4256/Hot Topic vs Honky Tonk

Hot Topic vs Honky Tonk
Date of Scene:	30 November 2020
Location:	Harry's Hideaway (Bar)
Synopsis:	Harley goes to a bar and comes across Jimmy Hudson. Turns out he is not the bartender! What a cheat!
Cast of Characters:	Jimmy Hudson, Harley Quinn

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Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    Harry's is an institution unto itself. Hidden away in upstate New York with its own set of townies, its own clientele, nestled in the corner of Salem Centre off the beaten path. It's a place that doesn't draw too much the traveler. Not enough it glitzy or enticing on the outside to draw in newcomers too easily and Harry seems alright with it being that way. It creates the ambiance that he likes. Classic rock playing on the jukebox, groups of people gathered at the bar chatting about what's being shown on the twin LCD screens above. Another monitor letting some people gamble a little with a game of Keno displayed. Out on the floor some people are curled around tables, and a sign of a truly good bar? Some people are actually eating too while they drink.
    It's a relaxing vibe, and a reason why so many of the townies come here. Which is also why amongst the faculty of Xavier's, it's a favorite hang out. Which also includes their own newcomers.
    "She's all set, Harry." Says the newest member of that set of school teachers at the nearby academy. James Hudson emerges from the back, a dishrag in his hands and wiping at them, some hints of oil and grease can be seen on his arms. Perhaps some on that grey and black flannel overshirt he's wearing as well.
    "Oh hey, good Hudson. Got it running again?" Harry says, head tilting to the side. "The fridge has been nothing but trouble, I'll tell you what."
    "Yeah, feel free to go take a look, see what I did. Just had to tighten up the belt."
    Harry's brows lift, "Well shit. Hold down the fort a sec, man." And with that Harry turns to head back into the storage area...
    Which leaves James Hudson leaning there against the bar, rag in hand, his blue eyes up on the LCD screens above as he waits for Harry's return...
    Yet it also leaves him standing there looking almost picture perfect, the image of the bartender at rest enjoying a bit of downtime.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Ever since Harley Quinn took a step out of Gotham that she's been prowling about other good bar dives. 'See the sights!' or so April always tells her. And today the chosen bar is Harry's. Quaint, somewhat hidden a bit out of the main streets... Just her kind of places, even if she can already smell the cowboy stank from afar. Imaginary of course but still...., she knows what to expect!

The door opens and she meanders in, no baseball bat or other such destructive instruments (at least in sight), a wide grin on her expression. She is dressed in long pants today, because it's damn cold. Of course that they are still bright yellow, followed by a top and a large fluffy jacket around the shoulders. Hair is still pinned up in that traditional way of hers with the pigtails along with the different colors. Perfect unicorn icing!

Cue in an immediate cat whistle at the 'bartender', eyes all mischievous when she approaches. "If ah say pretty please can ah get some o' that cowboy grease on my whiskey glass?" she rests an elbow on the counter. "I will have a whiskey. Double." starting small...

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    Someone like Harley doesn't go unnoticed in Harry's. To be fair she doesn't go unnoticed pretty much anywhere, but maybe even more so here. She stands out. All bright colors, personality worn on her sleeve when she has one. Already grinning when she steps through that door only to draw gazes one after the other. Quick glances, not exactly furtive, but more abrupt. Considering. Then away back to their business.
    Then she's crossing the room and that bartender she sees is still cleaning off his hands with that dish rag and his back to the bar a bit, but she could see that profile of his as she approached. Her voice lifted and he turned to look.
    And yeah there's a little sizzle there when eyes meet, his narrowing slightly and casting that visage of his more toward the curious than the wary. His nostrils flare for a moment, then he looks down at the bar, then back up at her with one eyebrow quirked.
    Lifting a hand he starts to say something, then glances back to the door. "Whiskey. Comin' right up."
    And as he's saying that he's already leaning back from the bar, taking a gander. Surely not trying to find the whiskey since any bartender worth his salt would know it's... oh good right there's a bottle.
    Tops twisted off and then he puts a glass on the counter. Pours. The caramel liquor gurgles slightly as he does so.
    One of the men at the end of the bar sort of smirks, likely knowing full well that Jimmy is nowhere near a bartender. But to his credit he doesn't seem inclined to break the guy's fun.
    Across the bar the glass slides with that whir of sound before it settles in front of her. "Enjoy."

Harley Quinn has posed:
Nope, not unnoticed. And Harley certainly knows it. So she tosses a wink here. A little wiggle of the hips there. She does like the adoration afterall. Attention seeker? Maybe a little. But her attention is more on the bartender now. Watching how he looks for that bottle. A brow arches slowly. "Ya new heah?" yes, the clownette is quite observant. But the pouring seems to be to her satisfaction so she takes the whiskey up, "Shoulda asked me if I wanted it on the rocks too, mmm?" a grin. "Oh awhe ya gonna tell me whiskey on the rocks if foh the weak?"

Shecranes her neck back, taking in a mighty swig of the whiskey before setting it on the table. There's still liquid there of course. She is no savage to drink an whole whiskey in one go. "I could go and say you weah right!"

"And the grease around the glass gives it that authentic touch." Another big grin.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    "I've been around," James says as he looks over his shoulder again, as if making sure where Harry might still be. Then he turns those blue eyes back upon her and leans against the bar somewhat, his hands on the metal rail along the back, "Got here a month or so ago." Which is true, just not the whole truth perhaps.
    "Hey, if you wanted rocks, you'd get rocks, customer s'always right? Right." But then she's downing a good part of that whiskey then he adds with a small twist to the corner of his lips. "Though I imagine in this case they'd be wrong." Since ice cubes in whiskey is an evil.
    She then notes the grease smudge and his nose crinkles slightly. "Sorry, was fixin' the fridge."
    The bottle clinks on the bartop as he sets it there, ready for a refill if she asks for it. "Though, I got a confession to make." He says as he then lowers his posture a bit to be more on eye level with her since he's fairly tall.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"A month!" Harley exclaims, nodding a bit to herself. "All new and green, at the big city foh the first time is that it?" for some reason she is perhaps thinking he is from some backwater town in the middle of nowhere. Stereotypes! "Ya got that look o' havin' grown up on a farm but that deadly cowboy look too. The 'don't mess with me oh things awhe gonna get ugly!'" of course that she is messing with him though. Clearly not taking her own advice.. But there are reasons on why she isn't a licensed psychologist anymore!

The news that he was fixing the fridge has Harley wince and hold her hands near her heart as if she was in pain. "Awhe ya sayin' I just missed it...?" a dramatic sigh. "I will always have mah dreams though..."

Though..., a confession? That makes her curious so she leans over, lips pursed together. What's coming out of there?! Some twist? Hopefully not a Shyamalan one ...

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    Like a sentinel standing duty and weathering the world's trials and travails, Jimmy smirks at her as she hassles him in her own inimitable way. Just watching while she tells him how he's got that farmy deadly cowboy look, even as she teases him about fixing the refrigerator. And what does he say in response?
    Well he tilts his head to the side, that slight curl to his lips almost like a smile and what passes for him if she gets to know him better down the line. But for now might accentuate that gruff controlled squint he's got going on.
    "Yup, a confession." As he tells her that he lifts the bottle and quirks an eyebrow at her, offering a refill silently in that glance of a question. And if she should give the inclination he'll tilt the bottle on its side and let its contents gurgle a bit.
    "You see." He says quietly, voice lowering. "I'm not really a bartender." That not-smile grows a little, bordering on actually becoming one.
    "You just caught me at the right moment. And are drinking illegal illicit whiskey. Positively scandalous." He tells her even as now he's leaning a bit closer, so their eyes can meet with that lovely hint of electricity, flirtation clear more in what's not being said, than what is.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"O' course that ya could always go and uh .., do the fixin' again so I can watch it." A delightfully wicked grin playing in her eyes, Harley then adding, "Oh betta yet, I can go and wreck it again." yep, that sounds like a plan!

Yet a plan for later, because apparently it's indeed confession time. She accepts the refill, taking a drink from the glass and smacking her lips. "That hit me just right!"

She listens to the confession, a brow quirking, first some surprise, then a smirk before going to a wide grin. "Oooooo!" her eyes sparkling. "That means free drinks!" she leans closer. "I won't tell the real bartender if ya won't.." she then nodding, taking another drink. "I have smuggled liquor about though. It ain't as glamorous as one might think." blue eyes still remaining on Jimmy.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    "Somethin' about home appliances interests you?" Jimmy asks even as she playfully offers to go and smash up the refrigerator he only just fixed. But he watches her as she takes that second drink, and her expression slipping again into that grin at his confession. A small 'heh' comes from him as he shakes his head, chuckling as he tells her.
    "Yeah, I come here fairly often, don't want Harry bootin' me out so quick. But I figure I'll pay for the drinks."
    What a killjoy.
    "If you'll have another with me after my 'shift' is over." Not that he actually works there.
    Of course that's the moment when Harry re-emerges from the back, carrying an old filter in one hand and then lifting his voice, "Gonna throw this thing out unless you want it, Jimmy."
    Which has the faux-bartender turning and lifting his voice. "What that old thing? Nah. Toss it, oh and hey... I served up two doubles for the lady. Figure I'll cover it, I'm good for it."
    "What?" Harry at least takes a moment to look a little grumpy as he looks between the mutant and the madwoman. "Ehn, for what you saved me you can drink for free tonight." Then he lifts a hand to admonish, "But don't go gettin' used to it. Tonight only."
    Which has Jimmy holding his hands up as if asking for peace, "No worries, I'll be good." Then he looks over at Harls.