Patchwork Universe

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 264 Location: The Museum

[OOC: entering from "Crossroads: Arrival"]

Unused to the light of the outdoor world, Dr. Odom did not think to let his eyes adjust. He could make out the bar, though, and he picked his way to it. He had his change purse out of his pocket before he found a seat.

Jones · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 6:43 pm Post subject:

[OOC NOTE: A section of this thread has been split from the main public bar to form a new thread 'Trubshawe's Table: Dinner for Breakfast'. This includes Trubshawe, Violetta, Harlequin, Kalyndis and John Angelis. The subthread 'Windowseat: The Cutpurse's Quest' contains Karl and Larkin. This main thread proceeds in front of the main bar is currently being staffed by Jones and Jessica Jones.]

Jones · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 6:47 pm Post subject:

Jones had been looking between the windowseat and Trubshawe's table and had barely noticed Dr Jewel arrive. But as Dr Odom came through the open door he recognised him as the person Trubshawe had decribed in distinctly unflattering terms.
"Morning sir," he said, spotting Odom's gesture with the money pouch. "What'll it be?"

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 264 Location: The Museum

"A lager, please, sir, and perhaps a small akvavit if you have it."

Dr. Odom looked back at Dr. Jewel as his sight cleared. He felt he owed her for the beer at the Lamb and Fleece but the logistics of returning the favor baffled him.

Dr Jewel · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:09 pm Post subject:

Dr Jewel moved so that she was standing next to Dr Odom. She watched as Jones poured the two drinks.

"Trubshawe is over in the corner." She said quietly. "And I think I can see Larkin on the window seat."

She turned to the barman, caught his eye. She had one little matter of business she wanted to settle before starting on the important questions.

"Excuse me, Mr Jones, but has a Captain Magpie been in here recently? Some of his crew are outside and they're looking for him."

Jones · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:10 pm Post subject:

"Certainly, sir," Jones poured a portion of the appropriate spirit into a glass and his eyes flickered once more towards the windowseat. A frown creased his brow as he looked again at the young man next to Larkin who had occupied the Yellow Room last night. He hadn't paid much attention to him the day before, he'd barely begun to speak to him when Trubshawe had interupted with his arrival, then the young man had disappeared up to his bed.

Jones was wondering how best to approach the subject of his interest when Trubshawe turned and shouted across the room.

"JONES!" he bellowed. "Now that you've finished making breakfast, would you care to come sit and talk with us for a while? I'll buy you a drink for all your hard work in the kitchen. Just put it on my tab..."

Jones nodded to Dr Odom and passed him his drink with a friendly smile, nothing in his manner betrayed annoyance at the summons.
"Excuse me, sir." he said. "If there's anythign else my daughter Jessica will be happy to help you."

The blond woman stepped into Jones' place as the publican crossed to Trubshawe's table.

ooc note: Jones now moves to the Dinner for Breakfast sub thread.

Jones · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:25 pm Post subject:

Dr Jewel's softly spoken enquiry had unfortunately coincided with Trubshawe's bellow and as she was wondering if she should speak again Jessica Jones leant across the bar and caught her eye.

"Captain Magpie's asleep in the master bedroom still," she said. "But there's several of his crew here about... Why there's some having their bacon and eggs over there at that table near the kitchen door." She pointed out a group of pirates whose bloodshot eyes and ravenous eating manner suggested a late night.

"You'll have to excuse my father," Jessica added. "Custom seems to have picked up a lot today. Why just yesterday we were worrying we'd be eating roast boar for a week. But we've used the last of the cold cuts this mornign and the lamb chops we laid in just in case. Lucky there's plenty more in the larder."

She beamed, the very picture of a cheerful barmaid, pleased at an upsurge in the trade.

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 264 Location: The Museum

Dr. Odom glanced over at Trubshawe. "Yes, hard to miss, isn't he?" he commented in response to Dr. Jewel. "Well, he seems to be eating, and I do believe the intricacies of conversing with our Mr. Trubshawe and my enjoyment of this glass of beer may be incompatible." His light tone softened what easily could have been a nasty dig.

He put on his glasses and started to fumble for his notebook, then said, "As, I believe is almost everything else just now." He sipped his beer, sat back, and relaxed.

Dr Jewel · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:30 am Post subject:

Jewel smiled, watching him drink for a moment.

"I think I'll just have a quick word with Larkin." She said. "Find out how he got on. I'll be back in a moment."

[OOC : Over to the Window Seat thread]

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 264 Location: The Museum

"May I ask an unusual question?" Dr. Odom quietly asked Jessica once Dr. Jewel was out of earshot. "You seem to get all sorts in here. Some even seem stranger than your average Abyssinian or Cathar." Dr. Odom gestured subtly to indicate the young man in the robe and the woman in the cloak. "Do you often get ghosts through here? And when you do, do you have something in the way of spirits they are able to drink?"

Jones · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:59 am Post subject:

"A ghost?" Jessica's eyes widened and she looked quickly at Odom checking that he wasn't one himself. The sight of the glass resting comfortably in his hand reassured her and after the first flash of panic the intellectual aspect of the proposition intrigued her.

"Weeel," she said slowly. "I confess I don't think we have had a ghost here. But my dad prides himself on offering something for all. I'm thinking the nature of the problem is that ghosts are insubstantial, so the problem is finding a vessel to hold a liquid as well as one that can be drunk. But a ghost isn't insubstantial to itself, is it?"

Her pretty face looked troubled as she thought it through and then finally came to a conclusion.
"If we have something that would suit it'll be in storage," she said. "If you'll excuse me, sir. I'll nip down to the cellar and see if there's anything appropriate..."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 264 Location: The Museum

"Wonderful girl," Dr. Odom muttered. "Make an exceptional Guide. Very good attitude." He sipped his akvavit and then picked up his beer and turned around in his stool to watch the rest of the room.

Jones · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:14 pm Post subject:

The inn seemed pleasant and full of life. Conversation hummed about the room, the pirates beginning a new day's drinking and the company clustered around Trubshawe attending to a hearty meal.

As Odom watched he saw the innkeeper finish his conversation with Trubshawe with an expression that indicated he had not found the zookeeper's company especially salubrious. Moving to the windowseat, he spoke quietly to the one of the two young men, while the other continued his conversation with Dr Jewel.

Jessica had not yet returned from the cellar but, after a minute a tall woman with long dark hair and graceful mien came out of the kitchen and took up a post behind the bar.

Father Michael · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:24 pm Post subject:

The door to the door swung open, and a group of pirates entered. They immediately spotted their shipmates enjoying their breakfast, and the resultant reunion was noisy. One of the group, however, split off quietly from the rest and made his way to the bar.

The small priest in the brown habit sat down on the bar-stool next to Dr Odom and smiled at the lady behind the bar.

"May I have a coffee, and a small brandy, please? William, would you like another drink?

"What a remarkable collection of people. Is this bar usually so busy?"

Jones · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 1:41 pm Post subject:

Juniper Jones took the order calmly, her dark brown eyes studying the newcomer with veiled interest. She served the brandy with a graceful gesture of a long slim-fingered handand , taking out a wrapped packet of mahogony beans, she began to grind them in a drum-shaped device.
"The quaffee will be a short while, sir," she said.

"And no, Jones' has not had this custom in a long time. My father-in-law judges it as a couple of years since trade slowed, but my good friend Rose Briar said to her it had seemed longer. I'm not certain what to think of so many people arriving at once, and most here are newcomers like yourself and this gentleman."

Towards the end of her speech she had been joined behidn the bar by another, younger woman, dressed plainly in a similar style but with bright blond hair.

Smiling cheerfully at Dr Odom, Jessica, the newcomer, placed a curious vessel on the countertop. It appeared to be a glass beaker, bound with metal circles that culminated in a handle on either side, but of such a size that it must be carried two handed. Inside the beaker stood a slim flute glass which glowed with a soft light, perhaps from the liquid it contained which was opalescent and viscous. Jessica surveyed it with some doubt as the liquid in the centre roiled slowly in response it it being placed upon the bar and then offered Dr Odom a hopeful smile.

"I think this might suit your purpose, sir." she said. "It's called Phantasm. At least that's what it said on the lable. There are eleven more vials of it in the chest. My father brought it back from one of his journeys. It was labelled "Phantasm, Health Plus Five" and it's as insubstantial as you like, even the vial... which is how come the Ogre Glass." She gestured at the two handled beaker. "That's three silver, I'm afraid, sir. On account of the rarity value."