Welcome to The Club: An Unexpected Reopening

[Mystic Mina]

(It's been a long while since I've been on these forums. Seems like things have slowed down quite a bit, though. I'll just throw this up and see what happens. If people join, that's cool. If not, well... WELL.)

You ever hear of a bar down by the corner called "The Club?" No? I figured. Almost everyone I've talked to doesn't know about it, and I think I know the reason why: It SUCKED. The drinks were terrible, the decor was even worse, and the owner was a fat slob with one hell of a temper problem. Yeah, the owner was definitely the worst thing about that bar. He'd curse, throw glasses at people... I think he even punched out some traveling magician woman one time. Pretty sure The Club closed down soon after that little incident. The place was only in business for a year before that, but I can't say I feel bad for the guy.

Rumors have been going around lately, though. People say that The Club is open again and under new management. From what I've heard, the new owner is one hell of a sexy fox. Dunno what happened to the old fat guy, but hey, that's enough for me to come over. Maybe you should give it a shot too. Who knows? One visit could change your mind...

[Harri-chan]

Elliot had heard the stories of the Club before, and figured maybe with that kind of reputation they'd be so desperate to fill it with customers for their reopening, even he'd be able to get in. He was a skinny boy in his late teens that was often mistaken for a girl with his slim frame. He had blue eyes, a smooth face and blonde hair that hung down his back. He was wearing a light blue t-shirt that showed off his thin, hairless arms, and a pair of skinny jeans that hugged his legs, with pale blue sneakers on his feet. Hesitantly, he approached the entrance...

[Mystic Mina]

People used to say that The Club was in one of the more ancient-looking buildings in the city, but apparently the reopening came with a renovation as well. The bar’s exterior still looked rather old with its brick walls and stained glass windows, but it portrayed its age in a classy, dignified manner. At the very least, it didn’t seem anything at all like the low-class dive spoken of before.

The inside was equally old-fashioned in appearance. There was wood everywhere; wooden walls, wooden floors, wooden tables, a wooden bar. The only things in The Club that weren’t made out of wood were the dim lights hanging from the low ceiling and the many glass bottles lined up against the wall. The many, MANY glass bottles. The place wasn’t very spacious, with room for only a few tables away from the bar and smattering of various pub games in the back, but that may have been because the bar was filled with so much alcohol... or whatever was in those glasses.

“I’ll be out in just a minute!” A woman’s voice called out from the back. “Just make yourself at home! Take a seat or something!”

[Harri-chan]

Elliot broke into a wide grin as he passed through the doors unchallenged, and he paused just inside them to take it all in. Slowly nodding to himself, he admired the wooden decor, and made his way up towards the bar. He was studying the huge collection of glass bottles when the woman's voice reached his ears, and he settled onto one of the stools at the table closest to the bar, and looked around for a menu or a price list.

[Mystic Mina]

A little single-page menu sat right in front of Elliot, its contents written in fine gold lettering. It listed the drinks and cocktails that were the usual fare in bars around the area, though some of them had some rather oddly named ingredients. Dragon's Spit? Selkie Skin? Puck's Piss? Maybe they were just names of drinks he never heard of?

"Sorry about the wait. I was tidying some things up in the back." The woman emerged from the back and... The rumors were true! The owner was gorgeous! She had all the curves a man could ask for in all the right places, and all of it was contained in a tiny black minidress that left very little unrevealed. Slightly curled blonde hair spilled down the length of her back, framing a pair of golden eyes that leered down at Elliot. There seemed to be a playful, almost predatory glint in those eyes as she sized up the boy.

"Welcome to The Club. My name's Meryl." Her voice matched her gaze: Mischievous with just a hint of malice. "Hm... You're a young-looking one. Too young. I hope you weren't planning on buying a drink for yourself."

[Harri-chan]

Elliot looked over the drinks, frowning at their names and ingredients, but when he lifted his head, he found his eyes perfectly level with the woman's rather impressed chest, squeezed into that little black dress, with the blonde curls hanging down either side of the breasts. Her cleavage seemed to capture his attention entirely, and for a few long seconds, all he could do was stare, his lips parted in amazement. Even when she warned him off trying to order a drink, it took a further few seconds for his gaze to snap up to her eyes. He seemed unfocused, someone just waking up from a daydream.

"Huh… ?", he murmured. Finally, he seemed to have taken in what she had said, and he slides a hand into the pocket of his snug jeans, fumbling a little. When it re-emerges, he held a card up for her inspection, although upon actually looking at it, he realised he was in fact a super hero trading card featuring a very scantily-clad, and busty young woman.

"Ah… ID must be in my other jeans", he said with a sigh.

[Mystic Mina]

"Right, sure. Like I haven't heard that excuse before." Meryl rolled her eyes before plucking the card out of Elliot's hands and giving the super-heroine on it a look over. "Sorry, kid. You can't have any of the fun stuff if you don't have an ID... But... Hm."

The buxom woman took a quick glance around the bar. It was happy hour, about time for workers to start coming in for a cheap drink or two, but there was no one around save for the skinny boy (or was it a girl?) sitting in front of her. Apparently the news of The Club reopening just wasn't enough to bring customers in... And it was making Meryl quite lonely.

"How about I get you a free drink? Nothing with alcohol, of course." She slid the comic card back over to Elliot, her fingers briefly brushing against the teenager's. "Consider it a gift for being my first customer."

[Ookalf]

*Another person soon enters - a brunet young man in a dark business suit, by the name of James. A tired look in his eyes, he immediately makes his way up to the bar and quietly claims a stool.*

[Kether]

*a large trenchcoated man with messy hair enters*

[Mystic Mina]

"Oh? Looks like you brought some good luck with you, kid. I'll have to get you that free drink a bit later." Meryl gave Elliot a parting wink before turning to face the newcomers. "So, welcome to The Club. Have anything in mind, boys?"

[Kether]

He looks the place over, "are you sure this is ready to open?"

[Mystic Mina]

The trenchcoated man earned himself a frown from Meryl with his comment.

"Well, yes. It is open, isn't it?" She crossed her arms over her bountiful chest and continued to stare at the stranger, annoyance slowly brewing behind her eyes. "Did you come in here just to say that, or are you going to buy a drink?"

[Kether]

The trenchcoated man earned himself a frown from Meryl with his comment.

"Well, yes. It is open, isn't it?" She crossed her arms over her bountiful chest and continued to stare at the stranger, annoyance slowly brewing behind her eyes. "Did you come in here just to say that, or are you going to buy a drink?"

"It just looks out of sorts"

[Mystic Mina]

"Could you offer something a little more constructive? Maybe you don't like the lighting? Do you think the place needs more decorations?" Meryl's left eye was developing a faint, but noticeable twitch. Did this guy seriously come in here just to mess around with her? "Just saying it looks 'out of sorts' doesn't really help me."

[Ookalf]

It looks fine to me, at least... *James looks around at some of the bottles on the walls.*