Adam wanders to the bar

[neutral-adam.livejournal.com]

Time: April 21st, late afternoon
Place: The Bar
Status: Public (Adam, Joe)
Summary: Adam wanders to the bar

Adam slunk into the hotel. He’d turned up to show his face a few times but didn’t really want people to think he was always around and always available. But at the same time he did want to go and meet a few people. Especially since there were people here who weren’t in the god/angel/demon category.

He slipped through the door into the bar. He'd heard there was a new barman that sounded pretty normal. And in this place that was unusual. There didn't seem to be anybody around at the moment but at this time that wasn't that surprising. He sat on one of the stools at the bar and tried to decide whether he wanted a soft drink or something a bit stronger. In later afternoon though it was probably a bit early to be starting on beer...

Comments

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe watched the newcomer walk up to the bar and smiled at him as he sat down.

"Welcome to Joe's," he told him with a hint of flourish. "What may I serve you?"

He seemed young, but not so young that ordering alcohol would require presenting proof of his age. If he was another hotel guest, Joe had never seen him before. Maybe he was a solitary fellow. Maybe he had just wandered in looking for some company.

[neutral-adam.livejournal.com]

"Hi."

Part of Adam nearly ordered him a pint of beer but in the end his mouth seemed to make the decision, "Just an orange juice I think."

"So you're the new Joe of Joe's bar fame?"

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe poured the man a drink, making a mental note to order a larger selection of non-alcoholic drink, since much of his clientele seemed to like those.

"I guess I am," Joe said as he put down the glass in front of his guest. "Here you go."

He shifted his weight a little and leaned into the counter for a more comfortable stance. "So tell me - If I'm the new Joe, is there an old Joe, too?"

[neutral-adam.livejournal.com]

Adam grinned at him, "Nah. There is a Joe lives in town but he's not really an old Joe. Can't say that you're not new though, can you?"

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"I'm past fifty, that's hardly new," Joe pointed out. "So what about you? You been here for long?"

While talking, he started polishing glasses behind the counter.

[neutral-adam.livejournal.com]

"Well, you're definitely new around here. I've been here all my life. Born in this building and everything. You looked around much?"

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"Not a whole lot yet, no. I mean, I've been to the town a time or two, getting things for the bar, stuff like that. Otherwise, mainly my room, the bar, the restaurant and a walk in the park. The good thing about being a bartender is, you don't need to go out for news. News come in that door all on their own."

So the young man across form him had been born in this building? He wondered if that was coincidence or had something to do with the place being holy ground - Something along the lines of a woman fleeing to a convent, maybe. Well, he could hardly ask that directly.

"You were born in this very building?" he asked instead. "I assume it wasn't a hotel at the time?"

[neutral-adam.livejournal.com]

"Nah, it was a hospital at the time I think. Sister Mary has been working in this place forever. She's better than me to tell you about its history. I can tell you it burnt down not long after I was born though which is quite cool.

"You gotta be picking up some interesting news round here given some of the guests..."

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"You bet," Joe said. "And apparently someone must've found it interesting to set some bar stools on fire before I got here. Generally, though, it's surprisingly quiet."

He thought about it for a moment.

"Or maybe hardly surprising... People don't seem to be sleeping too good."

[neutral-adam.livejournal.com]

"Nightmares?" Adam thought he could probably guess the answer to that but he might as well see what more there was to know...

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I guess," Joe said. He wasn't going to go into details of his own or Duncan's, and he really didn't even know for sure about the others.

"You, too?" he asked.

[neutral-adam.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Don't usually get them."

Adam had a bad feeling crossing his mind. a lot of people having nightmares and him in particular who was not usually prone to them. There was something bad here and probably not just at the hotel but down in the town too since that was where he was when he got his first nightmare.

Adam knocked back the rest of his drink and stood up, "Sorry, Joe. Just realised I gotta head back into town to check some things."

He headed towards the door and just before he got to it he turned and gave Joe a grin. "Put the drink on my tab. I'll pop back in again soon."

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"Sure," Joe said, though he did wonder about this sudden farewall.

Looking after his departing guest, he put the empty glass in the sink.