The blond smiles at him. "Well, there's the chinaman, Lin Tung. He's down on Cross Street."

[Private to Robert Micklethwait: The night isn't quite over...you're a bit ahead of the rest of the group. I'm going to wait until everyone else has posted what they're up to before I spring the next event on you guys.]

Nodding, Charging Bear looks over the barkeep one more time, "I'm called Charging Bear." The youth promptly downs one of the shots with a quickness.

[Private to The Stray: 14:22, Today: Charging Bear rolled 3,8 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+2)8. Smarts. ]

"Why...coloured liquid value:whiskey intake? Function unknown."

The construct proceeds to examine the second glass on the counter in great detail with mad, scientific curiousity, gently deterring any of its rightful owner's attempts to take it away with a soft but firm sweep of the hand or mild grip on the wrist.

"Ah. That is a very complicated question, Alouette. Some folk, they drink to dull the pain of their lives. Others drink to feel better, to take the edge of a hard day and relax. Mr. Sunderland there," points to a man at the edge of the bar next to a half-empty bottle, "drinks because his wife has a shrewish tongue and a viperous demeanor, and he would like to forget both, if only for a little while. Those four over there," points at the ongoing poker player, though there are actually five at the table, "drink because they believe being slightly out of the world helps improve their game, and perhaps dulls any hard feelings that may be had the morning after if one should lose a large amount to the others, though I note their new companion for the evening has decided on coffee as his beverage of choice. And that man there,' Points to the blond man watching the crowd with an ice-blue stare, "has ordered a drink, but has not taken so much as a sip the whole time he's been down here. I suspect he will not drink, but keeps the glass around to allay suspicions. I wonder what he watches for."

Charging Bear, watching the barkeeper speak, suddenly realizes why the man is so familiar--someone looking a lot like him took a few shots at him not half an hour ago. He could be brothers with the man in black.

After staking out a potential table John sidles up to the bar and looks at Alouette a little curiously before his thirst gets the better of him. Turning to the bartender he flashes a good natured smile and waits for a break in their conversation to speak. "Beer please, something dark, do you have anything in the way of hot food?"

"But of course!" the Creole bartender says, sliding a mug of beer to john. "Tonight we have beef sausage or barbecue ribs, with a side of cornbread and your choice of baked potato, coleslaw, or grits. Or you can try our house specialty, spicy gumbo prepared with the Frost family secret recipe! What can I put you down for, sir?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:57, Mon 16 Nov 2009.

Charging Bear listens to the food offerings and after a moment speaks up, "I'll have your gumbo Roland. Do you by chance have a brother by name of Nathaniel?" He looks to the construct, "May I have my drink back? Unless you plan on paying for it."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:33, Mon 16 Nov 2009.

After a little practice, the construct begins to look at what is being pointed at rather than the finger. "Whiskey...has forgetting in?"
It looks at the blue-eyed stranger and murmurs to itself a moment, static sounds and soft fragments of almost-speech. "Why suspicion, cause: no drink?"

The brass mechanoid points its head at Charging Bear, possibly wondering what he's asking it for. "Yes."
It does not, however, make any move to stop examining the mysterious amber stuff as Roland attends to customers, seeming to lack any concept of timing or urgency. If Charging Bear takes the glass off it, it'll move onto the next, fascinated by the gently flickering light in liquid like an autistic child. "Why Called Charging Bear drink plus plus point five forgetting?"

Charging Bear arches an eye brow at the strange creature, "Beause I like it, and if you don't over do it you don't forget."

Roland stops smiling at the mention of the name. He sighs and rests his hand on his forehead. "Sadly, yes. I apologize for whatever offensive thing he's said or done to you, and hope you will not judge the rest of the people of this town by his horrible behavior."

He has the air of a man who has had this conversation many times before.

Smiling, Charging Bear says, "Wasn't my plan to judge anyone by another's action."

"What is 'overdo it'? Alternate: what is done over?" Alouette switches its attention to the native in front of it. "Called Charging Bear has nothing stored in memory of Called Charging Bear...he loves?"

"Still. I must know...what has he done now?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:54, Mon 16 Nov 2009.

Looking at the barkeep, Charging Bear shakes his head,  "Nothing you want to know about Roland, I am sure of it." Turning back to the tin-man/woman/thing, he says, "Not sure as to how that is any of your concern."

The thing lacks an expression to read, but it copies Roland's helpful lesson in pointing things out and points to itself in case Charging Bear hasn't noticed it.
"Self is angel; where love/hope/sacrifice equal null value, concerns of God excluded: harm occur/future:occurs. Primary command: warn. Secondary command: catch sparrows." On that note it moves aside slightly, static building to a soft roar - it's not quite speaking to Charging Bull when next it makes sound, voice changed, resonant but almost lost in the background hiss: "'And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body...'" *sssst* "static error."

With that it seems to forget everything it was just on about and resumes its fascinated turning and poking of the whiskey glass.

With a very confused look on his face, Charging Bear turns towards the bartender and downs his second double.

The bartender shrugs. "It has been saying such things all evening. It came in here and spoke of a 'coming silence' and a warning of California falling into the sea...somewhat late on that news. It seems to be learning how to communicate...it speaks much clearer now than it did when it wandered in.I have been debating as to whether or not I should ask Dr. Evans to come and examine it."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:42, Mon 16 Nov 2009.

"Could I get a beer and some of your spicy gumbo there, sir?" August asked politely, sliding into an empty spot at the bar.

He was dividing his attention between the barkeep and the... mechanical construction, and looked a little like a cat watching a shiny object.  "You reckon it's a customer, or is somebody yanking its strings behind a curtain?" he asked, possibly of John or the bartender.

Alouette has quietly annexed Charging Bear's last tumbler whilst attention was elsewhere, without stealth but without fanfare - looking back, CB'll see that the automaton has given said drink to the priest to allay the unspecified suspicion apparently accorded to men without drinks and buggered off to stick the point of its vaguely iron-shaped head in John's mug to see/analyse what he's got.

The barkeep nods at the orders. While they're talking, the blonde waitress delivers bowls of gumbo over rice to Charging Bear and August.

The barkeep ponders. "I am not sure. I think it is on its own, and there are no wires or mirrors directing it that I can see. It seems lost, like a newly hatched bird that has fallen out of the nest and is trying to understand the world around it."

"Here." He says, handing Charging Bear another glass. "Since it seems to have absconded with your last drink, I'll just replace it for free. I do not wish to cause it alarm."

"It has certainly been a most interesting day." he muses. "I seldom receive so many people from out of town at once. Actresses, Indians, automatons...so many new faces. This is the liveliest this town has been in quite some time."

John was quite distracted by the construct and had almost forgotten to order. When the waitress delivered the gumbo to Charging Bull he promptly recalled his earlier desire for a hot meal. "Mmm, Ribs, Cornbread and a baked potato sounds mighty fine, I'll have me a plate of that." he said to the barkeep while keeping a firm grip on his glass. He lets Alouette examine it some before pulling the glass to his lips and taking a long pull. "That hits the spot. August, want to sit up here or shall we take a table?" he asked his companion. He knew they had only agreed to travel to the town but in a place of strangers he preferred keeping familiar company.

"You sir are a scholar and a gentleman, do not allow anyone to tell you otherwise." says Charging Bear with a smile, he looks back at the constuct then to Roland, "Don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. I'd guess its from Utah."

"He's definitely talkative, although some of his talk scared some of the patrons earlier," O'Rourke interjected, having listened with interest to the conversation at the bar. "Like Mr. Frost said, he doesn't seem to have any memory of where he came from, or why he was repeating those strange messages of his. But you're probably right about Utah. I've heard all manner of amazing things come from there. Never made it that far, myself."

O'Rourke slid four dollars toward Frost. "That'll cover me for the next couple of nights, Mr. Frost. I appreciate your hospitality. I'd be glad to lead a prayer service on Sunday. If you'll spread the word, I'll make a point to be available that morning. If folks here like a lot of hellfire and brimstone in their sermons, you might warn them that I might be a little on the dull side. I tend to keep things simple."

Looking over the bar, he asked Frost, "Say, you wouldn't happen to have any coffee brewing at this hour, would you?"

The barkeep accepts the money with a smile and nods to Father O'Rourke. "I'll do that. It will be good to return purpose to the gatherings again." He pours some coffee. "You're in luck. A gentleman ordered some not long ago."

The waitress nods, smiles, and jots down John's order. "We'll get that quicker than two shakes of a jackrabbit's tail." She says, then bounces off.

Please continue posting in "The Storm Begins (Chapter 1)"