An Aussie in a Strange Land

[Hopperdoggy]

OOC I'm new to this, but I'll give it a go and if anyone has any advice please feel free to hit me. Cheers, D

OOC: My name is Brad Finch. I'm an Australian backpacker, formerly a sheep shearer but looking for some excitement travelling through the U.S of A. Feel free to make your own character and join in all. I'm rough as guts with little etiquette and less education, but a heart of gold and naivette to match it. Lets see how I fare in NYC.

IC:
I'd never seen anything quite like this bloody place. The biggest town I ever saw before this was Sydney on my way to my flight here, and that place is only 3 million people. Nothing like my home town of Cunamulla in Western Queensland. Sure I'd seen bits of New York in the movies on my bosses' old beat up VCR but nothing would have prepared me for this.

The locals were jumpier than a starled mob of 'roos and there didn't seem to be a pub within cooey that served a bottle of XXXX or VB, just Budweiser, Millers and Coors. I stopped on a corner in down-town Manhatten and caught a glimpse of myself in a shop window. I had a firm well-built body, 2 inches over 6 feet and not an ounce of fat on it. My short light-brown hair had been somewhat bleached by hours of work in the sun.

"Yep" I thought to myself, "If I can't find me a decent Sheila in this monster town, I oughta be sent back to shearing sheep forever!"

I turned around at the sound of a car horn and noticed a yellow cab swerving to avoid a couple of drunks staggering out of a pub across the street. One of the old dodderers gave the finger to the back of the disappearing cab and said something that sounded pretty bloody close to "get fucked buddy".

I looked up at the sign above the pub. It read "McCafferties Irish Bar" and I caught the sound of singing and Irish music above the noises of the passing traffic before its front door swung closed.

I smiled to myself and nodded. That's where any good Aussie should start his journey. The pub. I found a small space in the traffic and jogged across the road with a wee jingle in my throat.

"This place might not be so bad after all." I thought to myself as I pulled open the door to "McCafferties".

and then...............

Bonza Love

 

[Maid of Marvels]

Neely MacRoth

Still single at 26 and not looking, Neely MacRoth enjoyed life and all it had to offer. In her spare time, she dabbled at writing short stories and even some poetry. One of these days she was going to be published. One of these days. In the meantime, she was tending bar at McCafferties -- it paid the bills and she liked it that way.

Neely was sort of a fixture at the pub. She'd been tending bar here for a while now... since her split with Vinnie. She knew everyone and everything and if you were looking for something, she knew just where to get it.

It was still early but she busied herself behind the bar, topping off the bottles and stocking up for the evening rush. The jukebox was blasting "Hotel California" in the background. Yup. She was going to make it to San Francisco one of these days, too. It was one of the things that kept her going on a bad day.

Her eyes wandered over the tousle-haired man who had just walked into McCafferties and was approaching the bar. He was lean looking and handsome in a rugged sort of way. Neely couldn't help wondering what he did for a living. He wasn't a 'suit' so that left a lot of things.

"Take a load off and I'll get you a drink. Whatcha havin'?" she greeted him with a smoky chuckle. "And how bout one of Mac's special burgers -- they're to die for."

He looked like he couldn't make up his mind so she grabbed a bottle of Guinness, opened it and set it on the bar and set an empty glass, though he didn't look like the type who'd need one. Neely snuck furtive glances at him while she wiped the bar down.

His hands looked strong, with long slender fingers that almost caressed the bottle he held. She wished he would look up so that she might see his eyes. Hands and eyes. Neely didn't know why, but they were the first things that drew her whenever she looked at someone. Enough Neely you have work to do, she chastised herself.

"So.. what's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" She finally asked -- her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. It almost always did.