Full Bar

Written by Thereasonwhy

I jumped when that Goblin just popped into existence in front of me. I could never get a read on that thing, it broke rules that I didn't even know were there, though it handed me a box of cigars with a wide happy grin on it's face. I could already smell the cedar lining and the spiced smell of the sticks inside. I knew whatever it wanted, it was paying me already. "What are they?" I asked.
"Corojo sun-grown, off the Nester Plascencia Farm. I may or may not have taken it out of his own humidor, regardless they are one of a kind. A box of box pressed twenty." Reason responded, a nice choice. I wasn't expecting that, hard to find, quite a bit of age.
"Why are you giving them to me, beyond that. How did you get something from actual earth to give to me? I may be Santa, but even I know that pushing this meta a bit far." I responded as I accepted what ever task this goblin had in store for me, this box was too good to not be worth thousands.
"A favor to ask you, how many people can you serve in The Crystal Barrel at any given time? A fair price, though I can get you more if you want more." It said back to me, an almost eagerness in it's voice.
"Maybe fifteen on a good day, past that I can't keep track anymore. Being behind the bar isn't the same as looking at my list." As I finished my sentence, a bag appeared on my back, the sound of bottles, the unmistakable sound of shells against glass.
"I'm going to need about five more of you then, are you elves willing to assist you, or would you prefer I make copies of you?" It asked as if that wasn't the strangest thing I had ever heard. "A few bottles of rare bourbon, another thousand rounds for that candy cane shot gun of yours, as well as a few more boxes of cigars for you. Would this be acceptable?"
"Yeah... I'll use my elves, I don't want to think about how you would make copies of me... You know cash would have been fine too." I sighed, rubbing my temples. Dealing with one of these Nexus Keepers was always a strange affair.
"Never, too impassionate. I wanted to give you things that you'd at least enjoy personally." It smiled up at me with the first genuine look of happiness I've seen on it's face.
Just a few hours later, I had the elves there readying the Bar for an odd influx of patrons, if you could call them that. It's not like anyone was paid there, I didn't even know where the booze came from it just appeared every time I was there. Same with the food for that matter. "So, your name is Ilgor?" I asked the fuzzy eared goblin woman sitting next to Reason. "What kind of name is that?"
"It's my name, and aren't you a bit of an asshole. What kind of name is Nick?" She snapped back, I liked her already. Clearly not some ordinary character from Reason's mind, sharp, clever, a takes no shit type of girl. I laughed as I poured her another drink. She liked it strong, enough to make even me pause for a moment. Cask strength Whiskey and Rum usually.
"Fair enough, and you are aren't wrong, see enough things I have and you learn to appreciate the comebacks." She smiled faintly, swirling the drink in her hand as she spoke to Reason in that strange language again, like birdsong. "How come both of you are goblins, but look nothing alike?"
"I'm not a goblin, I'm something else. Well then again, she isn't technically either, she's hasn't reached that far yet." Reason said without breaking his conversation with his favorite girl.
"That doesn't help." Grumbling as the last of the glasses got clean.
"Too bad." He said, laughing at me. "Can't tell her too much without destroying the dream I'm planning of creating here."
"You Keepers are strange, all powerful gods in the worlds you make, yet when you're here... You still seem to be all powerful, just slightly more respectful." The Elves all had their duties in line, prep done, and looked over to me waiting.
"It's not really my bar, Kranjax just let's me play here. Is everyone ready?" He asked to me, though looking at Ilgor. He snapped his fingers and the room both filled with... a lot. As well as changing to accommodate a few actual Giants as the room expanded and grew to the size of a proverbial cathedral. The first hour passed by as characters I recognized from over hearing Reason talk to himself all the time, Cori, Knoll, Vilorlith, Lucas, Caleb, Syn, Xelex all came up to the bar requesting something. Strange things, some outlandish though with just a look at Reason and the drink came to mind. It was strange.
Syn was my favorite, some shirtless sun goddess with two very important points of interest that she unabashedly flaunted. Some drink that burned my nose from the scent, was pretty sure it was actual gasoline rather than booze, but hey, I got a show. An odd litany of goblins, faeries, giants, humans, things called Shadows, actual gods that seemed to pay quite a bit of attention to Reason when they recognized him.
All the while, not a single bit of English was spoken expect when talking to the Bar, some arcane gibberish that was the same thing Ilgor and Reason were speaking. Like a grand song I had only every heard in my dreams, though I couldn't tell if that was the Goblin's doing, or if it was an actual memory. Still, it was a pleasant change in pace to have the bar full for once in a while.
The stories, the odd cultures I was privy to hear, as after a certain point Reason gave us the ability to understand what they were saying. Dark place that Great Tree, but still so full of life, wondered if I might be able bring some Christmas cheer to that world at some point, it sounded like it needed it. Reason teleported out those that passed out, or got to drunk to handle, little by little the room dwindled down until only a few were left.
I sent the elves away after only Reason and his strange little entourage remained. His favorite girl Illy as he called her, Syn, Vilorlith, Xelex, Azorez, Neaves, Lucas, and Caleb all remained just long enough for the Goblin to have a conversation with each of them. Before he sent them away an odd sad smile on his face, until only he remained.
"What was the occasion tonight, filling the bar with your world like that?" I asked picking the last few glasses off the countertop and giving them a good clean.
"A certain amount of boredom, a certain sense of bringing them all together at least somewhere where they could enjoy themselves, a large dose of testing this places limits." The next part actually disturbed me just a little more what the Goblin usually did. He eroded away in a breeze I did not feel, like soft sand being blown away in a hurricane. "I hope you enjoy the gifts I have given you."
I shuddered, though smiled as he said it. Strange creature he was, but at least he was never unkind.