milliways_bar | (no subject)

*Anthy looks consideringly at her for a moment, but nothing more.*

*Tonks pauses on the way to her table, feeling someone's eyes on her; she spots Anthy, and blinks*

...Hullo, Anthy.

*smiles politely* Hello, Tonks. How are you?

*Tonks can't stop herself from being slightly wary*

I'm doing all right. Yourself?

I'm fine, thank you.

*If Anthy looks contemplative, it's because she is. There was something she was supposed to do . . .*

Well. That's good.

*shifting from one foot to another, Tonks peers at Anthy*

...Everything all right?

Hm? Oh, yes. I was just saying hello. *beams*

Right.

*Tonks shakes her head slightly, and continues on*

Later, Anthy.

*cheerfully* See you, Tonks.

Eddie waves to Tonks from behind the bar, where he's unbuckling his gunbelt in preparation for Happy Hour. (http://www.livejournal.com/community/milliways_bar/3297515.html)

"Hile, wandslinger." Eddie never gets tired of his own jokes. Forgive him, world.

Hullo, Eddie!

*Tonks beams and walks over*

How's everything?

Eddie beams back. "Everything is entirely copacetic." He wraps the belt around the holster and the whole bundle goes under the bar. "The bossman docked my pay for a little while, but I can live with that easy."

*Tonks suddenly remembers what Bernard told her about the execution by the lake, and pales, slightly*

Well, that's -- that's good.

Eddie notices the reaction. "He toldja, huh?"

Yeah, he did.

*she bites her lip*

"An' you don't like it any better'n he did." Eddie looks down at the bar.

"I didn't argue with Bernard, because, well, he's the boss, but...

Who's the guy Tom Riddle didn't turn into? What's his name?"

Voldemort.

He ties on an apron. "Imagine if Voldemort came here. And he put Bernard in a coma for a month. And when Bernard finally woke up, he didn't remember anything since he left his world--not being the barman, not you, not Sunny, not the angel or the demon. All he had was...echos. The feeling that he had lost something precious to him."

"Then imagine you and all your tet--you and Aziraphael and Crowley--just happened, as fate would have it, to walk out the back door just as you saw Voldemort coming at Bernard again."

*she closes her eyes involuntarily*

I'd want to tear him apart with my bare hands.

Eddie says quietly, "I understand completely Bernard's perspective on this, and I'm not complaining about my punishment. Ijust... thought that might illustrate what went through our heads."

"Ka delivered him into our hands. We didn't toss the gift away."

*she nods slowly*

I can understand it, Eddie. Very well, indeed.

Bernard and I...it's just difficult to have that here, you know? This is our home. Yours too, now.

Eddie nods. "Yeah. And regardless... Bernard is my boss. More than that, he's the dinh of Milliways. It's an old word that means father, leader, king--or smaller stuff like boss or chief, too, the old Gileadians got a lot of work out of their language."

"This is Bernard's territory. And while Roland is my father and...commander, my true dinh when I took this job I made a covenant with Bernard. Trust me, I don't take that lightly."

*Tonks listens intently, and smiles softly at the description of dinh*

That's...wow, Eddie.

*she looks at him admiringly*

You're a good man.

Eddie's smile is embarassed, and almost shy. "I'm a very new part of a very old tradition. I do my best to live up to its principles. I... I been dirty. I like this life better."

*she smiles back, and pats him on the arm*

It suits you. And we're pleased to have you around.