(no subject)

[littlerubyred]

It had taken Ruby a few days to come to terms with her new situation, though a rare show of practicality had won out in the end after a lengthy discussion with Sheriff Graham and the man she knew as David Nolan. She wasn't going to be leaving the Nexus any time soon, at least not for a permanent return to her home, and if she was going to stay in the hotel, money had to be made for the sake of general upkeep. Her skills were admittedly limited, though thankfully there was work to be had in the hotel for someone who had grown up in a world of customer service and food preparation. Getting a job in the bar had seemed an appropriate change of pace, or at least all the change she could currently handle in a world that had been turned inside out for the moment, and after she'd been accepted for the position she'd started almost right away.

In addition to being a decidedly and thrillingly more swank environment than she was used to, the clientele was definitely more diverse in that it was a room full of people she'd never met before. For all she lacked in knowledge concerning the outside world she was attempting to put forth enough effort in charming everyone to get by in terms of the standard awkwardness she had purely by being the new girl in a very strange and new environment. She'd been serving the same food and drinks to basically the same people for longer than she cared to remember, and if this was her first attempt at branching out, she didn't want to botch it up.

The small, round tray was steady on the flat of her palm as she sat a round of drinks down at one of the tables, smiling when the patrons paused their conversation to gesture their thanks, and then continued their conversation. Ruby continued on, too, tucking her now empty tray under her arm as she looked around for someone waiting to be served.

Comments

[not_lost]

"You should take a break, have a drink," Fiona called over from her place behind the bar. The new girl had waitressing skills, that much was obvious, but she'd clearly also never worked in a bar, or at least not one like this. She was so damned earnest about doing a good job that it was adorable.

"You're so much nicer than I was when I slung cocktails," Fiona confessed when Ruby approached the bar. "I'm not saying I was rude to everybody, but…" She paused, tilting her head with a smirk. "Some people deserve a little screw you with their Seven and Seven."

[littlerubyred]

Ruby turned at the sound of a feminine voice, recognizing it as the rather adorable bartender that had been on for most of her shift. She bit her bottom lip and smiled gratefully, making her way over to where the other woman stood, her tray tucked in front of her beneath both arms now, as though she were carrying school books. This girl was so pretty and obviously much more at home in the environment than Ruby herself was, and Ruby felt a vague sort of admiration for the other woman just for that. Ruby could front or force confidence in herself easily enough, usually through assertive dress, though a job at the Smoking Room had called for something a bit more dapper than her waitress uniform from home. She thought she was maintaining pretty well, though a break would certainly be welcome.

"Thank you," Ruby said, then allowed herself a delighted laugh at the woman's next words, putting her tray down on the bar and leaning in on her elbows as she half sat on a stool. "Isn't that the truth," she said, pleased to meet someone so straightforward, and offered her hand. "Ruby Lucas."

[not_lost]

"Fiona Gallagher," she offered in reply, and hastily dried her damp hand on the front of her blue-jeaned thigh before reaching across the bar to shake with a smile. "I take it you're still pretty new here. The Nexus, I mean, not just the bar. You've still got a little of that wide-eyed thing going on," she added with a wink.

[littlerubyred]

"It's so lovely to meet you," Ruby said. At Fiona's comment Ruby gave a bit of a wince for comedic effect, though it quickly turned into a broad, if abashed smile. "Is it that obvious?" She said, sighing just a bit. "I feel so strange here. It's lovely, I mean, but I come from a small town where I grew up with all the same people. Right now I'm operating purely on the hopes that I don't look and/or sound like a country bumpkin."

[not_lost]

"Nah, not at all," Fiona replied with a shake of her head. "Not unless country bumpkins have changed a whole hell of a lot since I last checked," she added, laughing. "And it's okay, being a little in shock. Almost everyone goes through it when they first come through."

She reached for an empty glass and tilted it Ruby's way. "What can I get you? We've got all kinds of beer if that's your thing, or I make a killer cocktail."

[littlerubyred]

"I'd love a cocktail. Whatever you think is best," Ruby said, smiling as she moved to sit fully on the stool and watch Fiona make her drink. She'd had her share of cocktails in Storybrooke, though if there was something new and delicious to be had here, she would certainly be up for it. "I am glad to know I'm not the only one. Where do you come from? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

[not_lost]

"Chicago," Fiona answered, and then remembered belatedly to add, "That's on Earth. You?" Ruby dressed like she was probably from some version of Earth, but Fiona had learned quickly that it wasn't always so easy to tell. The girl was definitely pretty enough to be from some other planet.

After a moment's contemplation, Fiona reached for a cocktail shaker and the honey.

[littlerubyred]

"I've always wanted to go to Chicago," Ruby said immediately and brightly. "How do you like it there?" It was on the tip of her tongue to say something further on the matter when it sunk in that Fiona had specified that it was on Earth. She knew the Nexus was vast and that there were doorways to various places, and while the thought of venturing out into a place that wasn't even in a realm of existence she was aware of seemed inordinately frightening and thrilling, she hadn't quite mustered the nerve yet. "Have you ever taken one of these doors to go elsewhere?" She asked.

[not_lost]

"I'm kind of required to love Chicago," Fiona knowingly replied as she added strawberries to the shaker. "It's a thing. But I wouldn't recommend the Southside." She wasn't ashamed of where she'd grown up, but she held no illusions about it, either.

"I went to the Caribbean on New Year's," she continued, pouring in bourbon, ginger, lemon juice. "That was pretty fucking epic. You want to be careful, though. Walking blindly through doors in this place is a bad idea, not every door goes someplace nice."

[thelostprince]

Loki was feeling distinctly strange. He had almost refused to let his mother out of his sight, terrified that it would, indeed, be the last time he saw her again - but logic remained, she needed to find Thor, and Loki did not feel like being present for that conversation. Instead he did what he usually did, which was go to the bar. Old habits died hard.

There was a new girl working there. Apparently the Smoking Room was fond of hiring women of the slender and adorable variety. Not that Loki was particularly looking, but it was something he noticed. He raised his hand, slightly, to catch her attention. "Three fingers of scotch, neat," he said. His voice was soft and low; he felt drained, emotionally, though he pulled a sheet over it as he usually did. "Please, and thank you."

[littlerubyred]

The man that had signaled her over had apparently walked in while Ruby was on her break, as she was positive only having her nose in a cocktail glass could've kept her from noticing one such as him. Even seated he was tall and strong of shoulder, and somehow striking and regal and elegant and just... Utterly unlike anyone from Storybrooke, and she didn't need to hear his soft accent to be positive of that.

Retrieving the drink didn't take all that long as it was a fairly simple order, and she returned to sit it down in front of him with a napkin beneath, biting at her bottom lip as she attempted to think up something to say. The truth was that he looked like he'd had quite an evening, though she wasn't sure if it'd been good or bad. "Is there anything else I can get for you?" She asked, smiling warmly and softly down at him. "You look like you've had quite an evening, if you'll forgive me saying so. Have you eaten?"

[thelostprince]

He could read body language easily, and he considered hers even as he picked up his drink. He chilled it just by touching it, but he did it in a smooth, unconscious movement, before knocking the drink back. She looked like someone who wanted to talk; chatty people had that look about them. Or maybe he was being unkind.

"I suppose I have," he said. Finding out your mother was not, in fact, dead, but also last saw you when you were a small child, was vaguely off putting, though not exactly unpleasant. "No, I'm fine," he said. "I don't... really eat." Well, he did, but he felt hunger differently. He was a godly being, and food was more for pleasure than sustenance, though it was sometimes that as well.

[littlerubyred]

As soon as the word's left her mouth Ruby could've cringed at her own silliness. As eager as she was for someplace that wasn't Granny's Diner, she had certainly wasted no time in behaving as though she were back there. She was long used to serving only people she knew and talking openly with them about their day and any sort of problems they might've been having, and this man had seemed so in need of something she couldn't quite put her finger on that the comment had slipped out before she fully thought it through.

"Oh," she said when he answered, shaking her head slightly and blushing. "Oh, I'm so sorry. That was silly of me." This man was entirely unknown to her and, as he'd admitted, having quite a night. What he needed was to be left alone with is thoughts and his drink, no doubt. She chuckled a little. "Forgive me. I'll get out of your hair, but is there anything else I can get you?"

[thelostprince]

Maybe it was the fact that Frigga was here now - well, that was part of it. But she had brought him up with manners as befitting his rank, and while he bucked them often when it served him to, habitually it was all still there. And it was closer to his awareness, now, with Frigga present in his mind and bringing all those nostalgic memories to surface.

In short, chivalry dictated he couldn't let her stand there, looking embarrassed. He wasn't sure if he was the direct cause of it, but as he was present he would have to assume some of that responsibility. While he wouldn't pander to someone's emotions - he was rarely interested in trying to cheer people up outside of his family, and even now such things wore his patience thin - he did at least want to make certain she wasn't feeling bad over the wrong reasons, out of politeness. "No," he said, "Don't be sorry on my behalf. You were kind in asking. It was not my intention to be disheartening, if that is what it was."

[littlerubyred]

"No, no," Ruby said, shaking her head. This man had been as kind as anyone could be expected to be, being questioned about his personal state by someone who was supposed to be serving him drinks and minding her own business unless otherwise asked. "You're fine. I'm just still getting used to this place and sometimes I put my foot in my mouth or get too nosy for my own good. I just remembered a half second too late." She gave him a less embarrassed and warmer smile for reassurance at least that he hadn't done anything ungentlemanly, if that was his concern. Either way, she didn't want him feeling bad or uncomfortable over her behavior.

She did notice his way of speaking, as regal as the rest of him, and she would've allowed herself to get even more flustered if she hadn't already made such a mess of it all. Ruby's reaction to a handsome man could vary depending upon the circumstances, and she'd already ensured this was awkward, at least to start.

[thelostprince]

"I wouldn't call you nosy," he said. Nosy was annoying, almost impossible to deal with. She was acting abashed, and he couldn't figure out why. She didn't look like the sort of woman who didn't, at least, have a few slivers of strong confidence in her repertoire.

"I thought you looked new," he said. He couldn't see Fiona anywhere in sight - perhaps she was on a break, or she was back home, or she was sleeping somewhere. In any case, he didn't feel like seeking her out. When it came to people he knew Loki didn't really look for them; they just came and went on their own terms, and every now and then there was a collision.

[littlerubyred]

Ruby tipped her head to the side and grinned down at him after his comment concerning her not being nosy, as at least there was that much. Confidence was something she could dress herself in as easily as an extra layer of lipstick, though the newness of the situation combined with the fact that she'd never worked a job like this in a place like this had her feeling insecure. Either way, she'd already made an ass of herself in front of this man, so where else was there to go but up, right?

"You thought right," she said, propping her hip against the table and looking down at the sharp, interesting lines of his bone structure. "I'm not really nosy, I guess, though I come from a place where I've known everyone in town for years and I suppose I'm more prone to being addled by a handsome stranger than I thought. Seeing as how this is my first encounter with one."

[freezedout]

Isaac's sense of smell doesn't always grab onto things as well as he'd like. He blames a lot of it on his teenaged attention patterns, given that usually he gets a whiff and then kind of forgets to follow through on it. This smell is weird, though. It's familiar and it's completely not at the same time. By the time he follows it, he comes across a group of people being served food and drinks.

Maybe he's just been hungry the whole time?

Isaac tries to catch the waitress' eye, settling into one of the stools. "I haven't seen you here, before," he says, because he's wondering if he can convince her to serve him alcohol if she's new and she's never met him before. "Can I get a beer?"

[littlerubyred]

Ruby noticed the young guy when he came in and sat himself down, a smile curving her lips as she walked away from the table she'd just been serving and over to where he sat. She propped her hip against the edge of the table and put one fist on her hip, tipping her head as she smiled down at him. "Well," she started, sitting her empty tray down on the table beside him. "I don't know, fella. What sort of beer are you after?"

This guy looked plenty young, and while the kids tended to not try such things on her in Granny's so much thanks to everyone knowing everyone else, she thought it best to be sure and save herself the trouble. She did admire his gumption though, if he was underage.

[freezedout]

Isaac takes in a deep breath to try and bluster his way through and the smell hits him again. It's that familiar weird smell and seriously, he needs to have a talk with Scott about what the hell it is. "Whatever's on tap?" he suggests, doing his best to arrange his forehead like Derek when he's in a mood, hoping it makes him look more serious.

[littlerubyred]

Ruby laughed good-naturedly at the earnestness his reply, careful not to make it sound mean or condescending, as she would certainly never be that, especially to such an adorable young customer. She couldn't think of an exact moment she'd tried what he was trying just then, but she thought perhaps that she had. She was just that sort, after all. "Well," she said, "Anything that comes on tap requires an I.D.," she said. "But if you forgot yours, I could maybe get you a Coke?"

[freezedout]

Isaac's going to be twenty-one sometime and he'll be able to buy beer. He seriously thinks it's messed up that he's a creature of the night who can grow hair on his face, but he can't buy a glass of beer. Derek really didn't warn him about that one when he offered the bite. "So maybe I'll settle for a glass of Coke," he admits, resigned. "Is there anything good to eat around today? I'm starved."

He's always starved. Teenage metabolism with a werewolf's is definitely a losing combination.

[littlerubyred]

"I could," she said, smiling brightly when he asked about the food. "Do you have an idea of what you would like, or should I scare you up a menu to go with your coke?" She made a note in her notepad about his Coke, then looked up at him, waiting expectantly with a smile.

[freezedout]

"Honestly, I'm kind of at that point in my life where if it's edible, I like it." He doesn't say that if it's meat, the more rare, the better. He doesn't like to think about how his tastes had skewed after the bite. "So, seriously, you're new," he says. "When'd you get here?"

[littlerubyred]

Ruby chuckled, as that was a feeling she could certainly relate to. She'd always eaten far more than someone of her size could truly justify, not that it showed. "I know how you feel," she told him. "Though I'm sure a cheeseburger or three would never go wrong, right?"

Pub cheeseburgers cooked medium rare were Ruby's personal favorite, so that's what she jotted down on the notepad for the fellow with a little question mark beside it, just in case he changed his mind during their conversation. "I am new," she said with a sigh. "So new. This is my first night, in fact, so be gentle." She shifted her pad to extend her hand to him. "Ruby Lucas."