*Xander walks downstairs with the zombified air of a man in despair. In fact, he is so down that if he were to read the previous sentence, the fact that it rhymes would completely escape him.
He sits down at the bar.*
Bar, buddy? Can I have something severely alcoholic?
*It's funny how learning that Anya's here makes him feel all the anger, guilt, and sadness all over again. He'd always thought that somehow discovering a loophole to Anya's return would make him profoundly ecstatic-- and maybe it still will. But it sure is taking awhile.
He takes a gulp of his drink, winces, and notices a really scary guy sitting next to him. Well, normally he probably wouldn't look scary; a lot of the scariness seems to be in his intense expression.*
He doesn't give a last name or any more detail; he's still looking around the bar. Not for anyone in particular, but just... looking. Taking a long sip of his ale, he turns to the fellow called Xander and sees him for the first time. "From severely alcoholic to cocoa? What kind of night are you having, exactly?"
"Every single day, my love." He grins at her. "No tea tonight? Can I order you a cup, and how have you been, Cally? It's been a while since I last saw you, is everything well?" He glances at her book.
"Tea would be lovely, thank you." She sets her book and notes carefully on the bar top out of her way. "Everything's been going well enough. Just very, very busy." Her brow furrows slightly as she recalls the last few weeks.
"Not nearly busy enough." He grins amiably and orders her a cup of tea with all the fixings on the side, just in case. "I seem to be in the enviable position of having to consistently rescue my youngest brother from mortal peril, but other than that, it's been slow. Not that I'm complaining."
The tea appears, nice and steaming, in front of her; Bill nods to it. "It really is a treat, a good cup of tea. I secretly think one must be British to appreciate it fully."
"Waiting for a woman like you to come along and alleviate the boredom, of course." He gives her an appraising sort of look. "How lovely you look, my dear. Where have you been?"
Bill nods, so very glad for her. "Tell me, Shady. About that lovely smirk gracing your face." He traces the edge of her lip with his fingertip. "Tell me about your friends and your travels, and about what brings you back here so that when the bar finally lets me leave, I can rival those exploits of yours and come back to tell you about them."
Her skin is soft, but he doesn't disturb the sunglasses. They are, after all, shouting image very clearly.
"Ah, lovely. What have you been studying? Fifth year, let's see... dreamless sleep potion? Poisons and antidotes? Surely Snape isn't letting you do anything fun like Skele-Gro, is he?"
He ruffles his sister's hair. "And on a night before an examination, you're at a bar at the end of the universe. I'm not so sure that will make for a good excuse with dear Severus, Ginny. You might want to polish up what you're going to tell him, if anything."
Bill was Prefect and Head Boy, after all; it's a role that's hard to drop sometimes.
Comments 118
He sits down at the bar.*
Bar, buddy? Can I have something severely alcoholic?
*It's funny how learning that Anya's here makes him feel all the anger, guilt, and sadness all over again. He'd always thought that somehow discovering a loophole to Anya's return would make him profoundly ecstatic-- and maybe it still will. But it sure is taking awhile.
He takes a gulp of his drink, winces, and notices a really scary guy sitting next to him. Well, normally he probably wouldn't look scary; a lot of the scariness seems to be in his intense expression.*
You having a bad night, too?
Reply
Not as bad as you make it look.
"Not particularly bad. But if you want something severely alcoholic, I can make a few recommendations for you."
His eyes narrow as he looks around the bar. "Bars are good places to lose yourself."
Reply
Yeah! Sure, losing yourself. I'm all for the losing. *He takes another swig of his beverage, makes a face, and sets it down in frustration.*
Okay, this really isn't working out. I'm going for cocoa.
*The bar complies.*
*patting bar* Thanks, you're a peach. *to Bill* Hey, I'm Xander. Who're you?
Reply
He doesn't give a last name or any more detail; he's still looking around the bar. Not for anyone in particular, but just... looking. Taking a long sip of his ale, he turns to the fellow called Xander and sees him for the first time. "From severely alcoholic to cocoa? What kind of night are you having, exactly?"
Reply
She wanders over. With a giant tome of European history in her arms, along with her notebook, she slips onto the seat next to him and smiles wryly.
"Ever feel you have so much to do that there aren't enough hours in the day?"
Reply
Reading is good. Learning is good.
Reply
"How've you been? Busy but not too busy, I hope."
Reply
The tea appears, nice and steaming, in front of her; Bill nods to it. "It really is a treat, a good cup of tea. I secretly think one must be British to appreciate it fully."
Reply
She's filling out a pair of low-cut leather trousers quite nicely this evening and has even got a nice little tunic to match.
And, of course, her very own pair of shades.
"What's a man like you doing alone in a place like this, hmmm?" she says, slipping onto a stool next to him.
Reply
He's just curious.
Reply
"Oh, here, there, everywhere. I've been making friends, let's say."
She looks particularly satisfied with herself this evening.
Reply
Her skin is soft, but he doesn't disturb the sunglasses. They are, after all, shouting image very clearly.
Reply
"Hello"
Reply
Old joke. She knows it; he knows it. But it doesn't keep him from using it. Bill taps the seat next to him. "Have a seat."
Reply
"Well your favourite sister is dredding going back to school.. because there are Potions test in the morning"
Reply
He ruffles his sister's hair. "And on a night before an examination, you're at a bar at the end of the universe. I'm not so sure that will make for a good excuse with dear Severus, Ginny. You might want to polish up what you're going to tell him, if anything."
Bill was Prefect and Head Boy, after all; it's a role that's hard to drop sometimes.
Reply
Leave a comment