stay right here and save myself some trouble [open]

[couldusealaugh]

There's a young dark-haired woman surveying the outside of her bar - and, for the most part, she seems to be happy with what she's seeing right now. After the riot, she'd expected, at the very least, graffiti or other forms of vandalism to be decorating the outer shell of Luna. But the metal fence she pulls down at the end of every late night has

Comments

[its_notluck]

It's probably a bad idea to go back to near where the riot had been but she's curious. Also? She's a little bored and there is also the need to get herself back on her feet. Not that she was aware of being off of them but she knew what Aaron and Ruvin meant when they said she needed to find a job. She can't stay mooching off the Conrad and other people, she's not that kind of girl. She's independent or at least she has to be now because she doesn't have her dad or the Petrellis here. She almost wishes she did.

She pauses near a bar, noticing a sign as she tilts her head to the side and then moves forward to enter. Luna is the place but she's never been there. She's new and it probably shows in the wary way she looks around and the clothes that aren't quite the right size for her. They're probably a size too big but her own clothes got wrecked in the rioting.

Taking note of the woman, she moves closer as she wonders if she'll get kicked out. "Hello?"

[couldusealaugh]

Avery already knows the telltale signs of a newcomer. A regular, well, they've got no problem with waltzing in, grabbing a stool and ordering a drink. Newcomers tend to stand around by the door and shuffle some until they start to feel more comfortable, and then they'll actually stop and order.

She takes another sip of wine, looking up at the girl who's just entered, and offers a relatively friendly smile in return.

"Can I help you?"

[its_notluck]

It's only the second time Claire has been in a bar; the first time being the bar in Mexico where she drank a college frat boy under the table to try and win money off of his friends after Nathan passed out after the initial challenge. Not the point though.

She offers a small smile, shrugging. "I'm just looking around." She admits while reaching up to tuck some hair back behind her ears. "Um, do you have any chocolate milk?" Yes, it's a dumb thing to ask in a bar but she misses it right now.

[couldusealaugh]

Avery might be smiling now. It's difficult to tell, but she nods once.

"Just because we're a bar doesn't mean we get into the habit of selling alcohol exclusively," she answers, reaching underneath the bar, where she often keeps milk and ice cream there for the very purpose of making milkshakes.

A large, cold glass of chocolate milk gets placed on the bar in front of Claire.

[its_notluck]

Claire relaxes a little, enough that she actually does smile as she moves over to the bar and finds a place to sit down on one of the stools. "I wasn't really sure. Last bar I was in only seemed to have tequila or something."

She curls her fingers around the milk and then pauses. "Oh, uh, I don't really have any money." She admits, almost sheepish. "Well, I have a couple dollars." She slides her hand into her jean pockets to fish out the little bit of money that she does have.

[couldusealaugh]

"Well, those bars don't know what they're missing out on," she answers, bending over to put the milk back down in the mini-fridge.

There's a moment where her gaze flicks to Claire's pockets, but then she shrugs.

"Your money's no good here," she adds, somewhat teasingly, as she lifts her wineglass to her lips. She can't quite put a finger on it, but there's something she likes about this girl.

[its_notluck]

"Clearly." She smirks briefly, just a passing look of amusement as she nods.

When Avery tells her that her money isn't good there, she blinks as she takes it seriously for a moment. "Seriously?" She looks somewhat dismayed before sighing. "What kind of currency do they take here?" She doesn't know any better because all she knows is that this place is seriously messed up.

[couldusealaugh]

At that, Avery actually chuckles.

"No, no. I just meant it's on me." It's not like chocolate milk is expensive, or difficult to come by or anything like that.

[its_notluck]

And cue the petite blond going beet red.

"Wow, I'm...sorry, I'm not usually this idiotic." She groans a little before managing an awkward laugh, looking down before lifting her glass to take a small sip. Then she looks up. "As you can tell, I'm kind of new to the place."

[couldusealaugh]

Avery waves a dismissive hand at her apology.

"Don't sweat it," she answers. "I could tell, anyway. That you're new. But it's alright - we get a lot of new people coming through here from time to time. This place tends to attract all kinds."

[its_notluck]

A small smile continues to play with her mouth as she glances around, studying the bar. "Seems like a nice place." She turns her attention back to the other woman then and arches a brow curiously.

"How long have you been here?" In the bar and in this place.

[couldusealaugh]

"Owned it myself for about a year," she says, "but I worked here as a bartender for a couple years prior to that."

As for how she wound up here, in Chicago... well, that's a story she's not likely to start telling right off the cuff.

[its_notluck]

"Wow." So she's been here for about three years or so. That doesn't really make Claire feel better but she tries not to focus on it at the moment.

"I need to find a job." She muses, pursing her lips a little before taking a small sip while pausing her side of the conversation. "I have no idea where to look though." Or what to offer considering she's never really worked before, not a legitimate job though.

[couldusealaugh]

"Got a preference as to where?" Avery asks, eyeing Claire over the rim of her wineglass.

"It just so happens I'm looking for a couple hires to take on."

[its_notluck]

"Anywhere that will hire me?" Claire jokes a little but it's the truth. "Only job I've really had is at a comic book store." Where she got hired because she was a girl and the boys had been staring at her.

She lifts her brows in surprise. "Really?" Then she falters. "I'm only eighteen." She could lie and say she was older but she doesn't think she can really pass off for twenty-one. "I turn nineteen this August." If time still runs the same here.

[couldusealaugh]

Avery shrugs one shoulder.

"At least you're eighteen. And you look like you've got a decent head on your shoulders. That's more than I can say for some of the idiots I was stupid enough to hire before."