

There.

[There is a yell, an over-dramatic AAAAAA from the Gargoyle, as he ducks out of the way several seconds too late and snatches the marshmallows from Luca's hands. Being touched at all still feels strange, but... he thinks he's acclimating.

Thinks, and then some stray strands of hair flop into his face, and he dramatically huffs and blows them aside. They comedically fall over his cheeks again, and Zahliya sets aside the bag so he can fix his hair since Luca screwed it up for him. This involves taking the bun he normally has out and putting the tie between his lips while he combs his fingers back through the waves.

His hair is long. About hip-length, black and sleek and wavy, and it's no wonder he puts it up constantly. Once can imagine it would get in the way of his fighting if he didn't.

So, as he's putting everything back into place and blindly tying it all back up, he says with that tie still in his mouth,]

Rude.

[It's actually impressive, to meet someone with longer hair than him. Maybe he sneaks a long, curious look at the inky strands. They'd felt nice between his fingers and -

He kills the thought before it can progress. His lips press firmly into a line as he turns his back. He shifts over to a lower shelf, searching through it as he tries to keep his mind busy. If he idles, who knows what may happen.]

Crackers, right? What type?

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Well It's All For Me Grog, Me Jolly Jolly Grog,

Towering Above

Opening Night

A Night of Revelry

All Good Things…

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