Gage went outside, covered his eyes from the glaring morning sun, and put out the open sign. Glancing around, he noticed the busy streets. Of course it would be busy, it was ten in the morning in the town of Cerenis. He was tempted to back away and just go back into the bar, hoping people would just be interested and come in. But Heather had written him a long letter telling him to do this, and there was no way he was going to get her mad again.

His eyes now used to the sun, Gage moved his hands to make a cup around his mouth. He took a deep breath in, then shouted, "HEAVEN IN A BOTTLE, NOW OPEN. AS A CELEBRATION OF OUR FIRST DAY, WE HAVE MORNING HAPPY HOUR. FROM NOW UNTIL FOUR, EVERY THIRD DRINK IS HALF OFF." His face was now red with embarrassment. This wasn't like him. Looking around and noticing that there were people staring at him, he threw a nervous smile and quickly hustled back into the tavern.

Making his way behind the bar, he looked at the place one last time while it was empty. Even if it was Heather's bar, he still felt proud of it. After all, he did help design it. There was a unlit fireplace directly opposite of him and lots of dark chocolate brown tables in between. The tables were circular and ranging in size, having between two and six wooden chairs surrounding them.  The door was closer to the bar itself, where Gage now was. Under the wooden bar ledge, he knew there were seven tall stools. Behind him, there were an assortment of wines, ales, and rum. At the end of the bar, there was a three feet wide and five feet deep path that led the the unisex restroom. There were also scattered windows and painting along the wall of the entire place.

After he finished absorbing this one last time, Gage closed his eyes and relaxed—then opened them again, prepared for the day to come.

Connor was nothing if not curious. She had been in Cerenis with the hopes of finding a ship that wouldn't mind carrying her to the nearby islands, but... All the captains kept having mysterious business elsewhere when she approached them about it or talked to them for five minutes! One of them had even laughed nearly to the point of tears and told her to 'get yourself a fruit juice little lad' an pressed sixpence into her hand (which was RILLY GEN-A-RUSS!!) and so, humming with her bag full of cartography supplies slung over her shoulder, Connor set out to do just that!

The first place said she was too young - fair enough, she figured, the bar near her place wouldn't serve her either (because her fa had had a word with them once upon a midsummer night!), so the scrawny young woman marched off, rounded a corner and...! What should she hear but an offer for the third drink half off!

Hot diggety!

Making a beeline for the cry's source, Connor hitched up her gigantic bag and just scarce managed to contain the bubbles of excitement! She could just taste the juice now!

"WUL HIYA!" She cried from the doorway, which was, let's be fair, mostly eclipsed by her backpack. The girl marched right up to the counter, scurried up onto a stool, and slapped a baggie of coins down.

"Cannai havva fruit juice?!"

OOC: LOL I just started another thread with Gage/Heather. But that happens a few days past the opening... so we should be fine. :)

IC:
Gage hopes raised up when somebody entered the tavern but wasn't quite sure what to make of her. She looked too young for a drink of alcohol and he doubted she would be ordering too much. And based on what she was wearing and how she talked... well, she was definitely a country girl. Chances were, she wasn't going to get anything productive done unless she changed that accent of her.

But Gage was considerate and didn't say anything about it. Instead, he flashed her a smile before turning around and handing her a glass full of juice. "Seeing as you're my first customer of the day, drink's on me," he replied kindly. Plus, then he wouldn't feel as guilty if Heather came out—after all, Heather would speak her mind about the girl.

"Where are you from?" Gage asked, trying to fill up the silence. "If you'd like, I could keep that huge bag back here so you don't have to worry about it. I promise I'll give it back before you leave." It seemed like an awfully large load.

"Free?! RILLY?! WOW!" She squeaked, eyes as big as saucers! She didn't speak for a moment - it was enough that she had a drink in her hands. If this were a sillier world, she would have steamed as the cool juice cooled her right off. She shuddered, murmuring a cheery "hooohoohoo thassa good juice..." But she looked up, and a slightly manic grin suffused her features!

"Ahm from REAJH!" She chirped, and shrugged out of her massive pack full of quills, parchment in tubes, measuring equipment, a pet rock, and... Other oddities. She might as well have brought the kitchen sink!

"Mah names' CONNOR!" She said, a bubbly exclamation! "Fa wanted a boy, but leas' said soonest mended, hum?" She said, her legs kicking as she offered the bag up and over the counter - it weighed like fourty pounds!

"Ahma MAPMAKER! Ben' a barkeep long mistah?"

Gage laughed as Connor spoke, more from the enthusiasm in her voice than her accent. But Reajh... that was the capital of Connlaoth. Maybe she wasn't a country girl after all. Gage prepared himself to grab the humongous bag that the girl had been carrying, but still let out a slight grunt as he grasped all of its weight with his hands.

How the heck had the girl been carrying that around?

He carefully and slowly set the bag down beside him before looking back up at the girl. "Mapmaker?! Now isn't that something special! Pleased to meet you Connor, I'm Gage! I've been a barkeep for a couple years now, but that was at other places. This bar opened today! Designed it with my very own hands... with the help of my... sister!" Gage threw a smile at the girl.

Eylene blinked as she stifled a yawn. Travelling through the night seemed a good idea at one time, but now she was certain that it was not. She had not closed her eyes once, but she knew that if she dared, the nightmares would have her up again in no time.
The city around her was already bustling with people, the bodies clogging the street as she set off down it. She had arrived somewhere in the early morning hours, just before the sun had risen.
She had a plan when she came here, but she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at the sight of the scale of the place. Where would she start?
A man's voice rose through the crowd and Eylene squinted to see where he was. Across the street she was just in time to see him dash back inside, his face red. Eylene smiled at his words, 'Every third drink is half off'. She could use a drink right now, but drinking at a normal bar and paying normal prices would quickly deplete her savings.
She hitched the bow further up her shoulder as she tied her long, black hair back with a leather cord. With a newfound strength she set off across the street and pushed open the door through which a young girl just entered only moments before.
Once the door closed behind her, Eylene had to squint to get her eyes used to the dimmed light inside the establishment. It wasn't long before she saw the man and the girl talking at the bar. The girl was handing over her bag to the man when Eylene approached them.
"Got anything to chase away the demons that haunt the night?" Eylene smiled at the pair as she took a stool next to the girl, rearranging her belt to shift her two axes and the set of throwing knives into a more comfortable position.

And another girl walked in! Given her comments and what she was holding, Gage guessed that she was a demon hunter. Ah, well, he had encountered one or two of those in his life. Of course, plenty of drunks claimed to be demon hunters. But few actually were. This girl, however, he believed truly was.

With a short laugh, Gage replied, "My sister! She is practically a demon herself." He paused before adding, "Why, you looking for a job?" Unfortunately for her, he had no money to spare. Not until the business was doing well, at least. Otherwise having a fighter wouldn't be so bad... it would keep Heather from coming out.

Or maybe she would come out just to fight the fighter. That was entirely reasonable.

This girl seemed a bit older, and probably not looking for fruit juice. "Anything you would like to drink? Every third drink is half off, after all! We also have some good quality food, if I may say so myself."