Hex* jumped out of the Arrow as he tossed the helmet inside. This was going to suck.
Sticking to Freeport 1 was not an option - too many people he knew were there. He wanted an excuse to stay out of sight and have no complicated conversations at all. He wanted a drink. Hell he needed a drink after what Brahms had told him he was about to do. Drinking alcohol in a backwater trash can made fancy was gonna have to cut it, he thought to himself.
Finding the Black Flag was not hard at all - Sprague had been touch-and-go over the last weeks so he'd gone across it once or twice. He'd only been lacking a reason to visit.
The whole cutscene regarding the blondie was going down when he stepped in, giving him means to stay unnoticed until he reached the counter. He counted the exits, checked the clientele and sat down the closest he could get to the alcohol.
- "Gin bottle. Coffee grains." - He was expecting the stare for the second request. - "Or anything else that works out the smell."
Lynn Archer, Barmaid With more and more visitors pouring through the entrance one by one, Lynn got more and more anxious. Luckily, she wasn't alone serving the customers, or else she would've thought that her attempt at downshifting would actually bring her more stress than pleasure, all on the first day on the job. But now she had work to do.
First Lynn went over to the woman who was asking for cocktails, as she was the first to voice a request: "We serve every beverage or mixture there is out there, ma'am. Each table has a terminal for orders, or I can take it myself. Is there anything in particular you'd like?" As Lynn said that, still standing by the customer, she looked anxiously at other visitors to see if anyone else needed her attention. Luckily, other staff members covered for Lynn.
The blondie who ordered the strongest stuff already got his frankfurter sausages with mashed potatoes. Lynn couldn't comprehend why someone would even torture himself with Gundey VIII or something like that. But the first thing she was told when she got accepted as a barmaid was that people choose their own poison. The man who asked a gin bottle and coffee grains also got his order to the letter, along with an anti-alcohol chewing gum on the house. Hopefully, Lynn had some time to deal with the order until other people would need her.
Aerderic's travels were long and boring so it was not surprising that he, of all people would end up in a place like this. He arrived in his Falchion as his Bustard is too big for Sprague. He walked into the Alehouse with his hands in his pockets and slowly approached the bar. He sat on one of the chairs and waited for someone to approach him so he can have his order. While he was waiting, he simply and silently observed the Alehouse and the people within it, waiting for something interesting to happen.
Planet Sprague, Ellie Hardy
Waiting for few more seconds, Ellie noticed some woman approaching her. Maybe a waitress, she thought. "Oh ello, ordering stuff from the table seems to be uninteresting and you know why? I'd love to talk with people." she said and leaned back, thinking what kind of cocktail would be the right one today, sweet one or the killer.
"Bloody Mary it is. Oh and its on the bill of that brave blonde guy at the counter. I'll leave it up to you if you tell him or not." she gave her an evil grin, tapping a steady rhythm on the table once again.
Lynn Archer, Barmaid The woman's reply got Lynn confused for a moment, but then she shrugged and forced a smirk on her lips: "Right, one Bloody Mary on the tab of the blondie. I'll tell him, but if he refuses to pay..." the barmaid paused, thinking for a while. "Just don't blame me if the bouncers come your way."
Lynn then returned to the counter to give an order for one Bloody Mary and came over to the blondie who was finishing his food. As she started talking to him, the man turned to look at the corner where Ellie was sitting. He made a half-smirk with the left side of his lips and turned back to the barmaid, nodding. He said something else, the barmaid nodded and left the counter again.
This time she headed straight for another guest who had entered the bar while she was talking to the woman. With an obligatory smile on her face, she said: "Welcome to the Black Flag Alehouse, sir. What is it going to be?"
Julian Grayson In less than 5 minutes, Ellie would see "that brave blonde guy" standing in front of her table, holding the ordered Bloody Mary in one hand and another full glass (this time without any foul smell) in the other. "Hi," he said with a smirk. After looking at the woman for a couple of moments, he put the Bloody Mary in front of Ellie: "Julian Grayson, from Cambridge."
With that said, the man casually occupied a seat opposite to Ellie, putting his own glass on the table and not waiting for an invitation. The audacious order was an invitation by itself. "I thought it'd be only fair to know whom I'm buying a drink."
Planet Sprague, Ellie Hardy
Ellie was watching him carefully but with a smirk on her face. Smiling she nodded, as he approached her with her ordered drink in his hand. "Oh hello, you seem to be brave enough, trying to down that booze." she said, still keeping smirk in tact.
"Ellie Hardy, from Texas. You've bought me a drink so I guess you at least partly deserve to know who I am. Not so casual but shady and adventurous Junker, which doesn't like trading but prefers other means of income." Ellie couldn't help herself but grinned as she finished her speech. She was satisfied, said enough but haven't dived into details.
Aerderic looked at the Barmaid and reached his back pocket for his wallet. "Be a sweetheart and mix me a Sidewinder with a Gin. Ice up to the half and no lemon." He had his usual serious face as he reached for the other pocket and opened a pack of cigarettes. His favorite were "The Freedom Pack", that were only found on Junker bases around Sirius. "And an ashtray too. I don't want to make the room dirty with ashes and duds around me." He put one in his mouth and lit it.
Julian Grayson Julian made an understanding smirk with a wink: "I see, and I concur. There're definitely better and more exciting ways to make a living." He lifted his glass and took a small sip, chuckling: "Well, brave or not, but it's nice to have something drinkable for a change. I wouldn't advise 'the strongest thing' to anyone else." After putting his glass on the table again, he leaned forward, his chin resting on his his hands, put together with fingers crossed. "So, Texas, huh? It's a long way from here. If you don't mind me asking, why come to Sprague of all places? If it weren't for the fact that you aren't into trading, I'd assume you were here to do business. The locals seem to be buying a lot of metal for colony development."
Lynn Archer, Barmaid Lynn nodded, a faint smile on her face: "One Sidewinder with gin, ice up to the half, no lemon, and an ash tray. Coming right over!" She reached under the counter and put the ash tray and a glass with the correct amount of ice in front of the guest. In the meantime she went over to the shelves to get the bottles. As Lynn returned to the counter, she opened both bottles and poured the two drinks into the glass simultaneously, but without any fancy moves that some barmen could show off.
With the cocktail mixed up, she pushed it slightly towards the customer and took the bottles under the counter for the time being. "Anything else, sir?"
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