(no subject)

[tobeclosetohim]

It's been a while. Months.

But there's a blonde behind the bar.
Wiping down, humming South of Heaven.
The sign is hanging off to one side of her.

Happy Hour

Fallen Angel
Head Hunter
Rebel Yell

1/2 off your drink if you donate
to the Milli-Kids Fund for Christmas

Comments

[crabbycustomer]

A grey, horned adolescent mumps his way up to the bar, trailed by a laptop on six spindly mechanical legs. He stares officiously at the board, then asks, "WHAT KID FUND?"

[tobeclosetohim]

The laptop gets a longer look than the kid.
Though both say that wasn't a greeting.



"There's a fund for all unattched and underaged minors for their food and rooms."

[crabbycustomer]

He frowns about that. "HOW YOUNG DO HUMANS CONSIDER TO BE MINORS?"

[tobeclosetohim]

"Bar doesn't work like that."
Jo set her hands on the wood.


"However young is too young for each world."

He'd definitely count, even not knowing his kind.

[crabbycustomer]

He makes a noise; sort of an irritated sucking between his teeth. "OKAY, WELL, THAT COUNTS US OUT."

[tobeclosetohim]

"You count as an adult where you come from?"

There's the calm, unbiased question alone in it.
Jo has a whole lot of things in her years here.

[crabbycustomer]

"NO, BUT WE ARE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE ON OUR OWN BY NOW," he says. "ACTUALLY IF WE WERE ADULTS WE WOULD BE DRAFTED AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PAYING FOR EVERYTHING."

"WE WILL PROBABLY BE FINE, BUT ONE OF MY FRIENDS IS DEAD AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG SHE WILL NEED TO BE HERE. AND SHE DID NOT SPEND AS MUCH TIME STOCKPILING USELESS GAME CURRENCY AS SOME OF US."

[sees_them_too]

Luna reads the sign as she takes a seat at the bar, and begins to fish through the pockets of her school robe. And then through her book bag. Assorted objects are deposited in two piles on the Bar as she searches.

One is usual Hogwarts student flotsam and jetsam. Quills, rolls of parchment, a chocolate frog in the packaging, an interesting owl feather she picked up outside, two spare phials, a bottle of ink, a stray Every-Flavor Bean, the current edition of the Quibbler....

The other pile is smaller, and is made up of odd-looking coins. A silver sickle and eight bronze knuts. These, Luna pushes across to the bartender.

"You can have these," she offers. "For your fund?"

[tobeclosetohim]

That's quite a number of piles.
Jo is trying not to smile already.



"It's not usually kids donating in."

Especially ones young enough to be on it.

[sees_them_too]

Luna smiles a little sheepishly and shrugs.

"I suppose not," she agrees. Just going by the way it's worded.

"But I can give it."

The Lovegoods, while they don't live in what anyone would call opulent splendor, are actually reasonably well off. There's just Luna and Dad, after all, and Dad's magazine is pretty popular even among those who scoff at it. The fact that the house is perpetually untidy, that Dad likes to pick up second-hand odds and ends, and that Luna likes to take a hand in making her own clothes and jewelry is more a matter of personality than finances.

"If it's all right."

"Is it for presents? For Christmas?"

[tobeclosetohim]

Jo rummaged under her counter. Ducking down.
Then came back up. Plopping a mason jar down.


Best thing in the world for spare change. (Or tips.)


"It's for everything. The fund actually exists all year round. But at Christmas, it goes toward more seasons things. Food and winter clothes still. Gifts to and from people. Equipment for playing outside."

[sees_them_too]

"That's nice of Bar."

Luna scoops up the handful of coins and drops them into the jar.

"Winter clothes are especially important."

This view is somewhat biased by the fact that she goes to school in the Scottish highlands. Winters there are a dark, cold business.

"Although, so are sleds."

[tobeclosetohim]

"I'd have to agree. I always liked winter."


Something about biting cold in your skin.

The way snow chased people inside as much as out.



"Can I get a drink for you, while you're here, too?"

[gavemea_45]

"... you've got to be kidding."

Sam's staring at the specials sign.

[tobeclosetohim]

Hey. Looky, there. Familiar face.

Jo stopped drying a glass in her hand.
Eyebrows up. Mouth quirking at the edges.



Looking over at the sign. "Which part?"

[gavemea_45]

He eyes her.

"Pick one."


Dryly. A beat.


"Hey, Jo. How's it going?"

[tobeclosetohim]

"I did." Jo snorts. "Three, in fact."

Which were amusing. But not noteworthy.
At least they weren't noteworthy to her.



She set the glass down. Next to others before it.

"Still walking and talking, so I take it for a good day."
She's found out enough what a bad one can look like.



"How are you?" Beat. "'n Dean?" Because, really?

Matched sets were matched sets. You got one with the other.

[gavemea_45]

"Pretty much," he agrees, and doesn't allow himself to think about the times when neither he nor Dean had been walking or talking... and what that had led to.


"We're fine. Doing the job. You know."

Sam wanders closer, gives the specials board another dubious look, and then finally manages a smile for Jo.

"How about you?"

[tobeclosetohim]

"Same. Just finished up in Albion."



Since he keeps looking at her sign, she can't help herself.
"Did you want a drink? Or just to make faces at them?"

[mnt_mike]

Mike ambles by and just happens to see the Happy Hour sign.

"Awww bless," he says before turning on a dime and hopping up onto a bar stool.

"So I've got to know, how many people have asked what the kids' fund is?"

[tobeclosetohim]

"Almost every single one."

Jo shrugged. A what can you do.
But there was a smile attached.


"But we got a good turn out so far, too."

"People like the concept. And kids."

[mnt_mike]

"It's a special kind of no-good-nik that doesn't want to give money so that someone other than them can care for kids."

[tobeclosetohim]

Jo put a hand to her heart. Fingers splayed.



"And no one here would ever take advantage of that."

[mnt_mike]

"Oh no, never."

And so long as you don't look into his eyes, he almost sounds sincere.

"A'right," he says knocking on Bar's top. "Tell me a story. What've you been up to? Fact or fiction. Go."

[tobeclosetohim]

"I--" Jo tilted her head. Copper eyes on the ceiling.

"Found a new town. Took up with a run away circus performer hunk."

"We're keeping an elephant in the main room, and we ride it at dawn everyday."