Happy Hour

[flickedmethevs]

This place.

Every time it shows up, Ray feels a bit nervous. Last time it were dreams. Before that, he got turned into a bird. It's no wonder, then, that he looks suspicious when he approaches the bar

Comments

[not_his_pa]

William is tired and glad to see the Bar and heads to the counter to get some coffee.

When he sees the specials' board, he swallows and tries to figure out what's worth asking for, "Sir, could I get some coffee with whiskey in it?"

[flickedmethevs]

Oh. It's the lad with the head trauma. Well -- being fair and all, Ray supposes he actually is some sort of cowboy.

"Coffee?"

Bollocks.

"Yeah, all right. Start with th' whiskey?" Might take a while for him to locate the percolator.

[not_his_pa]

"That's fine, sir," He remembers Ray, he seemed determined to not believe that Milliways worked how it did.

[flickedmethevs]

Being turned into a bird has a way of changing a bloke's mind.

He manages to flip the almanac shut in the most put out way possible, and fills a glass with whiskey. "Been out rustling cattle?"

[not_his_pa]

"No, sir, fixin' fence posts. I ain't a thief."

[flickedmethevs]

"Yeah, but isn't tha' what all you western blokes do?"

He smirks around his cigarette, and starts looking around for the coffee. Bloody hell, it's like some sort of spaceship behind the bar. How's he supposed to work this stuff?

[not_his_pa]

"No, it ain't. Rustlin' means stealin' cattle. I work our herd, but that ain't the same. Coffee's in that pot and there's some fresh made,"

At least he didn't ask if William was an outlaw, that's a small mercy.

[flickedmethevs]

They're riding on small mercies tonight. At least the daft tart put coffee on before she buggered off wherever it is magical bars get off to. He hunts out a mug, and sees about freeing the pot from the plastic cage it's in.

"Doesn't sound like it'd make much of a picture." The most Ray knows of the American West is what he sees at the cinema. "I figured all you lot wear hats an' boots, shoot guns, and ride off into th' sunset."

[not_his_pa]

"No, it wouldn't. I've been in some things that'd fit in a dime novel but ain't happy about 'em,"

Outlaws with fancy reputations and guns got his father killed.

[flickedmethevs]

"Suppose that'd make you th' victim, then."

Usually it's an old widower, or some tasty bit.

He sets the mug down in front of William. "Black or white?"

[not_his_pa]

William turns his coffee mug a few times before he answers,

"Ain't that simple and I guess white. Black and white hats don't make much sense how I know them. Seems to be somethin' you modern folks decided we had."

[flickedmethevs]

...

He chuckles, and thinks about stubbing his fag out on the bar but (wisely) decides to reach the extra foot to an ashtray. "I meant for your coffee, mate."

He knows what the lad's on about, though. He isn't as big a fan of westerns as the Guv (he rather likes science fiction more), but he's seen them all.

He plunks down a creamer of milk, and gives William a hard look. He nods, once. Knowing the lad's a white hat gets nothing but Ray's approval.

[not_his_pa]

"Oh, don't need anythin' in it, sir,"

Milk and sugar are best used for other things.

[flickedmethevs]

"OK."

He flips open the almanac again, and shrugs. "You can call me Ray an' all. Or DS Carling."

[not_his_pa]

"What's the DS stand for?" All the titles for lawmen in the future are confusing.