The Devil's Nest, Wednesday Evening

[okteiviakom]

Well, that sure had been a vacation. While the air had maybe been cleared a bit on some things that would hopefully make future vacations a little bit easier and more actually relaxing even for Octavia, she was still feeling pretty glad to be back now. Decompressing from her vacation.

Because that was a thing.

At least the club was relatively quiet, so far, and Tiny was containing whatever his latest project was to a small sliver of the bar, way out of her way.

[ooc: Open with no ocd because I dun wanna.]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Steven and Llewellyn who would ping himself in were heading out of town next week. So a little time spent somewhere local before they did so felt like just the thing.

Steven took a seat at the bar. He looked to see if there were any specials, just in case they might tempt him from what he already planned to order.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was much too no-frills by nature to bother with specials most of the time, and this week was not a break from that norm.

He got a little nod of greeting, all the same.

[hasaknightjob]

She likewise got a wave. "Hello, Octavia! How are you tonight?"

[okteiviakom]

"Good, you?"

Charming, Tavi.

(Hush, the vacation had taken a lot out of her.)

[hasaknightjob]

"Doing well, thank you," Steven said with a smile. The shortness of Octavia's answer didn't seem to bother him. Possibly because he was used to Marc, where getting two words out was an accomplishment. "Might I have a pint of Guinness, please? How have things been here? Feels like ages since I've been."

Steven had no idea that Octavia had only just gotten back to town herself, of course.

[okteiviakom]

"I was gone for most of last week." See, she could at least come up with that much as she went to get him his beer. "But there's not an active feud happening in the club --" Though obviously that hinged in part on Lucifer also having been gone. "-- so I'm gonna call it good."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven twisted around in his seat to get a better look at the place as a whole. "No strangeness far as I can see either. Tiny ski slopes or the like. Positive sign, yeah? Plus neither of us are ponies, though that was the island as a whole, it seemed."

[okteiviakom]

"A lot of it, anyway," Octavia allowed. As someone who'd seen one pony and immediately removed herself from all human contact, ahem. "But yeah, not a club exclusive."

[hasaknightjob]

It was either a shame or just as well that Steven didn't know about things that might lead to any jokes about how night clubs involving people being ponies tended to cost extra.

"Current ambiance suits it better anyway, I think," Steven said. "Easier for conversation and all that. Are you going on holiday next week as well?"

[pocketpretzels]

Yes, sure, they’d come in together, but that didn’t mean Watts wasn’t going to lean over and give Steven’s shoulder a friendly bump once he sat down.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven bumped back. "Fancy meeting you here."

[pocketpretzels]

“We did arrive to- ah.”

Sometimes it still took him a second, okay.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven gave him a fond smile. "Of course we did. You're my date."

[pocketpretzels]

A warm feeling spread through Watts at the comment, and the smile.

“Then I shall do my best to make sure you have a good time tonight.”

[hasaknightjob]

"You've provided me with good company, so we've that down," Steven said. "Good conversation next?"

[pocketpretzels]

“A lofty goal,” Watts said. “Yet, if past experience is to be believed, an achievable one.”

[hasaknightjob]

"I've always been fond of it," Steven said. "Even when I first met you."

[pocketpretzels]

Watts made sure his hat was hung nicely- on a hook meant to hold an axe for the range, but still- and then twirled down into a seat of his own next to Steven.

“Evening, Miss Octavia.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave another tiny nod.

"Evening. What can I get you?"

[pocketpretzels]

“A merlot,” Watts said, naming a particular handwavey vineyard and year.

[okteiviakom]

"I'll see what I can do," Octavia replied, in almost deadpan, as she turned to where the wines were kept.

She didn't get a lot of specific wine orders, so reading the labels was not one of her most practised skills.

[pocketpretzels]

“If you don’t have it, I suppose- any Merlot will do,” Watts said, although it clearly hurt a little to keep it that broad.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia did not notice. Too busy scanning the row of bottles for the merlots.

"I can't promise anything, I don't know how well stocked we are."

[pocketpretzels]

Of the pub’s proprietors, Lucifer at least seemed fairly well versed when it came to wines so Watts was still cautiously optimistic that even if they didn’t have the exact vintage, whatever she could find would be - passable, at least.

“I have been duly warned,” Watts acknowledged. “The effort is appreciated regardless of outcome.”

[okteiviakom]

All Octavia really knew about wine, even after living with two aficionados for this long, was that red wine made Duke snore.

It didn't help her much here, but she did eventually find what she was looking for. Not the exact thing he'd asked for, but a merlot and likely close enough. All that was left to do was to pour him a glass and slide it over.