(Untitled)

[themanclion]

He will never understand this place. Time moves in ways it bloody well shouldn't. It's only been twenty minutes since he was last here, only now it appears to be Christmas, if the decorations are to be believed.

He walks to the bar. 'You're tryin' to tell me somethin', aren't you?'

There is no reply. He waits a moment, then sighs. A pint appears.

'

Comments

[themanclion]

He opens his mouth. Then closes it again.

'...what?'

[themanclion]

His eyes cut left. Then right.

He doesn't think Bar would suddenly develop a voice - particularly a male one - but what does he know, really, about magic bars?

'...who'm I talkin' to?'

[sunbaked_baker]

There's a baker carrying a tray of cinnamon rolls out to be sold.

It's nearly solstice, and Rae is trying to save up some money for gifts and things, but that doesn't mean she can't offer a cinnamon roll when someone is looking like they're dreading something.

She sets one of the cinnamon rolls on a small plate and scoots it over the bar towards Gene. "Everything all right?"

[themanclion]

He looks at it and frowns, like he's trying to place something.

Then he smiles, just a little bit.

'Bloody 'ell. Been a few years since I saw one of them.'

He takes a long drag on his cigarette, and glances up to see her.

'Alright, luv? How are ya?'

[sunbaked_baker]

There are a few new, un-baker-like scars on her shoulders and arms, but nothing major and nothing that hasn't healed already.

"I'm all right," she replies with a smile. "What about you? I don't know how long it's been for you, but it's been about half a year for me."

[themanclion]

'Longer than that, for me.'

He scoops up a bit of the icing with his finger, and licks it. Still promises to taste like heaven.

'Ten years, give or take.'

He thinks the two questions about whether he's all right should answer themselves. He's here, and breathing. By default, he must surely be all right. He's not going to complain about anything else, no matter how he feels.

'These still look good. Nice t'see you haven' lost your touch.'

[areyoumyjolly]

There is a slightly airy blonde in a chair by the fireplace. She is wearing a flimsy dress, thick socks, and a large blanket around her shoulders. She's nursing a thick mug that contains seriously spiked tea, from the smell.

Her eyes are calm and in human as she looks at Gene, her attention drawn by his muttering.

[themanclion]

He catches her eye eventually, on one of his glances up at the room at large. She's hard not to notice, wrapped up like that. And being a bit tasty, of course, though that's the last sort of thing on his mind at the moment. Especially as she doesn't look exactly...right.

He nods at her as he pulls on his cigarette, looking back at her calmly enough.

[areyoumyjolly]

She smiles at him, watching his cigarette. It smells a bit like the pipes some sailors smoke. Perhaps this man is a sailor?

She tilts her head.

[themanclion]

He frowns.

She doesn't look right at all.

'What?'

[guppy_sandhu]

"Beer..." a small person says, appearing on the next barstool, "Is... oringe."

"Hey Gene." Guppy sits nearby.

[themanclion]

'No, it isn',' he says, automatically. And then nods at Guppy.

'Alrigh'?'

[guppy_sandhu]

"What colour is it then?" Fry asks, tapping at the glass, then following the condensation down with his finger.

"Yeah thanks, you?" Guppy asks. He peers at him closely. "You from the future, or just hung over?"

[themanclion]

'It's beer-coloured.'

Anyone can see that.

Guppy gets half a smile for that one.

'I suppose you'd say from the future, yeah.'

Even though it's Guppy's past. Mind you, there's something reassuring about hearing the 70s version of him is seen as the default one, here. Like his real self is still out there, preserved, and not...what he is now. Whatever that is.

[lady_bols]

Even though she's had a meal and a bit of a kip, she's still feeling out-of-sorts, like her limbs are still getting used to taking instruction from her brain.

And he left her sitting in the cab while he ducked into the off-licence. He said he'd be right back. That was ten minutes ago.

Which is why she's sighing and pushing herself out of the Quattro's bucket seat. She barely notices the little swoop and dive her stomach does as she crosses the threshold.

"What the -- "

She's standing just inside the front door, back in her hearts-and-rainbows jammies, holding a white teddy bear wearing a santa hat. As if she hadn't only just left this place not twenty minutes ago, leaning heavily on his arm.

"Bloody hell."

[themanclion]

Well. That cheers him up a bit.

'Looks like I'm not the only one she's tryin' to say somethin' to.'

'Nice jim-jams.'

[lady_bols]

"Gene."

This is clearly his fault, somehow.

"It's not funny."

Her lips twitch. Okay, it's a little funny.

"You're buying me hot chocolate. With a peppermint stick in."

[themanclion]

'The Gene Genie does not buy cocoa in a pub.'

The still way he's sitting, and eyeing her, suggests that exactly the opposite is about to occur.

'...you 'eard the lady.'

One hot chocolate, with a peppermint stick. He does not look at it. Or her.