Christmas Eve Happy Hour

[nita_callahan]

The holidays are a time for family -- nuclear, extended, and otherwise -- and Nita's been doing more than her fair share of holiday travel as a result. Thank the Powers for her subsidized gating privileges at the Crossings. This year, Milliways is her penultimate stop; she'll head back to Earth to spend the 25th with her dad and the Rodriguezes.

When she leans on the counter, she asks Bar wryly, "So, what dark powers are threatening us this year, huh?"

A napkin appears. "... Kidnapped Santa?" Another napkin. "Pox? ... Monsters, too, huh. ... Wow. But is that it? Really? ... No, I didn't mean it like that, it sounds bad. It's just, you know. Comparatively speaking. ... Well, I'm glad everyone's okay. ... Sure, yeah, if you need the break, but I don't know anything about alcohol. ... If you say so." She laughs softly and pats the counter. "Have a good nap."

Happy Hour Specials
Anything I don't have to look up the recipe for

First drink free if you helped save Christmas
First drink half off if you don't celebrate Christmas

"So, uh, what can I get you?"

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

"...I'm not certain if it's Christmas at home", he says with a sudden realization. "They don't mark it in the Northlands, nor any winter festival as far as I know. Perhaps it is."

[nita_callahan]

"Well, apparently it's Christmas here. You can have two this year if you want."

[athelstanthescribe]

"So it seems!" He smiles, oddly cheered by that thought. "I shall find out the date at home and make my own. I'm Athelstan, by the way."

[nita_callahan]

She grins.

"Nita Callahan. Nice to meet you, Athelstan. Are you new here?"

[athelstanthescribe]

"I've been here a few months, in and out. It was... autumn verging on winter when I first came in, and now it's full winter."

[nita_callahan]

The microwave dings, and Nita fetches him his mead. "Here you go -- cheers. Are you liking it so far?"

[athelstanthescribe]

"Very much!" He wraps his hands around the mug. "I've found some very good friends here."

[nita_callahan]

"It's good for that. There's a ton of good people around here. Some not so good, too, but the good outweighs the bad."

[athelstanthescribe]

"As it does in all places, I hope", he says with a smile. "In one way or another. Where are you from, Miss Callahan?"

[nita_callahan]

"New York -- in America?"

[athelstanthescribe]

"I've heard of it, though it isn't known yet in my time. Many people here are either from there or have told me of it."

[nita_callahan]

"Yeah, there's kind of a weird majority of 20th and 21st century Americans around here. Maybe the Landlord is from then. I take it you're not, though."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Not at all", he says with a quick smile. "It's the winter of 793, in the town of Kattegat."

[nita_callahan]

"Oh, wow, a long way back. Has there been much culture shock?"

[athelstanthescribe]

"Some", he admits. "All these new inventions, and the way people's thinking has changed..."

[nita_callahan]

"What's been the biggest shift in thinking?"

[athelstanthescribe]

"I think perhaps it came with all the new things, the things that made it easier to live. They came to be taken for granted - and why wouldn't you, if you'd never known a world without them?"

[nita_callahan]

Nita nods thoughtfully.

"Like -- easy access to clean water, indoor plumbing, vaccines?"

[athelstanthescribe]

"Exactly. And electricity, and all the machines to take work out of human hands."

[nita_callahan]

"I'm a pretty big fan of electricity, I have to admit."

[athelstanthescribe]

"It's amazing." He lights up, just a bit. "All the things that can be done with it... but I wish it could have been made without the damage."

[nita_callahan]

Her smile turns rueful.

"Yeah, you and me both. We are working on it. It's just -- slow."

The Earth wizards dedicating their lives specifically to mitigating carbon damage and subtly advancing alternative forms of energy are true heroes. And she doesn't envy Irina having to keep the planet's climate in some kind of check.

[athelstanthescribe]

"We?" Athelstan asks curiously. "You personally as one of the we, or just...everybody?"

[nita_callahan]

"Well, no, it'd probably go a lot faster if it were everybody in the world. But there are some wizards working on it behind the scenes, and a decent number of scientists and activists working on it in public."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Wizards?" And that's really caught his interest, Nita, be prepared for a thousand questions. "True magic, along with science?"