Issues: Up and Coming!

[Macabre Beauty]

Business. Could he build an empire in a day? Outclass the acts at the top and tip the scales of poverty to favour those less fortunate? Would the endeavour be worth the effort if he used diligence as a means of escaping monotony? These questions ticked in mind tandemic to a mindless tail tip. Granted the appendage remained glamoured while he perused the Rabbit’s interior. His ears, afforded the same veil of illusion, twitched and pivoted taking in the low murmur of voices and the music bouncing in varied degrees of volume.

Tonight, he wore a classic suit; three piece and tailored to his slight form. The slacks tapered nicely over a pair of polished black boots. His shirt a soft coal black, with a burgandy vest buttoned over. The jacket, currently hooked on a finger and hung over a shoulder, coloured in kind with the slacks; though, the lining in the collar and beneath the lapels mirrored in satin the tint of his vest.  He looked business. And having kept the company of a Levithan for a short sample of time, he could speak business.

His tail stilled when he pulled alongside the bar. Pale knuckles rapped twice to signal the keep. In wait, he turned on a clip and dropped his weight against the counter top. His right hand moved to cradle his left elbow; while, the index and thumb upon his left rubbed his musings out in a pinch of his lower lip. Bright cerulean eyes scanned the bar’s interior, taking in the competitive glare of the signs and the rowdy patrons rumbling away --sharing stories and banter, successes and failures.. Overall it seemed a rather charming establishment. A pervading scent lingered in the darkness. One he couldn’t wholly distinguish, but could always be identified with an element of --danger.

Bemused, the half-blooded fae gave his request to the tender, then stood in wait. He, at present, getting a general feel for the place. Presumably, one of the city’s district leaders was supposed to do business here --though how the place served as a political headquarters was something he could only guess at.

With a flashed smile of thanks, he received his drink and debated moving to one of the more --insular seating areas. A place where he could continue to purvey the place. People watch, get a taste of the crowd and potential tenants if… any crawled out of hiding. His glass ticked in a pendulous fashion as he searched. Back and forth, pause: back and forth again; a visible meditation that aligned with the languid low swipes of his tail.

[Idrial]

Brianna had been living in the White Rabbit for numerous months now, she had not found a suitable place to move and to be quite frank; the place had grown on her. Brianna had come to know the regulars within the bar, along with there friends and acquaintances that frequented the establishment. Sometimes the habit of an old spy didn't die, even in an environment that had the protection of their Keeper. She had picked her normal booth in the corner, a dark corner nonetheless, silent with inquisitiveness as she watched the new stranger walk into the bar. Brianna could see the back of the stranger, and the suit screamed business. Tenderly gripping the celery in the Bloody Mary before her, swirling the drink with amusement for a moment before paying attention to her phone once again on the table, looking down long before the man finished getting his drink.

She had decided to start taking the time to do what Brianna wanted, the first time she had done it had been an eerie sensation. She did not know what to with the time she now had, but Brianna had learned to start living a life that did not revolve around work all the time. She had acquired a large amount of wealth being an Ancient after all, and it was high time she started to enjoy it. She had started to wear clothes with a splash of colour, but had not dropped the dark colours entirely. A handful of clothes had sentimental importance, and the bright colours had brought back a little life to the neat collection of clothes Brianna had acquired over the centuries.

Tonight, she had chosen an attire that was simple, a boxy cut shirt with short sleeves in a solid teal colour, dark denim jeans with a pair of black boots. Nothing fancy. Brianna's pointer finger slowly scrolling on the darkened screen, she did not need the brightness on at all, reading an article about the Uluburun. A 3,300-year-old shipwreck discovered off the coast of Uluburun, near Kaş in south-western Turkey.

[Macabre Beauty]

It took him some time to --part from the counter. While he entertained the idea of moving sooner, the booths around him ever-so-inviting, prismatic patterns in play pulled his attention to the crowd milling between booth and bar. Neon: reflected off a rhinestone studded shirt. The fashionable wear almost out of place, if not outdated. Gyrations of the body weren’t what caught the light though; sensible since the dance floor was upstairs, but the patron's torso wove as they stood in wait of the small throng’s flow. Thus, he looked on seemingly enthralled by the small s's.

Only when the crowd pushed the kid out of sight did the fae pull himself away from the polished surface at his back. Small, quick steps carried him across the aisle. He hadn’t a direction exactly. Only decided it was time to get a better look at the hub he’d wandered into. Fashion set him apart. But, such was the point of a suit was it not? The only thing missing from his attire was a briefcase. 

Said briefcase, or lack thereof, brought to mind a brief --dalliance from ages ago. The shrewd creature had been a businessman himself, though one engrossed in the glory of technology and the ease it promoted. He would’ve stuck to the case, and the pen and paper that went with it.

Amidst musing, his alcohol dwindled. The whiskey sipped away in wiled thought. Bemused though he was, bright sapphires slid over the establishment in study. There wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about the place. While the lighted signs and wooden floors afforded ambiance, very little led one to believe it a headquarters. Mind, he hadn’t attended one of the Harpy’s sessions. But, that was because he hadn’t anything to offer in complaint. The absence of an authoritarian District Leader seemed more a boon, and it wasn’t as if there were much civil disobedience in the district.

As he picked his way through the crowd, observing the place and people in detail, his veiled ears twitched to tune in to the stage. Air crackled into the sound system. A crewman blew into four different mics, before checking their acoustical quality with his voice; the first indie band of the evening waiting in the wings.

[Idrial]

Brianna's head snapped upwards with a smirk when the mic check began. Almost that time already? The owners of the White Rabbit has exceptional taste in hiring different bands to entertain the patrons of the White Rabbit. She had no intention to look for the stranger that had arrived at the bar, although had Brianna been looking he would have been effortless to spot given his chosen attire. Clutching the glass on the table with nimble fingers Brianna drained the alcoholic beverage all at once, and it satisfied the hunger in her for now. Sliding out of the booth with the glass in one hand and the cell phone in another. Bobbing and weaving through the crowd towards the bar with ease, the White Rabbit crowd thicker than normal tonight. Grabbing the attention of a familiar bar attendant for another drink at the soonest possible moment.

While she waited Brianna scanned the now crowded floor, giving pleasant smiles and polite waves to familar people who noticed her scanning the bar. Then the new arrival wandered into Brianna's line of sight, and she could not help but stare for a moment while he turned his back roaming through the bar. He did look delicious in that suit, and then she had a fun idea. The bartender patted her shoulder, a drink in hand and Brianna nodded a short thanks, taking the drink, but not before asking for a favor.

"Could you send a drink to the man in the suit for me when you have the time? I think I will have a little fun tonight." She winked at the bartender, who laughed in response, returning back to the booth Brianna had left earlier.

The band had taken their position, the introduction short and sweet. Music blared onto the speakers, people clapped and cheered tonight's entertainment on, some started to dance wherever space became available. Brianna joined in clapping and cheering with other people, not aware that the bartender had delivered the drink to the wandering stranger long after Brianna had returned to her own booth. Telling the visitor he had an admirer within the bar, leaving him with his new drink and a guessing game on his hands.

[Macabre Beauty]

Mesmerized. Was that even the right word? Caught in the chords of guitar and keyboard. His ears twitched to the tempo of the drums and his tail flicked an appropriate offbeat. His whiskey glass long since drained, exchanged when the tender sidled up next to him with another. Were it not for the curl of the man’s lips, and the humoured tone he offered, the coinciding message might’ve been missed.

With a blink and nod of thanks, he saw the tender off with a wave then peered back into the bar’s interior. Admirers, granted, weren’t too unusual for him. Nor really were free drinks --the anonymity, however, a bit more uncommon. Bemused, he debated weaving his way through  the crowd to see if the admirer’s guilt would betray them. He decided against it, however, as his tail curled pensively about his leg, tip ticking ardently now. They’d show themselves in time. In the meanwhile, he had a new drink to sip!

[Idrial]

Brianna had been lost in the conversation happening at the moment, a regular patron at the White Rabbit had joined the booth she had been occupying alone. Brianna did not mind. Whispering in each other's ears while having a quick conversation, and this time had been entertaining. Both of them had noticed an interesting interaction forming between two people, a man and a woman. Lightly touching one another with big flirtatious smiles hanging out at the main bar, and Brianna could not help but banter back and forth with the Brujah.

"Well look at that. He's getting his freak on," she said amused.

"Seems like we are living in an age of miracles," the male Brujah replied smiling and rolling his eyes at the same time.

"I guess if they can put a man on the moon they can put a woman on him. Do you know the girl?" Brianna asked with a sinister smile dancing across her face.

"I heard she's popular at another bar but I'm not one to judge. I once had sex with a man for a tank of gas." Brianna burst out laughing, mouth agape at the outrageous confession. These Anarchs were hysterical. No wonder Samantha, one of the bar owners, fiercely loved and protected them.

The song had come to an end, the Brujah gave Brianna a playful wink before exiting the table. She popped two fingers in her mouth, and a loud, shrill whistle escaped, cutting through the room like a hot knife in butter. Now realizing she had lost track of the stranger, she did not try to look for him. Instead, her attention remained on the stage. If she did not see him after another song she already had a plan; keeping the drink a secret was proving to be enjoyable.

[Macabre Beauty]

In the time it took for Brianna and the brujah to exchange words, a young woman had approached the smartly suited fae. He stood about mid-center of the gaggle gather around stage. The young  woman, dressed in brazen red, paced tight circles around him body writhing to the music. He, in turn, turned with small steps. His drink held aloft as he peered at her. His tail, veiled though it was, ticked at the tip, twice for each turn.

After two full circles, each quarter a pause in step, he stilled. His head canted, the woman continued. The moment stretched into an eternity before sharp sapphires slid away to study the stage again. Apparently, he did dance. Or, the woman wriggling in front of him lacked appeal. Or! this the most probable, the feline fae was more worried about the whiskey he held aloft, than the press of the stranger that'd crept in on him.

Persistent, the young woman remained even after his circular pacing paused. A friend, or so he assumed by the way the worked around one another, joined to encourage her. Or, perhaps the floor was so tightly packed that a suited male needed two bodies bound to his. Regardless of the circumstances, he found himself sandwiched and didn't quite know what to make of it. It certainly prevented the languishing sips of liquor he craved, if only because he didn't want his elbow to crack one of them in the head. Bemused and at a loss, he mourned his whiskey as he watched the women.

[Idrial]

Brianna had been oblivious to the action going on around the feline fae. For the moment she enjoyed the band belt out another song to the music hungry mob. Fists pounding the tables. Bodies pressed against one another on the floor, and the smell of passion, affection and sweat filled the air. Curious about where the stranger had ended up. Brianna carefully scanned the room and she did not expect him to be wedged between two lovely women. Amused, she gazed at the visitor while his attention remained on the woman circling around him like sharks. The look on his face screamed confusion and it made Brianna giggle for a split second. However, that drink had not been touched due to the women being far too close for him to sip his drink.

Once again, Brianna drank her entire drink in one gulp. Rising from the table with the glass in one hand, placing her phone in her back pocket which left her right hand free. Weaving and dancing through the crowd to reach the front bar while forming a devilish plan to attract his attention. Patiently waiting for the bartender to bring her another drink, once she had one Brianna began navigating the crowd towards the suited guest.

Brianna had stopped and danced with a few patrons, she could not make it obvious the man he was her target. Well, more like the glass in his hand was her real mark. Once in range, Brianna plucked the glass from his hand, taking advantage of the fact he could not extend his elbow. Careful not to have a drop spill from the glass, one of the perks of being an ancient vampire.

Pausing for a second, until his gaze fell on Brianna. She gave him a playful wink and slowly backed away from him in a tantalizing manner. Swirling the liquor within the glass in a seductive way, a devilish grin plastered across her face. Certain he pick the lavish liquor clutched in her right hand, which she would give up with no fuss. All in good fun.

[Macabre Beauty]

Woeful, he watched the women weave. They weren't unpleasant by any standards and they seemed to synch up well enough with the rhythms. The unbidden press, however, encouraged by the writhing throng caused the tip of his tail to tick ceaselessly.  His glass still boasted his presence. An isle of liquor floating above the engulfing bodies.

It wasn't exactly the way he saw his night going. When he'd entered, business minded, he'd been somewhat aware of the district leader's fickleness. And the harpy, while an ever present an attending advisor, held meetings meant more for neighborhood management; Like a supernatural HoA. Not the place to discuss licenses, permits, zoning, availability --Need -might- be a matter that'd arise there. But, something told him otherwise. A subtle pout worked its way onto his lips. He fit to sulk the internal dialogue out.

He almost missed his missing glass. But it didn't abandon him long before he realized why it went missing. Backing away from him, with the amber liquid swirled in taunt, was another young woman vying for his attention. This one, however, seemed less encroaching. While she did prize his drink away, she didn't mash up on him with the music. In fact, given the claustrophobic crush of the other two bodies, he found himself quite --content to be led away.

His tail stilled and his ears perked as he broke the other two up. A gentle hand on the first's shoulder spun her gyrating body away with a firm squeeze and a purring "Pardon," and a "Thank you for the dance ladies." Once pried free, he pursued the woman that held his whiskey. Despite the crowd, it didn't take him long to catch up to her. And, only after she was ready to cede it, did he recollect the short glass.

"My Thanks," he offered in greeting with a cheeky flash of fang, "Felt as though I might've been eaten alive out there." Course given the nature of the bar...

A sudden spark of remembrance pulled him back into the reality of the establishment. While the staleness of aged flesh and mummified organs should've kept it fresh in mind, the feral fae often forgot about all the peculiarities attributed to kindred. They existed, he existed --there wasn't much of a divide. Bemused, he glanced off toward the floor again to search for the women. The pair had moved on to another patron, rewarding him with the same press of body. They appeared more groupies looking for the bite, than predators offering. A hum touched the air.

"Or maybe they wanted me to eat them."

[Idrial]

"It could be both on this floor dear," she replied cooing at the man. Giving back the glass without a fuss. This floor could be risky at times, to make it simple, the bright ones and the tough ones were the people brave enough to mingle here. Most people hurried to the second floor, it was more geared towards a club rather than a hazardous hangout.

"You could also get a free nose job should you encroach on the wrong snack." Brianna had seen that more than once with these bite groupies down here. The second floor was much safer. However, one obviously would enjoy the thrill and the risk on this floor. Six of one-half dozen of the other.

"Brianna." Returning his smile with her own while extending her hand for him to shake, "would you like to sit down?"

Bringing his attention to the table Brianna had been occupying with her pointer finger earlier in the night. From the gleaming lustre on the table, it had been recently cleaned. People knew better than to take that particular table when she was in the bar, and the employees did a fine job keeping up with small things.