Peter Brown- Owner of the historic Jackalope Karaoke Bar and Grill
The Jackalope came very very close to closing down, I know it's pretty surprising considering what a tourist place it is. I was young, not all that bright and had just gotten canned from my old job as a chef at another grill. So I figured I would get an old karaoke system, fix up an abandoned warehouse and I would do all right for myself. I was a Chicago boy so I figured I would serve up some real pizza, some burgers, some hot links, figured I could do good with that kind of setup.
I was wrong, the Jackalope wasn't close to a residential area, and the few truckers who came in every now and then simply weren't enough for us to make it. I was a couple months away from bankruptcy when he walked in. Remember how I said we were an old warehouse? Well the contractor had replaced the truck entrance with these big massive doors, he just came waltzing in, and the bar just freezes. There's this girl next to him, in a full parka and she's almost as big as he is.
I'm going to be honest, I thought about kicking him out or running away, I mean an Endbringer in my goddamned bar, that's pretty horrifying. But at the same time, well my business was sunk anyways, my life was going down the shitter so it didn't really matter, I mean fuck, it was worth it for the story right.
So I ordered my son to get him a table, we didn't have any chairs that would fit him so he gets into a corner and creates this throne to sit in. Looks all fancy and shit, and he takes a seat and one of the wise guys gets a camera because fuck, who's going to believe this, right? Ted, my buddy and DJ for the place sweats but he keeps his cool when the Endbringer brings in his request.
Those of us who are still there realize just how bizarre this all is, an actual Endbringer's about to sing and...he was actually pretty good. He finishes his song and goes back to his table and eats which involves pushing food into that screen he calls a head. We all relaxed after awhile, he wasn't bothering anyone, just eating, singing and having a few non-alcoholic drinks. When he finished, he brought out his wallet and let a good tip for both the DJ and my boy. He left the throne behind, we didn't bother moving it.
Well I figured that was it, the Jackalope would die and I would have a story to tell all my poker buddies. Only it wasn't, you see that tape those wise guys had? Well it went online, went viral as my kid put it. So people figure out where my place is and start having a look around, a few people start asking for the table that had the giant throne. Eventually I get offers by big people businessmen who want to sit in a chair made by an Endbringer.
So that little out of the way table? I started charging people extra to sit in it, and the place gets some customers. Well it turns out that the Jackalope was pretty close to the special district, so all of the PRT agents start turning up at my restaurant. The Endbringer becomes Ironwood and then he becomes Woody, just another one of my regulars. Gets up, sings, has a meal with his girlfriend, who then becomes his wife.
More people started coming, I got to meet the orginal Protectorate capes, got to meet the local capes, the occasional celebrity, Canary walked in one time, point is things changed for the better. As for my opinions on old Woody? He's alright, got himself one hell of a fucked up family but he wasn't hurting nobody. So why did he turn out alright and his family turn out, well like that? Way I figure it, Woody got over himself, his folks never did. He's got himself a full belly, a good woman and a place to live. The others got to keep hiding, guess there's a lesson in that, isn't there?
So the Jackalope's doing fine for itself, and we're starting to grow, I got another restaurant in Washington, I don't know if america can support a Karaoke chain, but I think I have pretty good odds.
