Jim's Tavern was a dimly lit place that was hazy with smoke. A jukebox in the corner was on but no music was playing, the mood to the place was dismal. A few Nazis had found there way into the bar and were enjoying themselves despite the atmosphere. The oddest thing abiut the bar as a mounted Jackalope head behind the bar.
Sigu entered and looked around. It was a strange place. She walked over to a table, sitting down, and watching the people.
Rocco stepped in first, ducking under the doorway. This was the place they'd been told to go. He just wondered if the people would all stop and stare, as most people seemed to do around Rocco and sigu.
Without stopping long at the table,
Sigu jumped back up again and went over to the jukebox. It was a moment and a quarter later, and her cursing American money, and a song was playing.
Rocco tried to note what song it was when he approached the bar, standing still and silent there, like a monolith, just waiting to be served. What would Sigu drink? He was sure she'd either come join him in a moment or get it herself.
The bartender, presumably Jim, looked up at Rocco as he came up to the bar. "What can I getcha, Mr. Tall, dark, and masked?"
"what's the strongest thing you have?"
Rocco said in that strange, perfect accented english of his. He hand one hand in a coat pocket, thumbing through notes... he had enough.
"Well, not much ever since your Fuhrer banned most anything that tastes good, we got some bourbon and a few bottles of vodka." Jim said as he looked under the counter.
"Ahhh... piss. How much for a pint of the bourbon?"
Rocco asked as if this was an everyday thing to ask for. he wondered what would be the first reaction, a laugh or a question if he was serious.
Jim gave him a quizical eyebrow lift before getting a pint glass and fixing him his drink. "First one'll be on the house Mr. Mask."
Sigu made her way to where Rocco was standing and looked at the bartender. She had overheard the bourbon and vodka thing, but she didn't really drink alcohol. It impaired ones abilities. Looking at Jim, she instead asked for something different. "Do you have any of zose drinks wiz ze bubbles zat taste sweet?" It was the girliest thing anyone would ever hear her utter.
Jim took a few seconds before realizing what she was talking about. "A soda?" he asked, just to be sure.
"I believe that's what she asked for"
Rocco said, gazing down at Sigu "but then again even i didn't understand that fully." He looked down at the pint in front of him, then said slowly "Uhhh... can I have a straw?" he didn't have any lips to sip with, and he didn't fancy removing his mask and just quaffing the pint.
Jim seemed to be enjoying these two. He handed Rocco a straw, "You two are definitely the most interesting people I have had in here in awhile. And we do have soda"
Rocco stuck the straw into the pint, raising it up and slipping it through his mask. He didn't have lips to make suction, but he clamped the straw between his teeth and began to swallow firmly, pulling long draws of bourbon through the mask. mmmmm... burny.
Sigu gave Rocco a small scowl. "A...soday?" she asked, still not getting the word right. "The fizzy drink, ja?" She gave Jim a smile. "Please," she finished her request with. This language barrier thing was pretty annoying. She could say soda in her own language, but English was too complicated sometimes.
Jim filled a glass and handed it to her with a straw, just in case. "Here is your fizzy drink little miss."
"See you're doing pretty good for yourself"
Rocco said between sips through the mask "surprisingly well after a war actually..."
"Zank you,"
Sigu said with a smile as she took the soda. She sipped it happily from the straw, excited to have something she didn't normally get to have back home. She listened to Rocco and the bartender talk.
"One does what they must." Jim said as he filled a drink order for another patron. "Im not as selective as other bars when it come to my customers. As long as you got money then your welcome here, cause problems and I'll putcha out on your ass."
"Good man"
Rocco said as he set down his pint of bourbon, quite a lot already gone from it. This might be a good place to start... but Rocco had a feeling that it would be best to talk to him after the bars had closed... Or at least, at a later time.
After several moments of silence Jim looked up at Rocco and Sigu. "So, you aren't what I normally get in here. What's up?"
Sigu looked at Rocco to see if he would answer, but when he didn't, she turned to the man. "Ve vanted to get avay from ze ozers. Zey are not good company."
"You know how it is. Tough day, just about got into town, want to find somewhere where people don't care who you are"
Rocco took another sip of his drinks. It was mostly true...
"I'm sure it must be hard being the supreme occupiers of an enemy country." Jim said with a smile.
"It's hard being the people below the supreme occupiers of an..."
Rocco looked around, no, not enemy "of a country. I mean" Rocco shrugged, his expressionless face still watching Jim. He shrugged his shoulders, leaning on the bar, his voice getting quieter as he leant in towards Jim "I know how tough it is for everyone here now. Go out on the streets and you can almost feel the depression and hatred towards me, you know? And I'm just walking along trying to find a bar, and everyone flinches at the sight of me, and I just think... you know what, I joined up because I loved
my country, because my mother was starving to death in our little town and I wanted to do something. How the hell did we get here? And I know all that hate is justified, you know?"
Jim listened intently as Rocco talked, "Not to ruin your deep moment, but do you think that maybe it is the way you present yourself? Greek mask and being twenty foot tall, tends to put people off."
"I can't fix the height"
Rocco admitted with a shrug "And... well, I'd scare more people without the mask. Trust me." He took a slow sip from his mug... he sure as hell didn't want to prove that in a public place, specially with some blood still on his teeth.
"Beaten with an ugly stick kinda guy, huh?" Jim said with a sorrowful shake of his head. "I feel ya, bud. Next round's on me."
"Lets just say the ugly tree's my better looking brother"
Rocco said, letting out a small laugh; he liked this guy, he was honest, friendly, and not afraid. He took another long drink from his pint of bourbon... maybe something not quite as strong for the next one. Not because he didn't want it, but because he didn't want to guy out of business.
Sigu listened quietly to how Rocco dealt with this man. It was clear to her that Germans tended to act differently around her. Their morals must be different than those of these Americans.
"Ouch. That is bad." Jim said with a shake of his head. "How about you Lil' Miss?. Whats your story?" he said to Sigu, noticing that she hadnt spoken.
"Zey killed my fazer to force me to vork for zem,"
Sigu said quietly, still looking at her drink. She knew that this tactic usually got most older men to either look at her in a fatherly way or in a completely different way.
"Wow...you Nazi's sure know how to kill the mood of a room." Jim said as he continued cleaning some glasses after a brief pause. "Wouldn't killing someone's loved one push them away?"
"Depends what the father's like, don't you think?"
Rocco sighed, he was almost to the end of his pint now "And yeah... the pair of us ain't" ain't... he even used American colloquialisms "exactly the cheeriest lot in the world. That's why I'm currently holding a pint of very strong alcohol."
Sigu glanced away from the bartender. She sipped her soda and a slow smile lit her features. Getting up again, she walked over to the jukebox once more. There was still credit from her quarter, and she programed a few more songs to play. These ones were cheerful and loud.
Jim just watched and listened. A smile on his face as he nodded to Rocco's comment. "Whatever it takes to clear the mind, huh?"
"Or cloud it until you can't hear anything anymore"
Rocco replied, he was down to the dregs of his alcohol by now, his straw making a small slurping noise every now and then.
Stumble!