OPEN ( ⚠ there ain't no motive for this crime )

[hairysituations]

WHO: Varric (hairysituations) and YOU.
WHEN: Anytime between 6/11-6/16.
WHERE: Pleasure District, The Mistress's Girdle.
WHAT: Varric's bartending at a semi-seedy bar, which means: general CR building, networking, drinking, gossiping, flirting, setting drinks on fire, bonding, witty banter, getting drunk, whatever your little heart desires.
RATING/WARNING: Language, will update for anything else.

i.

[ the bar's not too bad for a place called The Mistress's Girdle. smaller in size, with patrons who aren't exactly the kind of people you'd want to be out on a dark street with at night, wooden bar, table, and chairs that smell faintly of beer and wax. he'd taken up working there as soon as he found it; it was charming in a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of way.

he's standing behind the counter (yes, provided with a special thick mat to give him an extra few inches to reach the bar without a problem), keeping busy while its slow by drying glasses and arranging bottles.

slow enough that it's easy to make conversation, so he does, whoever happens to be sitting at his bar: ]

You want me to get something for you? [ he drops a glass down onto the bar, ] Or are you just in the mood to keep me company? Boring tonight.



ii.

[ it's getting well into the evening and Varric's been practicing setting drinks on fire. they're supposed to be his specialty, and hey, he can appreciate a little razzle dazzle as long as it doesn't burn his eyebrows off. so he's behind the bar alone, keeping his hands busy by mixing drinks and using his own little tricks to light the glasses on fire.

when he gets a particularly nice one (small long stemmed glass with a ring of purple fire lighting up around the rim, turning blue at the edge of the flame thanks to chemicals) he pushes the drink to someone sitting at the bar: you. ]

Have one on the house. You look like you could use a pick-me-up.

[ he pauses before adding ] You wouldn't think I need to say this, but you'd be surprised—blow the fire out before you drink it.




iii.

[ he's nearing the end of his shift, cleaning up some of the seating area, straightening chairs and wiping off tables that have gotten a little too grimy, even for this bar's tastes. there are a few people still sitting around and drinking (this place never closes, it seems) but they're mostly quiet.

he stops by a table, ]

Oh, is this— [ and he bends down, scooping up something into his hand to offer it to whoever happens to be sitting at the table next to where he found it ] ... yours?

[ there's hesitation in his voice because it's ... a pair of panties. black lace. classy, but still: ... what? Varric lifts an eyebrow. um???? ] Should I ask?




iv.

[ Varric's off his shift but just hanging around; no harm, not when he can use a drink himself, and there are people around for some fun. he's sitting more toward the back of the bar, reclining back in one of the wooden chairs, shuffling a deck of cards idly.

when someone catches his eye he grins and gestures for them to come over with two fingers, ]

Up for a game?

[ he holds the cards up, twisting his wrist, ] Been a while since I've gotten to play anything.



v.

[ WILDCARD. respond with a prompt of your own if your character would be getting into any wonky nonsense in his general vicinity of standing at the bar making drinks. or right outside. you wanna be passed out drunk and fall into the garbage cans? you do that, my friend. it's yours for the taking. Varric will also be cutting anyone who looks like they had waaaay too much to drink off. ]

Comments

V

[onerous]

[This isn't her sort of scene, even if her regular clothes make it seem like she's ready to go out clubbing or something anyhow. She walks in with purpose, pausing long enough to scan the people milling about, before making her way to a table to speak in low tones with a woman there.

There's a brief commotion as the woman bursts into happy tears, hugs a startled Yuri, and leaves an equally baffled date behind as she hurries home. Yuri and the date stare at each other for a moment of awkward silence, before Yuri bows hastily and retreats to the bar.

She pauses, recognizing Varric right away.] Tethras-san-- Ah, I mean. Varric. [There's a hint of a smile, a sheepish expression as she catches how she addresses him.] I didn't know you worked here. [Yuri glances around the bar curiously; honestly she's never been in one before] You're settling in well?

[hairysituations]

I guess that makes us even; I didn't know you hung out here.

[ he'd seen the exchange, of course, and while it was a bit odd he remembered what she had told him about her powers. maybe it had something to do with that? he'll nose around, sure, but he knows better than to launch right into that. rude. ]

Guess you could say that. Helps that I know a few people already—I'm the one that's late to the party.

[ he gestures to one of the stools in front of him, ] Take a load off. Unless you have somewhere else to be?

[ like.... more seemingly charitable acts with using awesome powers? ]

3

[sayonaradumbass]

[the real question should be why what store brand panties did he steal from the store, clearly the packaged kind, in order to pull this stunt on someone in a bar just for that spotlight. hes that kind of kid

also what the fuck kind of fake id--]

Oh, those? Yeah, they're on lend...they got girls that gotta be American here. Names like Shauna, [insert a sigh here] gotta be classier for this dump.

[hairysituations]

[ at least Varric doesn't give a shit about 'underage' patrons; if they're old enough to feel regret, they're old enough to drink. but tossing panties on the floor when there's not a girl in sight? c'mon man. this is just getting weird.

he drops the panties in the table in front of the kid, eyebrows still cocked. sort of amused, sort of... wondering what this little scheme is, exactly.

plus he's got no idea what 'American' is. his accent might be from there, but in his world, it's not actually a place. ]

So you're leaving it on the floor as... what? Bait?

ii

[freeinghorror]

[He had just gotten off work and decided to sooth his throat with something wet to drink. Talking to people who had too much spare time and not enough real dates always made his throat scratchy and while tea was plentiful enough at his apartment, sometimes he just liked to see what the humans were doing.

That and it was also a way to spot anything really interesting to do on his off days.

Jinga looked at the flames on the glass and then glanced at the bartender. His mouth curving into an amused grin, he rubbed the tips of his fingers along the rim of the glass, smearing flames and chemicals alike on his skin, and watched for a moment at the flames flickered before blowing them out.]

Duly noted.

[hairysituations]

There you go. Now we don't need to worry about lawsuits.

[ because he's bolting if he's gotta be involved with the law in any way. gone. but he winks, wearing a little grin of his own. It's, after all, a joke until that shit actually happens.

that's probably enough setting drinks on fire for now, so he starts wiping down the counter where he'd been working. ]

Much as I'd love for something exciting to happen.

iv.

[animated]

[ This place isn’t really Charlie’s sort of scene, but he wants to see all of what the city has to offer, day and night. He’s already been around the shopping district a dozen times, so it was time to see what else there was.

And, well, he could go for a beer. Why not, right?

One stop at the bar later, the wizard is +1 beer and looking for a place to sit when the man at the back beckons him over. Well, that’s sure not shady at all, but Charlie’s willing to humor him. He’s confident he can take care of himself, anyway. ]

That depends. What are we playing?

[hairysituations]

Whatever we both actually know. I'm not picky.

[ he's already tried to play wicked grace with a few people but he hadn't gotten too far with that one; apparently it wasn't as common here as it was back home. so simpler games worked best, and he'd already learned a few basic ones from customers and on his own. ]

Like... Twenty-One? I can deal. [ he drops the cards onto the table. ] ... Or Poker, you can play that with two.

ii

[followorders]

[Locus looks up from his drink - whiskey, neat - to stare at the colorful concoction offered to him.]

.........

[It's looks like something his partner would drink, which means, it's not his taste. Still, those words catch his attention.]

Why do you say that?

[He asks without taking the drink.]

[hairysituations]

[ aw, come now, it's just the fire that's over the top. not a fan of a little show? ..... he had nothing better to do with it anyway.

so it sits there, still on fire. great mood-lighting. ]

Bartender's hunch. [ he makes vague gestures with his hands ] Our bones get feelings sometimes. Not always right though, so my mistake if you're perfectly content without a care in the world.

[ he'd be the first one Varric's met, honestly ]

iii.

[seakingbait]

Oh! Thank you.

[The young woman sets down her glass of sparkling apple juice to graciously accept the undergarments. It was good to reunite the panties with their owner, but Varric may notice that wearing them would be difficult. Instead of legs, a bright pink fish tail swishes happily under the bar.]

These are from my shop. I'm taking home a little bit of everything to figure out what my best inventory is.

[hairysituations]

[ yeah that... would be pretty difficult?? unless she wore them in some other way. hey, he doesn't know how women with tails for legs dress sexy.

.... but how did she get in here .... now that he's gotta find out. ]

Well, I'll take a guess and say that those are probably some good sellers. [ what's more classic than black lace? ] I'd hope so, anyway.

i

[hoasen]

[The Mistress' what now?! Some of these names certainly are creative. It's not really a "scene" she'd walk into, but she did spot a familiar face so enters anyway.]

So this is where you work?

[hairysituations]

[ you have to admit, it really catches the eye, if only because it's such an absurd name. he likes it. ]

One of the places. Like to change it up, you know. Keep it interesting.

[ he leans against the bar, giving her a two fingered salute ]

And how are you today?

i.

[outcast]

So this is where you work, is it, Varric?

[ merrill is here, but varric should know better than to think she necessarily was here to see him — you always had to call in to question her purpose when she ends up anywhere alone. she could have just wandered there, lost until she saw the supposed place varric had mentioned working at to her before — or maybe she really did intend to come see her friend and keep him company!

either way, she was here. ]

I'd love to keep you company. Perhaps you could tell me one of your stories. I probably don't have much of interest to say. [ she peers into the glass he'd set before her, tentative but curious. ] Ah.. what is this?

[hairysituations]

[ oh, does he know better than that. why else would it be so expensive to make sure she got home all right at night? those guys charge by square footage.

regardless, whatever her wily adventures might be, he's pleased to see her. always good to see his Top People in good shape (it's much harder to keep track of them when he's lacking his usual web of contacts.... more legwork, that's for sure). ]

What're you talking about, Daisy? I always like to hear how you're doing.

[ he nods his chin toward the glass, ] Called a 'mojito'. Been practicing, apparently people like it. [ it looks innocent enough: green, leafy, with a lime. kind of a merrill aesthetic. ]

Let me know what you think.

V

[immobileyes]

[ Did anyone say wonky nonsense? Because that would be an accurate way to sum up why this tiny girl who doesn't look to be very far into her teens is just kind of standing right outside the bar.

Shaking.

HOW LOST IS SHE-- ]

[hairysituations]

[ he's minding his own business while standing at the bar, doing bar business, when he just happens to glance up and notice—a... lost kid?? standing outside??

he's not heartless. how could anyone just ignore a shaking kid? so he hops down from his padded mat and heads to the door to poke his head out. trying not to startle her, because that's probably the last thing she needs. ]

Hey. You need some help?

[ hopefully a dwarf that's just under 5 feet tall isn't all that intimidating?? ]

I

[criticalhip]

[Displacement is weird in that there's no uniform rhyme or reason behind it. Some people get banished, others lose their homes in a fit of violence, and then there's the seemingly ever popular 'everything you know and love has been destroyed outside a choice couple of people. Awesome, right?' situation. It's enough to make anyone's head spin.]

[But conversely to the haphazard circumstances behind one's need for refuge, there's a universal coping mechanism constant: the search and need for something familiar. Sure, alcohol helps too, but Sans is dry as a bone when it comes to such things. The perpetual smell of liquor and cigar smoke wafting through the streets doesn't stop him from trying to find a replacement for his previous local hangout.]

[This place is no Grillby's. Thick wooden bar and well-worn booths add to the appropriate atmosphere, but it's far too stuffy with the wrong kind of cheerfulness that runs a shiver along Sans' spine. He adjusts his hoodie in a force of habit before a familiar voice snaps him out of his mental critique.]

Uh... how's the food here?

[hairysituations]

[ dry as a bone... nyuk nyuk nyuk.

ah. Varric recognizes this guy. how could he not? not often that you meet someone that's died and decided to keep just doing what they were doing. he... realizes that that's actually probably not the case at all, but it's funnier to imagine it that way. and given his height it's easy to picture a fellow dwarf just going, "you know what? fuck going to the stone. i've got a business to run and money to make." stubborn enough for sure.

anyway. ]

Not bad. Solid, as far as bar food goes.

[ fried potatoes, lots of meat, etc. ]

Serious lack of stew, though. [ that was weird to not find. ] Maybe it's just a thing where I'm from.

ii!

[adornmental]

[It's probably a safe bet that Kashuu's just here to burn time or wait for someone, since he hasn't actually bought anything for himself yet...

Though his expression definitely lights up like a dang Christmas tree when he sees that drink. He didn't even know alcohol could do this.]

Wow! That's such a pretty color! Hey, do I have to blow it out? Can I just leave it like this?

[Maybe he can take it home with him like a dangerous open torch!! And it can double as a weapon if anyone tries to mug him...! Perfect.]

[hairysituations]

[ well. at least someone has good taste, and is impressed with his colorful fire. ]

You can let it burn, but it'll run down on its own soon. [ like most beautiful things in life, short-lived...! ] Too bad, right? I like the color too.

ii.

[heiroglyphs]

[The heiress stares at the flaming drink. She's clearly underage, should she really accept something like this? It's not exactly champagne at a fancy dinner.

Ugh, whatever. If Yang were here, she'd take it with a smile. Or, she would...]

You know what? I think I could use something. Thanks.

[hairysituations]

[ if she's old enough to feel regret she's old enough to drink. and to be fair, he'd gone lighter on the alcohol just in case something wonky happened with the fire. better to avoid burning his chest hair off. ]

No problem.

[ he grabs a rag to wipe down the counter, glancing back up at her after a second, ]

So why the long face? Or am I just imagining it?

iii

[incendire]

[ Okay, want to try asking that question again? Either way Genos will be politely taking the lacy garments from Varric but keeping it on the table. Was this better or worst than slipping it into one's pocket? The kid really need some education about these matters. ]

A woman who was barely coherent threw them at me. I believe she was coming onto me.

[ He'll look down at the underwear again with a bit of a perplexed look. ] Is it customary for me to keep them? I was thinking of tracking her down to return them.

[hairysituations]

[ Sparky..... we don't put used panties on the table....... ]

Depends. You wanna take her up on that offer?

[ swinging another chair around, he drops down onto it backwards, so his elbows can prop up onto the back ]

She must've really liked you.

[ or was really drunk. or both! ]