Equinox

[scurlock]

Willow Creek, Montana Territory - Spring 1897

Tonight, when the Front Door opens, patrons who are sitting close enough to catch a glimpse through the opening might be able to hear the quiet sounds of a river running in the distance, or smell the crisp air that comes with the late-afternoon breeze over a mountain meadow, blades of fresh sweetgrass and clover just coming back to life after a long winter's sleep beneath the earth.

The man who walks through the Door may be a familiar face to some. Although, his physical appearance has aged some - nearly eleven years - since he was here last. His hair is shorter, with flecks of grey peppering his temples and the scruff of a two-day beard covering his chin. There are creases around the corners of his eyes that weren't there eleven years ago, and he walks with a confidence and an experience that only comes after a decade of hard work and honest living. He's dressed similarly as one might remember or expect. His duster hangs off his frame - he's stronger than he was a decade ago, built better - and there's damp soil sticking to the soles of his boots. A pistol rests on his hip beneath his coat, and his hat is worn and dusty from an afternoon riding back from town.

Doc makes it two steps into the Bar before he realizes just exactly where he is.



(For a brief moment, he wonders if he's dead. He's not, but the thought crosses his mind.)


To his credit, he maintains only a mildly shell-shocked expression on his face as he takes a few more steps out of the entryway.

The Door clicks shut behind him.

He doesn't look back over his shoulder at it. Right now he doesn't give a damn if it's there or not.

He's here.
He's in the Bar.


He doesn't recall crossing through the room and approaching the counter, when he reaches it, a glass of bourbon - top shelf, the good stuff materializes. Along with a note: It's been quite some time, Josiah.


"...yes, Darlin'. Yes it has been."


OOC: So, with the Equinox, and spring arriving once again, and the mun behind the pup getting her life back in some semblance of order - it has been a LONG decade, y'all - I think maybe, just maybe, I might have my brain back enough to try this again. I figured that the easiest way to do that would be to jump Doc forward roughly the same amount of time. (He's roughly pushing 40, but he's been doing well out on "his side" of the Door.) He may need refreshers on his relationship with your pup, if they've met before - because I honestly probably need a refresher, too. I'm SYNCHRONICITY2 - Ali (she/her)#8844 on Discord/Crackchat. Ping me or message the journal if you've got any questions.

Open to all takers. I'm slower than I used to be and I'll probably need to take some breaks. But I'm glad to be here. I've missed you folks.

Open to new tags until it scrolls.

Comments

[space_puffin]

Puffy spots the new person (new? Old? Person he's never seen before) and immediately targets him, waddling over quickly. Here is a person who he can possibly con into giving him food.

Yes, he can get the bar to give him food, and she does.

It's just much more fun to have people give it to him.

"Hello!" he says. It comes from a small speaker box on a collar on his neck.

[scurlock]

Doc notices the bird-creature heading his way - wondering if maybe Bar hired other critters than the waitrats to run orders back and forth. He isn't entirely expecting it to speak to him, but he figures he shouldn't be too surprised.

He removes his hat and tips his head in a polite nod.

"Howdy."

[space_puffin]

Well, whatever Puffy was going to say is completely derailed by the sight of the hat now placed on the bar. He waddles over and gives it a nudge with his snout. There's another nudge and then there is a porg wearing a cowboy hat.

It completely covers his ability to see where he's going, but he still shuffles across the bar warbling in delight at his new hat.

[scurlock]

...and there goes his hat.

He's been back for less than ten minutes after over ten years, and his hat has been stolen by a bird-creature. He lifts his glass to his mouth and takes a healthy swallow of the bourbon.

Same old Bar I remember.

At least the creature is kind of cute, and it doesn't seem to be making a run for it?

[space_puffin]

"Is good!" he chirrups. "Is good!!"

He waddles a few more feet and then, as he can't see, he tumbles off the bar with a loud squawk. The hat follows him and in comedic timing, lands right on him when he hits the floor.

Porgs are graceful creatures.

[scurlock]

A half-second too late to make a move to catch the Porg before it tumbles off the bar, he ends up off the barstool and crouched down beside the creature, carefully lifting the brim of his hat to check on if it appears to be uninjured.

"Hey buddy, you alright?"

[space_puffin]

There's a pause and turtle on its back wiggling and then he sits up. "Yes! Good!"

And a noise that could be laughing followed. "Is good hat!"

[wheatencrown]

Demeter has flower petals in her hair, she'd only stepped outside for a moment to get some herbs when she was in the Bar.

It's Spring here as well and she smiles as she settles down at the counter and notices Doc, he's grown well, "You've found good ground to grow in."

[scurlock]

He removes his hat when Demeter approaches and places it resting on the bar.

"I've had a couple'a real good years for crops," he agrees. "Got me a good piece of land to grow them in."

Demeter gets an honest smile, because he recognizes her, and she obviously recognizes him. He's grateful for the familiarity, given all that seems to have changed.

[wheatencrown]

"Good, it suits you," She returns his smile with a kiss on the cheek.

[scurlock]

His cheeks redden slightly when she does so, but he isn't bothered. It's just an adjustment to the way things are here in the Bar versus back home.

"It's about t'be time to start the first seeds, I worked over the beds I got near the house a few weeks ago t'get them ready for planting. I'm not growin' much, just enough to get me through the year and trade with some other folks in town."

[wheatencrown]

"And you'll have a fine harvest this year,"

It's a blessing and a promise that his land will do what he needs it to and the air smells briefly of full fields.

[scurlock]

"I appreciate that, greatly so."

The way the energy in the air floods around them when she speaks is a reminder of the power of this place that he had somewhat forgotten.

"You look well," he adds. "Can I offer you somethin' in return?"

He can't remember what she drinks, or if she even does, but it's at least an offer.

[sunbaked_baker]

The trees are still bare for the most part, but the days are growing longer, and the breeze doesn't hold the same chill.

That sort of welcome change just makes Rae want to bake. Plus, she had promised she would do some research on behalf of a friend.

So when a red-haired woman in a yellow t-shirt and orange jeans, both covered by a blue, sunflower-dotted apron, emerges through the Milliways kitchens' door, she is accompanied by the warm, billowing scents of freshly-baked pie.

The man at the bar gets a casually friendly smile as she moves to search among the the rows of bottles on display behind the bar. "Aha!"

The bottle of bourbon she plucks from among its fellows may very well be the kind of bourbon Doc is drinking.

[scurlock]

Doc watches her search through the bottles of bourbon and returns the smile, lifting his glass in an obviously well-practiced salute when she finds what it appears she was looking for.

"Good choice, you got there."

[sunbaked_baker]

The red-head grins at him, also snatching up a partial bottle of applejack. "Secret ingredients," she confides. "It's pie season, or will be soon."

She wouldn't normally risk offending folks by admitting to using the good stuff in pie, but if the booze is too harsh, it overpowers the other flavors.

[scurlock]

"Spring is comin', at least out my door, anyways."

He still hasn't turned around to look and see if his door is actually there or not - and he's not going to anytime soon. It doesn't matter at the moment. He's more interested in the thought of freshly-baked pie, and of the idea of "secret ingredients".

"Reckon your recipe has probably got a touch more flavor than the ladies who're bakin' for the church."

[sunbaked_baker]

If anything, the woman's grin gets even more unrepentantly bright. "The grannies do hate seeing me when the county fair comes around."

Their poor, time-honored recipes with their red and yellow ribbons, with the blue going to some young upstart....

"It's soon to be spring here, too. The days are finally getting noticeably longer, and the grass is starting to green, even if the trees are still barely budding." She can't wait for the blazing days of summer. "But it's enough to make me want to do some baking."

"Rae Seddon," she introduces herself. "Head Baker at Charlie's Coffeehouse in Old Town, New Arcadia, home of Sunshine's Famous Cinnamon Rolls As Big As Your Head."

[scurlock]

"It's good to know that the seasons are lined up a bit, I've had times I've come in here in the dead of winter and it's an adjustment to step outside after bein' runnin' in the desert in the midst of July."

Doc smiles at her comment about beating grannies at the county fair. He's sure she would probably bake her way in circles around the women of Willow Creek, and maybe even Bozeman proper.

"You'll have to forgive me, I think we might've met prior, but it's been a real long stretch of time on my side of the Door," he says. "Josiah Scurlock, but most folks 'round here just call me 'Doc'. Currently comin' in from my ranch out in Montana Territory."

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Wuxian, a thin man with his hair drawn back in a messy ponytail tied in a red ribbon, wearing black and red robes, and possessing a large plate of steamed buns, approaches.

"Please help this poor one, Bar is trying to fatten me up like a goose, please have a bun? Or two? Or more?" He offers the plate with a sunshine-bright smile, hopeful. Bar had been off of his case for a little while, but it seems she's gained a second wind.

[scurlock]

An empty plate appears beside his glass of whiskey, as if to encourage Doc to accept the offer. And while he wouldn't typically take food from people he's never met before, especially in the Bar, he has a feeling that it's harmless in this situation.

Plus, he hasn't seen or had steamed buns like this since he was back in New York City with his wife and son, decades ago.

"She has a tendency t'think we're all too thin," he comments, as he graciously plucks a few buns from the offerings available to him. "Thank you. And yeah, if I stay here too long, I start lookin' like a grizzly who's gettin' ready to hibernate."

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Wuxian helps himself to another one of the buns, hopping up on one of the bar stools.

"This one is Wei Wuxian, and very thankful for your rescue. She tells on me if I leave food behind, you see. What's a grizzly?" He asks, curiously. Best thing about a bar that opens out into the multiverse? There's always something new to discover.

[scurlock]

"A type of bear from my world, they're sort of a predatory land animal, though if you're smart about keepin' sense around them they tend to scavenge off other kills rather than try to get their own."

Doc's seen several on his property but hasn't had a problem, which is good given he'd be forced to take action if one tried to go after his cattle. Wolves have been the bigger concern.

"Wei Wuxian," he repeats, with a decent attempt at the correct pronunciation - it's been a long time, but he hasn't completely forgotten everything. "Please. My name's Josiah, though most folk 'round here just call me 'Doc'. It's your preference."

[alongfallfromgrace]

"You do not have a preference?" He asks, because... well. He has a thorough knowledge of polite forms of address, but it only really applies to his world. He knows how to scale how he greets someone both for desired politeness and for desired rudeness. After all, he learned at the feet of the Violet Spider. That woman could insult just about anyone with technical politeness and a small smile on her face.

[scurlock]

"Not in particular - it's been a heck of a spell since I've last been in this place so I'm not all too certain who still comes around these days. Most folk here will know me as 'Doc', though. So if you're needin' to mention somethin' to the Bar, that'll likely be the way to go."

A napkin note materializes on the countertop: Don't worry, you may have been gone a long time but I still remember names of the ones I need to remind to eat.

"See what I mean, about her?"