multiversallogs | OPEN :: A golden bird was singing

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I have a feeling they might regret that," being Kalinda's competition, "You remind me of one of my friends and I wouldn't wanna compete against her either."

She's referring to the militia too, in a roundabout way. Her and Babs are working against them, and she hopes Kalinda is too. She's already making a note to check out Kalinda the next time she has free time and can find the right sort of building to break into. She can be a little careless sometimes, but she's not willing to just trust someone right off the bat -- dropping hints will have to do.

"They might," Kalinda grants with a grin. "Glad I remind you of someone you like. You remind me a bit of someone I used to know back home ages ago."

She's planting the seeds in what she hopes are the right minds. This is what I do, this is who I am, associate me with things that you like and you're more inclined to call on me when you need something I can provide. Building a client base when your reputation no longer precedes you is frustrating, but doable.

"So, we've established what you do for a living. What do you do for fun?"

"Did you like them?" It's never good to remind someone of a person they hate.

Steph might not so much be a potential client as a potential ally, but the seeds are definitely there.

"I'm a bit of an adrenalin junky," she answers with a smile -- it's the most accurate lie she can think of, "I used to travel when I could afford it and do all those adventure-y tours, but it's hard to do that here. I mostly stick to running and parkour these days."

Running around on rooftops and punching bad guys is not parkour, Steph.

Kalinda's eyes crinkle at the corners with amusement. "Oh yeah." She was also sleeping with the woman Steph reminds her of, but she doesn't need to tell her that.

"I've always thought parkour would come in handy in my line of work." She'd at least be able to come up with creative ways to slip out of a situation before the cops show up anyway. "Hard to do in heels, though." And those also come in handy in her line of work. Like one or two buttons undone. "I travelled a bit for work. Otherwise I guess I'm a bit of a barfly. Great for people watching."

"Good to know." She'd probably take that as a compliment, if she knew.

"Hard, but not impossible, especially if you're wearing boots with a solid heel," She noticed Kalinda's boots, and she's thinking of the original Batgirl costume, which used to have those ridiculous heels and it never slowed Babs down, "Should I act surprised that you like people watching?" Someone who decided to be an investigator would have to.

"I do like bars, too, but they tend to look at you funny when you don't drink much." A bit of a wry face, mostly because she's been drinking so much more now that she's here in Baedal and she has Feelings about that.

Steph is endearing herself more and more to Kalinda already. "No." She shakes her head. "If you're surprised by that, then you aren't paying attention. And you strike me as someone who pays attention to detail."

Then she laughs softly. "That's why you have to get in good with the wait staff and bartenders. You tell them when you order a Collins, what you're really asking for is a Shirley Temple. Or when it's a screwdriver you say you're after, it's actually OJ and Sprite. It perpetuates the image without actually causing you to get too tipsy that you can't catch on to the info you're looking for." Business meets pleasure, you see.

"Only when I'm not distracted by something shiny," It can't hurt to be a little self-deprecating, especially when it involves not openly admitting that she is a sneaky ninja.

"That's clever," Steph is impressed, "I gotta remember that. And probably get better at flirting. That's how you endear yourself to wait staff and bartenders, right?" Okay, maybe she's not that much of a sneaky ninja.

"That and tipping well. Money makes you friends faster than charm in dives - they don't get paid as much, so tips matter. In upscale establishments, it pays to seem genuine. They're used to disingenuous, overpaid pricks ordering them around all day." We can't all be perfectly sneaky ninjas. Everyone has their strong suit. "You're better off not leading anyone on too much," Kalinda adds. "Makes them mad when they think you're going to give them more than just a smile or extra cash. That doesn't work out well if it's a resource you intend to use long term."

"Damn," it's accompanied by a genuine frown, because money isn't something Steph has a lot of, and while she doesn't mind letting Bruce buy her gadgets, she's never gone ask him for an allowance, "It'll be good to remember for everyone once in a while, but I couldn't do it a lot."

"Fair point about not leading anyone on, though. I've learned that the hard way a couple of times." That could mean a lot of things, mostly it's a reference to having to beat the shit out of guys when they got too handsy just 'cause she smiled at them.

Kalinda's amused by the way they've easily segued into talk of investigative techniques. She's judged well, she sees. "Money just works better," she assures. "Personality still goes a long way. If you're strapped for cash, you can still manage all right."

Dark eyes scan the water again for a moment as if she's trying to pick out her own boat amidst its identical cousins. What she does is make a decision, and whether she spots it or not, she turns back with an amiable smile. "Can I buy you a drink, Stephanie? Or a soda. You know, whatever you prefer. I still have a meeting to get to tonight, but I have some time to kill."

"Good to know, being a librarian's assistant doesn't pay well," She has other ways of making money, but they're not exactly legal and she prefers to leave them as a last resort (like getting a downpayment for an apartment).

Steph waits patiently; she's getting better at that. The offer of a drink isn't too shocking, but it's nice anyway, and she smiles, "I'd like that. I promise not to keep you from your meeting."

She might say don't worry, I wouldn't let you, and it'd be true, but also a little too blunt considering she's just asked her for drinks. Instead, she offers her arm and a smile. "Why don't you tell me the craziest thing you've done for a thrill?"

Steph laughs as she links her arm through Kalinda's, "My friend and I stole one of those really old transport planes, that open up out the back, you know?" She pauses, more for dramatic effect than waiting for an answer, "And I jumped out of it with a twenty year old parachute strapped to my back."

Steph has a lot of fascinating stories to tell, as long as she cuts out all the Batgirl parts.

OPEN :: A golden bird was singing

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Would you like to fade out here and say they continue smalltalk and exchange numbers?

I'm good with that!