The Ten Ten Room

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap realizes with a start that he's allowed himself to get distracted from his experiment. He's here to learn to exist around humans without eating them, and right off he clumps up with the Kindred instead.

With Conner Wells' example, Dirt Nap approaches the small herd of humans and addresses the most obviously vulnerable among them.

"Howdy, Ma'am." Dirt Nap says to Phoenyx in a soft, gentle voice like he's trying not to spook her. "You look to be a mite unsteady there. You got someone you trust to get you home safe?" He asks directly, almost as much just curious in tone as with any concern.

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn smiled at Connor at the offer to get her a drink and she knew the menu, she had looked at it online before coming. Making sure it was stocked with the type of beverages that were worth puking up at the end of the evening. An important point with Kindred's existence. Make it worth it. “Yes. I would like a violet spritz please,” she replied softly.


She grinned at Conner. “Hello Conner. Nice to see you out and about, enjoying what the city has to offer.” She noticed the little mock annoyance in his grin to her recognizing the irony of both men sharing the same name. Quinn giggled in earnest, to her kin, and fellow Shadow. That giggle and the smile that followed reached her eyes. She nodded to the news he quickly imparted to her as his Priscus. Yes they had discussed these measures in private, and she was pleased he was following through so soon. Impressive even. She nodded earnestly this time to the news. When he excused himself she raised her eyebrows once, giving him a knowing smile. Her gaze followed his trajectory towards the other woman in red. Go get you some yellowtail baby. Show her a good time, over, and over, and over, and over until she begs yo ass to stop.


She was about to turn to Clayton and ask him what brought him out here, but not only did he blow off Connor, but also Quinn herself. Apparently the Gangrel felt like slighting both of them tonight. Quinn’s eyes narrowed dangerously for just a moment, and the expression cleared to neutral disinterest. Two could play that game. She watched him then go to talk to the woman Conner was trying to chat up. They say imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, but Quinn murmured under her breath her true feelings on the matter quite succinctly. “Cock blocker,” looking dead at Clayton. The humans wouldn't hear, but the others would.


Her gaze sought out something better to gaze upon and found it rather easily in the woman with the black dress and the one from Nexus, looking all easy breezy in that outfit. Yes...this would do nicely for some warm blooded chat. It wasn’t a large bar, Connor would find her easily with their potential company.


“Hi! I hope I’m not intruding, but I remember you from that club. I had to leave early that night due to a business call, but I do remember you. You are a friend of a friend. Small world.” She said to Crystal, but included both Crystal AND Aurora in introducing herself. “I’m Quinn. Would you mind if Connor and I joined you two tonight for a drink or three?” She asked both of them with a small smile, interest glittering in her hazel eyes.

[Connor OBrien]

Having been ignored by 'Clayton,' Connor's face soured momentarily. The smile Quinn gave him did wonders to help him compose himself though. "A Violet Spritz, of course, right away." The haunt replied, offering a small nod of the head before turning on his heels and heading towards the bar. He withdrew two crisp, clean, 100 dollar bills from his wallet and laid them on the bar. "A Violet Spritz and A Jameson Caskmates Stout, Straight Up. Anything she or I order," he whispered to the bartender, gesturing to Quinn to indicate the 'she' in the equation, "comes out of that. Whatever's left is yours to keep." He knew the humans wouldn't be able to hear him, and he wasn't sure that the others would be paying any attention.

As he waited for the drink to be finished, his keen sense of hearing picked up Conner introducing himself to someone... followed shortly after by Dirt Nap. A small smirk formed on his face, hidden by the fact the he was turned away from the crowd, but he had to stifle a laugh when he heard Quinn comment on the situation.

Drinks in hand, the haunt turned to find Quinn talking to the two humans who weren't being bombarded by a pastor and a stable hand. Slowly he made his way to his 'date' for the night, arriving just as she asks if they could join them. "Ah, I'm Connor... not to be confused with Conner," he said, nodding his head toward the first one to attempt talking to Alice, "it's a pleasure." His accent, while not thick, was mostly discernable on longer vowels; the ahs and the I's. He turned ever so slightly toward Quinn, offering her a drink. "A Violet Spritz, for the beauty," he said with a smirk, knowing full well he may pay for the comment later "and a Whiskey for the beast." His sentence was finished with a sip of his own drink, eyes still on Quinn for any sort of reaction.

[Aurora]

A playful roll of her eyes, “She can flirt, don’t let her fool you.” She just needed confidence.

Following the hands, she nods, “Ah. Well, you never know. A dress cut in the right way can highlight anything.” The Arrow really needed to try new things. Then a heavy sigh, “I stepped down for a reason, and I don’t think it’s one you’re going to really like.” And this really wasn’t the place to drop that bomb on someone.

Then a laugh, “I’m used to it from so many years on the stage. But thank you.” She wasn’t really looking to make any connections. “Oh every girl needs a little black dress, it’s a staple.” It could get you very far.

When the guy makes his way over, the Shaman can’t help but think, let the games begin. Prepared to keep an eye on how the situation unfolded. Her friend got uncomfortable? She’d step in. Though she did catch the words from the other guy, the cowboy, “She has me to get her home.” Letting him know she had her eye on her friend. And if she had to step in, she would, and it wouldn’t be pretty.

Eyes watch the enticing woman as she came over, and seemed to know Crystal. She wasn’t surprised, he seemed like a social butterfly always at a club type. And the woman was hard to miss.

Smiling, “Sure. Hi Quinn, I’m Madison.” More company was always fun. Then her companion came over. Handsome and an accent. Extra dangerous to the right woman.

“So does that make you the original Connor? Or Connor 2.0?” she asks playfully, taking a sip of her drink.

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx flashed a smile at the bartender. "Mai Tai, please."

She looks in surprise at Conner slipping up alongside her. "Oh! Hi! Yes! We are. Or. i think we are?" She looks around at Aurora and Crystal, smiling. "I am. I'm Alice." she offers her hand to shake. "You and your friends seem to be too." She looks back across, taking a little time to admire the others. Tall, strong... and apparently taken, if the comments at the bar were anything to go by. And a woman no taller than she was... well, if you took off the heels. And she was very pretty. The Arrow frowned a little It really wasn't worth the effort to fight over the strong Connor.

The unkempt man earns himself a withering stare. "I am not. I can take care of myself, thank you," she replies, leering, though Aurora's support draws out a smile. Taking her drink, she slips back towards the table, looking at Conner. "It looks like we're all joining together. Are you coming?" She asks, matter-of-factly. The Arrow drops back on the stool next to Madison, dark eyes watching Quinn. "You're very pretty. How's your date going? I saw you holding arms. Before. He is nice too. You, I mean." She looks to Connor. "I thought dates were more private?"

[Conner Wells]

Conner gladly accepts Alice's hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Alice." Even drunk, the woman had a firm, confident grip. "Yeah, unexpected but, not unwelcome. Didn't think I'd have so many familiar faces out tonight." Chris offers his hand, and Conner takes it in friendship as well. "Pleased to meet you, Chris."

And then the Cowboy has to go and open his mouth...Conner barely suppresses something between shocked silence and growling fury. Sorry...what? Was Dirt Nap trying to set himself up as a potential predator, or just scare off his new conversation partner/possible date? Why not offer her a ride in your van with tinted windows, you son of a bitch co... Quinn finishes his thought verbally before it completes, just out of normal human frequency. Wait...did she just...? Apparently he had a guardian angel looking out for him that night. And so did Alice, if Madison's firm response had anything to say about it. There was a part of him that was beginning to understand Prince Antiori and Quinn's tough-love treatment.

Then Alice invites him into the conversation, and the Shadow eagerly nods his consent. "I'd love to." He follows her to the main group, not bothering to make eye contact with 'Clay'. Welcome to the human world, cowboy. He takes a seat as close to Alice as he can, without cutting out Madison or Chris. There's a brief annoyance at the attention being on Connor and Quinn, but he certainly couldn't blame them. At least Connor was polite.

"I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to expect from this place." He addresses Chris, giving time for Quinn to explain to Alice the nature of her "date". "But it's starting to grow on me." He takes a drink, letting the sickly-sweet liquor trickle down into a faux-living stomach. "It's not every day you run into a warrior-princess with a love for Mai Tais. What's your story, Chris?" He directs the 'warrior-princess' comment to Alice, then turns to Chris. The Shadow was hungry for conversation, not just pretty faces behind it.

[Crystal]

Crystal gave a light-hearted chuckle when Aurora jumped in to defend Phoenyx' flirting abilities. He couldn't imagine it being true, but he wasn't here to argue that point.

This Conner guy seemed polite enough, but then the cowboy joined. If that was an attempt at wing-manning it was a very poor one. Funnily enough, everybody present seemed to have caught that vibe and once again Madison jumped to the rescue. They really were good friends - Crystal wondered if Alice already knew about the Shaman's plans. Crystal's memories of that bender were a bit fuzzy, but Madison's announcement to leave stuck with him.

Wouldn't you know, their little book-club apparently drew all the right attention tonight. When Quinn joined the group Crystal couldn't help but keep his eyes on her. Partly because she was beautiful (although he's not buying what she's selling, thank you very much), but also because he wasn't sure yet where to place her after the Nexus. "Yeah, small world. I'm Chris and a friend of a friend is always welcome to join." He wanted to add something when Phoenyx once again proved her lack of filter. He raised an eyebrow and smirked at Quinn. "Yeah, how's that date going?"
Speak of the handsome devil, and he got a accent to boot. What a shame that he was so young. "Nice to meet you Connor." He was somewhat glad that Kaze wasn't here - there was only room for so many name-doubles before things become exhausting.


A warrior princess? Cute, although Crystal doubted Alice would take that compliment well. "I'm afraid my story is a rather boring one: I chased tail and ran into some friends and now I'm meeting a handful new people." Looking at Dirt Nap, then back at Conner. "Some more approachable than others."

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap chuckles softly and then looks serious, saying, "I apologize. All around."

"I don't get out much. I'm more than a little bit rusty with people."

He looks at Aurora, the protective apparent matriarch of this little herd of humans.

"Seems like you got things under control then. Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Ma'am. I'm Clay."

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn smirked back, matching that energy Connor was giving off. She took the glass from Connor’s grasp, and she overshot the mark just a bit, her fingertips brushed his for just a moment, as she took the offered drink from Connor’s hand. She knew she wasn’t fooling Connor of course. She was every bit as calculating and deliberate as he is, which made it more fun.
Quinn chuckled softly and tilted her chin back to look up into Connor’s eyes at the Beauty and the Beast reference. Humor lit up her expression, and her smile reached her eyes as she searched his gaze with her own.
She didn’t have much time to enjoy the moment as they were socializing.


Quinn grinned at Madison then, looking her over a moment, and then back to her friend Alice being bombarded over there by not one but two Kindred of differing interest. The statement Madison made about Alice having her to get her home was a protective one. “Conner is a perfect gentleman, and can be counted upon for it.” She said softly to Madison watching them make their way back over, with Conner in tow. “I should know, he is my cousin after all.” She supplied with a wink and a smile to Madison. She made sure she defined the connection with Conner clearly for the woman.


Quinn watched as Alice and the others came back, including Clayton, trying to make up for his faux pas. Alice seemed very very keen on just what her relationship status was with the handsome Connor, and she smiled at Alice nodding her head slightly to the compliment of being very pretty. “Thank you, Alice.” She knew what she looked like, though it was always interesting to see how others reacted to her looks. This one was clearly more interested in her date status than anyone else seemed to be. Ho hum. Can’t imagine why. Too bad Alice didn’t want to be the meat in between Connor and herself, now that would garner a different level of attention from the Mehket. As it was, the vibe was off and Quinn wasn’t under any pressure to validate anything. Her gaze moving from Alice and her burning desire for her date, to ‘Chris.’


“Well thank you for the welcome Chris. I appreciate it. We may be seeing more of each other in future depending on the trajectory of our mutual friends. They looked awfully cozy when I met them for a movie at a local spot. Gotta keep tabs on my friend, you understand.” She shrugged her shoulders lightly and grinned a bit. She dropped little breadcrumbs for Crystal that yes things had been progressing on that other front and the future could in fact entail more engagements between even the friends on the outside like the two of them. Best behavior and all that. She ignored his ‘date’ question as well.


Quinn’s gaze flicked to Clayton a moment, and she pursed her lips slightly at that bland apology, and watched the reaction forthcoming from Madison with interest. She knew what Clayton was attempting, and even that honestly, the Gangrel didn’t mean any ill will. He didn’t feed from humans, but Quinn felt that was a part of his problem. Of why he was so fucking off their pulse. He didn’t need them, therefore why bother learning how to be chummy with them? She began to see why Janos and Abel treated her like a red headed step child when she had suggested she could feed on animals.

[Connor OBrien]

As he feels the satisfying burn of the whiskey on his tongue, the Haunt wills his blood into action once more, making his stomach work to hold down the drink. He noticed the soft touch of Quinn's fingers, and the way she didn't directly answer any of their questions about Quinn and Connor's relationship status. In a bold, but calculated, move, he steps closer to Quinn and wraps his free arm around her waist, satisfied that the move would send a message without verbally expressing it.

His attention turns to Aurora, and he thinks briefly on how to answer her question. "The 2.0 comment implies improvement, and I wouldn't consider myself better than anyone here." He smiles a bit before continuing. "I would just consider myself a different...flavor... of Connor, for lack of a better word." He knew the word 'flavor' might elicit some responses from those that were interested in him, but he enjoyed watching the humans squirm sometimes.

His attention then turned to Chris, and he once again chose to skirt passed the question about Quinn and himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Chris." ​He sets his glass down momentarily to offer his hand for a shake.