Happy Hour!

[presspasskey]

When Lois walks in, she looks a little frazzled--but she's smiling. The last few days have sucked on an epic level, but at least she had a great homemade dinner, and at least she's not kicked out of the house.

Even if she's still sneezing off the residue of Shelby jumping all over her.

So when she sits down at the Bar and orders some orange juice, she is quite surprised to get a little napkin. Frowning at it, she tilts her head. "Really? Sure, I've done it before. I just thought--" Another napkin. and Lois grins.

"Okay, now we're talking!"

Today's Specials:
Harpoon India Pale Ale
Screwdriver
Tequila Sunrise
Cocktail made to order

With a satisfied look, Lois brushes chalk off her hands. "Happy Hour is a go, everyone!" she calls

About fifteen minutes after the shift starts, though, another line appears beneath the specials:

Half-off for buying the bartender a drink.

Tiny tag: Lois Lane

Comments

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Tequila, Ellen knows. Corazon drinks it, and it's strong. The rest of the options... not so much, except for the ale thing.

"Can I have the Harpoon one, please?" she says. "And, um, I guess one of whatever it is you'd like, I don't see why not."

[presspasskey]

"One IPA, coming right up," Lois says cheerfully. "And thanks, that's half off."

Lois grabs an IPA of her own as she slides one across the table. This is the best. Sure, technically she could probably grab her own drink now that the Bar's asleep--but it's so much better if she's just being polite and not refusing a kind offer!

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Thank you," says Ellen, and starts counting out a number of bottlecaps with the edges crimped under. "This is how much I normally pay around here for beer, so... hopefully that's enough for the evening?"

[presspasskey]

Lois blinks for a moment. Well, some places apparently have aliens, or magic, and she's got meteor freaks and stereotypical farm boys in plaid and international criminals for family.

"Sure, if the Bar takes it then it's all good." And she'll let the crazy thing handle the conversion.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "She always does. Although it's just weird how she seems to charge the same here for the really good beers as she does for the horrible old skunked stuff back home," she says. "I'm not going to argue, though."

[presspasskey]

Lois snorts. "It--she--is a sentient piece of furniture, apparently somehow connecting to different universes. She can charge whatever she likes--she can probably afford it. I bet import costs are nil."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I've always wondered about that, honestly," says Ellen. "Even if she's connecting to other universes, where is she teleporting the supplies in from, and how is she handling the exchange? Someone's got to be getting very weird payment statements, somewhere out there."

[presspasskey]

Lois laughs and takes a swig of her beer. "That is paperwork I never want to see," she agrees. "I don't like it as it is, but... ugh. Interdimensional bureaucracy, it sounds worse than a horror movie."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"No kidding," says Ellen. "I'm pretty sure Project Purity has one Scribe on duty whose only job is to complain about the paperwork so the others can get on with actually doing it."

(She's not very fond of Bigsley.)

"Do you have to deal with that kind of thing much at home?"

[presspasskey]

"Thank god, no--though that sounds like a good idea. If only one person complaining would make up for the pain."

She shakes her head. "I just remember all the stupid forms to go to Met U. Might as well count as a major."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen blinks blankly at that. Eventually she says, "I didn't realize you were in the military. At least, I'm guessing that's what you're talking about?"

[presspasskey]

Lois blinks. "Er, well, no. The General might have liked it, but no. Major, as in course of study at college?"

Sometimes this place confuses her.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

".... oh," says Ellen. "Um. Okay. I- we don't really have those where I'm from, I'm sorry. The reference kind of went over my head."

[presspasskey]

"You don't have colleges?" Lois thinks about this. "Well, I guess not everywhere would. Not sure if I envy you that or not."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I know there's some kind of an Institute up north somewhere," Ellen says, "but other than one scientist who was chasing his prototype android I don't know anybody who's ever set foot there. You're a student, then?"

[presspasskey]

"I was. I kinda got kicked out." Oops.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh dear." Ellen winces. "I'm sorry to hear that- my name's Ellen, by the way."

[presspasskey]

"Lois Lane." Hey, if she doesn't react, then one without expectations--and if she does, might as well get that over with.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "It's good to meet you," she says, and no, there's no reaction to the name. "Have you been coming here very long? I don't think I've seen you before."

[presspasskey]

"Not too long," Lois admits. "Though I think it's been longer for me than for this place, if I'm tracking the dates they keep around here right. It's been most of this last six months or so."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I honestly don't know how the calendar here relates to anything else," Ellen admits. "I've been here for at least two or three celebrations of the same annual holiday, but it's barely been a year on my side of the door. It's weird."

[presspasskey]

"...Very weird. I can count on it showing up once every month, maybe two--and sometimes a few times a month." She's not sure why, and honestly she wouldn't mind a little more consistency.

This place is nice, after all--miles better than the freaking Talon.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I mostly come here on purpose," Ellen admits. "The saloon back home hasn't got much of a selection, and there's a lot of people here I would never have met otherwise. It's just weird to know the calendar is skipping and hopping all over the place."

[presspasskey]

"I'd come here on purpose if it turned up more," Lois agrees. "Since I got punted from Met U all I've got with any regularity--without driving for ages to get to Metropolis--is a coffee shop. And... okay, it's got great coffee, but a little variety is nice."

Also, Lois can take only so much melodrama.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I can understand that," Ellen agrees. "I grew up in a pretty small community. Sooner or later, you kind of want something other than the same diner as the last dozen times, you know?"

[presspasskey]

"God yes." She huffs in exasperation. "I grew up all over the world, and now just one little town and the same set of places all the time? Driving me crazy."

Beat.

"Even if the home-cooked meals are pretty spiffy."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Well, you manage, I guess," Ellen says. "Finding a way out isn't always as easy as some people seem to think."

[presspasskey]

"Yeah, it's not. But I've managed so far--and I'll take tanks with me if I have to."

[havetubawilltravel]

Pinkie's almost entirely on TOP of the bar, onto which she drops one gold bit. "Cider, please!"

[presspasskey]

That's a pink pony.

Lois just assumes the creature doesn't want hard cider. She does, however, feel in desperate need of one herself now. "Uh. Right. Cider. Just a sec."

[havetubawilltravel]

Complete with curls! "Oh, and can I have a cookie to go with it? The kind with sugar sprinkles on top? Thanks, you're AWESOME."