It's like paradise, spread out with a butter knife :: [OPEN]

[bonhomme7h.livejournal.com]

Who: EVERYONE
What: Réjean has decided that more people ought to celebrate and help raise a bit of dosh for one of his favourite bars. See: flyer.
Where: The Apache.
When: Misdi night and into the wee hours of the morning.
Warnings: Discussion of Pickman's manky feet.

The Apache is much the same as it always is: dimly lit, with the jukebox playing in the background, and the bartender serving whatever's on tap. Tonight, the bar is packed with people from all across the city, different cantons and cohorts, all out to celebrate surviving the fungal plague. Patrons are encouraged to buy tickets for a door prize with the proceeds going to repair the damage tunnelling ants made to the cellar.

Comments

[patricide]

Lex buys a ticket for the door prize, partly out of curiosity and partly because he understands the annoyance of having to repair. It's not exactly empathy, but there is no way he is going to allow various monsters to ruin his new home if he can help it.

He is wearing a perfectly tailored black suit with a pink shirt underneath, forgoing the tie and leaving the collar unbuttoned. After receiving his drink from the bar Lex begins to walk toward the pool tables that had caught his eye as he walked in.

[tropfatale.livejournal.com]

Sonja likes pool hustling--she likes anything where she can stack the odds in her own favor, generally--so she's leaning against one of the tables, watching a game conclude. She seems dubious of one of the fellow party-goers' abilities, but is distracted by Lex's arrival.

"You playing?"

Some people say 'hi'; normal greetings are for suckers.

[patricide]

Lex shares Sonja's sentiments about greeting and sets down his drink in favor of a pool cue and beginning to chalk it. "I am if you are."

Normal invitations are for suckers as well.

[tropfatale.livejournal.com]

"Are we playing each other, or are we picking a vic?" After all, there are innocent victims in the bar they could team up against. ...harmlessly, of course. It's all in good fun, or so says her lazy little smile.

[patricide]

"As much as I'd like to take you on," he says, returning her smile with his own expression that indicates this is probably not the last time they'll be shooting pool together. "I think it might be fun to make a few friends."

He quickly manages to find another team of two that is eager to compete. When they are ready to break he motions toward the triangle. "Do you want to do the honors?"

[tropfatale.livejournal.com]

"I do like to socialize."

Once they're situated with their new friends, she inclines her head toward Lex. Probably it isn't necessary to lean forward quite the way she does, but she's not above using some of her wiles to disrupt the game of their opponents.

Also it's just fun. Succubus.

"Been a while since I've played pool," she comments, absently. "Seven, eight months."

[patricide]

Sonja's leans may be done for their opponents, but that doesn't stop Lex from looking as well. Her plan to distract their opponents works, and that coupled with their mutual skill of the game secures a victory.

"I've had a table put in my place if you'd want to shoot sometime. I mostly use it for my own practice, but I'm sure you can understand the value of a sparring partner." His tone is casual but there's a slight quirk of the eyebrow that is equal parts invitation and curiosity. Lex enjoys spending time around people and things that are probably too dangerous for his own safety. Sonja had piqued that interest the day they met and the mission had only solidified it.

[goodeintentions]

Aimery got shuffled away from the bar by other patrons vying to access it, and ended up wandering over towards the pool tables near the start of his third beer. By then he'd relaxed into himself a bit, determined to not to spend he evening sober or somber, and had even loosened his tie and unbuttoned his jacket.

It was Lex's suit and shirt that got his attention, actually, and it was only after he stewed on his jealousy for a few moments that he recognized him; Aimery had never been able to pull off that kind of flashy combination, especially worn so casually, so it was always blue or gray suits with pale shirts and standard ties for him. He approached with a friendly smile, though when he glanced at the goings on of the table he was more than a little dubious.

"Mr. Luthor, wasn't it?"

[patricide]

"I have to commend your memory, Aimery," Lex says with a pleased smile. The truth is that Lex expects to be remembered. His name might not hold the same weight here as it did back home but he's confident that he makes enough of an impression on his own. "But call me Lex. It's a party after all."

He points to the other man's glass. "It looks like you've been doing well for yourself since we last spoke."

[goodeintentions]

Aimery pursed his lips to lessen a smile and nodded at the correction; Ah yes, 'Mr. Luthor' was for business partners, 'Lex' for acquaintances who would be friends and parties, apparently.

"If you count being on the road to drunk as 'doing well for myself', then yes, I am doing quite well, thank you," he grinned and lifted his beer bottle in a slight salute in lieu of a handshake. "And you seem to be doing well, too, apart from choosing to stand near a poorly conceived table."

[patricide]

Lex lifts his martini glass toward Aimery in kind and takes a sip. "I'm just now getting to the road myself, I hope you'll allow me to catch up."

He glances back at the table before leaning against it, crossing his feet at the ankles. "It seems sturdy enough to me," Lex says with a teasing grin. He sets down his glass and retrieves the cue ball from a pocket, rolling it back and forth between his hands. "I'm guessing they didn't have these in either place where you used to reside."

[goodeintentions]

"I'll try to sip slowly, then, so as not to leave you behind," Aimery said, bringing his free hand to his chest and putting on a concerned face, as if he were really concerned. Then the expression broke into a smile a moment later and he moved to lean one hip against the side of the pool table a polite distance away from Lex, but turned towards him so it would be easy to keep conversation.

"Perhaps there were some in Bete Noire, but I didn't spend much time in places like this, I was more of a wine at home type of fellow," he paused for a sip of his beer, then nodded towards the white ball in Lex's hand. "I assume it's some sort of game?"

[patricide]

Lex gives a chuckle at the slight ribbing and sets down the ball to take a long drink as if playing catch up.

"It is," he replies in answer to Aimery's question. "The game's called pool, or billiards if you're getting fancy. In the simplest terms, the object is to try to hit the ball into the pockets."

He inclines his head toward the rack of cues. "I could show you how to play if you're interested."

[defenestration]

Adrian couldn't care less about pool, but he spies Lex over by the tables and so makes his way through the crowd. Giving the outfit an approving nod (not that it requires his approval, but that doesn't stop him from offering it), he smiles inquiringly at the man.

"Should I bet on you or against you?"

[patricide]

"I'm surprised you have to ask," Lex says with an amused raise of the eyebrow. He doesn't need to brag about himself when he can let his own playing speak for him.

Adrian may have given him a compliment, but Lex takes it a step further by vocalizing his own. "I like your choice of ensemble today. I don't think I've seen it before." There may not be a competition between them exactly, but he is still keeping score.

[defenestration]

He gives a little shrug and a smile, as if to suggest he was trolling Lex more than anything else.

The complimentary words earn Lex a wider, more pleased smile, and a nod of Adrian's head. "Thank you. It's new, I haven't really had the appropriate opportunity to wear it before now." Some might say this isn't an appropriate setting for that kind of outfit, but this is a man who doesn't even own a t-shirt.

[patricide]

Oh, Lex knows it's trolling. That doesn't mean he won't talk himself up anyway.

"It's a shame that there hasn't been a party until now," Lex counters, giving the outfit another glance before continuing with the conversation. "Though considering your taste in decor I wouldn't have expected to see you in this kind of environment."

[defenestration]

Adrian doesn't quite preen under the look he's given, but he's obviously enjoying the attention his outfit in bringing him.

"As I told Miss Black, it's not the venue I'd have chosen, but it's one we were offered." He cocks his head at Lex. "If we want to enjoy something more high class next time, maybe we ought to take care of it ourselves."

[patricide]

Lex doesn't know a Miss Black, but he does like the idea and already has something in mind. "I always thought it would be a good to host some kind of a gathering once we were happy with the house. And if you need an occasion, I do have a birthday coming up that I don't intend to neglect."

[warped-inside.livejournal.com]

Tosh has been eying the pool tables a bit herself, but it's no fun to play alone and she doesn't really know anyone here. But at least it's a good way to break the ice and meet someone new, so she approaches only slightly hesitantly. (Already being on her second beer helps a little bit.)

"Hullo. Do you play?"

[patricide]

"I do indeed," he replies to the woman, giving her a welcoming smile. "From the way you're looking at the table, I'd guess you do too."

[warped-inside.livejournal.com]

"I do, yeah, but it's been a while. Not so much fun to play by yourself." She gives him a self-conscious smile, turns her glass in her hands a little uncertainly. "I wasn't trying to invite myself, just...ice-breaker, you know? I was getting tired of 'how long have you been here?' and 'was this your first mushroom invasion?'."

[patricide]

"You didn't invite yourself, you were looking. There's a difference." Lex gives her an easy smile and hopes to relieve the self-consciousness with his comment.

He hands her a pool cue. "And I don't know about you, but I'm starting to feel like mushroom invasions are getting a bit passe."

[warped-inside.livejournal.com]

The uncertainty mostly vanishes with the offer of a pool cue, and Tosh takes it with an increasing warmth to her smile. "Well once you've seen one fungus zombie, right?"

She sets down her drink and wipes her hand on her jeans, then offers it to the man. "Toshiko. I sort of think if we're going to play together, we ought to have names. Are you any good?"

[patricide]

Lex shakes her hand with a smile, not at all bothered by any lingering condensation from the drink. "Lex. Whether I'm good or not depends entirely on how this game goes." He departs with a walk free from worry and gets the balls ready to break.

"Ladies first, of course."