Tried to nurse it behind my mom’s back. [Open]

[justbeingknife]

Featuring: Majima (justbeingknife) and you!
What's happening: Finding old gyms, moving house, let's get drunk on the minibar
Day/s: Throughout March
Content warning: Salty language, drinking, Majima being himself

I feel alive for the first time

[ Ever since they'd found those old boxes of footage, Majima had been wandering further and further out in his explorations, both to get a better handle on the town and because he wasn't so sure their last hit had simply been dumb luck. Sure, coincidences happened, but --

There was a tall building with a white stone facade up ahead, its entrance slightly ajar. Oiling the hinges and pushing the door open revealed a wood-floored room illuminated only by a row of high windows along the back side. PISCINE BOULLINGRIN, read the sign.

It, like its neighbors, looked long-abandoned. But the row of mirrors inside and the markings along the floor suggested that the first room had once been some kind of studio.

ooc: Feel free to stop by and have Majima ask if your character would like to explore the abandoned gym, or find him a little later on rummaging through equipment closets, searching the rooms, or starting some cleanup! This is a general placeholder for any gym-related shenanigans. ]

Each sip hits my lips like a landmine

Uh... thanks.

[ signed Majima as a native carried a bar stool through the doorway and into the house. The man waved enthusiastically at him before leaving once more -- possibly to bump into anyone standing outside.

Should anyone drop by, they'd find that the walk-in basement of Majima's new house was currently filled with random junk Majima hadn't asked for (but appreciated, don't get him wrong): a pair of tonfa, shoes, a 50-pound bag of sand, a dart board... and then there were the boxes of bottled alcohol. These were clustered around the dark wood counter of the mini bar, which to the old owner's credit was beautifully appointed.

Majima shrugged, and plucked the first of the bottles out of its carrying crate -- single malt Scotch, amber in the afternoon light. ]

Guess I'm gonna need a sign.

On the 7th day, it was said God rest/But on the 8th day he made the DVX

[ Later on in the month, with everything squared away, Majima could be found at odd hours behind the bar, cleaning glasses or reading about bartending technique.

Someone who knew him well might think he looked a little more tired than usual, but any new faces? They'd get a smile and a bow from the man at the counter. ]

What'll it be?

Wildcard

[ U know what to do. Additional prompts to follow, maybe. Feel free to hit me up on Tetradecimal or tetra | majima #2434 on discord ]

Comments

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima shook his head. ]

Nah. Came with the rest of the house. Guess the locals must've brought it here, though I can't figure why.

[ Like how had they even known he liked booze. What was with the cigarettes? Were they trying to enable him? Maybe this was some kind of super elaborate hazing. ]

Ain't seen you around before. I'm Majima.

[jadewine]

[That just gets a surprised (and impressed) look.]

A whole house as well? Lucky you, then! I wouldn't really expect such generosity.

[Not that that makes this world pleasant all of a sudden. Although they also were generous in returning his usual clothes.]

I guess you could say I'm still somewhat new. My name is Jae-Ha. It's a pleasure, Majima.

[justbeingknife]

Same here. Jae-Ha... that a Korean name?

[ Although his clothes looked more Chinese....

Whatever the case, the difference between Jae-Ha's dress and Majima's sleek formal tux could not have been more different. ]

Yeah, I'm wonderin' if they didn't get things mixed up except for the metric shitton of booze. That part's legit.

[jadewine]

I've never heard of Korea, but am from Kouka Kingdom. Maybe there's something similar to it in other worlds, though.

[ It wouldn't be too far fetched, when considering how there are so many worlds represented here. ]

Ah. Well whatever the case, there certainly is nothing bad about it. So long as it isn't that drink offered a short while back, that is. I heard it had some odd effects upon those who drank it. I'm glad I didn't partake, myself.

[justbeingknife]

Kouka? Like Zeno?

[ Ugh. Majima grimaced at the mention of the drinks. He was lucky that hadn't come around to bite him in the ass... yet. ]

Yeah, well. One more reason to have somethin' normal around. Plus, people around here are stressed as hell. Maybe it'll loosen 'em up some.

[jadewine]

Oh, you've met? Zeno is a very good friend of mine. Although he seems to have left this place. How lucky of him.

[It's irritating, honestly.]

Exactly that. So far as they still limit themselves, of course. The last thing any of us needs is a rowdy drunkard.

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima looked a little uneasy at this. If what Sora had told him was true, it might not have been so lucky for Zeno, but... this guy probably knew that already. ]

Ha! That's where cuttin' 'em off comes in. Just one more thing you gotta worry about when you're the one servin', right?

[ a brief pause ]

I know the story is he went home and everything, but I'm actually gonna miss having that guy around. Even if he did have some crazy-ass stories.

[jadewine]

Of course, of course.

[He does know that. Jae-Ha is just putting all of his effort into hoping that Zeno is safe again. Maybe even desperately so. Zeno may be immortal, but Jae-Ha just knows that that may have meant nothing here.

A bit of amusement crosses his face, while equally as fond.]

He can be very animated, and there to make others smile. I have no doubts at all that he must have told you such things.

[Even though said stories were very possibly about the four dragons. Which is plenty real.]

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima reached for a squared-off bottle of amber liquid, looked at it, then at Jae-Ha. ]

Yeah. So, how 'bout a drink for the guy, since he ain't around any more? You partial to whiskey?

[jadewine]

Gotta admit that I was hoping that you'd offer.

[He's the honest type, all right.]

I haven't heard of whiskey, but experiencing new things has been a running theme for me with this world. So sure, I'll give it a try.

[justbeingknife]

It's a distilled spirit made from grain.

[ He poured two fingers into one of the glass tumblers, then slid it across the counter in front of Jae-Ha. ]

Means after they make a drink, they purify it some more to increase the alcohol content. This one's a Japanese whiskey, so it's from my home country.

[jadewine]

[He seems pleased upon taking a sip.]

It's certainly strong, but not too bad.

Oh, kind of like sake is, I believe? We mostly just have wine where I'm from. I'm not all that in the know when it comes to the process behind it all, though.

[A bit amused, then- ] I have to say I'm interested in what the future of alcohol will be like! Such a shame that, apart from this world, I won't be around to try it all.

[justbeingknife]

Sake's fermented, not distilled -- but hell, rice is a grain. Bet someone's workin' on a way to make whiskey out of it.

[ He turned the bottle so that Jae-Ha could see the distinct raised tortoiseshell patterning of the glass. It really was rather beautiful. ]

I'm from the 80s, so I bet they came up will all kindsa crazy new drinks between then and ... well, y'know. Lookin' forward to finding out more about it.

[jadewine]

[ And Jae-Ha is all about aesthetics, too. An enjoyable drink from a beautiful bottle? Totally up his alley. Appearances can mean a lot! ]

The 80s. . .? [He might be misinterpreting the year, but then realizes that there's probably more to it. He doesn't recognize Majima's attire at all.] I'm from 450.

[justbeingknife]

Yeah, 1980. I dunno if your year numbering's the same as ours -- probably isn't -- but 450'd be pretty far back. Hell, that must be... what, the Kofun period?

[ He placed the bottle back on the shelf. ]

So what's it like? Other than the wine.

[jadewine]

There's no real term for the era, or at least not that I know of.

[He just knows of the emperors who have come and gone. He's hardly a scribe or an educator, though (not that he can't read.)]

Let's just say that there are far more differences than similarities. Transportation is by foot, horse, or ship. Communication across distances can take weeks; anything like these devices, or "phones" aren't even a figment of the imagination. And there's certainly no "electricity" or running water. I'd never seen a stove, although we have clay ovens. The architecture and building materials are also very different compared to what I'm used to.

[SHOULD HE GO ON?]

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima listened with genuine interest, though it sounded like his mental picture of Jae-Ha's home had been pretty accurate to begin with. The distant past, from his own perspective. ]

Then comin' here had to be some surprise. You look like you're doin' okay, though. Some people from the future out here still ain't type as well as you.

[ GOOD JOB, BUDDY. Should Jae-Ha's glass be running low, Majima would tip the bottle of kakubin at him as if to ask if he wanted a refill. ]

The jump from '88 to here ain't too big. It's mostly everything's just smaller. Like records, they turned into these shiny metal discs.

[jadewine]

It's been more of a whiplash than a surprise. I consider myself rather capable when it comes to adjusting, thankfully. Although I still am rather infuriated with these circumstances. We might as well be slaves.

[ So yes. He absolutely needs another drink or two or ten. ]

What are records?

[justbeingknife]

They're used to store music. Ya put load one on a player, and it plays sound based on the grooves on the record.

[ Majima poured Jae-Ha another drink, though not without a raised eyebrow. ]

Slaves?

[ I mean knitting wasn't all that fun or whatever but ]

[jadewine]

Yet another thing that seems like magic to me.

[There's likely no end to that, honestly. But it keeps things interesting.]

We were abducted, have no known way to escape, forced to live in a certain manner, and told what and what not to do. I'm not going to blame or see the natives as our captors, but that doesn't mean we have our freedom. This world is terrifying, obviously so, but also utterly deplorable.

[Yeah, sorry. He has issues about this kind of thing. He's been a prisoner before. He didn't break free only to be locked up again after so many years.]

[justbeingknife]

I ain't too fond of it myself. But compared to where I was, I gotta admit it's an improvement in the freedom department.

[ Majima fished in his pocket, found the carton he'd found with all the rest of this stuff, and took out a single cigarette. He lit it in a practiced motion, then took a drag.

Kiryu was right. He'd missed this. ]

[jadewine]

[ That just gets Jae-Ha to pause. ]

I see. I can't possibly, or even remotely begin to wrap my mind around that, but I won't try and insist that you see it another way. After all, we also did just meet.

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima exhaled -- a pale, curling wisp of smoke. ]

Don't get me wrong, I still hate it here. But yeah, alright.

So you got a plan to get back, or you just waitin' it out?

[jadewine]

I don't think there's even an option that can be made at the moment.

[justbeingknife]

Yeah? Sora said sooner or later, people pop back to where they were. But that's too damn vague for me.

So I been pokin' around instead. Even if I don't find anything, I figure it's better than going stir crazy.