ASR: So Paloma and Solena walk into a bar

[10/01/2016 1:24:11 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: So, okay, here's how it is: Paloma and Elizan had some trouble, got picked up by pirates, and now... well...

Well, luckily, they're not the kind of pirates who just strip out everything of use and leave you to die, so now they're planetside. And the logical thing to do would be to get as far away from the pirates as possible and try to get back to normal life! But Paloma, personally, is rather interested in these pirates, even the ones which aren't terribly interested in her. So she asked one of the friendlier ones if they'd like to get a bite to eat with her.

And that's how Paloma and Solena ended up walking into a bar. Run laugh track. That's the entire joke. (Because this can only end in comedy, you see.)

[10/01/2016 1:28:25 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: "So, um, what do you want to eat? If you ask they can probably tell you what they're best at... I mean, usually I stop in at places which just serve food, but I'm sure they'll have something here, right?"

[10/01/2016 2:09:45 PM] Madeline (Splat): “Hmm…” Solena leans forward, resting her weight on the bar, “I’ll admit, I don’t usually order the food at places like this. At least, not right away.”

She shoots Paloma a lazy grin, “We could share something if you’d like. I don’t have much of a preference.” Glancing around the bar, she notes inwardly that this doesn’t seem like a place where the quality of their meal will be at all affected by what they decide to eat. Most other patrons seem to be chowing down on weird goop of varying texture—and too drunk to care how weird said goop may be.

[10/01/2016 2:28:53 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: "Okay," Paloma says, taking perch on one of the seats. With her hair done up in a nice braid, she is entirely too fancy a bird to be drinking here, but she's gracious (or oblivious) enough to ignore any weird looks. She hails the bartender - "Um- excuse me!"

"Yeah?" The woman at the bar is some degree of alien. "Whaddya want?"

"Well, um, the house special would be fine, thank you!"

"And whaddya have to drink?"

"Oh, um..." Paloma pauses. "Well, I hadn't - I mean - then again I suppose - do you want something to drink?" She turns to ask Solena.

[10/01/2016 2:55:21 PM] Madeline (Splat): Solena gives Paloma a bemused sort of look, before turning to the bartender. “I’ll have a Shooting Star, and for my friend here…”

She turns back to Paloma, sizing her up with a quick vertical sweep of her eyes, and makes a thoughtful noise. After a moment, she looks back at the bartender. “I think a Milky Way would probably be best,” she says with a smirk which the bartender shares.

“I’ll have that right out for ya, missy.” The bartender either blinks or winks before turning to prepare the drinks (it really is so hard to tell with that many eyes).

“I hope you don’t mind me ordering for you there.” Solena shifts so that she’s angled more toward Paloma, but still reclining on the bar. “You seem a little outta your element."

[10/01/2016 3:06:48 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: "Oh, no, no, I don't mind. Er... was it that obvious I don't drink much?" A beat, and Paloma shakes her head and smiles. "No - no, I suppose it must have been. I must admit, this is all very new to me," and the way she gestures to Solena, she probably wasn't just talking about the drink. "All of, you know, all of this."
[10/01/2016 3:16:26 PM] Madeline (Splat): As Solena offers an understanding nod, their drinks are deposited on the bar in front of them. She takes a sip of hers before responding. “I get whatcha mean… All of this,” and here, she makes a sweeping gesture indicating both herself and their surroundings, “takes a bit of getting used to.”

Taking another sip, she regards Paloma curiously. “I’m guessing you’ve sorta been an upstanding citizen for most of your life then?"

[10/01/2016 3:35:50 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: Paloma takes a sip of her drink, and looks downright surprised to find it tastes like chocolate. "Oh, this is good!"

Still, it's not enough to distract her from Solena's question. Paloma looks down at her drink, and then up at Solena again. "Well, it's not like I'm used to fancy cities or anything, but I've never, um... you know, done crime? It gets really messy and it really doesn't convince anyone that we're there to help."

She frowns. "Though... I guess there's not really anyone to convince now our ship's kinda... you know, scrap. I mean, our whole thing was going around and offering care where people needed it. And how are we gonna do that now?"

[10/01/2016 3:55:26 PM] Madeline (Splat): Solena finishes her drink and signals the bartender for a refill. She watches her next drink be made in an impressive flurry of tentacles and splashes of glowing blue while she thinks of a response. She scratches her head. “Yeah, I guess that’s pretty different from a life of piracy, huh. Going from helping a buncha people to uh… Helping yourself.” She laughs softly.

“I guess we’re not really working for the greater good out here, but I wouldn’t say we’re bad people. I mean, Cucali’s prickly as hell, but she takes care of her own.” She smiles fondly. “We all do.”

A second Shooting Star is placed opposite of Solena, and as she grabs it in one hand she gives Paloma what she hopes is a reassuring pat on the back with the other. "So no worries, y'know? You're new and no one'll force you to do anything. Or First Mate Lumiar," she grins and gestures to herself, "will have words for them."

[10/01/2016 4:08:26 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: Paloma smiles, taking another few sips from her Milky Way as she listens to Solena. She /does/ look pretty reassured, all things told. The way she perks up a bit when the captain is mentioned is kind of odd, but it's probably nothing, right?

"Thank you," she says, "I'm glad you're so kind. To be honest, all this has been a little jarring, but... well, it's kind of exciting, too!" Paloma laughs, shaking her head. "I never would have thought of myself as, ah, anything close to shady. And now look at me!"

She looks down at her drink once the laughter fades again. "... still, do you think Cucali will really accept me - accept /us/ as her own?"

[10/01/2016 5:06:47 PM] Madeline (Splat): Solena gives a hearty laugh in response. “Like I said, Cucali’s prickly as hell, but she’s secretly just a big softie. Just the other night, she—“

A steaming plate of The House Special is plopped between the two women, effectively cutting Solena off. It looks… Fresh. And seems like it might be moving a little on its own. For a moment, Solena regards it somewhat warily. Then, she guzzles down the rest of her drink impressively fast. She puts the empty glass aside and tries the food. Upon realizing that it is, apparently, edible, she relaxes again.

“What was I… Oh, yeah, Cucali.” She laughs again. “Don’t worry about her. She just shows affection in weird ways. So even though she’s loud. And abrasive. And violent.. And angry…” She trails off, losing her train of thought for a moment. “Uhh… She’s… Not any of those things at you, specifically. It’s just how she is.”

She signals for another drink, and mouths ‘surprise me’ at the bartender.

“She’s kinda like a porcupine. Spikey, but adorable."

[10/01/2016 5:23:54 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: Paloma doesn't look at all shocked by the strange food, quite happily taking up her utensil and taking a bite. She nods to herself - tastes a bit Tomarian, a bit West Linde.

She turns back to Solena once she's also determined the food is edible. "So that's just the way she is...? I'm glad I haven't bothered her," Paloma says. She picks up her drink and downs the rest of it, just as bravely as she says: "Then I'm sure we can be friends!" It sounds like a declaration of war, except far more chipper.

She gestures for the bartender to get her another drink, which just involves doing what Solena did, to be honest.

The worst part is, she probably doesn't know when to stop drinking. Like, for instance, an hour or three later --

Well, uh --

"The worst part is," Paloma sniffles, "I was listening in on the, on the frequency, right? So I /knew/ his dad wasn't coming back, but I couldn't /tell/ him because he'd want to know /how/ I knew and so I just had to tell this kid that his dad was definitely goin' to come home... how do you even say something like that? I mean, the poor kid had almost died, and he has to hear somethin' like... somethin' like... oh man I'm sorry it's just really /sad/..."

[10/01/2016 5:42:15 PM] Madeline (Splat): “Hey hey hey, it. It’s okay. You had t’make a tough call but you did your best.” Solena puts an arm around Paloma’s shoulder. “You can only do your best, y’know? M’sure that kid’ll understand that someday.”

At this point, glasses are scattered about on the bar in front of the pair, and the House Special has long since been decimated. Solena is nursing something orange that might be glowing a bit, and listening to Paloma talk with sincere interest in her eyes.

“Sometimes… Sometimes sad stuff happens and you can’t do anything but you are a beautiful. Soul.” To punctuate this sentence, Solena roughly sets her drink on the bar, splashing orange around. “Just. Just let it all out, sweetheart."

[10/01/2016 5:52:18 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: Paloma leans in a bit - luckily, not enough to lose her balance, like she might have almost done once or twice before. "Yeah, I mean, yeah... he was a good kid..."

Her glasses have the remnants of chocolate liquor in them, but there's an awful lot of them for someone so lightweight. Paloma's eyes water up with tears again at Solena's compliment, and she sobs into a hand, the other one grasping her glass. "All these bad things, happen and it's just like why? Why do they gotta happen? Whyyy-y-y-y?" She rubs at her face, and takes another long sip of her girly drink. That empty glass joins the others.

"You," Paloma says, looking up at Solena and grasping at the hand on her shoulder, "you are just the nicest lady - the nicest lady in - you're a real nice lady! After all this what happened and listenin' to me and tellin' me 'bout everyone you're, you're a great new friend, that's what you are."

[10/01/2016 6:06:23 PM] Madeline (Splat): “Aw geez…I’m jus’… Just trying to look out for the new girl, y’know. You’ve gotta. Have someone to look after you in. In space.” Tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she speaks. “S’hard when you don’t have someone showing you th'ropes. Like. Like with Cucali and me we jus’ had to figure this stuff out ourselves and. And…” She trails off, losing focus. “It was… Hard. Yeah.”

Solena picks up her drink and polishes the rest of it off, letting it clatter back down to join its fellow empty glasses. “You’ve got a nice… Face. And you’re a good girl. And and.” She clumsily attempts to wipe at Paloma’s tears with the sleeve of her jacket. “And you shouldn’t be sad. So I’m gonna help you. Learn pirate stuff so you’re not sad!"

[10/01/2016 6:16:10 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: Paloma has to smile. There's no way she /can't/. "I'm not, I'm not worried at all," she declares, stumbling over her words a little. "I'm sure I'll pick it up like... real soon! It'll be... exciting! Like all those stories! And once I know all that I think, yeah, Cucali will like me, right, and that'll be nice," and Paloma is /very lucky/ that she's been drinking and her face is already flushed.

[10/01/2016 6:25:58 PM] Madeline (Splat): “Yeah! That’s the spirit, ‘Loma.” Solena returns her smile with a huge grin of her own. “You’re like… A quick learner and you’ve gotta good head on your shoulders—what’s. What's not to like, right?”

“And. And like I said. Cucali’s like. Just this huuuuuuuge softie. There’s no way in hell she wouldn’t like you. I know I like you lot’s and between you and me,” and at this point, Solena leans in as if to tell a huge secret, “I have a lotta sway with Miss Captain Lady Pasine, juuuuust sayin’."

[10/01/2016 6:35:38 PM | Edited 6:36:17 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: "Yeah! I mean... yeah! I'm likeable! There's... there's a bunch of people who like me!"

It's a triumph which Paloma puts away quickly when Solena Spills The Beans. "You - you really think /she's/ gonna like me? Like... you'd help? But like isn't that kind of like cheatin'? I mean, I, I /think/ I'm kinda charmin' but wow she's just... she's /straight/ out of the novels, like, wow, total dashin' rogue... ooohmigod I shouldn't be saying all this!" Paloma buries her face in a hand, face red.

[10/01/2016 6:43:00 PM] Madeline (Splat): Solena laughs. “Oh my goooooosh don’t worry s’much. Cucali’s like. She’s basically the best, yeah. She’s suuuuper pretty, and smart, and nice when she wants to be, and supportive, and sweet, and caring, and, and… Uhhh…” She blinks. “But um, despite all of that she’s also a huuuuuge dork and like. You’re worryin’ too much about her being super cool. Like too cool, but she’s a person. Y’know? So like. Don’t stress so much about it. Is what I’m saying"

[10/01/2016 6:51:15 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: "Right, okay," Paloma nods, brushing herself down with a hand as if to lower her temperature. "So she's really that cool, but don't stress out, because she's normal and she'll like you fine and... okay what's the sorta thing she likes? Like, in case I get her a present?"

Hopefully the answer isn't 'bombs'.

[10/01/2016 6:57:46 PM] Madeline (Splat): “Hmmmmm….. Present……” Solena scratches her head, looking thoughtful… “Well she likes blowin’ stuff up a whoooole lot, but uh. I don’t think that’s the best present for a lotta reasons. Hm…”

Suddenly, her eyes light up. “Oh! Oh dude I remember. So like waaaaay back when we had just started being pirates we like had a party. But it was just a two person party because it was just us back then, so we were celebrating us! And like, we let off these little fireworks and Cucali looooooooved doin’ that.” Solena smiles, proud of herself for remembering something that had happened that long ago. “So fireworks, like sparklers or something. She loves that shit!"

[10/01/2016 7:02:09 PM] Λ WINTERMUTE.LIP: AND THEN, said the narrator, PALOMA AND SOLENA WENT OUT AND DRUNKENLY BROUGHT FIREWORKS AND THEN SHAMBLED BACK TO THE SHIP. THERE WERE NO NEGATIVE REPERCUSSIONS WHATSOEVER*.

[10/01/2016 7:02:34 PM] NeonProdigy: ((Yet))