(no subject)

[likeroaringlions]

There's a young medieval Scotsman at the bar, frowning and arguing with a piece of paper. Or, more likely, arguing with the Bar herself. "Christ, I don't want to read all this, I just want a box of those cigarettes. And the lighty thing. Come on, I'll pay next time I'm in here..."

Another piece of paper appears, this time a note on a napkin, and he groans.

Comments

[harryhotspur]

"Here."

Someone just down the bar holds out his own pack, lid popped. At a glance, it probably doesn't seem like anyone William knows-- contemporary dress, casual stance, Yorkshire accent. But the face (though a bit drawn and pale, red around the nose) is more familiar.

[likeroaringlions]

"Ay, thanks." He sees the cigarettes and the leather jacket first; it's only when he's reaching out to take one that he takes in the face. And pulls back his hand, suspicious. "What's all this about?"

[harryhotspur]

Ashley looks genially surprised, but not offended."What's what? It's what you were after, isn't it?"

[likeroaringlions]

"What's all..." He waves a hand in the general direction of the clothes and the everything. "Why start dressing like the future people now? --Is it a costume from Bar?"

He's definitely still going to take a cigarette, though, if they're still in reach.

[harryhotspur]

They sure are!

"Right, right, you want me in all them-- doublet and hose and that." He coughs into his fist. "I'm not, eh, what's-his-name. Though I guess I look like him."

[likeroaringlions]

Good, good. And what about a light?

"You're not. You're no the Hotspur. You're just his twin fucking brother, then?"

[harryhotspur]

He passes over the lighter. "I'm Ashley."

[likeroaringlions]

Great, thanks. He lights his cigarette and takes a long draw before handing back the lighter with a nod. "Alright. Ashley, then. You do look just like him, though, it's a bit weird, right? But thanks. I was asking Bar for a box of them, and she gave me all this to read."

William passes over the paper, which is a series of health warnings about the dangers of tobacco.

[harryhotspur]

"Don't know what he looks like, do I. Never seen him."

He doesn't light up himself-- got into the habit of keeping it outside, might as well stick to it. He glances at the paper without much interest.

"Wouldn't've guessed you'd know what they are, dressed like that."

[not_his_pa]

D'Artagnan isn't feeling good, his head keeps swimming and he's leaning on the counter over a bowl of soup when he hears the argument, "What are cigarettes?"

[likeroaringlions]

"You smoke them." He mimes holding a cigarette to his lips, a gesture which...probably doesn't clear things up much. "If I can just get the bar to give me some without making me read all this..."

[not_his_pa]

"I wish you luck of it. She wouldn't give me a sword though I don't feel like myself without one. How much must you read?"

He leans over, sneezes as he looks at the list.

[likeroaringlions]

"Oh, aye, she doesny give out weapons," he agrees absently. He's tried. Plenty. "And Christ, I dunno. There," he says pointedly to the bar, "I've looked at it, alright?"

[not_his_pa]

D'Artagnan waits to see if anything else is going to happen, maybe Bar will change her mind.

[likeroaringlions]

After a long enough wait to be noticeable, the bar does indeed produce a single pack of smokes. William whoops and slaps the wooden surface like someone clapping a friend on the shoulder. "Aye, that's right, I knew she liked me. Want one?"

[not_his_pa]

"Yes, thank you," No one will ever say that D'Artagnan wasn't willing to try something.

[likeroaringlions]

"Good lad. Here, you put it in your mouth like so, and I'll light it, and you'll want to take in a breath..." He talks d'Artagnan through it, a learned skill. "It's all right if you cough a wee bit."

[merryeccentricities]

Hello, person Joly hasn't met yet! But who has the familiar look of someone arguing with the furniture.

...Leaving aside the oddity of that being Familiar now, Joly's curious about the source of the argument, this time.

"Hello! What's all the paperwork?"

[likeroaringlions]

William's startled, and jumps. And then scans the not-very-familiar face. Have they met? Isn't that one of those friends of Bahorel's? (Excuse William if he's looking a little wary.)

"It's, eh..." He passes it over with a shrug: a lot of Health Warnings about smoking.

[merryeccentricities]

Joly looks it all over, briefly. He knows the general gist of the warnings. He believes them, in a distant way.

...But he's still from 1832, and has a rather different approach to drugs and smoking than the doctors who discovered these dangers.

He look up at William. "When are you from, again?"

[likeroaringlions]

"When? Oh--1449, why? You're, what, 1832, right?"

[merryeccentricities]

Joly smiles. "Yes, that's right. You've met some of us--? Ah, anyway. You're not Bound here, you don't have access to these drugs in your own time, and you'll agree to not smoke around any pregnant women?"

[likeroaringlions]

"Pregnant women?" He looks around a bit blankly, as if expecting a pregnant woman to appear on the spot. "Aye, alright, I'll keep that in mind. Not gonny go around asking every girl I see here if she's in the family way, alright? But I'll be careful. --Aye, I know Bahorel."

[merryeccentricities]

"Oh, and you know Bahorel--!" Joly laughs. "Madame Bar, please give the fellow some cigarettes, he's hardly likely to get cancer from an occasional dose here before he catches something fatal in his own time, and we both know it. I'll sign off on it."

Turning back to William, he says "--If she won't, I'll give you some of mine. I'm not going to worry about influencing anyone who knows Bahorel." He rolls his eyes with a grin at the very thought. "--I'm Joly. I'm from Paris too, you figured that out. I work in the Infirmary here."

[likeroaringlions]

He's about to ask What's that supposed to mean? when Joly says and you know Bahorel, but catches himself and just nods. And collects the cigarettes and lighter that finally appear on the bar. "William Douglas. I'm here from Scotland. Want one?" He offers the now open pack to Joly.