Potato of Her Eye

[Avis]

Avis didn't give Star a lot of information when she'd first told him that their second official date was coming up. All she said was to make sure to take the day off, and that he shouldn't try to prepare for it. It would be a surprise, she'd said. And, lo and behold, on the actual day he did get a bit of a surprise. His camera bag wasn't where he'd last put it. It was sitting out in the common area, an origami star sitting atop it.

The camera was in the bag, thankfully, but as soon as he turned it on he noticed that the memory card wasn't empty, or as full as it normally would be after a day of shooting. In fact, it was an entirely new card, though it did have pictures on it. The first was a six of clubs with something illegible (due to the focus) written on it nestled beneath the base of a martini glass atop a well polished bar. The second was of his suit and dancing shoes. The third was a picture of his bike, one helmet sitting on the seat, another helmet peeking out from the inside of a half open backpack sitting next to the bike.

[Star]

When chinchillas are happy, they 'popcorn'.

Tumbling, flipping, it's like popcorn... popping. When they panic? Sprinkle the popcorn with cocaine.

The camera. It's funny how some things just... become part of a routine. Familiarity, contempt, all of that. Break that routine, lose a phone, car keys, and all of a sudden it's front and center on stage. It wasn't even his camera. Ermon had bought it for Asp, and Asp had loaned it. For a heartbeat, there was the cold sweaty feeling that TODAY would be the day that Ermon or Asp would show up asking for it.

Air wheezed out out and the quivering mop stilled when... there it was. Today was not the day someone was going to get beaten and slash or stabbed by an Arrow. Probably. At least, not that Arrow. Long fingers ran over the points of the folded star, mind the paper cuts, then unfolded a point. Nope. No message. Nobody's passing notes in class. Remember those? Except, Avis wouldn't. Which left...

Squint. Zoom in. File under Camera Lessons. Twist the thing, girl. The focus thing. The suit? Hadn't worn that since stealing that reefer full of ice cream. Don't ask. Martini glass. Bike. Wow, yo.

It doesn't take long. Shower, change. Comb the mop. Straighten the tie. Even a shave. The shadow wasn't for looks. Really. It was because razors are so darn expensive. Gillette is the Starbucks of grooming. True story. All good? Yes. Wait. Was that? Yes. Deft fingers plucked an enthusiastic strand of hair peeking out from a nostril. Ow. Ow. Who connected nose hairs to the tear ducts? What kind of engineering was that? A few minutes wasted. Don't go on with runny eyes. That was rule, somewhere. Or nose. No runny noses, either.

Lastly, out to the bike.

Was that a bounce in the step? Maybe.

Because popcorning.

[Avis]

Along with the bounce in his step was an unfamiliar weight in the jacket's breast pocket, and a slight unsettling of fabric in his left pants pocket. It seemed someone had stuck six, folded twenties there, and in his breast pocket was a new packet of bicycle playing cards. Well, maybe not new. The top of the cardboard packet holding the cards was slightly ripped along one side. No, make that cut.

Lo and behold, inside the card packet was the fourth clue: the six of clubs, with an address and time frame, 5-7pm, scrawled on it in black sharpy. The address, surprise, surprise, belonged to a place that served martini's, the Ella Dining Room and Bar.

[Star]

Stirred, not shaken.

Curious thoughts wandered as fingers ran over the cards. Some people love the acrid smell of money. Others? That slickness of new cards. Before the coating has worn off, when you can slide one five, ten feet easily or throw an entire deck across a room.

This was totally Casino Royale.

A suit, martini, cards. Like, best day ever. Who wouldn't be excited. Oh, and the bike. Riding a bike in a suit was totally rock star. Even if suit pants rode up an exposed pale chicken legs above dark, but mismatched, socks. Helmet on.

The bike lurched, then roared. Whoah, tiger. Halfway down the street, it stopped. Fingers unwound the tie that had been whipping in the wind like a possessed garrote and pocketed it. Did that happen in movies? Nobody saw that. The bike roared off. Again.

A half-block away, it was parked. The tie, refastened using the bike's mirror for guidance. Half Windsor, full Windsor, Four in Hand, Two in the Bush, Stratford-on-Avon, whatever. Tied.

Check the sign. Ella. Check the time. Check the mop. Check the sign again.

Now? Enter.

[Avis]

As Star walked into the restaurant, he found that he'd dressed just right. The wait-staff was in crisp white shirts, black vests, bow ties and white aprons over black slacks. The clientele was similarly dressed in formal attire, though there was one teenager lurking in jean shorts and a concert-tee at the end of his family's table and a few men in polo shirts scattered throughout the place. The bar was easy to find, the well stocked display of liquor behind it signaling the way. Most of the bar's tables were full, leaving only the plush stools in front of the bartender. A man and a woman chatted over drinks near the left end, and a single man sat a few feet away, chewing the ear off of his captive minimum an hour + tips audience as he sipped whiskey.

And, then, another woman joined star at the bar...

Avis is casting Imposter on Star. He must roll gnosis+composure, and get 2. Avis at -2 mana for scrying+reduced paradox

   Impost pot 2, Scrying + one mind two thoughts pot 1 each, paradox 0

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-07-16 00:28:41		Avis rolls 1 to paradox roll, QQ (gnos3=2dice-1mana) (10 Again)		7		failure
2015-07-16 00:21:56		Avis rolls 9 to Imposter! (int2+subter3+mind4) (10 Again)		4, 9, 6, 6, 5, 3, 10, 6, 5, 7		2 successes
2015-07-16 00:20:53		Avis rolls 3 to scrying+one mind two thoughts (gnos3+space4-2 combined-2intimate) (10 Again)		8, 7, 8		2 successes

[Star]

You can take the bartender out of the bar, but not the bar out of the bartender.

Mostly, because they'd just be a 'Tender'. Or busboy. Shhhh. Every profession leaves it's mark. The tells. Who's kicking back to the bartender because of how the bottles are arranged on the shelf. Which waitress is sleeping with the manager and which isn't, because one's working a ten-top and the other has ten two-tops. It's all background noise.

Eyes pogo-ed around, looking, looking. Cool cotton turned to sandpaper on skin. Feel that? Someone's firing up. And there's...

Are We playing a game? Sometimes you don't have to ante to get dealt in.

"Hey. Excuse me. Miss? Or Mrs. Or Mizzz. I don't know which is right. I think Mizz is neutral, right? Anyway, can I ask you something? Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you for a drink. Just an opinion. Legit. Like, that's not my game. Not having a game isn't my game." Fingers rippled in slow wave on the bar, tips hitting one after the other. brummmm. brummmm.

"So, I'm coming up on my one year anniversary with this girl. I mean, I didn't think it would last this long, wow, was it really that long ago she threw herself at me and asked me out? It wasn't like I could say 'No', I mean, like, she's so timid and meek I didn't want to... You know? You know. Like kicking a three legged kitten."

Perfectly innocent bluish-green eyes slid back to fix on the woman.

"You think that's too soon to propose?"

  hai lady

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-07-16 20:24:18		Star rolls 8 to You're That Girl (Manipulation + Subterfuge) (10 Again)		5, 8, 2, 2, 4, 2, 10, 9, 2		3 successes
2015-07-16 20:12:37		Star rolls 7 to Who's That Girl (Hint: It's not Madonna) (10 Again)		6, 5, 10, 5, 5, 1, 6, 9		2 successes

[Avis]

...the woman was, it turned out, Avis, though not as Star had seen her but once before. A black dress fell just past mid thigh, the necklace he'd bought her lay against pale skin, arms were bared, and heeled, black dancing shoes added an inch to her height. Her lips were red, her hair styled so that it fell just so, and her eyes outlined in tasteful make-up. That was the product of professionals, not her own doing, actually, and Star might well recognize that, but regardless it served to...change her appearance for that evening. And, as she claimed the spot next to him at the bar, her lips spread into a smile as he seemed to give in to her spell.

She'd arrived to the restaurant early, bought a drink she hadn't drunk, and then went to the restroom so that she could wait, hidden, and scry for his arrival. A doubling of her consciousness allowed her to then approach so that she wouldn't be seen, but could see him, and from there she cast her spell and made the approach, hoping that it might subsume his vision of her. Likely she should have waited until she'd made sure her spell had worked, but apparently it didn't matter.

"Well," she pronounced slowly, as a stranger might were they accosted by an eccentric, but...interesting stranger. "I suppose that would depend on what you wanted to propose. Though..." she trailed off, swallowing the protest against his description of her as a stupid, baby cat, and then recomposing her character. "I suppose it would also depend on why you wanted to propose whatever it is you wanted to propose. I mean, I assume after a year you don't see her as a three legged kitten anymore?"

  2 successes, she buy the lie :(

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-07-18 04:52:57		Avis rolls 6 to do she really look like dat woman (wits3+subter3) (10 Again)		2, 2, 4, 4, 10, 5, 8		2 successes

[Star]

Anything.

Really. File under Willing to Propose Anything She'd Say 'Yes' To. Cross-file under More Than A Little Scary.

One brow shifted slightly, trying to furrow, but held back by the ruse. This? Not expected. The expected was a scathing protest about who had thrown themselves at who, or an explosive F-bomb at the last question -- detonating at ground zero of Nice Place. But that was peripheral, secondary, as eyes traced over the woman.

Familiar is comfortable. Familiar are the slightly androgynous, unadorned features hidden by lank hair and drab cotton. Not... this. Styled hair, sultry eyes, and inviting lips stirred something nervous and prickly inside; like the unease of Consilium Costumes, but plus plus. Arms, hands. It wasn't the same as Smurf-checking, but it was an anchor. That, and the necklace.

The dress? Raging storm of wack.

"You know, that's the best part. I think." An elbow slipped up to the bar, and a palm cradled a hairless --for once-- chin as he half turned. "I think... when you meet someone, you see them a certain way. Idealize them, maybe? And then the bubble bursts. Or you forget. Other things you see become more important, okay, maybe more annoying, some thing, right?"

It's super scary when you stop and think that's probably happening with them, too. Everything wonderful they saw? Slowly dying like cut flowers until all that's left is a vase of decaying stems and dirty water surrounded by dead, dry petals fallen and bearing silent witness.

"But the things that interested me? Made me curious? They're not just still there. I see them better now. Like, I thought she was fearless. But she isn't. She's just super brave. Which is even better." It's true. There's Hallmark moments, and then there are Jerry MaGuire moments.

Sometimes you pick up your cards, and each one is a possibility. All odds are the same. There's the flop, and suddenly you've got a pair, half of a straight, and one card away from a flush. Did she want to keep playing? Was this a test? Or just a surprise. Or armor. Sometimes you suddenly realize you've started leaning in slightly because you're about to kiss someone. It's only millimeters, not enough to be Super Obvious, but when did that happen?

A smile tugged at the corner of lips, and eyes slid around in an arc.

"Like, this? I wouldn't peg it as something she'd go for. But maybe she would, for me."

The slowly unraveling mop bobbed towards the door.

"But maybe she stood me up?"

Talk about three legged kittens... making awkward circles back to their bike.

[Avis]

To be someone else, to lie, was to construct a front, a facade, a masking image to populate the mind in place of the truth, and most of the time Avis found that creating the facade was nowhere near as challenging as keeping it in place. That was especially true for her when people said things that pissed her off, made her want to lash out with words, and to challenge with her eyes, but in actuality that was nothing compared to what it took to keep the construct from crumbling because someone had said something that didn't just inspire a smile, but that inspired all of her and transformed the future into something better than a dark forest where trees sprouted from soil made from decayed bone and stone.

"You know," she replied, with a warmth that she felt was suitable coming from a stranger, "something makes me doubt that would happen. Not unless you talked her into paying for your date, that is. Have you seen the cost of a Manhattan in this place?" she asked, matching Star's lean. "Might as well have bought tickets to a Broadway show. Although, I've heard the food here is good enough to make it worth it. So, even if your date doesn't show up, you might as well enjoy yourself now that you're here..."

She let the words trail off, instead turning to face him more fully and let that speak in languages place. It was tempting to say more, but there was always a balance to find, a harmony to listen for, and adjust to. Her game this evening was a delicate one, after all. She didn't want to insult him, make him think she didn't trust him and was trying to trap him. She just wanted to...make things interesting.

[Star]

Die With The Lie.

Somewhere, step to the rear, of the hamster wheel was distracted admiration. Buried under a whole lot of confusion. Oh, and that that other bit. That warm flush. But mostly confusion. Like a two-sided card, and both sides were unplayable.

Flip. This is the play where you lean in, and ask what the heck is going on. Tell her she's made, maybe start fresh. Probably the smart play.

Flip. This is the play where you keep going. Keep pushing in chips. If the other person doesn't back down, maybe it's just because they want to play it out. Pay to see. Paying to see is usually the dumb play.

This?

Maybe this is how We could have met. In a place like this, dressed like this. Instead of pain and death, We shared drinks and softly spoken lies. Was that the game?

"Maybe she's just running late."

Eyes blinked slowly, and a smile slipped out. When Toby gets off of work, he hangs out at bars. Talks to strange women. It's easy.

"I'll give her ten or fifteen minutes, and then call. So that's a Manhattan? That's a Very Serious drink. But," eyes slipped around, then leaned in. Shhhh. It's a secret. "This is my first time here. How bad is it? The drink prices."