pullmeapint | [Open]

Finn cleared the last of the dishes from the dinner rush and carted them into the kitchen for Tandy, laughing when she asked if he'd been demoted to busser.

That chore done, he headed back into the bar to do a walk around, checking with those in the game room and those at the tables and booths scattered around the bar area. He joked with a few of the regulars and greeted the faces he couldn't remember seeing before taking his position behind the bar again.

Leaning against the back counter, he surveyed his pub and couldn't help the smile that formed. For as much flak as he'd received from his family over his choosing such a small town when he finally struck out on his own, he really did love the town. The atmosphere was open, accepting, and the sheer fact that he could use his abilities without causing the National Enquirer to drop onto his head made it perfect.

He looked up when the door opened and called out a welcome to the newcomer.

"Welcome to the Pub."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

thediceloveme

Grinning Lee caught the glass and toasted the barman. "Lee. Nice to meet you." She looked around her surroundings properly for the first time and smiled. "This is a great pub. It would make a great tavern for a LARPing session."

From:

pullmeapint

Finn started to talk, closed his mouth, then opened it again. "Okay, you're going to have to give me a roadmap here. LARP?"

He'd heard a lot of different things in his time working in bars, but that was a new one on him.

From:

thediceloveme

"Live action role playing." She said. "Like...historical recreations with the costumes and weapons and such, but fantasy stories, you know?" She explained. Normally this was the part where people glazed over or started pulling away so she watched him for a reaction.

From:

pullmeapint

Finn leaned back and considered, one hand rubbing at the scruff on his cheeks. "How often do these recreations happen? I mean, are we talking nightly or once a month?"

From:

thediceloveme

"Not very often in the winter but maybe three times over the summer? Whenever we can all get time off to prepare it." Lee said enthusiastically.

From:

pullmeapint

Finn turned and poured more coffee into his mug before turning back around. "Do I get to costume up as well? Or is that reserved for the players?"

From:

thediceloveme

Lee laughed. "If you let us use this place as a meeting place and central hub, you can wear anything you want." She said with a bright smile that turned playful. "Maybe some nice Lederhosen?"

From:

pullmeapint

Finn snorted. "Yeah, that's not going to happen. Like ever. But I do have the outfit I wore when I helped run the stall at a Renaissance Faire near Boston for a few years. I'd love to pull that back out. I can probably even get the servers in on it, too. I'd just need a few week's notice so I can let the regulars know. Don't want to shock a few of them who stumble in already lit and make them think they stepped back in time."

From:

thediceloveme

"Really??" Lee bounced on her seat. "That would be amazing. Normally we have to hire tents and dress them up and it's kinda...lame." She admitted. "We'd all be really grateful"

From:

pullmeapint

"Really," Finn nodded then, because he couldn't help it, he added, "I'd only charge a few thousand for the pub rental."

He managed to keep his poker face in place for the most part, but he knew how badly he sucked at bluffing, and that the twinkle in his eyes probably gave away that he was teasing.

From:

thediceloveme

"Thousand?" Lee repeated face falling until she spotted the gleam in his eye and the smile he was struggling to keep off his face. She rallied and waved a hand dismissively. "I'll have my people talk to your people." She said airily.

From:

pullmeapint

Finn laughed when she caught his grin. "And now you know why I'm the shame of my family and never, ever play poker."

From:

thediceloveme

"Seriously. You would be a great distraction to take to Vegas and count cards with though." She said with a grin. "A great patsy."

From:

pullmeapint

"You mean I'm the one the gangsters are beating up while you're back at the table, cleaning up on chips? Thanks, but I think I'll pass on that," Finn returned, laughing with her. He caught the look from one of his servers and sent her a bar rag to clean up a spill on the table using his powers. "So, apart from a LARP tavern, was there anything else that sent you in here tonight desperate for a dessert beer?"

From:

thediceloveme

"I'd cut you in!" Lee laughed and pointed at her glass at his question. "Beer was closer to me here than the beer in my apartment was." She said. "And I only have studying and marking to go home to so I'm not in a rush."

From:

pullmeapint

"Works for me, and definitely works for my bottom line," he replied with a wink. "What are you studying? And should I berate myself for contributing to the delinquency of a student by giving her really good beer and the potential ability to scam Vegas casinos?"

From:

thediceloveme

"Teaching. IT specifically." Lee said, smiling hopefully and offering her empty glass to him looking for a refill. "You're not contributing to anything. I'm a straight B+ student, I'll have you know. And I only scam casinos on weekends."

From:

pullmeapint

"Good to know. I'd hate to have that kind of karma following me around."

Finn moved off to make a table's drinks, close out a few tabs, and call back an order to the kitchen before returning to Lee. "Ready for another, or is this a one-beer night for you?"

From:

thediceloveme

"I'll take another." She said cheerfully, the alcohol making her warm and relaxed. "I'm not monopolising your time, am i?"

From:

pullmeapint

"That's the best part about being the boss. I can spend as much time as I want, wherever I want, and yell at the employees if they do." Finn grinned in such a way that said he rarely yelled at anyone, and especially not for spending too much time with the customers.

From:

thediceloveme

Lee laughed. "So you own this place? Nice gig!"

From:

pullmeapint

"Yep. It's all mine, success or failure, so I'm heavily motivated to make it the former. Otherwise I'll never live down that I'd be the first Finnegan to fail at providing drink, food and atmosphere to the masses." He paused, considered, then grinned. "Well, my cousin Jean failed rather spectacularly, but she's still insisting that she was just too early with her plan and that the world wasn't quite ready for her signature style."

From:

thediceloveme

"Well that just begs the question; What the hell was her plan?" Lee said with a laugh.

From:

pullmeapint

"That would be a food truck that specialized in dessert protein," Finn said, with as much seriousness as he could muster. "Her Oreo-Crusted Pork Chops were a thing to behold."