We Deserve A Drink

or "Obi and Jack go to White Castle"

~50 years before Game Start in Savannah and WhiteCastle

LordJack
LordObi

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Oberon's messenger massages the bridge of his nose. It has been a long day of negotiations between the Gorhaut and Savannah diplomats and still they have nothing for Obi to take back to Grandfather. The Uzoman dislikes Savannah and her politics, but she was making strides and he thought that perhaps half a century from now, by the time her Golden Circle status is ratified, she'll be someplace to visit.

As he walks from the courthouse, he notices his cousin Jack leaving the same negotiations via another door and crosses to meet him. "Have they done for the day?" Obi asks.

"Gods, I hope so." Jack replies, exasperation evident in his tone. "I can't handle much more of this today. What the hell was I thinking?" He runs a hand through his mop of not quite red hair.

"My mother tried this once, you know." Jack continues conversationally. "She decided being the evil sorceress was easier. Definitely more in line with her personality." He shrugs. "Diplomacy drove her to insanity. Me? I think I'll just take up drinking."

Obi smirks at Jack's appraisal of his mother, but doesn't comment. A son might see his mother's flaws sharper than others, but normally ignored them out of respect as well.

"Drinking. A competitive hobby in our family," he chuckles. "But where exactly are we to begin? Anyplace here in the capital even, well..." He spreads his hands in an expansive gesture and examines his own skin coloring.

"Any place that'll serve me won't care who's son you are and won't serve you. Any place that knows you assumes that my mother was raped and won't serve me. So, are we drinking in our rooms or lighting out for Shadow?" Obi's voice isn't offended as much as it is curious.

Jack wants to argue. He even opens his mouth to do so... The words never form. No point in arguing the truth. No place is perfect. Savannah has one major blemish. And try as he might, it is not something that could be changed over night.

"We could easily return to my plantation. But the temptation to get mind-alteringly wasted would be great. No where to go, no reason to keep thought flowing. Might mean missing several days of negotiations," and though that thought is somehow appealing, Jack knows it's the wrong answer. "what we need is a slow shadow. Somewhere we can disappear to for a long evening and not miss a beat here. And someplace not so far away... Got anything in mind?"

"Actually I'd call that a fast shadow, as its internal time is moving faster relative to where we are, but I take your meaning," Obi says, scratching his thin beard.

"Got a preference? Any requests?" the messenger asks. "Are we drinking alone or with companions? Someplace to just drink or someplace to relax as well?"

"Haven't you heard?" Jack says with a grin, "I'm not good at all that mystic stuff. Got myself kicked out of redhead school even. Got to make my way through life as a normal Amberite now.

"But enough of that," he says the good humor still apparent in his tone. "Let's find us somewhere better then a street corner to talk."

"Got a preference? Any requests?" the messenger asks. "Are we drinking alone or with companions? Someplace to just drink or someplace to relax as well?"

The phrase, "Companions are good," escapes before Jack has time to consider it.

"And said companions, if there are any, hairy men with deep voices and rude jokes or scantily clad women with smooth skin and angelic voices?"

"You know it's OK if you're into that whole man on man thing. Heck, the way people round here talk, it's amazing your kind even manage to have kids," The words may be offensive but the delivery removes all venom. Jack's just having a bit of god-natured fun. Or so it would seem.

Obi's lips pucker as the tall black man blows him a kiss and winks.

"I on the other hand, like women." Now the smile softens, "I've met a scarce few whose company I did not enjoy. But I do like a challenge. So no girls for obvious pay. You can get more then your fair share of that around here... Or at least I can. " The last is said with a wink.

Obi nods. "It'll take at least an hour, maybe two, but we should be able to find something with enough of a difference to eat that and the return trip. It'll be a tricky little jaunt, but we should be able to swing several hours of carousing and even a full nights sleep and still get back by the time that tomorrow's round of talks begin."

"Sounds good to me."

"You have a horse here abouts or is poor Ged taking us double?" Obi whistles, high and shrill for a moment. Moments later the pure white Arabian with red tassles on bridle, collar and saddle comes around the building from the stables.

Jack shakes his head in amusement, "You know Obi... Some of us keep our stallions locked up. You can't just have anybody riding them you know. Of course, yours does seem to be a bit of a wild thing." He nods towards the animal, a sign of respect. The time spent with Julian taught him a thing or two about the moods of horses.

As Obi pats Ged's nose gently. "He is at times and as to locking him up, well... he was. It was just probable that the groom expected me soon and had finished saddling him," the elder cousin shrugs.

"Give me five and I'll meet you back here," Jack says as he begins to head for the nearby stable.

Once Jack returns, Obi starts them off into Shadow. "I passed through a little place that calls itself White Castle along my way here from Langwith. It's off the beaten path, and a bit from the Shadow paths, too. Not much more than a place for Ged and I to rest, but I think it'll do," he explains.

"Lead on," Jack replies.

Obi pushes the changes a little quicker than he normally would when leading anyone, but it's far from a hellride even if he does keep it for the next few hours. The land is similar, trees still deciduous but perhaps closer to autumn than Savannah as they show a riot of colors. The grass is a darker shade of green and the sky, the last item that Obi reaches for, redder than Amber's, but when they emerge from the tree line it seems that it may have to due more with the setting sun above the ruins of a castle on the ridge line. He pauses, looking down at the traders outpost in the castle's shadow.

"Wine, women, and song," Jack says out of no where. "The three essentials to a relatively happy life." He begins to guide his silvery grey mare towards the sings of civilization. He listens for upbeat music, nothing too heavy or depressing. This is supposed to be an escape. It might as well act like one.

His ears finally tune into something resembling classic Jazz. That will do, he decides. It might be a bit out of sync with the rest of the shadow, but it is a guilty pleasure all the same. Jack never did have much luck staying away from guilty pleasures.

"That, my friend," He says to obi as they come to the front of the establishment. "Seems like as fine a place as any to start our evening. Shall we?"

"Of course," the messenger answers as he swings off his horse. The bar's sign depicted a dark haired dancing woman showing a bit of leg and a broad expanse of cleavage. Obi chuckled as he read the name, The Doubtful Maiden. "Looks fairly confident to me," he says as he opens the door for Jack. "Only thing that seems doubtful is her maidenhood."

Jack laughs but manages to refrain from making any of the myriad of comments that are dancing through his mind.

As the door opens the jazz grows stronger as does the smell of tobacco. Obi takes a table neat the stage, where a trio is currently playing, and flags down a waitress. "We'd like two bottles of whiskey, single malt if you have it." He sets a gold coin in her palm and tosses a silver one in her cleavage. "Glasses would be appreciated, but not neccessary."

The waitress spares them a smile before heading off towards the bar.

From an inner coat pcoet, Jack produces a cigarette carrier. Jack offers a hand rolled smoke to Obi before procurring one for himself. Savannah might have her issues, but she produced some damn fine tabbac.

Jack lit his cigarette, and tossed the silver lighter acorss the table towards Obi (OOC: assuming Obi tokk the smoke). "Ten to one, the brunette at the bar, two down from the end, just broke up with a long time boyfriend and is here with something to prove. That ain't the kinda girl who comes to places like this all alone."

Obi lights the cigarette and savors the first drag. "No bet. But I'll put money on the tawny haired youth at the table behind her trying to defend her honor if you're an ass."

"I'd guess its a just-friends thing, that she hasn't noticed," Obi comments. "So tread lightly."

The waitress returns with their bottles and two glasses. The messenger flashes a toothy smile and nods toward the bar, indicating the brunette. "Buy her a drink from my friend here, alright?"

to be continued... Updated to 9-7-2006