OPEN :: A golden bird was singing

[baedalites]

Who: Everyone!
What: St Kelley's evening
Where: The Apache and surrounding environs.
When: Veerdi evening.
Notes:
(1) The topic threads are just suggestions; if you've got somewhere else that your characters simply must be, make your own thread.
(2) All mementos will appear overnight in some part of your character's apartment.
(3) Dance!

St Kelley's is one of the more sedate occasions in Baedal, at least as holidays go. It passes more or less unnoticed by the majority of the population as many of them feel it doesn't concern them. It's not their holiday; it's for the others. Those with severed ties and broken hearts. The temple and church preach that it's a time for reflection or for glorifying the generosity of the gods. It's one of the few days on which no one looks askance at first generation Citizens mourning their missing loved ones publicly.

As night rolls around and floating lanterns are set to sea, the Apache in Mog Hill prepares to accept guests from the newer cohorts. It's something that happens every year, making it a practical tradition. The alcohol will be cheaper for first timers, and the music will be kept at a reasonable level.

Comments

Bar area:

[baedalites]

To combat the cold as well as the pain of social endeavours, drinks can be obtained at happy hour prices. Beers in pitchers, whiskey in heavy crystal glasses, shots of some concentrated liquor that burns on the way down but is not, apparently, called tequila. The sound of the jukebox is heard over noisy conversation, and people camp at bar-edge for access.

[boomvox]

As much as he loves clubbing, low-key gatherings are, believe it or not, Jae's favorite way to play. So he's very pleased to be at the Apache, despite being a bit out of place aesthetically. He's got a couple shots in him already and is pleasantly up to beer, mellow, chatting with anyone who's interested and generally enjoying himself. He moves in between the bar and the lounge area as needed, though at this very moment in time, he's back at the bar.

[controlledvariable]

Steph had spent a fair bit of time considering whether or not to go to the Apache after sending her boat out, but eventually she figured that she'd probably need some company instead of spending the night alone and sad in her house.

Spotting Jae in a crowd isn't tricky, but Steph is pleased to see him and heads over to him when he's gone to the bar, so she doesn't interrupt a conversation.

"Hey, you."

[boomvox]

Steph! Jae breaks out into a grin.

"Hey, shorty." Would she like a side hug? He raises his hand at the bar tender to indicate 'whatever the lady would like' in the universal language of people who drink too much. "Not bad for a boat thing holiday, right?"

[charismatic]

Since Will is behaving like a normal person today and not creeping around in an alley way in Flyside, it's kind of nice to see familiar faces in amongst all the strangers. At the moment, Jae is decidedly the most familiar, which is probably a good way to start off the night. He still hasn't decided what to do, so he can just set it aside for now and try to enjoy himself.

“Hey there,” he says, dropping down next to Jae at the bar. “This seems familiar.” Less loud music and drunk people than usual, but that suits Will fine.

[boomvox]

"Hey you. Happy whatever." Because he totally doesn't care, caring is for other people, who have no emotional attachments and Jae is way too cool for that!! (Ignore the fact that he sent a boat out.) "How's the dance business?"

[fish]

Being out-of-place just makes Jae easier to locate. Witness the evidence of this as some black-haired guy with a sharp nose squeezes between the backs of two bigger guys, trying not to spill his drink during this apparent mission to intercept him.

"Jae? Dude, what the hell, you're so tall!" Hi.

[boomvox]

"Mister F!" He pities the fool! "What do- woah, somebody put you in the drier."

.. Hello, Fish.

[gwynn]

"Jeez, they just let anybody in here, don't they."

Megan is among the many people feeling pretty subdued tonight -- when they said memento from home, she was hoping for maybe something from one of her friends or her dad, not her mum, with whom she's always had a more troubled relationship, and it's dimmed her mood a little bit. But then she vanished to the bathroom and emerged up again, so...

Her hand hovers vaguely over Jae's hair, menacing him with ruffling it. (She would never, it's an idle threat.) This necessitates her hovering with her wings, she's slightly less than a foot shorter than him.

[boomvox]

"To be fair, I bribed the door guy." He's smiling, because it's good to see Megan out, subdued or not - blackout partying, in his opinion, doesn't count. Not that he's going to say so.

He looks up at her hand, faux-terrified. "That's cruel and unusual."

[yeouiju]

Currently, Sunny is trapped.

It's what happens when you're a nice person generally, but also when you're genuinely invested in the happenings of strangers... which doesn't mean you can't be recognisably cornered into conversation. He is sitting in the lounge area, balancing a beer on his knees, and listening with empathy to some guy who bought everyone a drink, including Sunny's, talk about how he wishes his job in public service hadn't torn him away from his teenage daughter like it has, and now that he's in Baedal, can't do anything about his loss.

Actually, it's moved beyond that, and he's in detail bitching about his former manager, which is getting increasingly uncomfortable. Sunny slooowly sips his beer and wishes he liked beer more, and glances around the room, finally spying Jae and his distinctive self.

Sunny immediately lights up in enthusiasm at seeing a face he recognises, raising a hand in a wave that goes ignored by his conversational partner.

[gifted_hands]

Tadhg is no longer at the bar, per se. He drifts in the direction of the jukebox after collecting a large, hot mug of something the bartender referred to as a Nose Warmer. Even his nose can't pick out all the various liquors that went into the coffee, but it should live up to its name nicely enough, he thinks.

He offers the odd greeting and excuse me to those he passes, but his mind is still on the little boat he set adrift earlier, draped with a delicate heart-shaped charm braided of grass stems. Fetching up against a pillar next to the jukebox, he raises his mug to no one in the room. "Bail ort," he murmurs. Blessings upon you.

[boomvox]

Jae doesn't recognize Tadhg personally, but he must be on their cohort; most of the room is. After several more mugs of beer and an equal many instances of watching this guy toast no one, he sidles over, briefly touching the other man's shoulder.

"Dude."

He is both friendly and concerned. Are you sadly sitting in a corner bestowing blessings on an empty space? Don't be that guy. "Are you okay?"

[gramarye]

Due to crippling shyness, Wolfgang has actually been spending more time outside, smoking and politely, but distantly, socializing. He's easily lured out by the promise of cheap alcohol, that's why he bothered at all -- and then sent out a boat for the hell of it, even if now he feels a little guilty. It's not really a big deal, but he still probably ought not be doing anything involving Baedal's Gods.

He comes back inside whenever he runs out of whiskey, like now, leaning over the bar to talk to the bartender -- something he says makes Wolfgang lean back and laugh, which softens his face somewhat.

While he normally makes an effort to dress down in situations like this, apparently tonight he felt like going nuts. He doesn't usually do much with his hair aside from brushing it, but the worse he feels, the better he has to look, apparently. No one will notice.

[wontturntofoam]

Shrieky doesn't actually need a drink, he just caught a glimpse of platinum white hair and decided to follow it and corner Wolfgang into some conversation.

The Bar area is busy, so rather than actually elbowing people out of the way to reach his target, he just squirms an arm between some of the tightly packed patrons, to pat it lightly on the other man's shoulder, trying to get his attention.

[cerebral]

Charles has so far declined to send out a lantern, for his own reasons. But the Apache isn't too far from work and it's a Veerdi night, which means he isn't about to pass up a free drink. Or a few paid. He's been circling the room making chit-chat, talking to the few people he knows and introducing himself to people he doesn't

Until he finds that his glass is once again empty. Then it's back to the bar for another, reaching over the counter for attention with a cheeky smile to whoever is serving. Hello. It would appear that he isn't drunk, but he is reaching a nice, competant level of tipsy.

[controlledvariable]

Steph is passing the time until Kate turns up with that promised hug, and when she spots Charles at the bar she decides to go say hello. Partly because of Kate's reveal about the whole telepathy thing.

"I don't think they've noticed you," Steph comments as she appears beside Charles, watching the bartender serve another person.

[whattigerscanchange]

Empty glasses are a drag. It's why Odessa's wandering (haha) to the bar herself for some more vodka and tonic. She's gone right on past tipsy and is working her way toward drunk by this point in the evening, and by all accounts loving every moment of it. It makes ignoring the fact that she really does hope to reach someone back home that much easier.

Her face lights up when she realises it's a familiar face she's slid on up next to. "Charles!" She throws one arm up toward the ceiling, smiling wide. "Nice to get out of the lab coats once in a while, right?" Though she's quite fond of hers, actually, she's definitely going for a different look tonight. A short red dress, fishnets, and black ankle boots with silver buckles are decidedly different from her work attire of wool skirts and sweaters. "It's good to see you."

[captainredwhiteblue]

"Oh, wait, please," Steve calls out, and the girl who'd been turning away turns back, apparently pleased enough by his good manners to allow herself to be waylaid. He flashes her a winning smile, and then he gestures at Charles. "This gentleman just walked up, I hate to make him wait. You could get his order, too, when you get mine, couldn't you?"

And he looks at Charles expectantly, waiting for said drink order.

[djravenfall]

You can only drink for so long before you have to retreat back to the bar for a refill or three, depending on what you're choosing to have that evening. For Kaitlyn, it's time to get her next filling of whiskey. There's no home in getting a little buzzed, after all she's here to be social and enjoy herself, even if she's not terribly keen on the ideas behind the holiday.

She's barely even tipsy, but Kait can be a bit of a klutz sometimes, and she's had just enough to make tripping over her own feet easier than she's comfortable with, and that's what she does right before reaching the bar, resulting into a hard stumble and a bit of a thud as he knee connects with wood. There's a quick curse and a sigh as she looks over at the person closest - just so happening to be Charles - and gives a weak smile.

"Sorry about that," she says with a bit of a laugh. "Hope I didn't disturb you." She only came in long enough to get a drink and to put some Joan Jett on the jukebox, and already she's finding ways to embarrass herself. Fantastic.

[seeyaduke]

Ana loved parties; she'd always loved them. Ever since she was a child parties were something that made her glow and grin. Even in college, even after college, even after she'd become the Baroness, parties were always the best part of her job.

And parties being part of her job meant that they were a great place to make contacts. Not just professional contacts (though she could use some of them) but also personal contacts. Perhaps being here was a second start to have some friends.

Or something.

But for now she moved up to the bar wearing a black dress. stilettos and a smile as she moves up to the bar carrying a a glass of something that is very much like wine. She's tempted to move onto stronger drinks, but hasn't yet.

[boomvox]

Jae, meanwhile, moved onto stronger drinks some time ago - the time around when he turned fifteen, in fact, and hence has been hitting it kind of hard all night. As per usual.

At the moment, he and the bar tender are attempting to explain the merits of bombs to a few confused (but entertained) looking xenians. And since it just so happens to be near where this lovely lady is sidling up to the bar-

"You look like you're from Earth," Jae says. "Back me up here, Jager bombs are awesome, yes or no?"

[captaincocksure]

"--it's more than that," Jim says as he and McCoy step up to the bar. He pauses to wave at one of the bartenders, making sure he catches her eye. "Yes, it's nice to get something from home. But maybe it's a clue, too. How far the city can reach, what it can bring through, how it can get things here. And if it can bring things here it can certainly get them out. Maybe there'll be some clue to that in this."

He's certainly not trying to justify a bout of sentimentality, what are you even talking about.

He leans on the bar slightly, unbuttoning the jacket of his suit. "You want a bourbon when the bartender gets down here, or are you going to surprise me tonight?"

[aviophobia]

McCoy rolls his eyes, adjusting his tie and glancing down the bar as well before turning out to see if he recognizes anyone in the crowd. To be fair, he'd sent a lantern out on the river as well, with a lot of complaining about fire hazards and polluting the water, but he actually rather liked the idea. It was a nice way to honor those who were lost, a beautiful and elegant tribute.

"When have you ever known me to surprise anyone ever? What the hell else would I get, a mai tai?"

[norea]

Jim does appear to have company, and to be mid-conversation, too, so Hasi waits an appropriately polite span before she comes over to say hi to him (and his friend). In the crowded bar, the click of her high heels doesn't warn for her arrival--you know, like a cat's bell--so it may be something of a surprise.

"Hi, stranger," she calls in her light, playful drawl, "you look good."

She flashes a smile McCoy's way, too, as a greeting.