[PRP] Invoice (Jordan, Rep)

[prolixity]

The box of glasses was relatively light. He'd lifted far heavier. Jordan stood in front of the bar building for a while, indecisive and mildly disgusted at himself for it. He could just leave it, as he'd left the skull. It would be fine. He could collect on his payment some other time.

He couldn't avoid Rep and Harrison forever, they reminded themself tiredly. It would hurt, but no matter how long he left it, it would hurt. Better to get the initial shock of pain over with before they got shoved together on a mission or something. He took a deep breath, hefted the box of glassware, and walked into the bar.

Baneful

 

[Baneful]

When Jordan entered Rep was behind the bar itself, screwing some hinges into a newly cut trapdoor to the beer cellar. He looked up at the sound of the door, ready to thank someone for helping out or to inform them as he'd had to once or twice that they were still closed. His expression froze when he realized who it actually was and then - curiously - rather than darken (the way it had so many times in the past) it brightened. In the time they'd been apart from one another, the strange twisted image he'd formed of Jordan and his intentions had relaxed back into a much more amenable gentleness. He didn't understand it in the least but smiled anyway.

"Yo." he said, waving the hand without a screwdriver in it. The bar itself was looking very close to completion, only minor aesthetic additions needed here and there, even the floor was all newly laid and thanks to the efforts of moon division, completely even. "Welcome to the Red Bull." He wasn't sure if friendly was how to deal with the other sun hunter, they'd parted on dubious terms last time, but being Rep he had no other options available to him than his raw gut instinct.

And gut instinct said that he would be acting more relaxed and friendly than he had in months. "What you got there?" and his smile turned slightly wolfish. "A surprise?"  

[prolixity]

Jordan didn't quite know how to deal with the thought that Rep might actually be pleased to see him. He hadn't known what to expect, though on Twitter Rep had been friendly enough; he'd half-expected a surly coldness, maybe bitterness or hurt. He'd said some shitty things the last time they'd talked, and not entirely meant them. But the lightened atmosphere and casual greeting were a relief and a new ache all at once.

"Hey," he said. "No surprises this time, just some supposedly-unbreakable glass. I expect half of them to be broken in a week. Where do you want them?" You're happier. Less stressed. Things are better now that it's just ... this. They couldn't pretend that nothing needed to be talked about forever, but for now, it would do.  

[Baneful]

"Wouldn't surprise me at all." Rep said grimly, setting down the screwdriver to stretch. "People on this island are ******** capable of breaking anything at all." He leaned on the bar counter thoughtfully. "I appreciate the effort nonetheless, maybe I'm just being negative and they'll be fine." He pointed to the counter space behind the bar. "You can put em there, I finally got some beer in here."

He looked momentarily thoughtful, quirking a brow slightly. "We never did get to drink together half as much as I would have liked." He didn't mean to make it personal or weird, he was just so used to saying whatever was on his mind. "Maybe you could join me for one now? Christen the glasses."

 

[prolixity]

"Intentionally or otherwise." Jordan hesitated a moment, then mentally shrugged and moved to set the box down on the indicated spot and open it up. He started taking out the glasses, lining them up neatly. They should be washed before general use, but they needed to be taken out anyway. He might as well put them in place. "They're not too expensive anyway. Not a big deal to replace if they do get busted."

His hands stilled briefly, then he went on with his task. "Stuff always got in the way," he agreed. "Sure, why not. Let me just get these unpacked." He had requested payment in beer, after all; it had been an impulsive, joking demand, but he wasn't going to be an a** and take it back.  

[Baneful]

"We've got running water in here now too." Rep said, pleased as punch by a development which in civilization he had taken for granted his whole life. Running water had never been quite so thrilling. "Its worse than trying to buy things for a zoo, if the glasses get broken people can drink out of ******** plastic sippy cups for all I care. If they act like zoo animals they get the full zoo animal treatment"

He nodded though, at the fact that other things had always gotten in the way. He'd pursued Jordan so hard for so long and when he had him didn't appreciate him at all, it was only with some distance between them he was realizing what the hell he'd wanted to be friends with him in the first place for. It was always oddly calming around him, yet warm, and reassuring. And for probably the first time since their argument (because denial was a potent thing) he found himself truly aching for what he had lost. "We have time now, so cheers to that." And fishing out one of his better bottles of whisky, he set it on the table.

 

[prolixity]

"That must've taken some doing," Jordan said, mildly impressed. To the best of his knowledge, it was hit and miss whether the fixtures in any given building were in good enough shape to repair, though it made sense that repairable would have been one of the criteria for the building chosen for the bar. "Maybe you should look into getting a trough put in, if people are gonna be animals."

"Cheers to that," he echoed, a little muted. His eyebrows went up as he read the label on the bottle. "I think I feel special. I'm going to owe you another box of glassware or something here."

Baneful

 

[Baneful]

"Thank Kostya and the Moons, definately no something I could have managed on my own, I don't know s**t about plumbing. I've been impressed with all the s**t people have have been capable of since I started this thing and how many people have been willing to contribute. Even people I don't know." He nodded to the skull hanging over the bar itself. "Some people even left gifts and s**t. So maybe they'll get a chance before I put a trough in, because they've been so helpful up till this point."

Rep picked up two shot glasses and ran them under the water before setting them on the table next to the bottle. "You are special." he said like it was raw undeniable fact. "And I'm no gonna waste my good s**t on just anyone."  

[prolixity]

"People get real helpful when you're doing something they're interested in." Jordan snorted, amused. He looked up at the skull and smiled faintly, then looked away again. If Rep hadn't guessed where that had come from, Jordan wasn't going to enlighten him. He didn't need credit, and he didn't want the gift to take on any meaning other than what had already been assigned to it.

"Thanks," he said softly, and leaned on the bar, looking mostly at the bottle and the glasses. That didn't need to mean anything either. He was going to take it at face value. Maybe they could still salvage something out of this whole painful mess; nothing more, but not less either, than the comfortable friendship they'd lost somewhere along the way.  

[Baneful]

Im just glad they are interested instead of hating me. Its a nice change to be approved of. And maybe ill get to know people more with some instated regulars to talk to."

He poured them both a shot and wandered around to sit on one of the stools, putting jordan's shot next to him. "And you are welcome. Thanks for humouring me, I need a break."

He swigged his shot thoughtfully, only to realise he was staring at the other man while doing so. He averted his gaze back to the counter.

Quote:

terrible phone post

 

[prolixity]

"Getting people to contribute will get them more invested in making sure the other assholes don't break too much s**t, too," Jordan pointed out. He picked up the shot and studied the amber liquid briefly, as though peering into a magic 8 ball. It provided no answers. Ask again later.

He tipped the shot back and put the empty glass down, shaking his head once sharply and blinking to chase away the burn that made his eyes water. He'd gotten used to beer and the occasional mixed drink, but straight liquor was still a challenge, though he tried not to let that show too badly; he wasn't going to look like a wimp. Once the sting had subsided, though, he could appreciate the aftertaste. "That's smooth."  

[Baneful]

"Yep. This place is for them too." he said. "You can't have a bar without a community interested in it. I'm just the guy committed to helping to keep it running, they need to not ******** it up."

Rep hadn't had a drink in months and months and months, so the whisky even for him had more than its usual kick, burning his throat. But he knew a few shots down the line and it wouldn't be the case. "It's some of my favourite stuff, I only have a few bottles left, you need to go to Scotland to pick it up and I'm careful about how many times I go there in case some b*****d recognises me."

He filled up his own glass and then Jordan's again.

"How've you been? Besides er. Besides the obvious." he looked away guiltily even as he said it.
 

[prolixity]

"It'll be a good gathering place. It's looking good." Jordan leaned on the bar and took the excuse to look around at the place, really assessing the progress for the first time. It must be just about ready to open up. He liked it, he decided; it seemed comfortable.

He picked up the refilled glass with a small half-smile. "I'm all right," he said. "Staying busy. Working. Thinking about trying to learn how to cook a few things. My room's got a decent kitchen." He tipped the shot back, slower this time, letting the burn wash away the tightness in his throat.  

[Baneful]

"Its functional and s**t right now, but I really want to get it looking real nice, like a proper pub with wood panelling, skirtings and s**t. Proper swanky. It works good right now though." He dreamed of a fancy bar, classy with comfortable evenings and a chance for people to get along a little better through the warm haze of alcohol.

"Learning to cook?" he couldn't help but sound interested. "I still can't cook a single ******** thing. Ace still cooks in his...really great special way." He made a carefully blank face, they both knew well enough what sort of blended things Harrison liked to eat.

"Mmm man I missed this s**t." he said, momentarily distracted by the slowly blossoming buzz of alcohol.

 

[prolixity]

"Hey, it's good for a start." Jordan slid onto one of the barstools, turning the shot glass thoughtfully in his fingers. "Probably counts as fancy as hell if you compare it to the usual party venues around here." Unused classrooms, corners of the cafeteria, room or hall parties; fancywas relative.

He shrugged. "I figure I can follow instructions. A recipe is just a list of instructions. If I pick a simple one, how hard can it be?" He paused, added gloomily, "I just cursed myself forever, didn't I." He didn't comment on Harrison's cooking skills. Harrison genuinely liked Edith's cooking.

He set the shot glass down on the bar top with a small push, moving it a little closer to the bottle in a silent inquiry; he wasn't going to demand, since this was something Rep had been saving, but the fuzzy softness on the edge of all his senses and thoughts was pleasant and warm and cushioned the sharpness of reality.