[Open]

[pullmeapint]

Finn cleared the last of the dishes from the dinner rush and carted them into the kitchen for Tandy, laughing when she asked if he'd been demoted to busser.

That chore done, he headed back into the bar to do a walk around, checking with those in the game room and those at the tables and booths scattered around the bar area. He joked with a few of the regulars and greeted the faces he couldn't remember seeing before taking his position behind the bar again.

Leaning against the back counter, he surveyed his pub and couldn't help the smile that formed. For as much flak as he'd received from his family over his choosing such a small town when he finally struck out on his own, he really did love the town. The atmosphere was open, accepting, and the sheer fact that he could use his abilities without causing the National Enquirer to drop onto his head made it perfect.

He looked up when the door opened and called out a welcome to the newcomer.

"Welcome to the Pub."

Comments

[comeonbro]

"No, Finn no. Tell me you're joking. Please."

This was the worst news. This was a bar. This was a bar that he really liked. It was a place to get a beer and watch a game. It should not be a place for nerds to dress up and pretend they were wizards and worse. What if they came in on a game night?!

"And nothing major on fire. Mostly medical emergencies."

[comeonbro]

It was not exactly how Levi preferred to get a woman's hand on his lap and he almost had to laugh at it. At least she was apologetic about it, he almost felt bad for her except that he was the one that had a lap full of beer.

"I'm pretty sure it will get cleaned when I throw them in the wash when I get home. Between the soap and the water and the electricity I'm pretty sure the cost will add up to about the cost of a beer."

[pullmeapint]

"Wish I could, man, but the deal's done," Finn laughed, holding his arms out to the side as he shrugged. "I guess I'm a sucker for nerdy redheads and the idea of a shit ton of women's in corsets flooding into my bar. Game or not, you've got to admit that's a better sight than five sweaty men running up and down a court." He pulled a bowl of pretzels from the far end of the bar to rest in front of Roosevelt. "Don't worry too much. It's just a couple of nights here and there over the summer, nothing that should get too much in the way."

[starting_over]

Samantha paused, considered, then nodded as if she'd made a decision. "Then let me buy you a drink and I won't feel as guilty about the impromptu beer shower. Or I can just slink out of sight and we can forget this ever happened. Your choice."

She fully intended to pay for the beer the guy had in front of him no matter what he said, but whether or not he knew it was happening - that was the only question now.

[wastelandflower]

"Yeah, but my ma never liked my wife, doesn't much care. And I'm family." He shrugs and then smiles, thinking on Sophie. She's the one thing he got right and he means to make her the sun and moon for it.

"I did get my beautiful girl, yes."

[pullmeapint]

"Still, it's her loss, to my mind," Finn told him. "And if you're ever in the mood for an Irish Catholic mother to try and smother the life out of you, you're welcome to come home with me when I head down for Sunday dinner."

Finn grinned widely at the offer, that could almost be a threat.

[keirasullivan]

"I am, my mouth is terribly jealous of your hands." Keira snapped right back, let him serve someone else while thinking about that. Keira crunched a pretzel loudly, popping it into her mouth as she looked like a wicked cat who had eaten the canary. Or the wicked witch teasing the poor, innocent, bar owner.

[keirasullivan]

"Maybe I'm playing the long con with you, surprise I'm the evil twin. The one who shelves things out of sequence," Keira said. Though mentally she winced at that idea. Seriously someone put her Dewey out of order and she would dewey something to their face. Heh, library puns. "I just mean, when you know you feel ready and comfortable to progress and want some tips or advice then you know where I am. I'll be here sexually harassing that poor man until closing time."

[pullmeapint]

This time, Finn dropped to his knees and clutched his chest with both hands while he groaned. "Killing me, woman. You're absolutely killing me over here."

When he got up, though, he was laughing and mixing a gin and tonic for another regular and getting a lot of good-natured ribbing from the others at the bar about Keira's merciless teasing.

[keirasullivan]

"Please, I'm barely warmed up. You want me to kill you then I'll stay after work and put you really to the test." Keira replied, grinning at him and raising her beer at her fellow pub compatriots. The fellow pub compatriots who were teasing Finn, although in an entirely different way than she was.

[pullmeapint]

"But then who would run the bar? The place would go to ruin over my decaying corpse and you'd be left without your favorite bartender to torment. Then those brief hours of pleasure would be all you'd have left and you'd waste away from missing me."

Finn said it all while drawing pints and serving drinks, grinning through it all.

[wastelandflower]

"Hot bowl of stew and a side dish of bread and guilt?" Rian asked, leaving off any qualifiers. He wasn't out to insult Finn's ma nor could he, honor bound, betray his own mother's stew because everyone's mother made the best.

[aoife_coombs]

"I know I should tell you something about your word choice but as long as you're not sexually harassing my man I don't care."

"Oh God, I called him my man, that's so embarrassing." Aoife pulled closer. "It's all so completely different this time, Keira."

[pullmeapint]

"Ah, you've been to my mother's then," Finn laughed easily, because it was probably true of mother's the world over, but Irish and Catholic just increased that ten-fold. "It's always fun unless you're the one getting the guilt."

[keirasullivan]

"You make a really good point, perhaps I'll only give you a sample. Not enough to kill you, just enough to really-" Keira snagged his shirt, bringing him to a stop as he went past the bar again. Leaning forward, she tugged him closer as she brushed her mouth against his ear lobe. "-truly ruin you. What do you say Finn?"

[keirasullivan]

"Please, I don't steal men from other people." Keira replied, grinning as Aoife pulled her close. Draping an arm around her shoulder, she waggled her eyebrows at her suggestively as Aoife called him 'her man'. "Nope, it just means you're in love. It's ridiculous and for once, he's actually Keira approved."

[aoife_coombs]

"Am not. I wouldn't even be able to recognise how that's supposed to feel."

"Why is he approved?" So maybe Aoife liked to hear that she made good decisions for once. "Have you two been meeting up without me? How do you even come up with such a meeting?"

[keirasullivan]

"It's what happens when you call people you like "your man", that's what it is." Keira replied with a laugh. Shaking her head at the question, she just raised an eyebrow at Aoife. "Nope, I just know you. You seem happier. Anyone who actually makes you happy deserves Keira approval."

[aoife_coombs]

"I'm not happier! That implies that I wasn't happy before I met him."

"I know, I should do the introduction thing, it's only polite." She sighed. "But with him right now I can just be the person he wants. With others around I'll work myself into a headache because of too many people asking too many things of me. Not you, of course. You know there's nothing to me."

[pullmeapint]

Finn turned his head so his lips were right next to her ear. "I think you ruined me a long time ago, gorgeous," he whispered before stepping back to move along the bar to the other side

[wastelandflower]

"Or you've been to mine," Rian countered. "And it's the same at my house. Usually I got away with everything, being the baby."

[comeonbro]

"Lee," Roosevelt hissed through clenched teeth, eyes narrowing. It had to be her. How many nerdy redheads were there? Alright, probably a lot, but not a lot that would ruin his favorite bar. There was a possibility she had done it on purpose and he was going to make her pay for that.

"No, I don't have to admit that, because athleticism is a beautiful thing. You just let me know what nights those are so I can avoid the place," he added, taking a bite of a few pretzels. "Speaking of sweaty men running, you any interest in the triathlon they're doing this year?"

[comeonbro]

"I will gladly let you alleviate your guilty conscience by buying me a beer and having a chat," Roosevelt said with a nod. If she wanted to leave after getting him a drink that was fine but why come to a bar if you didn't want to make friends? Alright, maybe to drink or eat in solitude but she could always decline if she wanted.

[pullmeapint]

"Something tells me you know said ginger," Finn responded, not even bothering to hide his smirk. He couldn't help it. The disdain was practically dripping from Roosevelt's words. "Don't worry. As soon as I know, you'll know. And it won't get in the way of St. Patricks. Even if they have nerdfest planned that night, it won't be happening here. The Pub will be all green beer, all the time. And nary a corset in sight."

He poured a shot and sent it down the bar at a nod from a regular, then turned back to Roosevelt. "Nah, man. You've got the wrong guy for that one. Maybe Smith, the Tattoist? He runs pretty hardcore. I know he's run the New York City and the Boston Marathons. I'm more about martial arts and finding my Zen." He added the last with a big grin.

[starting_over]

"You're so very kind," Samantha smirked and nodded at the bartender. "Shall we stay at the bar? Or find a booth?" She looked at the half-full glass in her hand and sighed. "No matter where we go, I probably shouldn't be carrying this. I'm afraid I'm armed and dangerous."