Closed [Scholar's Demise] Who am I? [Julius Starr]

[Alzahah M'Orti]

6th Day of Winter

Alzahah M'Orti, a lost soul, an unlucky child... His life had filled with anger, sadness and mostly... the fear of being alone. After searching the world for a Spiritualist who would like to help him, he had come home. He had spent the recent days in people's homes. He had scared them all a bit, but he didn't want t be really bad.

Now he just happened to be in the most famous tavern in the city. He had never been in Scholar's Demise before and he didn't have courage to try getting in. But now he just felt like he had to come here and talk with someone. After all, he had no one anymore. He didn't have any friends, so a night doing fun things and meeting new people would've been a great variety in his everyday life. But he didn't forget his problems.

As he entered the tavern, it was full of people. It was nighttime, so maybe that was the reason there were so many people. But again, it wasn't Alzahah's main goal to do anything like that.

He was in a man's body. He had allowed Alzahah to use it, which was kind of weird, because the man was one of the people Alzahah had scared. Maybe he thought it's funny to let a ghost live in your body for some time? After all, Alzahah wasn't good at keeping himself in a human's body. But he had to try. Because he had to socialize.

He thought the easiest way to get new friends or even some information was by starting a conversation with the bartender. He started walking towards him, even though he thought he looks a bit futuristic and shouldn't be working in a bar. Neither did he think he should live in Lhavit at all. But it was his first impression and like we know, they can be a bit false sometimes.

"Hello! You, bartender!" Alzahah said as he finally reached the bar.

[Julius Starr]

"Bartender, I'd like The Stolen Night cocktail!" "Hey, bartender, I need a refill of Porter!" "Bartender, my table ordered a bottle of Chianti five chimes ago and have yet to see it." Julius felt like a city under siege, bombarded on all sides by stones released from a hundred catapults. All around him were customers, patrons who were all after the same thing, and they all wanted him to give alone to give it to him. A single man facing an army. Although at the moment, he wasn't. No, Julius had his back turned from the crowd, in search of the items they all sought. Who would've thought how quickly the tides would've turned. He had arrived two bells before the Dusk Hour to a near-empty bar; Roric had informed him that many of the citizens were attending the Garden Day. Dusk Hour came and went little change; oh, he did steady business, but nothing that could overwhelm. But then when Syna disappeared beneath the horizon, when it was too dark to see the crops, the flood gate opened. The bar filled far past its capacity, far more than Julius had had to deal with in his short time at the establishment. Everyone yelling, everyone calling out for his attention, his focus, over the others around them. What happened to lines, to waiting your turn? Did those rules not apply when it came to intoxication? Julius felt a hand rest on his shoulder, startling him for a moment; had one of the patrons climbed over the bar to fetch his order himself? But when he turned, he was relieved to see Aleah attached to the hand. Concerned covered her face, and she gave Julius a firm squeeze on the shoulder. "Fix the cocktail, Julius, and I'll handle the refills." Julius nodded, gratitude evident on his face. And then he turned back to the counter behind him. All the liqueur was kept on a shelf behind the bar, the bottles kept in pristine condition and ordered by name. The tequila was off to Julius' right so he had to stretched to grab it, but he succeeded none the less. Reaching under the counter (this was where all the glassware was stored), he pulled out a mixing container, as well as a glass cup to pour the final product into. The rest of the ingredients Julius would need were sitting right in front of him. The various fruit and spices were contained in various bowls and jugs; to be precise. Glancing around, Julius picked up a jar, using his free hand to waft the scent in; he felt his nose cringe, and knew this must be the lime juice. All the juices required for the drinks were squeezed out into the jug to make it easier of the bartender when crowds got large; thankfully, he still had some lime juice, else he would've had to squeeze lime slices out by hand, which takes a while. Picking up the tequila in his left hand and jar of lime juice in his right, he carefully poured both of the liquids into the glass mixing jug in front of him. Halfway up he went, before cutting the streams off. With that done, he returned the liquids back to their respective places and went in search of the spices. Clove and Nutmeg were needed for this particular drink, so he snatched up the mixing jar and walked over the spice section. Over a dozen bowls were sitting there, all containing different spices ground up into a dust. None of them were labeled, but then again, they didn't have to be. Just look for the color. The clove was a very dark brown, almost black, and the particles were very large, whereas the nutmeg was a light brown with very minuscule particles. Aleah had drilled all of the information in his head very early on, as it was important to know. Reaching into the two bowls of spices, he grabbed a pinch of the spice and dropped it into the mixing jug. One more ingredient, Julius thought as he walked back to the previous area. The whole fruits were kept in various bowls pressed against the wall. It only took a moment for Julius before he found his fruit of choice, a plump grapefruit; snatching it up, Julius grabbed a knife that had been tucked into the bowl, and set the grapefruit on the table. He sliced the fruit in half first, and then flipped the two sections onto its inside and cut them up into slivers; the cocktail only needed a small piece of the grapefruit. He picked up one of the smaller slivers up and dropped it into the mixing container, and returned the rest of the fruit back into the bowl, for use later in the night. The drink was almost ready. Reaching back under the counter, Julius snatched up a lid to set on top the container; he called it a lid, but really it was just a flat piece of pottery that covered the opening as he mixed the drink. Pressing his palm against the top, Julius picked it up and shook the container. A good ten ticks this happened, until he thought the concoction was mixed properly. He removed the the lid, poured the drink, and garnished it with a stick of cinnamon. The Stolen Night was complete. The patron took his drink and set the Kina down on the table, disappearing into the sea of people. Julius sighed in relief, as in the chime or two it had taken him to fix the drink, Aleah had handled the rest of customer. One day I hope I can work as gracefully as she can. Julius told himself as he picked up the Kina and pocketed them until his shift was over. Out in the crowd, another person called out to him, to the bartender. Oh, how Julius disliked that name; why not ask for his name first, before you make an order? But this was all petty annoyances, details he couldn't fix at the moment. So Julius looked back up and addressed the voice. "Yes, who is it who wants me now?"

[Alzahah M'Orti]

"So... who are you, bartender?" Alzahah asked as he sat down near the bar. He silently scanned the whole room and also the bar area. He saw many great drinks there, though he actually wanted none of them. He didn't need any of them.

After getting a clue about the people in the tavern, he turned back to the bartender. He knew there are no people he could talk to. Well, there were, but he didn't see any of them as a friend. He wanted a friend, not a drunkard who wouldn't even realize someone is talking to him.

Neither he wanted a woman... He had had a relationship before, but it didn't end up very well. She left him a few months after they met, even though they had a really strong bond and their love was unbreakable.

After that, Alzahah decided he shall not love anyone anymore. The pain he felt after the woman left was so strong he didn't understand anything. He wanted to commit suicide. But he managed to live through the time with the help of his parents. He had been depressed, but he learned true love doesn't come with just a second, that even if he falls in love at first sight, it isn't a serious love.

His dreams, the flashbacks about the love, ended now and he found himself still being in the tavern, waiting for the bartender's response.

He used his hand as a comb, trying to make his hair look a bit better. The man he had decided to possess had dark hair, but definitely not as dark as the bartender's. His eyes were green or greenish... It was hard to determine the actual eye colour.

He didn't feel comfortable in the body, but even if he would've found a better body, he didn't have enough energy to start changing bodies or something, so there was no point at trying to find a more comfortable body.

He was fit, even very athletic and it made Alzahah jealous. He could've never managed to get that muscular and after all, it wasn't possible anymore. Because he was dead. And he couldn't change his own look anymore like that.

The man was wearing simple outfit at the moment he started possessing him and there was no need to change clothes or anything. If the possesing would've suddenly stopped, his clothing would've left and possible he would've never got it back.

[Julius Starr]

A man appeared before him, taking a seat at one of the few empty stools left across the counter. He was a fairly normal man, a man that wouldn't have held Julius' attention for anymore than a moment on the street, especially in the city known for its beautiful inhabitants. But now he had his full attention, especially after he spoke directly to him. The question was normal, a simple inquiry that was normal when it came to two strangers meeting. Usually, though, when Julius was behind this bar, the questions were directed towards other subjects; people here tended to care more for the drinks instead of the people making them. But then again, Julius was new to the whole bar tending, so his knowledge of how everything worked wasn't the best. He did remember now a conversation he had had with Roric days ago. The Ethaefal had explained to him the importance of conversation in this profession. Of course, Julius had questioned this, since no one who had hired him in the past had ever cared for small talk. But then Roric made his point, and everything was suddenly clear to the man. The alcohol is going to get the patron drunk, he told Julius, whether or not the drink was properly mixed. The conversation with the bartender, though, are going to mean the difference in him remembering the night or not. Julius had realized then that serving a cocktail was only one half of the work required of him; he needed to speak when spoken to, carry on conversations with those around him. If someone asked a question, he was supposed to answer. If the customer wanted to speak, you heeded to his wish. For, as the cliche goes, the customer is always right. The man who had questioned him had turned away from Julius, giving the young man a chance to formulate his answer. Just who was he? Obviously, he was Julius Starr, but who was Julius Starr? A bartender, a thief, a religious scholar . . . the list went on and on. What was the proper length of response to such questions? Did you answer curtly or give the patron your life story? Julius decided that the next time he saw Roric, he'd ask for specifics instead of a broad philosophical response, not that philosophy was bad. Thus, when the man turned back to Julius, his answer was ready for him. "Well, I'm Julius Starr. Who are you?" Alright, so he wasn't going to win an award for an ingenious response, but it was a start. The man now knew his name, and Julius had opened the door to learn something in return. 'Tis the art of conversing the bar.

[Alzahah M'Orti]

"Well, who am I? I am a soul. Yes, a lost soul. I am a former human. Technically I'm still a human, but... not so certain about my actions anymore..." Alzahah answered to the man. He had always been very chatty. He wasn't afraid of people. No... not at all. He liked people. Mostly. But the knight was just a mistake. And now he regretted the short sentence he had said.

"You should keep your mouth shut and go swing your sword somewhere else, where you actually have honour." Yes... The sentence seemed so normal, so neutral, but as it came to honour, the knight became really furious. They had started arguing. And it turned into fighting. Unfortunately, he had lost...

But it was a mistake. He promised he will never be so stupid anymore. He had gotten a second chance. And he had to use it.

"And I see the place is really... busy today. There are many people..." Alzahah continued. Well, to be honest, these last sentences were just... horrible. It was awkward. He would've called himself stupid... If he would've had the chance. But he didn't...

[Julius Starr]

Oh, it seems one could find a philosopher or scholar anywhere in this city. Julius had answered a simple question with a simple answer, hoping for the same when he reflected the man's question on to him. Yet as he leaned on the bar, his weight resting on his elbows, the bartender was blasted with the man's inner pondering. He referred to himself as a soul, a lost one at that, and then went on to question his existence as a human. And worst of all, he didn't even give Julius his name . . . Julius looked the man up and down again, searching for signs that would suggest otherwise to the man's claims. No mismatched arms, nor claws on his fingers. No wings nor scales. Part of him wished to reach out and touch his skin, to assure him that it wasn't made of clay, but decided against it. No, this man was human, at least to his eyes. Of course, Julius probably wasn't looking deep enough; this man's plight was deeper than skin, most like. This man was dealing with some internal struggle, something that he couldn't just decipher with his eyes. No, this was where words proved the most important tool. Thus, Julius spoke as he returned to an upright position. "A lost soul, eh? I'd be lying if I told you I haven't seen men and women like you in here before. It seems that everything lost can somehow be found at the bottom of a glass. I found a worm in mine once, but no answers to my questions." Julius gave the man a small smile as he spoke, hoping the man would take his words negatively. He held his hands almost awkwardly, suddenly wishing for a mug and rag to work over as he spoke; for some reason, that felt like something he should be doing at this point. A man stepped up to the right of Alzahah, glancing at him once before he spoke to Julius. "Get me a glass of Amber Ale, would'ya?" Julius broke off his conversation at this point, walking off to fetch the man's order. He snagged an empty glass off the counter from the back, heading over to the kegs where the beers were stored. Julius held the glass at a slight angle as he drew the ale out. It had a little too much foam for Julius' taste, but then again, it wasn't his taste that mattered. Aleah spoke to him when she walked past him. "Be sure to serve the customers as well as talk to them, Julius. Ask the man if he thirsts or hungers." And with that, she was gone, off to handle a customer of her own. Julius walked slowly back to the pair of men, carrying the glass of ale as carefully as he would a child. The man thanked him with a grunt and two kina, before disappearing back into the sea of people. My, it was crowded tonight, an observation that Alzahah put into words. Julius nodded at this as he pocketed the Kina. "Yes, many people, all after the same thing. Would you care to join them? We have drinks of all kinds, and food as well. I'm sure you'll find something that'll suit your needs and desires." And with that, Julius fell silent, waiting to see if this man was here for drink, or just here to talk.