( semi-closed ) i'll drink to that

[realimperfect]

who: Re-L Mayer, the Scientist Expedition Team, Gladio, Anyone else!
what: Bar Socializing, meeting for 'drinks'
when: June 1-10th
where: Your local Quarantine Bar
warnings: Alcohol obviously, language probably

i. Return to Quarantine

After an extended time spent in the wilderness outside of the Quarantine, it was only natural to make it to their respective homes with enough time to spread out, maybe send some laundry away and sort through stacked up messages - then, of course, meet at the local bar for a bit of an unwind. Ok, maybe not usual, but Re-L finds herself agreeing to it anyway. Less time spent in the apartment she desperately needed to rearrange was for the best at the moment anyway - she finds clothes that she has left over (and mentally makes a note to go and get some more changes), makes sure to take a shower with at least three scrub downs to ensure she was, for sure, as clean as she should be to be back in society, and heads back out to the bar. She's set on a glass of win or two, but, depending on how raucous the others are feeling, that plan could go right out the window. 

As per usual with her typical need for absolute perfection in grooming, Re-L is fashionably late, though it doesn't take her too long to spot out the others even in the crowded bar. She feels a bit out of place, if she's honest, but when isn't she, heels and all? 

There would be an apology for being late - if she wasn't sure they'd all totally expected it. 

"Red wine, whatever you like best." Is her short drink order, not entirely picky at the moment before she turns back to the table: 

"I, for one, don't think I've ever taken a longer shower before tonight in my entire twenty years of life." 

ii. Interested in a "Drink"

Avoiding subjects had always been a specialty of Re-L Mayer. Particularly when it came to things she had little to no experience in, even if that just meant talking over 'drinks' as Gladio had suggested. However - she also had little to no will power to avoid going out for a glass of wine after a rough day back on the job, particularly when she was still catching up with sleep from their out-of-Quarantine mission, and soon found herself stepping in to the Quarantine Bar to a bartender who seemed to recognize her by now. 

Bless him, but it wasn't too terribly hard, either. Even her dress is out of the norm, a shoulder bearing top that had been gifted to her is basically all she has to wear until everything else comes out of the wash, an easily fetched pair of black pants in place of (but not all that different from) - her usual choice in clothing. A glass of red is on the bar before she takes a seat, straight backed as always, on the bar stool, a quiet note of thanks to the tend as he nods in return and moves on to the next customer - her favorite kind of bartender actually, and why she'd come back so often after she was finished her day. 

Also why she's not keen enough to spot out any familiar faces, too absorbed in her own daily wrap up. 

iii. Another Round

Want to sit down and have a drink with Re-L? Feel free to drop a line here and sidle up to the bar stool next to her and her flowery wine. (She won't bite too hard.)

Comments

[winscenario]

"I'll save you any accidental strawberries on my plate from now on, if you want to," Jim offers, though not all that seriously. He'd never go anywhere near a plate with strawberries, as even the faintest trace could get a reaction out of him. Nothing that upsets him much. His allergies are a little strange and seemingly random, but he's long learned to navigate them and live a life without any issues. Strawberries are admittedly something he's curious about, but he remembers his bad reactions a whole lot better than he does the taste of the fruit, and he knows better than to risk it just to get a taste.

The conversation all derails a bit due to Re-L's joke, though Jim more than welcomes it. He always appreciates someone who can crack a joke, even if it's at his expense. The whole thing seems to turn on Bones when he answers, though, and Re-L's retort gets another snort from him, as he pats Bones's chest lightly.

"Oh, you dug yourself right into that hole now, I'm not digging you out."

[legendary_hands]

Leonard could only roll his eyes and lift a hand to rub his face. Of course the both of them would turn this on him in their own way. Finally he just lifted his hands in defeat and figured if they wanted to 'bury him' as Jim put it, then he best shut his mouth now. "No point, seems like my run of luck is settin' me up for a fall, so I think I'll just bow out for now."

Lowering his hands to the bar surface, he habitually slipped his fingers over the latest shot class and turned it on the bar. The doctor started to pick it up, then stopped leaving it on the bar. Leaning forward, he asked for water from the tender and smiled just a little before glancing at Jim and Re-L.

"How's your hand, by the way." He glanced at Re-L and then to her hand that he'd taken care of. He'd already doted on Jim back at the apartment about that concussion, guess she was next on his list.

[realimperfect]

"Somehow I don't think even accidental strawberries will do you very many favors, Jim." Allergies weren't really a thing in Romdeau dome - being able to edit DNA in the ways they could kind of excluded those kinds of nuisances, but she'd heard enough about them in books to know that even something on his plate could be enough. Besides, she would definitely survive without a few strawberries passed her way. Daedalus might even thank Jim from where ever the hell he'd ended up, if he was lucky.

She's equal opportunity when it comes to throwing jokes either of their way, at least, shrugging her shoulders as Jim tells Bones he's not digging him out of that hole. Her had tips down as if to hide the fact that she may be splitting in to a smile, at the moment. It's an unfortunate habit of hers, but it is what it is at the moment. Another glass or two of wine and she might not be all that inclined to do it, or a shot of whiskey... She watches what seems to be McCoy's inner battle about the whiskey as he has it, though she doesn't comment. Maybe in a little while, if he still hasn't touched it, she'll offer to put him out of his misery and drink it.

And, well, make him at least a little bit pleased that she tried.

The inquired after hand is extended McCoy's way after he asks, her shoulders shrugging upward. "Nothing too crazy to report. It doesn't feel too sore or anything so I think we're in the all clear. No redness either..."

[winscenario]

"Oh, trust me. I know," he huffs, almost like the memory alone amuses him, even if it was never particularly pleasant at the time. Bones likely remembers the incident at one of their first Academy parties, at the very least. Jim swore off of fruity shots and cocktails from that point onwards unless he could see them getting prepared. And Bones himself was likely even more paranoid scrupulous about it than he was.

Allergies aren't particularly common where they come from, either, and they're mostly fairly easy to treat. Jim's an unusual case, as he has more than just one strange allergy, and is sometimes allergic to the very vaccines that could cure him.

Jim makes note of the way she ducks her head, but for the moment says nothing to it, pretending like he didn't notice at all. He smiles a little, eyes falling to her hand. But he's not the doctor on the table, so he lets Bones inspect it if he wants to. And, well, at least now he's fussing over someone else other than him.

[legendary_hands]

For now, he ignores the talk of allergies and the horrible fate incurred on Jim for his lack of ability to have strawberries and focuses on what he knew best. Taking her hand carefully, he uses that same gentle but clinical touch he tended to use with patients. Granted, it's a bit gentler with her mainly because she's somehow managed to endear herself to him in whatever way he couldn't explain.

Pressing his thumb into her palm, he focused on the feeling of bone, skin and tendons and how they should feel, while also paying attention to the color and looking for any signs of infection. "Flex your fingers one by one for me." He said it lightly, a softer tone as he's more focused on that sense of touch than anything else. "Then make your hand into a fist. Just wanna feel how everything is working. No infection so that's good. No tellin' what is out there that I've not dealt with before."

[realimperfect]

She finds herself incredibly thankful in that moment for Daedalus' quest for perfection in creating her and other fellow citizens of Romdeau Dome. Sure, it was strange to allow a doctor such incredible leeway over making an entire populace of people, but if everyone were to be so thorough in their job, picking and choosing genetics to benefit all of them - maybe she couldn't fault her good doctor all that much. Others may still find fault in it, but in reality, her problems with Daedalus went far beyond the issue of creating 'perfect' people.

"I've never experienced anything like a food allergy - I suppose Daedalus plucked any of those dispositions out of my DNA before I could even know it." And that much she was thankful for, if she's honest. The kinds of reactions Jim had had, while only alluded to, sounded bad enough to be pleased in the fact she'd never had to deal with them.

An exam in the middle of a bar might've been taken as odd by anyone other than Re-L - she's used to it, really, and doesn't mind. Might as well do it while they were all together instead of bothering with individual appointments or fitting in visits later when their schedules would be inevitably busier and harder to align.

She moves her fingers as asked, slowly enough that he can observe - sipping her wine once or twice while in the process of it, too. Might as well multi-task, right?

Her hand curls in to a fist and she finally looks to McCoy's face, as if asking what he thinks. "It's not painful, so I think we're in the clear. Depending on if you think everything feels alright, of course."

[winscenario]

Jim would likely find it strange himself, as useful as genetic manipulation can be in some health aspects. It'd seem a hint too close to nudging against his own sense of ethics, as much as he tries to adapt and accept that different people, and different worlds, will always do things differently. In this, however, it's a good thing.

"Lucky you. Allergies can be something of a bother at times. When I was still a child I was allergic to all kinds of animal hair, and let me tell you, that's a pain when you grow up on a farm." Even if they had a very limited amount of animals around, the simple fact that Jim was so prone to running off and roaming about had him crossing paths with a few cows and horses here and there. It usually didn't end well for him.

While Bones checks her hand, Jim leans back on his seat, watching the doctor's fingers trace her palm and wrist while he sips on his colorful drink.

[legendary_hands]

His fingers found the right muscles and tendons as she moved and he gave a pleased nod as he noted the smooth movement of each finger and no loss of strength from the muscles aside from fatigue. Finally releasing the hand, he gave Re-L another nod of approval. "Looks like you'll be fine. No signs of internal damage or infection. Probably in a few days it'll be like you never had an injury at all." Something he felt a little proud of, but he also credited her abilities to heal as well.

Turning back tot he bar, he found the glass of water left for him and grabbed that instead. For a moment, he turned his head to Jim and considered that idea of being raised on a farm with a small smile. "I never did ask if you were allergic to horses." Because honestly, not being able to have pets as a kid is a real tragedy, but for Leonard, childhood without horses just seemed like the end of everything.

Not that he talked about his childhood all that much. And honestly, thinking of back home just made it rougher on him cause that 'home' was Joanna's home. And just thinking about her swept the small smile away and left a furrow on his brow.