Three is a Crowd (and I'm Here for the Show) (Private w/ Lauren and Vee)

[Hyacinth Bordeaux]

Fuck, Cinth had missed this. As much as she tried to delude herself into thinking she could just drop her old life and start on a completely different path, she couldn’t pretend like she didn’t miss performing. Of course, there was always the dull but constant fear that performing too frequently would draw Volcan’s attention, but for now she did her best to push those concerns aside. If anything happened, she had music to aid her and Aria Major’s locker ready to be summoned at the click of a button. For now, she could focus on performing.

It wasn’t a big stage or a particularly large bar, and she wasn’t expected to play more than a handful of songs, but small gig or not it was something, something she’d been missing. The gig hadn’t called for anything flashy, solo performers preferred. So here Cinth was, with a mic stand and her black and gold hollow-body electric guitar, on the final song of the set list she’d been given.

“... We made a tear in time with love like lions
A simple spark
Ignites, ignites
Let it feel like, feel like falling…”

Her voice reverberated through the low level lighting of the dive bar. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine she was back in Volcan’s lounge, with a sea of regulars and clientele-to-be below her, ready and waiting for her to finish her set and slink down between tables to collect tips and negotiate deals. For this reason, Cinth kept her eyes open, focused on the decor of this small bar in Vale, far far away from Mistral.

“... Tensions come collide where none can find us
I will hold them tight and sound the sirens
An echo of a sign
Inside, release
Let it feel like, feel like falling…”

Cinth had dressed to perform, though her outfit was still nothing like what her old showgirl outfits had been. This time, she was actually wearing clothes, rather than some amalgamation of lace and feathers and body glitter; none of that anymore, now her skin tight, thoroughly ripped black jeans and purple, lace bralette covered much more than what she used to perform in. She had switched her usual mask out for one of a shiny black material, decorated with purple lace to match her top. Her usual armband was replaced with a dark purple ribbon. The gold of her finger picks—which she had chosen in replace of a usual pick due to their being notoriously hard to perform well in, and sue her if she wanted to show off a little bit—flashed in the lighting as she played, merging the baseline and the rhythm into one cohesive line to be played on a singular guitar. If she still had her double neck guitar she would have found a way to play them separate at the same time. Somehow. But unfortunately, her double neck guitar, beloved as it was, had been left behind in her flee from Mistral. She’d have to get another one soon. With what money? Who knows. That would be a problem for future Cinth.

“... Oh, let it feel like, feel like falling
In this time, in this moment
We could crash together...”

[Lauren Voltaire]

As cute as she was, her new friend Az wasn't someone Lauren wanted to take out to a place like this - at least not yet. She had to ease into stuff like this, as much for the other girl's sanity as her own.

Tonight, she was here for no other reason than to find interesting people and have a good time, and maybe wake up somewhere new come morning. You'd be surprised how much exploring of a new city you could do just by hanging out in one or two dive bars for a week: she could reliably see half the city all for the low, low cost of 'let someone buy you a drink or six'. She smirked and tossed a tip to the bartender as her chosen poisons for the evening were set in front of her - a little something she liked to call the 'RGB Special'.

This was apparently the last song in the set being performed by a very cool cat (she wouldn't be caught dead saying that out loud until she got to know her better). The vibe was honestly perfect for the start of a great night out, and Lauren couldn't help but bob her head to the beat as the smooth tones of the lyric floated over the bar. Spying another patron at the bar a couple stools down, she gave a nod and a smile to catch his eye before scooting down a stool to plop down next to him - tall, dark, and not-so-broody, huh? She could work with that.

"My drinks are neon and fruity, just like me," she said with an eyebrow waggle and a gesture to her drinks - a Scarlet O'Hara, an Electric Lemonade, and an Appletini - as she turned to lean on the bar as she watched the snow leopard perform. "What does your drink say about you?"

[Victor Valbrand]

After many long months of trying, Vee had finally managed to get himself a fake ID. It would do until he turned 18 in a few more months, but for the time being he was using it to bar hop over the last few weeks in search of a place to frequent. So far he was really liking this bar, this being his third visit in the last two weeks. The music here was great, the bouncer seemed to either be fooled by the fake ID or just didn't care, and the drinks were affordable without being cheap piss. Tonight's entertainment was a rather attractive Faunus who so far had proven herself to be a high quality entertainer, her music quite appealing and her looks even better. He sipped his rum as he watched the show before noticing yet another attractive woman smiling at him before moving to the seat next to his to start up a conversation. He turned to give her his attention, and she asked an interesting question as a conversation opener. What did his drink of choice say about him? He took a long sip of his rum and savored the flavor of the spice, the burn in his throat as he swallowed, the faint memory of the tropical beaches of Kuo Koana.

"I'd have to say my drink says that I'm a man far from home and yet perfectly in his element. A man who longs for the distant shores of Menagerie, the beautiful palm fronds dancing in the wind, and the blazing tropical sun warming his skin. It is a beautiful land, a beauty that pales in comparison to your own," Vee said, punctuating his words with a kind smirk. "With whom do I have the pleasure of sharing a drink with this fine night?"

[Lauren Voltaire]

"Tall, dark, not-so-broody, and smooth, too? Niiiiice. If you ever go back to Menagerie, take me with you, m'kay? I miss the warm weather, but the sands of Vacuo can eat my entire toned, muscular ass." Ohkay, that was probably a bit too much. Dial it back, find something else to talk ab-names. Names were a good topic.

"I'm Lauren," she introduced herself, holding up a hand for him to shake without moving her elbows from the bar top as she watched the Faunus sing. It was charged with juuust enough juice to give him a minor staticky zap when he took it, which of course was the perfect segue into completing her introduction with her last name. It also rarely failed to pique the interest of whoever got got, which was a definite plus.

The song wound down to a nice close, marking the end of neon snow leopard girl's perf- wait. Neon snow leopard girl? Lauren mentally smacked herself for not recognizing her earlier - that chick totally went to Beacon. Solid performance, too, meaning she was multitalented - cool.

[Victor Valbrand]

Vee was amused by her reaction and intrigued by her quite intimate description of her hindquarters. When she introduced herself, he smiled and said, "Victor, but you can just call me Vee," he said as he took her hand, not even phased by the resulting electrical shock, although it did catch his attention. "Electricity? That's an interesting Semblance," she said, bringing it up first. "No wonder you have such a magnetic personality."

[Lauren Voltaire]

He did a remarkably good job being unfazed by her little prank for someone who’d had at least SOME alcohol this evening. ”I am convinced that Semblances are ironic. Lauren Voltaire, geddit?” She flashed him a cheeky grin before picking up her Scarlet O’Hara. Red is for rosy cheeks, and his won’t be untinted for long.

”So, Vee, what brings a guy like you to a place like this? If you say ‘the drinks are good’, know that I will be forced to judge you,” she said, pointing her drink at him accusingly, ”even if I completely agree - they make a mean RGB Special.” Raising her glass in a mock toast, she took a sip of her drink.

Yup. It was just as good as ever.

[Victor Valbrand]

"Well then would you accept that I come here for the fine music and the excuisite company?" Vee asked with a smirk before taking the last sip of his rum and ordering another. "And what of you, Ms. Voltaire? What brings a beautiful woman such as yourself to a place like this?"

[Lauren Voltaire]

"I would," Lauren acquiesced after a moment as Vee ordered another drink.

"Why, I come here for the fine musicians and to be the exquisite company, of course," she answered with a predatory grin. "After all, without the beautiful people a place like this would get pretty boring, y'know?"

[Hyacinth Bordeaux]

As her set finished, Cinth bowed with a flourish of her tail to the polite applause of anyone who was actually watching her performance rather than focusing on their own drinks and company. She hopped down from the stage, making her way into the back room where she could securely lock up her beloved guitar in one of the provided lockers. Maybe the padlock on the guitar’s case itself, and the double locks she put on the locker door was a bit much, a bit paranoid, but this wasn’t the T&C, she didn’t have the assurance she used to that her instruments would be left, untouched, where she had left them. Gods, she remembered one time she’d set her old double-neck on some random client’s table, then got whisked off to give three back to back tours of the stocks. Her guitar had still been there when she got back, despite the fact that a different set of customers were using the table, her guitar had been undisturbed. What she would give to have that security back. Maybe… maybe not anything. Not what Volcan wanted of her.

Cinth sighed slowly, resting her forehead against the locker door as she recollected herself. Now wasn’t the time to think about Volcan or that club or Mistral or anything else. She had better things to be doing, like drinking, and dancing. The paper wristband around her right wrist labeled her as one of the performers; she’d get two drinks on the house, but would have to pay for anything beyond that.

With a quiet huff, Cinth straightened, and shook out her hair a little, before turning to an old mirror sitting above a utility sink. She double checked her makeup, reapplying her glittering purple lipstick, and adjusted her mask before stepping back out into the club.

Tail swishing gently, Cinth made her way over to the bar, scanning its current inhabitants. Nobody of any real interest, unfortunately. Though there was one girl she could see, some blondie with hair lighter than Cinth’s during even her most bleached looks. Cinth wormed her way through the dancing crowd to the bar, coming up next to the girl on the opposite side of whatever dude she was talking to. She didn’t say anything though, instead leaning her forearms on the bar to call out to the bartender.

“Can I get a whiskey sour?” She asked the bartender once she got their attention, indicating her performer wristband. As she waited for her drink to be made, she drummed her fingers idly against the sticky wooden bartop, the gold finger picks she was still wearing clicking gently against the surface.

[Victor Valbrand]

Vee grinned at her answer and took a sip of his rum when it arrived. "Well you are doing a fantastic job of brightening this place up with your beauty," he responded with a wink. He noticed someone approach from the other side of Lauren and ask for whiskey but paid them no mind for now on the assumption they would leave once they got their drink.

[Lauren Voltaire]

"Why, thank you," Lauren laughed as the Faunus who'd performed earlier came up to the bar and ordered a whiskey sour. Get-away-from-me exterior, stay-for-another aftertaste, she thought - you could learn a lot about someone from their drink of choice, true, but sometimes a drink was just a drink.

Of course, there were ways to confirm. "You got some pipes on you, girl. A talented pair of hands, too." She cracked a 'yes, I am flirting with you' grin at her and knocked back the rest of her drink in one go before gesturing at Vee. "My friend here was just telling me how he came here for the fine music and exquisite company, and I gotta say, he's right on the money."

[Victor Valbrand]

When Lauren turned her attention to the other woman and started talking to her before mentioning him, Vee finally looked over to see who it was and to his surprise it was the Faunus who'd just been on stage. "Oh it's you! Your performance was amazing, and frankly I'd love to hear you sing again some time. If you're going to be a regular here I may need to start coming every week just to hear your voice," he said to Cinth with a slight smirk before taking a sip of his rum.

[Hyacinth Bordeaux]

Honestly, it wasn’t even intentional. Once she had picked out her target, her old showgirl persona slipped over her like a well worn sweater. As soon knew she had gotten the girl’s attention—of course she had, she wasn’t Volcan’s favorite for nothing—she flashed a playful grin at the girl.

“You think?” She asked without a shred of doubt in her tone, she tapped her fingers against the bar once, this time to bring attention to them. Cinth liked to think she had nice hands, with long, slender fingers more befitting of a piano player, and well kept nails, though they were usually trimmed short for guitar purposes. The permanent calluses that covered her finger tips, however—from years of playing guitar until her fingers bled—somewhat ruined it, in her opinion.

It was only through years of practice that Cinth kept herself from frowning at the girl’s mention of a “friend.” So she hadn’t come alone, then. Damn. Cinth cocked her head to look passed the girl at her so-called friend, bright green eyes flicking over him quickly. Not awful, but he wasn’t her target here. Not yet at least.

“Your friend, huh? That’s fun. Why don’t you introduce me to this friend of yours?” Her drink arrived as she spoke, the bar wasn’t that crowded after all, and she picked it up to take a sip.

Seeming to have heard their conversation, the friend in question spoke up. Well, if he was interested in her then she wouldn’t just let an opportunity drop. She could play multiple games at once, two was nothing to her. She laughed, a typical showgirl laugh, a giggle with the slightest hint of huskiness, and took another sip of her drink. “Is that a promise?” She asked, a playful challenge in her voice.

[Lauren Voltaire]

Lauren's grin widened as the beautiful people on either side of her eyed each other. This was going to be entertaining no matter how it landed.

"This is Vee," she said, gesturing to the man in question. "He goes to Beacon; he's tall, dark, and a lot less broody than I was expecting; he's from Menagerie; he's drinking rum; and I know absolutely nothing about him other than what I've managed to pick up while listening to a very sexy lady sing."

She turned to Vee. "This is a very sexy lady," she said, gesturing to the lady in question. "She goes to Beacon, she plays the guitar, she's drinking a whiskey sour, and I know absolutely nothing about her except that I will be thinking about the last song she sang for most of the evening." She knocked back the appletini before picking up her third drink.

Unless either of you would like to suggest something else for me to do, she thought, her smile only growing larger.

[Victor Valbrand]

Vee smirked with amusement at the way Lauren introduced them to each other. "It's nice to meet you Very Sexy Lady," he said with a playful wink. He sipped his rum and looked her over once again, definitely liking what he saw. "And yes that is a promise."

[Hyacinth Bordeaux]

“Well if you ever want an encore, I’d be happy to give you a show.” Cinth smirked over her glass at the girl as she took another sip, making it all too clear she meant more than just music. She was a recently retired showgirl, she could put on any type of performance desired; show was in the name, after all.

Cinth turned her attention to the guy. Vee, the girl had said is name was. “Cinth,” she introduced herself, tipping her glass towards him in way of greeting.

“And you are?” She addressed the girl one more.

Her finger picks clinked against the side of her glass as she tapped her fingers against its gently. Her hands always felt restless after a show, itching for a longer performance. She took another sip of her drink. The whiskey was nowhere near the quality Volcan had stocked, but that was to be expected. There was quite a difference between a random no-name dive bar, and the lounge club of someone like Volcan Tirich. Her free hand fiddled slightly with the ribbon wrapped around her upper arm at the thought, though she quickly dropped her hand back to the bartop, not wanting to draw attention to her accessory.

[Lauren Voltaire]

"I might just take you up on that, girlie," Lauren grinned as she shot her a wink.

Cinth, huh? Did that mean they'd get burned just by playing with her?

"Lauren," she said, offering her hand for Cinth to shake. "I was hoping to be the hottest girl in here tonight, but since I'm talking to her I think that still counts as a win. What do you think, Vee?" she asked her other drinking buddy. "Did you end up on top by sitting next to me?"

[Victor Valbrand]

"Sitting here talking to two of the most beautiful women in Vale? Yes, I'd definitely say this is a win," Vee said with a smirk before sipping his rum. He admired the two of them, none too subtly, as if to add emphasis to his praise.

[Hyacinth Bordeaux]

Rather than accepting the handshake as expected, Cinth gently took Lauren’s hand and brought it up to her mouth as though to kiss her knuckles, though the stopped just short of doing so, and instead looked up towards Lauren with a tantalizing grin.

“You have nice nails,” she said instead, brushing her thumb over Lauren’s fingers before dropping her hand.

She took another sip of her drink.

At Lauren’s question to Vee, and Vee’s subsequent answer, Cinth tried and failed to hide her laugh with her drink, before looking at Lauren to say,

“I don’t think he’s ever ended up on top of anything.” Her smirk said more than her words.

[Victor Valbrand]

"What can I say? Powerful women are my greatest weakness," Vee retorted before finishing his rum and ordering another.

[Lauren Voltaire]

Lauren gave Cinth the slightest wisp of a static tingle as the girl let go of her hand and shot her a wink.

"I don't think he's ending up on top tonight either," Lauren confided in Cinth with a shit-eating grin and an eyebrow waggle.

"I could be wrong, though - we'll have to wait and see," she added, finishing her drink to prevent herself from saying anything else. She was being a little more forward than usual and did not trust herself not to blurt out something embarrassing.

Who are you kidding, girl, you've already decided that you're along for the ride - or rides.

[Victor Valbrand]

Vee blushed, for once at a loss for words. He sipped his rum when a new glass came and waited for one of them to make the next move. He wondered what exactly gave away his preferences so easily, and thought to ask but decided against since that would open him up to further embarrassment.

[Hyacinth Bordeaux]

The tingle of static from the contact couldn’t have been pure coincidence, not in this weather, not with a look like that succeeding it. And that… that’s certainly something to be explored later. Cinth’s own semblance had never had much application to… non-combat encounters, though the extra stamina was a plus.

Cinth gave a low, almost thoughtful hum. “Perhaps,” She addressed Lauren, “but then again, I’m never wrong about these things." It had been half her job, after all, being able to tell what people liked with nothing more than a glance. She needed such a skill to be a properly persuasive showgirl, settle negotiations like she was supposed to.

Cinth watched Vee blush, and, well, the joke practically laid itself out for her. How could she resist? “Aww, cat got your tongue?” she cooed, her long, thick tail reaching up to swipe softly across Vee’s neck and under his chin.

With a laugh, Cinth polished off her first drink, and soon waved down the bartender for a refill.

“Now what about you?” She addressed Lauren again as she waited on her drink. “Where do you see yourself ending up tonight?” It was abundantly clear than this girl enjoyed being in control, what with her attitude toward Vee, and that little spark display before. But Cinth had a feeling there was more to her preferences than that, she wouldn’t be surprised if Lauren could take as much as she could give.

[Lauren Voltaire]

Cinth's tail came up to tease Vee, and Lauren's smile grew even wider. This boy was in trouble for sure.

"That depends," Lauren answered slowly with a shrug as she picked up the first drink of the new flight the bartender - he was getting a generous tip later, that was for sure - had set in front of her, "on how purr-suasive you are." She paused long enough to take a slow sip of her drink. She'd seen the look in Cinth's eye when she'd given her a poke with her Semblance - knew she had the girl's full attention.

"If you're willing to share a mouse with little old me, I might be able to scrounge up some catnip," she offered, her smile becoming all teeth for the briefest moment. "If the lady is so inclined, of course," she added nonchalantly before turning to Vee.

"What about you, hmm? What'll it Vee?"