(starter for @coolleatherjacket)
This was the most obviously not his world that he’d encountered so far. There were no dramatic signs of it, really, but that was the thing. There was nothing that he would have expected to see to signal him one way or another.
Certainly there were no space craft to take him from this planet. It was landlocked. So if Andir existed here... well, he certainly wasn’t the same Andir he was looking for.
Which meant that Kieran didn’t even want to try.
He arrived in the evening and took no time at all to find a local watering hole. He recognized the sight and sound of a bar. At least that was similar enough.
He marched up the counter and ordered “Something strong, I don’t care what.” It was only when the man returned with the drink and an expectant hand that Kieran had a problem.
He passed over the only currency he had on him--standard universal tokens--and was met with a disapproving stare.
“What is this? Toy money?” the bartender asked.
Figuring he had no other shot, Kieran tried one in the dark. “It’s currency from my country.” Though he knew it was rare that planets divided currencies up by region, it was all he could think of.
“What country’s that?”
With no other option: “Mallin.”
“That in Europe or something?”
“Yes.” Kieran hoped that was good enough to win the barkeep over.
It evidently wasn’t: “Well we don’t accept it here. Come back when you have American money.”
Frustrated, Kieran pushed off the bar and looked around. Saw a man drinking alone and thought it didn’t hurt to ask. He marched up to the guy (even though he looked like he’d rather be alone, but mostly because he was alone) and tried his hand. “You willing to do a currency exchange?”