Barbelith Baristas (short story)

The New Mission was Laura Seabrook's contribution to Jenny Everywhere Day 2022 (though released far in advance). It comprised a narrative prose blurb and a single full-colour illustration.

	Jenny Everywhere
	Professor Cabbage a version of Neeta Octobriana Rabiahona
	Barbelith Baristas, Interstitial City
	1 page
	Laura Seabrook
	Laura Seabrook
	June 19th, 2022
	[1]

Contents

Plot

In the Bohemian District of Interstitial City, a “roving photosec bot” snaps up a picture of the crowd outside the Barbelith Baristas, a popular bar, to be used in a brochure. Front row is Jenny Everywhere holding a “take-away Raktajino” and looking directly at the camera; elsewhere, Professor Cabbage is being served a drink by a WaitBot while enjoying Homunculus Noodles from the nearby Burroughs Cafeteria, a version of Neeta is sitting close to one of the city's sanitation workers, “one of the Octobrianas” is enjoying a jog with “one of the Rabiahonas”, and a tourist who made the mistake of ordering “the house brew” at Kondut's is being tended to by a paramedic.

Worldbuilding

Jenny Everywhere

• Jenny appears in an incarnation with pale, slightly yellowish skin, green eyes, and light brown hair. She wears a gray jacket and a light-cyan scarf, and her long nails are painted to match the latter. The authors of the brochure have also heard her referred to as “Mary” and believe “Jenny Everywhere” to be “her working name”.

Octobriana

• There are apparently multiple Octobrianas in the City as a matter of public record. “One of the Octobrianas” is enjoying a jog with “one of the Rabiahonas”. She is somewhat heavy set, has paler skin than Jenny and curly brown hair. She is wearing surprisingly mundane, sporty clothes, mostly blue with a reddish-pink sweater.

Neeta

• There are apparently multiple Octobrianas in the City as a matter of public record. Neeta appears in a version with the standard look, sitting in front of the Barbelith Baristas.

Other

• Drinks served at the Barbelith Baristas include, in addition to the Raktajino, the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, Brawndo, Shoggoth's Old, Peculiar Ale, Bantha milk, “Cardamom and Melange”, Flaming Moe, and “the Interstitial Special”.
• The brochure includes a warning that “any local Magistrate” of Interstitial City will dismiss attempts at complaints or litigation for harm undergone in the Bohemian District by tourists, who visit only at their own risk.

Behind the scenes

Read online

The story isavailable to read for free on the author's Tumblr blog, on the Jenny Everywhere Day website and on DeviantArt.