You Wake Up In A Bar

Cops! COPS! You're not sure that you're ready to handle cops right now! You immediately start trying to keep the peace-- hopefully they don't notice the blast mark where Helen once was. Time to cool down Stax, keep Laren and Vebbin calm, and then think about making Nadezhda and Voronezh's drinks.






Oh.

The psychic angle isn't terrific. That'd mean... wow. You prepare to be arrested?!








Still a bit unnerving, but with the knowledge that you're not imminently about to be punished for your Helen battle, you decide to start working on Nadezhda and Voronezh's drinks. Both at once! It strikes you that Nad could probably use a bit more attention, so you put a bit more effort into her order-- but it's a fun process either way.

Vebbin's still enjoying his cup, and seems to be a little over halfway finished over it, spending his time just sipping ambiently and commenting now and then. It seems to have really done its job at calming him down.








That's three people in a row whose name starts with a V and then a vowel. Wacky.

Meanwhile, the drinks begin to take shape! You can't find any Imperial Jelly for Voronezh's drink, but decide the generic object should have a fun texture as a replacement if you can melt it first. You utilize the Unshaken to separate, combine, and have fun with it!

After taking a small stab at yourself to retrieve mothgrant blood for his drink, you notice you've... got a bit more than you intended. You decide it could be a good additive for Nadezhda's, and throw it in instead of the beer-- they're both alcoholic, after all. How could this possibly go wrong?














The tone of the room shifts a bit. Nad seems to have snapped-- you suspect there's more tension building up in their heads than out loud.


















Both drinks are really taking shape, but they fully form as you drop an object into each. As you drop the ultra-thin antipodal shard into Nadezhda's brew, it shifts color instantly, and seems to be sucking in light. The layers separate and shift oddly, and the light from the generic object is refracted brilliantly, like it's infinitely more complicated than before. The serving of your blood rises to the top, becoming a brilliant color when seen through the glass, and seems to fit perfectly with the rest of the aesthetic.

The matterhorn chunk you drop into Voronezh's order behaves just as oddly. The materials form more distinct layers, thick and tough bubbles, and the liquefied generic object dissolves until it's nigh-invisible and incredibly, incredibly boring.












It's true! You love jazz! Or, at least... a big... part of you does? It's weird being a collective.















You're fairly certain that you just found something bartenders have always cherished finding, since the dawn of time: a drink's quintessential ingredient.

You're not sure Voronezh's drink went so well.

...Hold on, but... that definitely seemed like a drink that required a matterhorn chunk. You were sure of it! Maybe multitasking isn't the easiest thing.








The lizards have been chattering amongst themselves-- idle chat, really, but you can tell it's a bit of a large argument, trying to figure out what they'd like. VOOL raises their voice noticeably, perhaps wanting some input.






Just then, however, Nadezhda freezes up. One sip, and it's like her breath has been taken away. Her vision focuses, and she looks your way intently. It's halfway between an expression of complete shock and complete inspiration. She speaks slowly, setting the cup down more carefully than she'd taken it up.




Voronezh shouts over her shoulder. He, too, has taken a gulp of his drink-- and seems incredibly upset.











The red-chitin bug seems truly hurt, like something deep within him is pained. It's almost a perfect inverse to the bliss Nadezhda seems to have felt, but now the both of them are sharing in the frustration.

You didn't intend for this... at all.










Nadezhda slumps a little in the stool, her gaze meandering between you and her drink. The disappointment and frustration is clear in her expression and in her voice.








To this, both of them prod at the amplifiers on their foreheads absently.






She takes the cup in her claws, and clasps one of her back-origin arms over it, to prevent any spillage.










She really seems to want this. You're guessing there's at least some point she'll be able to enjoy it without sharing it with Voronezh... but you're also having cup troubles as is, even with the addition.




And that's another order. You think you'll need... several cups to feed all these necks, or some kind of large trough... and you've still got Laren's meal to make before the components start to get completely cold.

Nadezhda seems ready to leave, but her gaze is locked with you-- sympathetic, apologetic, in turmoil. Voronezh is already stood up.



Cup status: 2 occupied (Nadezhda's Antimatter Ale, discarded Matterhorn Mash), 1 dirty (Ashen Corrugible), 1 broken, 6 free
Plate status: 1 occupied (Laren's WIP [1/3] ), 1 dirty (The Sate Catsberry), 2 free
Mug status: 1 occupied (Vebbin's MAM), 1 free
Scavenger ability: Unavailable (0/1 uses)
Intrusive ability: Enabled

Learn all about the miracle materials, antipodal shards and matterhorn chunks, as well as some others, in the Cabinet, Greene's one-stop-shop for bartending knowledge:

Author's NotesShow

Well, here it is. Intended to have this out on Sunday, but... ahey, y'know, sometimes stuff just goes sideways.

Okay, so there's so much dialogue in this one! I'm generally happy with the dialogue, but I'd like to gauge how much people are feeling its quality and quantity. There are so many patrons in the bar right now that it's so much fun to write them interacting, but I understand if it's overwhelming or a slog to get through. I think I promised near the beginning that this adventure would be largely text-based vs. CHIRAL... and I'm happy with how it's turning out!

But obviously pictures are just easier to interpret, and visual stimulation sucks people in more than text, so I'm at a bit of an impasse. I want to make the best adventure for y'all, and if that involves more art (which I am wholly non-confident in my ability to do) then I'll work towards that.

But writing is my thing, and writing dialogue is my thing, and this is the sort of update structure I'm starting to make. I really appreciate critique, and apathy/disinterest is a very real and necessary criticism. I want more than anyone for this to continue and improve, and it's got to be at least partially a back-and-forth. I hear that character dynamics are fun, so I hope you enjoy the ones here.

Thanks for reading this little thing. I'm the sort of person that worries endlessly based on how many people even view the thread, and I don't want people to do anything special to try and alleviate that, but I do appreciate knowing what works and what doesn't, without having to second-guess myself at every turn.

Hope you enjoyed this update!