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It's early evening at the Cigar Factory on a relatively quiet Thursday night. The usual crowd doesn't start to show up till much later in the evening, so Luke is busy at the bar dealing with the odd jobs that occur when one owns and operates the bar. Apparently, it is time to change out the kegs as Luke wanders though the room with a keg over each shoulder, whistling what sounds to be a Beatles tune as he makes his way around the counter.
The door opens, and in steps… well, if Medusa went to Catholic School, it would look remarkably similar to Delphyne. The young woman looks around curiously, then makes her way towards the bar, taking a seat there. Her yellow eyes scan the bottles behind the bar, head tilting a little bit as she attempts to decipher what all the liquors are. Currently, her snakes are bound back behind her with a scrunchie, a faint hissing occasionally coming from them.
Bobbi had been at the bar, black heeled boots, a pair of cherry red pants and a black turtle-neck shirt completed the look with a jean jacket. She had been quietly sitting there, sipping at a drink slowly, as she read over a newspaper. She didn't look in too much a hurry to get another drink, or to do much socializing. The blonde had been there before, and had found the bar to be at least amusing.
Her gaze lifting up to Luke as the man walked by with a whistle. She smirked faintly, picking up her drink and swirling the contents around idly.
Thea has gotten off a shift at the free clinic, and changed out of her nursing gear for something more fun. A rusty red short skirt with a deep brown blouse, blonde hair brushed loose and a pair of killer high heels. She's even humming as she heads into the bar, but that may be joy in the anticipation of booze. She's been here before, and well, anywhere good enough for certain ladies of her acquaintance was good enough for her. There's even a beaming smile for the bartender. It's hard to forget that one.
Stopping in his tracks as he sees the literal embodiment of Medusa walk into his bar, Luke eyes the Gorgon for a moment before shrugging his shoulder and continuing forward behind the bar. He sets down the pair of kegs with a heavy sounding *THUD* and turns his attention to her. "Evening, miss. What can I get for you?" He pauses, "And does your hair need some water or anything?"
Checking over Delphyne's shoulder he check to see how Bobbi's drink is, making a note to make a refresher for her on his next run past her table, and then turns to Thea as she walks in, returning her smile. "Hello again. What can I get for you tonight? Was it a martini last time, or was it the white wine?"
Delphyne grins at Luke, "Ah, hrm. I'm not sure, exactly. I haven't been to a bar before. Well, not like this anyway. Normally I prefer wine, but this seems like a place to have something a little different." At the question about her snakes, she laughs, "No, it doesn't quite work that way, they'll be fine." There's a sudden indignant hiss from behind her, and she adds, "… though they might be cranky at being tied back."
Thea moves to slide up onto a stool at the bar with only a momentary wary glance at the hissing. Luke gets a wide, bright grin. "Neither. I'll have a brandy, if you've got a decent one." There's even a wink, before she glances at Bobbi and then around. There may be a mental note of doors and exits and the like, before her hand rests on the bar.
"Well, I have wine if you want wine. If you want to try something different, I can offer just about anything. I just need to know what you like and I might be able to make a suggestion." Luke says as he picks up a towel from behind the bar and wipes down the area in front of Delphyne. At the hiss, Luke's eyes flick back to the hair and shrugs a shoulder. "I would probably be cranky to if I was tied up like that."
"What if I don't have a decent one?" asks Luke to Thea, grinning as he pulls a glass from the rack behind him and then searches for a bottle on the shelves. Finding what he is looking for, Luke pours a nice amount of the dark amber liquid into the snifter glass before setting it down in front of Thea. "Hopefully this will be ok for your palate."
Thea smirks at Luke. "I suppose I'd have to try it to know. Then I can look for something else I like." There's a grin, and money slid up on the bar. "I'm sure it will be fine."
Delphyne laughs very softly, her accent deep and sounding vaguely Greek, but a little different, "Ah hmmm. Something with a bit of a smoky flavor, perhaps? I admit I'm not that familiar with the whiskey and such of this land." She shrugs a bit, "I don't wish to frighten people too much if I have them loose. Not that there's any danger, but you couldn't tell them that. Frankly, most think that I can turn them to stone with a look." She looks mildly amused at the notion.
Luke Cage nods to Deplhyne and snatches up a tumbler from under the bar. He reaches behind him and picks up a bottle from the shelf, uncapping it and pouring a couple of fingers of scotch into the glass before sliding it in front of her. "Try that, see how you like it." He pauses, putting the bottle back, "This land? Where are you from?"
He looks over to Thea and grins. "Well, hopefully it is." he says, collecting the money from the bar and moving it over to the till. "If not, we will find something else for you." He takes the change, and slides it onto the bar in front of Thea.
Thea side-eyes the woman again, that accent making her ears perk. "I don't think they carry Mextaxa or Tentura, here, though there are some nice import places that carry very nice brands." She says lightly, a hand through her hair before she picks up the brandy to sip at, watching Luke with mischief in her eyes as she sips at brandy. She will turn and regard Delphyne, brandy glass held by fingertips. She's rather curious herself, after hearing the accent.
Delphyne grins at Luke, "We like to call it Paradise Island. It's a rather nice place, though sadly, no men allowed." She gets a bit of a cheeky look as she regards Luke, "There are some times where that's too bad, but occasionally we like to scout out what's happening in the outside world." Is she being serious or not, it's hard to tell…
Luke Cage chuckles, leaning back against the counter and folding his arms over his chest. "Paradise Island? Your telling me that you come from an island, that has no men on it. Hell, sounds like a paradise to me." He winks at the Gorgon before looking over at Thea, "Are those brands I should carry? I don't have many 'specialty' names, since most of my clientele won't pay for it. Though I have had a few more upper crust types in here recently, so maybe I should expand."
Brown eyes shift back to Luke, a soft hint of a smile. "They're types of liquer, not brands, that are native to Greece. They're delicious, but possibly not for the masses. I'm not sure what the best brands are for your bottom line and or clientele." There's a shrug. "Maybe I'll bring you a bottle, just to let you taste."
Delphyne chuckles. "Most men would say that." She leaves it at that, then hmmms, "I'm a little familiar with ouzo, but that's mainly from seeing it at restaurants here in New York."
Luke Cage laughs, "Yeah, yeah I bet they would. I've become a cliche." He grins, turning to Thea, "Well, that right there explains why I don't carry it. I'd never heard of them. Hell, with a name like Mextaxa I would have thought they might have been tequilas." He looks at the clock on the wall and lets out a little sigh. "Well, you will have to excuse me ladies. I need to take care of something in the back. If you need anything, holler and either I or Roy will help you out." Luke starts to walk around the bar, calling out into the back, "Roy? Need you in the front, man."
"Thank the heavens, no. I prefer the tentura for the clove and cinnamon flavors, myself." She watchs Del curiously. "Ouzo is.. well, it's more for an old man sort of thing. But I am not a huge fan of the anise flavors." She'll waggle her fingers in farewell at Luke, before sipping more brandy.
Delphyne hmms, "Well, we don't have old men where I'm from." She grins a bit slyly at that, "Though I will try this bourbon. That sounds interesting to me." She nods towards Roy, placing money on the counter, "On the… rocks, I believe you would say?"
"Trust me. I'm well versed in the drinks of old men. My grandfather used to like me to be around for their after dinner drinks and cigars." She smiles, swirling the brandy in her glass. "Bourbon is nice. Vodka is another choice with less… flavor."
Delphyne chuckles, "Well, that doesn't sound like it's very fun." She takes the bourbon on ice, and looks over at Thea with a curious glance, "Delphyne." And with that, she raises a glass in a bit of a toast, then takes a sip. She blinks, then hmms, "Interesting."
"I love my grandfather, and I learned a lot, actually." There's a wicked little grin. "And they liked to tip me for pouring their drinks." There'sa little chuckle. "Thea." She will return the toast. "There's a lot of interesting liquors."
Delphyne hmms, "Well, as I said, we don't really have much experience with that. A little bit of brewing takes place on the island, but we mostly focus on wine." She tilts her head, regarding Thea, "A good name, that."
There's a lift of her eyebrows. "It's not my full name, of course. I was named Althea, after my great-grandmother. And there's nothing like Greek wine, to be sure. Or.. Paradise Island wine, yes?"
Delphyne laughs softly, "Close enough to Greek, really. It's a bit of a long story." She hmms, "Or well, maybe not so long. But it's definitely been… educational, spending time here."
"Your accent hinted at Greece, hence my suggestion of Mextaxa." Thea confesses, another small sip of the brandy. "Gorgons are famed in Greece, is it so long a story?"
Delphyne hmms, "Well, you know that Medusa was slain by Perseus… and she had two sisters. The two sisters sought shelter with the Amazons, and I am one of their descendants." She grins a little wryly, "Althea, daughter of Thestius and Eurythemis, sister to Leda and wife of Oeneus, the king of Calydon."
"Interesting family history, seeking shelter with the Amazons. The whole no men on your island thing makes sense now." There's a tilt of her head at the Mythology reference. "Supposedly a mother of two children by gods and not her husband, and the murderer, according to some, of her son." There's a smirk there. "Alas, I am no queen. I am, however, a healer."
Delphyne finishes her drink, then nods, "Ah, a healer. An honored profession." She smiles, "I am simply a warrior. Though currently, in this world, I work as a detective." She mmms, "Interesting drink. I shall have to come back to try some other ones. Good evening, Althea." And with that, the gorgon gracefully walks out of the bar.