Painting the town

[Guru]

"Awww leave me hanging Skye." He teased playfully to the girl as he moved to situate himself so he could see every member of the collective. "A party might do you some good, help you cut loose, let some of that tension melt away." A twist of the lips before turning to Chase with an understanding nod as he introduced Chris. Right. That. Despite what Kaze said he still didn't think he was the party type or at least on a different level especially when compared to a Shaman.


"Nice to meet you Chris, Josh." He said as he extended a hand, he knew most mages were weird about personal space but he'd at least keep up appearances for the sake of public scrutiny. "Sure I'll grab a Highland Twelve, neat. I'll get next round, yea?" Money was only good if you spent it after all.


He took a brief glimpse at his watch. "Keys of Solomon, guy who was said to be able to control demons, right? That's what you're reading for fun?" He whistled, smile still wide and bright. "Heavy shit. So Solomon for fun and partying, what's it you do for work? And is this the final destination or we just pre-gaming?" Weight shifting from foot to foot as he was having a harder time staying still than normal it seemed.

[Skye]

Shaking her head a bit.
"Sorry Supe's hes got you there, still waiting to see you really cut loose then again having outgrown it is part of what gives you you're mature allure." Raising her eyes in surprise before giving him a kind smile. "I would be delighted to dance my kind sir just be warned that I am not the greatest of dancers." It was far easier when you could just do gymnastic moves and half drunk people cheered on anyway.

Letting Chris finish up a bit before replying.
"True we did meet at church if memory serves me right." Shrugging her shoulder "Ohh how boring, no little demon in you for me to expel? Maybe we should drip some holy water on you just to be sure?" Smiling back at him as she carried on his jesting.
Looking over the gin and tonic as it came, she had hoped for something fruity and funny colored but hey you get what you get. Taking the glass and finishing it in one big swell. "Thank you, it was better than I expected."

Chuckling a bit towards the new arrival.
"Ohh we are so not gonna have anything to talk about, things that means you need to study whilst being still is not really my forte." It really wasn't "Now gymnastics, archery, woodworking or nature there you will find me right at home." Or wielding a knife but that did not need to be added.

Smiling towards Guru.
"Sorry Jay, I guess you caught me a bit of guard. Never heard a compliment that goes over in the word bitch with positivity before." Raising her hands to her hair and tossing it back whilst fixing it in place "Thank you though I quite enjoy it, it blends well with my clothes." Seeing as most her clothes were black so yeah "Might I add that you look quite dashing tonight." Standing up and giving him a quick hug, she were never hard to convince for that and quite loved to both hug and be hugged.

[Kaze]

"Okay, okay you got me." Kaze says, laughing with his hands held up in surrender. "I do get serious, intense I guess when I want to get better at something. I kinda hate it when I suck, you know?"

"For a while, I sucked at basically keeping a low profile or just keeping my mouth shut, so I might have got a little obsessive."

"Anyway, I don't really know enough yet to really know what I'm talking about, but I feel like acting is about perspective, you know? Having an open mind, to how other people feel and think. So, sure, having a lot of different experiences might help, but not if I only experience everything from my own point of view, and I'm closed to how someone else sees it." Kaze says thoughtfully.

"So, mister, 'I read deep books, but I party', is that a blowing off steam thing? Like, you party hard because you study hard and need to blow out the cobwebs?" Kaze asks, interested.

"Omigosh, Skye! 'Mature' just basically means, 'old', you know that, right?" Kaze says, pretending to be wounded. "I just had my thirtieth birthday this year, but I'm not dead yet!"

Kaze nods at Guru's words, noting that he knows the book, and always seems to know whatever book anyone brings up, and that he's offered to buy the next round.

"Cool, I'll try one of what you got then, okay Josh?" Kaze says with a smile. "And...next round after that's on me."

[Crystal]

Crystal nodded at Kaze's story, ever so understanding. "Well, there's a time and a place for everything. If you're comfortable with that, go ahead! Stick around and you'll make plenty of new experiences. How long since you're chasing that dream?"
His eyes going between Skye and Kaze, wondering if either of them was going to really cut loose tonight. The way the Talon was downing alcohol she might not be too far off.


Guru seemed to have the right idea at least - maybe they were kindred spirits after all. Crystal got up enough to take his hand and shake it lingering a bit before he sat down again. "Josh, it's pleasure. You've got good taste in drinks I see."


He adressed Kaze and Skye again.
"Thirty is at least not really young anymore, but that's far from a bad thing in my opinion. As for you, Skye: there's plenty of demon in me. Don't say I didn't warn you." He gave Skye a suggestive look, one eyebrow raised and lips pursed slightly. "But the books are less fun and more a personal study. Long story." He waved his hand dismissively. "It's less about blowing off steam and more about this other hobby of mine. Dancing. Opening the mind."


He gave Guru a wide smile. "Now, about those more important questions: this is only the first stop on a magnificent night. There will be no brakes, but anyone is free to get off whenever they want." Whatever getting off meant. The question about his job seemed to be not important enough to warrant an answer. But with two rounds of drinks in the queue, who really cared about that?

[Guru]

He looked to Chris, one raised eyebrow as he cocked his head to the other two. The dedication of the Arrow and martial artist were hard things to let go. Great, big, brick walls to keep them safe, letting loose often meant at least a little risk. He wondered what risks they would take tonight, though eyes darting between the two his grin grew ever more chesire-like. Letting the handshake drop as he returned to center.


"Always a pleasure to meet friendly faces Chris."


"Gotta agree with Chase on this one, mature definitely means old. Some people like that though. own it if you got it. Shit, dancing isn't about being good it's about energy. The pulse of the music, the flash of lights, the pressing of flesh as it moves together synchronized as one heart beat.


"You can study and not be still. I study all the time. I can watch a lecture while I'm working out, listen to a book when I go running. You can combine the two as much as you like." A small shrug as he took the glass, raised it in a silent toast to the group and took a sip. You didn't shoot good scotch, you sipped it.


Age, Infirmity, hangovers, these were problems that had been replaced with others once he'd awoken. He was likely to never grow old but he'd put his odds of dying violently fairly high, but that wasn't new to him at all. Which brings him back to the present. A soft chuckle as he wrapped one arm around Skye and patted her on the back to finish the hug as he pulled away.


"Thank you, right clothes for the right crowd. You should see my closet." A small laugh and another drink. "Can't be good at everything Chase, have to embrace your strengths and weaknesses.


"I mean you could go the method route and just live as a different person for awhile." A shrug, acting wasn't his passion or something he was too familiar with. He wouldn't say he had different masks just different hats for whatever he had to do at the time. Underneath that hat was still the high energy, bright smiling, goofball that he was and that was hard to hide.


"Thank you very much Chase, don't have to do that but do enjoy the Scotch." When Chris talks about opening the mind Guru nodded. "That's what I'm all about, the search for enlightenment. Feel like your advice about Chase's acting applies there too. Lot of Trial and Error, yea?"


"Just let me know when we're heading out, gotta stop by my car first. I can drive us to the next locale if we need, I'll just nurse this drink."

[Skye]

"We are all children in the beginning, exploring new fields and learning them from the ground up is part of the fun." Looking over Chase with curious eyes. "Ohh what kind of things did you speak to much of? Anything interesting?" Not being one who were silent herself but at least most of her words came with some control or reason.

Chuckling a bit towards Kaze.
"Not in my book, to me it means that you are the emotional kind rock that people around here can gather to for safety, warmth and someone to trust." Frowning a bit "And didn't even invite me to come celebrate with you or tell me in advance so I could celebrate you, meanie." Chuckling again, as she tried to pretend to be the hurt one here.

Watching Chris with a grin on her face.
"Ohh maybe we need a little exorcism then, never tried one before." Hmm I wonder could Guru here make holy water into solid arrows we could, no no "In all honesty though don't we all have a little bit of demon in us just scratching to cut loose a little." Answering the look with a calm grin. "So Chase is 30, may we hear your age as well?" Eyes going over to Jay/Guru "Hey Jay how old are you if you don't mind me asking and whens your birthday?" In honesty except for Chase so did she not really know anyone's age.

Slowly shaking her head towards Guru.
"Let me rephrase that, the thing itself needs to be something meant for physical activity. Learning a new gymnastic move sure, trying out to create something new excellent but just study for the sake of knowing more about the fields so sorry not really my forte. I enjoy using my body to much and wanna improve in fields where I actually use it." Smiling a bit as the hug had ended. "Ohh was that an invite to come see your place? Haven't really visited anyone in this city yet so it would be a delight to see your space." Knowing full well that he probably had not meant it as an invite.

Looking over the crowd and slowly swallowing as the next on me thing started going.
"Sorry but my capital is not great enough to really afford several drinks at places like these." Having just started to get a settled economy to begin with so nope.

[Kaze]

"Okay then!" Kaze laughs as Crystal announces the party train will not stop! "I'm onboard!" He grins. "And acting? I guess I've had the bug for...a couple weeks? Before that, I thought I was going to be an EMT. Before that, a 'physical security specialist'." He shrugs.

"I'm figuring out what my strengths and weaknesses are by trying stuff." He says to Guru with a smile, finishing his drink. "I just got over not trying stuff I suck at because I didn't want to fail, so I'm playing catch up on trying stuff out."

Kaze catches the next round, ordering another whiskey without ice or mixers for himself. He doesn't seem impaired or significantly more lubricated, but he does seem to be enjoying the interaction.

"Well, if it was a 'celebration', I would definitely have invited you, Skye!" Kaze says with a laugh. "I wasn't thrilled. I was depressed, actually. I had a totally different picture of where I would be at thirty. But...I got over it."

[Crystal]

Guru's look was lost on him and Crystal chuckled a bit.


He let the topics of self-improvement and maturity wash over him, thankful for the refill of his drink. The many careers of Kaze were acknowledged with a whistle, but for a little while Crystal was mostly listening and vibing to the music. It was nice being the centre of attention, but he didn't have to give input on everything. One question though he had to ask: "Chase, you're looking for things you're good at - what about things you enjoy?"


When Skye asked about his age his leaned forward a bit and smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know, huh? I'm 31, so I can relate to the dreadful feeling of your life being over but -" he spread his arms in a grand gesture "here I am, prettier than ever."


"Don't worry about money tonight. If that's what between you and a proper revelrie, I'll take care of you tonight."


Guru's comment was met with one enthusiastic nod. "Trial and error, yeah. Lots and lots of trials. And I'll think we stay for just one more drink, I'm almost ready for a change of scenery."

[Guru]

He looked over at Kaze thinking the man wise for not taking Skye’s bait, also not wanting to be involved in anything that the Consilium would frown upon. At least so openly, if you’re going to break the rules the first step was not getting caught. Here they were 3 witnesses and no leverage on any of them. Mind wondering if that’s how the Guardians kept the peace behind the scenes.

Thought slipping back into the ether as the conversation continued, he didn’t have much to add to the talk of exorcism though he was wondering what application of Supernal Truth that would fall under before deciding it depended on the manifestation clearly. A one shoulder shrug given as Skye explained she wasn’t really interested in learning. “Different strokes and all that, I just figure why settle for one when I can have both. How old am I, shit.”

His eyes looked up as he had to think about it. It hadn’t been something he’d thought about in a long time. How long had he been on his journey exactly. “Shit. Man I wandered for awhile. Fuck, it’s been almost a decade. Uh, I’m 25 approaching 26.” He’d been about to take a sip of his drink when Skye invited herself over, he shook his head. “Afraid not there, you don’t have the right PPE to come over. Maybe one day.”

“Well if you’re onboard Chase, I’ll have something for you a little later. The fear of failure holds a lot of people back but it’s one of the better teachers. Maybe it’s cause of my love of science why I view it differently.” Finally able to take the sip he’d been holding off. When Kaze said he was depressed about where his life was at Guru reached out and patted him on the back without thinking about it first. It was just a natural reaction for him.

“Don’t worry about it man, we can all relate I think. The road you wish to walk might not be the one that’s meant for you, the key is the journey. So long as you learn something on the way isn’t it worth it?” He nodded and pointed at Crystal when he asked about enjoyment. “Life isn’t just about duty, you need something that’s yours, something to unwind or else you just build up tension until you explode.

“Yea, if you need anything I can help cover too. Money is only good if you spend it, can’t take it with you when you’re dead.” Then his mind wandered off, wondering how many awakened had families. He imagined the number wasn’t zero but couldn’t imagine it was very high.

“If we want a proper Bacchanal that does require we let our guards down a little.” Eyes flitting to Chase and Skye, Skye was a Shaman and he’d seen Kaze heal Phoeynx so he knew both were more than capable of dealing with toxins. “I’ll just drink this one then, Chase you can grab my next one at our next destination and I’ll drive us there.”

[Skye]

"Likewise am I, it could be fun to see parts of the city I don't normally frequent." Not to mention she were at the age to really explore it.

Eyes going over to Kaze.
"That is sad to hear, still I think you have managed quite well in life. If there is anything I can do to help you so do you know where to find me, next year we are having a party for you though." For herself she wanted a fruitier drink and quickly tried it out without any hesitation, alike the former arrow so does she not yet seem affected by the alcohol though. Still it was a bit sad that he did not answer her question, if it had to do with their secret life then no loss but if it had to do with emotions or more personal things so would it be more fun to see such a side. "Still you're looking for your perfect place and doesn't settle, it takes effort to stay on a path but it also takes courage to be willing to try new things and search for where you belong."

A small chuckle.
"That is confidence, still that makes me feel quite to young for this event." She were nowhere near 30 herself "Now that I won't say no to, thank you kindly Chris then you may pick whatever I shall drink as well if you so desire. I do need to try as many new things as possible to get more used to this scene." Not to mention finding a proper place where she could just cut loose and dance on tables or something.

Sipping some of her drink through the straw as she look to Guru.
"If you can do both then that's great, we all have our areas I will stick with things that use my body though." Even if she had started to learn how to use a computer lately but still that did not need to be told. "So 25, 30 and 31 then and how close are we getting Jay? Should we start to plan your celebration?" Frowning as she acts saddened. "Aww and here I thought I would finally get to be invited over to someone. Treat the juniors with kindness." Shaking her head a little to remove her frown and smiles instead, she had already expected that he would not want her over.

Taking in Guru's words with a chuckle, it was true she were already cheating by having her body protected making the alcohol she had consumed quite ineffective for anything else but taste.
"Perhaps you're right, I will take that into consideration for the rest of the night."