adrian march (caeteradesunt) wrote in repose, @ 2019-01-15 21:28:00 |
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Entry tags: | *log, adrian march, archie westcliffe |
log: bar in the capital - archie and adrian
Who: Archie and Adrian
What: A random meeting.
Where: A bar in the Capital.
The bar was just beginning to fill for the evening. Couples lingered together at standing tables or leaned against the bar. The crowd was a comforting blanket of sound, presence, and warmth, and Adrian had wrapped himself up in it.
Somehow he had ingratiated himself into a small group at the end of the bar, joining their conversation and making himself part of the party by buying a round of drinks. He'd spent the day applying the brute force of endless repetition to an experiment, running tests on a piece of tissue again, and again, and again. This conversation felt a little like that - another test in a thousand. Many, lately, had failed. He steered the conversation until he tired of its course, felt himself gravitating to the outside of the orbit of their talk again. Inside jokes were swapped and work talk sprang up, and he excused himself to get another drink at the bar.
He wouldn't sit back down. He didn't cast around for another conversation partner, either. He felt cold. "Whiskey," he said to the bartender, pointing to the bottle. A moment ago he'd been all smiles, and now he watched the bartender fetch the glass, mute and a little tired around the eyes.