Some New Faces at the Bar (Four Seasons Bar)

Dec 14th, 2012 03:31 PM

It was perhaps a little early to be out drinking, but Shin didn't mind. It meant that the bar was comfortably busy - not so empty that he'd draw attention just by being there, but not so crowded that one couldn't find a quiet corner in which to enjoy one's drink. He made his way to the bar.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked.

Shin always hated that question. He never knew quite how to answer, as his experience with alcohol was severely limited. He was familiar with the strong-smelling spirits that the servants at the temple had indulged in when their duties had been attended to, and with the sweet wine that smelled of dreams and spices and sinister things that the nobles preferred, but neither of those could be found anywhere outside of Fairy. (And besides, he had no idea if they were any good or not. Stone guardians didn't imbibe any sort of liquids.)

To pass in social situations, he'd memorized the name of a few decently priced beers in Beijing, but he doubted they had those here.

"Uhh. Just a beer." He replied when the silence had stretched on for an uncomfortably long period.

"What sort?" Asked the bartender. "We've got several on tap, as well as a wide selection of imports."

Shin blinked. "Ah." He managed, eyes darting over to the taps. He named the first label on the taps, then remembered some of the guys at work hassling one of their friends for his taste in the 'piss-poor excuse of a beer'. "Coors. No, wait... Something better. Miller, perhaps? No."

Thankfully, the bartender recognized his inexperience and smoothly saved him from further embarrassment. "We have an IPA from a local brewery that is quite good. Would you care to try it?"

"Yes." Shin said gratefully.

He waited while the bartender opened a bottle and poured the beer into a glass, then retreated to a quiet table at the back of the bar to nurse his beer and his wounded pride. It was a few moments before he remembered why he'd come here in the first place - to meet and speak with the other Lost of the Freehold, and in his rush he hadn't even though to look for them. He did so now, hoping that none of them had been seated close enough to the bar to overhear his little bout of social awkwardness.

Dec 14th, 2012 03:50 PM

From his usual seat at the piano, Rook's fingers were sending a slow song across the Bar. Anyone who'd been listening might have recognised the easily, seasonably recognisable I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day only slowed down and turned to the Metalflesh's soft, almost Blues style.

To Rook's relief, he was playing well again. His fingers were dancing across the keys, setting a warm, festive atmosphere to the area. And behind it, in strict defiance of the Christmas season, his blazing mantle was heating the air around him as he glowed white hot.

He was feeling festive.

He still hadn't figured out what he was going to get Anya, but he was smiling faintly, at the corner of his mouth, anyway.

Behind his sunglasses, he clocked the stone Elemental he'd met in the park previously, and gave him a nod, although of course, he was on the job.

And right now, the job was both security and ambiance.

To Hell with anyone who believed Elementals couldn't play.

3 successes to play (10 again ignored)

**Jokor** · Dec 14th, 2012 04:00 PM

Stephen was hungry, tired and all out parched from his trip from god knows where to sacramento. So when he saw a quaint little bar sitting at the side of the road he was walking on, the wizenend quickly counted up the bills and coins in his pocket and to his great glee he still had some cash, at least enough to get a decent bite to eat and get a drink or two. Something that greatly appealed to the hungry and parched wizened wizened.

So he walked inside the building and made his way over to the bar, a smile making his way across his face when he saw not one, but two changelings hanging out at the bar. A rather intimidating elemental playing a Christmas song and a more safe looking stone dog like changeling sipping a beer at the bar. Call him a bit paranoid, but when somebody with a white hot blazing mantle who looked as if he could break your splintery bones with just a soft shove you tended to keep out of the way of the man. At least he felt safe in the idea that with all the humans around and with somebody who was obviously of a court, there weren't' any privateers around.

“Can I sit here?” He asked the stone dog with a tentative smile on his face. Even buried under the rather impressive amount layers of old, worn but quite clean, clothing it was obvious for every single changeling in the room to see his mask. A grey skin with black veins winding his way over it.

Dec 14th, 2012 04:22 PM

Slowly, the festive music made itself heard through Shin's discomfort and he found himself relaxing despite himself. There was a warmth to the music that he hadn't known he'd been missing, a feeling like sitting under the family's Christmas tree in years past that warmed the stone dog's heart. He caught Rook's nod of greeting to him, and then showed his appreciation to the Elemental musician by placing his hands together at chest height and giving him a formal (if seated) bow over-top them.

Something that almost looked like a genuine smile teased around the corner of his permanently snarling lips, but that faded back to a mask-like somberness as the newcomer joined him at his table. He studied the Wizened Lost for a moment, trying to judge if this was someone of import in the Freehold, in which case decorum called for him to rise until the other was seated, and then decided that likely wasn't necessary. The Imperial Court niceties he'd observed during his Durance brought undue attention here in the midst of modern-day Sacramento, and likely no one but Shin cared if he lost face.

It wasn't like he had a Master to disgrace by his actions any more.

"Please do." He said politely, his voice slightly-accented by some unplaceable Asian language. "I had hoped not to spend the evening in silence and solitude. Our friend the musician had a cure for the silence, and now you have come to cure the solitude."

He smiled briefly, though on his menacingly-carved stone face it was perhaps not the friendliest-looking gesture, and then held out a hand. "I am Shin Wei. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Dec 14th, 2012 05:56 PM

It had been many evenings since Anya had ventured into the Four Seasons bar, albeit not for any bad reason. There had simply been little time for her of late to actually take a long moment out of her schedule to actually pause, and relax. It was entirely her own fault. She liked to be kept busy - remnants of the woman Before and, regrettably, or her Durance.

The evenings were relaxing sometimes. Well, there was relaxing to be had after the exercise at least.

But today, Anya paused on her brisk walk to the elevators, lulled toward the doors to the bar by the sound of music. A smile tugged a little, at the corner of her mouth. That was the pianist she knew.

She slipped off her jacket as she stepped across the threshold and, reaching the first stool, rested it across the seat and sat down. After a quick nod toward Rook - for the next few minutes the Draconic did not wish to interrupt his concentration, and instead her attention moved across to the unfamiliar faces in the bar. Even were it not for her obviously purposeful and confident manner as she strode into the bar, her blazing Mantle alone would have marked her out: powerful and quite obviously of Summer. Just like the pianist.

The Draconic raised a hand in a simple greeting, the bronze talons catching in the light.

"Hello, I don't believe I've seen the two of you around before," she remarked politely.

**Mary Lee** · Dec 14th, 2012 09:38 PM

Mary strolls out of the elevator, moving in a sort of swaying dance like an 8-year old in a new ballet outfit like she usually did to try to force more happiness into her life. The mingling of familiar and unfamiliar voices at the bar, however, piques her curiosity, and as she peers over, she can't help but notice her boss' #1 man talking to apparent newcomers. And Anya, possibly about to terrify them. Well, I've got nothing better to do tonight, the Muse muses, and musters up the moxy to head on over and introduce herself. Drinking counts as a workout, right?

Waving them welcome like a spring breeze-become-hostess, she smiles and tries to catch their eyes. "Hello. How is everyone tonight. Rook, everything good?"

**Tally Benoit** · Dec 14th, 2012 10:21 PM

Tally strolls into the bar, she as her hair done up, bangs spiked up as they frame her face. Her sweater is navy and sporting a stary sky with a pack of wolves howling to the crescent moon hanging in the background. She gazes about the bar, taking in who's about, noticing a number of new faces beyond the two familiar faces of members of the Summer Court.

Although, she did turn to stare at Mary once she finds a suitable spot near the woman who had been before her. "Mary, right?" She asks the Fairest, after all, she hadn't gotten a good look at her face until now. She merely shrugs, after all, she is once more, unemployed due to her previous boss leaving the city.

**Jokor** · Dec 15th, 2012 06:33 AM

While the somber face of the lost before him did make him do a double take, hoping that he hadn't picked the wrong person to chat up in the bar, but when the man said his presence was welcome, though he said in it a quite eloquent way and gave him a smile with that carved stone face.
“I'm stephen tock, also nice meeting you” Stephen said as he took a seat next to the stone dog.
“So, Shin Wei, you don't sound as if you are from around here, it sounds as if it comes from one of the lands in the east. You a traveler?” stephen tried to start up at least a light conversation as he looked around for anything lying on the bar that resembled a menu card.

Only for that action to be cut off when a polite voice spoke up from another place at the bar and when he looked at the source, he was grateful he had the stone dog sitting between him and her. Those bronze teeth and talons looked quite intimidating. And he always had been a person who bruised easily, so he didn't want to think what those talons could do to him if she decided it would be fun.
And that wasn't even when one counted in that she looked more like a predator stalking prey then a person seeking to start up a conversation.
“That's normal, like I told Shin Wei a moment earlier, I just arrived in town.” He said, a bit of nervous audible in his voice as he repressed the all to easy escape of making a break for it. He doubted that running from a high placed summer courtier would be a good way to start his life in this city. And he doubted telling that he was just scared out of his wits that she would hurt him or something would be a good reason for running.

Dec 15th, 2012 09:44 AM

Rook glanced up as the two familiar Changelings walked over, thinking vaguely that he hadn't seen either of them out and about in a little while. He had to admit, he'd been starting to wonder if they were both taking a shot at hibernating for Winter. It was good to see that this was not, in fact, the case.

He didn't notice any oddness in Shin's public bow, taking it only as a compliment. Social norms were hard enough for him without trying to navigate the minefield of cultural ones as well.

"Hello Mary, Tally," he said amiably, his fingers still dancing across the keys as he reached the end of his piece. "Nice to see you both. I'm as well as can be expected." It was a common trick he'd learnt, to allow himself to give what was effectively a politely noncommittal answer, because the real answer wasn't appropriate for public conversation.

I've just been having some bad days recently, where I forget how to play, because my mind isn't designed for music. Chess pieces aren't supposed to play. But that can go straight back to Hell, because this chess piece does.

"Looking for a song request?" the Metalflesh added, smiling slightly at the corner of his mouth.

@Princess @RockBane - Rook is over at the piano, since he's playing, while Anya, Stephen and Shin are at the bar. I'm assuming you're over at the piano as well.

Dec 15th, 2012 02:18 PM

"Stephen." Shin repeated as the man took his seat. He put his outstretched hand on his glass of beer instead of shaking the Wizened's hand - the man looked extremely fragile, and Shin didn't quite have the measure of his own strength yet.

"Actually, I am from Sacramento originally." He said. "But I have recently spent a long time away, in China."

There. That alluded nicely to his Durance. While this corner was quiet enough that he though they could speak a little more freely as long as they kept their voices low, he didn't want to risk anything if he didn't have to.

He looked over as another blazing Summer mantle entered the room, and his eyes widened as he saw the purple scales that swept over the woman's face. "Eldest..." He whispered in an awed tone, bowing his head deeply to her. He'd had dealings with dragons before, but never on this side of the Hedge and never without his Master's magics to bolster him. They were immensely powerful - old and wise, yes, but also mercurial and quick to take offence. He'd heard stories of the court advisor who'd been unwise enough to anger the Jiaolong...

"Y...Yes. I as well." He said, regaining his composure. There was no way to properly show respect to her without drawing attention to himself (and in turn, her as well), so he refrained from throwing himself to the floor to make the proper obeisances. "Please join us, if you wish."

His eyes flickered briefly over to the other Lost that entered the bar, registering their presence, but for the moment he was focused on the Draconic.

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-12-14 15:40:31		Rook rolls 8 to Playin' the piano oh god please work (10 Again)		1, 4, 10, 10, 9, 5, 4, 10, 1, 8, 7		5 successes

Some New Faces at the Bar (Four Seasons Bar)

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