You Wake Up In A Bar

Ask Laren about their job.

Some different music begins pouring out of the radio once again. It seems this is a piece you've already heard, but in another form-- another musician. As always, the cool sound of jazz seems to put the atmosphere of the bar at ease, but 'at ease' isn't helping Laren a whole lot.







You start thinking about your past interactions with Laren. Since your entire history is cataloged conveniently in a forum thread, it's only a bit time consuming to recall some bits about her job.







As she talks, you begin washing the cup containing the remnants of a successful Antimatter Ale. There's a heck of a backlog, but you don't see the night ending anytime soon.
















It seems like a tough issue. Or... series of issues. Maybe Laren doesn't entirely know what's plaguing her, but the tired look on her now-caffeinated face doesn't really lie. She continues eating, and the dim bar continues creaking along.

...In addition, you hear another vehicle pull up outside. Tonight might not be entirely quiet, it looks like.

Cup status: 1 occupied (Laren's Iced Haze) 4 dirty (Matterless Mash, TDMB, Bright and Air-ly, INTY), 1 broken, 3 free
Meloncup status: 1 dirty (HH)
Plate status: 1 occupied (Laren's MSD), 1 dirty (The Sate Catsberry), 2 free
Mug status: 1 dirty (Mulled Again Mulligan), 1 free

AbilitiesShow

Scavenger: Unavailable (0/1 uses)
Gain a cup and plate every day, on command.

Intrusive: Enabled
Introduction cards show a bio for a given character.

Intuitive: Enabled
Introduction cards show somebody's ingredient preferences.

Phytochemist: Disabled (too dim)
Create drinks/meals automatically (at half speed) during sunlit hours.

Collaborative: Enabled
Attach any length of Cabinet entry to an ingredient suggestion at will.

Perfectionist: Enabled
Gain a hint about quintessential ingredients for drinks/meals. Succeeding makes that quintessential ingredient limitless.

OrdersShow

Nadezhda wants to find SYLG.
Status: Drinkmaster Greene is fated to find SYLG.

Author's NotesShow

And it plunders along once again.

Hopefully, Pairtree update tonight. I'm trying to force myself to adopt some real deadlines and it's been fun, if a little hectic.

Thanks for tuning in.

HUG LAREN HUG LAREN HUG LAREN HUG LAREN HUG LA

Put out a closed sign (or whatever is the equivalent), we don't want another patron interrupting this tender moment. Maybe there's a button under the bar that does that?

Also, if Lauren notices, make sure they know they're welcome to stay longer. "I just needed time to rest/wash dishes," something along those lines.

keep it open

keep it open

yeah keep it open

>Suggest Laren could maybe try taking up writing as a hobby or something? Something to explore new ideas and concepts with, without having to leave Terrats, or putting down these difficult feelings she's having into a story. I hear it can be very cathartic to do that.

The tunes continue in mellow fashion. You reckon that Laren's plethora of woes are almost too tough for you to really respond to. Sure, Greene is new to the whole thing... but it's undeniable that the inputs behind Greene aren't entirely unfamiliar.

You do your best either way.








She sinks a little in her seat, glancing back and forth lazily at her drink, meal, and the contours of the counter. You wash another dish absentmindedly.









It feels halfhearted.




She sits up again, taking a long inhale, her eyes a little more focused.








Laren nods, humming softly.







This, for you, is incredibly true. After all, it has been 213 days since you met Laren. Since you met Laren. Maybe the input-aggregated awkwardness has led to some time dilation for her, too. In that case, it'd make some sense that your friendship has sort of accelerated.

However, before either of you can elaborate, the bar door creaks open. The person who arrived at the bar in the previous update has finally arrived, and it's Nadezhda. But unlike the other two visits, her companion isn't following behind-- and in place of the stone attached to her forehead is a deep, permanent scar, where the rock had been pressing into her chitin day in, day out.




Laren turns around immediately.






...That! That whole thing. You remember that.







The bug heads over to a seat and sits down, taking a long breath. Her heavy eyes and weakly buzzing antennae point towards a lot of exhaustion that she's pushing through to be here.








Jeez, does NOBODY remember??? You're practically planted here!

(That's terrible, Greene, stop)







...Well, that's thoroughly unexpected.

But you suppose this is another opportunity to throw out some new concepts into the YWUNIVERSE to be canonized. What kind of PDA would come in handy for a Greene like you?

The bar is mildly lively again. At the same time, you absolutely don't feel like Laren was completely done talking one-on-one.

Cup status: 1 occupied (Laren's Iced Haze) 3 dirty (TDMB, Bright and Air-ly, INTY), 1 broken, 4 free
Meloncup status: 1 dirty (HH)
Plate status: 1 occupied (Laren's MSD), 1 dirty (The Sate Catsberry), 2 free
Mug status: 1 dirty (Mulled Again Mulligan), 1 free

AbilitiesShow

Scavenger: Unavailable (0/1 uses)
Gain a cup and plate every day, on command.

Intrusive: Enabled
Introduction cards show a bio for a given character.

Intuitive: Enabled
Introduction cards show somebody's ingredient preferences.

Phytochemist: Disabled (too dim)
Create drinks/meals automatically (at half speed) during sunlit hours.

Collaborative: Enabled
Attach any length of Cabinet entry to an ingredient suggestion at will.

Perfectionist: Enabled
Gain a hint about quintessential ingredients for drinks/meals. Succeeding makes that quintessential ingredient limitless.

OrdersShow

Nadezhda wants to find SYLG.
Status: Drinkmaster Greene is fated to find SYLG.

Author's NotesShow

I'm sorry for the delay on this update. I got caught up in an unhealthy case of writer's block and also repeatedly missed self-set deadlines and thought "hey I'll take a break until the next deadline that I set for myself" and then missed deadlines twice a day for almost a full week.

So it's been weird.

But here you go! I hope I can get Pairtree back on track soon and I promise there's work being done, but like I mentioned, I want to put focus on YWUIAB above all.

Something solar powered.

Definitely a cheaper model. It would be rude to take advantage of Nadezhda's generosity.

"I actually made another Antimatter Ale just before you got here. A bit of a strange coincidence."

This is hard to think of. Uhh, uhm, A living pda that secretes an edible grease.

A pad that upgrades itself.

If it's not too expensive, something with image-viewing capabilities (not just text) would be nice. Then folks can show you stuff from beyond the bar!

Other fun features:
-a retro digital pet app
-online shopping with delivery (if not to the bar, then to the mail center where Laren or Vor+Nadezhda can drop it by). Ingredients are ideal but also I like the idea of buying decorations for the bar? Growing plants in here?
-news app, gives us a tidy daily summary of news from around the universe
-allergy app that can tell us deadly/unpleasant ingredients for a given species

Some sort of Gnarly Plant/Tech Hybrid that you could graft onto your body and power through your own passive Photosythesis would be NEAT but also Probably Fuckin PRICEY and I am very much in the "Don't abuse their generosity" camp.

Also, I'm pretty sure Nadezdha and Voronezh just, like. Did The Mind Linked Bug People Equivalent Of Breaking Up and I think we might be to blame with the whole Best Possible Drink/Worst Possible Drink Dittotimewise brainwave Sharing, though admittedly there have been hints of their relationship being Somewhat rockyish for a while.

So, like It's not entirely our fault but we have some culpability. Also, we may not be 100% done with One On One Laren Times, but we can also hardly keep talking about stuff she might want to keep private in front of other folks. Balls in her court if she wants to keep it going, buts it's better to not be like "So About That Quite Personal Stuff, How Would You Like To Like To Include The Rest Of The Room In This Conversation?" assure Laren she's welcome here any time if she wants to talk to us.

Also, It's a Shame that there's No Back Room Or something we could offer to let Nad Sleep In, since it seems letting 'em travel home alone while they're as dead tired as they are might lead to accidents. It also seems like a Bad Idea to compound that with anything Alcoholic, such as the Antimatter Ale (unless Being Inverted Makes It A drink that will Sober One Up? Seems Doubtful) Maybe Offer her a Simple Mocha, Since We Know She Likes Both Chocolate And Coffee from This Morning.

Also, Keep Cleaning Things. Just On Principal

Who says we don't have a back room? What good is a semi-fantasy bar without an inn component?

If it's not too expensive, something with image-viewing capabilities (not just text) would be nice. Then folks can show you stuff from beyond the bar!

Other fun features:
-a retro digital pet app
-online shopping with delivery (if not to the bar, then to the mail center where Laren or Vor+Nadezhda can drop it by). Ingredients are ideal but also I like the idea of buying decorations for the bar? Growing plants in here?
-news app, gives us a tidy daily summary of news from around the universe
-allergy app that can tell us deadly/unpleasant ingredients for a given species

Something solar powered.

Seconding both of these, but keep the budget low.

a phone with some kind of autonomy, like, maybe it has retractable spider legs and scuttles around on its own.

>How about an Adaptoid PDA? Good choice for indecisive folks, they (eventually) develop custom features to suit the owner. One of the older, slower models though. Newer ones are too dang pricey, and it gets a bit weird having a PDA knowing what you want before you know what you want.

WASHES DISHES FOR US

I dont care what type we get i just want it tied to a stick so we can wave it around violently

I mean, peacefully.

A PDA that can check how much drunk someone is.

Laren has definitely sunken a little. You're not sure if it's Nadezhda in particular, or just the fact that the bar has more than two people again, but she's lost a little bit of the openness you witnessed earlier.

Still, the idea of a PDA really grabs your attention. In some reality-bending action, you begin constructing a possible feature list for the new device, absentmindedly grabbing yet another glass to give it a good hot-water wash.




Nad chuckles softly.









The thought strikes you that it would be pretty neat to have a PDA that can do things on its own volition. What kind of living creature loves plants more than a leaf-crawling insect? It sounds perfect! The word 'Adaptoid' also floats by as a possible option.









That last thing is pretty consistent with what you've already witnessed, but it's still not entirely uplifting.





Seems like as good a time to launch into that as any. The bug lets out a slightly bitter sigh through her entire self.
















...Yeah, that seems like there's a lot going on. You're not sure all what you can do for Nadezhda, since her status with Vor is pretty damn uncertain as is, but you figure offering a drink couldn't hurt.







At this, Laren sinks a little in her stool, having finished her meal and most of her drink. Maybe she wasn't ready for things to be lively again.

But you've got an order, regardless. How you fulfill it seems pretty massively open for interpretation, and Nadezhda is doing it on purpose. So far, your drink-making technique has lead to equal bits heartache and glee, and at some level, she seems to find that interesting.

Cup status: 1 occupied (Laren's Iced Haze) 2 dirty (Bright and Air-ly, INTY), 1 broken, 5 free
Meloncup status: 1 dirty (HH)
Plate status: 2 dirty (The Sate Catsberry, Mutually Shirred Deconstruction), 2 free
Mug status: 1 dirty (Mulled Again Mulligan), 1 free

AbilitiesShow

Scavenger: Unavailable (0/1 uses)
Gain a cup and plate every day, on command.

Intrusive: Enabled
Introduction cards show a bio for a given character.

Intuitive: Enabled
Introduction cards show somebody's ingredient preferences.

Phytochemist: Disabled (too dim)
Create drinks/meals automatically (at half speed) during sunlit hours.

Collaborative: Enabled
Attach any length of Cabinet entry to an ingredient suggestion at will.

Perfectionist: Enabled
Gain a hint about quintessential ingredients for drinks/meals. Succeeding makes that quintessential ingredient limitless.

OrdersShow

Nadezhda wants to find SYLG.
Status: Drinkmaster Greene is fated to find SYLG.

Nadezhda wants a mocha that you go wild with.
Status: Nothing yet done.

Author's NotesShow

Again, sorry for the delay. Started working on a huge project with a friend out of the blue and it consumed all my time! Thankfully, I got this one out right about when I wanted it, so here it is. Hope you enjoy!

With that project done, YWUPDATEs should be a lot faster. Pairtree also will hopefully get some love.

Cocoa butter, zap it through the Unshaken to retrograde it back to Cocoa Milk, which technically doesn't exist.

Melt a variety of chocolates on the stove, from grimdark through to arctic white so you have a spectrum, add coffee to each so you get five or more different mochas in little pans. Layer them in a tall glass you've prepared by pouring some kind of fun syrup down the side to get a vertical stripe effect in addition to the horizontal bands of different chocolates.

Top with a dollop of whipped dream, lashings of coffee liqueur, and a whole strawberry.

Go crazy, huh?

Last time Nad didn't like tea in her mocha, so maybe as one of the ingredients we could make some strong tea, say by adding boiling water to a spoonful of elder tea concentrate, and add an antipodal shard to that.