A Royal, An AI and a Marine Walk Into a Bar (AJ, King)

[Kerry Grimaldi]

Kerry had strolled into the bar awhile ago.  One thing she'd figured out while she'd been training as a marine that hadn't been part of her training was figuring out how to find the best dive bars for alcohol.  Sometimes, you had a fancy club that its lights compensated for its alcohol.  But dive bars were either popular for the regulars, the conversation, or the alcohol.  And you could really tell, so she always frequented the dive bars first if she could.  In the case of Astaria, it really was Drunken Dog.  The name cracked her up too honestly.  She'd situated herself at the bar, on one of the stools.  Usually stools were uncomfortable.  That was an expected thing.  This one wasn't bad.  She ordered a simple beer on tap for her first drink and she sipped at it slowly, turning around and leaning against the bar as she people watched.  As she let her eyes drift over each person, she took in details of how they held themselves as she did so.  She may be off the clock, but as a marine trained by her clan as a child, it was an unbreakable habit to figure out each person's habits from the way they looked.  And, in her subconscious, a battle was already waged and won as her mind automatically weighed how to win against them in a fight.  It wasn't even something she registered anymore, just a background process she didn't even think about. 

She stretched her arms backwards and worked a kink out of her shoulderblades for a short bit.  Fortunately her brown leather jacket had some extra room in it.  None of that fancy feminine tailored bullshit for Kerry, she liked a jacket she could have full range of movement in.  She would look damn good at a fancy tailored one, but she knew she looked damn good in ANY jacket so she was going to choose the one she was comfy in.  A leather jacket and dark wash blue jeans with a black sleeveless crop top shirt.  She took another sip of her beer and smiled. 

Alice Orion Black

[Orion Black]

Orion yawned, tired and ready to just relax with someone he liked to hang out with. He already dropped Honos off at Erebus' for the night and made sure he had everything he needed before heading to the bar that Kerry told him to meet her at. He knew he wasn't going to be completely drunk, but he'd like to be a bit buzzed when he talked about that one guy he met and seem interested in. Or about Honos' new science friend that he met in that one parking lot.

He walked into the bar, admiring the feel of it, and looked around to find Kerry. He adjusted his faded black jean jacket that was over a soft flannel and a thin grey t-shirt, trying to not seem nervous when a few people looked his way. He recognized some regulars from his gentleman's club job and blushed a bit. He was glad he was wearing comfortable dark jeans and a looser t-shirt compared to his usual look at that club.

He saw Kerry and beamed before making a bee-line to the younger woman. "Kerry! Glad ta see you, draco. How's work going for you, hm? Not overworkin' yourself, right? You know grandmama will find her way here to whoop you if she finds out that you're pushin' yourself too far, draco."

[Kerry Grimaldi]

Kerry saw Orion walk in and she immediately smiled.  It was always good seeing a familiar face, and she had said for him to meet her here.  After all, what was even better than finding a great dive bar with good alcohol was sharing that with a friend.  When he came over to her and greeted her, she got up from the barstool to greet him.  Kerry smirked and then went down on one knee briefly.  She was, at her core, still an Adairan Royal Marine.  And Orion was a royal, despite everything.  Plus it was somewhat amusing to see his reactions everytime.  It had started as official protocol, and it still technically was.  But she did do it a little bit sassier now.  After a moment she got back up and arched an eyebrow at him.

"I'm good, taking my off time to relax don't worry.  Your majesty."  The last two words were said quietly and Kerry smirked at him again. 

"And yes, I know if I don't take plenty of time off to relax so help me she will probably come over and tuck me so tightly into my bed I can't leave.  I feel like it might be a bit too far, but I also can totally see her pulling that in an extreme situation.  Either way, it won't be happening because I do know how to relax."  She grinned, taking a sip of her beer.

"Occasionally."  She grinned.

"Do you want to sit at a table?  Might be better than the barstools."

Alice Orion Black

[Orion Black]

He burned and covered his face with an embarrassed whine. When she got up, he pinched her side and glared at her, cheeks red. "You don't have to do that, draco" He hissed out, flustered as all hell. He got even more flustered when she said 'your majesty', hating it so much.

"You know she'd tuck you in tight regardless of reasons. She'd tie you down if she thinks you'd escape. Like she did with me the one time." He grumbled, pouting. He ordered a rum and coke and nodded at her question. "Think we can get one of them smaller booths?" He asked, grabbing his drink and giving the bartender his card before taking a drink.

"Because I don't fancy sitting in the small and tall tables. Makes me feel like I'm 5 with how I struggle to get my ass up on that chair" He pouted as he looked around for an open booth that wouldn't make him feel like an ass for sitting in with Kerry. "Unless you wanna watch me struggle? Haven't seen me do that in a while, haven't you?" He grinned at her before sticking his tongue out at her.

[Alice]

This was very nice. Even despite the limited perspective, which she was still getting used to, Alice felt more free in her new body than she had in a very long time. She'd never felt really trapped, but there was a sense of separation, of isolation that she had felt, being the only truly self-aware, sentient AI in the world. But now... now she was out. Out among other people. Just chilling. Vibing. And nobody looked at her twice. Unless they were ogling her, but even that she kind of appreciated. It felt nice being just real

That was really the reason she was at the Drunken Dog bar. She'd put together a fake ID easily enough, and gotten herself a booth. Despite just wanting to go out on her own for once, not being limited to viewing the world though a phone camera, she also wanted to see if Andi and Tim, in their drunken nerd building state, had given her body the ability to get drunk. She wanted to try that at least once.

She knew the basics of how her body worked so she knew that if a "drunk setting" existed, it would have to be something intentionally put in, not a physiological necessity, so she was gonna see if it could happen. That and people watch from a new perspective.

She couldn't help but laugh as she saw a woman get up and actually kneel? Bow? Curtsy? Something between all three of those to another man that... looked a little familiar. Wait, that was Honos' dad, wasn't he? That just made the whole thing even more hilarious.

She was sure her laugh was obvious, so she set her drink down( which right now was a rum and coke, she was planning on trying everything on the menu eventually)and waved them over.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh It was just... I haven't seen anyone bow to someone else in a bar before. I found it funny. Hi, I'm Alice. Nice to meet you. If you want, you can sit with me."

Orion Black Kerry Grimaldi

[Kerry Grimaldi]

Kerry saw Orion's reaction to the kneeling and how red he turned and she laughed.  She gave a small yelp when he pinched her and then the admonishment. 

"Oh no Orion, it's protocol.  Strict protocol.  Also you pinched me how the fuck did you reach that high I'm like mostly leg dude."  She looked at him and arched a single eyebrow.  When he spoke about the queen, she laughed again too.  Kerry could very easily picture her doing that.  He ordered a drink and then asked if they could find a booth.  She nodded and then heard the comments he made as she headed towards one of the smaller booths.

"Oh come now, I never bring you to a booth you'd struggle at.  On purpose."  She turned around to look at him briefly and locked eyes before smirking at him.  Friends.  It was something that before she entered the military she hadn't had the benefit of really ever having.  And now, it was something that felt so irreplaceable she could never have possibly gone back.  Then she saw the woman walking over, and talk about how she'd never seen someone bow to someone else in a bar.   And offer to have them sit with her. 

"What do you say Orion?  I'm fine with it."  She turned back to the woman.

"Kerry.  Good to meet you.  And it's all good to laugh, I was doing it partially to get a laugh about myself so if you laughed we're just kindred spirits honestly."

Orion Black Alice