Summary:Dazzler performs at a local music bar called 'The Machine Shop', and Rose looks to get everyone drunk. Good times had by all. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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'The Machine Shop' was a mildly unknown bar that was very popular with the underground crowd - it was one of those 'cool places to go' because the rich crowd didn't go there or care about it because it didn't live up to their standards and the frat crowd had better places to be.
Known mostly for it's catering to the hard rock and the metal bands that were up and coming, every once in awhile a really good r&b or pop artist would slide through the cracks.
Their food was decent, drinks weren't expensive and fairly good.
It's for another reason, entirely, that Rose Wilson is here though. She doesn't stand ou in the crowd. Sure, she might be the only natural platinum blonde in the crowd, and certainly is the only girl with an eyepatch. But her attire - dressed for the occasion in a half-shirt of electric-blue with a skull and cross bones across the chest, a pair of black skinny-jeans, and matching black boots were quite normal here despite how much they showed of her curves. MOst people who came here came because they were either on a date, or looking for one.
She's heel-tapping to the music while sipping a giant mojito glass that was designed for a table-party to share, not one person. And probably cost a good $50 or more to boot. She's scanning the room, a half-slash of a grin across her features.
Kai used to know what was hip, and there was a time he could get into any club in New York. It's a point of pride now to get his mojo back, and this place is cool, so here he is. He's in black jeans, low-heeled boots, and his black t-shirt is for the band Baby Metal. Yeah, he went there.
His clothing blends in, more or less, but he still stands out. His golden curls are a little clean cut for the metal crowd, and he has no visible tattoos or piercings. There's just something light and wholesome about him, at least at a glance.
He's got his eyes on the stage and a beer in his hand, actually here more for the music than the meat market.
Alison is on stage; though that is a very flattering term for the small wooden area that is a foot higher than the rest of the room. She knows what the crowd want and she's doing her best to deliver. That means that her songs have been given a hard rock, even metal, twist for the night. She can sing anything, and sing it well.
Up on the stage with her is a guitarist, who Alison barely knows, and a very cramped drummer. The rest of the music booms out from a laptop but the voice is definitely all live. Alison, or Dazzler as she is known on stage, is putting her all into it. She's not one to stand still as she commands the stage - though there is also not much room to get a full dance routine going. And there's even a fancy light show as she sings - how could they afford that. Colorful lights and shapes exploding around her to match the rhythms or the lyrics. The singer dressed in boots, torn fishnet stockings, short denim shorts, and a frayed t-shirt that reads 'Don't Make Me Use My Opera Voice'.
Spotting Kai, Rose sees that he is alone, and decides to take tonight however far she can push it. Older guys always want the younger girls, right? Perhaps not always true, but her personal experience of both observation and her own interactions had long ago confirmed that information was more true thatn not.r
So, giant mojito mug in hand, as her body moves to the rhythm of the music belted out by guitar, drummer, laptop, and more than capable singer, she makes her way over to Koa, and sets herself against him, invading his personal space on personal level.
Her singular bright blue looks at him, and she gives him a rather lopsided sort of suggestive smile, "Good music, yeah?" She calls over the throb and pull of the soundboard.
She then offers him a drink on one of the other straws she'd not bothered to take out from the overly large, half-drunk mojito. "Want some?"
Kai watches Dazzler dazzle, and he's tapping his foot, moving with the music. He's got a quick eye, though, and when Rose makes her way over, he glances her way with a warm smile. "Hey," he calls over the music. The personal space is free for the occupying. After all, how else can one be heard in a club like this? "She's amazing. I can't believe I'm just discovering her."
He glances at the massive mojito. "What is it?" he asks. Alas, though open and friendly, he doesn't seem to be radiating any older man sleaze. In fact, up close, he looks rather young. Young enough to be carded, certainly. "I'm Kai, by the way," he says, and he offers his hand to Rose.
A loud crash of guitars and drums, along with a bright flash of light, and the set is over. Dazzler, glowing with perspiration, takes a bow before gesturing to her bandmates to make sure they're not excluded from the cheering and applause. "Thanks for listening" she grins. "We'll be back later. If you're lucky." A wink to the crowd before she is heading for the bar.
"Beer!" Alison calls out happily to the barman. He shakes his head. He knows how old she is. "Fine. Coke then." When she turns twenty-one, she is going to drink sooooo much. Armed with a Coke…and just a Coke…she leans against the bar andscans the crowd as the non-live music takes up the slack.
"Mojito. Try some," Rose invites Kai, in friendly manner.
She watches the crescendo of the music, and doesn't applaud. But, well, she -does- have a huge drink in her hand and presently nowhere to set it, so perhaps she can be excused.
Agreeably, though, Rose concurs, "She's got talent, to be sure," her voice now not quite shouting, and in more normal tones after the cheers, wild whistles, cat-calls, and such all begin to die down.
Briefly, ROse looks over to study Alison, her grin returning. "Seems the little shining star isen't old enough to buy. We should get her some drinks," she offers to Kai, casually attempting to pull him into a misdemeanor as if it were nothing.
"Don't you think?"
Kai calls out by way of applause, since his hand is occupied with a beer. Then he watches her make her way to the barman, and he waves, because he just has no shyness in him. Not even a little.
Then he looks back to Rose, and the mojito, and he says, "Sure." He also has no common sense, though it's not usually men that have to worry about getting roofied. He takes the drink and has a good, healthy swallow of it. He pauses, then nods and says, "I like this." He's got an English accent.
When Rose suggests getting the underaged singer a drink, he grins. "I'll finish this beer, then get a rum and coke. You get her over here and we'll do a little switcheroo."
Alison is happy to wave at anyone who waves at her - Kai included. She's not successful enough to ignore fans. Besides, what if he works for one of those monolithic records companies that are no longer relevant? They do still have cash though. She always waves to the interesting woman with him. You see a lot of unique individuals in a heavy metal bar, but an eye-patch wearing, platinum blonde is a new one.
Dazzler takes a mouthful of her boring drink before resuming her crowd-watch. Though she does find herself drawn back to the glamorous pair again and again. They certainly have the lightest hair in the place. She might even try a demure smile. Alison doesn't do demure well.
Rose takes Kai's arm, and leads him over to a table that just opened up, one of those 'stand or sit' tables with the higher chairs, and sets the mojito down. "Be right back," she promises him, patting his arm.
Then, with absolute confidence she strolls right up to Alison, deftly moving through the crowd of departing and shifting people. One person clearly approaching Alison suddenly says, "Ow!" even as he half-stumbles into another guy casually talking to his girlfriend and whips up to look around for someone trying to start a fight while nursing his wrist.
Rose isn't distracted by the injured fellow. Instead, she taps Alison on the shoulder, and whispers in her ear, "Why don't you come meet my friend, and I? We're right over there." She points at Kai. "We've got a little - drink-switching planned for you, yeah? Maybe get you what that rude bartender should've gotten you in the first place. I'm Rose. Come find me."
And then Rose is walking away, less she linger too long, though she does pause, look behind herself with her one good eye as if to further entice Alison over - while it could be, perhaps, mistaken for flirting, that's not Rose's intention. She's just interested in getting Alison wasted. She's a friend, like that.
Kai goes where he's led without complaint. He's pretty easygoing, all things considered. He sets his beer down, and he winces a little as one guy stumbles into the other. Not much he can do about a hurt wrist, alas, so he just looks fretful.
His attention shifts quickly back to Rose as she approaches. "I'm going to go get that drink," he tells her, and he leaves his beer unguarded to approach the bar. He already has his ID out. Even with the beard, he's got a baby face. It's a fake ID, of course. No one would believe he's almost four hundred years old. They will accept he's twenty-three, barely, and he gets the rum and coke after brief scrutiny.
Alison looks a bit concerned about the injury to a fan though she is soon distracted by whispering in her ear. Not what she was expecting to hear but it sounds good to her. A nod to Rose's words, though she will wait a few moments before setting off to the rendezvous. Definitely avoiding looking at anyone buying her a drink; totally casual.
Eventually, after signing a couple of napkins and one breast, Alison finds her way to her dastardly acquaintances. She places her Coke on the table. "I'm Alison" she greets the pair happily. "Thanks for coming out."
"I heard there was going to be a good act," muses Rose, "And the Machine Shop is a wonderful place to watch pretty boys." the young woman gives a smile, and a nod towards Kai's direction as he is picking up the rum and coke, for with which they will be playing switch-a-roonie with Alison's drink.
"You been playing long?" She inquires, curiously.
Kai returns to the table with the rum and coke. With a bit of selight of hand that cannot belong to someone innocent, he switches the drinks out smoothly. He doesn't miss a beat. For Alison, her rum and coke. "Hello," he says amiably. "I'm Kai. You're very talented."
To Rose, he says, "I think that guy sprained his wrist." Yeah, he's still fretting about the guy who got shoved. Do-gooder.
"Ah, you like to keep an eye on what's available" Alison giggles to Rose…before realising that may not be the thing to say to a person in an eye patch. "Oh…sorry…didn't mean it that way." Quick. Change subject. "I've been singing since I was a kid" says…the kid. "I love it, what can I say."
That nonchalant swapping of glasses is totally not noticed. Totally. So when Alison enjoys another sip, she id quite thrilled by the taste. "Mmm…nice. Thank you, Kai. You have taste" she grins.
"That 'poor boy'," offers Rose, casually to Kai, "Tried to cop a feel. He's lucky I'm in a good mood." She doesn't seem sorry for him in the least.
She reclaims her mojito, and takes a healthy sort of sip from it, commenting, "It shows," to Alison.
There's a brief chuckle, "Besides, Alison. I keep my eye on a lot of things. It's the only one I have." Showing she has a sense of humor about it. At least, in public. She glances aside to Kai, "And what does a very pretty man like you do? Mmm? Inquiring minds want to know."
Kai looks at Rose aghast. "What a cad," he says. Maybe with the English accent, he can get away with using the term 'cad' unironically. "I don't feel so bad for him now." He takes up the undoctored coke, taking one for the team. With a smile at Alison, he says, "I figured you might like something refreshing after your set. I don't know how you do it. I'm strictly karaoke, myself, though I will do it sober."
"Hey, all I'm doing is karaoke…just with my own songs and lyrics. Sometimes at least." At Alison's stage in her career, there are a lot of covers still in her sets; but they get people llistening. She lifts up her alcoholic drink supplied by the pair of miscreants with her at the sit-or-stand table. "Very refreshing. It's tough looking so young. No one believes I'm over twenty-one." One of life's curses.
Alison has just finished a set and recorded music now plays through the speakers of the crowded, heavy metal leaning bar known as 'The Machine Shop'. "He grabbed your ass?" she gasps at Rose's explanation of how the man got injured. "Not cool." Thankfully, Rose wasn't insulted by her 'one eye' gaff…she seems more intersted in flirting with Kai.
"Happens all the time," Rose ventures to Kai, wryly. "People can be jerks." She doesn't seem all that traumatized by it, and had really written off the encounter entirely. "Let me guess, you haven't been in a club in a little while?"
She looks askance again to Alison, "What. Never had your ass grabbed before? I'm surprised." She sounds earnest. "It's amusing to watch people in a crowd. When they think they can get away with something they'll do things they'd never, ever do, in public otherwise. They'll even do things they'll tell themselves they'd never do, until the situation or - opportunity presents itself." She shrugs, indifferently.
"But, Alison, I'd suggest you taking some self-defense classes if you haven't already. Especially if you keep going on the trek to get famous."
You should get a fake ID," Kai says. "I have one." He then tells Rose, "I go out quite a bit, but it still bothers me when it happens. I'm a jerk magnet, can't help it. And I know it's sexist, but it bugs me more when it happens to women. I've just learned to tune it out when anyone grabs me."
He nods then to Rose's words and tells Allison, "Self-defense is good to know. Just remember, when you're defending yourself, you're not trying to look cool. You want to put them down like Old Yeller."
It wasn't too strange to find Sunny walking into a bar, even one with this sort of theme. Today, she'd managed to step away from her classic (albeit rather old-west) look, a black leather skirt, a matching half-jacket and a bright yellow spaggetti tank that was clearly meant to match the intense blonde locks of her hair. And, of course, those knee-length boots. It might be pure chance that had her walking in here, or a little birdy telling her of a particular songstress on stage.
Of course, by the time she got through the door? It seemed she was running a little late.
"Sure I've had my ass grabbed" Alison shrugs, "YOu don't think these tights tore themselves. Kidding. Yeah, it's not a nice thing to happen. Maybe I should learn to defend myself? About the only thing I can do at the moment is skate away real quick." Another sip of her drink. "I like this, thanks." A nod to Kai. "Oh, I have a fake ID. Trouble is, when I work in places like this I have to give them my social security number for employment and insurance purposes, and they pretty much figure out how old I am." A pause. "Or it's a really shit I.D. I'm starting to think it is the latter. Where'd you get yours from, Kai?" Alison spots the blonde in the boots, smiling a little more before waving at Sunny. "Hey! Over here! Get yourself a drink and join us."
"Just say you drink some hoighty-toity prima-donna bottled water that the bar doesn't carry only, and then bring the bottles with you and fill them with vodka," half-jokes Rose to Alison.
She nods to Kai's words, reassessing him casually, "Sound like you know what you're talking about," she says with a half-grin. She seems to approve of his methodology. Adds, "But it's not a bad side-effect to look good."
A chin-lift is offered to Sunny when the girl approaches at Alison's invite. "Hey." The one-eyed platinum girl regards the old-west dressed femme with a thoughtful glance, but Rose is in a pretty decent mood. Might be because she's sucking on one of those legendary 4-person mojitos, and seems to be going at it solo.
"I know a guy who knows a guy," Kai tells Alison. "I'll put out feelers, see if he's still in business. I think his son does them now, or grandson. It's been ages, gosh." He takes a drink of the coke and shakes his golden head.
He grins at Rose. "Like I said, I'm a jerk magnet. I guarantee you if there's a creep in this audience tonight, he'll be on me by the time the doors close. It's gotten to where my kneejerk reaction to Axe body spray is to just start swinging."
He greets Sunny's approach with an amiable, "Hi, I'm Kai." He pushes away from the table though and says, "I'll be right back." He's off to the loo. Even eternally young elves have to go when they have to go.
Summoned by the call of Alison, there's a falter for a moment before she grins and draws over to the table. "Looks like I missed out huh?" she questions, making to take a seat for herself as Kai makes his greeting and fleeing. "Oh uh, Sunny. Hi and…bye?" she greets, the last word more like a question before she shrugs her shoulders and turns back to look at Dazzler and then Rose in turn. "What's going on?"
"But where would I get the vodka from to put in the water bottles?" Alison asks Rose. It's a good idea, she just wants more detail. "You have guys hassling you too, Kai? Sheesh, men, huh. Can't live with them, pass the peanuts." Alison prepares to do the introductions, thought most are self-done by the time she opens her mouth. "The lovely woman bathing in mojito is Rose" she smiles to Sunny before a wave to Kai as he exits. "You only missed the first set" she winks to Sunny before looking back to Rose. "Sunny let me crash at her place a few nights back. Great hostess. What's going on is that I just finished an awesome set that got me a free drink and some new friends. Glad you could make it, Sunny."
"You'd buy it beforehand," Rose counters back to Alison, sounding a bit dry and snarky, but in more or less a good natured way. She rolls her eye and clarifies to Alison, "People. Not just men. People."
"So, Jerk Magnet. You do anything else for fun, when you aren't clubbing?"
Then, to Sunny after another big mojito sip, Rose tells Sunny, "So, you a fan of hers, then?" A head bob to indicate Alison. "Sounds like she could use someone to help smuggler her some booze."
From the direction of the restrooms, there's a loud 'Ow! What the fuck!' that can be heard just slightly over the music. Kai emerges, looking unperturbed, and he's dusting off his hands on his jeans. "Ugh," he says. "Axe."
He takes up his coke again as a sleazy looking guy in black leather stumbles into the main room clutching his bloody nose. He keeps going, out into the street, and Kai doesn't even glance his way. Instead, he tells Rose, "I actually like to go to bookstores. I read when I'm not feeling like going out. I've thought about enrolling at university, but I'm afraid I'd get bored."
A fan? "Suppose I am," Sunny grins, giving a little shrug and a tilt of her head. In a way her own ID was fake, but for reasons moreso than simply concealing her age. Tilting her head to the side she glances towards the singer in question before giving a laugh. "I suppose it helps me to convince her to come have a drink at my place?" There's a wink, then she glances to Kai as he comes walking back. "Somethin' to be said for reading a book. Getting your hands on something real and all that…"
"Oh…yeah…of course." Alison is feeling a bit stupid over the vodka pre-buy. "That way my ID would definitely work. And, yes, people, not just men." Speaking of, it seems that Kai was right. About being a jerk magnet AND Axe. Alison has to giggle as the man with the broken nose feels. "Hey man, nice shot" she smiles to Kai. "What course would you study?" A smile for Sunny. "Are you offering me a place to stay again, Sunny? I won't say no. That's a nice hotel you're staying at. Oh, and I think I left something behind. We can talk later. Books? Old school. Nice. And of coure you're a fan, you have taste." She leans over towards Rose. "Check out those boots. Aren't they to die for?"
"Books?" Rose shakes her head, "And you looked so interesting, too, Jerk Magnet. Here I was thinking after her second set, we could have some real fun. A motorcycle ride. Some skinny dipping. Who knows?" She tuts, "But you'd rather read books," she tsks at Kai.
She looks down at her boots, "I do love my clubbing boots," she admits, pleased. "Girl has to look good when she goes out. But, you both seem to already know that."
Kai takes a moment to take out his phone and snap a silly selfie, and he's polite about not angling for anyone else to be in it without asking. That's just rude. "Sorry," he says, "I'm thinking about my new roommate, and I just remembered I didn't tell him where I was going." He fires off a couple texts. "I'm not sure what I'd study. Maybe a science. Studying history would just be cheating."
He glances upat Rose and grins. "I'd do those, too," he says. "I'm just trying to avoid getting arrested. I don't want to get deported. I'm supposed to be doing diplomatic things."
A shrug, perhaps a slight flush of Sunny's cheeks, but it's very quickly disguised by her hair as she turns her head to face the bar. There was a slight tsk, as if the effort required to walk herself over there was less appealing than the drink. "Sure, you're welcome to. I think I found th-…yeah, that sounds good." Clearing her throat, she looks back towards Rose and her suggestions, giving a little grin. "I thought I saw another bike out there. Guess taste is in good supply in here." At the mention of skinny dipping? Well, her gaze flicks towards Kai and she shrugs. "Girl's got a point. Some things do beat books, diplomacy be damned."
"Are you just talking about you and Kai" Alison asks Rose in reference to skinny dipping and motorcycle rides. "Sunny has a motorcycle." A grin at being told she knows how to look good. And then even a little spin. "I have my own style. I like to call it 'Dazzle Chic'…because I have no ego. Mostly throwing together whatever I can. It seems to work. Would love thigh highs though."
Alison is used to selfies but is quite surprised to find that Kai's didn't include her. What's all that about? "Your friend doesn't like to rock and or roll? Let them read the books. You should come out and dip your skinny. I can tell that Rose is really excited about the idea." A mischievous wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Cops are too busy looking for Batman and finding kidnapped children to arrest a couple people skinny dipping. Especially if they do it on privat property," suggests Rose further, casually. The fact that said owner of said private property was only a few hours ago beaten to an inch of his life by her person and turned over to the cops. Apparently he had mafia ties and found out that Ravager was one of the ones who had severely hurt his monetary income and had put a hit out on her.
"I know a place," Rose instead suggests as if she had connections, rather than it would be completely illegal.
She looks over to Alison and Sunny, shrugging, "Come along if you want. Bring a friend. More the merrier. There's a wet bar too."
"Oh, he likes to rock and roll," Kai tells Alison. "I met him at karaoke the other day and he asked me to move in, so I did. He's great. I told him if I get arrested tonight, he's my one phone call."
He finishes off the coke while he thinks about the skinny dipping situation. Then he fires off another text. "I don't want him to wait up all night. Unlike me, he actually works for a living."
"You've already got someone to bail you out then?" Sunny offers in suggestion before shrugging her shoulders at Kai's suggestion. "You could invite -him- out too, if you wanted…and he wanted," she trails off with a shrug. A regular workday wasn't really a thing for the blonde woman, so she couldn't -quite- sympathize with needing an early night.
"If we're skinny dipping, the bar would get wet pretty quick no matter where it is" Alison giggles. That one drink has really loosened her up…along with the adrenalin pumping through her veins from the performance. Her brow furrows and she holds up a finger towards Kai. "Wait. Sorry. You met a person at karaoke and moved in with them straight away? Wow…kudos, Jerk Magnet. And he's already worried about when you're coming home." She frowns at Rose. "I think he might be taken."
Alison quickly downs the rest of her drink. "Skinny dipping is a go! No argument. Now, let me just kick this place a new one again, and I'll be ready to go. Wish me luck" she grins before a quick kiss to Sunny's cheek and back to the stage.