11163/The Strangest Places

The Strangest Places
Date of Scene:	07 March 2020
Location:	Harry's Hideaway (Bar), Salem Centre
Synopsis:	A random meeting leads to a history lesson.
Cast of Characters:	Copperhead (Diaz), Mercy Thompson, Smart Alek

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Copperhead (Diaz) has posed:
There are various types of bars. There are those places which have booming music and a dance floor filled with varying people dancing to the throbbing base coming out of the speakers. There are bars where there is a mechanical bull and peanut shells on the floor. There are bars where the smoke hangs heavy in the air and there is a dangerous feeling to the clientele.

Then there's Harry's. This place is more the bar down the street where the locals gather and everyone knows everyone else. It even tends to let in the underage, although they don't get to partake of those adult beverages, perhaps due to the proximity to a certain school.

It is not a regular place for Larissa Diaz. She's dressed down today, not in costume and blending in. Well, blending in for a stranger in a bar where she isn't known to the regulars. She had a job in the area so was here before heading out later tonight. She sat at the bar dressed in a pair of jeans, a tank top, her heavy jacket laid on a barstool beside her as she nursed her bottle of beer.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy's here too. She was bringing a car back to her shop from Salem Center. Some people don't know what 'local mechanics' means. And she's waiting on the tow truck to, itself be fixed. trust a tow truck to get a flat. Because of some convoluted Byzantine rule, the driver can't change the tire himself, something something company policy something union rules something something, is what Mercy got out of it.

So. She is here and waiting, drinking a water and just killing time. She's got her coveralls and work boots on, hair's tied back. She's (technically) on the clock. Oh, the customer's going to pay through the nose. Or, no, the towing firm is.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek heads inside, he's... definitely borderline for the age of drinking and he makes his way to a seat by the bar... the tv behind the bar flickers to a preseason baseball. Alek glances up and smirks.. he orders a Guiness, "I never had a Guiness before... time for some research." The bartender immediately asks for a Driver's License, Alek produces one from a pocket after a brief moment of digging.

Copperhead (Diaz) has posed:
The bartender takes a long moment looking from the license to Alek then finally passes back the I.D. "Guinness it is." He heads over for the tap, drawing a mug of the dark liquid and bringing it back over.

He moves toward Mercy. "Sticking to water or would you like something to eat?" he asks. People not drinking alcohol isn't a problem.

Larissa glances at both newcomers. All in all, nothing really unusual about her. Short blonde hair. Muscular but more in a toned way and not bulky. But her eyes are odd. They are the eyes of a snake. Or a cat. Amber in color with a vertical pupil. She sips her beer then waves to the bartender for another. He pops the top on one and slides it her way without having to move from his spot. She catches it in her hand and gives a nod of appreciation for the quick service.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"If you got food, then yes please" Mercy offers. She was in Club Mjolnir yesterday, so....she's apparently on a tour of all the best places to eat in the three states. Looking pleased, Mercy sits back. then looks to the bartender. "Hey you got a phone I could borrow?" she asks suddenly. No sense retelling the tale she got told really. Instead, she sits back, waiting on her menu and thinking what to order.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek gets his Guiness and dips his finger in the mug, he seems to zone out a moment, he blinks after a long moment, his eyes (normally a dim glowing blue, glow brighter for the moment). He eventually removes the finger from the beer mug, "It doesn't have irish soil in it... nothing beyond normal. Always dirt in stuff." He slowly brings the mug to his lips and takes a sip, he squishes the beer around.

Copperhead (Diaz) has posed:
The bartender returns a moment later with the menu. General American fare with things like cheeseburgers, nachos and cheese fries. Sandwiches and the like. Prices are even on the reasonable level instead of overpriced. (They make their money on the booze after all.)

When Alek dips his finger in the beer first, that gets Larissa's attention. Especially with what he adds. "Did you just say always dirt in stuff? And I'm guessing you got it from touching it somehow?" She glances over to Mercy to see if she was the only one that noticed this.

When she speaks, it is with a South American accent. Santa Priscan to be precise for those who could tell the difference.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"I lucked out" Mercy offers and nods. "Yeah I heard it too" she says and studies the menu. "Sandwich and fries please" she decides with a smile. "Hey isn't it normal to have some dirt in beer? I don't drink, so no clue" she adds, glad she went for water. Because it's safer, and Mercy doesn't want to do the Bambi if she gets drunk and steps into being a coyote thing. Nope. Just....nope. Reason #2 why she doesn't drink at all.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek says, "Urban legend is that all Guiness has a bit of Irish Soil or Blood in it." He shrugs, "People don't realize that there is soil in everything. I guess I'm just lucky to notice it more." He looks at the menu, "I'd like a menu too if you had one.. actually, a cheeseburger would be great, just plain nothing fancy.""

Copperhead (Diaz) has posed:
"Got it." The bartender takes the menu back from Mercy after she is done. He was about to offer it to Alek but he made his order without. "I'll leave this here in case you all want something else." He lays the menu down between the pair at an empty barstool.

Larissa considers what Alek said then looks at her bottle of beer. "I mean, you are not wrong. There are traces of all sorts of things in consumables. As long as they are within certain levels, it is allowed and won't kill you." She holds up her bottle to them both in a mock toast. "To dirt in your beer. Or water. Or whatever you like drinking."

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek salutes with his mug of stout, "To drinking our chemicals proudly."

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek he looks over suds of the beer after taking another gulp of it, "Taste is.. an odd thing, not certain where to place this."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Taste's odd. You know back in medieval times everyone would drink beer?" Mercy offers. "They'd grow it and give it as a tithe to their land owners in Europe. Even the churches were at it" Mercy offers. "Brewing for the poor. of course they then branded whoever drank, sinners"

Mercy has a history degree, it's showing as she falls quiet, waiting on her sandwih to arrive.

Copperhead (Diaz) has posed:
"Guinness is way too bitter for me. I have hyperactive taste buds or something." Larissa shrugs at the question of taste. "Or just don't like bitter. Maybe both."

She glances to Mercy again, spinning her bottle in her hand as she considers. "I did not know that. Never learned much history. Didn't have a need for it. Interesting though."

Smart Alek has posed:
In Alek's Pocket, it flickers through various webpages about beer and stout, unless someone had xray vision to notice this though no one would know. Alek zones out a bit as he browses through the hundred of web pages, he looks like he's watching the television set, he eventually comments, "Well, IPAs are more bitter apparently, they kinda taste lemony. They have alot more hops in them because it was used as a preservative for shipping to india from england." He smiles, "I'll take a IPA if I could bartender.. gotta give that one a try too."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"It was, but beer was seen as a lower class drink, while the officers and upper class got rum. Sorry, I got a history degree" Mercy laughs, looking amused then shakes her head. "I'm not having any rum or beer, no thanks" she clarifis. "Or to what is now Indonesia from Holland and Belgium, yes" she adds quickly.

Copperhead (Diaz) has posed:
"Beer is still seen as a lower class drink until you get into the fancy stuff that they sell out there these days. IPAs seem to be the big one." Larissa nods over at Alek with a smirk as he orders exactly what she was talking about.

The bartender goes over to the only IPA they have on tap and preps a mug, setting it down in front of Alek a moment later.

"I do find it interesting rum was upper class. It doesn't seem like it these days. Although I guess it depends on the rum and the price tag."

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek says, "I'd figure with pirates and their rum, it would be a lower class thing." he shrugs, he looks over the IPA and he puts a finger in it first.. as his eyes glow slightly brighter for a moment. "Yeah more hops definitely, less barley. Dirt as well.." he chuckles, "I doubt you guys want to know the complete breakdown.. I find it intrigueing." he shrugs, taking a sniff and then a sip of the IPA."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Don't forget pirates were, or at least some, Navy officers. If you mutinied and stole the ship, pirate. You shot the wrong ship in a fight because you were blinded by cannon smoke? Pirate" Mercy says. "Step on the Admiral's toes? Pirate" Mercy says with a smile. "So pirates had social standing too. They were heroes to many and treated like royalty" Mercy admits, sipping her water as she grins.

Copperhead (Diaz) has posed:
That gets Larissa's attention. "Seriously? I mean I think of Blackbeard and that sort of thing. Captain Hook. Pirates. I don't think of them as heroes at all." She sipped her beer again then shook her head a little. "They could be branded as a pirate for anything and everything? So some of them were more Robin Hood?" Her references are limited to stories moreso than anything truly historical in nature.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Exactly. Say if you were on a Royal Navy ship and the captain was an ass. You wanted off the ship and you got off at a port. Pirate. Or you bumped into the captain in rough seas or one of the officers? Pirate. But yes, pirates run the whole spectrum. THey did look after their crews though. A modern equivalent would be gangs. Gangs run the spectrum from your drive by types to those who have fronts and do good to hide their criminal activities" Mercy says, sandwich forgotten. This is way more interesting. "Also, some sources state pirates targeted slave trade ships, they'd board, extort gold and free the slaves or drive the slave ship to a port and let the slaves off. Naturaly they'd be captured again, but...." Mercy says

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek blinks a bit as he sips his IPA, "You sure do like History don't you. Almost as much as I like Technology." he googles Pirates in the meantime as he enjoys his beer.

Copperhead (Diaz) has posed:
"Huh." With that, Larissa steps off the barstool. She takes a twenty and throws it on the bar next to her two empty beer bottles. "But at least they were free for a while. Interesting talk. Maybe I'll have to read up some more on pirates." Not likely but it is learning things she did not know before.

"I have an appointment I need to get to. If you both will excuse me." She turns to head for the exit.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy nods and hears honking. "Got my degree in history, but my ride's here" she says. Her ride. A tow truck. Waving, Mercy settles up her tab, and if the barkeep's okay with it, takes the sandwich, else it's left there. Either way, Mercy's heading out to begin the long road home.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek still has more beer to finish, he watches the two go, "Nice talking with you two.. perhaps something other topic next time." he smiles. He looks back to the baseball game on the TV. The TV flicks to HBO, the bartender glances up, "I didn't think we got HBO."