Devil's Nest | Thursday Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

Was it out of season? Yes, but greenhouses existed, and that didn't matter.

Was it...a little strange for a mid-winter special? Sure, but this was a strange town.

Moreover -- was Annie kind of already sick of watermelon, by the time she'd finished writing out the board? Yes. And this wouldn't continue beyond this one week, but -- you get a weird message about watermelon from one of your bar regulars, you take inspiration where you can.

~*Specials*~
Watermelon Martini
Watermelon Daiquiri
Watermelon Limeade

[the OCD heard about my week and decided to stay away. open!]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

After Steven got off work they did a switch back home, both body and clothing. Thus those with some familiarity might be able to guess that Marc was the one who showed up at Devil's Nest that night.

He made himself comfortable at the bar. As comfortable as Marc ever was, anyway.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm not going to be able to talk you into something watermelon-y, am I?" Annie greeted him with a smile. "Hi, Marc."

See, she suspected she could have probably talked Steven into one of those fruity offerings. There wasn't any dairy or gelatin to mind, even!

[hasaknightjob]

"Steven says hi," Marc told her. Which was not him reading the narrative - though yes Steven would have tried one - but rather it was just Marc's life now to pass messages on from Steven. "And no. Whiskey. No watermelon."

Look, the island did horrible things sometimes. Flavoring whiskey could very well be one of them.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Not even some to snack on?" Annie teased, already pouring the whiskey as soon as he'd said as much. There were advantages to being predictable! "I've eaten enough tonight that it's actually kept me out of the garnish tray."

Which was good news for Eric's ongoing supply of maraschino cherries.

"And hi to Steven, too."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc tipped his glass in Annie's direction in what passed for saying thanks for the drink.

"He hopes you're doing okay," Marc added. Not that Marc didn't care if Annie was okay but why pretend about which one of them would ask?

[defenderofdesmoines]

"You can report back that I'm doing just fine," Annie promised him, both a little touched and also a little worried that she was somehow still projecting not fine nearly two months after everything had happened. "Aside from phone bullshit, anyway, but that's all of us."

[hasaknightjob]

Annie, it was Steven. He was going to worry way past the point that he needed to. Especially when it came to other people's well-being.

Marc, on the other hand, had no problem with a subject change. "Phones were a mistake."

He meant as a concept, not just yesterday.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm usually very pro-phone," Annie argued lightly. "I'm iffier on this island. And convinced the thing has a sense of humor."

Otherwise, yeah, why didn't it ever forward the boring, how is your day going? this meeting is taking forever-style texts, instead of the ones about watermelons and boats and sexy feet?

[hasaknightjob]

"Phones mean people can contact you," Marc pointed out. "I prefer they don't."

There were some exceptions but thus far said exceptions could be counted on one hand.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Hey, Marc! Good to see ya!" Connor said with perhaps a bit too enthusiastic a girn and wave as he approached the bar. "How ya been?"

[hasaknightjob]

Yep, Marc could see why Connor and Steven were friends. Enthusiasm was not a sentiment most people felt when seeing Marc. It was Marc after all.

But Connor was Steven's friend so he got a pass.

"Better now that the Do Not Disturb on my phone works again," Marc told him. Luckily Connor hadn't been one of the people who had left one of those weird ass messages.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

It usually took something big...like really big and significant, to throw Connor too much. Was a blessing/curse really... lucky!

"Yeah, that sounds like it was an annoying and confusing mess. Glad I missed out on that bit of island fun and games," Connor said with a nod. "Glad to see ya survived though. How's Steven? Meant to stop by earlier but well, Rex has been a bit of a handful the last few days, Been keeping me busy!"

[hasaknightjob]

"He's fine," Marc said. As far as Marc knew Connor wasn't aware of Steven's need for quiet last weekend so no point in bringing it up when the ultimate answer was the same: Steven was fine now. "He'd love to see you."

But not now. Now was when there could be respectable drinks that didn't taste like fruit.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Glad to hear, and yeah. I'll definitely try and stop by next time, catch up with him a bit. "Things are finally warming up a bit around here... might be able to coax REx out for a visit."

[hasaknightjob]

"He's been pretty regular about hitting Caritas on Wednesdays," Marc said, just so Connor had that option too. Marc wouldn't blame a guy for not wanting to show up at work on a day off.

"Does it get warm that quick?" Marc asked. Though in fairness Connor had been on the island less time than he and Steven had. None of them were the best person to ask about local weather patterns.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Eh warmer compared to how it has been mostly?" Connor said with a small shrug. "But it's been nearly two months since Rex decided to hole up in the apartment. Probably good for him to get out part the balcony for a bit, even if it's a little chilly still."

[hasaknightjob]

"As weird as this place is it could blizzard tomorrow," Marc said. He started to take a drink then added, "But not snow. Candy or some shit."

[pocketpretzels]

Watts gave Marc a nod of greeting from where he sat with his own glass of exactly the same thing Marc was drinking, actually.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc clocked the drink and gave Watts a raised eyebrow in response.

[pocketpretzels]

“Occasionally, something a bit stronger is needed,” Watts said with a shrug.

Steven’s presence last night had helped greatly, but he was still processing the letter from Jack and thus the departure from his usual sort of drinks.

[hasaknightjob]

"The ex," Marc said. Steven had looped him in that much.

[pocketpretzels]

“Indeed,” Watts confirmed.

It sure was great how the man could get into his head even now, with several months (and/or more than a century, depending on how you looked at it) and an international border between them.

[hasaknightjob]

"You know how I handled mine," Marc said. Which was basically being the Jack in that situation by fucking off. But on the plus side he hadn't contacted Layla out of the blue asking her to drop everything and be with him. His vote had been very much for the opposite of that.

[pocketpretzels]

“I do not plan on replying to his letter,” Watts told Marc.

[hasaknightjob]

"Good," Marc said. "You're doing the wrong kind of drinking for someone you should talk to."