only listens to the radio to see who's alive

[blackmagus]

Who: Fortescue, and you
What: Now that things are slightly less dangerous, she's going to have a better look around. And find the bar. As you do.
When: Day 64, whenever.
Where: Anywhere in town.
Warnings: Nothing yet. Will update if necessary. Shameless flirting.

It's been a few days since Fortescue's arrival. Her arm's started to calm down, though the swelling at her wrists is still present. According to the little wristband, people are returning to normal. Which should be promising, of course, except that Fortescue can't help but wonder what's in store for the next time. Her mind has plenty of ideas — she's seen too many laboratories and camps for it to be quiet. So, to help work that off, she slips out of her hidey hole and back into town, determined to at least get her bearings. Now that she's at least half sure that she won't have to defend herself on every corner.

Jazz trots at her heels, the little black cat's eyes alertly taking everything in, as she learns the layout of this peculiar little town. It isn't large. She's not sure what to think about that. But perhaps that means less space to cram more subjects into. A smaller sample pool? Whatever the reason, Fortescue soon uncovers the bar. That, at least, she can be pleased about, if only as a space to escape to when the alcohol runs dry. (A frightening thought, which she tries not to think too much about.)

Her cat jumps to her shoulders as she wanders in to take a look around.

Comments

[burnburnburn]

Dilandau's seated at a table in a dark corner nursing a glass of red wine. It's not sweet nor as strong as the vino he prefers, but it's enough to ease some of the tension he'd been feeling.

He looks up when he hears someone enter and immediately scowls as he spots who it is. His glass clinks quietly as he places it on the table, but he doesn't make an effort to draw her attention beyond glaring at her.

[blackmagus]

The feeling is, more or less, mutual, but Fortescue doesn't let that show. She keeps her body language relaxed, an easy smile on her face, as she more or less saunters behind the counter to have a look at the selection. It's been a while, she can tell, since anything was restocked.

Jazz jumps up on the counter, sniffing at an empty glass.

"Good afternoon," she notes, since it would just be downright rude to ignore him. Naturally.

[burnburnburn]

He keeps an eye on her as she digs around, picking up his glass again to take a slow enough sip of his wine that the silence stretches to the edge of outright rudeness.

"It was until you walked in."

It's not as vicious a little mutter as he intended, as the creature that came in with her catches his attention. There was something familiar about it, in the tail and in the movements, but he can't quite place where he's seen them before. He leaves his table to approach the bar, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword.

"What sort of beast is that?"

[blackmagus]

Fortescue feels tension curl in her gut, but doesn't show that, either. Would this childish nipper actually escalate things to violence? Harming her, that was one thing, but harming her cat was completely different, owing to what was 'piggybacked' on Jazz. She continues to smile easily, pouring herself a small drink. Whiskey, it looks like, but she's not picky. Not right now.

Jazz leaps down on the counter, looking at Dilandau with a glance that's all wariness and curiosity at once.

"A cat," she notes, simply.

[burnburnburn]

He lets out a bark of laughter as those familiar features click into place.

"That's a cat in your world?" He glances at her to check she's not tensing to spring at him, then crouches to take a better look at the cat. It's so odd to see a dumb creature looking so similar to one of the beastkin.

"It doesn't look like it'd be half as useful with a sword as the cats I've known." He extends a gloved finger to prod the cat's forehead.

[blackmagus]

She feels a small amount of surprise at that comment. Useful with a sword? What were there in his world, ninja cats? Jazz stiffens at Dilandau's finger, backing up a wary step. "...cats wield swords where you come from?" she wonders, an eyebrow raised.

[burnburnburn]

"Cats are one of the beastkin where I come from." He doesn't elaborate on what that means, as he's never imagined a world where only humans are sentient. It's as natural as dragons on the forests and rocks floating through the sky.

His gaze flickers up to her and he stands, not wanting to be seen as too curious in case she thought of a way to use it against him.

"The tails are the same, and the eyes and the movement too. That's all that caught my eye." His hand slips from his swordhilt as he devides Fortescue's probably not going to attack. "The twins I know in the army are a pair of stuck up bitches who don't realise having a position given to them by the benefactor they cling to doesn't mean they've got half the talent of those who worked to advance on rank."

He sniffs.

"I prefer the dogkin."

<s>but shameless flirting is his favourite</s>

[dowhatisays]

It had been a crazy and fucked up week, and the only way Charlie can think of properly sending it off is by getting absolutely piss-drunk.

His eyes fall on Fortescue as soon as she enters. Chiefly because hey, she's an attractive young lady and he's only human. But also because it's not like everyone walks in with a cat on their shoulders. That is a cat isn't it? He hasn't drunk nearly enough to be seeing things.

"Hey, sweetheart. They let that thing in here?"

she'll not deny it!

[blackmagus]

Fortescue's gaze sweeps to Charlie, in quick threat-assessment that's second-nature and, for the most part, unconscious, before she smiles at him and glances at the cat curled around her neck.

"I suppose they did, yes, since he wasn't taken from me." Which she's still very grateful for. She steps behind the counter and has a look. "Hm, been a while since there was a supply drop, love?"

[dowhatisays]

"Not since I've been here. You some kinda expert on this place or some shit?"

Because if they get dropped any cigarettes and someone's holding out, heads will roll.

[blackmagus]

"Not by a long shot," she chuckles. "The selection's just looking a bit patchy in certain places." She's seen the alcohol run out, before, and she knows what people tend to go for. "Have you been here very long?"

There's no harm in getting as much information as possible. She sends another dazzling smile his way and pours herself a drink. Whiskey will do.

mid-afternoon

[hark_and_hush]

Ruby smells the cat before she sees it and she thinks of Riley. She thinks maybe that's Riley's cat, because the saber-toothed cats smell a little different and she hasn't spotted a house cat yet, but when she rounds the corner onto the main stretch of road that she's taken to thinking of as Main Street, she sees a newer face than Riley's.

She makes sure she isn't sniffing the air anymore before she says anything. "You're new, right?" She remembers seeing her on the network, not that she was able to respond.

[blackmagus]

Fortescue turns to give the (very pretty) new face a smile, inclining her head slightly. The threat assessment — and the ogling — is just second-nature and unconscious, at this point, but it doesn't come up with much. (Little does it know.)

"That's me. New girl number... three. Ish."

Jazz curls around her ankles, peering up at Ruby and meowing softly.

[hark_and_hush]

"Oh, I've been here long enough that it's higher than that." She shakes her head and oh, she does catch the ogling. Takes one to know one and while she's usually ogling men, she can tell when eyes aren't entirely on her face.

She's not even interested, not really, but it's easy to fall back into that role and she shifts on her feet, fixing her posture so that it's just a little more flattering. What can she say? A girl can use a little positive attention sometimes.

"Hi. My name's Ruby." She's not quite ogling, but she does give a flirty smile with her name. Flirting never hurt anyone, right? Her smile falls just a little as she thinks of Billy, but she's got her cloak here. It's okay.

[blackmagus]

Never. At least, in Fortescue's opinion. Sometimes she just flirted for the hell of it. She extends her hand, however, and puts her eyes back on Ruby's face, because she does have manners.

"Fortescue. And that's Jazz." She nods her head at her cat, who's investigating and chewing on a little scrap of a weed at her feet. "Have you been here long, Ruby?"

[hark_and_hush]

"About a month and a half now, but there are some people who've been here longer." She takes Fortescue's hand in a gentle, but not uncomfortably so, handshake.

"This place has a tendency to toss some interesting things at us, though. Time flies when you're hallucinating. I've learned that much." This place is even weirder than what she was used to.

[blackmagus]

"Telling time must be difficult when you don't have a baseline," Fortescue agrees, giving her a gentle handshake right back. With men, she tends to give a firm handshake — because of that alpha male rot concerning assertiveness and control. With women, it matters less, she finds. "I've run into a few things like that. Not something I'd like to repeat anytime soon."

Jazz wanders up to Ruby's pantleg, giving it a curious sniff.

"How often does this place throw curveballs, out of curiosity?"

Bars are good places for meetups.

[tryingitall]

There's a man in the corner of the bar, nursing a drink. There are two bottles next to him, one empty, the other half-full. He must have been at this a while.

Truth is, Balthazar's very relieved to be de-Leviathaned, but he's hesitant to just go right back home. Especially with lingering chaos in the wake of the transformations. He's positive he didn't kill anyone, but he did take a few bites, and he's not sure everyone will believe his innocence.

That, and the whole experience has left him feeling filthy.

Still, he takes note of an unfamiliar woman in the room. One with a black cat. Interesting. He clears his throat and says, "No milk products in the place that I'm aware of, but there are some sardines, I believe, if your friend doesn't drink beer."

Drown sorrows and make new friends in the same spot!

[blackmagus]

That's an impressive bottle count. Part of her really hopes that he's either been here a while, or that he isn't human. Human livers tended to give out under that much strain even if, sometimes, it was tempting to drink that much.

Jazz mewls and jumps to the counter, as Fortescue turns her head slightly to give Balthazar a smile. "It's just as well. He can't handle his milk. Falls right over. Starts making advances on all of the ladies in the area. It's very embarrassing."

[tryingitall]

A bit of both, perhaps. He's been trying to limit himself to human tolerance, but if strange things keep happening, he may empty the bar yet. He watches the cat jump up thoughtfully. "He arrived here along with you? I didn't realize that was possible."

Not that it matters one way or another. "Sounds like a cat after my own heart, anyway. You two want to join me? Grab a glass and I'll share."

[blackmagus]

"How could we possibly refuse?"

She fishes a glass of her own from behind the counter, taking a brief moment to scrutinize whether or not there seem to be sardines about — but then decides that she'd prefer her cat without the fish breath. For the moment. When he got hungry, she'd find him something.

Fortescue sits down at Balthazar's table, although Jazz evidently chooses to wander around a little and poke his head into things. "Are there no other pets brought along here? People seem surprised to see him."

[tryingitall]

There's no shortage of fish in Kore, at least, provided one's willing to make an effort to catch them. Balthazar pushes the bottle gently toward her as she sits, giving a somewhat tired, but friendly, smile. Pretty lady, anyway.

"Not that I'm aware of. I think a few people may have adopted out of the woods. There are certainly animals there." He watches the cat a moment. "And on that note, you might want to keep him close by, or have him carry a shotgun. Some of the wildlife is particularly vicious."

[blackmagus]

She's reminded of a conversation she had about cats taking over the world and being thwarted by laser pointers. Cats with shotguns are definitely right out, she thinks, with amusement that tinges the winsome smile she aims right back at Balthazar. At least she's trapped here with attractive people. (For the most part.)

"He knows to stay close, so I don't think that will be much of a problem. Or I hope not, at least. But thank you." She pours herself a small drink, at least to start with, before pushing the bottle back toward him. "Please tell me that people aren't attempting to domesticate velociraptors? I've seen more than enough cinema to know that that's a terrible idea."

[perfectantidote]

Ah, the bar.

It's become one of Cas' favorite places, truth be told. He reclines in a chair, legs lazily stretched out, nursing a bottle of... something or other, might be bear, might be something else. There's an orange pill bottle on the table, too, so the good life choices become very obvious very quickly. Still, his eyes are surprisingly brightly when they settle on the new arrival.

"What a sight for sore eyes."

[blackmagus]

Fortescue likes to think that she's made one good life choice, and then been led (ordered) on a series of others that she could care less about. The one is good enough for her. She's not about to judge how people choose to spend their time in this damned place.

"Are they really that sore?" she teases. "You seem to be having a good time from where I'm standing."