Video; Possible Bar Action; ....... lots of images under cut

[kingoftherats]

[The feed opens for a moment to Charlie, sporting a black eye and a scabbed lip (thank you Dean Winchester), but he doesn't seem to mind that; instead he's eagerly sitting in his bar, which is open to the public (sorry everyone), and it appears to have quite an assortment of questionable criminal-like men and old tired sailors.]

Hey, dudes! It's Charlie here, and I got a video I was gonna play for you — like, it's just a cool thing I put together for the pub now that it's open, but also because I'm gonna have a big sale there with all the crazy stuff I found around town this weekend, so — yeah, check it out! I think it came out pretty great!

And just as a tip: don't linger in the alleyway outside of the bar. People get stabbed there a lot.

[... A clumsily recorded video abruptly plays, full of weird cuts and zooms and-...]





























[When it cuts back to Charlie, he seems really proud of himself and awaits your adoration.

If anyone is so bold as to show up at this yard sale being held at Paddy's Pub's outdoor area... they may very well find some unique and unusual trinkets he had taken from the sewers... or just useless and/or gross things. There are absolutely diamonds in the rough here. May the odds ever be in your favor, because for every rock or sock or fork, there's a magical gem or rare ingredient to a spell.

Who knows what you'll find!

... And yes, the pub is likewise open for business, if you need moonshine to get you through the day.

He doesn't bother carding anyone here, for the record. He ain't your dad.]

Comments

video

[kingoftherats]

Uh... Sure! Yeah! I mean, I think I can make that for you, if you want.

I'm pretty good at mixing drinks! Way better than Frank or Mac, for sure.

[Luna, god, don't do it, it'll be melted butter poured into beer, don't do it-]

[creidim]

[ Perfect way to put her off Butterbeer for life. ]

I mean, I don't.. I don't think it's a mixed drink? It's brewed...? Like it already comes out of the barrel like that—?

[kingoftherats]

... It's gotta be mixed. How else are you gonna get it? Butter flowers?

['cus he'll try to do it, he'll find the butter flowers]

[creidim]

Butter... flowers...? Do you mean buttercups...?

[ She's smiling but the eyes are so terribly confused. ]

I don't know, I'm afraid I've never asked! But it's... kind of butterscotch tasting..? And you can serve it hot as well as cold!

[kingoftherats]

[He snaps his fingers.]

YEAH!

That's it! Buttercups! Like the song.

Maybe I can make it with buttercups.

[creidim]

Wait, there's a song about buttercups—?!

[ How does she not knows this?! She is delighted! ]

I'm not sure how it'll work, but maybe it's worth giving it a try.

[kingoftherats]

Sure, yeah!

You wanna hear the song? I got my keyboard here, I mean. And it's a good song.

I heard it in a movie, one of those kinds of songs you get stuck in your head real good.

[creidim]

Oh—! [ Her face lights up at that! She knows what that is! ] You play the electric piano—? That's a "keyboard", yes—?

That'd be really nice! I'd like that!

[ :D ]

[kingoftherats]

Oh, yeah! Yeahyeah, let me get to it! Hang on!

[The camera gets up with him and he wanders over to the back of his bar, where there's a keyboard standing, covered in a bunch of random stickers; this thing is well-worn and well-loved. When he sits down and properly places his camera again, he considers the keys with a savant's eye (well, a savant who's probably screwed when it comes to drug abuse, but whatever).]

I never really tried to play it before, just kinda sang to the radio, but...

So, it's like — it starts like —

[He randomly tries a few different keys, shakes his head when it's not quite right, but then he finally gets into a groove that is surprisingly on-point. His voice is a sort of melodic pitch, scratched faintly by a rasp no doubt worsened by the copious substance abuse, but he sounds pretty good!]

♪ Why do you build me up,
Buttercup, baby,
Just to let me down?
And mess me around,
And then, worst of all
You never call, baby
When you say you will
But I love you still
I need you!
More than anyone, darling
You know that I have from the start
So build me up
Buttercup, don't break my heart. ♪

Aaaand like — words and words, verses and stuff. It's a good song

[creidim]

[ Luna's eyebrows raise as he gets up to move the camera, watching intently as he sets himself up at his keyboard. This is exciting—! She quite likes it when someone involves themselves in something they enjoy, especially when it's something creative. She's the same with Peter when he plays his electric piano or his guitar.

There's a pause and he finally starts to play: oh, this is quite a happy, bouncy tune, isn't it? She likes this! And he's singing, too—! How impressive—! Luna stares in amazement as she dreamily bobs along to the music; this is fun—!

She applauds rather enthusiastically when he stops, beaming at him over the feed. ]

Oh, that was ever so good—! I liked that, it's a very nice song! You play very well. [ Yes, she means that. She chuckles a little. ] Do you play all sorts? I know how to play Twinkly Tiny Star, but that's it!

[ ... Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Luna. ]

[kingoftherats]

[He looks so happy at this response.

(And maybe a little surprised, like he's shocked she enjoys it, because this pretty much never happens to him.)]

Totally! I mean, sure, I play all sorts! And I do a lot of writing, too! Did a play once, it was totally one of the best plays in Philly ever.

You think I play it good?

[creidim]

[ Why wouldn't she enjoy it? This was really nice! And she learned about a new song, too! ]

You write plays? That's so clever! I've never written a play before, but I prefer to paint and make things than write. [ So makes sense she's never written one. ]

Considering you admitted you'd never played it before, that was quite impressive!

[ Yes, Charlie. You play it good. ]

[kingoftherats]

... Man, uh... Thanks. Thanks a lot!

I don't think anyone's ever said something like that before. I mean, Frank said he liked my music once, but that was after he locked me in the basement so I wouldn't play the song I wrote before that one. So... It's kinda rocky, there.

[creidim]

You're welcome—!

I'm sorry no one's said that bef— [ Wait. ] ... Frank locked you in the basement just so you couldn't play a song—?

[ She is... finding this very difficult to process right now. ]

[kingoftherats]

Yeaaah, the old man really didn't like my song. I thought it was one of my bests, but...

Anyway, yeah, he totally locked me in the basement. I ended up just sitting down there for a while, and after a few hours I gave up and huffed paint.

[creidim]

But that's awful—! [ And also— let's not think about cellars right now. ] You... huffed paint? What does that mean?

[ Luna please don't ask. ]

cw: substance abuse chat, same ol same ol

[kingoftherats]

[TOO LATE, IT'S BEEN ASKED, IT'S DONE.]

Oh, it's when you spray paint into a bag, and then you put your nose in the bag and you breathe in all the noxious fumes! Then you trip out and feel good for a little bit. Or you pass out and fall over. One of those.

cw ditto + drug use

[creidim]

... That is... very different and not different to The Weed. [ She understands the concept to getting high, she does. She lives with a stoner and has even tried herself on a couple of occasions but ...Sir, this does not sound alright. ]

I.. don't think you're meant to breathe in paint like that. That doesn't sound very good for you.

[kingoftherats]

Oh, nooo, yeah! Don't huff paint cans, it could totally kill you in one try.

Don't do any of that shit while you're still young and all that.

... Weed is awesome, though. Smoke lots of that!

[creidim]

Then... shouldn't you not do it? What if the next time you do it, it kills you—?

[ It's hardly as if you're old, Charlie. But then again old for her is somewhere in the eighties, considering Wizard biology. ]

My boyfriend smokes a lot of it. Well, he did until it all ran out.

[ Trench has been hard for him to get a supply. ]

[kingoftherats]

Oh, cool! Pothead boyfriend! I gotcha.

[He almost makes it sound like that's not a negative connotation. As far as he's concerned, it really isn't, sooooo.]

Don't worry about me, Buttercup, I got experience!

Besides, if eating cement didn't kill me, I don't think paint will.

[creidim]

[ As if Luna knows that smoking The Weed is bad. She loves her Stoner Boyfriend very much.

Also............ what—?! He ate what?! ]

That's... quite concerning.

... Do I even want to ask why you ate cement?

[kingoftherats]

I dunno. It looked good?

Kinda burned a lot on the way down, though, so I didn't do that anymore.

It didn't even make me high or taste good or anything.

But it smelled like a million bucks!