[Cal] Rounds

Characters: Cal, Airednas, Kaien, Vandre
Cal and Vandre drop into the bar in Traverse Town, and encounter Airednas and Kaien. And omfg singing XDDD

Tavern - Traverse Town

A set of narrow wooden stairs lead down from the main door into a lower level that reeks deeply of smoke, and beer. This tavern is a warm, homely place nonetheless with a bar in the middle, surrounded by numerous tables and quieter, cozier booths near the back. The tavern is pretty dark with only a few windows here and there letting in the sunlight from outside, although the main source of light comes from the large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and numerous smaller lamps set up on a few tables here and there. There is also a small stage set at the back where dancers and singers often perform. Usually there is a soft music playing in the air by the latest band or music group and there is a general warm and cozy atmosphere about the place..

Contents:
Airednas
Mahlovian
Kaien
Obvious exits:
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Residential District']

[Airednas:] The click of heavy boots rings steadily down the front stair, as Airednas emerges from behind a veil of smoke, wrinkling her nose in mild distaste at the table of heavy drinkers. The cast of shadows merges with her own darkly clad garments, her steps fading in volume as she nears the stage, slipping into a chair with a faint sigh of content, patient in her waiting as the bartender serves up Kaien.

[Kaien:] Kaien nods to the newest patron as he take the drink from the bartender. He sets the glass by his parcel bag, leaning forward more into the chair, resting his arm on the chair's back as he continues to shift through his items with his free hand. Lowering his chin on his arm, his attention immediately returned to his work. The bartender only smiled as he ruffles the man's hair before returning to serve Airednas.

[Airednas:] "A glass of water, cold, if you would." The young woman gestures with a dismissive wave at the man, a pause of interest at the display of affection between the bartender and the young man, eyeing the other patron with mild appreciation.

A twist of her shoulders, baring her naked throat as Airednas shrugs off the heavy jacket, leaving it folded against the table, the pistol holster she wears on the side semi-concealed by the dark atmosphere, her attention refocusing to Kaien with interest.

[Kaien:] Raw materials, metallic trinkets, different shapes of rocks were set on one side of the table, the other of everyday items and a few, small jewels. Reaching into the parcel, Kaien retrieves a few tools.

[Airednas:] Pausing with a nod of thanks at the bartender, she slips a few coins into the man's hand, dismissing his service with another wave.

"A jeweler, are you?" Airednas calls out to Kaien, slipping up from her seat with the glass of water in hand, sauntering past the table to slip into the opposite chair, facing the man with a slight smile, gaze flickering from his face to the various items on the table. "Pretty."

[Kaien:] Kaien shakes his head, reaching to flick at one of the round jewels with his index finger, the opaque white jewel rolling in the woman's direction. "Not a jeweler. Ammunitions refiner, though sometimes I sell the things I cannot bear to melt down." he says, tucking the right side of his hair behind his ear. He pulled one of his shotgun cartridges from the small pouch attached to his belt, setting it in front of Airednas before resuming his former position at the table.

[Airednas:] Leaning forward with her elbows against the table, Airednas plucks up the jewel, the orb fitting smoothly in her palm as she peers down, locks of raven falling over her face, hiding the slight tensing of her expression at Kaien's occupation.

"Still pretty." She murmurs after a moment, peering up to the man with her usual smile, her posture faintly suggestive as she releases the jewel against the cartridge, careful in lining the two together. "Do you live around this town then?"

[Kaien:] Kaien smiles, rolling his shoulders faintly. "Not really, though I frequent enough. Do you live around here?"

[Airednas:] "Around... yes..." Airednas drawls slowly, slim fingers rubbing over the rim of her glass, her fingernails tapping a series of soft clicks against its side. "I'm Airednas, by the way..." She pauses to take a slow sip of water, gaze never leaving Kaien's face.

[Kaien:] "I'm Kaien," he smiles, his eyes brightening as he extends out a hand to shake. "Nice to meet you."

[Airednas:] "Kaien." Airednas rolls the name against her tongue, breathing it out with a bare whisper, before catching the hand in her own, thumb brushing over Kaien's knuckles, and slows to stroke over them lightly. "A pleasure." Her free hand supports her chin as she leans forward, just the slightest.

[Kaien:] "Tickles." he laughs softly, tilting his head sideways as he retracts his hand gently. "Erm, likewise." Kaien laughs again, reaching for his drink."

[Airednas:] "Just tickles?" Airednas replies with a slight smile, a flicker of disappointment in her amber eyes, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. Leaning back against her chair, her shoulders sagging slightly in relaxation, the glass of warming water nursed within her hands as she regards Kaien for another moment, thoughtful.

[Kaien:] "Well, yeah." he says, wrinkling his nose thoughtfully. Clicking his tongue, Kaien leans forward to reach for Airednas hand. "Maybe you're different. "

[Airednas:] Still were Airednas' hands against the glass, fingers loosely wrapped, motionless until the touch of contact, and only until then, did she shift, fingers re-establishing their tapping motion against the glass, her knuckles brushing against Kaien's hand with rhythmic motion. "How... different?" She inquires with another quirk of her lips.

[Kaien:] Turning his hand in Airednas, Kaien repeated the motion across her knuckles, his brown eyes probing her expression closely. "See? How does that feel?"

[Caliah:] Cold air, laden with an acrid, metallic smell, the scent of spent machinery and exhaust, swirls in through the partially open doorway to the tavern, trickling down through the narrow foyer into the warmth below; passing patrons peer disinterestedly up the stair at the fingers of cold brushing past, few of them pausing in their conversation in order to ogle the new arrivals. Their curious glances are rewarded with nothing out of the ordinary - not in this town: a pair so sombrely clad as to make the rest of the patrons in the bar appear gaudy in comparison, the slighter of the two bringing up the rear. Nothing marks coatsleeve or shoulder, but the one telltale sign that they both have in common marks them more than any sigil can: the luminous glow in their eyes. From before this oddity some flinch away; others impart muttered remarks and mildly hostile stares.

The slighter SOLDIER, pale and platinum-haired, merely passes a sharp eye over the bar, ignoring the glances cast his way, a gloved hand shoving the hilt of something back into the folds of his long coat. "I'm not certain this was such a good idea so soon after -that-." He fingers what appears to be a sizeable hole in one of his sleeves, shouldering his way past two much taller men to make his way to the bar.

[Airednas:] "Tickles." Airednas replies teasingly, amber eyes recategorizing Kaien with minute interest, her posture shifting just the slightest towards the stage, giving her profile a better contrast in the dim lighting, from her raven dark hair, to her slim shoulders.

Opening her mouth to comment again, only to pause, a furrow of her brows at the brush of chill, hair raising at the back of her neck. With trepiditation, she glances to the murmur of the crowd, gaze immediately settling on to the familiar shade of platinum.... and returns her attention back to Kaien, hands catching his in their stroking, her tone casual as she continues. "Ticklish... but very... /nice/."

[Kaien:] Kaien chuckles, canting his head a bit in the direction of the commotion, sparing a faint glance over his shoulder. "It you say so, Miss Aire, I just thought it felt funny. I hope you don't mind if I call you Aire."

[Vandre:] "Why not? After a good fight, we deserve a little praise, some approval and some rest. I've read that alcohol and the environment of a tavern can provide just that. Somehow," Vandre comments in reply to his companion's remark as he follows behind, slipping in between the space that was created through their shoulders before slipping onto a stool at the bar. "What to drink," he thinks out loud, rubbing a gloved hand over his chin in quiet contemplation. "Uh...bartender, surprise me" he adds, before looking over at his companion. "Or give me whatever they're having."

[Caliah:] Gil changes hands, and a beer's set before the Shinra operative now leaning against the bar beside Vandre, frost-cold and freshly uncapped. He presses the cold bottle against his forehead before sipping of the dark malt brew, relaxing almost imperceptibly, even if the detached starkness of his violet gaze hardly changes. "I suppose I'll have to get used to it," he murmurs, nursing his beer, resting an elbow on the edge of the bartop so as to lean back and take in a better view of the growing crowd. "I just have to be thankful that we have the luxury, hm?"

The familiar face in the crowd doesn't escape Caliah's attention, either; he marks where Airednas is sitting, taking his time to observe her unobtrusively before speaking. "Looks like that trooper I told you about is here," he comments around his bottle.

[Airednas:] "Not at all, Kaien." A slow drawl on the name again, tongue pressing against her teeth as she breathes out the word with slow ease, "If..." a quirk of her lips in a coy smile, "You don't mind that I call you Kaien? And please, Aire would be just fine, 'miss' is just... /so/ formal, you know."

Following up her words with another light caress against Kaien's hand, her posture ever lax and composed, save for a minute glance, out of the corner of her eyes, in the two SOLDIERs' direction.

[Kaien:] "No problem at all." Kaien chuckles softly, disengaging his hand. "I'll try not to be too formal, Aire." He pulls out a few pouches from inside his bag and begins to pack his sorted items in them. "Did you see anything else here you'd like?"

[Vandre:] The bartender grunts, eyeing Vandre and Caliah before shoving another frosted beer, similar to the one already dispensed to the SOLDIER to Vandre. He offers a polite smile as he takes the drink, uncaps it and quickly drinks, swallowing the cold liquid. Cooler air now is released as he exhales, relief washing over his sweaty face. Glass chimes as the young SOLDIER toys with the bottle, careful not spill any of it. "Luxury? We do...I suppose, I mean did you see the palace? That's luxury." He says with a faint laugh, shaking his head.

[Caliah:] "I never cared for that kind of thing, myself. The more you have, the more difficult it is to keep." Cryptic and without inflection, Caliah's voice cuts easily through the hubbub of the bar despite the noise, clasping his half-empty beer bottle at waist-level; he appears singularly distant amidst the crowd, the only figure standing at the bar not animated by drink or the headiness of conversation and laughter. "Then again I never wanted for much, so I can't say. My men and I made it to this side with nothing but the clothes on our backs, our guns, and our service to Shinra." His mouth curves in a faint, cold smile. "You can guess which one lasted us the longest."

[Airednas:] Silent was Airednas' reaction to the departure of her companion, arms stretching over her head with a faint sigh of content, briefly amused. Pulling herself out the chair, her arms carefully holding to her side, a semi-serious attempt at concealing the firearm as she returns to her still-empty table by the stage, given the jacket she had tossed on there before.

"Refill, with ice and a slice of lemon." She gestures to the bartender, her tone formal and dismissive, loud and clear, cutting through the dim background murmurs in the bar.

[Vandre:] Emptying the beer, Vandre asks for another, passing gil as he uncaps the new drink. His throat shudders as gulps are passed down it, again he finishes the second beer. "Delicious, a lot better than the beer in the cafe, I'd say," he says out loud, suppressing a burp. Gilded eyes wander as he looks over at where Caliah had been looking, eyeing the woman and then the stage. "Do you sing?" he questions his companion abruptly.

[note: changed the gender of pronouns since Van and Aire are aware Cal is female]

[Caliah:] The bottle of beer in Caliah's hand stops partway to her mouth at the mention of singing, her eyes widening just a fraction. "....-Sing-?" That single word couldn't have been imparted with more disdain. "I don't." She finishes her beer neatly, setting the bottle down on the bar and motioning to the bartender for another. "Probably because I couldn't sing if my life depended on it."

She glances then to Airednas, one corner of her mouth quirking. "Maybe she can. Ask her?"

[Airednas:] A shift in her seating, as if noticing the scrutiny by some inner sense, Airednas turns from her distant examination of the stage, to the two SOLDIERs by the bar, catching eye-contact with Caliah, and offers the woman with a slight nod of greeting, her expression carefully schooled to one of mild politeness, before turning away to the bartender, and the glass of water.

[Vandre:] With a laugh, Vandre tugs on Caliah's arm. "Come on, let's go say hello then," he says with a grin. Ordering another beer as he takes it along with him, uncapping it and drinking it on his way. He glances over his shoulder, shooting Caliah a challenging gaze before moving over towards the woman, taking a seat on the stage's end, across from her. "Hello."

[Airednas:] "Pleasant day, or night... sir..." Airednas replies calmly, taking a moment to examine Vandre, the glass of water in her hands as she observes the SOLDIER over the rim. From his glowing hazel eyes, to his form-fitting garment, slow in her response as the silence in the table stretches out. "Do you require something?"

<OOC> Caliah murmurs something about form-fitting garments.
<OOC> Airednas mentally measures out the crotchline. XD
<OOC> Vandre says, "omg xD"
<OOC> Vandre says, "sob...enhanced human xD sob"
<OOC> Caliah PEERS.
<OOC> Airednas says, "Ahahahaha. Xd"

[Caliah:] Shrugging lightly, the lithe blond SOLDIER passes her hand over the bar, picking up the fresh bottle that the bartender had just set down in front of her. "If you want," she comments offhandedly to herself, already slipping through the crowd in their direction before Vandre can glance back at her, her shock of pale hair marking her easily despite the drabness of her attire.

"I don't suppose this seat is taken?" the young woman inquires of Airednas, laying a hand on the back of the chair directly opposite the stage while sparing her fellow SOLDIER a dryly amused glance.

[Vandre:] Shuffling, Vandre leans back a bit, supporting himself with one his arms as he cradles another beer in his left hand, sipping from it, while keeping his gaze upon Airednas. "Just here to say hello, Caliah seems to know you eh? The name's Vandre. You're...hm?" He asks, perking up a wine-colored eyebrow.

[Airednas:] "It is, actually." Airednas murmurs, setting the glass on to the tabletop with a firm clank against the wood. A tilt of her chin, amber to the glow of violet. "I'm looking at her." A sweep of her arm following with a curve of her lips, "Please, Caliah, sir, sit."

Dropping her arm on to the table, she deftly plucks the jacket from the top, pausing in shrugging on the heavy garment, her attention temporarily split to Vandre. "Informal then, Vandre, or do you prefer 'sir' as well? And it's Airednas, Airednas Sil'Lac."

[Caliah:] Seating herself in the chair in one fluid motion, and finding it suited her long-limbed form well, Caliah inclines her head to the other woman in acknowledgement and thanks, a rather formal gesture given the time and place. "This is actually the first time I've been to this particular....bar," she comments easily, drawing the ashtray into closer proximity with a finger, the other hand slipping into her coat. "You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"

At Airednas' introduction the female SOLDIER shifts her gaze to Vandre, studying his expression minutely as if gauging what he were intending to do.

[Vandre:] Tapping his boots lightly against the floor, Vandre rocks once in his seated position, ordering another beer from a passing server girl. "See, isn't this nice, just drinking and talking." He pauses, whispers something in the girl's ear. The girl perks up an eyebrow, giggles, nods and heads off into the back of the stage. With a laugh of his own, Vandre offers Caliah and Airednas a broad grin. "Vandre is just fine, Airednas."

<OOC> Caliah says, "omg he's going to sing"
<OOC> Caliah plugs cotton into her ears sob
<OOC> Vandre says, "sob...he'll be a good singer!"
<OOC> Vandre says, "with a deep, husky voice xD"

[Airednas:] "Rather hazardous to the health, sir, the habit, that is." Airednas takes a small sip from the glass, the click of ice loud with her continuous swirling motions. "Though given your...uniqueness, I suppose it matters very little."

A pause as she watches Vandre interact with the girl, replying to the grin with a quick nod of her head before her attention returns to Caliah. "By all means, go ahead. It's not as if..." A vague wave of her arm at the smoky atmosphere of the bar. "... it'll make any difference."

[Caliah:] "I imagine it'd not make much difference, no." Caliah pulls her gloved hand from her coat, tapping the pack of cigarettes she'd retrieved on the edge of her palm, and stripping the top of the wrapper from it with practised fingers, flipping the top to get at the cigarettes within. "Just making sure it's not too much of a bother, really."

Lifting the pack to her lips and sliding one out of the box with a finger, she pauses to eye Vandre again, oddly, as if wondering at what he'd said to the girl. "Are we in for a little surprise?" she queries, putting the cigarette into her mouth.

[Airednas:] A faint curve of her lips at Caliah's reply, Airednas glances to the crowd, searching for the serving girl that the male SOLDIER had spoken with previously, her attention seemingly elsewhere. "Wouldn't you like one..." She murmurs, faint and soft.

[Vandre:] The serving girl returns on stage with a microphone bound to a long, thin cable of black. She hands it to Vandre with a smile before retreating. "Ah...a surprise, well...maybe, but back in Midgar, I was known for my singing, you know...long nights on a mission." He replies with a wink, tapping the microphone to life as he stands up on the stage. "Lesse here, what to play...any requests, eh?" He asks the crowd, but his attention remains on Caliah and Airednas. "Hm?"

[Caliah:] Staring bemusedly at Vandre as if the young man had suddenly grown another head, Caliah forgets to light her cigarette, the flame burning for a good full minute before she catches herself. "Requests?" she echoes blankly, lighting the cigarette and snapping her lighter shut, tapping her black-clad fingers on the table. "I don't know. I'm not very particular when it comes to -singing-." She angles a frosty gaze at the other SOLDIER on stage, pressing her lips together. "Or what would sound good in a man's voice. What do you think, Airednas?"

[Airednas:] "I think very little, Caliah... sir." Being Airednas' bland response, her attention focus to the stage, the glass of water abandoned on the table, her expression mildly... bored, from the looks of such. Leaning back against the chair, her legs crossing at the knee, she comments again, "Perhaps if he's inclined to try out... 'Paradise'?"

[Vandre:] Coughing, he clears his voice. "'Paradise' it is," he says, inclining his head politely as he moves back a bit. A spotlight flares to life, shining down upon him and causing his gilded glow to wane. Music plays from the speakers hanging at the ceiling upon each side of the stage. Inhaling, exhaling he prepares himself. Opening his mouth he begins to sing, low at first, his voice deep, smooth and husky.

[Caliah:] A slender eyebrow arching, Caliah reclines in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. The first notes of music spill from the stage, eliciting a few giggles and whispers from the watching crowd. From their reaction it was evident few took to the stage to perform this way, and it's with considerable interest that most of them look on from over their drinks.

"Didn't know SOLDIERs could sing," someone's heard to whisper loudly from the back of the bar, answered by a soft laugh from someone else.

"Hell if I know, maybe it's part of their training," another wag answers, shushed by his companions.

As Vandre begins to sing, Caliah's eyebrows climb further, surprise evident in the glance she casts the youth on stage. "Not bad..."

[Vandre:] Voice carrying through the smoke-filled air, Vandre continues to sing, his chest and throat shuddering with each word. The tone is casual now, soft, deep as he offers a step back and then forth. The speakers crackle, as static passes over and he continues for awhile more. Tone and voice deepen, growing louder as the climax of the song is reached. He croons, voice like ribbons of air, and then it tapers off into silence. The singing. The music.

[Caliah:] As the last few notes fade into silence, whistles of approval and the crowd's unrestrained applause fill the smoky tavern, some of the regulars at the bar urging Vandre to stay on stage, lifting their drinks. "Sing another one!"

Letting her breath out in a low whistle, Caliah adds her own applause to the din, visibly amused at the reactions of the people around her. "That wasn't bad. Not bad at all," the pale-haired woman remarks from where she's still seated at the table, angling a wry look up at Vandre. "You've some surprising talents."

[Vandre:] The glow in his eyes quickly brightens as his cheeks flush into a deep red. He stands, nervously and offers a hesitant bow before offering the microphone off to someone else, a drunk man in a business suit. With a hop he lands off the stage and takes a seat across from Caliah. "How many beers have you had? I was expecting a glare" he says with a grin as he settles down, ordering another beer. "Thank you, though. My father taught me, I wonder if they made it out alive," he asks out loud as a gloved hand sinks down to his waist and toys with the red orb hung by a golden chain.

[Caliah:] "I've lost count," the silver-haired SOLDIER answers with a soft laugh, gesturing carelessly at the myriad bottles before her. "Around five I suppose. On my sixth." A smirk punctuates her usual clear speech as she holds up the newly opened bottle in one gloved hand. "You have some catching up to do."

Vandre's gesture hadn't gone unnoticed; Caliah's eyes note the accessory that dangles from his belt loops, but rather than inquiring as to its nature, she cants her head at the other, taking a sip from her beer. "I wasn't very close to either of my parents. I think every new arrival here has lost someone; if they're alive, it's only a matter of time before you find them." She trails off, tactfully keeping the /other/ possibility unvoiced.

[Vandre:] "Or they're killed. I know. I joined SOLDIER to make them proud...well they made me join...for their sake, but still, what parent could not love their child? And what child could not love their parent? Right?" He questions, gazing at Caliah expectantly before draining the contents of the brown glass bottle. He pauses, exhales and reaches for a new beer.

Mouth twisting as though she suddenly found the taste of the beer unpleasant, Caliah gives a single, faint shake of her head, forcing herself to swallow the smooth, dark malt liquid. "Love also spurs people to make decisions that they believe are in the best interests of the person they love; it may not be." Her hand tightens slightly on the bottle, wiping a bead of condensation from its lip. "Ultimately though, we are responsible for ourselves and our actions. Many have had to learn that the hard way."

[Vandre:] "I see," he says briefly, lowering his gaze as he drains the last of his beer. "I best get some rest. I'll see you at the inn," he adds, rising to his feet as he offers a casual salute and walks into the crowd, disappearing amongst it and its smoky haze.

-----

<OOC> Vandre might have Heartless attack to spare himself the need to make up a song. :X
<OOC> Airednas says, "... in the bar? O_O"
<OOC> Vandre says, "yes? XD they bust in! sob flail....for revenge? sob omg this interview is over"
<OOC> Airednas says, "... interview? >.>;;;"
<OOC> Caliah spanks. HARD ><
<OOC> Caliah asks him to sing FF8 songs. HAHAHA
<OOC> Vandre says, "oMG"
<OOC> Airednas says, "... ahahahaha. XD"
<OOC> Vandre says, "I will not write lyrics..just a general description XD"
<OOC> Airednas says, "And hump the microphone. XD"
<OOC> Caliah says, "give it head you mean"
<OOC> Airednas says, "So he'll come down, all aroused, and like, rip Cali's clothes off and they have hot shmexy sexxorz right on the table. XD"
<OOC> Vandre says, "then drag aire into a 3way sob"
<OOC> Vandre says, "be sure to use barrier down there, I don't want another pregnancy!"
<OOC> Airednas says, "Ahahahahaha! XD"
<OOC> Caliah says, "only aire has that problem :P"
<OOC> Airednas says, "sob xDD"
<OOC> Vandre says, "sob...copped out"
<OOC> Vandre says, "cast esuna caliah...sob remove infertility"
<OOC> Airednas says, "Ahahahahaha. XD"