Songbird Fever (PM for Invite)

[Ax L Rose]

This thread is a continuation of Cat Gets the Bird. Please message me on Discord if you're interested in joining.

Ax must've known the city like the back of her hand, judging from the convoluted route they'd taken! Ax showed no hesitation, cutting through side streets, alleyways, and even through vacant lots and sidewalks. She weaved through traffic effortlessly, her blasting speakers drowning out the sounds of frightened drivers honking their horns and yelling curses about 'damn kids' and 'faunus brats'. Somehow they hadn't encountered a single cop on the way either. Ax had her handy-dandy radar display to thank for that.

Ax's royal blue jet bike slowed to a halt at the edge of a curb after the winding, haphazard run they'd taken through the city. Ax's music cut out along with the engine as Ax lowered a leg to steady the bike and let Fu off. She waited for her passenger to pull her arms away and hop up onto the pavement before she swayed her hair back behind her dramatically, raising a hand and plucking her sunglasses off her face, letting out a happy sigh. Rides on her bike were downright therapeutic, but they were even more so when she was bringing along a pretty friend. Especially one who was unaccustomed to going so fast on the regular.

"...heyyy, not bad. Don't usually get to park this close. But then again, I guess I'm a little earlier than usual," Ax mused aloud. She turned to look back at Fuchsia, a playful little smile on her lips. She was relieved that the bike ride seemed to have taken the edge off. It was a worthwhile lesson - sometimes it was best to just let people process things.

"I dunno if you were paying much attention at the time, but there was a guy back at that last light, was toooottally checkin' you out. Had a half mind to try n' make him jealous," Ax gave Fuchsia a playful raise of her eyebrows.

They weren't alone on the street, but foot traffic seemed modest at best thanks to the setting sun in the sky. It'd be getting dark soon. Most of the buildings around them were little independent businesses, a few cafes, a thrift shop, a cheap theatre advertising an improv comedy act, and plenty of offices. Further ahead one could see the steam and smoke in the sky - the heart of the Industrial District. It was a notoriously tricky district to party around. It was probably the closest thing one would get to an experience like Mantle in the comfort of the City of Vale.

If Spades was anything impressive to look at, they must not have been there yet. It must have blended in with all the other hole-in-the-wall dives throughout the district. That was part of its charm in Ax's humble opinion - it wasn't there to impress, or to look special on the outside. Sometimes what mattered was what lied within.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

Fuchsia had of course been enjoying their little cruise through town. Shaking off the emotions that had stained a bit of the end of their previous adventure at Makeout Point, Fu was reveling in their sudden jump into a rebellious run through the town. She was certainly enjoying all the opportunities to flex her middle finger at those people who'd decided to mention her race as though that were some indicator of her behavior, and of course she'd been laughing nearly the entire time.

It was almost sad that it had to end, but when they shot through an alley and around a street corner and then suddenly slowed, pulling up on the place, she had to fight not to pout a little. Yes, she decided, she really liked the bike rides. Feeling much better, when they'd finally come to a complete stop, she hopped off the bike with enthusiasm and went about ridding herself of the googles, a big toothy grin on her face.

"Oh yeah? That right? Maybe ya shoulda," she said teasingly, placing a hand on the small of her back and bending over, striking a bit of a pose for Ax, her other hand against the side of her head. Her tail whipped upward, then snaked its way back down, performing a little twirl of its own as she straightened out again. She began the long process of straightening out her hair, which had become a bit of a mess again due to their speed, and she put the goggles away into the cargo compartment she'd seen Ax take them out of earlier. They'd got here just in time, she briefly looked over to the sunset in the distance, a contented smile appearing on her face for a moment. Tonight was probably going to be fucking awesome, if she was honest with herself.

She looked down the road in both directions, just to see what was there, then swiped a hand backward over her ears, pushing them down for a second, sighing. Extreme wind-speeds made them act like sails, and they ached just a little bit. Better than last time, though, now that she knew to flatten them against her head as much as possible.

"Sooo... Where's the place at? I'm assumin' it's not the laundry joint," she said, looking a little confused and spinning in a circle. They hadn't pulled up right in front of it, or if this was the place, she would be pretty surprised. She was up for a little walk, though. Might be nice to get her into this new mood they were about to explore. She shot a grin to Ax, figuring she'd follow her for now.

[Ax L Rose]

It was great to see the pretty kitty seeming so lively! Ax's lips curved into a sly and somewhat smug smirk that broke into a broad grin at Fuchsia's confident little pose. She took in the sight without a second thought, her eyes lowering a bit to linger on the alluring curves of Fuchsia's body before flicking to watch her quirky little tail whipping about animatedly. She rested her gauntlet-plated hand on her hip as her eyes met Fu's again.

"Still could, maybe? He might be back there on the road... heh, somewhere on one of those streets we tore the hell up?" Ax tilted her head up a bit to Fuchsia. Maybe she was thinking about it. The little narrow-eyed smirk that Ax gave her might've been a challenge. She found she quite enjoyed playing this game with Fuchsia so far.

She rose her leg over her bike and stood upright, raising her arms above her head and stretching them out above her, languidly rocking forward to her tiptoes, arching her body, and craning her head back until she heard a nice, satisfying *pop*. When she looked over at Fuchsia again, though, she was looking down the road behind them at the shimmering orange light of the setting sun, the smoldering amber of the sky giving her seemingly glowing eyes an otherworldly glint. It was hypnotizing. She'd seen sunsets a hundred times before, but this was a little different.

When Fuchsia's head moved, the spell was broken. She watched Fu spin in a cute little circle as she spoke, and Ax let out a gentle laugh as she stepped ahead along the pavement to lead the way. She spun on her heel and gestured with a hand for Fuchsia to follow, walking a few feet backwards.

"Nah, c'mon. Do I look like the kinda chick that takes a girl to a laundry place?" She rose her hands in mocking apology, the smile on the corner of her lips giving her away. "But hey, don't be disappointed. If you want, we can watch Judge Julie reruns on the TV and fold clothes on the second date. Y'know, assuming you're still having fun by the end a' the night," Ax gave Fuchsia a playful wink and spun forward once more, walking at a pretty slow and casual pace to let the cat catch up.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

She wouldn't admit it, but Fuchsia was currently eating up the attention she was given, the only hint might've been the little blush that colored her cheeks and the bridge of her nose a shade darker. There was something about seeing a girl who was just as attractive if not more so than she was eating out of the palm of her hand like that. It was made a little worse by the response she got to her little question. The idea of tracking that guy down just so they could flaunt each other in front of him, it was... Well, a bit risque.

She offered Ax a small laugh at the joke, though, and jammed her hands into her pockets, watching Ax's little stretch with amusement in her cat-like eyes. She even purred a little, a small sound of enjoyment while she took in the view this afforded her, before briefly settling back into her sunset-driven ambedo for a few seconds. Then, she retrieved her lighter and a box of smokes from her pockets, pulled one out, and lit it.

Taking Ax's hand-signal as a go-ahead, she followed after the bird with a few quick steps so she could settle into a stride alongside her, still looking around every so often, her head on a swivel. Maybe they were a little further away than she'd expected? Maybe it was a popular place and there weren't any parking spaces near enough?

"If I'm honest with m'self, heh, ya do. It's just the right kind of outlandish I might expect from you," Fu said in response, "But honestly, I'd be lyin' if I didn't say my idea of a good time's close to sittin' on the washin' machines and puttin' coins in whenever the ride's over. And if there's a show, too? Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout." She grinned, then puffed on her smoke, enjoying the slight burn in her lungs before they would go inside and the way it bumped up her high a little bit, making her somewhat lightheaded and just enjoying the feel of the inner city. Wherever they were going, based on its surroundings, she was fairly certain that this place would be right up her alley.

[Ax L Rose]

It was times like this that Ax loved her semblance! The little voice in the back of her mind that had been so worried that Fuchsia might not enjoy herself was thoroughly silenced by emotional signals filling in all the blanks. It made confidence all that much more natural and easy. Fuchsia clearly liked having Ax's deep blue eyes all over her, and if she liked that, well, Ax wasn't gonna play coy about looking! Fu was full of energy and enthusiasm after the ride, eager to see where this was going. Ax felt very much the same in the shadow of the black cat's positive emotions!

The smell of cigarette smoke made her want to fidget a little, though. She drummed her fingers lightly on her thigh. She was supposed to be quitting. She'd been trying to for a while. She resisted the urge to light one of her own, but she drifted a little closer alongside Fuchsia as they walked, the glossy sleeve of her leather jacket bumping up a little against Fu's arm. Further ahead, Ax could see the sign for their destination - a long vertical display arranged like a deck of cards being shuffled, illuminated with white neon lights, a big spade at the top.

From the outside, Spades was pretty much just another brick in the wall. It seemed a cut classier than many of the shitty bars throughout Industrial, but it still seemed pretty divey. No line to get in, at least. A handful of patrons were standing around near the curb, chattering and smoking cigarettes. A few of them were also standing at the wall near the adjacent alleyway. A few goths in all black with elaborate outfits and silvery chains, a few metalheads in band tees, a few punks with piercings and unusually-colored hair, a few hipsters...

The bird turned her head and flashed an amused grin to the shorter girl beside her as she spoke. As soon as she started talking about "sittin' on washin' machines" Ax began to snicker.

"Judge Julie's your type, eh? You like girls like that? Bossy, lil' bitchy, takes no shit, maybe a little on the older side?" Ax smirked, happy to poke a little fun. Her eyes flicked from Fuchsia's face down to her cigarette meaningfully, wondering to herself silently. If she thought enough about how much she wanted a puff, would Fuchsia pick up on it?

"Hey!" A voice called out. A woman with a green mohawk waved her arms up high as she saw Ax and Fu a little ways down the pavement. Ax's eyes flicked away from Fu toward the source of the sound. Apparently Ax recognized this person, judging from the way she rose her hand and called back to her in greeting.

"Heeeey, what's up Riv?" Ax grinned. She then turned to look over at Fu again.

"Yeaaaah, I'll prolly have to introduce you to a few faces 'long the way," Ax said, giving Fu a small, private little smile. They still had just a little more distance left to clear before they were in front of Spades with 'Riv' and her friends.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

Fuchsia enjoyed the bit of a walk to transition them between the bike ride and the dive bar, or whatever it is, she was expecting a dive bar. But the smoke filled her lungs, and she killed half her cigarette in that short time walking, casually swaying to the side each time Ax bumped into her, then back again. It almost felt... Nostalgic. Like she'd been in this exact scenario a hundred times before. She probably had.

Her eyes drank in the sights of the street, and soon they were seeing people. People, it seemed, who were just like them. The punks, the goths, the metalheads, and a few other myriad lovers of music and alternative lifestyles. She had to wonder what kind of place was this? If these types were here, then this wasn't just a bar... It was a venue. She grinned. Had Ax mentioned that? If she had, Fu'd forgotten this detail, but now she was kind of psyched up.

The light of the neon sign which had attracted them buzzed softly above the chatter of the street-going crowd, but her eyes were fixated on all the people. It was a goldmine for a people-watcher, and she could even overhear some of the conversations with her large, sensitive ears. This was her kind of place.

This was her scene.

She smirked at Ax when she spoke, turning her head to admire the bird girl in her element. She looked fabulous under the neon glow.

"That depends," Fu purred to her, "Do they also come with pink feathers?" She gave Ax a cheeky grin, then turned to see the green-haired girl waving at them. Nice... Hot babes here, too? Still, she was probably with the most attractive of them all... She had a feeling that might give her some bonus points.

"Fuck yeah, man, introduce me t'anyone ya wanna. I'm down as hell fer this place," Fu said, grinning at various people who looked her way, her pointed canines showing.

[Ax L Rose]

Ax couldn't help but peek over at Fuchsia as she marveled at their surroundings, her heels clicking against the pavement as they walked. A little smile came to her lips... maybe she saw some of the same beauty here that Ax did. Not just any person did. She raised a hand and fussed a little with her long hair as Fuchsia looked over at her and spoke, brushing some of it behind a pink feather-tipped ear. Ax apparently found Fu's reply to be satisfyingly witty for the time being, a palpable sense of warmth echoing back from the empath's aura.

The cat and the cockatoo soon reached "Riv" and her circle of friends. A few of them continued to chatter between themselves, unconcerned with Ax's arrival. Others were clearly stunned to see her - Riv, however, seemed more interested in Fuchsia as she stepped a little away from the rest of her crowd to give the pair a couple of appraising lookovers.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," The green-haired mohawk girl grinned as she looked over at Fu, and then to Ax. Ax got a bad feeling all the sudden. She'd never brought a date here, unless she counted Nym, but... it'd never been called a date. She could tell that Riviera was very interested in this development even before she asked.

"Who's this? Never seen her before. New friend? Beacon girl?" Riviera's eyes flicked over to Fuchsia, a warm smile on her lips.

"Riviera, this is Fuchsia. Fuchsia... Riviera," Ax gave a pretty basic initial introduction... mostly because she found herself a little distracted. She knew that look on the punk singer's face. Nym got that look all the time from people around the clubs when they went out, and Ax didn't like it then. She liked it even less when someone was looking at her date that way. Before she could think twice about it, she reached over with her arm and rested it over Fu's shoulders, giving Riviera a small, thin smile.

"Riv's a regular here at Spades, lead singer and performer for her band, The Wonder Bombs. Plays guitar, bass, ukulele sometimes. Honestly, the uke's probably her best shit. She does solo stuff here all the time too," Ax elaborated coolly for Fuchsia's sake. She then addressed Riviera.

"Try not to freak out, kay Riv? Fuchsia's... my date tonight," Ax said. Immediately she felt pangs of heartbreak around her. Some of Riv's friends must've gotten their hopes up. Or maybe Fuchsia was just a little heartthrob in the eyes of this bunch, she couldn't really pick apart the envy and she didn't plan on trying.

"Oooh-hoo-hooo! The Queen of Hearts has herself a consort!" Riviera giggled, apparently very amused at this. She then turned to look over at Fuchsia, planting a hand on her hip and smirking to herself.

"Consort? You for real, Riv? You say that shit again, I'm gonna slap the bitch out of you," Ax rolled her eyes. This was why Riviera was always single, probably. Was that really her idea of a cute thing to say?

"I see you've got a type, Ax. Dark hair, pretty gold eyes? Shorter n' you? Fitter n' all get out?" Riviera's eyes flicked between Fu and Ax expectantly. Ax's smile remained, but it seemed just a bit colder, icier than before.

"Nym n' I aren't together-together," Ax clarified pointedly. Riv was really putting her on the spot today. Ax couldn't help but wonder why.

"Hey, I'm happy for you! I'm glad to see you've got something else going on finally."

Ax's jaw locked. She'd never heard this side of Riviera before. She wasn't sure she liked it. She really was gonna slap her at this rate. She tilted her head a little to the side, giving the punk a narrow-eyed stare.

"...ah, I get it. I see what's happening. You feelin' jealous, Riv? Is it 'cause a' me? Or were you hopin' for a shot at Fu yourself?" Ax asked.

"I wouldn't kick either a' you out of bed. You playin' tonight?" Riviera crossed her arms, playing it cool.

"Pssh, don't change the subject," Ax waved her free hand dismissively.

"For real! There's a bunch of gaps where you could! Show off for your pretty new friend, yeah?" Riv waggled her eyebrows.

"...anyway. Riv's a troll, and she lives to fuck with me. She's... she's alright I guess. Sometimes!" Ax let out a little sigh as she turned her eyes to look over at Fu. Riviera winked.

"I'm better than alright. So, Fuchsia. First time here? Must be, yeah? We'd a' probly met before otherwise, I figure!" The girl with the mohawk smiled down at Fuchsia.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

Fuchsia had been feeling pretty amped to be here, and nevertheless she went along with the bird, expecting to do as she'd said. Of course, she'd said 'anyone you wanna', but what she'd really meant was 'anyone as long as they're cool and or chill.' Maybe she should've specified this a little more clearly. Upon reaching the group of people out front, Fu kept her hands in her pockets, her cigarette hanging from her lip while it burned slowly. Her golden eyes scanned the various faces, most of which didn't seem to take notice, but the green-haired mohawk girl certainly did.

First impressions meant much, maybe not everything, but so far, they were off to a start. Fuchsia rolled her eyes at the cat joke. Like she hadn't heard that one a million times before... But one corny joke did not an annoyance make, and she was content to stand on the sidewalk next to Ax, looking off at the bar and various other patrons, idly keeping up with the chatter, her weight shifted to one leg.

When she was introduced, Fu simply gave the girl a small upward nod, but from then on her eyes stayed on this 'Riv' character, and as Ax explained her whole deal, the girl grinned, her pointed canines flashing in the light from the neon sign above.

"Yeah? You play, rock on," she said simply, plucking her smoke from her lips to do so, letting it burn away in her hand now instead. The light trail of smoke only added to the atmosphere here, like it belonged. But the small smile on her face didn't last very long, as soon Ax was introducing her as her date, and she lifted an eyebrow at the bird girl, since she'd had the impression that Ax had been attempting to keep the whole thing on the down-low. What was worse, though, was Riv's reaction.

Immediately, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The last time she'd heard someone use that tone, it... hadn't ended well, and her words which followed made the alleycat sneer and step forward, her fingers fondling the knife in her pocket.

"Tha' fuck did you jus'-?" she shot with acid, and those exotic eyes of hers burned holes in the girl for a moment. Like hell she'd let some random ass punk on the street call her a fucking consort.

Ax had it handled, though. She immediately interjected on Fu's behalf, and the girl scoffed and turned her back on the crowd, her eyes floating downward and then to the side, searching for something to better captivate her senses than whatever this was. Still, it was impossible not to overhear the following exchange, and now her eyes were darting sidelong to Ax.

Who the hell was Nym?

She looked over her shoulder at Riv, then to Ax, then away again, as her memory conjured up an image of a small girl with fox-ears and a hoodie in her hands. That Nym? Did this cretin just spell out something she should've known beforehand? She felt a sense that Ax didn't like this accusation just as much as she did, and in her unsettled state, her eyes kept moving, and her fingers flipped the handles of her blade over again and again in her pocket.

She got another chance to speak her mind, though, when Riv mentioned something about beds. She frowned again.

"Tch. As if," she spat, not unlike a house-cat hissing at a threat, but she did her best not to let this shit bother her. The explanation came, finally, that this was all some sort of bullshit this girl was apparently known for. When Riv addressed her directly, she half-turned toward her, looking her up and down, sizing her up. Yeah... She wasn't a real threat. Probably just a normie who couldn't handle so much as a Beowulf without shitting herself.

"An' maybe the last if every dipshit in this place greets strangers like you do," she quipped straight to the mohawk, her eyes half-closing, her mouth twisted into a sly smirk.

"Lil' word of advice. Vale may be nice, but not everyone comes from streets as pretty as this. Maybe save the dickery for someone less likely to stab ya in th' neck?" Fu's words now sounded amused, like she was joking, but she definitely wasn't. Ax could likely feel the strange sense of alertness radiating from her. It was at once exhilarating and alarming, for her, she hadn't expected to be so on-guard in this Mary-Sue town she now inhabited. She looked back at Ax with an eyebrow raised.

"We goin' in or what?" she asked, without so much as missing a beat.

[Ax L Rose]

Clearly Fuchsia wasn't the only person in the group to find the joke in poor taste. Ax, for one, didn't seem to find it particularly funny, nor did a furry-tailed, tall guy in a long jacket near the back of the group. Sadly, one among the punk-lookin' types did, letting out a laugh that managed to sound kind of awkward and lonely amidst the rest of the exchange.

Riviera... maybe wasn't quite as responsive or emotionally perceptive as, say, Ax. That, or she was pushing buttons on purpose. For one, her smile didn't seem phased by the lukewarm reaction to her joke - the plan hadn't really been to be funny, so much as to rib a bit with Ax, knowing puns of such a caliber were a great way to get her to groan. The pink-haired faunus had always been super easy to mess with, and it showed any time any little thing got under her skin. She knew Ax could take it. She also knew Ax could dish it out, too.

She bobbed her head happily, her grin widening at Fuchsia's friendly initial introduction. It almost made her feel guilty to twist the dials with Ax after that. Almost. That curious look she gave Ax, the way her smile fell away? The way Ax rose an arm looked possessive... and Rivieria knew that passive-aggressive, thin little smirk. Was was Ax up to?

Maybe Fuchsia didn't know? Maybe Ax had neglected to mention Nym. It was surprising... scandalous even. Telling, maybe? That thought guided her along as she pressed Ax a little further. The rocker-bird had made it sound like she was over her days of being a heartbreaker. Was that really the case? She couldn't tell yet.

"Oooh-hoo-hooo! The Queen of Hearts has herself a consort!" Riviera laughed, poking fun at Ax's title. She'd never brought anyone around but Nym... and she was pretty sure Ax had let on that something happened with Nym recently. She then turned to look over at Fuchsia, planting a hand on her hip, smirking and aiming to not let on too much that she was mostly fishing for a reaction from Ax. But Fu's reaction was pretty distracting.

"Tha' fuck did you jus'-?"

Riviera's smile faded. Fuchsia didn't seem pleased to hear this. While she'd intended to poke fun at Ax, she didn't really see what Fuchsia's deal was here. Everyone here called Ax the Queen of Hearts. Did she take issue with being compared to a monarch's companion, or spouse? Maybe Fuchsia didn't know what a consort was.

"Consort? You for real, Riv? You say that shit again, I'm gonna slap the bitch out of you,"

At first, Ax rolled her eyes. Classic Riviera, saying something lame and dumb and corny, painting Fuchsia like she was a companion and not basically just a friend. That was what Ax got for recognizing this as a date and trying to act like it. But then Fu scoffed and twisted away, making Ax reflexively withdraw her arm. Okay... maybe um... maybe that hadn't been a good idea? A blip of worry was all it took to make her composure stutter and fail inwardly, but her rehearsed demeanor stayed outwardly resolved. She didn't want to show her worry. Didn't want to seem hurt by someone on a first date.

Then she felt a pulse of anger. Urgh, she couldn't help it! Riviera's lingering eyes on Fu just... made her want people to not get the wrong idea! She wasn't here to be Fuchsia's wingwoman, and it wasn't cool for Riviera to look at her like that in front of her. Besides, Fu had kissed her! She just wanted to show Fuchsia that it'd meant something to her, take this seriously, really explore how it felt to be... close with her a little? She didn't want to make her feel bad or uncomfortable! Ax actually kind of wanted Fuchsia to be focused on her and not on things like... other people giving her eyes, trying to distract her? Making super forward comments or whatever... she didn't want this to go like it always seemed to with Nym.

If she wanted to be interested in someone she had to be obvious about it, she had to take ownership of her feelings, right? Her mind flashed back to how Nym had acted so many times before, as early as their first night out with Ria, as recently as that fucked up situation with Calli...

Riviera could smell the blood in the water, sense the build up of tension... and she still thought she was the shark in that moment. She didn't notice the hand at Fuchsia's side. She wasn't fully clued into the danger, seeing as Ax hadn't actually answered her question about if she was a Beacon girl. She pressed right on almost smugly. Ax just kept smiling, playing unphased, but it made Riviera felt emboldened.

Did Ax really like... think this was okay? They were friends, yeah, and when Riviera had been through shit in the past, Ax had helped her and comforted her. How could Ax play sweet and nice and then bring some chick around she'd never seen before, introduce her as her date, and act like it was no big deal? Ax had been pining over Nym for actual years. Hadn't she said Nym confessed to her? It struck a nerve she didn't even consciously realize, and it made it all the easier to twist those dials... but now she wasn't trying to be friendly.

"I see you've got a type, Ax. Dark hair, pretty gold eyes? Shorter n' you? Fitter n' all get out?" Riviera's eyes flicked between Fu and Ax expectantly, wondering if Fu would start to piece together what she was getting at on her own.

Ax's smile remained, but it seemed just a bit colder, icier than before. Riviera was really starting to piss her off, but she didn't want to show it too much. What were the chances Riviera was really trying to hurt her? Not high. Riviera was her friend. Fuck's sake though... they were gonna be having words at some point about this!

Riviera's eyes flicked over to Fuchsia. Fuchsia turned her head to look at Ax. Ax's smile was painted on her lips. Fear. She had been afraid of this. She didn't want Fuchsia to feel this way. She'd tried to let on that her love life was complicated at the start, as early as when they talked on the rooftops at the dorms! She'd been up front, she'd been open that she couldn't do commitment, that she wasn't trying to turn this into something specific! Yet Fu was looking at her like...

Ax didn't have time to unpack this! She needed to stay composed! Everyone here could feel her fear! She forced the emotion down into her chest and gave the shortest reply she could think of to Riviera that would hopefully not sound too curt.

"Nym n' I aren't together-together,"

It still came out pretty pointed. Why was Riviera doing this to her? Why was her friend trying to sabotage this? Was it jealousy? Did she think... did she think she was taking Fuchsia for a ride?

Ax's eyes widened a little. Emotions were confusing, but it was clicking. That was it. Riviera... was projecting her own insecurities right now. She was comparing this situation to something that'd happened to her. Had that been the point at the start? Ax couldn't remember how this all started. Fuchsia was behaving like she was... hurt? No, just angry. Was she... angry at her? Angry at Riviera? She couldn't get all the perspective she needed.

Ax had fucked up. This was a mistake. She felt fidgety. She wanted a smoke really fucking bad...

...and now Riviera wanted one too. It made sense now. They weren't "together-together"! That made more sense! Riviera's suspicion was... uncalled for. Nym really wasn't entitled to know anything about Ax's love life, and frankly, it was probably a good thing that Ax was with someone who didn't have a reputation for fucking anyone on two legs after how long Ax had tortured herself over her best friend. She felt a brief flicker of guilt, but then a need to try and ease the mood.

Ax was usually very good at this little game, but Riviera had actually been pissed and... and because of Ax's semblance, she was feeling it too. And now Fu was also probably feeling it, it worked that way, right? Now a weird, tangly mess of emotions was probably happening inside of Ax's skull. Riviera didn't have time to think - she blurted out the nicest, most supportive-sounding thing she could think to say.

"Hey, I'm happy for you! I'm glad to see you've got something else going on finally," Riviera said, her tone casual, conversational, like she was trying to make light of things. 'Something else' other than Nym. Why bring up Nym right now? It managed to completely rub Ax the wrong way, despite her good intentions. Ax's jaw locked. She'd never heard this side of Riviera before. She wasn't sure she liked it. She really was gonna slap her at this rate. She tilted her head a little to the side, giving the punk a narrow-eyed stare.

"...ah, I get it. I see what's happening. You feelin' jealous, Riv? Is it 'cause a' me? Or were you hopin' for a shot at Fu yourself?" Ax asked venomously. Riviera's heart jumped into her throat. That didn't work. Ax was getting angrier. This had happened before a few times, and it'd never been pretty. The Queen of Hearts wasn't just a cute name for a great performer. It was also a reference to a character from a fable - a blind fury of a woman quick to give the death sentence at the slightest whim.

It'd be off with Riviera's head if she didn't calm Ax down. And... she'd probably need to calm her pretty friend too. Riv's other friends behind her were weirdly quiet. They were starting to notice this exchange. Ax's explosive anger was rarely seen, but oft commented on when people gossiped due to how intense and scary it could be. Would she blow it? Would they get to see it for themselves?

"I wouldn't kick either a' you out of bed. You playin' tonight?" Riviera crossed her arms, playing it cool, changing the subject in desperation, not wanting to lose face, not wanting everyone to think there was a problem. Her eyes flicked over to Fuchsia quickly, hoping her response was suitably diplomatic to at least partially defuse things.

"Tch. As if," Fuchsia spat, not unlike a house-cat hissing at a threat. There was a snicker behind Riviera at that. Her heart fell in her chest. Well, okay, she could live with the fact that Fuchsia maybe didn't think she was her type, but it still stung in the moment.

"Pssh, don't change the subject," Ax reached for her cigarette pack in her pocket and gripping it enough to compress the paper carton a bit, waving her free hand dismissively. What Riviera said didn't... it didn't make sense. This was all wrong. Ax didn't know what was happening, but she knew she was feeling her wires get crossed within literal seconds of introducing someone to her date, and that fucking sucked. Maybe that was the issue? As soon as she started thinking of this like a date and not just a friend thing, it subtly changed her subconscious expectations a bit. It made her hopeful. It made her insecure. She didn't want Fuchsia to see her be insecure. She didn't want to bring the mood down with Riviera and her friends. She didn't want to explode. People were looking at them expectantly. Ax needed to keep it together.

"For real! There's a bunch of gaps where you could! Show off for your pretty new friend, yeah?" Riv's eyes flashed with inspiration and she got an idea as she doubled-down on her subject change, and her clumsy and slightly embarrassing admission that she'd happily sleep with either of the pretty faunus girls in front of her. She waggled her eyebrows in that kind of funny way that tended to make Ax smirk! Maybe she'd get it! Maybe she'd see that she was trying to cool things down on purpose!

Ax... didn't pick up on it very well. She seemed to recognize an effort to escalate happening, sort of, at least? Enough where when she spoke again, she managed to sound... dismissive. She wanted to play this off. Not analyze it, not turn it into a big thing. She wanted everyone to stop staring at the back and forth and leave her alone, so she could maybe explain some of what was happening and... hopefully ensure that she wasn't too pissed.

"...anyway. Riv's a troll, and she lives to fuck with me. She's... she's alright I guess. Sometimes!" Ax let out a tense little breath, clearly not as composed as she was when the conversation started. She couldn't help but vent a little of it, even though she was trying really hard to be cool right now.

"I'm better than alright. So, Fuchsia. First time here? Must be, yeah? We'd a' probly met before otherwise, I figure!" Riviera's eyes shifted briefly away and behind her somewhat, as if checking on her friends. The change in tone seemed to have helped the situation a bit. They were starting to like... look at each other, talk to each other again? She smiled over and down at the short cat faunus, hoping she'd pick up on the friendly air she was trying to build too.

"An' maybe the last if every dipshit in this place greets strangers like you do," Fuchsia quipped.

Everyone went silent again, every pair of eyes around them focused on Fuchsia. Riviera's lips twitched, shame coursing through her. She turned her eyes to Ax desperately, hoping she'd know what to do... because it sounded like Riviera wasn't going to be able to defuse this one.

Ax's face was a paper-thin, fake little slip of a smile as her eyes turned over to Fu, her eyes widening a little. Ax was playing stoic, but she didn't like the sound of that. Maybe the last? Fu didn't want to come back. They hadn't even gotten in through the door, and she already was talking about not coming back... she kept her smile on even though she hated how this was making her feel.

"Lil' word of advice. Vale may be nice, but not everyone comes from streets as pretty as this. Maybe save the dickery for someone less likely to stab ya in th' neck?" Fu's words sounded bemused, sort of like a joke, but Riviera felt as though the question of 'is she a Beacon student' was well-answered by that. Riviera had just pissed off probably the two most dangerous people on the block to her knowledge. Her eyes widened a little, less confident that Fuchsia was joking even though it sounded joking. She also felt horrible, getting told off so harshly in front of people she liked when she was trying to be nice...

Ax felt a jab of a knife and a twist in her chest. Fu's words cut, but Ax... wasn't sure why she was feeling hurt. Was it because Riviera felt hurt? Because Fu was hurt, and was lashing out like she did with that girl who interrupted her while she was drumming? Was it her own fault she was hurting right now? She didn't know. She couldn't untangle it in an instant.

"We goin' in or what?" Fu asked, without so much as missing a beat.

Ax stared at Fuchsia for a moment, her eyes scanning her eyes, her lips. Were Fuchsia's nostrils flared? Was her brow tense? Was her jaw locked? Determined to stay cool, she nodded her head and smoothed out her facial features, turning to look back over to Riviera.

"Yeah. We, however, need to talk later. And it's important," Ax said coolly, trying to squeeze out enough executive function to radiate confidence and composure despite being half-certain this date was pretty much dead in the water.

"Yeah... um... I'll text you," Riviera agreed, biting her lip, somewhat crestfallen, turning back to her friends, raising a hand and waving with a vaguely directed goodbye.

Ax sucked in a breath and started to march to the entrance, clearly a little off balance. They got to the doors, just a bit out of earshot of Riviera and her friends, when Ax reached out to rest a hand on the brick wall before the doorway and exhaled a tense breath, turning her head to Fu before leaning heavily on the wall, her back against it.

"...I really fucking need a smoke after that, actually. Can we um... take a sec?" Ax said, pulling out her cigarette pack and placing a cigarette between her lips. She didn't wait for Fu to reply before she stuffed the pack away again and hurriedly lit the tip with her thumb.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

Fuchsia was, perhaps, not necessarily proud of herself for the work she'd done on Riv, but she held no regrets for it by the time they'd stepped away. Her mind mulled over what had just happened, trying to make some decisions based on her charged response and the things she'd seen coming from both that girl and Ax. She took a few steps back and forth for a second, until she finally settled in next to Ax, trying to push down her nervousness and the bit of anxiety that came with existing long enough to focus her thoughts on the cockatoo before her. She turned her thoughts over a few more times in just a few seconds, until her mind had settled and she could digest the outcome of that weird little exchange they'd just been privy to.

Number one, she'd decided that Riv probably wasn't as big of a bitch as she'd seemed at first. To judge her that harshly when it had been, more or less, a bad mixture of humor styles or something to that effect, that would have been quite the unfair judgment on her part. She decided to drop it from her brain as soon as they stepped away.

Number two, she already knew that Ax hadn't meant for some dumb shit to crop up when she was already anxious about this date going well. It wasn't her fault, and so of course Fu was ready to not bring up the fact that Ax's 'friends' seemed 'nice'. No, this one was going right under the rug where it fit snugly. In fact;

Number three, she felt bad for having to flash her dangerous side like that, but she'd stepped in when she'd felt the bird's nervous response and had hoped it'd get the lady to back off and leave Ax alone. It had worked, sort of. She'd played a full-up defensive card on a situation that probably didn't warrant such a harsh response, but she'd felt like it was necessary to do so in order to expedite the process of getting by the "guardians" of this here club. She wasn't in the mood to sit and pal around in a game of subtle jabs and underhanded comments. If Riv had a thing for Ax and she was jealous or something, that was her own problem. She was an anxious cat, and that shit didn't fly for a fuck with her. This played into her lack of regretting her actions. Riv could go fuck herself for trying that on a nervous bird and a jumpy cat who just wanted to enjoy the night. Maybe, if they met again under different circumstances, Riv wouldn't forget herself next time and it'd be more pleasant the second time around. Fu was a forgiving sort, at any rate.

When they had safely moved away and Ax seemed to let the valve on her tenseness slip open, Fu looked at her with sympathetic eyes, ready to oblige whatever it was she needed in order to set that one down. She nodded at her question, and in fact, the cat produced her cigarettes with nary a complaint or a second thought. She even coughed up her special flip-lighter, holding that out to Ax as well so she could light up and calm down. When she saw that the bird had her own, and she was set, she stuffed her stuff back into the pockets of her jackets, adding her hands to them as well, and watching Ax let off a bit of steam.

"Sorry," Fu finally said after a few seconds of Ax's smoking, rocking back onto her heels and staring at her feet for a moment, before rocking forward again and lifting her exotic golden eyes to meet Ax's baby blues once more.

"Did'n think I'd hafta do that t'somebody so soon." She gave Ax a sheepish grin, but sighed afterward. Her emotions had died off, the defensive wall slide down with it, and she was left just feeling kind of guilty and a little off-put. It wasn't too serious, though, and her worry for Ax easily overrode her more basic feelings, so she stood next to Ax, closely, watching her.

"You gunna be okay?" she questioned next, and paused to let Ax answer her and speak her mind, maybe she'd feel better if they talked it off a little more before they went in? She certainly didn't want Ax feeling weird about it when they went in.

[Ax L Rose]

She just needed a sec. She drew in smoke from her cigarette and held it in her chest. She exhaled a moment later, shaking her head lightly, tension leaving her shoulders with the motion.

"...well, that could've been less weird," Ax admitted, her tone sort of light. This was deliberate. It felt weird and intense in the moment, but she didn't really want to be weird and intense in the moment. Miscommunications and oddness happened. She just needed to clear a few things up, and see to it that Fuchsia didn't feel confused in a bad way about what had just happened.

She rose her eyebrows and gave Fu a wry smirk as if to express bewilderment at what'd happened while still aware that her note of amusement was not necessarily the appropriate response to an awkward interpersonal standoff like that.

"You're good, Fu," Ax quickly and seemingly reflexively replied at the cat's apology. She didn't want Fuchsia to go feeling like she did anything wrong, though it was somewhat reassuring that Fuchsia was responding to this with empathetic concern.

"Riv means well, but she can be a presumptuous bitch sometimes. But to be fair... so can I," Ax said with a light little sigh, a little shrug of her shoulders, a self-aware and somewhat embarrassed little smile forming on her lips. Clearly Fu was feeling awkward about what had just happened too.

"She n' I will talk. Lost in translation, all that was. She's friends with me and she likes Nym, and she's just traumatized enough by her own experiences to jump to bad conclusions at times, is my theory," Ax replied, keen to reassure her guest as she took another drag of her cigarette and breathed out a little cloud in front of her. She shifted to lean back against the wall, visibly relaxing a bit. She didn't want Fuchsia to feel like she needed to baby her any time something like this happened. It made Ax feel better to think like she could handle her own shit... and she wasn't too proud to ask for help if she really needed it, she figured.

"Oh yeah," Ax waved a hand dismissively, letting out a dry little laugh. "My semblance confusing the vibe happens all the time. It's not like it can't be a pain, like I sorta let on before. I'm not trying to minimize it or anything... I'm just saying, this is baby shit. I have to handle actual big-girl problems on the regular too, so a little strangeness between friends is really not that big a deal," Ax replied easily. Saying it out loud also helped her feel better; it was like her thoughts weren't really real, at times, until she spoke them into reality.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

While the bird steadied her nerves, Fu had taken to fixing her hair. She brushed it back between her ears, running her fingers through her long locks, removing some of the tangles that had settled in from the bike ride over here. Her hair fuzzing up did have the bonus of making her look a bit wild, which probably helped her little intimidation tactic, but all-in-all it was uncomfortable. Besides, there was something to be said about a cat grooming herself.

Fuchsia kept her eyes on Ax while she waited, though, and after a few seconds, when Ax finally spoke, a smile blossomed onto her lips, the humor of the situation finally making its way into her head. She nodded in response to Ax's statement. Yeah, it could've been less weird, but it also could've been worse, so she'd take it.

She did breathe a little sigh of relief when Ax reassured her that she wasn't doing anything wrong, though. The tenseness she'd felt and the slight bit of guilt that came with it was all but removed entirely from her mind with those three simple words, and she nodded again. Ax had some more choice words to offer on the moment, so the cat played listener, finishing with her hair, then straightening her jacket collar and slapping her hands to her thighs when she was done. She looked a little more fixed-up, there wasn't too much she could do without a brush.

"We all can be bitches and hoes sometimes," Fu offered matter-of-factly, straight from her own infinite wisdom, "It all jus' depends whatcha do with it, or somethin' like that." Her grin widened just a tiny bit more as she said this, but her eyes were watching, examining Ax, taking note of the way she moved, the inflection in her voice... That had really stirred the girl up, hadn't it? Perhaps more so than it might somebody else... She couldn't say why it had seemingly bothered her so much, but Fu got the sneaking suspicion that there was something greater at work here... And it possibly wasn't just her strange Semblance...

And she'd only just had a similar moment of her own back at Makeout Point. Perhaps they really were two peas in a pod? It seemed more likely the longer she went along. The cat randomly quirked an eyebrow at a question that popped into her head, but at the risk of looking weird, she promptly lowered it back where it belonged.

"Big-girl problems are th' worst for sure," she concluded, nodding sagely at this while her tail amused itself, dancing about behind her. Inside the club, the song changed, which prompted a single flick of one of her large ears.

"But hey... If it's any consolation, I think ya handled it jus' fine. Let's not worry 'bout it too much, huh? She can't ruin our good time anyhow. But uh... Eitha way, thanks fer lookin' out for me." Fu rubbed the side of her neck sheepishly, shifting her weight onto one leg. Her eyes stayed locked to Ax's as a brief moment of silence passed, then she blinked, and looked toward the door of the bar.

"Mm, I'm startin' t'get excited... It's been ages since I been to a venue!" Fu said energetically, raising a fist from her pocket and lifting her index finger and her pinky, the universal symbol for rockin' on. As with Ax, there were certain things Fu had to do to get the previous scene out of her head. The easiest one was to convert all of that anxiety into excitement, and it certainly helped that they were about to step foot into a bouncing night scene!

[Ax L Rose]

Ax had just lit up a cigarette and Fuchsia was giving off every sign that she was eager to go check the place out. Could she blame her, though? Ax made a point to try and finish her cigarette a little more quickly.

"Eh, I'm over it," Ax said with a light shrug. She let out a half-breath of air like a laugh and gently bowed her head at Fu's thanks. "As long as you're good."

She smiled a bit at Fuchsia's devil horns. Yeah, this chick seemed like she'd probably enjoy Spades' atmosphere. Well, a change in the energy was probably just what the doctor ordered after a bit like what'd just happened. Ax took a particularly long drag from her cigarette and then pressed the lit tip into the brick wall, smushing it out.

"Onward, then," Ax gestured ahead, adjusting the strap of her guitar case and stepping leisurely to lead the way through the door. She pushed her way through the plain doorway and took a look around, getting a feel for how busy the place was.

Most of the light in the bar came from the stagelights, though at this particular moment it was occupied only by equipment and plainly-dressed stagehands it looked like. It felt bigger on the inside than one might've guessed from a typical dive bar on a busy downtown strip. The walls were decorated with all manner of posters, vinyl records... jackets and instruments even with nameplates and hastily scrawled bits of marker indicating these objects apparently belonged to famous people. It wasn't packed, but it wasn't slow either. The energy of the place was upbeat, but in a sort of relaxed, chill way. It was a great mood shift - Ax could feel her thoughts from the earlier incident outside melting away as the contentment of the crowd washed over her.

"N' here we are. The heart and soul of Vale's indie rock scene," Ax smiled over at Fusha, watching her eyes take in the place, curious where the kitten's attentions would lead them at this point. There was a wide open space in front of the stage, tables and booths... a bar lit with unearthly blue hues that didn't look too busy. There was even a staircase that led to a balcony up above where there were a fair number of other patrons mulling about.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

"I'm right as rain, sugar," Fu assured Ax, flashing her a toothy grin that showed the point of her canine. She was glad they were moving passed whatever the hell had happened at the door. It had surely started their excursion with a bit of animosity, and she was eager to shake it loose from her mind and simply get on with the night. She watched the smoke billowing from Ax's cigarette when she snuffed it out on the bricks, then nodded at the bird, ready to follow her inside.

When they passed the precipice of the entryway, Fu's eyes dilated against the dimness, and she took the scene in. All along the walls there were all sorts of things, and the colors and shapes drew her in. She rotated on one heel, looking about in every direction, until her eyes made a full sweep and settled eventually back on Ax.

"Daaamn," Fu started, her confident smirk coming back after the initial awe that had colored her face, "Now this's what'm talkin' about!" Her voice modulated upward in excitement, raising louder against the background noise and the constant chatter of people nearby. For a few more seconds, they stood near the door, taking in the scene, before Fu inclined her head toward the bar. She liked the look of it, all those cool lights and shiny bottles.

"Want a drink?" she asked of her new friend, "Anythin' you want. My treat?" She was eager to repay Ax's generosity from before, after all she'd shared her herb with the cat, and the least she could do was get her a beverage.

"Wonder who's playin' next," Fu mumbled to herself in curiosity, her eyes drifting toward the stage. Seemed like somebody was setting up for a show.

[Ax L Rose]

Ax let out a low, satisfied-sounding little chuckle at Fu's words.

"That your professional take, kit-kat?" Ax asked, her tone playful and teasing. She raised a hand and tapped a metal finger to her cheek, eyes drifting up towards the high ceiling as if deep in thought at Fuchsia's offer. A second later she bobbed her head eagerly.

"Anythin' I want, huh? Well, I guess a good ol' Electric Lemonade can't hurt. Cheers, Fu," Ax answered, apparently pleased. She took this as her cue to lead the way, reaching over to take Fuchsia's hand, her steel-plated fingers slightly warm. She led the way over to the bar and picked out a few stools that were away from the other patrons, pausing to shrug off her guitar case and prop it against the counter before she settled in, crossing her long legs and pulling her tail feathers back over the back of the stool.

"Looks like it'll be a bit before the show starts," Ax noted.

"Sure, yeah, assuming none of the regulars decide they wanna fill some of the half-hour or so til the Rockem Sockems' go up. They apparently got held up on the way here," A blue-haired bartender in a classy-looking vest and a matching miniskirt with a dozen facial piercings chimed in. Ax grinned over at the girl like they were old friends.

"Well, I don't exactly have a set to cover all of it, but if it ain't any trouble, maybe I'll play a song," Ax mused.

"If Ace was here, he'd be pressuring you to. Guarantee it," the sapphire server replied. The woman then turned her eyes toward Fu, giving her a pleasant, rehearsed smile befitting of a customer service worker.

"Who's your cute friend, Ax? M' I gettin' you both an order?"

"Saph, this is Fuchsia. Friend from school," Ax kept the introduction nice n' simple this time.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

The cat grinned at the bird for her teasing words, and stuck her pierced tongue out for a moment in a return of silliness. The nod was all she needed, though, and she took a few steps toward the bar, a knowing smirk having settled over her face. Her ears were at attention and on swivels, taking in the various sounds as she moved, a very catlike grace flowing through her with every step. But before she could get anywhere, the moment she was right next to Ax, the bird grabbed her hand and her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

She couldn't help the dark tinge that touched her cheeks, and for a moment she looked down at the metal hand in her own, but her look of surprise was quickly replaced by a pointy smile. Of course she followed her companion!

When they arrived at the bar, she slid neatly onto one of the many stools, and leaned with one elbow on the counter, her body turned slightly toward her friend.

"Show or no, this place's chill. Thanks for bringin' me along," she said, her excitement coating her words, and her golden eyes traversed the myriad colorful bottles all along the shelves behind the bar, when the bartender spoke to them. Fu had been distracted enough by the hand-holding she'd barely noticed anyone else around her, but she perked up a bit when they were spoken to.

Her eyes were drawn to this new face, and they traveled up and down momentarily to check the bartender out for a second.

"Hey there," she said, and gestured to her own face in a circle, one finger flicking at the metal loop that hung in between her nostrils.

"Dig the metal," she noted with a grin, and her eyes flashed toward Ax when the two of them started conversing. Who was Ace, she wondered? She blinked a moment later though, because the cute bartender was now calling her cute. This place was full of surprises, it seemed. Her smirk came back a moment later, but her blush did too, coloring her cheeks ever so subtly a slightly darker shade.

"That's me. You c'n call me Fu if you prefer. Short for Sapphire, I'm assumin'?" Fu asked, trying to sound cordial, but a moment later she remembered they were at a bar and this was a bartender.

"But, uh... Yeah, two drinks! I'll take a rum n' cola, and an Electric Lemonade fer th' lady!" She reached into her pocket and slammed a few Lien down on the counter.

"Maybe if I juice 'er up enough, she'll play for us?" the cat thought out loud, and looked to Ax with a smile, her narrowing eyes easily showing her attempt at teasing right back. Her tail snaked behind her excitably, but for the moment, her eyes were stuck on the pretty pink bird, as if momentarily mesmerized by her. She'd said no holding hands... Hehehe... Seems in the moment, she'd got what she wanted.

[Ax L Rose]

Fuchsia attracted attention, and not just because she was with the place's infamous Queen of Hearts. While plenty might've taken interest in Ax's company just out of interest in the bird alone, Fu had the air and presentation of a regular and a pretty face that plenty seemed to recognize as unfamiliar. She fit right in but she also stood out, much like the spirited young rocker that brought her there. She also had the fit physique of a fighter, and in a bar like this that was going to draw eyes.

Ax noticed, of course. She was pretty in-tune with the emotional undercurrent of the crowd here. Could she blame anyone? Fuchsia was pretty damn hot, after all. She couldn't help but feel a note of pride at the interest blossoming around them. It was invisible to anyone else, but to Ax the bartender's interest was far from the most flattering thing happening at the moment.

While Ax might not have noticed the surveying up-and-down flick of Fuchsia's eyes, the bartender herself certainly did. 'Saph' reciprocated with a lazy little lookover of her own - a subtle signaling of interest that didn't go overstated.

"Thanks," Sapphire's smile was faint and sly, like a woman who loved attention from a pretty girl as much as she liked a big tip.

"More metal than last time I saw you," Ax noted cheerily. The bartender nodded and gestured at a set of multi-colored studs lining her carefully-drawn eyebrow. Evidently she was pleased that Ax should notice. Maybe Ax and Sapphire were close?

"And yet still not quite as metal as you, your grace," Sapphire planted a hand on her hip, sharing a lighthearted look with Ax before her attentions turned back to Fuchsia.

"You got it in one," she confirmed Fuchsia's guess with a grin. She gleefully reached out to accept payment as Fuchsia slapped down the currency.

"N' good luck with that. Plenty have tried with your friend here," Sapphire said with a good-humored chuckle as she stepped a few meters away to get their orders.

"Fu, please," Ax gestured to herself with a hand, feigning hurt. "As if I'd need to be bribed to show off for you. 'Specially with the kind of attention you're getting. Half a dozen eyes on you so far at least. You turn heads like this every time you come into town, kit-kat?"

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

Now that they were inside, Fuchsia could feel herself loosening up more and more as time went by. She'd adopted a lopsided grin that persisted as the conversation went on, chuckling to herself when Saph gave her that look. Well now, pretty girls who also liked pretty girls? She wasn't complaining. Still, she wasn't here to capitalize on her sudden popularity with the ladies... There was one on her mind that was still standing above the rest. The way Saph referred to her almost like royalty, it piqued her curiosity in surprise. It felt like everyone here knew Ax, and as time was ticking slowly on, she felt like the bird's personality was intriguing, and yet mysterious... What was it about her that was so captivating to people?

Her eyes turned sideways to look at the bird, her grin fading briefly into a smirk. Well, for one, she was quite a sight to behold, even on a bad day. Their little conversation on the rooftops spoke in favor of that idea. But the way she seemed to shift, to fit into the situation, that was the part that had the cat captivated. She was a popular rocker, the Queen of this little underground metal scene, and a Beacon student to boot. Color her impressed. And yet she seemed humble... and instead, she'd turn it back on Fu.

The cat blinked slowly, her grin spreading ear-to-ear, a devious glint in her eye when she was showered with such attention. But she hadn't even noticed that that extended outside her little bubble, and she took a look around. There were dudes and chicks spread about the place, with metal and tats and leather, each making cautious glances her way every so often. Her eyebrow quirked upward.

"Oh? Stakin' yer claim early, is you? You wanna mark me so they know who's territory they're steppin' inta?" she asked with a chuckle hidden in her words, a teasing tone while she turned in her seat toward the bird and leaned on her elbow.

"Consider me flattered. But they ain't the one I'm here with..." Her smirk came back, her eyes half-lidded as she ran her hand over one ear to adjust the metal bar what spanned its width. Her head tilted to the side, causing the triangles on her head to form a right angle.

"But how come I get the feelin' you c'n handle yer drinks better'n most? Should I update my list of 'reasons this chick is bad-ass' yet, or didja want me to hold my applause until the end?" At this, her eyes traveled with her smirk over to Saph.

"Guess it goes t' show, a metal bird like her takes a crafty cat to catch." If her ego hadn't inflated before, it certainly was now. She was falling back into her old routine when in her element, that lofty, witty persona of untouchable beauty and a sharp mind. But if there was one thing she knew about herself, it was how awesome she was! And getting a drink in her sounded like a good plan... It'd loosen her up the last little bit, she was sure, and then they could have a damn good time!

[Ax L Rose]

The mystery certainly wouldn't last - the reasons would only become clearer to Fuchsia the more attention she paid to her surroundings and Ax alike. A subtle motion of Ax's eyes trailing after the stylishly dressed bartender hinted at superficial interest or perhaps history with the girl named Sapphire. Beyond that, Ax's aesthetic was a blend of punk rock and glam metal, and she radiated a sort of confidence like she might as well have owned the place. She certainly looked like she belonged there. Add in the fact that she had a fancy custom-tooled monster of a guitar and brought splash of luminous color to the place with her pastel-toned locks of hair and astonishingly sharp eyes, and it couldn't have been more obvious that she was a crowd favorite. She probably brought in a fair bit of business to this place.

Beautiful, attractive, and completely at-ease with the scene, Ax may not have exactly owned the deed to the bar or anything, but she was on close enough terms with the employees, the regulars, and the other enthusiasts of Vale's indie rock scene such that 'Queen' truly was an accurate descriptor of her role there! Even in the span of that few seconds, Ax's attention was being pulled elsewhere by waves, nods, smiles from others out and about on the dance floor, lingering over railings on the balconies overlooking the stage... but Ax's focus wasn't broken so long that she was pulled away from her guest.

Ax exhaled a low chuckle at Fu's words, a hint of a mischievous spark in her eyes. A flicker of a memory danced in the back of her mind - the low light out at the cliffs, the feel of Fuchsia's lips on hers back at 'Makeout Point' (would she ever call it anything else ever again? Probably not...)

"Flattery, believe it or not... never really been my forte," Ax mused. Charming someone was one thing, but insubstantial flattery was for sycophants.

"It's just, you know... I'd be a damn fool to go lettin' you think anyone here's more interested in you than me, the way I see it," Ax clarified with a subtle smirk and a lazy shrug.

The bartender quickly returned with their drinks as Fuchsia spoke, earning a grateful nod from Ax, whose attentions quickly drifted back to the cat. The bartender listened in a bit, though, apparently amused at what she was hearing.

"Stars, your ego is gonna be impossible to shove out the door before it's all over, ain't it Ax?" Sapphire teased.

"C'mon, Saph, you don't think I'm badass?" Ax glanced over at her, grinning a little.

"I think I've only ever seen you drink girly drinks, n' never more than one at a time since you've started hangin' out around here regularly," the bartender quipped, giving the pair a wink.

"Heh... got me there. The secret's out. I'm actually not really that big of a drinker," Ax admitted sheepishly over to Fuchsia. The days when she was a whimsical party girl had ended back in Mantle. She had to be careful in a scene like this if she wanted to keep it this way. She'd already had enough drama in the past few years... letting her guard down enough to get drunk here was definitely not in the cards any time soon.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

It was exceedingly difficult, given Fu's wandering eyes and penchant for people-watching, not to notice all the heads and huzzahs the Queen Bird seemed to draw in her direction. Fu liked that, and she might've even been a little jealous if she didn't know this was a date. Instead, it was only playing further into her ego, as well as the compliments, and when Ax told her how interested she was, she couldn't stop the gentle blush from darkening her cheeks. Damn, that was smooth, smooth enough that she didn't have an immediate quip of her own to shoot back with. That was okay, though, she had more than enough time left in the night to tease Ax some more when the opportunity arose.

Her eyes flicked between Saph and Ax as they exchanged a couple remarks, her wide grin unable to settle down at this. Ax certainly knew some colorful characters, and this one was a looker, too... That much was obvious by the trailing gaze that Ax herself seemed to exhibit when the bartender crossed a certain distance behind the bar.

Fu sipped at her drink, the light burn of alcohol and carbonation tingling at her throat for a second or two before she set her glass back down. The familiar warmth blossomed in her veins a moment later, and she sighed in relief as the last bit of her anxiety seemed to go with it.

"Her ego ain't as big as mine, I'm sure. Girly drinks though, huh? I'll have t'remember that when I take you to the bar a few days from now," Fu said, using the tried-and-true tactic of acting like there was already a second date set up when there wasn't yet. Insistent, sure, but she got the feeling that it might just work...

"But hey, no worries. I'm not really one fer gettin' plastered anymore neither. 'Specially not in unfamiliar locales where any ol' cat could step on my tail acciden'ly." With that, she reached down to tug her tail up into her lap, giving a cursory glance around herself as if she was worried about just that. Her long tail curled up across her legs, the end of it flicking back and forth, brushing against the bar stool while she plucked her drink from the counter and swirled it about in the glass.

"Asides, I like secrets. Tell me more?" She bat her eyelashes and gave the bird a pretty smile.

[Ax L Rose]

Emotional telepathy could be unreliable in a group... which made Ax all the more appreciative of the other tells that she was earning a desirable reaction from the black cat. A little hesitation, a bit of buying time with a drink... and Fuchsia also seemed to have a relaxed enough demeanor where she didn't seem at all threatened by whatever chemistry lingered between Ax and the sapphic server behind the counter, which was a definite plus.

Ax rose her own glass and took a drink of the bright blue liquid. The hint of lemon juice from the wedge on the rim diluted the sharpness of the blue liquor, but the drink still very nearly matched Ax's eyes in the soft glow of the bar.

"You're a gutsy gal," Sapphire noted to Fu. "I like that," she said with a grin.

"So happens I like a girl who's got a confident streak," Ax quipped.

"Don't I know it," Sapphire replied. With a final wink to the pair, she bowed out and stepped off to serve some other customers. It was a busy night, and she was picking up on the vibes here - it seemed whatever history she had with Ax must've been pretty relaxed, because she didn't seem at all uneasy with the idea of leaving Fu and Ax to get to know each other a bit better.

"Ah, it's secrets you want? Well, kit-kat, if you want secrets, answer me this; what's in it for me?" Ax said, a knowing smile on her lips as she let her glass rest atop the counter once more.

[Fuchsia Iris Ükhel]

The corners of Fu's smile twitched upward when Saph seemed to give her the seal of approval. Her straight teeth and her pointy canines gave her grin a feline quality when framed by her angled eyes like that, and with the streak of purple in her hair catching the light in a way the black didn't, one could compare her to a certain fictional cat if one knew the book.

Her smile drifted between the two punks a couple times and she inclined her chin upward toward Saph as she left, not responding lest her ego burst from all the inflation. Instead, she let that simmer, and settled her elbow against the bar some more, her gaze traveling outward to scan the crowd. It didn't last long though, and her golden gaze snapped back to Ax's face when she proposed her question.

Fu shifted in her seat a little bit, sipping her drink and setting it down before sliding her elbow across the counter and bringing her upper body closer toward Ax, her hand settling along the edge of the bar, stopping close to the bird, but not quite touching anything yet. Her face hovered nearer to Ax's and her eyes flicked downward, tracing a line up her neck for a second before they settled back on her eyes again. She noted the similarity between her drink and the two dots peering at her beneath the waves of pink, and a soft purr rumbled from her lips.

"How 'bout a trade, hm?" she asked in amusement, "One secret fer one thing you don't know isn' a secret about me?" Her pointed smile returned, and she purred a chuckle, causing the ring in her lip to quietly click against her teeth a couple times. The ears on her head angled forward, though, showing that her entire attention was now focused intently on Ax.