Devil's Nest | Thursday Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie was at work.

There really wasn't much else to say about it, besides that. There was no needling of Tiny, no admiring of his Eurodance posters (which, on Thursdays past, would have gotten so much attention.) She hadn't even bothered filling out the specials board, because that seemed like a lot of effort for someone who'd dragged herself to work out of sheer guilt over taking last week off.

(To set up for a party. That seemed so trivial now.)

Annie posted up behind the bar with a beer and her phone, because if she could keep scrolling and reading and finding little things to occupy her mind, maybe she would be able to stop thinking about what had happened.

Her cuts and bruises -- a few faintly visible on her exposed skin -- were a good reminder, too, but they were already healing fast. The mental and emotional stuff was going to take a lot longer.

So, until further notice: Annie was playing Tetris. And she could also get you a drink, if you wanted that for some reason.

Comments

Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

Get a drink.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[sword_chocobro]

Yeah, there were...several details about the scene in the bar that evening that had Gladio pausing for a concerned moment before settling into what had quickly become his usual spot these days. He folded his arms on the bar and leaned forward a little, tilting his head as he looked at Annie.

"Rough day?" he guessed.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Something like that," Annie replied, giving Gladio a faint smile. "Rough couple of days, really."

It was always a couple days or more, with Annie.

"I didn't do specials, sorry," she noted, which was obvious. "What're you feeling, though? I can still pour you something."

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[sword_chocobro]

With a faint, sympathetic smile back, Gladio shook his head a little when Annie mentioned the specials, a little hitch of one of his shoulders to show that it didn't really matter.

"Whatever's easiest," he offered. "Just a beer or something's fine. Or maybe some rum, we can put some of this Coke to good use. Unless you want something to focus on, in which case, I'll take whatever the most complicated drink you can think of is."

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Rum and Cokes sound like a great idea," Annie noted, because while she did appreciate that focusing on something might help her -- "I don't want to subject you to me trying to remember what goes in a Ramos fizz or something when I'm all distracted. Though I appreciate it."

And besides, it meant using bottles of Coke a bear had given her, and that was cute, right? She could focus on cuteness.

Or, at least, on not limping while she shuffled around getting one of those bottles.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[sword_chocobro]

Watching Annie, Gladio couldn't help letting out a very small, disconsolate grunt. You didn't work with Noctis Lucis Caelum as closely as he had over the years without being able to spot when someone was overcompensating for a limp from a mile away.

"Well," he said, "if you change your mind, I'll be willing to try whatever you do manage throwing together, but for now, yeah, a rum and Coke sounds perfect, Annie, thanks."

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe a little heavy on the rum," Annie decided, trying for her usual good humor and almost swinging it? She just wasn't very convincing, even to herself. But with ginger, careful movements, she retrieved the rum and a glass. "How're things with you, Gladio? Gym stuff going okay?"

Look at her being totally normal! Focusing on someone besides herself genuinely was a good distraction for Annie, at least.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[sword_chocobro]

"Gym stuff's going great, actually," Gladio confirmed with a nod, not quite coming right out with admitting that he was almost enjoying it, but it was there between the lines. "Started hammering out a few plans for a potential class, too..."

The final death knell of any hope he had of getting out of this dimension anytime soon.

"How 'bout you? Some nice, relaxing," he didn't even bother to make that pointed pause and lift of his eyebrow subtle, "plans for the weekend?"

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[knife_bender]

Diego wasn't hovering. He just happened to be at the bar. Keeping an eye on his wife. And ignoring any nonsense with polar bears, he didn't care if you had free soda.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

He got free beer thanks to being married to the bartender, anyway, and one was being set before him. (Though maybe rum to go with those Cokes would be a better use of the opportunity?)

"It feels weird just being at work," Annie told him, leaning tiredly on the bar with her good, unbruised hip.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[knife_bender]

He refused to accept bear soda, Annie. Refused.

"The routine might be good for you," Diego said. "Good to take your mind off things."

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

"It's better to keep busy," Annie agreed, though she did not sound like she was agreeing so much as she was just tiredly parroting something she knew was true. "I know. But I just -- I dunno, it feels like I should be doing something besides pouring beer."

Helping plan a funeral, maybe. Though that also butted right up against how complicated this was and how emotionally exhausted she felt, too.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[knife_bender]

"There's nothing to do," he said, reaching for her hand. "Except take care of yourself."

Look, Wanda ain't getting any dead-er.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Yeah," Annie acknowledged, twining her fingers through his. "And at least I don't have to go on a talk show about it or anything."

That had been the worst part of things with Alex.

Though now that she was thinking about it -- would Stephen have to? Press seemed a little lower-key in their universe, but she wasn't sure who it would fall to.

Come to think of it, she wasn't actually sure who led Wanda's team these days. Maybe her version of Steve? They had never really talked much about the recent past, except for Westview.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[knife_bender]

Someone was sure as hell giving a press conference at Earth-838 to explain why everyone in the Illuminati died in one swift blow.

"That's a relief at least," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "Maybe it'll all fly under the radar there."

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[pocketpretzels]

“Good evening, Mrs. Har- oh. You don’t look well.”

Sorry, Annie. He’d been working on that brain-to-mouth filter but apparently your current look was enough to shock it right back off of him.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm not contagious," Annie offered, actually huffing out a tiny half-laugh. "If that helps. I just -- took a little tumble."

Sure, that was a good way of describing, 'I got my ass handed to me by some incredibly powerful people in another universe.' A tumble.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[pocketpretzels]

Which absolutely raised more questions than it answered, because while Watts didn’t know much about superpowers, he knew Annie was- difficult to hurt. So a tumble was probably a gross understatement.

“Well,” he said, biting back the urge to demand more answers. “My best wishes for a swift recovery from your- tumble.”

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Thank you," Annie replied, sincere if a little dryly amused. "I should heal up pretty fast. Perk of the superhero thing."

Though, yes, he was correct that normally not being hurt at all was a primary perk of her biological advantage.

"Glass of wine?" she added. "I didn't do a specials board tonight, sorry."

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[pocketpretzels]

“That’s quite all right. A glass of wine will do. Merlot if it’s handy,” Watts said. “Whatever’s- on hand if not.”

Yes, he knew that was leaving himself open to potentially being poured something terrible. He’d take the risk.

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I think I can swing merlot," Annie assured him, running a fingertip along wine bottles before coming up with one labeled accordingly. (Though the odds that she was going to pop open a White Claw at some point for herself, in addition to the beer she was nursing? Pretty high.) "But I appreciate your lack of choosiness-slash-faith in me. That's a good way to just end up with grape juice or something, Mr. Watts."

Re: Bar | 12/8/22

[pocketpretzels]

“You’ve never steered me wrong with intention,” Watts pointed out. Even the White Claw recommendation, way back when, had been made in good faith.

Axes | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

Throw an axe.

Back Room | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

Loom like a vampire.

OOC | 12/8/22

[defenderofdesmoines]

I stayed up until midnight on a school night, oh nooooo. Past Erin, why do we do this?