thejameserickson

[thejameserickson]

bennett-miller​:

***

After a long shift, one that had left him at the hospital overnight and well into the morning, all he needed was a drink. He’d had more than enough coffee to get him through it, but nothing felt more refreshing than whiskey on the rocks. He’d already texted Alicia and told her that he was stopping a place on the way home. It was all so much to think about and while he’d enjoyed being back under the same roof as his wife, he needed a moment to himself. It was always one thing after another, his mind never truly shutting off. He couldn’t imagine how her mind was working, but in the moment, he needed to do something for himself. He needed a few minutes to shut off, seeing as in a few months, he wouldn’t get the same chance.

It was only when he walked into a bar that he stopped, watching as the man behind said bar did his own thing before looking shocked. Had he missed something? It was empty, but he could’ve sworn the open signed was flipped and it wasn’t like the doors were locked. “I just walked in a few seconds ago,” he admitted, though it’d been a little longer than that. It was an amusing sight, but he hadn’t mean to intrude. “Really? If I’m being honest, I might be seeing things at this point, but I thought the sign said open. I can leave?” It was a tempting offer, one that Bennett couldn’t really afford to pass up. “Actually, I’ll take you up on that. I don’t even need anything too fancy. Just a whiskey on the rocks. It’s been a long night. Long day? I don’t know. I never really know how quickly the time passes when I’m at work. The hospital apparently runs on a different time thing,” he explained, a little nervous. “Do you usually, uh, put on a show before you start serving?”

“Yeah, the angle of the sun at this time of day makes it look lit. Nah, you’re fine for a little bit, but I can’t promise any additional service beyond the one drink.” He smiled. “Wouldn’t want the bossman to find out I’m just giving out free drinks left and right.” James chuckled. “Come on over.” James pulled out a glass and used some tongs to clink a perfect cube of ice into it. He pulled a bottle and flipped it effortlessly over his wrist to pour. James laughed. “God no. Well, not like that at least. Although...” He flipped the bottle behind his back and over his shoulder before catching it. “I used to flair bartend in college, and kept some of the tricks in my repertoire.”

[thejameserickson]

itsericmitchell​:

“You know me - In the very best mood, as always!”, Eric replied in a dry voice, raising his eyebrows. As his eyes wandered across the boy he had just snapped at again though, he couldn’t help but smirk a little as well as it had probably been pretty obvious that the opposite was the case. Or at least it had been. The amount of customers in here was still somehow annoying but at least the boy had finally managed to find the mute button on his phone. “Won’t say no to that!”, he finally replied before eventually shrugging, “Some people would probably say I’d be better with drunks than kids but… anyway. You wanna eat anything..?”

“Well, as annoying as it can be, it’s still a good thing that business is booming.” He said with his own shrug. Things could always be worse. “Good. Whenever you want to head over. If I’m not around, I’m probably not far away.” James smiled, laughing in response to what Eric had said and then nodding. “Yeah, I could eat. Uhhhhhhhh just a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a Coke. I’ll go simple.”

[thejameserickson]

47/∞ photos of Sebastian Stan just because…

[thejameserickson]

asherfranklin​:

x

“Makes sense.” She shrugged and leaned against the bar. She listened to him talk and smiled a little. “I’m more a vodka girl, but whiskey on the rocks is always good with me too.” Asher admitted to him. “Tell you what, you make me your personal favorite drink and we’ll see how that goes. And if I hate it, I’ll make you make mine.” She smirked and just watched him to see if he’d agree. Though, she was paying for this and he was a bartender, she assumed. So she figured she’d get a drink no matter what. “I’m Asher.”

“Sounds like a plan. Or at least, half a plan. I can make you a nice Old Fashioned, but the staff hasn’t come in yet so most of the bar isn’t ready for anything else. And I can’t drink before a shift.” He winked. “Raincheck?” James started getting everything ready and quickly whipped up the drink with practiced ease. He continued talking as he worked as thought it was as natural as breathing. “Nice to meet you Asher. I’m James. I own the place.”

[thejameserickson]

“I was asking how you’ve been.” James said to the other man with a small smile. James was a couple years younger than Eric, but both had grown up here in town and ran in similar enough circles over the years to be aware of each other. Especially once they both became business owners Downtown. It had been a few weeks since the last time the Whiskey Business owner had come to the diner.  “Next time you’re over, give me a holler, and I’ll give you a drink on the house.” He said, looking over towards the teens. “Thank god I don’t have to deal with kids.....then again, drunks aren’t a whole lot better.”

open starter where: ‘The Hideout’ @providencepeakstarters​

When he had been younger, Eric had never seen himself taking over his parents’ café and diner. He simply wasn’t as likeable as them and definitely not as sociable. His mother had spent hours behind the counter or even at the tables, talking to everyone and still managing to take all the orders. Whereas Eric on the other hand was mostly glad if he was left in peace. Of course, there were times that he had to admit that he had actually grown to like this place, or at least not hate it anymore, but today wasn’t one of those days. “Hey, as much as i’d love to know more about that high score you’re trying to beat, I’m afraid not everybody wants to listen to those sounds of that game..”, he addressed a teenage boy in a pretty sarcastic voice before turning his head towards another costumer who sat at the other side of the counter. “Sorry, what…?”

[thejameserickson]

asherfranklin​:

x

It was probably way too early for her to drink, but hell, she didn’t have a job, didn’t have anyone to answer to, and she was really needing a different place to go to other than the Jagged Yard, so she pulled up to Whiskey Business and walked in. She heard the music going, but didn’t really see anyone so she wasn’t sure if it was open or not. She moved to the bar and saw a guy and listened as he sang and just stood there until he turned and she laughed softly. “Well, the door was open and I wasn’t sure.” She said and pointed behind her. “Now that we can definitely agree too. Though, I don’t think I’ll remember if you keep pouring me drinks.” She said and sat on the stool. “What’s your favorite?”

“Ah yeah. I typically come in through the front unless I have to bring boxes in.” He nodded. James waved towards the stool at the bar in front of him as she walked over and pulled out one of the glasses he’d just wiped down. “Well, I have a lot of favorites. It all depends on the mood and what I’m craving at the moment.” He smiled. “Thought whiskey on the rocks is a classic.” He pointed to the wall of bottles behind him. He had just about every spirit one could ask for.

[thejameserickson]

Location: Whiskey Business Distillery and Bar

Time: Golden Hour

Open: @providencepeakstarters

The golden light filtered in through the half-closed blinds, illuminating the amber liquid of the bottles on the nearest shelf. Soft wistfully romantic music wafted through the air, the sort of songs you’d expect to hear on the soundtrack to a mid 2000′s CW teen supernatural romance show. A gentle longing or soft mystical melody playing low in the empty bar. Edison bulbs hand from the rafters, and everything was a touch of raw. Exposed brick, polished concrete floor, mixed metals, leather armchairs and warm woods. Glasses created pyramids next to half full bottles of various spirits, as a man in a grey button-up and black apron finished drying them. He hummed along absentmindedly to the music playing from his phone on the countertop, as he zenfully prepared for his employees to come in for opening. Placing the last glass and cloth down, James rolled his head side to side and reached behind him for his phone, flicking through the playlist until he finally chose another song. This time, however, as he finished with his prep, he began to sing along, a light sway to his hips whenever he was standing in place. 

“ It's not like you to turn away, From all the bullshit I can't take. It's not like me to walk away. I'm so addicted to All the things you do When you're going down on me In between the sheets. Oh the sounds you make With every breath you take It's unlike anything When you're loving me...” The brunette turned towards the front of the bar and nearly dropped the shaker he was holding, catching sight of an onlooker.

“Shit,” He laughed, startled. “Didn’t know you were there. You do know we’re closed for another 2 hours, right?” James said with a cheeky smile. “But, I’d be willing to mix you a drink right now if you promise to never tell anyone you heard me singing.”

[thejameserickson]

Name: James Erickson

Age: 37

Sign: Leo

Occupation: Owner of Whiskey Business Distillery and Bar

Neighborhood: Downtown

Notable Features: Half-sleeve tattoo on left arm, steampunk/dark academia themed. Pirate ship getting attacked by a Kraken from waist up ribcage on right. 

Talents: flair bartending & mixology. aa few chords on the guitar

Hobbies/Volunteerism: enjoys volunteering at the animal shelter

Pets: a black cat named D'Artagnan (Artie) and a Huskie named Mina

Bio under the cut

TW: cancer, death, depression

James Erickson grew up as the only child of Vanessa and Kevin for nearly ten lonely and pressured years until little Jasper came along. He remembers his early years, even with his brother as a toddler, were filled with incredibly high expectations. Straight As, boy scouts, baseball. He was always hurrying from one club to the next as his mother looked for whatever would stick, as many extra-curriculars that could fit on a page. Guitar lessons, 4H, hell, she even let him take shop class in high school as a last ditch effort. If he couldn’t get into college, he could go into the trades. The only thing she didn’t try to send him to was ballet, though he certainly was sent to a few ballroom classes along the way. It’s not that his parents couldn’t afford to send him – they were decently middle class – his mother was a perfectionist. Growing up in the pageant circuit will do that to a person. The pressure lessened once Jasper was old enough for them to split the torment onto him. The brothers had enough of an age gap that they were civil but not particularly close until the younger was college age himself. His father tempered her controlling nature and made sure his kids actually had fun…even if he had to steal them away for a weekend camping trip to give them a break.

James grew into a man of varied interests, and a collector of hobbies that he would soon quit if he wasn’t perfect right away. A few things did stick though, a love of animals for one, and working with his hands. To this day you can still find him volunteering at the animal shelter and tinkering on his classic car. Although his parents were able to send him to college, James had no idea what he wanted to do when he got there. He’d been exposed in small doses to so many things that there wasn’t a single thing he had enough passion or interest in to want to make a career out of it. He went through his first two years knocking out his pre-reqs for a major he still hadn’t chosen yet and took a part time job at a bar. It was the typical student hang out most of the week – students getting trashed when they had class in the morning was always one thing that confused the hell out of him. But on weekends, that’s when the bar really came to life. Not only was it always packed with the usuals you’d see – sorority girls in impossibly tiny skirts, guys wearing the same 3 shirts in different colors thinking they were going to get lucky, the poor friend there as a DD who’d take care of the ones drunk off their ass – but it was always themed. And not only that, they had a mixologist come in and teach the bartenders new specialty drinks. The experts were always passionate and James saw how making drinks could be a science, a culinary art of sorts. It was an extra bonus when the flair bartender would come in and teach them tricks. James finally found something he really loved and began taking classes in business with plans to open his own brewery or distillery and make unique and unusual drinks that everyone would rave about. His mother wasn’t super thrilled with his plans, but was just glad he picked something at that point.

James was finished with his MBA and in the process of building his business where he had moved to for school when he got the call about Jasper’s diagnosis. It shook his world to its core. James packed everything up and moved back home to help out. He was worried and a bit upset at his brother’s decision to travel the world instead of stay where he could get the best medical attention, but didn’t want to spend the last of their time together upset. James even paid or an international calling plan for Jasper and his new wife to stay in touch with them. He was, of course, a wreck when Jasper died. James had to hold it together and mourn in private – he was the only one who was keeping the family together in such a trying time. It spiraled James into a deep depression until he sought help. A year after Jasper’s death, James finally opened his distillery and bar, Whiskey Business. His signature brand is called Jasper’s.