culero | IC CONTACT

[So convenient, this public housing. Constantin straightens up from leaning against the wall and heads down the hall to meet him halfway, rather than stand there and awkwardly watch him approach.]

Certainly! You are the one with the knowhow, so please—

[He gestures; please lead, they both know he didn't absorb a single thing about the route from the map app, nobody has to say it directly.]

And you asked about me, but you didn't tell me where you're from, you know.

[Jackie isn't going to delay their little adventure any longer, he does take another moment to look Constantin over, though. On the screen of his phone it was hard to tell how tall he was, or his build--not that he's checking him out too closely. That would be rude, and someone from back in the day might find it rude, right?

He clears his throat and gestures for them to leave the building, leading the way with the help of the very same app he's trying to get Constantin to learn.]

Earth. America. California. Night City? Any of those sound remotely familiar?

[If Constantin notices any lingering looks he politely does not call anyone out-- that, also, would be rude, and there's no harm in it, after all. For all intents and purposes he does not look like a man who can hold his drink, literal lightweight that he is, but perhaps miracles are real in this neon city! Who knows!

He does hold up a finger to point out, however,] I do remember we've already established that I am from Earth, my friend. But the rest, not at all. Night City is an odd name for a place.

[And "Serene" is not, never mind. He gestures broadly at the street, as they get on their way.]

It must be more like this place than my own dear city, no?

[Jackie doesn't think Constantin will be able to outdrink him for a moment, but anything could happen. Or people could be born with incredibly functional livers where he's from--who even knows? The walk isn't too long according to the app, and it's an excuse to take in some of the sights. As similar as the tech might be to his home, the look of things (and cleanliness) is something he is 100% unused to. It all feels far too fancy for someone like him.]

Maybe. I never gave it much thought. The place I come from in NC is called Heywood. That probably sounds a little less weird, right? [He's generalizing about the very few ye olde-era names he knows and everything ending in -wood has to be acceptable, right?]

It's close but also..not at all. If I had to explain it, this would be like a king's castle. Where I come from would be where the peasants live. [Jackie glances over to see if he's making sense at all. Hopefully he's not met with a completely puzzled look.]

That sounds like treating me like a relic. But! I understand what you mean, even the part where you make it sound like feudal lords are back in style.

[And in fairness, he is not unused to some level of luxury, but the luxury he's familiar with is, say, a consistently hot bath, not so many shiny... light up things. Understanding what a phone is puts Jackie's skill level far beyond his own, he's already decided.]

Personally, I've never been in a place so... safe? [He looks sideways at Jackie, brow furrowed, like, is that the word he wants to use? They were kidnapped, but he's yet to see anyone stabbed in the streets or have a rifle waved in his face, so-- safe will have to do.] For all of the rampant confusion about us, the people here do seem more or less content.

Oh, guess I took that reference a little too far back. My bad, friend. I'll do better. Lo prometo.

[Despite their differences, as vast as they are, that next point is one Jackie can absolutely relate to. Night City was a very dangerous place, and here it seems like peace and order is the norm. It's almost unsettling.]

That makes two of us. Worst part was nearly suffocating when we first got here, but since then? Smooth sailing. You do have boats back home right? [The grin on his face makes it clear that he's definitely just pushing Constantin's buttons to see how he'll react to all the joking.]

[Sir... He makes a face, but it's only a moment of faux-offense before he can't help but laugh lightly and shake his head. This relic joke he will allow, yes.]

Would you believe I have even been on boats? I live on an island!

[And before that, a different port city, not that he actually knows the first thing about sailing. He waves that - and the other, actual relic comment - away with a hum, looking back down the street again as if to survey the city at large. There's not even any plague! Remarkable.]

Well, I suppose we kidnappees must stick together, in case of terrible tragedy.

Boats? How cultured you must be, my good sir.

[Jackie laughs, shaking his head at himself mostly. Humor is the best way for him to deal with just how different this place is for him too. He feels out of place and still can't really let himself relax completely. No matter how often he's reminded he's not the only one in this situation. Hell, he may not even be the only one to have died before getting pulled here.]

I don't know about you, but I'm going to do my best to avoid any terrible tragedies. [And once they get to the bar, he gestures for Constantin to step inside ahead of him.] I don't consider getting pleasantly inebriated a tragedy, though.

I concur! Fascinating new drinks to explore, company to get to know, too many glowing bits and bobs to count... This is— [and he pivots on his heel once he's actually into the bar, gesturing out again like this place is highly cool and exciting and not just, like, a neon bar,] Fun!

[Fun. Where is the wine and ale. There are so many bottles behind the bar itself, he's already mildly overwhelmed. And yet it's still better to be overwhelmed by liquor variety than, say, terrible tragedies, so!

Outlook: optimistic!]

Let's sit.

[Well, at least one of them has a nice positive outlook on the whole situation. Jackie finds it endearing, and is quick to find a seat for the both of them. The bar's menu is entirely digital, so he suspects Constantin might need a hand with it once it comes time to order. Although, it's entirely self explanatory with an easy to follow UI so maybe he'll be fine? Jackie's ready to help if he needs to.]

I think you might be more fun than the alcohol.

[Jackie makes himself as comfortable as he can in the small booth. It would be nice to have more leg space, but they're there to sample the drink, not to lounge all night.]

So what did you do back where you came from? If you don't mind me asking.

[The art of scrolling on arcane digital interfaces is luckily the one thing Constantin has mastered, besides pressing 1, but if he orders a few errant cocktails because he taps too enthusiastically in the wrong spots, well, they'll find out. Surely it will be fine. He takes to scrolling up and down said menu once he's settled in the booth himself, only briefly distracted by it before he looks up again.

Oh--]

I— am the new governor of New Serene. The city is my beating heart, and so on and so forth, but ultimately taking care of her is mostly paperwork. Occasionally, I listen to men who think me an idiot attempt to divert the city's resources for their own gain.

[And then they leave, and he gets to do the real work again. Yaaay.]

What do you do?

[Oh. A governor?

If Jackie suddenly seems overly interested in the choice of drinks and finger foods it's because he hadn't expected anything like that. Constantin was dressed rather nicely, even for his time period (the specifics of which are still beyond Jackie). The aversion to the topic he brought up himself was because his own couldn't be more far from that.]

Well, you see. I'm sort of like...Well, it's kind of-- [There's no good way to put it, really. Mercenary sounds too intense, and sell-sword, though probably easy for Constantin to understand doesn't include the complexities of the job--and that sometimes he has to do very illegal shit.]

I take contracts. People pay me to do things that they need done if they can't do it themselves. [Even putting it delicately is a waste of time. People generally see someone Jackie's size and can guess they don't do simple things like mowing lawns or accounting.]

[Oh? There are just enough half-formed sentences there to really pull his attention away from the menu, so while Jackie focuses on it, Constantin focuses on him, curiosity piqued.

But ah, that sounds... not entirely on the level, as it were. He drums his fingers on the edge of the menu display, frowning thoughtfully-- trying to come up with something better to say than Oh! Like crime! That would be untoward at best...]

Well, we are both leading remarkably different lives now that we're here, aren't we?

[He takes another considering pause; they've known each other for, all things considered, no time at all, but Jackie doesn't strike him as someone who is completely morally bankrupt, so--]

What would you like to do, then? Out of anything in the world.

[Constantin's assessment is correct. His moral compass is very much calibrated to the T. The choices he makes for work are necessary for him to make money and have a semblance of a chance to make it out of the status he was born into. Words he's sure his new friend might understand, but he's not sure he wants to say so aloud.]

Ain't that the truth, amigo.

[Jackie chuckles, shaking his head slowly because he'd had the same thought just the other day. This place is a chance at doing something better with his life, and it's a big decision to make.]

I don't know yet. Been thinking about it, and I never really got the chance to choose before. Maybe a bartender?

[Ah, there-- and it's a sentiment Constantin does understand, the necessity of doing what one must, although his own situation is... markedly different, obviously. And as much as he misses his city, there is a certain appeal in being in this new place and not having to bow under the yoke of his family name, etc, etc.

And it's too much for drinks, so he gives a quick little smile and then looks down at the menu again, eyebrows raised curiously.]

You know how to make some of these concoctions?

[Jackie looks at the drink options, and doesn't recognize a lot of it. They look bright, flashy, and fun, but he doesn't really know what things they use around here.]

Nah, not really. But learning would be interesting. What about you, governor?

[He taps a couple options himself, not sure what he's getting into, but eventually their drinks show up and are placed down in front of them--notably several in front of Constantin.]

Gonna be okay with all that? [Jackie lifts the glass he gets with bright neon coloring, ready to toast to whatever effect it might have on them.]

I have no idea.

[But he will drink at least... the oddest looking one, which for whatever reason is very blue and kind of shiny? It ought to be safe.]

As for me, I've always wanted to be an explorer, actually. And yet, here we are! I will settle for exploring this strange, strange city.

[So, there. He lifts the shiny blue thing.]

Here's to interesting.

An explorer? That's interesting.

[And surprising. Although if he was given a job like governor he might start to feel like getting out and seeing more of the world too. Maybe he shouldn't be so surprised.]

You're off to a goo start so far, my friend. [Jackie takes a sip of his drink and decides right away that it's simultaneously too sweet and too sour. Is that normal? It's not a big glass but he throws it back to drain the entirety of it in one go, reaching across the table for one of Constantin's to try washing down the taste of it.]

The hell is this shit?! Might need to open my own bar if all the drinks taste like that..

My cousin is off exploring constantly, while I— oh, help yourself— while I waste away behind my desk!

[Woe! Woe is Constantin, who sighs in a mostly-exaggerated manner before tipping back about half of the shiny blue cocktail. It's— it sure is, that's the most he can think about it, making a face and blinking rapidly a few times at it. Enh...]

Do yours taste like very sweet paint, too? Wine and ale sound like the drinks of kings all of a sudden.

That doesn't sound like a good deal.

[He's thankful for Constantin's generosity, but also, there's no way the guy could drink all of those on his own and then have space for trying more of the unusual drinks. At least it would be the both of them trying to see what was nice and what isn't.]

No...paint with a splash of lime. I've never wanted a mojito so bad in my life. I think you'd like one of those.

[Can't go wrong with liquor and fresh mint--right? Jackie isn't sure how much bravery he has after two unpleasant experiences and manages to scroll to the bottom where he sees alcohol made from wheats, rices, and grapes. That's already closer than the mixed shit. Jackie orders a bottle of wine for the table in case his willingness to explore doesn't come back.]

[The shiny blue paint drink is terrible, and yet he's still sipping at it like maybe it will get better on subsequent sips - perhaps it's an acquired taste, in the sense that he'll be so put off by the end of it that he'll almost miss it! Maybe!

No, he hates it, he's literally pushing the glass away and picking up one that looks more like a drink he's seen before, or at least a Dark Liquid With Weird Garnish, which surely will contain no glitter or paint taste.]

If you open a bar of your own, I will be first in line to sample anything but these. Cheers.

[He lifts the Dark Liquid, the name of which he'd remember if he'd been aware of ordering it ten minutes ago, and it's... better. Much better than blue paint. He hums and holds the glass up briefly again, as if to indicate that this one is Not Bad(!), then looks down at the menu.]

Any good tavern would have already offered me a hot meal... [is there Food here.] Well, we only had the one tavern on the island, but! Even so.

Gracias, amigo. Your vote of confidence means a lot and I’m excited to not have to subject myself to that ever again.

[Jackie raises his glass up to touch Constantin’s for a deliberate cheers to whatever else they have for the evening being better than their first choices so far. But, in more pertinent matters, his companion seems to be keeping up exceedingly well all things considered. The black drink that comes out looks awful like something that leaked out of an old busted car, but Constantin approves so Jackie doesn’t worry despite his apprehensive expression.]

Not sure they have meals, but there are some side dishes it looks like. [He orders fries, the most benign option—-hopefully.]

Maybe I’ll name the bar: Tavern

You jest, but the tavern in my city is called the Coin Tavern.

[Which is technically because the guard it's primarily for are called the Coin Guard, but it still sounds like "money bar," now that he thinks about it.

He sips more of his car leak drink and scrolls past more food items he has never heard of in his life... Hmm... Well maybe he'll just scroll very quickly and order the first thing his finger lands on-- there, this won't go sideways at all.]

Will you have rough wooden tables and an abundance of mostly-melted candles? I'd love an authentic, homey experience.

Coin Tavern, huh?

[Jackie's brows raise up as his expression goes from amused to intrigued. It would be a pretty unique way to dress up a bar--give it a theme. He rubs his hand over a little stubble starting to make an appearance under his chin in thought, nodding because it sounds gonk enough to work.]

Locals here might find it "unique" and the people from worlds similar to ours would be able to get what we're going for. [That's not a royal we. He's unwittingly roping Constantin into this wild business idea.] Might need you to help me with authenticity, and drink selection and development. [Jackie cants his head to one side as he pours himself and his companion both glasses of wine.]

Interested?

Do I want to commodify and market how out of place I am, for fun? [This is maximum relic, but still,] I may as well. You will need someone to test the precision of the creaking floorboards, at the very least.

[And it's something to think about besides his actual, real job, so the distraction is a solid benefit! Great idea!]

My first suggestion is nothing should glow.

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