♪ I like my negro nose with Jackson 5 nostrils ♪
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Post by ishkabibble on Aug 19, 2016 12:29:55 GMT -8
[Group 1: Chase/Andy/Atticus/Prax/Owen
Group 2: Winona/Rabbit/Kit/Abbie
Potential: Tullio, Rayen
Pre-Scavenger Hunt]
The ChrysantheRum Lounge: an upscale bar in the bustling center of HQ that never closes. Decorated with a striking, 1900s Art Deco aesthetic both inside and out, the ChrysantheRum was the place to unwind after a strenuous day of Reaping. Tables and booths were scattered around the lounge, as well as close to the bar. And amongst the dimmed lighting, sublime lineups of musicians enchant patrons on the brightly lit stage, to transport them away from their struggles.
That, and vast variety of pain-numbing liquor.
~~~~~~~~
Winona inhaled deeply, taking in the atmosphere of the ritzy Lounge once again. The woman adored this place, albeit one with a name as cheesy as Chrysanthe Rum. Why anyone'd want to be reminded of a tool to transport Apprentices to sever someone's life, she didn't know. But, this place was her refuge, her sanctuary. She hated, no, quite loathed her reality as an Apprentice. As a slave to Death. But here, in her Lounge, she could forget about it all. It didn’t feel like working. The stage was her palace, her own little world, her way to release her emotions for all to hear. And she loved it.
Wearing a glitzy black and gold dress, with a gold scarf wrapped elaborately around her coiled hair, the Apprentice elegantly sauntered onto the brightly lit stage. The band was already prepared to accompany her, playing a slow, bluesy song as she walked up to the mic—golden and retro. The band slowed their playing to a stop as she brought her face to the mic, her voice low; a combination of sultry and soothing. “Good evening to all you fine, fabulous folks,” She began, twirling her long pearl necklace slowly around her finger, “My name is Winona, and my copacetic companions and I will be your entertainment for tonight.” She punctuated her sentence with a grin, pausing as she looked over the crowd. “Don’t forget to give our superb bartenders a little visit before you leave. As you go visit, we’ll serenade you with this tasty little number: ‘ I Didn’t Know What Time it Was’.” She turned to the band, gesturing with her finger for them to start. As they began, she closed her eyes, immersing herself in the melody as the intro played. It was her time, her moment. She loved her job, adored this feeling, the rush of being on stage, in front of a captive audience. Once her cue came, she opened her eyes, ready to share her passion with all who could hear. “I didn't know what time it was, then I met you,
Oh, what a lovely time it was, how sublime it was too,
I didn't know what day it was, you held my hand
Warm like the month of May it was, and I'll say it was grand~
Grand to be alive, to be young
To be mad, to be yours alone
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
Hear your voice say, ‘I'm all your own’,”
As she sang, she swayed with the music, fingertips brushing along the microphone stand. She sung out sweetly, smoothly, carrying her voice throughout the entire lounge. The band accompanied her perfectly, a unison born of over sixty years of performing together. “I didn't know what year it was, life was no prize
I wanted love and here it was, shining out of your eyes
I'm wise, and I know what time it is now~”
As the instrumental section played, she glided around the stage, pausing at the piano, and then strolling to the bassist and every musician in turn. She strolled back to the pianist, gently gliding her fingertips along the smooth surface of the piano as they played on. |
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You have my attention~
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Post by rosieRabbit on Aug 20, 2016 18:31:12 GMT -8
Rabbit swirled his drink at a table, eyes closed, nodding lightly to the song sounding through the bar. He'd been to see Winona now and again, an absolute delight it was to hear her perform. Today however, he was here to relax. To wind down, to take his mind off of... everything. The last reap order he had was.. upsetting, and he pushed it as far out of his mind as he could. Out of sight, as they said.
The ChrysantheRum, a cute name for sure, dimly lit with soft yellow lights, and always the sound of quiet chatter like a blanket in the back. Warmth and hospitality. Rabbit didn't know about it until a few years after it.. came into existence within HQ, or maybe it had existed before he arrived. He wasn't very apt at keeping track of anything those first few years.
He had performed here a few times before, it was enjoyable. He hiccuped, set his glass down, opening his eyes to smile at the stage. The song she was singing was quite nice, a nostalgic song. He relaxed his shoulders. Oh since when was he holding tension? He sighed.
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oops.
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Post by bubblegumkitch on Aug 20, 2016 18:46:32 GMT -8
Tucked away in one of the booths, Kit watched Winona and her band with rapt attention, back against the wall and legs folded in front of them on the bench. A growingly stagnant mixed drink sat on the table next to them, momentarily forgotten and replaced in Kit's mind by the intoxicating live music filling their ears. They recognized the woman who seemed to be so at home up on the stage, and unfortunately, the last time they'd been a part of her audience it hadn't gone so great. But this group of people seemed to be a lot more polite than the last they'd seen, at least for the moment. They were very glad.
Not only was the atmosphere great, but being all alone like this, they didn't have anything or anyone stopping them from getting drunk beyond coherency. Ah, what a great thing that was. Not that it really mattered, but they felt fairly safe here, and the addition of alcohol to their system would only help intensify that feeling. With their days at HQ never seeming to get easier, and the reap orders being just as traumatic as they had been a year ago when they'd started, they needed any escape they could get. And, just like their mother, they weren't above turning to mind-numbing substances for comfort.
Before long, they had downed the first drink of the night and gotten another. Perhaps they'd let themselves drift around the area in a bit, but for now, they were content lounging about in their booth alone.
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Post by pikachase on Aug 20, 2016 18:55:21 GMT -8
Chase was curious about the Lounge after hearing about it from word of mouth being a great place to relax after a long day of reaping. Being a full-time reaper, as well as a person who enjoys drinking and entertainment, he decided there was no harm in checking it out. It sounded like it could be fun. Perhaps he could make some new friends, who knows? He might actually be more pleasant to be around after a few drinks.
Hearing that it was a jazz lounge, Chase decided to dress up a little bit so that he wouldn’t stand out too much. He traded his Pikachu hoodie for an outfit consisting of a black blazer, light blue button-up shirt, slim, dark denim jeans, and a pair of black oxford shoes. He didn’t have many dressy clothes, but this would do.
When he entered the Lounge, he was greeted by Winona’s rich voice. Although he wasn’t very familiar with jazz music, there was no doubt that Winona’s performance was pleasant. He ordered a drink and took a seat near the front of the stage, to indulge in the performance’s entirety, tapping his foot to the beat of the song.
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There should be a Captain in there somewhere~
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Post by captaincassanova on Aug 20, 2016 23:16:25 GMT -8
It wasn't strange for someone like Andy to frequent places like this. Hell, she went to the living world all the time for these kinds of places back when they were popular. Still, she took to going to the living world and finding a bar to drink at there instead of in HQ, probably because she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of teammates, or she just wanted to mess with the non SA humans a bit. Yet, instead of being in the world of the living causing a bit of a ruckus in her normal getup, Andy found herself sitting in a bad at the ChrysantheRum, dressed to impress at least someone with her dress shirt, tie and vest. It was probably the mood that the lounge gave that made her turn around to change the first time she stopped by earlier.
As the performance began, Andy couldn't help but spin around in her bar stool, liquor in hand, to watch the performance. She was no doubt impressed, all she could ever do properly were sea shanties and even then those weren't too impressing. As the performance continued, Andy took a swig of her liquor and leaned back against the bar top, content with watching the performance from there for now.
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Post by godsavethequeen on Aug 21, 2016 12:59:17 GMT -8
"See something you like?"
Atticus's attention snapped away from the beautiful singer to the bartender, quickly clearing his throat as the other man gave a half grin. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" The bartender asked. Atticus's eyes wandered back to the woman on stage, her voice swaying and flowing like a tide, and he gave a slight nod. He was sitting on a bar stool, his arm resting on the counter and his fingers brushing the cool base of a glass of golden drink. "And talented." Atticus said, eyes going away from the singer and to his phone that sat on the counter top, screen up.
He had been looking at photos and drinking before the singer had taken the stage, and though the musician's voice was beautiful, Atticus felt the piano playing was lacking. He had heard better. Eyes closed momentarily, then opened again after the bartender had left to accommodate other customers. Atticus gently pulled his vest around him a bit, eyes going around the crowd to people watch, as he liked to do. He had gotten dressed a bit differently from usual for a reap order earlier that day, and had decided to go ahead and come to this upscale place since he was dressed for such an occasion. Wearing a black vest, black pants, and a white button down with the sleeve rolled up to his elbow, Atticus had to say he so rarely looked so put together as he did now.
As his eyes skimmed the crowd, they landed on a familiar figure not too far away from him. A young pirate, just a few seats down, was watching the performance as well. Atticus gave a sort of lazy smile, and went ahead and took another long drink before he spoke up, "Hey Andy," Atticus said, just loud enough for the pirate to hear but not so loud as to disturb the performance, "You look fancy today." he said, the slightest hint of a tease lingering in his tone.
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remember me as i was.
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Post by quinnquinn on Aug 21, 2016 16:46:59 GMT -8
He'd always heard such lively sounds coming from inside. It had been around for quite some time, or so he could remember, but he never went inside. He'd always seen the beautiful interior from the outside, and the music - from another place, another time. It was almost as if this corner of HQ had been trapped in the past, a more beautiful, more glamorous age. People came in and out, but most of all, people seemed to be happy.
He stood by the entrance, hoping to find a gap in the crowd to sneak in quietly. He knew he was underdressed, but he knew if he left he'd forget how to stumble across this place again. It seemed like an ephemeral place in that sense, that it only seemed to appear when he was lost. He noted how spiffy the few patrons he'd seen so far were, and made a mental note on what he could wear next time, should he find a reason to be back here proper.
There hadn't been anyone strolling in for a minute now, so he made his move. Owen walked in, looking around to see if anyone would criticise him for how he was dressed. He stood for a moment by the doorway just listening and watching the band playing, almost in a trance. It was mesmerising, really.
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Post by username on Aug 21, 2016 19:37:16 GMT -8
The music was subtle, but nice. Soothing, even, in Prax’s opinion. It carried through the room in a pleasant manner, leaving everything awash in soft light and sweet sound, lulling the patrons of the Lounge (including himself, admittedly) into a state akin to relaxation. Out of respect for the singer, he’d put his phone down minutes ago, SOS text to Yamirie and/or Carlotte left abandoned in the drafts pile.
"I'm here with a teammate" excuse aside... a night off hadn’t seemed like a bad idea. Days gone by filled with paperwork, guardian work, and walking back and forth through the chrysanthemum fields… well. He’d be lying if he said they weren’t starting to blur together again. Not that he was particularly inclined to mind that, but at some point earlier that same day, he’d decided that a few lax hours might be more beneficial than counterproductive.
And even if he disagreed with his earlier assessment now, it was a bit too late to change his mind. He was here, drink nearly in hand, wasn’t he? He’d even paid respect to social tact and followed the suggested dress code… for all the good that had done. Ironed button-downs were one thing; vests and black pants were another.
Prax tugged at a rolled-up shirt sleeve and felt… not unwelcome. Only out of place. Like a child trying on their parents’ clothes, or a wolf wearing a lamb’s skin. He frowned, smoothing out a (nonexistent) crease in his shirt, doing his best to ignore the strain of tomorrow's workload that was already nagging at the back of his mind. Undoubtedly, these hours could be better spent doing something else...
... But it’d be rude to leave without a word, right? Resigned to his fate, he glanced over from his spot at the end of the bar, looking to see who might be seated further down. What he spotted were a pair of surprisingly familiar faces, talking amongst themselves. And the closest one --
“Atticus,” he said, raising a hand in greeting. Then, a little bit louder, but not enough to disturb the music: “Atticus.”
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There should be a Captain in there somewhere~
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Post by captaincassanova on Aug 22, 2016 11:01:32 GMT -8
At the call of her name, Andy's attention was taken away from Winonas performance to whoever had called her out. As she saw it was just Atticus, she nodded at him with her perpetual smirk back on her face. "Could say the same for you mate. Dressin' up for the mood of this place too? Or hopin' to impress someone tonight?" Anyone could clearly hear the tease in her voice as she finished the rest of her drink and set the glass on the bar top behind her.
With a quick look around at the rest of the bar stools, a good portion were empty since most of the patrons were closer to the stage, Andy slid off the bar stool she sat on and moved to one closer to Atticus, just so they wouldn't disrupt everyone else with them talking over a couple seats. As she sat down, she quickly ordered another drink before turning to Atticus. "Been a while hasn' it mate? How's it been on yer end?"
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Post by godsavethequeen on Aug 22, 2016 12:36:24 GMT -8
Ah, and here was the light banter Atticus enjoyed so much. His smile was relaxed, and he continued to look at Andy in an impressed fashion. She really made that suit look good. Damn, he'd go as far as to call her hot. Perhaps it was just that he had only ever seen her in her pirate attire that he thought this way. It was always nice to see someone who regularly dressed down, dress up instead. "Oh you know, I'm trying to get the singer's attention." he gave a small, dramatic sigh, "But I doubt she'll look my way." he said, feigning an almost disappointed look. "And you know, same old." he said, giving a small shrug and glancing to his phone. The screen had conveniently gone dark as Andy had moved over to sit with him, hiding his photos and whatever other things he'd been looking at before now. Secrets, he was good at them, wasn't he?
As Atticus moved to tuck his phone into his pocket, he glanced over his shoulder towards the back in response to someone calling out his name. Didn't that voice belong to... Prax? But what would Prax be doing in a bar? Atticus's eyes fell on the broader man immediately, his eyes widening a bit in shock at the man. He probably would have spit his drink if he had been drinking it, but instead he could only clear his throat and give a half smile. "I'm sorry, who are you?" he teased, trying to stifle his surprise that Prax was actually out of the office for once. The real shock, however, came from what Prax was wearing. He was nothing short of gorgeous, and Atticus had to laugh internally. Bloody hell, everyone was a super model here, weren't they?
But as blue grey eyes turned to the Greek, he noticed an odd, out of place boy hanging near the back door. Atticus glanced over at Owen, giving a small snort of amusement to himself before he finished off whatever he had been drinking. "Owen!" He paused, trying to wave the younger boy over. What was... he wearing? Atticus sighed internally, guessing that Owen probably had no idea where he was. The kid didn't seem like one to drink, but it was interesting to have him here all the same. Besides, who could stop him if that's what he wanted? To Atticus, the age you died at was meaningless. In his mind, Owen had every right to drink like the rest of them.
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Post by username on Aug 22, 2016 16:33:06 GMT -8
Shoving his phone into a pocket, Prax made to get up and move closer to the other two -- the cluster of people that had all gone to orbit the space in front of the stage made it easier to find another seat.
It took a moment to find an empty space, and only another to take it. “Please,” he said, to Atticus, in mock exasperation, “you know who I am, at least.” He dignified the person to Atti’s other side with a nod. “Andrea.” Or was it Andy? Hm.
Atticus, in the midst of all this, had turned to talk to someone out of sight; Prax glanced over in the direction of the pale, dressed-down newcomer, who was busy standing starstruck in the doorway.
Owen, apparently. Not someone Prax recognized… but perhaps in the next hour or so, things would change.
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Post by quinnquinn on Aug 22, 2016 18:15:43 GMT -8
The booming music had him in a trance, but it only took a faint mention of his name over the sounds to pull him out of it. Over at the bar were people he recognised, one of them waving back. Atticus? And next to him was... Andy? And someone else had joined them too. Seemed rude to decline the invitation extended to him as well. At least there were more familiar faces than strangers...
He hardly felt self-conscious with his odd choice of clothing, but in such a nice place like this, wearing a straitjacket seemed more than pushing it. He'd already taken a hesitant step towards the bar, and backing out now would be even more rude, wouldn't it? Owen's arms hung close to his chest, as if trying to hide what he was wearing.
He didn't know where to sit, and so stood himself between Atticus and Andy. Close up you could see a blush spread over the boy's cheeks, and his hands were clasped one on top of the other. He seemed squeamish - gosh, should he even be here looking like this?
"H-Hello." He said, making fleeting eye contact between the three of them.
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Peace is a river ... Flow with it.
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Post by abicurus on Aug 22, 2016 18:24:16 GMT -8
Call it a draw, or perhaps a treat, but Abbie never could neglect frequenting the ChysantheRum at least once in the month. He sat alone in his usual area: the tables near the bar, but closer to the stage. These nights he chose to go always stood out against his meandered days; they liked to tug him towards an older time, a time when he'd slip into New York's speakeasies after reaping was done and watch white thread sway to smooth melodies. Years later, he still fell into the flow.
Soft music sweetened the sting of alcohol, sugar applied to his ears rather than his tongue. He hated to call what he heard sugar--it understated the sweetness of her voice. Winona had a way of intoxicating a person, bidding the body to ease and the gaze to return to her time and time again ... or was that just him? It's hard not to stare at gold when it glitters so bright.
So bright, it must be, that Abbie's perceptiveness didn't function like it should. He should have already seen those familiar to him sitting at the bar--but he didn't. He took another sip of his drink, taking a contented intake of breath before settling back in his seat, allowing Winona's melody to pull him like river water into whatever sea she desired.
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There should be a Captain in there somewhere~
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Post by captaincassanova on Aug 22, 2016 19:08:50 GMT -8
Andy chuckled at the troubles that Atticus seemed to be going through with getting Winona's attention. Andy had to admit, she was a very good singer so no doubt that her attention, especially during her performance would put most of the lounges eyes on them. But then again, that might just be Andy, being a pirate and all, she liked having a spotlight on her. She blames dying since she didn't like it when she was alive. "Well, there's always other fish in the sea, just gotta use better bait mate." she said with a wink as she turned around in her stool to start on her new drink. When Andy saw Atticus being a little secretive with his phone, she paid no mind as she took a swig of her drink. It's natural to not want anyone to see what kind of private stuff they have on there.
At the call of her real name, Andy sputtered a bit on her drink and coughed a bit as it nearly went down the wrong tube and sent a slight burn through her lung. "Ack, fuck shit, that burns, do I know you?" After her little coughing fit, Andy took a closer look at Prax and it finally clicked for her. "Oh, Praxiletes or somethin', aye? Yer on Yams team?" The only reason she could ever say those long Roman names was because of an old teammate and she loved teasing him about his real name. "It's uh, ye can just call me Andy, Andrea is way too formal, ye know?"
As Owen approached them and stood himself between Atticus and Andy, she couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder when she saw how uncomfortable he seemed to be. "Good to see ye again lad, didn' expect to see ye again around a place like this though."
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Post by godsavethequeen on Aug 22, 2016 19:18:18 GMT -8
"PSH-" Atticus covered his mouth a bit when Prax called Andy Andrea, and when she proceeded to act as though she didn't know who he was for a moment. He grinned at Andy, but his mind was still wrapped around her previous comment... Better bait...? Ha, like he had anything to really offer someone as classy as Winnona, or as gorgeous as Andy or Prax. But oh well, that was just life wasn't it? Unfair.
In response to Prax, Atticus leaned his head over towards the dark haired make and gave a lazy smile, his eyes half lidded as he spoke, "I don't know, I've never seen such an attractive man with this much style before." Atticus teased Prax, the right side of his grin quirking up slightly higher than the left. Tullio liked to tease Atticus for being a flirt somedays, but that really wasn't it. Atticus enjoyed teasing people, which he felt was a bit different. Flirting meant you had intentions, teasing meant you did it for fun. Atticus greatly enjoyed teasing.
Atticus looked a bit intrigued when Owen walked over, his expression twisting into an almost amused fashion as Owen moved to stand between himself and Andy. For a moment, Atticus was reminded of a smaller version of Antony, and he felt a small bit of fondness for the younger male. This was further emphasized when Andy tried to make him more comfortable. Hand rising to gently ruffle Owen's hair, Atticus moved to stand and gestured for Owen to take a seat. "Don't just stand there, you're making me nervous." he said, before gesturing for the bartender to come over. Despite Atticus's words, his actions spoke a bit differently. He appeared to be more interested in making Owen comfortable, but his words made it seem as though he was only interested in offering up his seat for his own personal sake.
Atticus ordered something from the bartender before he stood across from Owen in a place where he could comfortably talk to all three. "Prax, this is Owen, and Owen, I don't know if you know him yet, but this is Prax" he gestured to the tall Greek. From Andy's words, Atticus assumed she knew Owen already.
The bartender soon returned and placed a pink fruity looking drink over towards Owen. Atticus thanked the man, then looked back at the three. "You know, this is an odd place to find all three of you." Atticus mused, "I expected to find you at your desk," a look to Prax "And you two.... anywhere else." He grinned at Andy and Owen, silently agreeing with Andy's statement about it being unexpected that Owen would end up in such a place... At a bar. Though his comment might sound rude, it was more of a statement of the truth. He didn't expect to see any of them here, and yet here they were.
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