31} just like a needle in a haystack, another day when we run with the wolfpack...

[theresalwayshope]

{forward dated to tomorrow, because the mun is impatient. :P}

[ACCIDENTAL PUBLIC VIDEO]

[When the feed flickers to life, it shows an unconscious Allison Argent, head half-buried in her pillow. The arm she has flung out towards the camera, fingertips looming large in the shot, show that she's the culprit who activated the transmission: more likely than not, she roused just enough to roll over and, in a sleepy haze, shut off a nonexistent alarm, inadvertently flicking on her video feed.

The dead transmission continues on until it is interrupted...she may be asleep, but Allison Argent's coma is officially over.]

[OPEN SPAM]

[Allison is in a miserable mood by the time she finally showers and gets dressed, heading to the dining hall to eat. For a while, she walks the corridors of the ship, just to stretch her legs and really start to feel awake again, with stops to pick up Brownie and Duchess along the way.

Once Brownie has been walked, unwilling to separate from them just yet, Allison finally heads for the pub. The keys jingle in her hand with a sad, hollow sound.

She files in with Brownie on her heels, surveying the place with a sigh. She'd requested custody of the place just after she realized Duke was gone, then fallen into another stupid coma before she could take proper care of it.

She missed him...Jesus, she missed him.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to slip behind the bar, setting Duchess down on the end with her bandanna, some hay, and one of her chew toys to amuse her. Ever the responsible "mother," Brownie planted herself to lay on the floor directly under Duchess's perch while Allison began to shuffle around, looking over the glasses, booze, and anything else Duke might have left behind.

It was her place now...she had to learn how to keep it running.]

Comments

[private]

[termofendearment]

[Maybe he shouldn't be getting his hopes up when he sees the movement and the post. But even if she didn't mean to send anything, she did. She's awake, or at least out of the coma (maybe. MAYBE.), and that's plenty to get him moving, or at least reaching to tap a text out.]

if somebody is fucking around with that comm i swear theyre a dead man. or woman

[private]

[theresalwayshope]

[The notification of a text causes Allison to stir and groan in the feed. Fumbling with her outstretched arm for a second, the video zooms in on her face as she peers at the message, still too drowsy to realize she's recording. She reads the message, then scowls sleepily and taps out a reply.]

SLEEPING. WUT.

[private]

[termofendearment]

youre not now

be up and dressed in ten minutes or im barging in.

bringing coffee

[He missed her a lot okay. He needs to make sure.]

[private]

[theresalwayshope]

AM TOO. SLEEPING BRING COFFEE.

[She pouts harder into the feed as she texts Tig, then melts into a bleary smile as she sets her comm on the pillow beside her head, giving the network a lovely shot of her bedroom ceiling as she snuggles down and goes back to sleep.]

[private >> spam]

[termofendearment]

[He doesn't even bother answering.

But, ten minutes later, as promised, there's banging on the door. Open up, Allison, you've got company.]

[private]

[lydiascreams]

[She's browsing through the network when she sees an unexpected face. And she assumes someone must have accidentally turned the tablet on. And it better be an accident because if someone's messing with her best friends...

But then Allison moves and Lydia gasps, because people in comas don't move.]

Allison?

[private]

[theresalwayshope]

[Her voice is meant with no response...except for Allison to shove her face deeper into the pillow with an unintelligible murmur.]

Nnnnnnngggan'slp'dya.

[private]

[lydiascreams]

Allison.

[She remembers last time how grumpy her best friend had been. But she's obviously waking up and she's been out for almost two weeks. She had plenty of rest.]

Wake up!

[private]

[theresalwayshope]

[Allison's answer is to whine into her pillow, long and loud and as theatrically as she can.]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[Pushing her head up, she glowers sleepily at Lydia from hair she's managed to muss by tossing and turning.]

Oh, my God, what?! I don't have coffee. You're so mean. Mean Lydia. No cookie.

[A beat passes...and stubbornly, Allison tries to crawl back into her pillow with another mighty groan.]

[private]

[lydiascreams]

You were in a coma again.

[And she was worried. And upset. And she could really have used her best friend being around a couple nights ago when she was making mistakes and torturing people.

So she might be a little shorter than usual.]

[maced_eggs]

Oh fuckin' hell, there you are. Thought we'd lost you for a minute.

[theresalwayshope]

[Mason's reaction is a snuffle, then a snort, then a sleepy scowl as Allison lifts her head and peers into the empty air with a mighty yawn, still unaware her comm was switched on.]

Nnnnn?...Whuzzat? M'sleeeeeepin'!...[Whiny sleeping teenage girl is whiny.]

[maced_eggs]

You're fuckin' right you're sleeping! Darling, you've been sleeping for days. Come on. Up. Time to get up.

[theresalwayshope]

[Allison continues to survey the room with a sleepy expression, then finally connects the dots and fumbles groggily for her comm.]

Days? Whu'dya mean? [She flops on her back, keeping Mason's face in view as she rubs at one eye, trying to wake herself up.] Whu'day 's it? S'tomorrow, s' whu' day it is.

[maced_eggs]

Darling. Allison. You've been asleep ages. It's the bleeding middle of May.

[no_tell_belle]

[Venus waits a while, giving Allison a chance to recover from the lingering effects of the coma. She knows the young woman will have more than enough friends wanting to see her right away, including Alexander, and Venus decides to give her time to catch up with those people as well before intruding.

Eventually, however, she makes her way to the pub. She walks in, big smile on her face.] Hello, darling, it's good to have you up and around again. How are you feeling?

[theresalwayshope]

[Allison looks up from some glasses she's organizing on a shelf behind the bar, melting into a grin when she sees Venus. Between floods, comas, breaches, and more comas, she's had so little time to hang out with her or just plain talk...and that sucks, because she loves Venus.

She's good for Tig, she's really sweet...and she's the second biggest fashionista she knows. Lydia will always be first.]

Vee! Ohmigod, hi!

[Her name leaves Allison on a tiny squeal as she comes out from behind the bar and rushes up to Venus with a giant-sized hug. Interested in the event taking place nearby, Brownie stands up and pads over to sniff Venus's leg, then approves of her by licking her calf briefly in greeting before sitting and looking up expectantly for the pets she feels entitled to.]

How are you? God, I suck. [She draws back with a grin, hands on Venus's shoulders.] Seriously, if I go into another coma? I am killing the Admiral...c'mere, sit down! Brownie will show you to your stool, I'll get you a drink.

[Strictly by coincidence, Brownie stands and pads back over to her place by the bar, plopping down to lay on the floor beneath the segment of bar currently being occupied by Duchess, nibbling happily at her hay.]

[no_tell_belle]

[Venus' smile deepens at Allison's enthusiastic welcome. She returnes the hug, holding Allison extra-tight for a moment before releasing her. She's delighted to see the young woman back to her usual self. She misses her when she's not around, and of course, she's watched Alexander worry over Allison so she's happy on his behalf as well.]

I sympathize, but good luck finding him. I suspect you've heard by now the Admiral's made himself even more absent than usual.

[Nobody really seems to know just how absent, or whether or not it's the Admiral's choice but that's not a question she's come here to have answered anyway.

She slides one arm around Allison's shoulders, not quite ready to let her go just yet, and manages to stretch her other hand down to give Brownie a quick ear scratch.]

Just a club soda for now, if you wouldn't mind. Are you getting back in the swing of things yet?

[theresalwayshope]

Kind of? Sort of...not really. [Allison half-grimaces, half-smiles sheepishly.] I'm still kind of out of it, but if I don't keep busy, I have time to think, and that's...not good for anyone.

[She doesn't mind the moment of clingyness at all, and leans into Venus for a moment before she starts to steer Venus towards the bar, reaching up to cover the hand on the arm Venus has around her shoulders with her own.]

Club soda coming up...I'm trying to get back on my feet, as you can see. The bar was Duke Crocker's, and after he left I asked the Admiral if I could take over. Duke would want to make sure the place was taken care of.

[no_tell_belle]

[She nods in understanding.] Well, you've got time to catch up. Just be aware there's a number of people with some of the Admiral's powers walking around right now. And you missed a hell of a party.

[She allows Allison to move away and settles herself on a stool, reaching down to give Brownie some more petting.]

It's a shame he left. He seemed like a decent guy, but I'm sure he'd be pleased to see you taking care of his pub. [She's not going to mention that Boyd had, with his Admiral powers, opened the bar to everyone. It was a fairly harmless and perhaps psychologically necessary liberty.]

It's good to have something to keep you occupied however. Too much thinking can be detrimental on this cruise.

[spam]

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

[Crowley wanted a drink. Sure, he could have gotten it himself, poured a glass of wine from his own cabin or just materialized whatever he wanted -- easy enough to do normally, easier now that he's gotten a push in his powers (thank you, dead Admiral). But there was something comfortable about sitting down in a pub and being served, and Crowley didn't intend to change his habits just because the rest of the Barge was going round the bend.

He pounded on the pub door for several moments, anticipating that someone was inside.]

Let me in. People out here need to get drunk!

[spam]

[theresalwayshope]

[Allison scowls at the door when the overbearing voice outside hollers for service. Brownie growls peevishly, while Duchess's ears merely twitch at the disturbance.

Whoever it is, they're obnoxious. Must be an inmate.

Walking out from behind the bar, Allison crosses over to open the door, frowning at the man on the other side.]

You could ask nicely, you know.

[spam]

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

[Obnoxious? Yes. He's doing his job right. When Allison opens the door Crowley is standing with his arms crossed over his chest, looking every bit the spoiled fussy yuppie.]

About time. Why don't they just keep this door open?

[spam]

[theresalwayshope]

Because it's a restricted area, and it's my bar...where, I might add, I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, so stay on my good side.

[However, despite being cranky from her coma, she does step aside and swing the door open wider to allow the man inside.]

I don't know if you're new or not, but if you want in, a warden can give you access.

[spam]

[sauntervaguelydownwards]

Ten thousand apologies then, and nice to meet you. [He smiles, waves, and flits in ahead of her to settle at the bar.]

I'm not new, and if I had a warden I'd have regular access. The hairy guy never gave me any grief.