Coffee Shop Revolution

[Trickster]

Lynn smiled, but there was a bitter and self mocking twist to her lips. It seemed she'd given away more of herself than she realized when she wrote that. She shrugged, trying to ease a growing stiffness in her neck and shoulders.

"It was a gilded cage, but it trapped none the less. I got out and I will never go back." She shared a look with Dez and for a moment rage and madness shone clear in her eyes, giving a chilling hint of just how far Lynn was willing to go to make sure she was never trapped again. Then the front door banged open and she glanced away, the emotions disappearing like a leviathan beneath the waves.

"Anyways, I've never heard the two of you play, so I couldn't guess as to what skill level you might have," she motioned between Jack and Dez. "So I sketched out some melodies, we can edit them if they don't work, of course." She handed over a couple of music sheets, scored for two separate guitar lines. Instead of writing something exceedingly complex, she'd chosen instead to go for simpler melodies that would sound good with ordinary skills levels, but would shine in the hands of the truly great musicians.

[Star]

"Ummm. Chris is okay."

Yeah, Chris. We can remember That Name.

Curious eyes looked over That Guy. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to, like, insult you. That's not 'my thing'. Unless this is some sort of alpha male thing? Like, you're trying to figure out who's gonna run the band? Don't worry. It's all you. Or, the three of you. Or are you trying to impress Lynn? That's cool, too. You don't have to worry about me."

Long fingers ratcheted the plastic cap off the Gatorade. Cool? Everyone square?

After a swallow, a neck craned to look at the sheet. Nope. Reading upside down, sure. Talk about oddball talents, yo. Reading sideways os a little bit different. A hand plucked one of the proffered sheets of music. Gilded. Cages. What did that even mean? Did Lynn have a Sugar Daddy somewhere? Had she been a Trophy Wife?

"I'm, like, okay. I think I'll get better, but I haven't played a whole lot. Nothing original. Mostly backup, or some covers for practice. I like trying weird stuff. Mostly gender switching and uptempo-ing stuff? I think it started with a cover I heard by 7 Seconds of '99 Red Balloons'."

Hey, look, it's music. Brows furrowed in concentration. Nobody's a pro. Reading music? Takes some concentration.

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan seems to have gone unnoticed, as she'd intended, at the other side of the shop. The bowler hat, black Nike windbreaker, and fake spectacles were likely a factor. She looked like a hipster. Plus she had her nose in a book whenever she wasn't looking over at Lynn's little gathering. The current book was Basic music theory : how to read, write, and understand written music. The raccoon might know naught of her motley mate's interests, but she was willing to study.

It took a few moments to place Kyle's voice with the game face. The first time she'd seen his game face at Quicksilver Gate he'd had a different look so confusion was slightly justified. The presence of another Courtier made her feel better about the safety of this meeting. Maybe she was being paranoid, but the Norman musicians had been nervous about something at the thrift store.

Despite this the musical summit proceeded pleasantly. So perhaps whatever their problem was was just their problem and it wasn't a cause for worry for her or Lynn. Go over? And contribute what exactly? Oh, right. That'd require perusing a library or two before that tis viable. Plus awkward. Maybe she'd slip away before they noticed her if she got the chance. It would be awkward to say: "Hey you two were kinda shifty so I was worried about my packmate here."

That wouldn't go over well at all. Yup, just keep that book up and hope to leave before she was noticed. The plan changed with Dez's cell question. Avis might have felt the glare Morgan focused upon her back over the book for daring to make such an inquiry. The Norma's ignorance of Arcadia, nor Lynn's rebuttal, soothed her distaste for such a thing being asked to a fellow Lost.

Now she debated continuing her over watch or joining to show support to her fellow courtiers.

-1 Glamour, harden the mask.

[Kyle Ferlen]

He gives tank-top girl a wry grin. "Ruth? Dunno about Ruth. Went by Judith once or twice... but I was reeeeally drunk. And in drag for a Halloween concert. Me and a couple buddies from high school thought it would be funny." he gives a reminiscent sigh. Hard to tell if he's joking about that or not.

This Jack guy had risen to the bait. Kyle can't help but smile. This is how normal guys bond, right? Cracking jokes at each others' expense cuz they feel uncomfortable with emotions. Kyle can't just go around bearing his heart and soul to strangers, no matter how good his intentions are. Besides: a little rivalry is fun.

"No offense taken, Jack-o. But I'm not here to land a date with Lynn. Wouldn't want to steal the spotlight from you and 'Avis'." Despite his statement, he still offers Lynn a smile and a wink. Just because he's tied down doesn't mean he can't have a little fun. What's the harm in a smile?

Kyle makes a mental note not to call this girl 'Avis', half wondering if he's getting the whole story. Could just be a nickname old Jack likes to use for her. Could be a name like those in his 'social group' make up for themselves. Either way, she's 'Dez' in his book.

Dez's observation of Lynn's lyrics is, of course, an observation he hadn't made. Not the first time I've been slow on the uptake. It could very likely have been inspired by her own Durance. He looks down at his hands, awkwardly, wishing he had bought himself a drink to hide behind.

The Minstrel looks a little embarrassed as Jack gives him the summary of his musical experiences. "Honestly, man... reason I jumped at the opportunity to start a group? I haven't done anythin original in a long time. I got a couple albums out there doin well, but I've had a bad case of writer's block since..." He blinks a few times, as if thinking about the thought for the first time. "Since I came to Sacramento."

[Avis]

"Well, good," Dez replied to Lynn, unafraid to meet the musicians manic gaze. "If you know what that's like then you actually know how important freedom is, and how much fucking bullshit is actually thrown around in this country when it comes to it. You actually know the stakes, which is both burden and blessing in some ways. And trust me, I can relate. I spent...a long time behind locks. A lot of time being bound. There was definitely no gilding, but a cage is a cage. Jack here knows what it's like, too, so don't worry. There's understanding here, not judgement," she promised, offering the other woman what was hopefully a reassuring nod.

Her eyes then flicked briefly towards 'Chris', but her green gaze flitted away again before any sort of nonverbal question could really be asked, or any challenge really given. He and Lynn obviously knew each other, to some degree, so if she was comfortable putting those lyrics into his mouth then Avis would assume that Lynn had already judged him worthy of relating to them. When it came to the sheet music, though, Avis had other reservations.

"I'm ear trained," she informed Lynn, handing the music back. "I mean, I can work with tabs, I guess, but I didn't take music classes or anything like that. I'm pretty versatile though."

Well, technically. More accurately it was her ability to mimic what existed as authentic knowledge, any sort of knowledge, that allowed her to seem versatile. And technically that could allow her to read music, but fuck it. Why pretend more than she had to?

"Once we actually start jamming I'll be able to keep up. Don't worry."

[Trickster]

Lynn glanced around the coffee shop, taking a deep breath and trying to regain her balance. Between her emotions and the focus she was putting on the other musicians, she completely failed to notice Morgan over in the corner.

  She's a Master of Disguise

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-06-05 18:25:02		Lynn Mills rolls 5 to look around [Wits (2) + Composure (3)] (10 Again)		6, 6, 3, 3, 2		failure

Looking back to Dez, she had to wonder what it was that the other woman had faced that she'd be able to relate to the feeling of being caged so well. Whatever it was, it probably had something to do with all the scars she now wore.

"Not to worry, I can run through any of the music that you need and you can learn it that way. I don't mind." Lynn smiled, banishing the last of her unease. "But we do need to find a drummer, or just hire one to back us up." She glanced around. "Anybody got any leads?"

[Star]

"Oh, I thought Morgan was?"

A thumb stabbed in That General Direction*.

"The drummer. Isn't that why she's here?" Nobody believes in coincidences. A coincidence is just a lack of information. "But, yeah. Sure. We do. Do those," a long finger pointed at the lyrics, "Go with this? I didn't read those, but I was just listening to you all talking about them. I've never done this. How do we start? Try playing the music?"

Bluish eyes slid back and forth between the women. It sounded like something Important was being tickled, but then the dodge.

Also? Jack is Jack. Not Jack-o.

*

Morgan didn't roll, I'm not gonna roll -- especially on a Time Warp Insert. Thar she is.

[Kyle Ferlen]

Morgan? Racoon-girl? Kyle's head turns in the direction Jack had pointed out - as if it would do him any good. One of the hazy silhouettes in that direction did kinda remind him of Morgan, though. The Masked version.

"Hey! Morgan!" he spouts, waving in her direction and secretly hoping Jack is talking about the same Morgan that he actually knows. The one who'd returned his wad of cash from that shopping trip. "Is that true? Do you play?"

The Minstrel looks back at Lynn, a look of excitement on his face. If she had set all of this up, the band idea could really take off. And who knows? Maybe having the lead singer of White Fern in the mix would get them some easy recognition.

[Morgan Bellanar]

Well, that settled her decision for her. Nor did the traceur jump upon being acknowledged, she'd watched the entire group the whole time. Instead, she closed her book, putting it and the glasses away in the little shoulder bag she had and joined them at their table, sitting beside Lynn.

Once seated, she shook her head in the negative, "Nano-nada-not a drummer-oro-or musician at all, heh. Imma j-ust heh-here to sssupport me mm-friend." She nodded her head towards Lynn. A nervous grin plastered on her face before the bowler hatted woman spoke on: "And just w-w-concerned I'd get in way, if-ponder-other-table-location. Azzz I know very-very-very-very little on musical topics, only-read-learn-recently."

Always try to go with the truth, just leave out some details.

[Trickster]

Lynn grinned at Morgan and squeezed her shoulder a bit as the other woman sat down. "Wasn't sure you were going to make it, what with this being rather boring to anybody who isn't a musician." But she was clearly happy that her Motley mate now sat next to her.

"Anyways, it's no big deal if we don't have a drummer right now. I've got a line with a couple of people who are heavy into the music scene around here. If they don't know somebody who's looking to gig, they'll know somebody who knows somebody. I've also got a line on some studio space we can use, if nobody has a garage and some semi deaf neighbors."

Definetly not her apartment. She could maybe, maybe fit all of them in there, if they didn't plan on moving around a lot. Practicing was a whole 'nother idea. Unless they wanted to tromp up to her roof.