[IC] Shine City Zero: Humble Beginnings

[SamaraJayne96]

null

[BubblegumQueen]

Veronica Winters

_____________________________________
@Indy Cooper

“Yup, Veronica. That's me. And I can go for a soda, sure.”

Now, Veronica considered herself to be a rather polite person. Well, when she was around friends she tended to be her more vulgar and dark self BUT whenever she was around people she really didn't know? She tended to be very dry and uncaring for most things. It was something to pride herself on, really.

But, Veronica couldn't even lie. Her eyes, very quickly, flickered over Rowan's body in an unconscious version of 'Checking someone out'. What could she say, really? When she sees an attractive male or female, she notices. Definitely.

But, luckily, it appears that Rowan isn't the most... aware person when it comes to someone's interest... thank god for that.

Veronica watched Rowan speak with a type of natural curiosity, unused to seeing the bartender in such a natural manner. It was very fascinating.

Yet, Veronica was able to just see Rowan wince a little. And it didn't take long for Veronica to figure out exactly what was causing it and briefly found herself wondering if the woman was perhaps hungover.

“Nope, I've never been here this early. It's pretty surreal, not gonna lie.” Veronica admitted whilst her left hand, whilst inside her pocket, fiddled with her phone's volume button to turn down the music, it turning into a low barely audible hum. “Long morning? Heh... you could definitely say that.”

Humming under her breath, Veronica trailed after the leggy bartender and felt an almost immediate sense of comfort wash over her. The bar was definitely a comforting presence to the woman. ESPECIALLY after the hell of a morning she'd had.

Her lips quirked up at Rowan's words as she looked around the bar from her position in the middle of the bar. “I adore Spicy Stuff, actually. A nice burn is always welcome, I say. And ay, I'd be up for anything weird and I'll pretty much try anything.”

Veronica said this in a bit of a happier tone as she wandered over to the bar, standing by her preferred seat at the end of the bar. It gave a good view of the rest of the bar so she tended to prefer it. It's good for people watching.

But, Veronica's attention was grabbed when someone else waltzed in. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw an attractive man enter the bar. He had this very calm vibe about him that was mildly interesting. He also mentioned 50 year old Bourbon which sounded lovely, to be honest. Giving a small nod to the man, she returned her gaze to the bartender.

[SamaraJayne96]

Azura Lunarie

Cornerstone Bar

@Indy Cooper@BubblegumQueen@Dynamo Frokane

"There. All finished." Azura smiled triumphantly as she placed the last of her dishes in her kitchen cupboard.
She had arrived in Shine City late last night and had spent the whole morning unpacking with little to no sleep. This was a huge mistake on her part, due to the fact that she had had an interview to attend to around noon.
Her new apartment was small; consisting of one bedroom, a tiny bathroom, kitchen, and a modest sized living room. It wasn't a palace, but to Azura it was everything she had ever hoped it could be. It was an escape.

Her living room was unique in its own way, however instead of having a couch or television, she had set up the floor-plan with various art supplies. A single bar-stool and easel served as a way to paint when inspiration struck. Likewise was a desk near a large window as to be used for various sketches. The only comfortable furniture in the room was a plush armchair, mainly used for cuddling up with a good book. Zu-Zu's love of literature had almost exceeded her love of creativity. It was yet another way to elude the demons that had inhabited her life.

There was a large wooden clock that hung on her living room wall adjacent to the entrance of the apartment. When she glanced at it she was surprised to see that time had already flown by quite quickly. It was 11am... her interview was in an hour. That was not a lot of time to get ready. Deciding to skip the shower and just douse herself in lavender perfume, within 15 minutes Azura was dressed and already headed out the door. Today she dressed to impress, her outfit consisting of a long sleeved, white button up shirt, black skinny jeans, and Converse high tops. Her top two buttons were undone, exposing a single amethyst crystal hanging from a simple black cord. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and various studded bracelets adorned her arms. Upon her wrists were two individual tattoos, one on each arm, covering up what seemed like scars as a result of self mutilation. On her right arm was a grey scale lotus blossom. On her left was a picture of an old fashion compass.

As she walked out of her apartment building and down the sidewalk, along the way she scraped her wavy, dark hair into a high ponytail letting a few loose tendrils frame her face. She smiled softly with a bounce in her step as she approached the brick building that presented a large sign titled "Cornerstone Bar". Upon seeing the sign, she felt her stomach fill with fluttering butterflies. Nerves had finally taken hold of her causing self doubt to settle in.

"Nonsense Azura." The black head beauty chastised herself.
"Remember what teacher said. Confidence is key to success."

Her red eyes scanned the area, making sure that it was safe to proceed before taking a deep breath and crossing the street. As she entered the bar the first thing she noticed was the way the business had been set up. It was dark, but felt more calm than intimidating. A juke box sat in the corner which had definitely peaked her interest. Besides literature and art, music was another one of her biggest passions. Three people were there, two of them sitting at the counter. One of the three was a tall woman, with purplish black hair. It was obvious that she was the bartender due to the fact that she was the one serving customers. She was also the woman that Azura had needed to speak with.

With new found confidence appearing from the deepest depths of her subconcious, Zura straightened her shoulders and approached the counter with her chin held high. Appearing as though she belonged there and was competant enough to do whatever was needed of her.

"Excuse me." She spoke, her calming demenor evident in her tone. She placed her hands on her hips, causing her shirt to rise slightly revealing a zodiac tattoo. Pisces.
"I had called earlier about a job inquiry? Are you Rowan?"

[Indy Cooper]

"Hello, Fenton!" Rowan smiled, a slightly warmer expression that she reserved for her regulars. Her left eyebrow twitched up into a quizzical expression as he made his order and expressed that it was story time. "All right. You're lucky, I have a bit of it left, and if this keeps up with you guys dropping in, I might as well go ahead and open early. Boss won't mind a few extra bucks in the drawer." She disappeared below the bar for a moment, the rattle of glasses clearly audible, and came back up with a tumbler and a pint glass. Her hair flickered around her head as she twisted and bent down to sort through a bin of what appeared to be completely random cans and bottles, retrieving one with an orange label and decorated with flames. Setting that on the counter, she turned again and snagged an expensive looking brown bottle labelled in faded yellow paper and block Olde English text, eyeing the contents against the light before she popped the top off. She set that down too, letting it breathe while she retrieved a few ice cubes for each glass. She poured two fingers into the tumbler of the good stuff, popped the soda open and poured that deftly into the pint glass, and slid them to their respective owners.

She nodded to Veronica first, saying, "That whole shipment got sent to us by mistake, but the boss wants to see how well they go over so we kept them. The label's in Japanese, but it's got habaneros on the label, so it should be hot enough for you. I haven't had a chance to try any of them yet, so you'll have to let me know what it's like." She winked and added, "No charge for guinea pig drinks, as per usual, and let me know if you need crackers or another drink, since we're open now, it seems." Then she slid around the bar, speaking over her shoulder to Fenton. "I'm listening, but I gotta click the signs on and what not. What's the scoop, Fen? And are you staying long enough for a tab?"

She moved with alacrity to the front door, flipping over the 'open' sign and turning on the window neons before resuming her spot behind the counter, pausing only to start pouring herself one of the cheap-ass pints she tended to favour. She had just been settling with her elbows on the counter to listen to Fenton when the door chimed and another girl walked in. This one seemed to take the place in, along with her and her regs, in just a glance, then squared her shoulders and walked up to the counter. As soon as she started speaking Rowan recognised the voice from earlier.

"Yep, I'm Rowan." She turned back to Fenton and shrugged. "Duty calls. Tell Veronica, I'll try to keep an ear out if you need anything." Then, she pulled a clipboard out from underneath the bar and set it down, motioning for Azura to take a seat across from her. "So, the boss isn't down yet, and won't be for a couple more hours yet unless I phone him. If you want an interview right away, that's your fastest bet, but in the meantime, there's the, y'know, typical application thing. Let me know if you need a drink or have a question, alright?"

@BubblegumQueen@Pilatus@SamaraJayne96

[SamaraJayne96]

Azura Lunarie

Cornerstone Bar

@Indy Cooper

"Yep, I'm Rowen." The bartender responded indifferent to the professionalism usually shown in most job interviews.
Azura smiled politely as she waited for further instruction. Well, mostly a half-smile. It was rare to see the brunette use a full toothed grin. In fact, she hadn't felt that happy in years.
As the bartender turned to speak to one of the patrons, Azura quickly fished her resume out of her back pocket. This was the first interview she had ever had. Having only worked in her father's shop, the poor girl had no clue as to how to properly go about the process. She unfolded the sheet of paper and attempted to smooth out some of the creases she had made while stuffing it into her pocket.

Rowen then proceeded to duck under the counter only to emerge with a clipboard. A few forms had been tacked on, and a pen with black ink rested on the top just below the metallic clip. She placed the application on the counter and motioned for Azura to follow.
"So, the boss isn't down yet, and won't be for a couple more hours yet unless I phone him. If you want an interview right away, that's your fastest bet, but in the meantime, there's the, y'know, typical application thing. Let me know if you need a drink or have a question, alright?"

Azura nodded slightly, processing the conversation while doing so.
"Thanks... My name is Azura by the way." She spoke, suddenly remembering that she had neglected to introduce herself.
"And if it is all right with you, I will have a water... I don't really drink all that much."
Azura felt a blush creep across her face as realization dawned on her. How competent of a bartender could she be if she herself didn't partake? That was definitely a bad impression on her part. However, it was too late. Rowen had already went to work preparing her simple drink.
In an attempt to redeem herself, Zu-Zu then added:
"As far as contacting the owner, it is up to you. I would not want to be an inconvenience. I also don't mind waiting a few hours... It will help me get better acquainted with the building as well as its patrons."

Afraid of making herself look more foolish, she pressed her pale pink lips together and looked down at the clipboard saying nothing more. It was obvious that the butterflies were getting to her. Usually, the artist did not encounter many social interactions. Even when she did, it was usually with people she had been close with. Individuals with whom she could be herself. She had never attempted to impress anyone before so this all was a little intimidating.
In a matter of minutes she had finished the application. It was easy enough due to the fact that she did not have much work experience but at least she knew the answers to most of the questions listed. Questions such as "What ingredients are needed to make a Royal Flush?" Simple enough. Making sure to add her resume on top of the application, she placed the clipboard back onto the counter and waited once more.
In an attempt to calm her anxiety she hooked her thumb over her shoulder towards the Juke Box.

"Mind if I put something on while I wait?"
She had also wanted a cigarette so it was convenient that the sound system not only played in the bar, but outside it as well. Since her question was obviously rhetorical, she stood up, not waiting for Rowen to respond and approached the music machine. She then assessed the selection and picked one of her favorites which had been related to the Classic Rock genre. It was a cliche, but she loved it nonetheless.

Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out a pack of L&Ms and placed a cigarette casually on her lips. As she exited the building she could hear "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones pour out of the speakers hooked to the awning outside. Figuring that no one was around to listen, Azura began singing along quietly in between puffs of her cancer stick and her sweet air guitar riffs.

[Saarebas]

Booker, Mochavine Café

Book couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle at Sayri's comment. "I don't know about all that ma'am, I'm not that much of an expert on anything little 'lone the city, but I can get you that frappachino." He said with a nod and a warm smile before he turned and headed over to the counter. Book had never been much of just a straight black coffee drinker, then again he had never been much for any bitter tastes really, he had always preferred things with a bit of a sweeter taste to it, even though it earned an odd glance or two whenever he ordered a drink for himself.

The walking mountain was so caught up in his thoughts that he had almost not noticed that he had made it back up to the counter and in front of the baristas. "Oh how long have I been standing here..." Book thought aloud for a moment before he refocused on the two young ladies in front of him, one was fair skinned young woman with short black hair while the other had a slight tan and long silvery hair. "Sorry 'bout that, I was lost in thought." He apologized with a light laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Anywho I was wonderin' if I could bother one of you young ladies for a frappachino." Book said with a warm smile. It wasn't a moment later that a low growl escaped Book's stomach. ...I guess someone forgot breakfast this morning." Book said aloud before laughing at himself. He then looked back to the two girls working the counter. "I hate to bother you two for more, but could I get..." He said before scanning the menu that hung behind the counter for a moment. "...two of your chocolate chip muffins." Book finished as he returned his gave back to the two girls.
@Dynamo Frokane@Jay Kalton@GarlandDaHero

[BubblegumQueen]

Veronica Winters

_____________________________________
@Indy Cooper
@SamaraJayne96
@Dynamo Frokane

Apparently Veronica's decision to stop by the bar during the morning was less unique than she'd been originally anticipated. Because first, some guy showed up talking about 50 year old Bourbon (That she'd LOVE to try but that's another story.) and mentioning something about a story, piquing her interest despite her attempts at shrugging him off. (And he was also quite good-looking but she wasn't even going to go there at this point.)

And she came back to the present at apparently just the right time as a tumbler of soda was slid her way while bourbon was slid towards... he-who's-name-she-doesn't-know. Veronica traced the rim of the glass, staring down at it with an arched eyebrow as Rowan explained the whole ordeal to her.

“Hmm, I'm always up for something hot. Don't mind if I do.” She drawled, about to bring the glass to her lips...

Until another attractive woman walked in (Again, why are there so many attractive people this early in the morning?!) for a job interview. She, for a brief moment, found herself wondering if she should write a poem about surrealism in real life or something similar... it'd be interesting, that's for sure. But, she pushed her approaching thoughts on work to the side to focus more on what exactly was happening around her.

Watching everything around her, she couldn't help the interested expression from appearing at the suggestion that the guy... (What is his name? Rowan said something about it... hmm... something with an... F...? Oh! Fen! She said Fen! It's short for... something.) tell her his story, as suggested by Rowan.

Not really paying attention to anything else, Veronica turned her body to face Fen. “I'd love a good story.” She commented calmly to him, a small smirk on her face.

[Pilatus]

A freight train horn sounded in the distance as Joel strolled up the avenue. The sunlight was refreshing after coming out of his air-conditioned, temporary hibernation. The shop could be extraordinarily dark during the day, particularly his renovated living space and he kept it pretty cool most of the time. Still not totally awake, he mused on what to do with the rest of the day as he walked: Go to the gym, maybe ride out later, or just take a nap- All winners in his book. He normally didn’t do a lot of work on Sundays.

About the time he was to round the corner ahead he remembered that it was actually Sunday and Cornerstone wouldn’t be open for another couple hours. Damn, Damn, Damn… He thought. He really didn’t feel like walking back and having to drive somewhere so his legs continued carried him, guided by his stomach. If Rowan was there, she would take care of him. She was usually good for it. He had known her since she came to work at the bar. She had her regulars, but he considered himself of a higher class of parishioner, a Veteran. He grinned a little at the thought. It had come to him before and was funny every time.

When he turned the corner he was surprised to see someone sitting outside smoking and music playing. He stopped briefly and checked his phone for the time. Just a little after noon. Unsatisfied, he glanced up at the sun position in the sky. Interesting. He walked on a little further as the “OPEN” sign was lit and scanned around the outside of the bar from behind his sunglasses. He gave a slight nod to the girl smoking outside and pushed through the door.

A t-shirt, cargo shorts and sneakers were his essentially his entire wardrobe, most of the shirts displaying some sort of Motorsport or tool brand from a vendor. Today’s choice was an older, white Bridgestone Motorsport tee with a tighter fit that came from multiple washes that he liked. He paused briefly at the door with a sense of pretend drama he knew Rowan would at least find amusing and looked over the group still with his sunglasses on: Rowan and two others that he didn’t recognize.

“You guys drawing up a labor contract or somethin’?” He spoke in way that flew the trench between total sincerity and stark sarcasm. He flipped his sunglasses back on his head and proceeded to a bar stool. “What’s up?” He said. The query was mostly directed at Rowan, but he eased his tone enough for the others to hopefully not take his first question seriously.

@BubblegumQueen
@Dynamo Frokane
@Indy Cooper
@SamaraJayne96

[Stern Algorithm]

@Dynamo Frokane

Michel Montmartre (Shine City Aquarium)

Michel frowned slightly, afraid that his boring talk of city finances was scaring the visitor away, but felt that something else was troubling the man. But when the man replied saying that he'd come back again, and that he 'd like to see Michel again, in the dim blue glow of the tanks, Michel gave him a delicate smile. "I'll be here," Michel said, almost promised, mysteriously, as he watched Fenton leave. "Well, guess my eyes are adjusted," Michel thought to himself as he got up off the seat and checked his phone again for any job updates. Looks like guest wifi isn't working in the crustacean room. With a skip in his step, Michel headed over.

[Dolerman]

Fenton Kelly (Cornerstone Bar)

---

@BubblegumQueen@Indy Cooper
Fenton grinned like a wildcat when Rowen confirmed there was indeed the 50 yr old liquor that he was looking forward to. Fenton couldn't get over how effortlessly beautiful she was, so calm and collected, she looked like she would yawn at a hurricane if it came towards her. However despite all of her amazing traits Fenton would never make a move on her, mainly because there is no point, flirting with a barmaid is like offering a glass of water to a fish, they get it all the time. Fenton could even tell the other two women in the bar were probably just as attracted to her as he was, how could he compete with that?

After Rowen had to cut Fenton short while she went to another room to interview a cute girl looking for work. The attractive girl who Rowen nominated to listen to Fenton, she sipped her drink slowly and just oozed sexual confidence when she offered to hear his story.

And just at that moment, it began to rain outside...

Well, isn't that nice of you to listen to a stranger's story? Fenton Kelly, P.I. pleasure to meet you.

Fenton shook her hand and turned his stool chair to face her before taking a hearty swig of his beloved bourbon.

As you can probably tell, I'm not from around here. I actually arrived her a couple months ago from a place called Neo-City, its on the opposite coast from Shine City couldn't be more different from here. I like this bar because its the closest thing to Neo-City that I have, and Rowen...well she is like the person who embodies the city the most to me.

Fenton took his next sip a little slower, his mind was wondering about what would have happened if he met Rowen back in Neo-City under different circumstances.

You see, sometimes a single person can embody the spirit of a location, of an entire culture perfectly, Rowen is dark, strong, unmoved and powerful like Neo City....as for shine city, well I suppose the equivalent would be someone bright, dreamlike, innocent, fascinating...and well golden haired...

The young lady was back in his mind again Michel the peculiar tomboy with a beautiful outlook on sea-life. Fenton couldn't wrap his head around what made this person so interesting to him, but since he left the aquarium he couldn't stop thinking about her. But this attractive stranger probably didn't want to hear this, so he changed the subject.

....So how do you find this City? Is it interesting enough for you? How have you come to know Rowen? I dont think I've seen you in here before... but then I'm mainly here on weekdays.

Fenton swiveled his glass as he spoke, she was very easy on the eyes.

[SamaraJayne96]

Azura Lunarie

Cornerstone Bar

@Dynamo Frokane@Pilatus@BubblegumQueen@Indy Cooper

"No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue, I could not foresee this thing happening to you" Azura sang along quietly in between puffs of her cigarette.
At some point she looked up to see a man wearing cargo shorts enter the bar. He had given her a slight nod at least acknowledging her presence but she thought nothing of it. Azura was not one to develop crushes very easily. Though she was attracted to both sexes, she focused more on the personality of the individual rather than the physical appearance.

The song had ended and so had her cigarette, but Zura had not gotten up from her perch. She continued to study her surroundings trying to familiarize herself with the new city. Suddenly, she felt uneasy.
"What if I don't get this job?" She whispered to the ground.
"I couldn't live here on my own... I'd have to go back. He'd...kill me."

Azura grit her teeth together to keep from sobbing. Her emotions matched the intensity of a roller coaster. One moment she was the brightest person you would ever meet, Slowly climbing the top of the tall hill, being able to see a birds eye view. Then you would hit a corkscrew and she would become sarcastic as well as brazen, but go for a loop-de-loop and you get the panic attack as well as major depression.
She took deep cleansing breaths and reminded herself that this was of the utmost importance. Her personal life could not interfere with the professional world. On most occasions, Azura could wear a metaphorical mask to get her through the day. With years of practice, she had become awfully good at it. Replacing her worrysome featres, she lifted her head once more and plastered on a rueful smile.

As if to match her mood, it was then that out of nowhere, dark clouds began to roll in causing thunder to sound. The sky had turned a mixture of grey and purple. With a blinding white light, followed by a deep boom, rain began pouring down. It soaked everything in its path, giving no mercy to whomever the water droplets struck.

"Shit!" Azura muttered leaping up and running towards the entrance of the bar.
As she walked through the doorway however, she could see that it was too late. She was entirely drenched, soaked to the bone. Embarrassment lit her featres suddenly as she looked down and remembered that she had been wearing a white shirt. With it now being see-through, it was easy to diminish the lacey black bra she wore underneath.

"Hey Rowan?" She called from across the room, summoning all the courage she had in drawing attention to herself.
"Mind if I get a towel or... something?"

Her hair clung to the sides of her face as well as down her back. She crossed her arms in an attempt to cover herself and it had helped a little. Unfortunately, she began to shiver feeling very cold and uncomfortable.

[BubblegumQueen]

Veronica Winters

_____________________________________
@Indy Cooper
@SamaraJayne96
@Dynamo Frokane
@Pilatus

Veronica's eyes flickered to the door as yet another attractive person walked into the bar. (Honestly, this is getting comical now. Like, seriously... How many attractive people are gonna enter this bar this early?) But, pushing her feelings of disbelief over all this to the side, she decided to not really interact with him. After all, he was there for Rowan.

So, giving a polite nod to the stranger when he looked in her direction, she turned her attention back to Fen. At this point, it was less flirtatious and more along the line of her actually being interested in him and the story. Besides, she had a theory and she was curious as to whether or not she was right.

Spoiler Alert: She probably was.

Veronica accepted his handshake with a pleased smile, glad to finally know his actual name. “Pleasure to meet you, Fenton Kelly. My name is Veronica Winters. And a PI? Nice.”

Facing him, she took small sips from her glass as she listened to him speak with genuine interest. And in the back of her mind, she admitted that the soda was actually pretty freaking hot (Yet also delicious.), but she'd think further on it another time.

And it was as he was speaking that everything seemed to fit so perfectly together. Her eyes flickered to Rowan before returning to him, an almost audible click happening in her mind. So... he likes her, then. That's quite obvious. But he also has someone else on his mind... it's evident by the way he said 'golden-haired'... Hmm, the mystery unravels and continues. She thought with a small nod to herself, feeling pleased with having figured out at least some of the mystery that'd been nagging her about Fenton.

But, she was surprised when he asked her about herself. Considering most of his story was about Rowan (Basically admitting his feelings, let's be real.), she figured that he wouldn't want to hear about her. She'd go along with it for now, however.

“Me? Well... my parents and I moved here when I was in Middle School. I think it's a bit apparent with the accent.” Veronica added, referring to the light accent she carried. (Think a mix of British and a hint of Irish, to be specific.) “But, I do find it quite interesting. It has many interesting people and there's plenty of inspiration for me.” She'd said, eyes drifting off a little as she thought of her poetry, She felt the most interesting urge at that moment to write something. But, she pushed it aside and turned her eyes back to Fenton.

“I know Rowan from my many, uh, visits to this bar. Always at night. And I usually always leave completely plastered.” She admitted with a small laugh, taking another sip of her soda. “To be fair, I'm not here everyday or something like that. I tend to only come to this place maybe... hmm... 2-3 days a week? Although...”

She narrowed her eyes at him a little, head tilting a bit to the right. “You do look... kind of familiar. I might've seen you in passing here. Although, whenever I'm here, I tend to stick more to myself anyway.”

And it was right when she finished this statement that she heard the other girl there ask for a towel. Eyes flickering over to her, she'd only just then noticed that it was raining. Great. Her eyes then moved over to the unknown woman there for a job interview and noticed her trying to cover herself feebly, shirt having been soaked all the way through due to the rain. She briefly considered offering her jacket in order to cover the woman... but then she figured that a towel might be better suited.

[Indy Cooper]

"Sure boss, yeah. No, I don't think it's gonna be a problem. Yeah, I can handle it, you know me. Sure, see you at five. No, no shipments today." Rowan put down the receiver and turned back to face the bar, which was when Joel walked in. "Not yet? But we might get a part-timer." Her tone didn't contain any hint of her feelings on this aside from her usual slightly world-weary attitude. "It's an early Sunday, apparently. Some sort of magnetic field or some-"

Azura had come in, caught in a flash rainstorm outside, requesting a towel and looking like a drowned puppy. Rowan paused for just half a second too long, then blushed before she hopped up to sit on the bar, flipped herself around with her long legs swinging as far from Fenton's head as she could, and then landing on the ground between two stools, her black tennis shoes thumping lightly. Stopping for a beat to pull her apron off and hand it around the poor girls head to cover her chest, she guided her back around the bar with an arm over the shoulders. "Nasty sitch, huh? No worries, we've got towels and spare hoodies an' everything in back, we'll getcha taken care of." She called back over her shoulder as they disappeared into the back rooms, "Back in a jiff, Joel. If you're hungry I'll whip something up I've been wantin' to try." she stopped for just a second and peered around at Veronica and Fenton. Yeah, they're doin' fine, she thought to herself with a smirk.

The back rooms were tiny and cramped, consisting of a walk-in cooler attached to a tiny kitchen, a dry storage room with a staircase leading to the basement through a lift door, and the office she pulled Azura into, also tiny and stuffed with cardboard boxes all around the little desk and chairs. She sat Azura into one of those and opened a small closet, muttering to herself. "I know I left somethin' in here somewhere, where the hell did he...Aha!" First off she tossed a long beach towel out behind her for the girl, and then resurfaced from the closet, holding up an outsized hoodie that would hang to her knees if she was wearing it.

"Always keep spare clothing everywhere, my Gran told me. Always comes in handy! Here, you can wear this for now, but I'll want it back eventually." She held out the sweatshirt, which still smelled of oranges, ginger, and old cigarette smoke from the last time she had worn it. "I gotta get back to the bar, come out when you're done changing and I will let you know what the boss said for today." She left the girl in the office, closing the door and leaning on it, trying to shake the wet t-shirt out of her mind. Cool it, girl, you've got customers to attend. And with a shake of her head, she resumed her normal composure and made her way around the corner and back into her normal position, looking at Joel expectantly. "What can I get you, Joel?"

@BubblegumQueen@SamaraJayne96@Pilatus@Dynamo Frokane

[SamaraJayne96]

Azura Lunarie

Cornerstone Bar

@Dynamo Frokane@Pilatus@BubblegumQueen@Indy Cooper

Azura stood in a puddle, dripping wet, uncomfortable, and embarassed. It seemed that today was not her day. She met the bartenders gaze and noticed a slight blush appearing out of nowhere. She hadn't known Rowen long, but Zu-Zu's legendary intuition told her that it wasn't something the bartender ususally did. The next moments felt like time had fast forward. Rowen had impressively climbed on top of the bar counter top and maneuvered around the nearby patrons. In a flash, the woman had made her way over to her and draped the black apron over her shoulders, effectively covering her chest. Azura smiled slightly, a little bigger than usual. Rowen's kind and chivalrous nature had made quite the impact on the brunette.

"Nasty sitch, huh? No worries, we've got towels and spare hoodies an' everything in back, we'll getcha taken care of." Rowen murmured in Zura's ear and she led her to the back of the bar.

They entered a room filled with boxes, most likely used for storage, along with it were two chairs and a simple desk.
"I know I left somethin' in here somewhere..." She muttered to herself as she tossed a beach towel behind her. Azura caught it in her hands and grimaced. The fabric had been dyed with a striped design, both colors being different shades of pink.
She sighed but could not complain. No matter how much she disliked the color, it was the most sufficient option she had at the moment in order to dry off. Without any more hesitation she released her dripping wet hair from the band that held her ponytail and bent over. Long black locks cascaded down, nearly touching the floor. She then proceeded to dry her hair before standing back up, meanwhile unbuttoning her shirt. After all, they both were girls right?

"Where the hell did he...Aha!" The musician exclaimed proudly removing a large sweatshirt from a closet that had been hidden by several cardboard boxes. She tossed the garment over to her as well.

"Hey thanks." Azura half-smiled along with a slight nod. Not knowing what compelled her, she lifted the hoodie to her face and inhaled deeply. The smell was intoxicating but she couldn't quite place what had caused it. Definitely cigarette smoke. She proceeded to remove her white button-up, letting it fall with a soft "swick" to the floor.

"Always keep spare clothing everywhere, my Gran told me. Always comes in handy! Here, you can wear this for now, but I'll want it back eventually. I gotta get back to the bar, come out when you're done changing and I will let you know what the boss said for today."

As Rowen made her exit, Azura smiled and nodded once more. It was her own silent way of giving thanks. She wasn't too social with people she hadn't known long. Probably due to the fact that she had tried most of her life to remain invisible. Especially around her father. Pulling the sweatshirt over her head, Azura couldn't help but moan as she felt how soft the fabric was. The sleeves were just as long as the shirt itself, to the point where they hung limp over her hands. She pushed the fabric up to her elbows and pulled at the base so the hem was just above her knees. Once situated, she stepped out of her jeans. A challenge since they had clung like glue to her legs. A new fashion statement, the hoodie was now a dress. A mirror hung near the desk letting Zura see her reflection. Her hair that was once slightly wavy, now resembled a woman in the 80s who was really into hair metal. As she walked back towards the bar she attempted to smooth down her voluminous curls, cursing her Greek heritage along the way.

When Azura emerged, Rowen had been busy helping the other patrons from earlier. Not wanting to be a bother, the brunette simply made herself comfortable by hopping on the bar stool that she had used to fill out her application. She waited patiently, sipping the glass of water Rowen had placed earlier.

[Pilatus]

Joel caught a glimpse of the female giving him a once over as he took his regular spot at the counter a couple stools down. Not bad… He thought giving her a very faint nod back. However he wasn’t in the mood to flirt. He was in the mood to eat and as soon as possible. Breakfast beckoned from deep in his esophagus and Rowan had the medicine. It looked like the other guy was holding his own for the time being so Joel wasn’t overly concerned with his current level of game unless this girl was attracted to hungry men who just woke up.

He glanced back over his shoulder as a flash shower dumped down buckets outside. The dark-haired girl who he’d just seen outside, he figured was the “might-be” part timer Rowan mentioned, came clamoring back in totally drenched. Glad it wasn’t me… Was the first thought that came to mind as Rowan came to her aid and escorted her away. He could tell she was definitely on the younger side in comparison to the more seasoned appearance of Rowan, like a doll and a statue. He turned back to the bar as they went away.

There was a single cup coffee brewer behind the main counter of the bar and from years of sitting in the same place Joel knew exactly where to reach to turn it on and exactly where the cups and cartridges were to be found. Working blindly with one hand he pressed the brew button while only partially listening to the conversation between the other two guests. It all sounded a little too deep for him at a bar just after midday on a Sunday. The guy seemed to be hung up on his old haunts and aside from Rowan, another woman with golden hair. Not exactly the best opener, but to each his own he thought.

When Rowan came back out Joel had already added cream and sweetner and smirked a little as she approached. He knew how much she loathed coffee. “Anything’s fine” he said answering her question and taking a sip. “You said you had something you wanted to try so let’s have it.”

The younger girl came back out and resumed her spot at the bar as well. With her tousled curls and newly donned hoodie-dress she now looked like a foreign refugee and Joel couldn’t help himself. “Damn, nice outfit.” He said glancing over. He took another sip, feeling more awake and looked back at Rowan, “I probably could have used that as a car cover back at the shop.”

@BubblegumQueen
@Dynamo Frokane
@Indy Cooper
@SamaraJayne96

[PrinceAlexus]

At Cornerstone bar.

Lady Marinalia was used to to new places, but one thing remained the same, always getting lost and everyone thought you knew exactly where that bar or shop was. The landlord had promised her it would be easy to find, maybe if you where local. The Rental was somewhat more expensive than her new salary would allow but a few slow but steady investments as part of a inheritance has meant she could afford something in the better part just outside the city center.

Slowly driving down the main road passing numerous apartments, shops and even a aquarium the place was nice, but no land marks on the map. The rental car was a modern white land rover discovery, blacked windows and sat nav that she had no idea how to use yet, the previous renter "acquiring" the instructions no doubt. sure it was fairly heavier on petrol than the local model she had been offered but it was one thing that reminded her of home and the split tail gate was always handy.

Cursing to herself she looked round at the traffic lights for the what seemed 5th time with no clue deciding to take the right and pull up at the bar and see if anyone could help out. Slowly stopping up in the bars small designated parking area the SUV barely fit as normal into the space, it seemed alright and the sound of chatter from the bar least sounded friendly.

Grabbing her bag off the passenger seat and locking the SUV with a blip on the key she looked down the road and saw the sun slowly setting and reflecting off what looked like a heavy rainstorm casting the road a impressive range of yellow and gold hues. She had definitely been to worse cities.

Heading inside she glanced back nervously at the safety of her truck but if she wanted to be able to find the apartment by midnight she had to ask someone. Pushing aside the door and stepping inside noticing a few groups of people and someone who looked like the owner behind the bar, she made a beeline for the barman. In a fairly strong English accent and tapping her diamond ring gently on on the bar for attention and giving a slightly nervous smile.

"excuse me, anyone help out a new comer? I just arrived in town looking for my apartment im renting. Pinnacle Apartments, meant to be near the Town hall. Landlord gave me a map but ive already driven past the Town hall 3 times and not found it. that or someone knows how to work a land rover sat nav.

and a Black coffee, no sugar please if you sell it."

laughing slightly at the end she stood at the bar and kept bag close to her not knowing quite if to fully trust the place yet, people looked friendly if not abit wet from the rainstorm.

...

Not sure who to tag so excuse a noob :)
@Pilatus@SamaraJayne96@Pilatus@Indy Cooper

[Dolerman]

Fenton Kelly (Cornerstone Bar)

---

@BubblegumQueen@Pilatus
Fenton realised that introspection and a growing crowd didn't mix well, he was enjoying the company of his new listener Veronica, but as another male entered the bar he began to feel a little self aware, he was a P.I. spilling his thoughts to strangers where anyone could be listening, it was probably best that he got going. After a little more small talk with Veronica about her job and the city in general, he stood up off his stool and paid for the entire bottle of bourbon, he left his card with his number on the underside of the pile of notes he used, just in case Rowen was interested @Indy Cooper.

You seem like someone who appreciates a good drink, feel free to have the rest of the 50 year stuff, maybe if I need some flowers I'll swing by and you can tell me how it went down. See you later.

After leaving the bar, he went straight back to his office to get some paperwork done. He could barely focus on his work without occasionally thinking of Michel, and how he is going to act the next time he sees her.

[SamaraJayne96]

Azura Lunarie

Cornerstone Bar Sunday: Noonish

@Indy Cooper@BubblegumQueen@Pilatus@PrinceAlexus

Azura sat patiently observing the people around her. The first two patrons she noticed was a man and a woman whom had seemed to be engaged in a deep conversation. Respecting their privacy, Zura looked away and focused on her water in front of her. It was almost empty, the condensation creating droplets on the side of the glass. Absentmindedly, she twirled her straw around smiling slightly at the sound of ice cubes clinking delicately on the sides of the cup. It was then that she became lost in her own world. The bar, the people, everything seemed to melt away until she was consumed, her daydream taking hold of her. The only thing that existed in that moment was her and the glass on the counter-top. She leaned forward, all of her attention focused on the fog caused by the different temperatures clashing together. With her index finger she began tracing simple doodles such as; a smiley face, a flower, and even a lightening bolt. She was calm, no longer anxious as she began mulling over prospective ideas for future art pieces.

“Damn, nice outfit." A voice suddenly spoke, snapping Azura out of her thoughts.
She looked up from her drink and slowly turned her gaze towards the man whom had acknowledged her outside the building.
“I probably could have used that as a car cover back at the shop.”

Normally, most would take his random comment as an insult. At first, Azura had felt slightly offended. Her eyebrows narrowed but she said nothing as she assessed the stranger before her. After a moment she then realized that this man had a type of sarcastic humor that most people misunderstood.
She half smiled as her entire persona had shifted. Here it came, the most intense part of the rollercoaster, the corkscrew. Instead of remaining soft spoken, and hunched over her chair. In the blink of an eye, Azura's personality transformed into that of an outgoing, no nonsense individual. Her back straightened, her shoulders squared, and she turned to face the man head on with her chin resting on the palm of her hand. She eyed him up and down after he made his comment, making it obvious that she was taking in every inch of his appearance, his aura, his very being. Due to her supernaturally accurate instinct, when it comes to others, she can read them like an open book. Instead of seeming offended, she decided to play along with his good natured sarcasm.

"Oh really?" The brunette scoffed without missing a beat.
This is coming from the man who decided to wear cargo shorts?"

You see, the drastic change in Azura's personality was quite normal to those whom had known her well. A school counselor once deduced that due to her horrible upbringing, the poor girls personality split into three. There were times when she would be sweet, gentle, shy, and sincere. This persona being her core personality. The artist who wanted to make others happy and the world a more beautiful place.
Other times she would be dragged down in a black lagoon of horrible depression, despair, and self-loathing. In this instance, she had become her protective persona. One whom she had created to help save herself from certain situations that Azura would find scary or uncomfortable. This persona came off as outgoing, tough, and sarcastic. When crossed however, the consequences could be dire. To sum it up: this persona could be best described as the Tsundere personality.

Azura flipped her hair over her shoulder and took another sip of her drink. She then glanced up at Rowen whom had been busy helping the other customers. Earlier she had mentioned that she had already spoken to the owner of this establishment. Curious as to what was said, Zura had felt impatience begin to set in as she tapped her foot absentmindedly out of boredom. Turning her head once more, she looked back at the coffee drinker whom had poked fun at her sweatshirt. Deciding the best way to make the time pass would be to get to know random strangers that the real Azura would be too afraid to socialize with.

"So." She began pausing only to take another sip of her drink.
"Car cover? Shop? I'm guessing that would either make you a car salesman or a mechanic."
Tilting her head to the side she studied his face once more.
"My name is Azura by the way... Who are you again?"

It was then that another figure had entered the bar. She was another female. One with a thick english accent causing her to stand out from everyone else.
"Excuse me, anyone help out a new comer? I just arrived in town looking for my apartment im renting. Pinnacle Apartments, meant to be near the Town hall. Landlord gave me a map but ive already driven past the Town hall 3 times and not found it. that or someone knows how to work a land rover sat nav."
She spoke in a rush, all of her words coming out in a slight rant as if she were nervous. Azura had felt slightly sorry that the girl had been lost, but in truth she was new to the city herself. Unable to help, she simply shrugged her shoulders and resumed her attention on the coffee cargo man in front of her. However, she still kept a weary eye on the new comer who had approached the counter right in front of Rowen.

"...and a Black coffee, no sugar please if you sell it."

[Matsuri]

---

• Working at Mochavine •

---

It was getting ridiculous now. More customers were piling into the café every minute, and Aya was still complaining in her head about having to take over a fellow barista's shift after he had called in sick that morning. Since when had Sunday shifts become this busy?

In fact, Aya was so caught up in brewing drinks and inhaling wafts of hot coffee that when she finished with her last order, she finally caught sight of the absolute mountain of a man standing by the counter And he was just standing there. Aya would have screamed.

“Uh, sir? Can I help you?” she wavered.

The man seemed to notice that he was much too deep in thought, finally. "Oh how long have I been standing here... Sorry 'bout that, I was lost in thought."

He laughed, and it was a gentle laugh, one that felt strangely reassuring to Aya. Craning her neck up and up to make actual eye contact, she noticed that his face looked quite gentle as well.

"Anywho I was wonderin' if I could bother one of you young ladies for a frappachino,' he said, smiling. His stomach rumbled a second later, and so he added two more chocolate chip muffins to his order. Aya nodded, quickly picking out two large muffins from behind the glass display.

“Sure thing, sir,” she replied. “Here's your muffins, I'll send a waitress over to your table for that frappachino of yours.”

Aya returned to her little work station, hands moving towards machines and ingredients from memory. She had been working in Mochavine for a year and a half now, listing all the café's recipes off the top of her head was no longer a problem. Soon she would be finished, calling for another one of the waitresses to bring the frappachino over. A second later there would be another customer at the counter, ordering their coffee, and Aya would repeat the same process once again for a couple more customers over a couple more hours.

The smell of coffee on her clothes would be particularly strong today.

•••

Aya cursed the rain after she finished her shift. It sort of came out of nowhere, and the downpour only brought in more customers frantically looking for some hot coffee to drink. And hours later, the time now ninw in the evening, it was still raining down. Thankfully, it was much less heavier than in the afternoon.

Aya's work day wasn't over yet, however.

For the money it was worth, Aya was to stay a few more hours in Mochavine to play some background acoustic for the late night customers. Mochavine also had a small classy bar under its roof too, so there were bound to be a few customers popping in for a drink at night. If only she hadn't had the Sunday afternoon shift, Aya would have been fully energised to play some lovely guitar to improve the ambience in the bar and the café.

Aya had left her guitar in the staff room the day before, she wasn't going to make a pointless detour back home. She got changed into a more appropriate set of clothes and set herself up in the little performance space at the edge of the café. It was probably the furthest space away from the door, so no cold gusts of late summer wind for her. Aya very much preferred it that way.

She spent a good five minutes getting herself comfortable on her stool and tuning her guitar, and soon she would be playing slow, peaceful tunes to bring some life into Mochavine.

_@Saarebas

[BubblegumQueen]

Veronica Winters
9PM

_____________________________________
@Indy Cooper

With her only entertainment gone (Distracted and probably lost in thoughts with his entrancing blonde. She didn't need to be a PI to notice that.), Veronica was left alone with her thoughts and a bottle of 50 year old Bourbon. (Which, to be honest, was a definite win in her case, despite it being half gone.) She eyed said bottle carefully, slightly trembling fingers fingering the base of the bottle. And it was only as she was doing this that she noticed the slight tremble in her hands, something she was definitely familiar with. As well as a wave of tiredness coming over her.

I need a smoke... and to drink... a lot... and work... I need that too...

Downing the rest of water (Having already finished the soda and excitedly gone on to Rowen about the pleasant spice it gave, deciding on water afterwards.), she carefully placed the glass on the bar counter. Eyes drifting around the room as she stood, making sure to grab the bottle as she did, she called out to the bartender.

“Think I'm gonna head out, got work to do. Mind if I take this with me?” Waving the bottle for emphasis at the end, free hand buried in her pocket. Her voice was light, teasing, not really expecting to be able to.

She's not even gonna mentally comment on the British chick who just walked in. She'd internally ranted enough about the attractive people who seemed to have all come to this bar at roughly the same time, she was done for the day.