you can keep on getting better [open]

[hauntedsavior]

Who: Anna Amarande and you!
What: May catchall
When: May
Where: A bar in Cellar Door, other locations to come

Content Warnings: Light alcohol use, conversations about humanity and murder, blood, vampirism

a. if you want, you can buy yourself a drink [at the bar]

[anna's made plans with a couple people to hang out this month. it's not a tense environment at all, and sometimes she can even be seen on the tiny little stage playing some chilled out bass grooves for the patrons. no concrete songs, really, mostly just improv for vibes. when she's not on stage, and most of the time she's not, she's nestled herself down into a booth down near the end. it's quiet, well-lit but not obtrusively so. people around here know her and know that that's basically her seat, so any conversations that happen there are as private as they're gonna get.]

[she's expecting a few people to show up as she nurses a beer that's so weak she might as well not be drinking anything at all. probably for the best that she's sober for these talks, whatever they end up bringing with them.]

Hey. Glad you could make it. [she tilts her drink at her guest.]

b. no you'll never drink like me [for kainé]

[there's always been a few problems with going out and hunting beasts, no matter how confident and comfortable it makes anna feel. no matter how many lives she saves, she's always putting herself at risk of corruption or injury or beasthood or all three, and one of these days it's gonna sneak up on her. all at once, extremely loudly and incredibly close.]

[anyway, when she comes back home this time, it's clear that she's been in better shape. she limps her way into the house, and she's at least cognizant enough to fix her roommate/girlfriend with a sheepish little look as she holds her side. the cloth there isn't dripping yet, but it's clear that it didn't start as red as it is now.]

Motherfucker out there got the best of me. [she's talking like she's not in pain, or like she's trying very hard to pretend she isn't.] I think I stopped most of the bleeding myself. Don't suppose we've got anything here that can help seal it up before I go to the doctor?

Comments

a.

[terriblepurpose]

[Paul slides into the other side of the booth with a fizzing soda water and a slight smile. He's much neater than he was in the latter half of the party, but not as buttoned up as he was at its beginning. His new ear piercings aren't so new anymore, almost fully healed thanks to Sleeper physiology, and he's opted for a black t-shirt under his light black spring coat instead of a button down.]

Glad to have made it.

[That's not always something you can count on in Trench.]

How have you been? No more stew incidents, I hope?

[hauntedsavior]

[oh, good, they did let him in. she was a little worried about that, but, well, maybe she shouldn't have been—earth laws didn't seem to matter much around here. she takes in the way he looks now compared to back then and fixes paul with a smile.]

Nope, nothing since then. K was actually pretty pissed at me for it, so I'm trying to get better at not wasting food. [that she's doing it by practicing cooking on a gamer who moved in nearby is not immediately relevant.] How 'bout you, anything interesting going on since the party? Anything particularly, I don't know, angelic?

[she's not gonna force him to talk, but she can't let it go unstated.]

[terriblepurpose]

[Paul ducks his head, looking out at her from under his eyelashes, half-abashed and half-proud, an expression that might have been enough to get the bouncers to eject him if they saw how young it does make him look.]

Is this a theological discussion?

[He knows perfectly well it is not, except possibly in some of the more hedonistic esoteric sects. He rolls his glass between his palms, straightening up as he does so.]

If anything interesting was happening, it wouldn't be very honorable to talk about it, would it?

[So: yes. (Little does Paul know that somewhere, an angel is thinking about what an idiot he is.)]

Do you come here often?

[hauntedsavior]

[oh, she does like paul. he's not gonna give her a second of gossip and she can absolutely respect that. that said, though, it's astounding what people can say without saying anything.]

Could be theological. Could bust into a conversation about the gods that I definitely wasn't sober enough for at the party.

[but she'd rather not, or at least not quite yet, and she's learned all she thinks she'll get for now anyway.]

But, like, yeah, this place is kind of my regular haunt. I live real close, so it's easy to just bring my bass down and play whenever I'm feeling it. Actually, like, the first time I came here I had a really good talk with Teacher. Guess that's what cemented this place as my talkin' spot, too. [god, she sounds so stupid saying that last part. but it's already out of her mouth before she can stop it.]

Nobody should give you any shit for not being old enough. When they see me with guests, they usually leave me alone.

drinx

[megatheorem]

[Palamedes has been to bars few enough times to count on one hand, and he's got a great track record of looking terminally out of place every single time that he's not breaking now. Not uncomfortable, certainly not, innate resting bitch face and a habit to go everywhere like he's supposed to be there take care of that, but he is still a grey-clad, dusty librarian who doesn't look like he's been outside in a small age.

It earns him, at most, a raised eyebrow, and then less of one when he asks for just some water at the bar. When he sits opposite Anna with his cup of water and permanently ink-stained hands to complete the "nerd loose in the bar" look, he is - pretty upbeat, actually.

It's the novelty. Most things that aren't libraries are still pleasantly novel to him.]

Hi. This is nice; just dark enough. [this is a genuine compliment, he's all for the understated vibes.] How are you? As good as can be around here, I hope?

[hauntedsavior]

[you know, anna wasn't expecting him to have exactly this reaction, but she's glad to see palamedes here at all since she knew that inviting a nerd to a bar like this may have been a risk. she fixes him with a pleasant smile.]

Not bad, yeah. Definitely prefer meeting here instead of out on the island of crabs that eat people. [she takes another sip of her drink; it's not much better the second time, but oh well. she lays down her arms on the table when she's done, incidentally showing a pattern of notes on a piano roll etched into the metal of her right forearm.]

How about you? I know I brought my note-taking vibes. [she taps the domed surface of her omni, sitting on the table next to her, so it can project a keyboard and screen.] So I'm ready to get into catching up on stuff if you're in the mood.

[megatheorem]

Here I was thinking I should fetch a crab to bring along with me. Visual gag, you know. [Ha ha. He glances at her arm- ooh, the thing!! And he genuinely doesn't know jack shit about music, but he'll circle back to that in a second.]

I've been well, honestly. [Did he spend a day weeping involuntarily on his bathroom floor because he dared to look in a mirror in his own home? Yes. But nobody died, so, pros outweigh cons. Things have been decent.] And I am always in the note-taking-slash-sharing mood, so please- let's. But first—

[A nod, down at her arm,] You got it done; what is it of?

dr(a)nks

[slayerskiss]

Come here often?

[Faith sits down next to Anna, a joking tilt to her lips. She knows for a fact that she does, and that this is her favourite spot, but who cares. She drops down in the booth, sitting opposite Anna.

She doesn't have a drink in her hand yet. She's not getting drunk as often as she did when she was a teenager, which is maybe a concerning thing to think, but she'll probably get something depending on how this goes.]

[hauntedsavior]

Could say that. [she smiles pleasantly as faith makes her way here. she's fun to be around, even this time when there will probably be far fewer break-ins and bone curses. still, the evening is young.]

Want me to get you something, or are you holding back? Not that this piss'll get you drunk anytime soon.

[slayerskiss]

I have to hunt later tonight, so probably don't wanna get drunk. Ginger beer, I guess?

[She's done her Slayer work drunk before. Another thing the old Faith would have done without a second thought. Another stupid careless mistake that could have gotten so many people killed.

But when she says hunt she really means just patrol around Prufrock and then watch Ghostbusters with Tara at 4 o'clock in the morning.]

On the stage

[onekindsoul]

[Look- Ruby loved all of her friends and Anna was definitely included on that. It did not save her for a second from being heckled in the crowd.]

Play Free Bird next!
Free Bird, Free Bird, Free Bird!

[hauntedsavior]

[anna glares out into the crowd as though there's any doubt she could miss who that voice belonged to. when she figures out where ruby is, and its' not hard because it's not a very large crowd, she starts plucking out the melody to that staple of classic rock on the high strings.]

Don't know how you know this one, but give it up for little miss Ruby Rose for trying to catch me out. Come on up, Rubes. Think we should give you the honor of singing a little Skynyrd.

[onekindsoul]

[It was a valid mystery, after all it wasn't like Ruby was from Earth. She did have some musically inclined friends though.

...She has to say there is a sense of betrayal at being called out like this even if she had just finished calling Anna out first.]

There are a lot of songs on the Omni- It was the same way in the dream.

[And she gets up to her feet and moves to join Anna on stage. It... Well it reminds her of something she did with a friend a couple years ago. It feels nice to do it again.]

Fine fine, as long as you don't twist my arm or anything. I'm fragile, you know?

[entreats]

[ You have no idea how glad Ange is for this booth here.

After all, she's not exactly one for social situations. Hanging out with friends? Sure, she enjoys that. Hanging out at a crowded bar?

.. maybe not so much. But it's not like Ange is totally going to ignore Anna's performances, even if it means having to survive inside of a place with - gasp!! - actual strangers for a little while. You have to make a few sacrifices here and there for friendship, right. And it's not so bad when she can sit in the back in a booth where no one else but Anna is going to show up. It means not having to deal with annoying people. ]

You say that as if I ever don't.

[ Okay, maybe Ange isn't at every single performance Anna has ever done - but she tries! Although there has been a noticeable chunk of time around the middle of March to the start of April where she suddenly didn't show up for a single one..

But it doesn't seem like Ange is addressing that, especially not with the joke she just made. Instead she's just sitting down. ]

I'm not too late, am I?

[hauntedsavior]

[it's times and people like these that make anna remember why she picked such a secluded booth. she knows that ange doesn't like being prominent or in the spotlight, really—and on top of that, she does have a few questions she'd like to ask. questions that require that privacy. but her face doesn't give away that that's the plan, or at least not yet; she's just glad to see her friend again.]

Nope, not yet. I still have, like, 20 until I have to get ready. Trying out some atmospheric stuff tonight, just improvising something cool that puts everyone in a good mood. [she can't guess whether that's important to ange right now, but it can't be a bad thing, right?]

Your girlfriend came by recently. Tried to trip me up with "Free Bird".

[entreats]

Sounds like her. She's crafty.

[ Even if it doesn't exactly show a whole ton on Ange's face - just because it stays in its default expression by default at this point - it's definitely said with all the love in the world residing right in her heart. Ange loves Ruby's dumb little actions, and she can already imagine the girl standing in the crowd, just yelling at Anna mid-performance like social norms just don't exist.

What a dumb, amazing girl.

Ange shakes her head though, trying to drag her thoughts away from that girl and towards the one sitting here with her. ]

It's good though. What you're doing here, I mean. [ Especially since Anna is framing it so specifically as trying to help put people in a good mood. It's just one of those things they share - trying to go around and do good, even if they might not seem like it when you'd have a first impression of either Ange or Anna. ] I feel like last month was probably pretty hard on some people.

[ Especially since Ange has some first hand experience with having seen people getting corrupted into beasts due to the month's special effects. That can't have been fun for them. ]

a.

[forwantofahorse]

Mmmmph.

[When Anna had first messaged Sayo, she had been- well, not fine, Sayo has never been "okay" in recent memory, but she'd been at least something approaching stable. A goal she could work toward, a class she had to teach, a tournament to prepare for... all guiding Sayo, letting her stumble toward something that she could tentatively call a life of her own.

And then Battler arrived, and it all came tumbling down.

Sayo had only managed to drag herself into the bar because the small part of her that had internalized how to keep herself from plummeting into the abyss (and to ignore all the instincts that said to let go of the ledge) knew that getting herself out of the house and talking to an adult—technically speaking Sayo was nineteen years old but she sure didn't feel like that right now—would help.

So here she is, miserably sliding into the booth and looking like absolute shit. Her eyes are even still red from crying.]

...hey, Anna.

[hauntedsavior]

[anna does not know sayo well, but she can assume, outright, that sayo has not truly been okay in quite some time. she doesn't know specifics, but that's the point of this whole conversation, right? sit down over drinks that are too weak to work and discuss things together.]

[that was the plan at first. but anna's no fool, and she can see that sayo's been crying, and it hits her in her heart. she's immediately in concern mode beyond anything else.]

Sayo. You doing okay? [that's the problem, though. that's not what she should be asking.] You were crying. Wanna talk about it?

[forwantofahorse]

What would you do if the man who you ruined your life over and then died because of you six years later showed up here?

[Sayo wipes her eyes again, ineffectually, and glares at Anna, also ineffectually given how defeated she looks... then sighs and practically deflates, almost sinking beneath the table.]

S- Sorry... I know that isn't fair.

[threelayers]

Like I was about to skip drinks with one of my best friends in this town.

[She winked over at Anna. Never you mind that the list of her friends was never very high to begin with. But still, she appreciated getting some time to spend with her. Socializing, as opposed to commiserating with someone after a rough month? That was something she needed to do more often.

She settled in and crossed her legs, setting her umbrella on the chair back with its hook and typing away.]

You're looking a little better.
How's the day treating you?

[hauntedsavior]

I'm feeling better.

[she still had a little bit of sweat on her brow from the stage lights, but she was smiling, feeling pretty incredible all told. it was the endorphin rush of a successful performance, even if it was just sitting around playing some gentle grooves to create a vibe.]

Went out with Ruby to get etched the other day. Mostly trying to keep my head up. It's easier with the sunlight and, you know, good friends. Good friends and shitty beer. How about you?

[threelayers]

[She just laughed. Ruby? Getting inked? Damn, but what was the world coming to, when little miss perfect was getting a tat? Somehow that made her just amused more than anything else.]

I'm soldiering through alright.
I think I keep doing this knuckle down thing a little too much.
It's real easy to feel like you've got a nose to a grindstone.
So, like you said, good friends. Shitty beer.

Makes it worth beating up monsters all day, heh.

B.

[foulhussy]

[ Kainé is considerably less nonchalant about Anna’s injury. She’s at Anna’s side soon after she enters the house, already hearing her uneven gait, and her eyes widen in primal panic when she sees the red soaking through her clothes, smelling the Coldblood oozing from her body. A small rational part of her is aware that death is only temporary for Sleepers, certainly, but that barely registers because Anna is hurt. ]

Wh— [ Right away she's lifting Anna's arm up over her shoulders guiding her into the den and towards the couch. ] What the fuck happened!? Goddammit...!

[ They've seen each other hurt before, during the hunts together. During the battle with Leviathan, she got speared right through, leaving poor Anna to fret and worry over her. But... somehow it's different when she wasn't there. Wasn't able to help her, to prevent it.

She lowers Anna onto the couch. ]

Keep holding that there! I'll get bandages.

[ There's a desperation in her voice, and in a moment she's already rushing to the medicine cabinet. ]

[hauntedsavior]

[that isn't a surprise. kaine's always more serious about things like this. and why wouldn't she be? really, anna's the one who should be more worried. she's smiling a little like she doesn't totally know what's going on as she's led to the couch, and the pain sets in and makes her wince when she's lowered down. all right, god, fine. back to reality, amaranth, it's starting to hurt again.]

Got it. [she says it softly, but not necessarily weakly.] It's not as bad as it looks, okay? I got here safe, didn't I?

[she did not get here safe, she got here with a wound in her side. she should be smarter than this. she's trying to downplay it, though, perhaps unsurprisingly—no reason to worry k or anything. she doesn't want to be a burden.]

cw: robot gore

[foulhussy]

[ Kainé is a hypocrite when it comes to this, and she knows as much. She's taken more near-fatal wounds than anybody should in their lifetime, been baffled at how her companions dared to show such dismay and concern for a thing like her. She's... working on that. Had been even then trying to understand that others, strangely enough, cared for her.

But she knows that she would protect Anna to her dying breath, will fight for her until the sun burns out, and she's just barely self aware enough to see the same self denying tendencies in her, and get pissed off by them.

Kainé soon emerges from the bathroom with a roll of bandages, striding over to the sofa with as much calm as she can manage, which still looks tense and pissed off. ]

Hold still.

[ The edge in Kainé's voice cannot conceal her worry. She rolls Anna over onto her side, takes her hand off from her side. She lifts up her coat and shirt revealing the hard but flexible metal chassis, gouged open by the claw of something that she wants to stomp into paste if it isn't already dead at Anna's hand. Bleeding from torn fibers of dense synthetic muscle, human and mechanical blood vessels ruptured. It doesn't look like a severe wound, Kainé thinks, but it's so hard to tell.

For now, she doesn't have the time to disinfect the wound. Hopefully that won't even be a factor with what she's about to do. She works fast, having had to wrap her own tainted limbs more often than she can count, using one hand to lift Anna slightly with her terrific strength and deftly wrapping her torso with gauze, grunting when she sets her back down. The bleeding slowed enough that only a bit of corrupting blood got onto the floor. A manageable level of pollution, easy enough to ward off with incense. ]

Does it hurt?