"I was never gifted in the art of navigation," she muttered, her words carrying a deeper meaning than she intended. Sitting at the bar, she picked at a crumpled beer mat that had been abandoned by a previous patron. She was careful not to dirty Theo's immaculate counter, for she wasn't in the mood to ruffle his feathers tonight. Not in a way that would actually annoy him, at least. Instead, her mind was focused on starting an absurd game that was more for children than adults, but she didn't care as a small smile slipped across her off pink painted lips and she took a moment to survey the room and its patrons.
"Bribery? If I were to bribe you, I would make it far more enticing than a mere drink that you could pour for yourself," Renée jested, rolling her eyes playfully while flashing a sly grin.
"Alright, here's how the game goes," she continued, scooting her stool closer to the bar and resting her elbow on its now-pristine surface. "I choose a song, and you choose the next one. We take turns playing our tunes, all while keeping track of the number of times someone sings along. '' She turns to point at the small groups of one or two people sat. Renée beamed, revealing her pearly whites to Theo. " --- at the end of the night, the person with the most tally marks will have to buy the other a few drinks and take them out at the end of their shift for their fave takeout."
Truth be told, Renée found herself stranded in a town hours away from anyone she knew, save for a handful of people who had been passing through lately, and even then with the small handful of friends she'd made, she still felt disconnected. To make matters worse, her ex had also made this town his home. Things couldn't have been worse, but she kept that sweet smile on her face.
She needed to distract herself from the chaos, and this place was the only spot where she felt truly at ease. It was nothing like what she was accustomed to back home, she mused before erupting in a fit of giggles. She then locked her honey-hued eyes onto Theo's and teased, "You're not afraid that I'll win, are you?"
"Good bartenders are those that don't drink. It's not a good way to run a business by drinking away the profits." Theo countered, just to argue with her. Unlike some places, sometimes it was encouraged for bartenders to have a drink or two on the job if it meant the customer stayed happy and you built up a rapport with them. Considering the customer in question was Renee, he wasn't too worried about building up a rapport.
[And to get into the details of it, sometimes there were state laws that didn't agree with owner rules, and while usually it was fine for a bartender to have a shot with a customer if the customer insisted, there was more to it than a bartender being able to pour themselves a drink and go for it, but she hadn't asked for that rant.]
"And we're going to confirm each other's counts for who is singing, I take it?" Theo did have a job, which meant that he couldn't just stand around and count out who all was singing - it was only because it was such a slow night that he was able to prop against the smooth wooden surface of the bar and talk to Renee so long without any interruption. "Sounds like a fair deal." Maybe a fair deal, but an unfair set up for her since Theo worked there and knew exactly which songs were selected to play the most often. He had a home advantage, but doubted that would shake Renee's confidence any.
One of the other employees called out to him, and Theo's head turned as he held up a hand, signalling that he'd be there in just a moment. Just because Theo had favorite customers didn't mean he could play favorites, after all, and he knocked his knuckles on the counter top. "I'm not afraid, my ego's not that fragile. You get the first turn while I go deal with this, okay? I'll be right back."
Emilia gave a solemn nod to the places that weren't able to survive the fire. It sounded horrible, but she felt like maybe it wasn't best to dwell on the implications of it all. This was supposed to be a happy return to the town she loved, and she didn't want to fear that something would make her have to leave again. So they pressed on from that conversation to something more lighthearted, she felt like she would much rather talk about the park, at least for right now. Maybe have the more important talks when the four year old wasn't listening.
The mention of the pirate ship did catch Diego's attention and Emilia gave an impressed look as she ooh'd and ah'd to sound just as excited as him. "Wow, we'll have to make sure to check it out soon then. Cause that sounds like fun, doesn't it Diego?" He started to get more excited nodding his head as he chanted 'yeah, yeah, yeah.' Though as Theo admitted his lack of skill in the monkey bars department, that was when Diego took it upon himself to incoherently explain them by stammering on his words and using mostly arm movements, because as he claimed, 'it's easy!'
"Oh, such a tame answer. I was a swing kid myself. I always wanted to try and swing over the top bar but then also got too scared when I got too high." She shared, picking up her son as he laughed at her answer. "But that was the fun of it. And then jumping off from the highest point of your swing to see how far you could get, feeling like you were flying for a moment. So much better than going down a slide." She playfully teased.
Logically, Diego should be right and the monkey bars should be easy and Theo certainly saw enough kids playing on them when he was younger, but for some reason, his brain never agreed to that and he always fell. It was nice to be able to give the little boy something to be proud of, though, or at least excited. it never hurt to encourage and support kids and Theo frequently felt like he was better at talking to kids than he was adults, although he didn't know what that said about him.
"Sounds like the two of you were way more adventurous as kids than I was. But yeah, swings are nice, can't outgrow a good swing." That was why they made porch swings and hanging seats and maybe you could even make the argument about hammocks to an extent - it was nice going back and forth and making as a kid, you wanted the thrill of going up high, but it was also calming, soothing. Maybe it was something subconscious tied back to being rocked as a child, but Theo wasn't nearly qualified to do some kind of deep introspection on why people of all ages liked swinging things, he was just under the impression that they did.
Another customer reached for something near Theo and he shifted away, muttering a quick, oh, sorry, and realizing that they were probably taking up space - or at least Theo was, since he knew his trip would likely amount to nothing more than window browsing. "I hope you get the chance to check out the playground soon. If it doesn't have some cool monkey bars, there has to be somewhere that does." It wasn't like Theo was an expert on the amenities of the local playgrounds, after all, but he hoped they managed to satisfy Diego since even Theo knew that not all playgrounds were created equal.
''You can't deny that the Brits know whats up.'' Renée chuckled lightly into her drink before shifting her features back into fiend sternness. There tenuous friendship was one of the few things she had to enjoy in this hell hole of a town her father had banished her too. A girl, who, more often than not, found her own company more benefiting than being around others. Yet, she was more comfortable than here than in her own home these days.
It was the back and fourth, dry sense of humor that she often missed from England. A home she longed for more than anything. Before her family had fallen into wealth and home life had become non-existent. So easily cast aside, she realized. However, her ears perked when she heard the rasp of his voice. ''If you play the beatles for me, how about this, I'll buy you a drink.''
Renée brought her own drink to her lips and took a sip. ''Unless you're afraid I'll show your music taste up? --- '' She paused. ''Could make a game out of it?''
"I'd hope they know what's up. I also hope they know what's down. Learning your directions and opposites is an early lesson for kids." There was a mark on the bar that looked like someone's drink had burned a ring into the surface and he almost missed what she said next.
"Is that bribery?" There weren't a lot of British bands that Theo knew - there were a few that he thought were British, but he wasn't sure, but everyone knew that the Beatles were British. In fact, he thought they were from Liverpool, despite not having any idea where in England that happened to be.
Leaning forward onto his elbows, rag still loosely held in his fingers as Theo abandoned his task of cleaning, he was curious just what she had in mind. "What kind of game?" It wasn't that he was necessarily a competitive person, but he could be a curious one, he liked solving little riddles, and what man wouldn't want to know just what he was being challenged to?
Emilia cracked a smile at the deadpan delivery of his reply. She hoped it was a joke, otherwise if it wasn't, she would probably have to call authorities about inhumane working conditions. "Well, I'm glad to hear you're not chained up there 24/7. And hopefully 'same' is good. When I got back I uh, heard about the fire and saw some of the damage so I'm glad you're doing alright." She did mean it sincerely, even if she might have been a little awkward in her delivery. Trying to slide back in as if nothing happened for the past five years was a lot harder than she anticipated, and honestly she was biding her time until he inevitably asked what happened.
But for now, he brought up a new playground and she noticed the way her son's head turned around slightly in curiosity, like a puppy that heard the word 'walk'. "We haven't actually seen it yet, no. We just moved a couple months ago so it's been a little busy with getting settled back in for the most part. But I'm sure Diego would love to hear about this playground, right cariño?" she asked, which the young boy responded with a nod, taking his hands away from the counter to hold his mothers hand. "If you don't mind sharing what you know?" she asked Theo, assuming he wasn't hanging around playgrounds in his free time and mostly heard from other parents or from the news. "I don't wanna cut too much into your browsing time here. But Diego is a big playground buff. Almost a master at those monkey bars."
The fire was why Theo specified the bar was still where it was - it wasn't meant to be a hint or anything that she should have visited, because clearly the little boy next to her was the most important thing and was never lucky enough to have kids, not lucky enough to have someone that wanted to give him that, but you didn't exactly hang out in a bar on the regular when you had a little kid at home. There were babysitters, sure, but Emilia looked happy and looking back, she'd only been there because she was sad, hadn't she? "Some places haven't bounced back, but the bar was spared. Got lucky that way." His apartment wasn't so lucky, but one of the benefits of not having anything to your name was that if you could find a shoebox to live in, you had enough room.
It was a depressing subject, and not one with lingering over - no one moved back to a place to hear about its tragedies, and he didn't want Diego to hear something that might make him worry about his own home going up in flames. "They built a new one not far from my old place, it has a play house shaped like a pirate ship and I hear it's two stories inside." Which didn't actually make it that tall considering the height of most of the pirates inside that ship, but Theo thought it was pretty impressive from a distance. "There are probably monkey bars, I'm not sure. It's pretty impressive if you can handle them, I was never any good at monkey bars." That wasn't just empty flattery for a child, Theo never had been able to figure out monkey bars, never able to convince his brain to keep holding on with one hand and swing to the next, instead always letting go with both and falling, falling, falling. "I had simple tastes as a kid, I liked slides. How about you, @emiramos?"
Their last interaction was one that Emilia vaguely remembered. She knew she was in a slump for her past couple months before breaking off her engagement and leaving. In all honesty, while she told a few people she was leaving she didn't think to tell Theo, not expecting the bartender to overthink it. But now that they were standing next to each other after all this time, and he recognized her no less, she felt a bit embarrassed by the fact she seemingly disappeared when she left.
"I guess it's just a kid thing, but I'll tell you if I ever touched things I wasn't supposed to." She raises up her left hand to gently smack the back of her right to demonstrate, letting go of Diego in the process which sent him right back into discovery mode. She watched him do his thing briefly before turning back to look at Theo, a bit of an awkward, timid smile on her face. "You know, seeing you not behind the counter of a loud and dimly lit bar feels a bit like a completely different experience." She tried to joke, not sure how it would land before changing her approach. "How are you? How are things?"
it was disorienting to see emilia and to be having such a regular, normal conversation with her as if she hadn't vanished years ago as thoroughly as flipping a light switch. for him, it was as if she ceased to exist after a night in the bar and now, without any warning at all, the light was turned back on and she was there in the flea market like no time at all had passed. with as long as it had been, theo was surprised she remembered his name.
"they let me out, sometimes." it was a joke, but he didn't know if she could tell anymore - a lot of people had trouble knowing if he was serious or not. "they say it's good for an animal to have enrichment." it felt weird having her ask how he was, but he couldn't figure out why. people asked how he was sometimes, didn't they? "things are pretty much the same. i still work at the bar, and the bar is still where it was. but there's a new playground, have you been to check it out?" that last question is directed just as much to the little boy as it is to emilia, since it seemed rude to ignore the little kid.
Renée found herself at the aged old leather stool she'd found herself frequenting more than usual in the recent nights. It'd become the only place she found solace, her apartment to quiet, her thoughts unending. Here, amongst the locals and passers through, it had the right kind of ambiance that it didn't matter she'd spent a good hour scribbling away in her note books with flashing ideas for her upcoming book. The sound fizzled out of the old choking duke box in the corner, the ladies of the night that so often frequented who were 'supposedly' off duty lingered in their corners, the music changed and she raised honey orbs to the man situated behind the bar, leaning over to offer him a reserved smile.
''Is your music always this depressing?'' Renée teased, placing her pen down to wrap her fingers around the stem of her glass. A flash of her teeth showed her mouth fashioning into a smile that was only reserved for someone she'd got to somewhat know. ''I have better music taste than you and I'm only in my thirties.''
when you had a regular at a bar, the advice given to newly starting out bartenders was to get to know them and make them feel at home because it helped keep them coming back. theo wasn't new to being a bartender and considering how much he bickered with renee, he wasn't sure he was doing a great job of making her feel at home - and if he was, then he was going to assume that meant she had siblings. theo himself might have been an only child, but he knew people with siblings and that back and forth seemed to be a staple of the relationships.
"you think you have better everything than me because you're brainwashed by your own accent." theo snarked back without looking away from the bit of the counter he was wiping down, checking from the corner of his eye that there wasn't too much of a crowd gathering at the other end of the bar that he'd need to help out with. "want me to put on the beatles for you? would that be better?"
Benjamin nodded, dutifully listening to the bartender. “Oh yeah, for sure - definitely not the DD, man…and uhhhh…as for friends, nah, my brother dragged me out of the house and I have no idea where he went,” he chuckled. “Not like I don’t have friends. I do, but just didn’t come out with them tonight,” He threw out, not wanting to seem awkward. “Well, um, hmm. Definitely trying to forget shit…maybe I’ll have an old-fashioned? Sounds like something my dad would order.”
"your dad and a lot of people. it's one of the most popular bar drinks. you like whiskey?" turning around, theo started grabbing for things, whiskey and bitters and sugar, and maybe it was silly, but theo had always thought that there was a certain art to making a good drink even if he thought being called a 'mixologist' sounded silly. "you ever order this and see a bartender shake it, go somewhere else." theo advised, stirring patiently as he waited for the sugar to dissolve.
Status: closed for @theosilvas
Location: Hail Flea Market
The flea market had been a point of interest for Emilia. It was strange to think how in her seven years in Hail she barely ever made a trip here, so with her and her son early to rise that weekend, she decided it was about time. She knew that there were local art pieces sold here as well and she wondered if walking through and talking to the vendors might give her the courage to possibly get herself set up here one day.
As she walked up to one of the stalls, she and Diego settled themselves in beside someone to examine the items for sale. Emilia's eyes were focused on everything in front of her until she felt her hand being pulled by her son, who was now leaning into the space of the man standing next to them to grab things on the other side of the counter. "Diego! Mi amor, you have to say excuse me." she told the young boy before gently tugging him out of the man's personal space just as her son gave a soft 'scuse me'. "Sorry, I swear he sees with his hands..." she started to tell him before she recognized who she was talking to. "Oh...hey, Theo, right? Long time no see."
when theo was younger, flea markets used to be a favorite place for both of his uncles and the things around them were constantly being switched out as they found new treasures to fill their home with, making the small house into something unique enough that even theo's friends, kids that cared nothing about interior design, commented on it. theo himself wouldn't say he had extravagant taste, but there was something familiar about the atmosphere and even if he wasn't after anything particular, maybe a flower pot if anything, he could admit it was a nice day.
the kid that pushed into his space wasn't a bother, more a reminder of his own youth, and theo smiled automatically to diffuse the mother's apologies as he look up - and froze. years had passed since the last time he saw her, but theo was certain he knew this woman, just like he'd once been certain he'd never see her again. "emilia. it's been a while." an understatement, but maybe the little kid next to her had something to do with it. theo didn't know enough about kids to judge if the timing was right, and he certainly couldn't ask. instead, he nodded to the little boy and no, "no harm. i was like that, my uncle always told me to look with my eyes and not my fingers."
"hmm." was all sutton said, raising the glass to her lips and finishing the remnants of their drink, "i'm pretty sure that he MEANT it in an insulting way." they clarified though perhaps there was no clarity to the statement. she'd always been bad at deciphering people and their intentions. though after a moment a grin cracked onto her features, "so admit it...you think i look like bambi?" she handed the glass to him, "it's not the phrase that insults me but i guess the way he said it. dude's a dick. but he was being a passive aggressive dick so that shit always confuses me." nose crinkled as she looked at the menu, "what the fuck is in this fancy cocktail and can i have two?"
"bambi came out before i was born, i know what that cartoon dear looks like." which didn't answer the question, but bartenders were known for their listening skills, not their conversational skills. or at least, that's what theo liked to tell people. he didn't have uncle evan's easy charm and never pretended that he did. "sounds like he's jealous and doesn't want you to be able to call him on it." taking the glass, it would need to be washed and put back up even if they ordered the same thing and so theo moved to it to the proper place. "mai tais have rums and fruit juices, plus some other things." he assumed she didn't want the full recipe, but still ended up giving a lopsided grin. "guess you can have two. not planning on driving, are you?"
Benjamin looked around the bar like a lost little child. His brother had dragged him out insisting he needed to do something other than sleep and work but then promptly abandoned him to mingle, leaving Benny looking for an adult. But like…a real one. Realer than him, anyway. “I’ve…uh…I’ve never been at a bar before,” he said aloud. “though I guess that’s probably obvious. Any recommendations for a drink here? I’ve only had shit teenagers smuggle,”
it wasn't his job to be a bouncer, but damn the guy looked young. maybe not under legal age young, but yound enough to make theo feel old when he mentioned teenagers. "guess it depends. if you're a designated driver, you're getting water. if you're drinking to soialize, try what your friends are having. if you're here to get drunk and forget something, get something stronger. negroni is always popular. some guys like to get martinis and pretend they're james bond." theo stopped arranging bottles along the bar and gave him a look. "don't be one of those guys."
"weird and totally insecure question coming your way, brace yourself...but do you think i look like bambi??" they blurted out, knowing they sounded ridiculous, "it's just. this guy in the orchestra i play in, he called me it and i can't tell if it's true or if he's just pissed that i got switched to first chair and he got moved to second. also is bambi an insult?"
even though theo had just started his shift, it didn't mean that patrons there were on their first drink. he didn't see a bottle or glass in front of them, but that didn't mean anything. "guess it depends on the person." He admitted, checking to make sure the bowl of nuts was full. "and if you're insulted at being called bambi. do you want to order something?" he asked before remembering the original question. "it's the eyes, by the way."
pedro pascal / 48 / cismale —have you noticed that THEO SILVA is back in town? the BARTENDER is apparently pretty LOYAL, but HE can also be a little JUDGEMENTAL. HE is always blasting IN THE AIR TONIGHT by PHIL COLLINS, as it makes them think of something from their past. i hope the VIRGO has a better time here than most.
tw: illness, death, homophobia
At the age of seven, nearly eight, the Silva family were the targets of a home robbery that left Theo without parents and sent to live with his Uncles at the other end of the continent. They always wanted kids, but not like this.
Uncle Evan was the brother of Theo's mom, but Theo developed a closer bond with his uncle's husband, Uncle Matthew, that he did with his blood relation. The man's quiet nature made him a better companion for the grieving child and together they cultivated a love for the outdoors.
Theo learned how to garden and grew an apple tree from a seed just like his kindergarten class taught him, he grew little herbs on the windowsill and watched Uncle Evan throw them in food and drinks and felt like he contributed. He also liked seeing that he could keep something alive, even if plants weren't the same as people.
He had a green thumb, but also bloody knuckles. Not all of his time was spent growing herbs and participating in 4H club. Not everyone was tolerant of Theo's family and when people tried to take it out on him, Theo pushed back. Uncle Matthew didn't approve of fighting, but Uncle Evan did, and that was the start of lessons at the gym in self defense and for the first time since moving, Theo found something besides blood to share with Evan - boxing.
As all kids do, he grew up, but he never moved far away from his family, attending college only an hour away. He wasn't a phenomenal student, never was, but Theo knew they were proud of him and supported him anyway, through thick and thin. Evan used to say that Theo needed to get a fancy diploma and go on to be a millionaire so he could support Evan and Matt once they were addled old men, and Theo always laughed and said he would, even though he knew he'd never be rich.
What happened next would have been easier if he was. Matt was diagnosed with cancer during Theo's second year of college and bills quickly piled up. Theo eventually dropped out and threw himself fully into work to try helping, but helping with the finances didn't help Matt, who lost his battle and seemed to take part of Evan with him.
There wasn't any returning to college after that, just working and trying to look out for Evan, who was never the same. The jokes about taking care of him in his old age no longer seemed like jokes, for all that Evan was only in his sixties. That still seemed like it was too young for Evan to fall apart, at least in Theo's mind.
It wasn't the life Theo planned, and he knew it wasn't the one Uncle Matt wanted for him, but Theo made do as the years past, time adding up until college was a half forgotten memory. He worked a variety of odd jobs, bouncing around between things that didn't requite any qualifications until one of Evan's friends mentioned needing a new bartender soon, and promising to hire Theo if he got certified. It would cost, but the pay raise would make up for it in a month or two.
That's where he met Lucy, and it felt like love at first sight. She became a light for him, a joy as things with Evan became worse. Theo knew his hours were difficult, that he was often preoccupied and stressed because of his family, and Lucy always seemed to handle it with grace. She handled it with grace for a few years and by the time Evan grew worse, they were engaged. Their apartment was small, and Theo was filled with ideas of moving into Evan and Matthew's old house with her one day, renovating it and having a small family with her.
Then Evan passed away from health complications and Lucy admitted to cheating on him, claiming she hadn't wanted to weigh him down with the knowledge when he was dealing with Evan in the hospital, and then the funeral. In Theo's mind, it wasn't any better finding out his fiancee was leaving him for the man she'd been having an affair with while he was grieving, and the split ended up acrimonious.
With his family dead or gone, Theo's life felt empty and he sold everything tying him to his old life before packing up and crossing the continent once again to restart his life.
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