The Broken Shillelagh Public House - Old Town - Ark City Central District

[[Sc8]Hardware]

((The Broken Shillelagh Pub is a fixture in the Old Town Performing Arts Campus. It sits on the south edge of the area. The pub itself is a two-story building; the southward-facing entrance leads to a short aisle between the wings, leading up to the bar itself. To the left, westward, is the general restaurant area; straight ahead past the left end of the bar is a set of stairs leading up to the upper seating area. The restaurant area feels light and airy due to a series of large skylight windows in the sloped ceiling. To the right of the aisle, the bar extends into the actual "bar" area, a single-story brick-lined nook furnished with several round tables and a small stage against the eastern wall.))

[[Sc8]Hardware]

The upper seating area of the restaurant seemed to be unusually bustling this particular evening; the population of Ravenstone Academy was in full swing, planning for the formal dance coming in a couple of days to commemorate the founding of the Academy.

At the bar, just past the main aisle, Miranda Connor, the Irish bartender, was deep in conversation with a group of four girls who all seemed too young to be in the age-restricted bar area...

[Shrike7]

Jackie wandered into the place, surprised to see it so busy. A poster on the wall told her why. Annual Founding Dance, just s couple days off. She made a mental note to stay away that night as she wound her hair up in a tie, working her way down the aisle to the bar.

The barmaid was busy, a quartet of girls looking too young to be in this half, no doubt in the process of being shooed off. She stepped up behind them, far enough off to not butt into the conversation, but close enough to let the woman know she had a customer. Jackie wasn't in any hurry anyways, fishing out her ID and some bills from her pouch, listening into what she could while she waited.

[[Sc8]Hardware]

With the background noise in the place, Jackie couldn't catch all of the conversation, but from the bits and pieces she did hear, Miranda and a blonde with a New Orleans accent were trying to mediate an argument between a petite firebrand who looked like she could be related to Miranda and the oldest of the girls - something about "daughter's prom dress"?

...But that couldn't be right, could it...?

[Seretis]

When he got into the pub, Max groaned as he saw the upper seating area. "Ugh, that's right... It's getting close to that dance thing... Well, at least now I've got a solid excuse for getting out of dealing with it..."

After a moment, he headed over to an open table, set his bag down with a muffled clunk, and began the process of making his decision for what he was going to eat. He ran through a few options in his mind, before settling on a simple sandwich and chips.

[Shrike7]

Definitely didnt look right, Jackie thought, lips pursing briefly. Unless one of the four was much older than they looked at least.

Curious now, she moved around the group to lean against the bar, much closer now. Her eyes scanned the four briefly feigning disinterest, paying particular attention to the fourth girl, who hadn't spoken yet. Then she looked away again, feigning interest in the tracks of booze on the wall, listening more closely now.

[[Sc8]Hardware]

As John Parr blared from the bar's jukebox, Jackie became aware of a faint buzzing sound emanating from the metal bar rail; her arms tingled where she leaned against the bar, and all her hair seemed to be wanting to stand on end. Oh, and crazy as it sounded, faint blueish flames seem to spring up from the beer taps, glasses, pretty much anything with a sharp point or edge sticking up from the bar. It clearly must have been happening for real, not an illusion or anything, because Miranda calmly reached over and extinguished a glass of bourbon that was burning.

The blonde began to slowly force the redheaded girl back away from the bar, as, in a voice that dripped with a syrupy New Orleans accent, she said, "Nah Lexie, sugah, Mary's de boss at de school. She says it's up to de kids, it be up to de kids. Just because you chose ta nevah grow up don't mean that de kids won't neither."

Lexie tried to say something, but the other girl cut her off.

"Don' be arguin', no!" She sighed. "Look, if it really be a big big a deal, we'll go talk ta Micheal, m'kay? He'll sort dis right out."

[Shrike7]

It was hard for Jackie to maintain a straight face. Choosing to grow up? There was something weird going on, for sure. And she was most surprised that they would discuss such weirdness out in the open. Nevermind the bluey flames cropping up over everything. Some part of her recoiled from them, but she did little more than shudder herself, trying her best to pretend she hadn't noticed.

She let out a sigh, trying to convince herself it wasn't her problem. The last thing she needed was to get herself involved, and in doing so, wind up on someone's radar. So instead, she cleared her throat, leaning a bit more heavily on the bar and looking over at Miranda. "Hey there. Uhh, can I get two bottles of Keith's, please?"

[[Sc8]Hardware]

Miranda slapped the bar a couple of times with a towel, just to make sure that it was clear, and then slid the bottles to her.

-----

Max's food came to his table (only slightly singed).

[Seretis]

Max glanced over towards the food prep area, shook his head slightly, then began working on eating his food. "Well, someone just derped up, apparently. Or had a flare up."

He looked back over to the poster. "At least I'm definitely done with having to deal with those stupid glitter-bombs any more."

[[Sc8]Hardware]

As if summoned by him, a loud pop echoed through the restaurant as glitter rained down on the lower level. Mary darted into the aisle and shouted "KELLY!!" at the balcony.

[Seretis]

Max about half snarled as he heard the pop and even before the glitter had gotten close, he had his jacket up covering his head and meal.

Most of his internal monologue on the matter isn't fit for print...

[Shrike7]

Jackie caught the bottles deftly, gripping the necks in one had as she slipped her cash onto the counter. "Thanks, I'll let ya get back to it." She said with a nod and smile, taking the chance to retreat further into the bar section.

She heard a pop and so.e yelling from the other half of the building. Her first thought was gunfire, but it seemed too quiet for that, and the yelling was angry, not panicked. Stretching her gaze back past the bar she saw glitter floating in the air on the restaurant side. Some sort of prank, then. Or someone else with more special ability than common sense.

Either way, not her problem. Finding an empty table, she sat herself down and cracked the first beer, taking her time with it.

[[Sc8]Hardware]

As the waitresses began cleaning up the glitter, Lexie gave up on her argument and stormed out the front door of the pub.

[Seretis]

Once he got done eating, Max uncovered himself, brushing glitter off his jacket... Trying to at least catch it with the napkin. After cleaning it off as best he could, he got up and headed over towards Mary. "I may have to duct tape one or more of your students to flagpoles."

[Shrike7]

Jackie caught sight of the group at the bar leaving. The thought crossed her mind to follow them. She was curious about what she had heard, the hint of something special mentioned so openly, but she hadn't even started her second beer yet. The pair had been her spending money for the week, barring another day, and she didn't really want to waste them. Still...

Standing, she downed the rest of her first, slipping the second into her pouch when it looked like the bartender was looking another direction. Then she made her way to the washrooms. It was a simple matter to flick the switch and douse the lights once she knew she was alone inside. She felt the cool rush as she called to the dark, and it responded, a surge of power filling her. And then, she was outside with little more than a thought, emerging from behind a dumpster, coated in a jet black suit, and faceless. Finding herself alone, she glanced upwards, and jumped again, disappearing with a soft whumph and reappearing to land lightly on the roof, keeping low and moving to the front of the building on the bar side to avoid the skylights, watching for the gaggle of girls and seeing where they head.

[[Sc8]Hardware]

((Story continues in solo threads at 19 April 2038 - 1910 hours))

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