[A Promising Date]
Anastasia is all too happy to squeeze up alongside her boyfriend, cuddling into the curve of his arm and wrapping her right around his waist. "Yeah, ready," she confirms with a nod, smiling into the lens - only to gasp as Eliseo kisses her again, camera capturing the look of surprise and the moment her cheeks start to light up with the kind of perfect timing that comes only from coincidence.
"I- Ohmigod, Eliseo," Ana squeals in embarrassment, jolting out of position. "You are such a menace!" Leaning in, she tries to return some shade of retribution, pulling him into a hug and peppering the side of his face with light kisses.
Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
~Welcome to Night Vale
SliiArhem wrote:Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.
Tags:
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[A Promising Date]
Eliseo laughs under her assault. "Okay okay, I give up!" He's helpless before her loving vengeance.
Eliseo laughs under her assault. "Okay okay, I give up!" He's helpless before her loving vengeance.
~Images by Soushiyo
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[A Promising Date]
The hail of kisses tapers off into giggles and maybe one last parting nip on the cheek as the bill is paid and the receipt is returned, and Ana is almost loathe to pry herself apart as she looks up at Eliseo. "So, um, d'you wanna get out of here?"
The hail of kisses tapers off into giggles and maybe one last parting nip on the cheek as the bill is paid and the receipt is returned, and Ana is almost loathe to pry herself apart as she looks up at Eliseo. "So, um, d'you wanna get out of here?"
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
~Welcome to Night Vale
SliiArhem wrote:Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[A Promising Date]
Eliseo grins. 'Yeah definitely. Hope you can behave yourself for the trip." He teases, as if he's not just as excitable as she is right now. He slips his hand in hers and leads her toward the exit.
Eliseo grins. 'Yeah definitely. Hope you can behave yourself for the trip." He teases, as if he's not just as excitable as she is right now. He slips his hand in hers and leads her toward the exit.
~Images by Soushiyo
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[Unfashionably Early]
"Reina, please," Magtok rolls his eye, turning away from the door and back to his date now that he's reasonably certain he didn't tempt fate hard enough to invent an entire terrorist cell just to make him look silly. That one elf over there does look a little like a younger Alan Rickman, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence. He doesn't think Reina has even see Die Hard before, so how could she think to borrow its plot?
"If I was going to hire armed terrorists to storm the club, it would be for a much better reason than inventing an excuse to leave. I can just stand up and go if I want to go. I can even backflip off this balcony and into a portal home if this starts getting too weird for me. No, you only bring in armed terrorists if you're desperately, hopelessly failing in every single way to impress the girl, and the date needs an emergency shot in the arm to save it. It's called the suspension bridge effect, fear and arousal are closely related in the brain, so you'd duck under the table for cover with your date, they'd feel their heart racing while looking at you heroically keeping calm under pressure, and-" he pauses for a moment, raising an eyebrow at Reina.
"You know I'm kidding, right? There's no terrorists. I don't keep terrorists on standby to spice up dates, and even if I did, they'd have to come from MERC because I'm not affiliated with any revolutionary groups, and you'd know about them ahead of time because I'd spend at least my first ten minutes chatting up the cute secretary before the job gets put on the board for all to see," he points out. He supposes that technically he could just build a bunch of robot terrorists, but he's been trying to avoid constructing any kind of sapient robots for a while now. He has an unfortunate tendency to get abusive towards servile machines when he knows they can't feel pain, and the Hegemony collectively agreed we weren't going to be that kind of person anymore. Magbots were always more trouble than they were worth, anyway.
► SHOW SPOILER
"If I was going to hire armed terrorists to storm the club, it would be for a much better reason than inventing an excuse to leave. I can just stand up and go if I want to go. I can even backflip off this balcony and into a portal home if this starts getting too weird for me. No, you only bring in armed terrorists if you're desperately, hopelessly failing in every single way to impress the girl, and the date needs an emergency shot in the arm to save it. It's called the suspension bridge effect, fear and arousal are closely related in the brain, so you'd duck under the table for cover with your date, they'd feel their heart racing while looking at you heroically keeping calm under pressure, and-" he pauses for a moment, raising an eyebrow at Reina.
"You know I'm kidding, right? There's no terrorists. I don't keep terrorists on standby to spice up dates, and even if I did, they'd have to come from MERC because I'm not affiliated with any revolutionary groups, and you'd know about them ahead of time because I'd spend at least my first ten minutes chatting up the cute secretary before the job gets put on the board for all to see," he points out. He supposes that technically he could just build a bunch of robot terrorists, but he's been trying to avoid constructing any kind of sapient robots for a while now. He has an unfortunate tendency to get abusive towards servile machines when he knows they can't feel pain, and the Hegemony collectively agreed we weren't going to be that kind of person anymore. Magbots were always more trouble than they were worth, anyway.
"You probably found 'How to Survive a Robot Uprising' in the humor section. Let's just hope that is where it belongs."
-Daniel H. Wilson
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[Unfashionably Early]
"I... don't think you can," Reina says with a sly smile. "I mean, yes, physically you could leave any time you want. But psychologically? I've never seen you able to back out of a social situation that hadn't concluded or devolved into violence. I think it's a weakness of yours. You just can't bring yourself to walk away from someone paying attention to you. That's why you end up in so many bad deals with questionable characters isn't it?" Take Reina for instance.
"Now if that was a subtle way to suggest that maybe I should go looking under the table for some fun, you should know I'm not that type of girl. No Terenti is ever going to crawl under a dirty restaurant table for sex. Though if you catch me under your office desk sometime... well then I would be searching for more than top secret documents down there." Reina snickers a bit, her tail swishing with catlike amusement, pulling off that smug look only cats can do and looking all the more sensual for it.
The catgirl waves her hand. "Honestly, I think I'm the only one in MERC that even owns a gun. If you don't mind your terorrist group being comprised entirely of one exceptionally cute, adorable catgirl in thigh highs, a tank top, and short shorts, then maybe we'll take that job. All I'd have to do is... spice up your life right?" Reina thinks she can handle that.
"I... don't think you can," Reina says with a sly smile. "I mean, yes, physically you could leave any time you want. But psychologically? I've never seen you able to back out of a social situation that hadn't concluded or devolved into violence. I think it's a weakness of yours. You just can't bring yourself to walk away from someone paying attention to you. That's why you end up in so many bad deals with questionable characters isn't it?" Take Reina for instance.
"Now if that was a subtle way to suggest that maybe I should go looking under the table for some fun, you should know I'm not that type of girl. No Terenti is ever going to crawl under a dirty restaurant table for sex. Though if you catch me under your office desk sometime... well then I would be searching for more than top secret documents down there." Reina snickers a bit, her tail swishing with catlike amusement, pulling off that smug look only cats can do and looking all the more sensual for it.
The catgirl waves her hand. "Honestly, I think I'm the only one in MERC that even owns a gun. If you don't mind your terorrist group being comprised entirely of one exceptionally cute, adorable catgirl in thigh highs, a tank top, and short shorts, then maybe we'll take that job. All I'd have to do is... spice up your life right?" Reina thinks she can handle that.
► SHOW SPOILER
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[A Promising Date]
All Ana does is blush at that one as they head out of the restaurant and make their way back to Eliseo's home, hands clasped tightly together.
All Ana does is blush at that one as they head out of the restaurant and make their way back to Eliseo's home, hands clasped tightly together.
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
~Welcome to Night Vale
SliiArhem wrote:Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Unfashionably Early
One of the goblins owns a gun. Olvadin, or something like that. Obra-Dinn? Magtok considers pointing that out, but thinks better of it. I don't think Reina would appreciate him thinking about goblins while she's trying to paint a very vivid mental picture of herself in shorts and thigh highs. That's nothing compared to the spicy mental image she conjured while talking about his office desk, though. We should think about getting an office desk. She's definitely not being ambiguous about her intentions tonight, which is-
...suspicious, maybe? Should we suspect her of having an ulterior motive? It's true that she's being a bit forward, but that doesn't mean we're about to die. Seriously, how much harm could she possibly inflict on the Magtok collective with only one clone in the room, and why go to all that trouble just for one Magtok? Maybe she thinks we're too thick-skulled to understand what she's getting at unless she lays it on thick? It's also possible Terenti family are just like this with everyone they date. Hard to say, since any sort of amicable contact with any ReinClone tends to go in the proscribed memory pile and access is only granted when absolutely vital. so we don't even have all the details of our own past contact with her. If he had known Reina was going to be here, he might've been better prepared. He would've had time to look over the Invincibelle records too, but as it stands, we have quite the troubling mystery on our hands.
"Tell you what, next time I'm embroiled in some social conflict I don't want to be a part of, one that involves people paying attention to me, I'll call you up, say 'I told you so,' and walk out on my own without any violent intervention and meet you at the door. Everyone else can pout and grumble as we ride off into the sunset. I'll get to prove I'm not quite as easily strung along as you say, and you can have the rest of my evening all to yourself. Win-win, right?" he offers. He doubts that deal will ever become relevant, seeing as how he hasn't been away from the MagFleet in ages and never really meets with anyone, begrudgingly or otherwise. Still, his bruised ego demands that he offer up some kind of defense, even if it's just dictating the terms of some future date that will never actually happen.
"Heck, I'd even prove you wrong right now, but that'd be throwing our date away out of hubris and spite. A terrible waste, since I've been enjoying myself just fine thus far. A few misplaced concerns about 'justice' aside, everything's been going well, and I don't need to shoot a mythical bird to know there are decent odds of me getting invited to spend the night later. Oh, on that subject, we can't take this party back to my place," Reina's date points out, trying to look apologetic about it.
"It's not a trust or security thing this time; it's...the other Mag is an ass. And a newlywed," Magtok confesses, the words finally slipping out despite knowing full well that nothing good can ever come of honesty in this situation.
"I think that's half the reason he wanted me here instead, so he wouldn't have to explain himself. I can punch him in the throat for you tomorrow, or call him a scumbag, or you can take a swing at me and pretend I'm him, but I...I'm sorry," he finishes weakly, before raising his glass and forcing that awful booze down his throat all at once. Fuck, there goes the entire date. Literally all he had to do was not mention that one thing, and we could've completely forgotten about that other Mag, lived our whole life not acknowledging that other Mag. Taking his place at the MERC psychic trials would've been easy, flirting with Reina would've been effortless, but instead of just letting sleeping dogs lie, instead of sidestepping a mess nobody needed to address right now, we had to kick the whole damn hornet's nest. Godsdammit, Magtok, why are you so unbelievably stupid?
One of the goblins owns a gun. Olvadin, or something like that. Obra-Dinn? Magtok considers pointing that out, but thinks better of it. I don't think Reina would appreciate him thinking about goblins while she's trying to paint a very vivid mental picture of herself in shorts and thigh highs. That's nothing compared to the spicy mental image she conjured while talking about his office desk, though. We should think about getting an office desk. She's definitely not being ambiguous about her intentions tonight, which is-
...suspicious, maybe? Should we suspect her of having an ulterior motive? It's true that she's being a bit forward, but that doesn't mean we're about to die. Seriously, how much harm could she possibly inflict on the Magtok collective with only one clone in the room, and why go to all that trouble just for one Magtok? Maybe she thinks we're too thick-skulled to understand what she's getting at unless she lays it on thick? It's also possible Terenti family are just like this with everyone they date. Hard to say, since any sort of amicable contact with any ReinClone tends to go in the proscribed memory pile and access is only granted when absolutely vital. so we don't even have all the details of our own past contact with her. If he had known Reina was going to be here, he might've been better prepared. He would've had time to look over the Invincibelle records too, but as it stands, we have quite the troubling mystery on our hands.
"Tell you what, next time I'm embroiled in some social conflict I don't want to be a part of, one that involves people paying attention to me, I'll call you up, say 'I told you so,' and walk out on my own without any violent intervention and meet you at the door. Everyone else can pout and grumble as we ride off into the sunset. I'll get to prove I'm not quite as easily strung along as you say, and you can have the rest of my evening all to yourself. Win-win, right?" he offers. He doubts that deal will ever become relevant, seeing as how he hasn't been away from the MagFleet in ages and never really meets with anyone, begrudgingly or otherwise. Still, his bruised ego demands that he offer up some kind of defense, even if it's just dictating the terms of some future date that will never actually happen.
"Heck, I'd even prove you wrong right now, but that'd be throwing our date away out of hubris and spite. A terrible waste, since I've been enjoying myself just fine thus far. A few misplaced concerns about 'justice' aside, everything's been going well, and I don't need to shoot a mythical bird to know there are decent odds of me getting invited to spend the night later. Oh, on that subject, we can't take this party back to my place," Reina's date points out, trying to look apologetic about it.
"It's not a trust or security thing this time; it's...the other Mag is an ass. And a newlywed," Magtok confesses, the words finally slipping out despite knowing full well that nothing good can ever come of honesty in this situation.
"I think that's half the reason he wanted me here instead, so he wouldn't have to explain himself. I can punch him in the throat for you tomorrow, or call him a scumbag, or you can take a swing at me and pretend I'm him, but I...I'm sorry," he finishes weakly, before raising his glass and forcing that awful booze down his throat all at once. Fuck, there goes the entire date. Literally all he had to do was not mention that one thing, and we could've completely forgotten about that other Mag, lived our whole life not acknowledging that other Mag. Taking his place at the MERC psychic trials would've been easy, flirting with Reina would've been effortless, but instead of just letting sleeping dogs lie, instead of sidestepping a mess nobody needed to address right now, we had to kick the whole damn hornet's nest. Godsdammit, Magtok, why are you so unbelievably stupid?
"You probably found 'How to Survive a Robot Uprising' in the humor section. Let's just hope that is where it belongs."
-Daniel H. Wilson
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[Unfashionably Early]
"It's a deal, but... I'm not going to hold my breath," Reina concedes. She took six weeks of a therapists correspondence course online. She's pretty sure she can recognize psychological compulsion when she sees it! But there's no point on pushing the topic so she takes a sip of her much needed wine.
"Uh-huh..." Reina just smirks as Magtok claims he can just ends things now to prove a point, knowing that's as far from the truth as possible. "Well, there are several nice hotels nearby unless you want to hike a literal mountain to deal with smelly goblins and wolves- wait, what?"
The seer apparently did not see this common and sits in shock at first. And at second and at third. Then Reina raises her voice in anger. "He got married... and he didn't invite me?!" The. NERVE!!!
Reina's voice lowers a bit, but her gesticulations grow to make up the difference. "How could he?! After- after everything, I deserve at least that much! Even Tina invited us to her wedding and we've met all of three times! THREE! I'd have thought that-" Reina clasps her lips together tightly, the thinnest of lines separating them as grows calm and quiet.
"You know what? It's... fine." It's not fine. "You're hardly the first I thought I meant something to." Half the point of this date was to make her boyfriend super jealous after all. Now she just knows there are two people she cares about not thinking about her.
Her glass seems to have emptied and is being refilled at an exceptional rate now, if only to fight back the angry tears.
"It's a deal, but... I'm not going to hold my breath," Reina concedes. She took six weeks of a therapists correspondence course online. She's pretty sure she can recognize psychological compulsion when she sees it! But there's no point on pushing the topic so she takes a sip of her much needed wine.
"Uh-huh..." Reina just smirks as Magtok claims he can just ends things now to prove a point, knowing that's as far from the truth as possible. "Well, there are several nice hotels nearby unless you want to hike a literal mountain to deal with smelly goblins and wolves- wait, what?"
The seer apparently did not see this common and sits in shock at first. And at second and at third. Then Reina raises her voice in anger. "He got married... and he didn't invite me?!" The. NERVE!!!
Reina's voice lowers a bit, but her gesticulations grow to make up the difference. "How could he?! After- after everything, I deserve at least that much! Even Tina invited us to her wedding and we've met all of three times! THREE! I'd have thought that-" Reina clasps her lips together tightly, the thinnest of lines separating them as grows calm and quiet.
"You know what? It's... fine." It's not fine. "You're hardly the first I thought I meant something to." Half the point of this date was to make her boyfriend super jealous after all. Now she just knows there are two people she cares about not thinking about her.
Her glass seems to have emptied and is being refilled at an exceptional rate now, if only to fight back the angry tears.
► SHOW SPOILER
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Unfashionably Early
"Reina, I don't know if this helps, but there was no wedding. No party, no guests. Not even me. Just a trip to town hall to legally register it in Riverside, and then nothing. You're probably the first or second person to even hear about it; he's being weirdly paranoid and quiet about this. Like the world is suddenly going to bring Marciano back from the dead to try to kidnap her if people know she exists," he tries to explain, watching the way she downs her drink with visible concern. Well, at least we know for sure that this isn't some misguided Invincibelle mission to assassinate the last Magtok and secure 'justice' for the Nexus. I don't think she would've cried like that if she set all of this up just to kill the other clone.
Still, I think this was definitely the wrong move. This date was going better back when we thought there was a chance she might kill, abduct, or torture us. Now, it's just...seriously Magtok, why couldn't you have just kept your stupid idiot mouth shut?
"And he's a selfish asshole. Even for a Magtok, I mean. He's been ghosting us for months, ignoring calls from his own fellow clones, saying 'oh the cloning vats will be ready next month, I promise' every time we ask for a status update, and then after all this time he just calls me up out of nowhere and expects me to be dressed for a date in the Nexus in like two hours. He tells me it's a serious security issue, so I show up here and look like a clown with my stupid shoulder holster," the cyborg adds, suddenly turning vitriolic and spiteful towards his own kind.
"Listen, I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you, and it had to be like this, but he's not worth it."
"Reina, I don't know if this helps, but there was no wedding. No party, no guests. Not even me. Just a trip to town hall to legally register it in Riverside, and then nothing. You're probably the first or second person to even hear about it; he's being weirdly paranoid and quiet about this. Like the world is suddenly going to bring Marciano back from the dead to try to kidnap her if people know she exists," he tries to explain, watching the way she downs her drink with visible concern. Well, at least we know for sure that this isn't some misguided Invincibelle mission to assassinate the last Magtok and secure 'justice' for the Nexus. I don't think she would've cried like that if she set all of this up just to kill the other clone.
Still, I think this was definitely the wrong move. This date was going better back when we thought there was a chance she might kill, abduct, or torture us. Now, it's just...seriously Magtok, why couldn't you have just kept your stupid idiot mouth shut?
"And he's a selfish asshole. Even for a Magtok, I mean. He's been ghosting us for months, ignoring calls from his own fellow clones, saying 'oh the cloning vats will be ready next month, I promise' every time we ask for a status update, and then after all this time he just calls me up out of nowhere and expects me to be dressed for a date in the Nexus in like two hours. He tells me it's a serious security issue, so I show up here and look like a clown with my stupid shoulder holster," the cyborg adds, suddenly turning vitriolic and spiteful towards his own kind.
"Listen, I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you, and it had to be like this, but he's not worth it."
"You probably found 'How to Survive a Robot Uprising' in the humor section. Let's just hope that is where it belongs."
-Daniel H. Wilson
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[Unfashionably Early]
Reina rubs the back of her hand over her eyes. "It doesn't help at all." It does. "He wasn't ghosting me at all those training sessions, so he certainly had an opportunity to say something." Of course Reina should get preferential treatment over all the rest of the Magtoks!
"No one ever is, huh?" Not worth it, hmm? That's what she was. Not worth it. Not worth anything. At least this glass of wine accepted her.
"... Do you want to evict him? I can help you kick him out of your cave if you want. Sounds like he has no intention of following through with his promises. That's probably why he had to get a legal marriage. The vows would be too hard for him to say with a straight face," Reina says with a dark sneer.
Reina rubs the back of her hand over her eyes. "It doesn't help at all." It does. "He wasn't ghosting me at all those training sessions, so he certainly had an opportunity to say something." Of course Reina should get preferential treatment over all the rest of the Magtoks!
"No one ever is, huh?" Not worth it, hmm? That's what she was. Not worth it. Not worth anything. At least this glass of wine accepted her.
"... Do you want to evict him? I can help you kick him out of your cave if you want. Sounds like he has no intention of following through with his promises. That's probably why he had to get a legal marriage. The vows would be too hard for him to say with a straight face," Reina says with a dark sneer.
► SHOW SPOILER
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Unfashionably Early
Magtok winces. There's a few warning signs here. Reina's saying exactly the sort of stuff that makes him uneasy around Ilpholin. Honestly, blanket statements like that would probably be enough to convince the fleet to preemptively obliterate the whole club from orbit if they could hear her right now, and he's not sure he could blame them, given the history involved. Should we find an excuse to cut and run? No, not with her in this state, that'd just prove her right and push her psyche right off a cliff.
"I don't-I'm not going to evict him just because-" Magtok hesitates, his instinctive response to the idea of banishing one of his own warring with that other Magtok’s selfish disregard for his own kind, and their very real need to get the cloning vats operational before it’s too late. We aren’t going to live forever, you know. Not without putting in the work, I mean, and if the other guy can’t be bothered, well…
"Okay, hypothetically speaking, how would you do it?" the cyborg cautiously asks, worried he might be opening pandora’s box by entertaining this notion. Bringing a drunk Terenti home to cuss out another clone sounds like a nightmarishly awful idea, the kind that would have him stripped of his rank and shot out of his own ship’s airlock. Treason, knowingly collaborating with a ReinClone, endangering a fellow clone's spouse, compromising MagCave security by allowing a ReinClone on the premises without an interrogation, brainwashing, murder, or holiday party to justify doing so…this is the kind of idea that would get any other clone in the fleet locked up and their brain scanned for space worms, and yet here we are, trying to decide if it’s actually viable instead of dismissing the ludicrous notion outright.
Magtok winces. There's a few warning signs here. Reina's saying exactly the sort of stuff that makes him uneasy around Ilpholin. Honestly, blanket statements like that would probably be enough to convince the fleet to preemptively obliterate the whole club from orbit if they could hear her right now, and he's not sure he could blame them, given the history involved. Should we find an excuse to cut and run? No, not with her in this state, that'd just prove her right and push her psyche right off a cliff.
"I don't-I'm not going to evict him just because-" Magtok hesitates, his instinctive response to the idea of banishing one of his own warring with that other Magtok’s selfish disregard for his own kind, and their very real need to get the cloning vats operational before it’s too late. We aren’t going to live forever, you know. Not without putting in the work, I mean, and if the other guy can’t be bothered, well…
"Okay, hypothetically speaking, how would you do it?" the cyborg cautiously asks, worried he might be opening pandora’s box by entertaining this notion. Bringing a drunk Terenti home to cuss out another clone sounds like a nightmarishly awful idea, the kind that would have him stripped of his rank and shot out of his own ship’s airlock. Treason, knowingly collaborating with a ReinClone, endangering a fellow clone's spouse, compromising MagCave security by allowing a ReinClone on the premises without an interrogation, brainwashing, murder, or holiday party to justify doing so…this is the kind of idea that would get any other clone in the fleet locked up and their brain scanned for space worms, and yet here we are, trying to decide if it’s actually viable instead of dismissing the ludicrous notion outright.
"You probably found 'How to Survive a Robot Uprising' in the humor section. Let's just hope that is where it belongs."
-Daniel H. Wilson
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[Unfashionably Early]
Saying something hyperbolic and bitter in the heat of an emotional shock after consuming a lot of alcohol is probably a distinctive difference between Reina and Ilpholin.
"Ahhh..." Reina stalls, not expecting Magtok to ask her how. It's clearly not something she's thought about or prepared for. Clearly they were just going to telewarp over there and toss their demands out! "Ummm..." How do people get evicted anyways? Someone tosses them out right?
"We... we go in with our eviction notice, say they have five minutes to leave and umm... shoot em with paintball guns if they don't! Yeah. Pelt them nice and hard until they leaves. Those things really hurt, you know? And Magtok would suffer the double humiliation of having his purple dress painted pink if he doesn't do as we demand." That'll teach him. Send that cyborg and his new gold digging hussy running!
Saying something hyperbolic and bitter in the heat of an emotional shock after consuming a lot of alcohol is probably a distinctive difference between Reina and Ilpholin.
"Ahhh..." Reina stalls, not expecting Magtok to ask her how. It's clearly not something she's thought about or prepared for. Clearly they were just going to telewarp over there and toss their demands out! "Ummm..." How do people get evicted anyways? Someone tosses them out right?
"We... we go in with our eviction notice, say they have five minutes to leave and umm... shoot em with paintball guns if they don't! Yeah. Pelt them nice and hard until they leaves. Those things really hurt, you know? And Magtok would suffer the double humiliation of having his purple dress painted pink if he doesn't do as we demand." That'll teach him. Send that cyborg and his new gold digging hussy running!
► SHOW SPOILER
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Unfashionably Early
Magtok sits quietly for a few moments, staring thoughtfully into the distance. It's hard to say if he's genuinely contemplating the merits of Reina's plan, or just trying to think of a polite and diplomatic way to tell her how terrible and stupid and useless it is.
"There's...a few reasons why that wouldn't work out well," he finally admits, hands folded in front of him. "It would be incredibly satisfying in the short term, sure, but ideally I'd want something that wouldn't inspire any petty or not-so-petty acts of payback later," he points out. He can't think of a good alternative to the paintball scheme himself right now, but that's mostly because all of his thoughts are filled with terrible violence, wherein one clone escalates, and then the other does the same, and someone ends up dead at the end. Not quite how we want this to play out, obviously, but it's the only outcome he can see, no matter how he approaches the problem in his head. Are MagClones just that petty and vindictive or is his own distaste for the other clone looking for an excuse to pull a trigger and be done with the other Magtok?
"And I haven't been to the MagCave myself in years, so I can't promise there isn't some sort of Terenti sensor that would get set off by your unauthorized presence, causing some long-forgotten death machine to emerge from its ancient slumber and go on the attack. We built a couple things like that back in the day," he reluctantly admits. "Nothing we couldn't handle if we went in prepared for that kind of fight, I'm sure, but if anything were to happen, I would feel really bad about ruining everything you had planned for this date and getting you shot by a rogue security drone." It's generally considered pretty rude and inappropriate to end your date with a high velocity gut shot. Plus, this is only their first time getting dinner together, so rushing into things and cradling her dying body in his arms on the very first night might be seen as a little premature. Like the tragedy equivalent of being that weirdo who proposes on the first date.
...oh shit, we should probably mention that killer robot concern in case Blanche ever visits to say hi to her mom.
Magtok sits quietly for a few moments, staring thoughtfully into the distance. It's hard to say if he's genuinely contemplating the merits of Reina's plan, or just trying to think of a polite and diplomatic way to tell her how terrible and stupid and useless it is.
"There's...a few reasons why that wouldn't work out well," he finally admits, hands folded in front of him. "It would be incredibly satisfying in the short term, sure, but ideally I'd want something that wouldn't inspire any petty or not-so-petty acts of payback later," he points out. He can't think of a good alternative to the paintball scheme himself right now, but that's mostly because all of his thoughts are filled with terrible violence, wherein one clone escalates, and then the other does the same, and someone ends up dead at the end. Not quite how we want this to play out, obviously, but it's the only outcome he can see, no matter how he approaches the problem in his head. Are MagClones just that petty and vindictive or is his own distaste for the other clone looking for an excuse to pull a trigger and be done with the other Magtok?
"And I haven't been to the MagCave myself in years, so I can't promise there isn't some sort of Terenti sensor that would get set off by your unauthorized presence, causing some long-forgotten death machine to emerge from its ancient slumber and go on the attack. We built a couple things like that back in the day," he reluctantly admits. "Nothing we couldn't handle if we went in prepared for that kind of fight, I'm sure, but if anything were to happen, I would feel really bad about ruining everything you had planned for this date and getting you shot by a rogue security drone." It's generally considered pretty rude and inappropriate to end your date with a high velocity gut shot. Plus, this is only their first time getting dinner together, so rushing into things and cradling her dying body in his arms on the very first night might be seen as a little premature. Like the tragedy equivalent of being that weirdo who proposes on the first date.
...oh shit, we should probably mention that killer robot concern in case Blanche ever visits to say hi to her mom.
"You probably found 'How to Survive a Robot Uprising' in the humor section. Let's just hope that is where it belongs."
-Daniel H. Wilson
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[Unfashionably Early]
"Incredibly satisfying is what we're going for isn't it?" Reina points out, not seemingly one to consider consequences. That's tomorrow Reina's problem right?
But apparently there are secret cat-based death machines around. Reina doubts they still work or they would have gone off that one time Magtok hosted a Spooktober or Thanksmas or whatever and Rein had to comfort him in the kitchen to keep Magtok from melting down entirely over something self-inflicted. Yet she's not particularly in the mood to fight tonight. Not in the way that requires her to actually be sober enough to aim anyways.
"Fiiiiiine," Reina relents, downing the last of her drink and trying to produce more, only to find an empty bottle. "But I'm horny, drunk, haven't had sex in six months, and have some angry feelings to work out on someone who looks exactly like you. So you'd better be taking me somewhere tonight," Reina insists, her foot somehow slipping free of her heels and finding itself running softly up Magtok's leg.
"Incredibly satisfying is what we're going for isn't it?" Reina points out, not seemingly one to consider consequences. That's tomorrow Reina's problem right?
But apparently there are secret cat-based death machines around. Reina doubts they still work or they would have gone off that one time Magtok hosted a Spooktober or Thanksmas or whatever and Rein had to comfort him in the kitchen to keep Magtok from melting down entirely over something self-inflicted. Yet she's not particularly in the mood to fight tonight. Not in the way that requires her to actually be sober enough to aim anyways.
"Fiiiiiine," Reina relents, downing the last of her drink and trying to produce more, only to find an empty bottle. "But I'm horny, drunk, haven't had sex in six months, and have some angry feelings to work out on someone who looks exactly like you. So you'd better be taking me somewhere tonight," Reina insists, her foot somehow slipping free of her heels and finding itself running softly up Magtok's leg.
► SHOW SPOILER
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Unfashionably Early
"There's a hotel not far from here," Mag points out, as he hurriedly reaches under the table and pulls out his gun wallet. Several bills and some assorted gold coins are dropped onto the table, slapped down on the surface as Magtok stands up from his seat and tries to ignore how red his face has become. It's roughly enough to pay for their drinks, with a little left over as a tip for the nameless, faceless server who brought the drinks over.
"Bought it for cheap in the aftermath of the AMEN attack on Riverside. Old owner offered me a discount if I let them manage the place and leave the name intact instead of calling it Hotel Magtok or the Godlark Suites or something like that," Reina's date shrugs, as he slips around to her side of the table.
"So I'm preemptively telling you now the name had nothing to do with me. I know how it sounds, and it's out of my hands," he insists, before reaching down to scoop Reina right out of her chair and carry her away from the table. Because letting her walk out on her own wobbly intoxicated legs would be a grave mistake, obviously. As would waiting for her, or dragging this date out any longer, giving her even more opportunities to flirt with and tease our cyborg.
"There's a hotel not far from here," Mag points out, as he hurriedly reaches under the table and pulls out his gun wallet. Several bills and some assorted gold coins are dropped onto the table, slapped down on the surface as Magtok stands up from his seat and tries to ignore how red his face has become. It's roughly enough to pay for their drinks, with a little left over as a tip for the nameless, faceless server who brought the drinks over.
"Bought it for cheap in the aftermath of the AMEN attack on Riverside. Old owner offered me a discount if I let them manage the place and leave the name intact instead of calling it Hotel Magtok or the Godlark Suites or something like that," Reina's date shrugs, as he slips around to her side of the table.
"So I'm preemptively telling you now the name had nothing to do with me. I know how it sounds, and it's out of my hands," he insists, before reaching down to scoop Reina right out of her chair and carry her away from the table. Because letting her walk out on her own wobbly intoxicated legs would be a grave mistake, obviously. As would waiting for her, or dragging this date out any longer, giving her even more opportunities to flirt with and tease our cyborg.
"You probably found 'How to Survive a Robot Uprising' in the humor section. Let's just hope that is where it belongs."
-Daniel H. Wilson
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
[Unfashionably Early]
"Uh-huh..." Reina says, sounding most suspicious of this tale! "Well now you've just leaving me curious." There's nothing that'll get a cat more riled up than curiosity. She wants to know! She needs to know!
"Though you certainly seem to have things well in hand," Reina says, smirking at him slightly and wrapping her hands around his neck, blushing more than a fair bit. S-she can walk just fine! This was nice too, though, but she'd be reluctant to admit it verbally. Instead, she just lets Magtok feel it as she leans her chest into his and presses her head into his shoulder, the tips of her ear tickling at his cheek. "Have you been working out or have I just always underestimated that mechanical arm?" There's not a lot to do in space, maybe Magtok tried a few push ups before deciding to never do them again.
"Uh-huh..." Reina says, sounding most suspicious of this tale! "Well now you've just leaving me curious." There's nothing that'll get a cat more riled up than curiosity. She wants to know! She needs to know!
"Though you certainly seem to have things well in hand," Reina says, smirking at him slightly and wrapping her hands around his neck, blushing more than a fair bit. S-she can walk just fine! This was nice too, though, but she'd be reluctant to admit it verbally. Instead, she just lets Magtok feel it as she leans her chest into his and presses her head into his shoulder, the tips of her ear tickling at his cheek. "Have you been working out or have I just always underestimated that mechanical arm?" There's not a lot to do in space, maybe Magtok tried a few push ups before deciding to never do them again.
► SHOW SPOILER
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Unfashionably Early
"It's a tragic consequence of setting all the Magbots free all those years ago. Now I have to do all my own physical labor, fight all of my own battles, carry my own catgirls. Why, just the other day, I actually had to pick up a heavy crate, carry it somewhere else, and then set it down with my own arms. I swear I could hear a dozen generations of fallen Magtoks spinning in their graves, their bones rattling in shame for how far we've fallen," he deadpans, struggling to maintain his calm and his sense of humor even as Reina does her best to make that impossible with her terrible, unforgivable insistence on being Reina. How thoughtless and rude of her, leaning into him like that when he's just trying his best to get out of here. They have to get to that hotel immediately, before her flirting goes too far and causes a scene that gets both of them banned from this establishment for life.
"And you'll see the name of the place when we get there," he answers. Actually, depending on which way he's facing and how quickly they get a room, maybe he'll get lucky and she won't even have a chance to look at the sign in front of the building before it's already too late. Here's hoping we make it all the way without incident.
"It's a tragic consequence of setting all the Magbots free all those years ago. Now I have to do all my own physical labor, fight all of my own battles, carry my own catgirls. Why, just the other day, I actually had to pick up a heavy crate, carry it somewhere else, and then set it down with my own arms. I swear I could hear a dozen generations of fallen Magtoks spinning in their graves, their bones rattling in shame for how far we've fallen," he deadpans, struggling to maintain his calm and his sense of humor even as Reina does her best to make that impossible with her terrible, unforgivable insistence on being Reina. How thoughtless and rude of her, leaning into him like that when he's just trying his best to get out of here. They have to get to that hotel immediately, before her flirting goes too far and causes a scene that gets both of them banned from this establishment for life.
"And you'll see the name of the place when we get there," he answers. Actually, depending on which way he's facing and how quickly they get a room, maybe he'll get lucky and she won't even have a chance to look at the sign in front of the building before it's already too late. Here's hoping we make it all the way without incident.
"You probably found 'How to Survive a Robot Uprising' in the humor section. Let's just hope that is where it belongs."
-Daniel H. Wilson
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
The bar is a bit less crowded on this particular night, though there are still people here. At the bar currently is a large brown-furred minotaur in slacks, squinting at a drink menu. He doesn't notice the 'human' man come in, as he's currently fishing in his pockets for a pair of glasses he awkwardly puts onto his nose and continues to read.Morty wrote: ↑Sep 24, 2022 8:15 pm
One is a towering giant of a man, with dark grey hair, streaked with silver. He has a long beard, tied into a neat braid. His shoulders are draped with a dark green cloak, held by a silver clasp in the shape of a moose's antlers. He strides into the establishment with confidence and presence. This definitely looks like his kind of place.
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
The man strides up to the bar and also closely scrutinizes the drink menu, stroking his beard. He can see it well, but it gives him pause for different reasons.
"I do not believe I'm familiar with... most of it," he remarks.
"I do not believe I'm familiar with... most of it," he remarks.
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
”Where I’m from, you get a choice between the ale and the wine. Maybe the mead if you’re in the right place.” the minotaur agrees.
”But a place like this, you get something nice. Even if you don’t know what it is.
…maybe too nice. I’m starting to feel underdressed.” he admits.
”But a place like this, you get something nice. Even if you don’t know what it is.
…maybe too nice. I’m starting to feel underdressed.” he admits.
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
"Ah. yes, mead. The drink of choice where I was born. My people were fond of quaffing it. It's like drinking, but you spill more," the bearded man jokes. "I am here to learn, however. And that can include drinks. Would you have a recommendation?" He looks over to Krayger. "I wouldn't worry about your dress, though. While formal, this place has an... ambience of sorts."
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
"Many are surprised at how careful my people are about spilling their drinks. But really it's just because cleaning your entire coat when it's sticky is a pain." Krayger chuckles.
"In my experience, the best thing to do here is to ask the other horned gentleman behind the counter what to get and listen to him."
"In my experience, the best thing to do here is to ask the other horned gentleman behind the counter what to get and listen to him."
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
"I have known a number of furred folk who felt the same." Askeladd nods. At Asterios' suggestion, he takes a Manhattan cocktail. There's another... bull-beastfolk? But these don't seem to be human at all, unlike the beastfolk he knew in Creation. "But don't let me be rude. My name is Askeladd. A newcomer in these parts."
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Krayger eventually settles on something tall, cloudy, and bubbly.
"My name is Krayger. I...have been here quite a while. Do you need any help? I used to do the impromptu tours in Trog's from time to time. But you're not staring so I imagine not too new, eh?"
"My name is Krayger. I...have been here quite a while. Do you need any help? I used to do the impromptu tours in Trog's from time to time. But you're not staring so I imagine not too new, eh?"
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
"I appreciate the offer, but I have found my bearings here." Askeladd smiles under his beard. "I have been exploring social establishments and this one is simply next on the list. A curious place. Refined, but with an... atmosphere to it. I've heard that magicians of all stripes gather here."
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Krayger chuckles. "Yeah, I suppose they...." he trails off pausing before he reaches into the back of his belt to pull out a sturdy looking carved wand.
"You know I keep forgetting that I count nowadays. If you can believe that."
"You know I keep forgetting that I count nowadays. If you can believe that."
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
Askeladd quirks an eyebrow.
"Indeed? Are you a practitioner of the arts? My own knowledge of it is more theoretical."
"Indeed? Are you a practitioner of the arts? My own knowledge of it is more theoretical."
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
"I am an apprentice to a mage of some talent who mostly specializes in magical craftsmanship. More than that, I am sworn to secrecy. It helps with job security. Once you hit 50 people aren't as likely to pick you first for jobs that involve swinging an axe around." Krayger explains. He knows very few actual spells that you just cast willy-nilly.
Re: Bloodsong's Oasis - Jazz Club and Speakeasy
"Far be it from me to make someone divulge his master's occult secrets." Askeladd is half-joking the he definitely wouldn't do that. "Are you a soldier, then? Or guard or mercenary?"