culero | IC CONTACT

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.

Don't worry. There'll be something in it for you. [Jackie just hasn't put much thought into it since all of this is just now coming to him and he's plotting out loud to see if it sounds good enough for someone to go along with.]

Constantin, the wood creaking whisperer. A title I'm sure you never had before.

[Jackie looks down into his wine glass and nods, glad it's not aglow with some strange artificially flavored substance.] Couldn't agree more, my friend.

[Ah-- pfft, the wood creaking whisperer gets him to laugh, holding up the last dregs of his oily drink to toast to this absurd new "title."]

Constantin d'Orsay, speaker for the lumber! Unique.

[And as much as he has had most of a few drinks already, he can't help but think, how would one go about acquiring a business license in this fair city? Hours of bothering someone down at the Embassy, for a start, to be certain-- but! That's a future business endeavor problem.

Just kidding he's still thinking about it, just in the fun and funny way instead of the paperwork queues way:]

How many hands do you imagine one has to hold to generate adequate funds for stock enough for a proper tavern? A dozen? More?

You'd be an irreplaceable asset to the team. Hypothetical team.

[Although the longer he thinks about it the more he intends to make it a reality. His mother would be proud if she could see him following in her footsteps. He doubts she had to woo anyone to get the funding for her bar though.]

Realistically speaking, it would be more efficient to forgo the handholding for the things that would provide a better return for the time and effort, right? [Jackie is thankful that there's wine because the dark color of Constantin's oily drink is really starting to look less appetizing by the moment.]

Edited 2021-02-16 00:15 (UTC)

[Just pretend his oily drink is really dark blue or something, he'll be done with it soon enough. Then: wine! Nothing can go wrong.]

You don't want to be a man about town, recklessly darting from hand to hand? [haha... anyway,] I suppose it depends on how eager you are to dive into the depths of business.

[Handholding economy is paying for these drinks, as it happens. But, well!]

Still, good point.

[A man about town? Ah, right. He has to recalibrate his thinking back to what society might have been like in Constantin's time. Holding hands (or more) with people one wasn't due to be married to was probably severely frowned upon in some places, and punishable by death in others--hard to guess about that shit so he decides to ask.]

It's not a big deal. You probably won't feel it right away, but more...er...modern people don't have any kind of hang ups with it. Sex is, or can be, a casual interaction. No marriage necessary, and no one would judge anyone for it. No one with any sense.

[Which also begs the question:] You've fucked before, right?

[Oh, handy; he hadn't anticipated much in the way of moral objections in a place telling its new residence they will be paid according to intimacy, but anything less than clandestine is a step up, certainly. Clandestine and mostly began in taverns, ironically enough.

Ah, modern marvels. The possibilities are indeed endless.]

I assure you, no one has worried about the surety of my marriage prospects in some time. But yes, quite— I doubly assure you that I have no qualms about it, personally.

[Like, he doesn't say fuck, but that's because his very worst swear is a well placed "damn," which is a different thing entirely. He sips the wine, gesturing back and forth between them both with an index finger. Now, begging the question part two:]

Is this leading to an offer or neighborly concern?

[Jackie can't help but laugh at the thought of marriage. It seemed like a luxury for the rich at times, and more of a legal matter than anything meaningful. Or maybe his way of thinking is generational? He's unsure, but what he does know is that if people had to be pure of body to marry then it's no wonder less people are bothering with it in 2077.]

Don't worry. I'm not asking for your hand in marriage, but I am interested in this business idea of ours. It's kinda like a marriage, of sorts.

[So hearing that Constantin has no moral objection to it is nice. And by the looks of it being with men doesn't seem to be as much of an issue as Jackie thought it might be. With all the horror stories he's heard about the past maybe he was too quick to judge.]

Depends.. I'm not sure someone like you would be interested in someone like me. In that way. [Constantin can read into that a number of ways, Jackie doesn't bother to clarify his meaning.]

[Constantin raises an eyebrow, making a cursory effort to mentally sift through reasons one might object; obviously not marriage, as no one cares about that— nor being with men, or he wouldn't have brought it up himself. Being a wealthy governor type among not-governor-types? That could do it.

For other people in his high society peer group, anyway, that could do it. He waves a hand, like, never mind whatever it's supposed to be, please. Unless he's missed something, it's a nonissue. And if he has missed something, is it an issue in itself... Never mind.]

Someone like me... Nonsense! With or without business incentives, I would.

[He'll draw up a contract: I, the undersigned, am totally feeling it, as decreed on this the whateverth day of who knows what month, etc, etc. Or just this frank assertion, which is easier and not so embarrassing.]

So! How does that sound?

[It's the latter. While it's not Jackie's business why someone like Constantin might want to slum it with him, the thought did cross his mind. Without being terribly specific he'd let the other man know the sort of work he had to do for a living, and he doesn't need to be from that time to know that a governorship is a very respected position to hold.

Still, Constantin seems genuine. With or without business incentives sounds like someone who is genuinely interested. Jackie clears his throat, bringing wine to his mouth to hide that maybe he's ~~a little bit~~ extremely flattered by that disclaimer.]

Sounds like you could do much better than me. [He starts, but shrugs his shoulders in defeat of himself.] But I'm interested. For business or recreational purposes. [And now that all his cards are on the table he lets himself take in Constantin again, from the color of his deep set eyes to the angle of his cheekbones. It's hard to pinpoint which single feature makes him attractive, but Jackie settles on his lips before remembering not to stare.]

[Well, it's not the most... cheerful proposition-type discussion he's ever had, but the declaration of mutual interest goes a long way, for certain. He's unaccustomed to being looked at someone who could "do better" in all ways except, well— the literal self-improvement kind of way. How many times had he been lectured about acting appropriately to his station or else losing it? That's the only "do better" he's familiar with, ultimately.

So, in fact, it's all good right here. The authentically ancient and relic-y tavern may be naught but an idea and a twinkle in the eye, as of yet, but in the meantime, a ruggedly handsome man who is politely flattered by his overtures is an excellent choice of company, if he does say so himself.]

Then I believe we have an accord. [Which he realizes right as he says it is incredibly lame in this context, so instead,] And if you aren't in the mood to flatter yourself, then I will gladly take up the mantle and do it for you.

So formal.

[Jackie laughs, but there's something endearing about the way Constantin speaks, even when he isn't speaking formally. Maybe just the syntax of the era has that feel to it. As much as he teases him about it, Jackie doesn't mind at all.]

I don't need any flattery, but I'm not going to stop you either. [He offers a sheepish grin at the other man. It's been a while since he's had to woo anyone or even flirt. There's part of him that wonders if he even has the confidence he had when he was younger to shamelessly put himself out there. So far doing the bare minimum is working alright until he feels the confidence to not ruin things with someone he's enjoying the company of.] I just meant that I'm probably not like the men you're used to. Am I?

That depends; do you know how to sail a boat?

[You know who really likes taverns in port cities? Sailors. That's neither here nor there, really, but just in case the opportunity ever arises to learn to sail... He's just saying.]

To be entirely honest, it's been a small age since I last had the time to, you know- [he wiggles his fingers, like, you know] -let loose. My position being what it is, the city being so very young and in need— so! I should think it hardly matters what I've been up to before.

[But let him take a moment to earnestly give Jackie an overt once-over, considering. An endearing smile in a handsome face! And a very impressive physique that surely would allow him to lift someone who is, oh, maybe roughly Constantin's height and build with relative ease!

But they are in public, so,] Well, the men I'm used to aren't as charming to talk to, I will give you that.

No, but I'm a fast learner.

[Unless sailing a boat was the same as driving a car he doesn't feel confident enough to answer that question with yes. And he's pretty sure Constantin isn't referencing anything like a yacht or speedboat that run and operate much like cars do.]

How long is a small age? I don't think it's something you can forget, anyway.

[It's not really important, but Jackie is curious and the wine has broken down that respectable barrier he usually has between himself and people he's only just met. Maybe it doesn't really make much sense to mind himself so closely when they've already agreed that there's mutual interest. Jackie catches that compliment right out of the air and finds himself grinning about it as he pours more wine--this'll be the last one. Maybe.]

Want to go somewhere more quiet?

[Start with a sailboat, maybe. A rowboat. A robust raft.

Anyway, he holds up a few fingers, genuinely counting for a beat before he waves it off.]

A year, I suppose? A year and a half, who can say. Nevertheless— a small age!

[It's a busy job, and also he spent several months on a boat, but like, in close quarters with a close relative, so that's a mood killer. Simply put: it has been A While.]

Let's not dwell on it! You and I are here, now, and— yes, I would very much enjoy getting out of here-here.

[After he taps on this menu screen until it pays for his many drinks, several of which he didn't get to, but after the paint sludge he's willing to take that loss.]

[Jackie whistles when he gets a number. It's not that he thinks it's an absurdly long amount of time, but with a face like Constantin's he couldn't imagine there was any lack of interested parties. Being busy enough to not have time for romance seems almost tragic.]

If it makes you feel better at all, I've been with the same person for a..small age, but she's unfortunately not here. [Or fortunately, considering he's not sure this place is as safe as the locals are allowing them to believe. Jackie doesn't let himself get too distracted again, and pays for his portion of drinks, taking the bottle of wine along with him for the road. He's pleasantly tipsy at the moment but maybe that might change? No sense in leaving it behind if he's paid for it already.]

After you. [He keeps himself in front of the sensor for the automatic doors so they stay open while Constantin passes by. Although he's not quite sure where they're going, he figures walking toward the public housing building would be a safe bet.]

[Constantin scoffs, amused; yes, yes, a whole year and change, it must be divine punishment. He'd been laden with other concerns that he imagines would still plague him if he hadn't suddenly been dropped in a crater here, so— pros, cons. So much to do, and yet...!

Anyway,] Really! Oh— [Oh, and he's wobblier than expected for a moment when he stands too quickly, taking a moment to get his bearings before heading for the door.]

Now then— Is she very sweet? Fun, exciting?

[He is earnestly curious, and only after he's asked wondering if this is perhaps not a topic Jackie wants to talk about, given his mystery lady's absence. So, ah,] Or! Something else.

[Superb save by Constantin, thank you.]

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