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[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[the sound of Billy's front door closing, and a short sigh]

...Well.
I guess it lasted longer than I thought it would, at least.

[fridge door sound, hiss and pop of a can opening]

--Speaking of things that last longer than I thought it would...are we ever going back to the Castle?
Not that I'm eager to or anything, of course.

It's just that... well.

[staring forlornly at where a certain mad-scientist laboratory should be]

...Anyone else end up somewhere that is juuuust different enough from home to be really unsettling?

Comments

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

Worried? Who said I was worried?

[obviously worried tone]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[just laughs]

[oh, perfect timing! She's flagging down the bus with her free hand as it rounds the corner]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[he's not like...pulling away. But, he's at least sort of leaning away]

...Where are we even going?

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

There's an Irish Pub that's got pickup bands that perform on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We're going to go check one out.

[completely ignoring the leaning, and definitely not letting go of his arm until they are safely on the bus. She covered the fare for both of them, too... no need to give him the chance to say he has no money with him.]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[damn. There goes that excuse. Once he finds a seat, he slumps in it]

That sounds...quaint.

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[dropping into the aisle seat next to him (you're trapped, Billy Buddy), she'll just smile] Give it a chance. It might surprise you.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[glances at her. What was she, some sort of creepy pro at socializing??]

...Doesn't look like I have a choice.

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[the best]

Nope. Not really. [and she doesn't sound the least bit sorry]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[looks at her sort of skeptically]

Is this just, like...what you do?

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

Mmm... I do a lot of things. But I used to go to shows a lot, back home.

[I'm sorry... were you referring to something else?]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[blinks at her. And then...just, rubs his eyes and hunkers in his seat, waiting for them to arrive wherever the heck they were going]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[still looking rather pleased with herself, she's just going to let him mope for about 4 stops before she reaches up to hit the button to signal the driver.]

Here we go. [hopping up from her seat, she'll give Billy a chance to follow her on his own power, but he's going to get pulled if he doesn't cooperate on his own]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[not particularly wanting to get dragged off the bus--though he does briefly consider it--he follows after, shoulders still hunched a little]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[good boy. He's learning.]

[and she'll lead the way to a rather nondescript building with a sign out front that says O'Malley's. It doesn't look like much on the outside, but a wave of sound hits them when she opens the door and, stepping inside, it's crowded with people. The band is setting up on a small stage, but they haven't started yet.]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[is kind of...slinking along behind Jilly, hands stuffed in the pockets of his sweatshirt, not looking entirely comfortable with this whole thing]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[she's just going to slide over to an area of the bar that's not quite as crowded and wait for the bartender to notice them. Meanwhile, she looks over at Billy] What do you want to drink?

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[gives her a '...you're buying me a drink?' look]

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[laughs] Well, you could buy me one... but I did drag you here. It's the least I can do.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[thinks about this.]

...Good point.

[gentleman Billy was not coming around tonight, apparently]

Whatever's fine.

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[smirks, and she orders two beers for them. She's just passing his over to him when the band steps up and gets started.

It's definitely a more traditional sound. There's an irish fiddle player and a set of pipes right along with the guitar and the drum. But it's got an infectious beat and the musicians are skilled, even if it's not the most common kind of music.]

[sipping her beer, Jilly's foot is tapping along with the rhythm]... I'd missed this.

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[Billy's sipping his drink--trying not to show the fact that he's still like 'gleh, beer'--and watching the band start their set. At least it wasn't something obnoxious.]

Missed what?

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[gesturing with her free hand] This... the city, good music, good company. The castle is fascinating but this feels more... real, somehow.

[trying very hard not to laugh when she catches that gleh look. That's what he gets for not telling her what he wanted]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

[you saw nothing! Shut up!]

[mildly bitter smirk] What happened to being all excited about the big magical Castle? You get tired of it already?

[tehoniongirl.livejournal.com]

[shaking her head] No... not so much that.

I just feel more alive in a city. It's a little bit like home, only it's in the future so it's bigger and still... strange. [laughs]

[beat] Besides... it's kinda reassuring to know that everyone is human right now.

[it seemed odd to say that. Normally she was the first to be excited about non-human beings. But after her run-ins with Szayel and Legato, there was something nice about knowing that they couldn't do the same thing here.]

[need-to-rule-it.livejournal.com]

So...yeah. Pretty much just what I said.

[sip of beer without making a face]