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The Irish Pub
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๖ۣۜSαᴙαh, The Supreme Overload
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Jun 13, 2013 08:08AM
((RP with approved characters ONLY.))
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After work, Tom and Mark picked Jacob up at his job and the three made their way to McLean's. Jacob had informed his father that he had given Geoff the address for the pub and that Kitara's beau had agreed to join them. Tom had nodded in approval.As they entered the pub, the smell of hops and yeast was strong in the dingy building. The pub was full of working men and true to Kaspar's word to Kitara, none of the women in the establishment could pass for upstanding citizens of America. They had arrived early enough to snag a table big enough for six and sat down to order their brew.
Jacob looked at the scrawled list of choices, trying to decide which one he wanted first. Saturday was a working day for him but he was young and completely capable of bouncing back from a night out on the town. He had been doing it since he was eighteen after all.
Kaspar ran into Geoff a block down from the pub and extended his hand in greeting."I'm glad you could make it," Kaspar said earnestly as they shook hands.
"I'm glad for the invitation," Geoff replied in kind.
They entered McLean's together, their eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light, and spotted Tom, Mark, and Jacob at a large table near the back. Grinning, Kaspar made his way across the room to them.
"Hello, brothers and nephew," he said cheerfully.
Tom stood up first to shake Kaspar's hand and hug him one handedly at the same time. "Good to see you, Kas," he said and then extended his hand to Geoff. "Mr. Northby, I am glad you could make it. Welcome to McLean's," he grinned. Mark stood up and shook Kaspar's hand firmly and then politely offered it to Geoff. "Kaspar. Mr. Northby. Good to see you both."
Jacob was last and he simply shook both men's hands, grinning lopsidedly. "Uncle Kaspar, Mr. Northby."
Geoff and Kaspar sat down and accepted the menus that were handed to them. Like all good holes-in-the-wall, McLean's had plenty of good brews and a small selection of food. Regular watering-hole fare weighing heavily in favour of the potato.Kaspar knew what he wanted already: a good thick ale with an order of potato jackets stuffed with cheese and bacon.
Geoff himself was more a fan of stouts and draughts, and was pleased to see they had them.
"So," Geoff said pleasantly, "how was everyone's week?"
"Long and hard," Tom laughed. "The usual. I hear you and Jacob had a very productive visit, Mr. Northby? Thank you very much for agreeing to meet with him, by the way. I'm sure you are a very busy man indeed what with all those books," he chuckled. Mark nodded and said, "The week was good. Business is going well. Although Cooper managed to destroy the flour shelf in the pantry on Tuesday," he remarked dryly. "Carly was chasing him because he had run off with one of those baubles from London."
"Maybe you should put him in boxing, Uncle Mark," Jacob joked. "It sure helped my father. I was always far too tired to bother anyone after a session."
Kaspar laughed appreciatively at hearing of Carly and Cooper's antics. "That's an idea, Mark," he said, referring to Jacob's suggestion. "Cooper's a bit scrappy but he's got a fighting spirit. Lord knows it'll help out everyone."Geoff smiled at Tom. "Your son is a good pupil," he said simply. "It was a pleasure to meet with him, and I look forward to our future meetings."
Mark shook his head ruefully and said, "Can you imagine the look on Greta's face the first time our son comes home from the gym with a giant shiner and two missing teeth? Maybe in a year or two," he added thoughtfully.Tom smiled at Geoff and then ruffed up his son's hair. "He sure is a good kid."
When the waiter came to take their order, Tom added, "I'd also like a round of Carriage Bombs, my good man. Have you had them before, Mr. Northby?" he turned to ask with a grin. "It's kind of a McLean's special."
As the other men roared with laughter at Geoff's uncertain shake of the head, Geoff had the feeling that he was going to spend this Saturday the same way he'd spent last Saturday: lying prostrate on the couch in the dark, a mental blacksmith pounding on numerous anvils in his head."It's a shot of Irish cream and whiskey dropped into a pint of stout," Kaspar explained.
Oh, dear God.
"If you're going to be staying in Boston, Mr. Northby, you will need to learn to drink like a Bostoner," Tom grinned good naturedly. "Or at the very least like an Irishman," Mark added, smiling.
Jacob pitied Geoff but he hoped that the man would be able to hold his own. After all, he needed his father to be impressed with Geoff. A professor was not exactly a profession Tom wanted his physically capable son to hold.
Geoff had noticed that ever since the destruction of his beast, his alcohol tolerance had dropped considerably. But that was mostly made manifest in the morning after, and not in the actual act of drinking."Well, I must run through the gauntlet," Geoff acquiesced. At least drinking with the younger Kaylocks had given him plenty of practise.
"I have faith in you, Mr. Northby," Jacob said pleasantly. He leaned in and whispered, "The trick is to pace yourself," as if the man had never partaken of alcohol before. "Hey, Jacob, no tips," Tom growled good naturedly. When the Carriage Bombs arrived, the men each took their shot of whiskey and placed it over their stout, waiting on each other. "To the boys' night out!" Tom hollered as he dropped his shot inside the beer and quickly guzzled it down. "Another?" he gasped as he finished, looking at Kaspar.
Kaspar grimaced at the taste of the drink but he grinned. "In a bit, in a bit," he said, waving his brother-in-law aside. He flagged down their server again. "First round's on me, lads," he said, "so order up."Geoff had kept pace with their guzzling of the Carriage Bombs and was astonished that Americans had somehow managed to utterly ruin three perfectly good drinks by combining them into one. "That definitely wasn't Irish," he laughed. "My God."
Tom burped appreciatively and said, "Well, it's how the Irish here drink it. But I suppose you're right--it's more American." He turned to Kaspar then and said, "Do you remember when I convinced Kitara to have her first one on your father's roof?" he broke out into a hearty laugh. "And then she hurled her guts out over the railing immediately afterwards." Mark chuckled. "I remember you not being invited for Sunday dinner for three weeks after that. Thank God Kas was around. I felt so uncomfortable having done nothing to stop you two and with Benedict's cold stare for weeks on end."
Jacob shook his head ruefully. He had remembered sneaking up to the roof at seven years old to spy on all the commotion.
Geoff grinned. Hadn't Vivian done the exact same thing the first time she'd guzzled whiskey?"Ah, Dad's alright with you now," Kaspar assured Tom. "It's forgiven though. Now, if any of you had caved and let her come along..." He shook his head.
Tom shook his head. "I would have never done that," he assured his brother-in-law. "I mean... just look at the women in this establishment. Jacob, don't look," he added. Jacob rolled his eyes. "Yes, Dad. Although Kitara seemed awfully resigned to not coming tonight," he mentioned. "When I saw her yesterday, she told me that she had changed her mind and no longer wanted to come." He sipped his beer thoughtfully, as he remembered her words: "I don't want to steal anyone's thunder, because you know I will if I go."
"She is a unique creature," Kaspar said as the pints arrived and were passed around the table. "Anyway. This is the boys' pub -""And no girls allowed!" they chorused, toasting one another and taking a long, steady pull.
"So, Mr. Northby," Tom said after chugging a good portion of his beer. "Have you had a chance to really see Boston yet? Or has it all been work, work, work?" Jacob sat back and drank his own lager, feeling himself relax after a long, hard day's of work. He rolled his shoulders back, trying to ease the tension in his muscles.
"I've seen little bits of it here and there," Geoff said, "but I'm certainly looking forward to becoming better acquainted with this city. Work does keep me occupied during the day, but in the afternoons I get the chance sometime to stroll on campus and visit the neighbouring areas."
Jacob smiled remembering Harvard campus. "The university certainly is... impressive," he remarked. Tom chuckled. "I believe you have unleashed a monster, Mr. Northby. Jacob spent every spare moment from Sunday until now with his nose buried in that book Kitara brought him. What is it called again?"
"Paradise Lost," Jacob replied, grinning lopsidedly. This was the hundredth time he had told his father this.
"Don't complain, Tom," Mark added. "What I wouldn't give to have Cooper as interested in a quiet hobby."
Tom and Jacob laughed simultaneously. "I'm ready for another. And where the hell is our grub?"
The grub arrived, and Geoff's stomach rumbled as the delicious smells wafted up from the platters."Potato jackets, regular fries - er, chips, I guess you'd call 'em - cheese sticks, and chicken cutlets," Kaspar explained, pointing at each one in turn. "For the jackets, you just take one, stuff it with the mashed potatoes, and load up the garnishes."
Geoff watched as Kaspar demonstrated. "That looks delicious."
"Here, you try this one and I'll make another."
Geoff bit into the potato jacket. It was delicious.
"Your children are lovely," he told Mark. "I'm sure they'll grow up to be quite fine indeed."
"Thank you, Mr. Northby," Mark replied politely. "Carly has been asking when she can see her Aunt Kitara again. Do you think Kitara would mind if I asked her to visit once a week?" He asked both Geoff and Kaspar, realizing that he didn't really know his sister-in-law. He had known her for one year before she had disappeared. And that was thirteen years ago.The other men dove into the food as their next round of drinks arrived. Jacob ate ravenously. He had always been able to eat like a horse and try as he might, he could not gain weight. His coach was always pressuring him to put on some meet so that he could become a heavy contender but he had his father's build and even Tom at forty was slim and lean.
"I don't see why not. Kitara would probably love it," Kaspar said. Geoff tucked into another potato jacket, adding chives and bacon and a dollop of sour cream on top of his.
"And Geoffrey can do that portrait of Carly that he promised her," Kaspar added with a laugh.
Geoff grinned. "I'd be delighted to, if that's alright with you," he said to Mark.
Mark smiled back as he licked the grease off of his fingers. "Of course. And anyway I don't have a choice on the matter. She keeps asking Greta which hair accessory she could wear when her Aunt Kitara's beau draws her," he chuckled. "Then Cooper tells her that she'll never be as beautiful as their aunt." "Mark, that's awful!" Tom exclaimed. "I hope you gave that boy a good whipping after he said that."
Mark nodded. "Of course. He hasn't seen his train set since I took the strap to him. He might get it back on Sunday, we'll see."
"Mr. Northby, did you learn to draw in university as well?" Jacob asked, amazed by the man's never ending talents.
"I was always keen on drawing since I was knee-high to a grasshopper," Geoff told Jacob with a smile. "Actually, drawing was what interested me in the natural sciences - I would draw landscapes and animals, you see, and first learned of their shapes and forms that way."Kaspar sighed. "Cooper's a piece of work sometimes, Mark," he said sadly. "You've got to get him into some activity that teaches him how to respect others. He's getting to be a bit of a bully."
Jacob's eyes widened in excitement as he absentmindedly sipped his beer. "That's wonderful. I'm still uncertain what subject I would want to focus on...." he confided. Mark sighed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I know, you're right," he said to Kaspar. "Except I have no idea what to put him in. If I put him in sports wouldn't that just enhance his... bulling tendencies? We try to let him blow off steam outside but he picks on other kids too, even the boys that are his age. And you know Greta, she won't hear of him getting injured even by accident." On his third beer now, his tongue was loosening up.
Tom nodded sympathetically, secretly grateful that his son was perfect. He didn't say it out loud though.
"Focus on the Milton now," Geoff suggested. "Once we get more in-depth you'll have a more informed opinion. Don't rush it. You'd be spending years of your life on one topic, so best to know it's what you really want."Remembering that Geoff had studied the nature of humans to some extent, Kaspar asked, "What say you, Geoff, about putting young boys in competitive sports when they have bullish tendencies?"
Geoff sputtered. Now he was being asked for parenting tips? That was unexpected. Clearing his throat after a moment, he said, "Well, I do believe that in the right environment with the right instructors, a boy who has the tendency to be rough and a bit of a bully can harness those habits and turn them into healthy sportsmanship. Team sports are especially good for that," Geoff added.
Mark nodded. "So then not boxing?" he grinned cheekily at Tom. Jacob choked on his beer at his father's red face. "I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Northby, Dad," he said after he recovered. "He is a certified doctor in the subject after all."
"How old are you, Mr. Northby, if you don't mind my asking?" Tom queried bluntly. "I'm forty, so's Mark and Kaspar is thirty-four," he added by way of not putting the man on the spot.
"Mighty young for such an established professor," Tom remarked. Their next round of beer arrived and he told the waiter, "We'll also take five more Carriage Bombs, good sir."The waiter grunted and disappeared.
"You said in a bit," Tom told Kaspar. "It's been a bit."
"Diligence and hard work," Geoffrey said absentmindedly. "It also helps that I had little else to occupy my time, but had a huge need to occupy my mind."Kaspar rolled his eyes. "I suppose so."
Jacob bit his lip, thinking about Geoff's comment. He, unfortunately, had too much to occupy his time. I can do it though, he thought to himself. I will do it.When the waiter returned with the Carriage Bombs, Tom helped to hand them out. "Ready, boys?" he asked, holding his shot glass over the stout.
"Three, two, one, chug!" chanted Kaspar.When they were done, Geoff looked over at Jacob. He realised that his comment about having all the time in the world might have been flippant. Hopefully the lad would win a big enough scholarship that would let him have enough free time.
"How are you doing, Mr. Northby?" Jacob asked with a lopsided grin. "Think you'll survive the night?"
Geoff nodded. "I'll be fine, Jacob," he said with a smile as he nibbled on a chicken cutlet.Kaspar grinned. "That's the spirit, Northby," he said merrily. "What do you think, lads - how's the Professor doing?"
"I think he's not so bad for a Brit," Tom said frankly around a mouthful of fries. "By the end of tonight, your initiation will be completed," he grinned mischievously. "That's usually completed by going for a swim in the port water," Mark told Geoff with a straight face. "Nude."
Tom burst into laughter and said, "Kas, do you remember your initiation night?"
Jacob was grinning from ear to ear. He remembered his father recounting the story about how his uncle had ran from the water because he thought that there was a shark in the water. It had turned out to be a seagull.
Geoff sputtered again. Surely they weren't serious.Kaspar roared with laughter. "Sorry, Northby, the rules are the rules. Even Jacob's done it," he added goadingly.
"You can't be part of the Dietrich clan until you've done so," Tom continued. "I mean, think of what Kitara would think... of you if you backed down," Mark added, surprised at his own boldness. How many beers was he on now?
Jacob grinned lopsidedly. "If I remember correctly--at the age of eighteen--I swam further than the rest of you chickens. And...." he continued, "I had had twice as many Carriage Bombs."
Kaspar nodded with approval. "That's our Jacob," he said with a grin, "excelling at everything he does."Geoff grinned. "That's the spirit, lad," he said, clapping Jacob's shoulder. "Just stick with your studies with that kind of tenacity, and you'll be a professor yourself in no time."
Jacob gave them both a proud, but lopsided grin. He was very happy that they both thought that he was great at everything he did. "You must see if you can beat Jacob's record, Mr. Northby," Tom told Geoff mischievously. "And on that note, I think we should have another round of Carriage Bombs."
"How far exactly is Jacob's record?" inquired Geoff as Mark ordered more Carriage Bombs and another round of pints, and Kaspar added more food. "Oh, yes, more potato jackets," Geoff agreed heartily.
"Four hundred meters?" Tom looked at Mark for confirmation."I believe so," Mark nodded. "All I remember is after a few minutes we couldn't see him and Tom panicked."
"Only because you were so sloshed," Jacob pointed out. "You couldn't see your own nose." He passed down the Carriage Bombs as they arrived.
They chanted, dropped, and chugged, and Geoff was starting to feel quite warm and fuzzy indeed as he took a long pull of his stout. Kaspar, remembering through his haze that Geoff had been enthusiastic about the potato jackets, made up one for him as soon as they arrived at the table, the bacon fresh and crisp and the mash still steaming."Four hundred meters indeed," Kaspar said as he passed Geoff the jacket, "and in no time at all. He dove in and poof - suddenly all the way out there."
Jacob blushed slightly as his uncles and father praised him in front of Geoff.McLean's was now packed to capacity and he wondered when that had happened. His vision was starting to get slightly blurry and he needed to take a whiz pretty badly. Don't be the first to break the seal, he told himself.
"Don't mention it to his mother, Mr. Northby," Tom added. "She would kill me."
"Well, I am working under the assumption here that because this is the boys' pub-" began Geoffrey"And no girls allowed!" they interrupted.
"- that whatever happens here...stays here," Geoff finished with a grin.
"Alright, I change my mind," Tom said with a laugh. "You, good sir, are damn good--even for a Brit." "Wow, and it took you a month to say that I was good even for an Irishman," Mark chuckled. He looked at Geoff and asked while drinking his was it sixth? stout, "How did you and Kitara meet, if you don't mind my asking?"
"We met in a teahouse in London. She needed an umbrella," Geoff replied. "Though she'd already gotten one from another man by the time I clued in. But we were heading to the same party later on that night, and I offered her the services of my coach.""And thank you for the compliment," he told Tom before he took another long pull at his stout.
"A teahouse?" Tom snorted. "How boring." "Dad," Jacob chided.
"Well, the party sounds like fun at least," Mark added good naturedly. "And the rest is history like they say."
"Yes, quite," Geoff agreed.Kaspar smiled. He was happy that they'd met in a teahouse and not somewhere else.
After what felt like a few hours and several more Carriage Bombs later, Tom attempted to stand. "I think Northby needs to run that gauntlet now--before I can't see straight anymore.""You already can't, Dad," Jacob laughed. He thought he was going to hurl and the idea of fresh air sounded nice right about now. He, too, pushed back in his seat to stand.
