Happy Hour!

[john_not_ronald]

It hasn't been particularly long since John found himself in Milliways last. Only a month or so, but much has happened, and his head is still rather buzzing with it. Wendigo and Shadow-Born, and Jack losing his shadow, and seeing a boy-king claim his heritage, and Jack's fall and redemption.

And coming back to Staffordshire just in time for Edith to tell him that she's expecting (though that's a happiness he'll keep to himself for the time being).

He's a bit surprised to find himself here, really. He'd almost thought that Milliways must be connected to the Archipelago somehow and that he wouldn't find it again until he returned there, and he's pleased to discover that's not the case.

So when he steps up to the bar to order himself a drink and is given a napkin requesting a favor instead, he smiles and asks if there are any instructions, gets pointed in the direction of the Book, and cheerfully takes his place behind the bar, rummaging through said book for a moment before posting the evening's specials.


Specials:

Dragon's Blood

Dragon's Breath

The Army John



After a quick trip to the kitchen, he hastily adds:

Free slice of blueberry pie in exchange for a story about something (or someone) you love


He's rather happy to be home for a while.



[ooc: Closed to new tags, please. Current threads will be moving to slowtime/fade soonish. :)]

Comments

[gorgonfondness]

"Only if you're from the Blue Star."

Alien goes both ways.

[john_not_ronald]

It takes a moment for this to sink in.

"That's...well, that's brilliant!" John says eventually. "And the Blue Star...that must be your name for Earth. Is that what it looks like from up there? A blue star?"

John's from well before space travel.

[gorgonfondness]

Mia's time is both before and after space travel, if that makes any sense. The only time space travel's worked has involved divine intervention.

"That is our name for Earth and it's very beautiful. I prefer that view to the view of Lunar from the Blue Star. All you can see is the cold Frontier, or perhaps that's just how it looked before life was brought to it. My Draco is from the Blue Star and has adjusted to seeing it in the sky."

Meaning the baby's half alien.

[john_not_ronald]

"That's amazing," John says quietly. "Of course, your world may not be the same as mine, but still. It must be a wonderful sight.

"I'll admit, though, I'm rather fond of the moon as it appears from Earth."

[gorgonfondness]

"It is lovely, but if you saw parts of Lunar other than the Frontier, you would understand what I mean."

If he also saw how almost all of Lunar became like the Frontier, he would understand even better.

"The living parts of Lunar look very much like Earth. Forests, oceans, plains, mountains, villages, cities, and people. Humans like me, the beastmen, the tribesmen, the magic race, all there in my home."

[john_not_ronald]

"It sounds marvelous," John says, his voiced tinged with nostalgia.

[gorgonfondness]

She nods, chewing on a bite of pie.

Mia swallows and says, "Don't underestimate how marvelous I find the Blue Star, however. I've visited with my Draco. Oh, you should have seen what I was like when-"

Oh hold it. He can.

"Here, actually. Let me show you."

She gets out a pink compact that looks like a mirror and opens it up. It starts to play a memory, kind of like a television, showing Mia and Draco boarding a train.

It's very apparent from Mia's excitement that she had never seen one before, much less ridden one.

[john_not_ronald]

John laughs. He suspects he had much the same look on his face when he first boarded a dragonship.

"You look as though you quite enjoyed yourself. What is this device, if I might ask? I've never seen anything like it."

[gorgonfondness]

"It's called a rememberizer. Specifically, it's a portable one. Regular ones look like bigger, more ornate mirrors. It takes a touch of magic to actually get them started, but once they are, they can keep and show a person's memories."

[john_not_ronald]

"Fascinating," John says, peering more closely at it. "Jack would love something like that."

[gorgonfondness]

"Jack?"

[john_not_ronald]

John shakes his head as if to indicate it's not important. "A friend of mine," he says. "We share an interest in the fantastic."

[gorgonfondness]

"I see. And I suppose it doesn't get much more fantastic than magic teachers from the Moon."

[john_not_ronald]

John smiles kindly. "Well, it would certainly be high on the list of strange things we've encountered."

[gorgonfondness]

"Good thing I'm used to being strange."

[john_not_ronald]

"I didn't mean it like that at all," John assures her, obviously embarrassed.

[gorgonfondness]

"It's all right," Mia says. "Actually, I like it. It's kind of a good reminder. Draco often tells me that he finds me odd, but that he loves me as I am and would never ask me to change or trade me for anyone else. So I don't mind at all about being strange."

[john_not_ronald]

He nods. "Exactly what I meant. Your Draco sounds like an excellent fellow."

[gorgonfondness]

"You say that because I speak so well of him," she says. "And I do love him so, but I'm not blind to his less than pleasant traits. However, I've come to love many of those so-called flaws, so it's possible for you to be annoyed by something I've come to adore about him."

[john_not_ronald]

"But it's what you think of him that matters," John tells her. "He may be annoying to others, but the fact that he treats you well speaks highly for him."

[gorgonfondness]

"He treats me very well. It's difficult for my family to get close to others because we are the leaders of my city. Most treat me as some unreachable, perfect princess. Draco was never afraid to be my equal."

[john_not_ronald]

John smiles, thinking of Aven and Artus. "That is an admirable and important trait in a marriage."

[gorgonfondness]

"I agree wholeheartedly," she says, finishing off the piece of pie. "We've been happily married four years and both of us, as well as our families, are eager about our first child."

[john_not_ronald]

"You've got a few years on me, then. Edith and I have been married just over a year now."

[gorgonfondness]

"Then you've done the hard part," Mia says reassuringly. "The first year is the toughest."