wait a minute little back porch lady

[gwynn]

Who: Megan and yooouuuuu
What: Still spiraling into a pit of self-destructiveness, but with less horrible traumatized feels, Megan could use some distractions.
Where: Specifically mentioned are Griss Twist and Howl Barrow, but anywhere is fine.
When: Ruudary 27-29th
Notes: If you need a specific prompt and don't have ideas PUNCH ME OVER PM we can plot things...
Warnings: Drinking, drug use, will add as needed.

Megan's drinking a lot more than she usually does, but from the outside, to people who don't know, it looks like she's just partying harder than normal. Then again, who's to say that's normal -- she hasn't actually been here that long, maybe she was just settling in before now. Who knows. People do notice that she seems a little off-balance, but Megan has always struck most people as being one of those girls -- high drama. When she's up, she's up, and when she's down...

She goes back to work, though, finally, and gets reamed out for not calling out when she was "sick," but she's not fired, it's not that huge a deal -- they found someone to take her slots for her stage shows and her absence on the floor was noted, but her regulars are happy to see her back. It's much easier to plaster her smile on at work, and to be fair, she really does have a good time, usually. She likes her coworkers and she's acquired a number of regulars who are actually really nice to her, even if a few of them are obnoxiously fetishy about her. Well, that can't be avoided. Megan's stage shows -- intricate, flying pole dance, burlesque routines ending in dusting her audience -- are interspersed with periods of her out on the floor, hustling for private dances, just like Camelot back home -- but better, because people here have money. The Vault is not actually a strip club, which works to her advantage because she can make her private shows whatever she wants them to be; there aren't really a lot of rules.

When she's not at work, she's at clubs or bars -- the former more often because she likes to dance, but sometimes she goes to bars to get drunk and flirt with boys in a less noisy atmosphere. She especially likes anywhere that offers karaoke -- she doesn't like to sing but she does like to goad boys into doing so, plying them with beers and vague promises or else facetiously threatening bodily harm, and then laughing as they stumble through the lyrics of unfamiliar songs, embarrassed, but that's the real point of karaoke -- getting drunk and making a fool of yourself. If everyone's laughing at everyone else, she doesn't have to feel like they're laughing at her.

Although she stays close to home -- in Howl Barrow she can be found at local stores, cafes sometimes, always standing out with her wings and hair -- she does venture out to the rest of the city. She does not feel safe here, but she didn't feel safe in New York, either, and it's still true that she doesn't risk being assaulted every time she goes anywhere in Baedal. Just if she gets on the wrong side of the police, which she is, despite her lifestyle, doing her damnedest not to.

She has never felt so alone amongst so many other people.

Comments

on a bridge, ruudary the 28th

[magnetic]

Since his appointment as deputy sheriff, it isn't often that Erik can be found outside of Mafaton anymore. Not by chance, anyway. He has not barricaded himself inside the canton (although on some days he considers it), but spends the majority of his time on patrol, and the rest of it sleeping or otherwise making himself unavailable to the public. Sometimes, though, he takes a walk—just Erik, alone, his dark wool coat down to his thighs, scarf under his chin, looking solemn under his cap. Sometimes, he may even chance upon someone he recognizes. Usually he avoids them.

Today, however, when he spies a head of bright pink hair crossing the bridge between Brock Marsh and Griss Twist, he decides to follow it. It's not that he's being furtive about it, he only waits until he's seen her face before approaching her—being accosted by strange, serious men has a tendency to surprise some people, after all, and Erik is not out to menace anyone needlessly.
(Today.)

"Megan, is it?" He's not right behind her, or anything, but approaching from something of a distance.

[gwynn]

Megan should do more teleporting, especially since it's cold as hell and she apparently has an aversion to proper pants, but walking gives her more time to think. Not that this is necessarily a good thing, but usually it's quite calming and the opportunity to build herself up before going (or after coming home from) work is helpful. So she's doing a lot of walking, lately -- walking alone. (She was totally not crying, she is way super in control of herself, and anyway if she was it's not like anyone could prove it; her eyes are so dark, there's none of that telltale redness.)

When someone says her name she starts but it's a mild reaction; she's used to being recognised, especially from people she doesn't know. Or doesn't remember knowing, either one. She pauses mid-step, which looks extra precarious given that she's in six-inch heels, and half-turns. She doesn't recognise the man and her first thought is he's probably someone she met at work and if so, she's in a shitload of trouble if she can't remember his name. Guys tend to get annoyed when they figure out they're not actually as special as you lead them on to believe. She decides to play it casual but friendly, something she's good at; it fits on her like a second skin. "Yeah, hi!" she says with one of her broad, toothy smiles. "What's up?"

On second thought, she's pretty sure he's not from the Vault. Huh.

[magnetic]

He sure isn't; Erik has never been to the Vault. (Yet.) (Look, we all know the power of Hasibe's tractor beam, let's not even pretend.)

"Just out for a walk," he says, and it is a genuinely relaxed answer—none of that try-hard nonchalance that some people insist on attempting. This pause here may counteract it, though, as he doesn't bother to hide the down-up flick of his eyes. "I recognized you from the network. Your hair." The indicative hand gesture is not strictly necessary, no. She knows where her hair is. He's a bit of a hand-talker, is all. "You tried to invite me to a party, if I recall correctly."

[gwynn]

"Oh, yeah, right -- you're the..." Wait for it. "...guy." Aw, she censored herself.

(It's okay, the worst she was going to say is 'grumpy'.)

Well, that means she doesn't have to worry too much about her behaviour -- which she does, normally, yes, she definitely acts differently around people she wants something from as opposed to everything else. "Erik? Right?" John mentioned his name, at one point, but that she remembers is something just short of miraculous.

sorry for the ridiculous delay :T

[magnetic]

The guy she has correctly named Erik huffs once, in just the way that qualifies it as a chuckle, as he smiles (and that, too, is slight). "Yes, that's right. I'm a friend of Ilde's." This is sort of an uncharacteristic way to define himself, but he's done it for a reason.

"Where are you headed?" Trust that whatever her answer, it will likely be convenient enough for him to see her on her way, if she'll allow it.