[ happy hour ]

[almosthonorable]

Ben’s behind the bar tonight; he’s been more coaxed than coerced - as evidenced by the impressive herd of My Little Ponies littering the counter.

Opportunist that he is, he may as well entertain himself while he’s here.

He turns to the specials board, smirking to himself as he scribbles:Name a pony

Comments

[docscurlock]

"...didn't really take you for a rancher, Ben Wade."

Doc busies himself with climbing up onto a barstool (the blue flannel is a bit more modern than Ben might be used to seeing Doc in, but it's warm and that's all that matters) and searching for his cigarettes.

"But I have to say, all the pink hair and glitter seems t'suit you."

[almosthonorable]

Ben doesn't look up from the swizzle-stick corral he is slowly but surely building.

"There's brushes, if you're up to givin' 'em a groom."

[docscurlock]

"Huh. Guess they think of everythin'."

Chest pocket, side pockets, inner pockets. No cigarettes.

Doc scowls as he pats himself down once again, just to be sure.

"You don't gotta feed 'em, do you?"

Plastic carrots and paper hay, he'd assume if you did.

[almosthonorable]

Ben, careful, careful, slides one final stick in place; he glances up with half a grin.

"Compliments, on occasion."

He sweet-talks them into submission, see.

[not_his_pa]

William just wants a coffee, Mark's coughing and neither of them have been sleeping enough and the weather's just cold.

So he almost turns around when he sees behind the Bar and then stares at all the little horses.

[almosthonorable]

Ben puts down a blue pony - maybe he'll call her Periwinkle? - and spots William.

"Your eyes bigger than your thirst tonight?"

[not_his_pa]

"Just wanted a coffee. Why do you have all those toys?"

[almosthonorable]

He reaches for a clean mug, and talks to William over one shoulder.

"For amusement, mostly."

[aimedforthemoon]

"English or Russian?" a certain pilot says, bracing her elbows on the Bar.

[almosthonorable]

Ben glances up, his eyes warming along with his smile.

"For you? Either."

Half a beat.

"Hell, maybe both."

[aimedforthemoon]

"Girl pony or boy?"

[almosthonorable]

Ben selects a particularly chartreuse horse from the makeshift stable, and waggles it for Fira's inspection.

"You tell me."

[hadyougoing]

"Hey!" Ava says brightly, before her attention is diverted rapidly to the ponies and the sign.

Then she just starts snickering.

[almosthonorable]

Ava gets a slow-spreading smile.

"Evenin', Sparkle-head."

He's waiting for the inevitable dig; knowing Ava, whatever's about to come out of her mouth will be gold.

[hadyougoing]

"That's my least favorite nickname," she complains, although: wearing the silver headband.

She glances to the ponies and starts to grin again.

"So, uh, is this a midlife crisis thing for cowboys?"

[almosthonorable]

"Well, that would depend, Little Miss Irony."

He leans one elbow on the bar, forgoing his half-built swizzle-stick stable for the time being.

"What's a mid-life crisis?"

[alotofgood]

James gives a good look at the colourful plastic ponies, wondering why they aren't moving around, or doing much of anything.

Must be a Muggle thing.

"You know," he says to the barkeep, "I've always liked the name 'Elvendork'. You can use it for both a boy or a girl."

[almosthonorable]

"You do get bonus points for bein' original," Ben says, looking up from the Popsicle-stick barn he's currently working on.

"Which one would be Elvendork?"

[alotofgood]

Hmm.

That's a good question.

"That green one, I suppose. With the four-leaf clover on its arse," he says, gesturing.

[almosthonorable]

Ben evaluates the horse in question.

A pause; a nod.

"Good enough, I reckon. Half-off anything you and Elvendork would like."