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

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

While Njoki is open about her talents regarding hoodoo and fleshcrafting, she still likes to keep quiet about being a shifter. In her opinion, when things go to shit -- as they inevitably will -- witches are a lot lower on the list of horrors than giant, shaggy hyena monsters.

Once Pickman has gone clippity clopping off to dance (or whatever that flailing is called), Njoki wanders through the crowd, getting a feel for who and what is in the room. She's comfortable with vampires, but unused to the presence of other large predators and Asbjørn's presence is more a curiosity than a threat. Maybe it's time to head up to the bar and snag a beer of her own?

[sailorofthefloe.livejournal.com]

Asbjørn would definitely agree with that sentiment, had it been voiced.

It's when Njoki is in closer proximity that he really gets a sense of 'hello, there's someone else like you here' (there are a lot of interesting people in this bar, and he's not used to dealing with so many of them under one roof). He sits up a little straighter and looks around casually. Ah, there. His eyes flicker over her, and if she sees him, he nods to let on to her. No point in being shy about these sorts of things.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

Njoki cocks her head to one side and there's a moment where she looks about to speak, but merely breathes in, doesn't seem satisfied with whatever knowledge she's gained from that exercise, and then comes over to the bar.

"Allô." She's dressed in an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt that shows off both her body type and her scarification. "I'm Ki."

[sailorofthefloe.livejournal.com]

As she walks, he looks her over, smelling (although not obviously snuffling) and wondering. Canine? No. Huh.

"Asbjørn, hei." Although he's paying more attention to her body language than her words; his own is rather laid back, or as laid back as he gets, anyway.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"S'gorgeous work you've got," she says, referring to his tattoos. "You get it here or at home?"

Njoki is confident, but a bit wary, and reasons that body modification is a good, safe topic. Her own t-shirt has sleeves short enough to show off scarification that starts just below her elbows and travels up under her sleeves.

[sailorofthefloe.livejournal.com]

Body modification is a good topic. And despite his reserves meeting someone very like him in this brave new world, it's also one he rarely shuts up about when started. "Thanks. At home -I'm a tattoo artist myself, so I get to meet some good people. And if you think someone is good normally, they don't tend to piss around with someone in the know."

If she looks them over a few times, Ki may notice one recurring animal in particular. There's the outline of a bear on one arm, filled with spiral knotwork. On the other a bear and cub with stars above and surrounding them; a more pictorial rendering of Ursa Major and Minor.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"Makes sense." Njoki's eyes tend to do well in dim light and she's able to make out a reoccurring theme. Much of her own scarification tells out a similar story, but it's really only recognizable to others who know how to read her markings. "You planning to set up shop here?"

Some of her conjure can be made permanent if the symbols are tattooed on a person and Ki has been looking for a good place to send referrals to.

[sailorofthefloe.livejournal.com]

"I'll be looking for a place to work out of, yeah. My kit was the thing that came with me." Which was handy! But he's not a very material person, or one to hold on to sentiment, so he's glad it was something useful.

Oh, he would be all over that.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"Me too. I don't tattoo, but my work kit came as well. When you're settled and have a portfolio, I'd like to chat sometime, eh?" Now that she's spoken with him a little, Njoki is more comfortable offering a hand to shake. "I do conjure, sort of folk magic, and a strong trick sometimes needs inkwork to set it."

[sailorofthefloe.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, sure," he says, shaking hands, and glad this is going well. It's also better to swing by and get to know the neighbours somewhere a bit more quiet.

"I know a little bit myself but I never had the knack for things like my Tante Ingrid." Or the concentration, as she would say (lovingly, in her tough love way).

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"I'm over in Mafaton. If you don't mind the neighbours being other than human, business poor during the day, there's really great places to stay." It's not always the greatest neighbourhood, but the bigger the windows in the apartment, the lower the rent and that's how Njoki and Pickman have been able to find and rent a large, airy flat.

"Most of the canton is underground, anyway."

[sailorofthefloe.livejournal.com]

"I'd feel pretty hypocritical if I did," he says, with a little shrug. In other words, he's fine with other supernatural types and he may as well acknowledge what they're both thinking. "Been a while since I lived in a big city, though. It'll take a bit of getting used to." Smells. Noises. General vibe. Possible lack of seal meat, which is a sad thing.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"There's some forest in Sobek Croix and if you don't mind a journey, there's breathing room outside the city proper." The farmland is too regular and too populated for Njoki's preference, Spatters is worth nosing through, but it's not safe, even for her, and then there's the fog. She hasn't been close to it, but if it's anything like what she felt coming up off those mirrors in the Candlelighter house it's not a thing she ever wants to experience.

"For me, I need space to run."

[sailorofthefloe.livejournal.com]

"I doubt I'll be able to find what I really like, but forest is good. Maybe a quiet part of the river." Not a frozen tundra in sight, but then again he never really gets that unless he visits Svalbard. Snow-laden forests, or forests at night, are an acceptable substitute. Speaking of which. "I'm going to take a guess it's late summer here?"

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"As far as I can tell. It's pretty mild here, but I'm used to Canadian winters." Njoki may have grown up in Nigeria, but she's been in Quebec for years and slowly adjusted. It's a little known fact, but giant hyena monsters love snow and are particularly fond of chasing squirrels through deep snowbanks.

[sailorofthefloe.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I'm from the north of Norway. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope for snow." A glacier is possibly asking for too much, but he can live and dream.

[aldabeyoun.livejournal.com]

"We'll have to see, eh?" Njoki's not too sure how the city would deal with a heavy snowfall. So many of streets are odd, narrow, unploughable things that hairpin around, but if they could clean them, at least the snow can get dumped into the river.