2019-10-06 - Platinum Recovery

Sundays at the Cabaret aren't exactly when the A-Game is happening. The weekend is over, the clients can't stay out late, but someone's gotta man the ass-shaking trenches. And tonight one of those someones is Cameron Cambridge.

And her weird scented candle. It's big, it's blocky, it's got odd designs carved into it. The odor it gives off isn't exactly unpleasant, but it's not particularly good, either. It's more scent-neutral. It's very much lit and on the bar next to her, but at least it has a heavy bronze base to catch all the dripping wax.

The brunette resides upon a stool, frowning at an open journal in front of her, scribbling with a generic inkpen, occasionally crossing things out and writing more. Every now and then she glances up and scans the room for new faces, customers who might need attention, and to check who's up on stage and if she needs to be getting ready.

Then it's back down to writing, occasionally tugging here and there at the lingerie she calls a uniform. It's black, a bustier and thong that hugs just right and lifts and enhances her poor showing of cleavage. The thigh-high stockings and garter belt, as well as the lace choker and bicep-length opera-style gloves help add an air of sophistication and class to an otherwise crass outfit. And the heels put her just over six feet tall, making long legs look longer.

Her eyes wander to the candle, transfixed on the open flame for a moment. Shit... is that a firehazard? She hopes not.

Antonio emerges from the back office, heading to the bar and motioning for his usual -- a filthy martini complete with three green olives. Casting an eye down the bar, the club's boss smirks.

"Interesting accessory. You gonna do some tarot readings or something? Five bucks per card." Antonio laughs, never failing to amuse himself, and then takes his quickly-served drink up in a salute before imbibing. "Slow night. We got a good party scheduled soon, though. Real good." He sounds confident enough, cocking his head toward the stage and main floor. "If business stays good, figure we can make some improvements around this place. Maybe start serving food, or install another stage. The possibilities are endless, as long as they involve making money." His grin, of course, only broadens.

Mae walks into the Cabaret, she's not dressed for work yet, that's what the dressing room is for. She's currently clad in a big black hoodie, matching sweats and sneakers. Her hair is pulled up in a slightly damp pony tail. "Hey." She calls out in greeting, walking over toward the bar. "Uh.." She glances at the candle, glances over at Cameron, and then back to the candle. "Whatcha doin sweets?" She asks, trying not to grin as she catches sight of Antonio. "You look good, boss. Get sick?" She raises her chin to the bartender on duty, giving him a peace sign. "Slide me something fruity to drink, babe. Vodka preferred."

Upon hearing her employer's voice, Cameron's hands reach for and cup the bronze base of the candle, as if she were about to hide it somewhere. In her garter belt, maybe, along with the few tips she's gotten so far tonight. "Oh, yes. Yes. It's... um... an accessory. Sexy fortune teller... thing." The brunette nods as if she's going to convince even herself of this bullshit story.

"Okay, it's for evil spirits. People been disappearing lately. It's weirding me out." She never could keep up a lie for very long. No poker face for it. "It's supposed to keep the club safe." She comments, releasing the candle as if that explained everything. This is what happens when you let Wiccans in the building.

"Oh, yeah, the party." The brunette perks up as she closes the book she was writing in, sliding the pen into the binding rings. "It's gonna be so great. I think probably everyone's going sinner? So maybe I can do a saint... thing. A little worried about bursting into flames instantly, though..."

The Trailer Park Witch catches sight of her fellow co-worker as she enters in her pre-stage attire, and immediatly Cameron manages to summon a smile, sliding off her bar stool and tugging at her thong. She turns to fetch the book, giving it a waggle. "Um, just song lyrics? Oh." A sidelong look at the candle. She looks back at Zoiya. "Evil spirits." A little nod. Totally explained. Dylan must be rubbing off on her.

"Bookstore lady vanished. Freaking me out. I just want everyone here to be safe."

"Oh, right. Keepin' us safe. I can dig it." Antonio sounds unsure, but he's moved on with a gulp of his martini as soon as he makes the comment. "Felt like total shit for a while, yeah. Took a fair amount of self-medication." He offers a wink to Zoiya, clearing his throat after.

"Suppose you don't have to pick just one, if you're gonna spend a whole shift here. Spend some time as a devil and some as an angel, right? It'll be fun, regardless, and bring in the crowds." Antonio traces his index finger along the rim of his martini glass. "Yeah, the bookstore lady. Some crazy shit around town lately, but ain't no one gonna mess with this place. That's why I paid Felix, anyway, if he's good for anything." He laughs, and swigs from his drink again.

Mae just gazes at Antonio, eyebrows raised for a few beats before her drink is delivered. She takes a healthy gulp and just lets her gaze bounce between Cameron and the boss, their conversation making her look like she is wondering if she is in the right place. She glances around, naked women, guys sitting in shady corners handing money off to dancing girls. Yep, this is where she works. "I have a routine for saint and sinner, because I couldn't choose just one." She takes another drink and then sets her glass down. "This is the first day that I felt completely human, so here I am.. reporting to work."

Blake enters sometime after Mae, not looking dressed for a night out for sure. He's wearing his usual 'uniform' of black hoodie and grey jeans. After being carded, he steps inside, scanning the club for someone, remaining quiet and unobtrusive or totally sticking out. He doesn't exactly blend in at these places.

Cameron's eyes go wide as she slowwwwwwwly turns towards Antonio, like he'd just sprouted fangs. Her head swans back a little, and she presses her palms together in a gasp, as if some major wisdom had just been laid down on her. "Yessssssss. You are so right, I could do a fallen angel! The best of both worlds. Ha! That's why you call the shots."

The mention of the Memento Mori's sudden abandonment causes her to drop her arms, though. Instead, she turns to climb up on a stool, balancing on one knee. Leaning waaaaaay, over, basically laying across the bar, the dark-haired witch stores her songbook away. The weird candle remains.

"It's not people I'm worried about, Mister Williams. The security boys have that covered."

Cam comes back up from her deep-dive bar storage maneuver, turning to slide off the bar and ooze back onto the floor. She takes a few steps in her heels to approach and slide an arm around Zoiya's waist, resting a cheek against her shoulder in a half hug. "Aw, I'm glad to see you better, Mae. You look great. ...Do you have any uppers? Because I'm dyyyyyying tonight."

Poe's voice has a way of carrying. The minute he's in the door he's exchanging bright words with whoever might be working there - one might think they go way back by the tone of the exchange, but more than likely they've never met. Making new friends everywhere he goes. A minute after his voice and a couple after Blake he appears physically in the main room and makes his way toward the bar. It's no surprise that he's in a muscle shirt and tight jeans, which is his usual uniform.

"Oh, right. Candle and all, scare off the ghosts and shit. I got you." Antonio chuckles under his breath and drinks again, casting a momentary glance to Blake before returning to his beverage.

"Yeah, fallen angel, there you go. Maybe we can come up with some themed mixed drinks behind the bar too, y'know? Tears of heaven, hellfire. Get creative with it." Antonio then looks to Poe with a slight grin. "Got a bit of a crowd going tonight, at least."

Mae props her chin in her hand, grinning over at Antonio. "I think Love had some drinks in mind. I know she mentioned pomegranate, and I'm really looking forward to whatever that is." She turns her head as she hears Poe and then looks back at the boss. "Hopefully a crowd that's going to tip well." She rolls her eyes and then smirks over at Cameron. "Do I have.. what?" She asks, lowering her lashes to her cheeks before she crooks a finger at the woman. "Come a little closer, hmm?"

Blake notices Poe before he sees Zoiya, but she's easy enough to spot when trailing the man's gait with his gaze. For the moment, he decides to keep his distance and watch, but when Antonio looks his way, he moves. "Mae. You forgot your keys," he probably interrupts with a muted jingle from his pocket.

Poe's sudden intrusion draws attention, prompting Cameron to pick her head back up and crane her neck around enough to catch sight of the man as he enters and makes his way towards. "Heeeeeey, what's UP? Are your jeans tight enough? Ohhh, you must be going on stage next! You can totally have my rotation."

The brunette smiles, tapping Poe on the arm as he gets closer while she teases him. But then a serious, quick, small little nod towards Antonio. He totally nailed it. Candle chases away ghosts and spirits and shit. Serious voodoo. A hand is lifted, the dark-skinned male is shot a single bullet from her finger-gun.

"Just don't ask me to come up with the drinks. A mixologist, I... am... not." She snaps her fingers. "Yes, Love. That girl is on top of it. SUPER creative."

When Mae asks her to come closer with a come-hither finger, Cameron's eyebrows go up a little and she presses in more, until her chest is pushing against her fellow dancer's arm. She ducks her head in, scritching her fingernails across the back of Zoiya's hoodie as she lowers her voice. "Uppers. Y'know, energy enhancement... thingies?"

The sudden introduction of Blake into the mix has Cam glancing his way, then back at the tattooed woman. Those eyebrows are ALL kinds of up in the air, her lips pressed together. To her credit, whatever she's thinking isn't falling out of her mouth. ...Yet.

"I'll tip better, but I have to increase the rent. There is a bit of a balance to these things Mae. You and I are like that snake that eats its own tail." Poe pauses, perhaps confusing even himself with that conclusion and then giving a quick shrug. "Regardless, I'm the head in that metaphor. Yeah? " He dashes off a salute to Antonio and a nod to Cameron as well. "Not actually planning to stay very long. I have Everly's cigarettes. She left them at the gym earlier and I figured I'd swing by and drop them off in case she didn't have more."

"Blake!" Too loud. So loud. He hadn't seen him earlier, but does when he approaches Mae. "Fuck. I see more of you and Mae here than I do at the house sometimes." Of course, they were all dying the last week regardless.

Antonio returns his drink, grinning broadly as he watched Blake, Poe, and the dancers. "Pomegranate, yeah. Good for the theme later this week. And good thing I hire the best talent, both on the stage and behind the bar." The boss drinks to that, finishing his martini and pushing the empty forward for another.

Mae leans in to say something quiet to Cameron before she strangles Poe in a one armed hug. "Yeah yeah. The rent isn't high enough as it is, probably." She turns when Blake appears and holds out her arms. "Boyfriend, saved my life again. Come on over here and I'll buy you a drink, yeah?" She pats the stool beside her. She makes eyes on Cameron and then pulls her drink closer. "Mmm this is good."

Blake only looks to Poe when he speaks to him, but then belatedly says, "Yeah." He moves toward Mae, glancing to Cameron and the other gathered. "One drink," he declares to Mae in a mumble.. He knows it's a lost cause. He pins her with that stare as if she should know the price of him staying longer. "Before it gets busy."

Cameron tilts her head for Zoiya to whisper into her ear, and whatever she says is enough to make the brunette smile. Though it's never really been hard to get the friendly neighborhood Wiccan to smile. Still, her expression brightens up and she leans back while pressing an index and middle finger to her lips. "Mwah!" She kisses them, and then places her fingers on the tattooed dancer's forehead. "That's why you're my favorite. Forever."

"Everly's cigs," Cameron narrows her eyes suspiciously. Then a sidelong, narrow-eyed gander at Blake. "Mae's keys." She lifts a finger in the air, waggling it around a bit to indicate just about everyone present. "Ya'll some hos. Don't think nobody is figuring out what's going on here."

The finger retracts. Pulled into its palm, which is held close to her shoulder as the Wiccan frowns. "What's... What's a pomegranate, anyway? Is it like one of those weird oranges that don't taste like oranges? She should make those mango drinks again. Now those were the shit. I'd sell a few kidneys for another one of those."

The dark-haired, lingerie-clad dancer lets go of and separates from Zoiya, placing her hands high on her hips as she walks around the tattooed woman, to the other side of her, and then the other side of Blake, where she slides up against the bar sinuously. An elbow is placed on the smooth surface, a single finger lightly resting on the bottom of her chin.

"Yes, 'Boyfriend'. Do have a seat right here and a drink, too. ...And tell us what are your intentions with our Mae, here, tonight? Mmmmm?"

"The great thing about these pants is that they're tight enough that it's nearly impossible to get them off in any kind of attractive way. Not to say I'd put on much of an act even with different pants, but these? These would turn into a fucking comedy routine up there. Also not the greatest outfit to wear if you're planning on meeting someone and want to get friendly. Likely best to bring an extra friend along so everyone can help out with the extraction." Clearly Poe has given this some thought. He raises a hand with a pack of cigarettes palmed there and slide it across the bar to let whoever is working know they're to be returned to Everly.

"Hey Mae." He greets her properly and returns the hug briefly before sliding into the stool beside the one that Blake takes. An amused expression crosses his face at Cameron's question to Blake and he taps the bar. "A double. Of something."

Mae shifts her gaze toward Cameron as she stalks over toward Blake. She's not going to touch that one, Blake can maybe handle himself? Probably? Likely. She leans in to murmur something quietly to Poe, aiming a smile at him before she drinks again from her glass. "Going to head in the back in a few to start getting ready for tonight. I think I'm only sticking around for one set, I've got some shit to do tonight."

She quirks a brow at Poe, do her later plans involve him?

"That's more than I need to know about your stripping logistics," Blake says with as much enthusiasm as someone watching the weather channel at 3am. He seems keenly aware of Cameron as she slips next to him, even though he doesn't look directly at her. He ends up with some kind of reddish amber drink on the rocks. Instead of answering the woman immediately, he takes a long sip. Finally he looks sidelong to her. "My intentions are to give her her keys?...I'm Blake."

"Mmmmhm." Is the Wiccan's response to Blake's response, giving him that sassy sort of head bob, back and forth, that displays just how little she believes his answer to be truthful. But the introduction at least summons forth a smile. "I'm Cameron." She lays a hand on the almost-stranger's arm, rubbing up and down briefly. "I'm coming up on stage soon, but after that, buy a dance from me? I need it baaaaaad. Sundays are so slow. And I'm pretty sure it's a law that you can't come deliver keys without buying a table dance. I read it in the Constituion once."

"You've, uh... You've put a lot of thought into your pants and dancing in them. And... taking them off." Cameron regards Poe with her own amused expression, a smirk fighting not to become a smile. Because if she smiles at his joke, then the Patriarchy will win. Or something. "Like a LOT a lot of thought. I don't think I've ever heard the word 'extraction' come into play when describing the removal of pants before. You, sir, are a connoiseur of the removal of leg prisons."

The brunette gives him an up-nod of respect, pursing her lips at Poe to let him know that his answer was damned fine, indeed. Damned fine. Her eyes snap to Zoiya when her fellow dancer announces she is heading towards the back. "Skipping out early? That's not fair. What do- What do the wage slaves call that?" Her eyes roll up towards the ceiling, pondering her own question for a moment, before they come crashing back down as she snaps her fingers, one elbow on the bar, the other coming to prop her knuckles against her hip.

"Time-thieving. That's what."

As if just remembering something, Cam leans off the bar with an 'oh' of startlement. She flops her hand around, pointer finger extended, and points at Zoiya, then at herself, then at Zoiya, then herself again, then hooks a thumb over her shoulder towards the dressing room, while simultaneously pointing with the index finger of her other hand over her shoulder. "We're gonna do the... thing? The thingie we talked about? Okay!"

There she goes, leaving her weird-scented candle behind burning on the bar as she tip-toe-hurries in her stiletto heels towards the back of the club and the dressing room. Did Mae even agree to anything? It clearly doesn't matter.

Poe gets his double shot of something. And he drinks it. It's good. HIs smile is easy for Cameron. "Important to think things through. Honestly - mostly didn't. More about experience. Live and learn, right. Good luck tonight." He raises his now empty glass to the dancer when Cameron makes for the back. Then he turns his attention back upon his housemates.

"She seems nice. I'm not sure about this candle though." Poe eyes it briefly before looking between Mae and Blake. "Dance is my treat if you stay for it, Blake. Wouldn't want to disappoint her."

Blake tries to jerk away at the sudden touch to his arm. It's so fast it could be taken as a reflex, or not. He nods stiffly to her, not taking his eyes off the woman and holds his drink close to his chest, trying to look casual and not like Gollum with his Precious. He looks at the candle and shakes his head gently. Then he watches Cameron leave. Then he looks back again to make sure. "Mae says they don't touch you here unless you ask for it and they say it's okay. Is that true?" OR WAS HE LIED TO? He doesn't look like a guy who has registered he just scored a free dance. "What's a table dance? Is that different from a lap dance?"

Mae shoots a look at Blake. "Did I really forget my keys?" She asks, slipping off of the stool to walk over to him. She leans in after Cameron leaves, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I didn't lie. She's just touchy. Please stay for a while, Boyfriend. I haven't got to hang out with you for a while and I miss you." She pouts, sticking out her bottom lip as she gives him big, wide eyes. "I'll buy you a few more drinks and a table dance if you really wanna see what it's like." She grins a little bit. "Please?"

The back room door swings open, and out steps a tall, silver-eyed woman. She's always pale under all those tattoos, and a little extra eye makeup has taken any lingering recovering-from-flu wanness and made it into a look. Love doesn't look sick, sound sick, just moves a little more slowly than usual. Her body is tired. Thank god she's not a dancer who has to perform tonight. She's a little later coming on shift than usual, and she walks along the patron side of the bar, picking up empties as she goes. "Lord have mercy. Where's Cristobal when I need him to carry the ice bucket."

"I mean, usually around these places it's the other way around with the touching. They're more worried about people feeling up the talent. Not likely going to get a whole lot of sympathy if you talk to the bouncer about how a dancer touched your arm. A lot of love in the air - sometimes that means a bit of physical contact. I mean, she wasn't cupping your junk, man." Poe spins his empty glass on the bar and watches while Mae goes over to Blake, lips twisting. "You should likely experience both and see what you prefer. Mae can get the table dance. I'll get the lap dance. Someone else can get you a warm towel. Be the best Sunday night you've had since they took X-Files off the air."

Speaking of Love in the air - he turns to spot the bartender appearing for her shift. "Hey Love! You need something carried?" That's like one of Poe's skills. Hitting things. Picking things up. One and two on his resume.

A little more on guard after his interaction with Cameron, Blake spots Mae's move toward him and doesn't pull away when she rests her chin. He pulls out the keys from his pocket, jingling them slightly before slipping them back away in his hoodie pocket. "Can you warn me next time? About the touchy ones?" Ugh. Mae peer pressure. The grin. Blake presses his lips together as if trying to resist, certainly torn between GETTING THE FUCK OUT and well...that pout. At Poe's words, he looks down and sighs, just letting the plethora of words wash over him. Then he looks to Mae, "Okay." Maybe if he does it once, everyone will get it out of their system? He looks to Poe, brows drawn together as he squints, "Why do you know so much about geek shit man?" He doesn't seem too put out by Poe ditching him to go help Love. He just watches the two as he speaks to Mae, "I'm not getting out of this am I?" He sounds calm, resigned, and he kicks back more of that drink.

"No Boyfriend, you're not getting out of here. I'll tell Cameron you don't like to be touched next time, okay?" Mae gives Blake a kiss on the cheek, grinning at him before she backs off. "Keep the keys, I won't be home tonight." She responds, beaming as she spots Love. "Love! My favorite bartender. Make me an appletini when you get settled girl, and make one for my Boyfriend." She hugs Blake's shoulders and then she tugs her sweatpants up a bit. "I'm going to hang out a little bit longer before I go get dressed, there are too many strippers here tonight anyway. I could have fucking stayed home." She sits down on the stool and flutters her eyelashes. "We can even go out for waffles after. Mmmm waffles. Fruit syrup."

Offers to carry things for her? "What? Yes." Love looks around to see who made that offer. Poe! "What?" She's slowly filtering back through that she just heard in her peripheral. Someone's junk cupped? What? "Are we groping too much again?" She means the collective we. She has yet to grope anyone in the grounds of the Cabaret, unless you could helping affix pasties to some grade A tits backstage.

"Yeah, babe, would you mind grabbing the bucket I dropped just inside the door?" It's a five gallon, clear, loaded to the tippy top with ice, literally just inside the door, blocking the path. She ran out of steam before she came out here. She only hears part of what Blake said, still, she waves to Mae and Boyfriend. "Hey, Mae, you got it girl. Two appletinis."

She turns to touch Poe's shoulder, to show him where she dropped the ice. "Thanks. My arms are still kinda noodles from... things." Flu. She means flu recovery. "We should Uber some waffles."

"It's the fucking X-Files man. I mean, had a roommate who watched that shit all the time." Same guy that watched the Star Trek likely. Seems more likely every day that guy was actually just Poe in his underwear with a six pack and a box of Aero bars.

"Not too much groping by my account. Blake's not entirely into it though. Just needs to warm up a bit I figure." Poe shrugs, following to where Love points and nodding. "Yeah, I'll grab it." And he does. He walks over to the door and picks up the bucket without much struggle at all. It's heavy, but he's good with heavy things. He carries it over to the bar and settles it (or pours it) as Love directs. "I'd take a drink too if you're mixing them anyway. I had a waffle earlier - Everly showed up at the gym and just gave me one. Could totally have another though. Or two."

He returns to the customer side of the bar. "Feeling better, Love?"

"Okay. Thanks." The kiss on Blake's cheek leaves a ghost of a grin, though her instructions cause him to look down into his glass and nod. "Oh," is Blake's acknowledgement of Zoiya not coming home tonight. He glances back toward Love again as Zoiya addresses her. "You'll still make money," he only notices the fluttering eyelashes when he turns. His gaze twitches to the side and back as he tries to figure out what he's missing. "How late are you going to be? Till closing?" Poe gets a skeptical look. "Sure. Which character is your favorite?" Love, sadly, gets nothing more than his glances.

Mae perks up at the mention of waffles and an Uber. She didn't exactly grab dinner before she walked here tonight. "Oh, Love. This is Blake, he's one of my roommates. I call him Boyfriend." She gestures over to Love. "Boyfriend, this is Love. She's the best bartender in Gray Harbor." She glances between Poe and Blake when they start to discuss X-Files. She's never watched that or Star Trek so she has no input. Instead she turns to grin at Love. "I'm down for ordering waffles. Let's ask the bouncers if they're hungry too." She brushes her hair behind her ear and grins at Blake. "I'll still make money? Sitting here on my ass? We'll see."

"Mahalo, babe." Love waves across the bar, "If you could bring it over around back and dump it in the cooler. She makes her way back to show him where, picking up a shaker to go about mixing a vodka Appletini. "A bit better, yeah, thanks. Did you manage to dodge that mess?" She thumbs up to Poe when he completes the task. "You're my favorite muscle of the day."

Sundry liquors are poured into the shaker over ice, vodka, sweet & sour mix, a little sour apple schnapps. She caps it and gives it a vigorous shaking. Two chilled glasses later and she pours up two bright green Appletinis. "Blake. I've heard a little bit about you." She smiles, "Definitely the most heavily tattooed bartender in town. About to be the bartender with all the waffles." Carb up! "Can I get you a drink in thanks, Poe?"

"No, it kicked the shit out of me. Today was my first day back to the gym and I thought I might die. Fucking flu." Poe replies after dumping the ice as he's directed to do. "Easy enough. Don't need to get me a drink, but if you're mixing them I'll take one. Carrying ice is thirsty work."

He shifts in his seat enough to catch Blake's question and his gaze narrows as though it's a strange question. "Scully. I mean, yeah. Scully." What else can he really say about there? Did the show have other characters?

"Hi." Blake watches Love as she goes about the bar, more her activities than anything. The drink mixing. He downs the rest of his drink while listening to the women talk. As to Mae's skepticism, he reaches into his back pocket, pulls out his wallet, opens the bill fold with some apprehension, pulls out a lone dollar bill, folds it, and then reaches over to tuck it in the back of Mae's sweatpants. Then he's back to watching the drink making.

"What did she say?" Blake asks Love as if Mae weren't sitting right there. He doesn't even seem smarmy about it. To Poe, he just grins slightly and looks sidelong, "I wouldn't know man. I've never seen it."

Mae shakes her head as Blake tucks a dollar bill into her sweats. She lets out a soft laugh and crosses her legs, waiting for her appletini. It's going to make her night. "Christ." She pulls out her phone and starts an order of waffles to be delivered. She's not asking the other strippers if they want anything, they'll get swarmed if she does. So she quietly orders, murmuring questions to the group at the bar. "Poe, you want some waffles honey?" She asks, glancing in his direction. She doesn't know his waffle preferences. "Fruit syrup? It's the best."

"Need and want," Love says to Poe. "Similar." She thinks for a moment, mixes up another couple of Appletinis. "Do you work at the gym?" Shake, shake, shake! "Carrying ice is definitely thirsty work. I hope you sweet and sour puckery drinks." She pours an additional Appletini for herself and Poe, each get one chilly drink. She drops a cherry into hers, and slides the other across the bar, fingers on the base of the glass like a planchette.

"Scully's even hotter as a blonde. Have you seen Hannibal? Goodnight moon, I would run away with her in an instant." Love grins. "She said sometimes you emerge from the basement to watch movies, so not to be alarmed if she invites me over and a dude shows up." She lifts her glass and takes a sip of her drink.

"No. Not really. I do some shit for Joey if he needs an extra set of hands, but not officially on the payroll. Just go down there to hit the punching bag." Poe replies, watching while Love mixes up the drinks. "Still between jobs really. Working on taking care of gran and keeping my tenants out of too much trouble." With this he casts a meaningful look toward Mae and Blake.

"Haven't seen Hannibal, but fuck, anyone who doesn't want to run off with Scully is doing it all wrong. Sweet and sour is perfect. Thanks, Love." Poe says when the drink is mixed up and presented to him. He takes a sip from it and doesn't even look back toward Blake. "Shit, Blake. I don't want to think about what you're doing in the basement all the time if it's not watching Quantum Leap."

"This is good." He adds. The drink. Not Blake's lack of geek culture.

"Maple syrup for me," Blake says to Mae as his mind wanders to the last time he had, no saw fruit syrup. He deposits his empty glass on the bar to pull the appletini closer, not daring to take it from the bar top in fear of spilling it no doubt. "Oh. The girl. Yeah, she's hot." He doesn't weigh in on Hannibal. "Yeah, sometimes I do that," emerge from the basement to watch a movie. "The basement is my room," he explains, not seeming to give a crap if he comes off dull. He's been watching this drink get made and he gives it the attention it deserves. A small sip.

"I don't think you'd understand," Blake says as if it were an unbiased observation. "So you're probably safe."

Mae frowns over at Blake, shaking her head back and forth. "Fruit is better, but yes, you'll get your maple." She taps in more orders, humming to herself. "Back to the Future two, usually." She smirks, her eyes not lifting from her phone screen. She crosses her legs, plucking the one dollar bill from her sweatpants to stuff into her purse. She opens it up further to look at the bills inside. Seeing it, she adds a side of bacon and glances toward Love. "Fruit or Maple, babe?" She asks her thumbs moving across the screen. "Bacon too?" She glances at the stage when the red-haired stripper steps out, shaking her ta ta's at the crowd. "One of those nights I see."

"Everybody in that is pretty much hot. Hot FBI, hot forensics, hot shrinks, hot killers, hot crazies, hot reporter." Love mms. "Even the corpses are sexy if you're into macabre art. The light and visuals are amazing. I'd give the director a —" She seems to catch herself mid-wax dirty in the middle of that sentence. Wow, should not have taken that Dayquil. It's like Nyquil except it fucks you up worse.

"Glad you like it." Pretend she didn't stop in the middle of that sentence before. No one ask what she was going to say. "The basement being your room, Boyfriend, makes so much more sense." What did she think? Best not to ask what she thought. "Umm." Waffles. Waffles. "Maple tonight, I think. Yes bacon. I need the boost."

Poe's eyes have a way of getting a bit wider with each degree of hotness that Love ticks off and when she's about to say what she'll do the director his mouth opens just a fraction - like perhaps he's going to break in to stop her or prompt her to go on. She stops though, and he keeps his open mouth busy with another sip of the drink. "Going to put it on my 'to watch' list for sure. Sounds like my kind of show."

Honestly, it's one of those situations where maybe his imagination is more fun than what the truth would have been anyway. Or, maybe not.

"Fruity for me. And lots. I like my syrup to waffle ratio to lean heavily in the syrup's direction. Best waffle is a damp waffle."

"Is there a plot or is it just all sexy and corpses?" Then Blake looks over to Mae and says, "Well it's a good movie." He leans to bump her with his good shoulder a touch. For anyone actually watching, there's a slightly awkward start to his movement, a hesitation. But then, something has snagged his mind. He looks back to Love and asks, "You'd give him a?" He's probably expecting a letter grade, stars, something.

"Not a wet waffle?" Blake looks over to Poe, an eyebrow raised.

Mae makes the final adjustments to her order and sends it off, setting her phone down on the bar. "I swear." She mutters, shaking her head. She laughs as Blake bumps her shoulder, reaching out to pinch his cheek gently. "I invited Love to come over and watch movies with us sometime, if you'd be up for it Boyfriend. She'll maybe bring some popcorn or something really yummy to drink." She turns her attention over to Love, blinking slowly. "Right?" She winks at the woman and then takes a drink of her appletini. "Fuck me, I missed these, they're amazing." She takes another sip. "Do you like it, Blake?"

She doesn't make a face about Poe liking his waffles wet, he seems the type. She won't even comment either.

"Not as good as the first movie." Poe remarks, mostly into his drink and not to anyone in general. He shakes his head. "Just damp is fine." He briefly turns his eyes toward the stage to watch a bit of ta-ta shaking. He wasn't planning to stay around for the show, but since he's here he might as well enjoy some of the view.

Love pauses as her phone begins to chime as texts are incoming. She sips again, puts her glass down. She reads, hms, and fires back a text, her long nails tippy-tapping against the glass of her phone's face. "It's funny, it's hot, it's disturbing, and there are a bunch of dogs." What's cannibalism in the face of cute doggos?

She leans against the bar and finally looks up, eyeballing Poe. "You look like you'd love it." What the heck does that mean? She grins and raises her dark brows a couple of ticks. "Gina Torres and her hot husband, Lawrence Fishburn, are both in it too. Level up on the yes ma'am." Well, that's how she feels about that. She can't stop the titter that escapes at best waffle is a damp waffle. "There is plot and there are sexy corpses, mind games, delicious looking people cuisine, and, and hot ass Gillian Anderson being smart as usual."

Apropos of seemingly nothing, she finishes, "... handy in the back of a trailer."

"I'd definitely bring something yum to drink and some homemade salted caramel popcorn balls." Love's good at making twelve things, and popcorn balls are among them. "Yeah, obviously I'm a fan of the first movie." She has death's head moths on her throat, after all. "I was seduced by the cinematography."

Blake /does/ pull away from the cheek pinching, eyes squinching, even though it's gentle. "It's really good," he assesses. Then he twists in his seat to look at Poe, "To each their own man," as if he expected Poe to choose the first 'Back to the Future.' He doesn't seem to bat an eyelash when Love calls him Boyfriend too.

"Can we watch Hannibal?" Blake looks over to Mae. Love had him at dogs. It was written all over his face. The rest of his quietness as Love expounded was obviously pure self restraint.

"Oh. Okay," Blake acknowledges Love's method of thanking the director. Somehow this turns into giving the director's dick a handshake in his mind. "Hmm."

"Okay. Just don't bring a ton of people too." Blake seems serious concerning what Love can bring wtih her to movie night, but not menacing about it.

"Hannibal? Uh.." Mae glances between Love and Blake, eyebrows raised. "I mean, sure. I guess?" Love may have had Blake at dogs, but she had Mae at caramel popcorn balls.

"I think it would just be Love.. maybe Viktor?" She shifts her eyes toward Love before she continues to speak. "Viktor is pretty quiet, not like Poe. Poe will probably come too because Poe gets bored." Mae is adding up all of the people who might show up and she decides not to share the number with Boyfriend, because then he'll say no to movie night. "It will be fun. Hannibal. Dogs. Maybe takeout."

"Sounds like the director has really earned the attention." Poe notes, eyebrows lifting a fraction when Love slips in the final bit of that sentence at last.

"Poe will probably come too, yeah. I could sit around with gran and the cats or stumble next door for movie night with friends and popcorn balls. So, that's going to happen. Viktor did seem pretty quiet - though when I met him he was closer to dead than alive. Might be chattier when he's not unconscious."

He lifts his drink for another sip, nodding his head. It all sounds like fun. And hot ass Gillian Anderson being being smart and kicking ass? He was there for that.

Love says, "We should totally watch something at least moderately creepy," Love agrees. She picks up her drink, sips again, leaving her phone face-up on the bar top. Occasionally it chimes a text, and she reaches down to return it one-handed.

"I don't usually travel with a posse" She hesitates for a couple of beats when Mae brings up Viktor. She thinks about that for a minute, maybe trying to decide if they're at the going places together like, you know, ... some people do. "Vik doesn't talk much in big groups, but he always shares his snacks." Bonus. "I'll ask."

"Oh, noodles." Notice how Love does not say dumplings. She lifts her glass a little at the second acknowledgement of the director's genius. "Totally. Earned." She pauses. "How big's your tv?" She looks to Mae. "Gotta make a shopping list.""

"I'm not really a talker." Blake proves by immediately following the moment with some awkward silence. He tallies up the number of people likely in attendance and takes another sip of his appletini. "Do we have enough seating?" He looks over to Mae and reaches up to rub the back of his neck. "I need another drink," he declares. "Something that will fuck me up," he says in a lower voice to Love as if Mae or Poe don't need to hear it, though they both totally can...Just business between a man and his bartender.

Mae nods toward Blake with a chuckle, right as the delivery man walks in with their waffles. "Our television is pretty big, one of my first purchases. Almost sixty inches. Boyfriend here got me all sorts of channels and Netflix, and I don't think I pay for them." She says the last in hushed tones, clearing her throat. She hands the delivery boy a tip and starts to pass out waffles and syrup. "His drink is on me." She murmurs, tipping her head toward Blake. "Make it something real sweet, Love." She picks up her phone and starts to tap out a text, humming to herself. "Mind if I invite Dylan to movie night?" She asks nobody in particular. I mean, she already invited him, but she's not fessing up to that.

"It's your house." Poe points out when Mae asks about inviting Dylan. "And he doesn't really talk either. Him and Vik and Blake can all watch each other quietly. I'll help fill in any dull moments." Of course he will. He's a helper.

Of course, one way to silence Poe for awhile is to introduce waffles to the equation. They're here and he's hungry and once they get distributed that's his primary target. "Maybe Lex will venture out." He adds. She lives there too, so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

"I'm sure we can squish in." Love knows nothing about the seating, though she vaguely recalls Mae saying something about a bed. How big is this bed? She glances between them, silent while she sips her Appletini. "Mm. I can do you right." She holds up a finger to Blake, then taps her lips. "Sweet or tart, my dear?"

Love nods to Mae, putting together a shaker of ice, steepling her fingers in a disturbingly Mr. Burns fashion, though the long black nails make it more of a Wyrd Sisters from Sabrina kind of steeple. "Sixty inches and Netflix. Nicely done, Boyfriend," she says with some admiration in her voice. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about other electronics? Security cameras and the like?" Love isn't really a techie person. Not at all. Lofi life. Sweet, Mae says. "Okay, got it. I don't mind about Dylan. He's the silent type." Silent types are great for movie nights. She grins then, clearly joking. She's a talker. She begrudges no talking.

"We should get noodles or make burritos. I don't know. Something healthy and spicy. Chicken burritos?" Love muses. "With some spicy red salsa. This sounds like a great plan. We'll definitely squish in." More the merrier in her book.

The scent of waffles precedes the delivery man. Blake doesn't answer, not in the wake of Poe's words. He remains silent, but he kicks back the last little bit of that appletini and inhales the waffle smell. A grin slowly works its way onto his lips.

"I have been dreaming of waffles." It's as if Blake comes /alive/, because of waffles? His muted tones and subdued expressions melt away. He regards Love and then looks to his left, then right. "Never a dull moment with you man," he shoots to Poe without skipping a beat. The way he says it could go either way really. Insult or compliment.

Blake tilts his head side to side at Love's question. "Yeah. I've done some of that." At Dylan's name being mentioned, he just swivels his head over to Mae with eyebrows arched, no other hint to their meaning.

"Yeah, let's make something. Enchiladas maybe?" Not healthy. "We could do tapas."

"What are tapas?" Mae asks, opening her container of waffles to pour syrup all over them. She grabs the fork and knife that was included and starts to cut into them. "Damp waffles. The fuck?" She shakes her head, her waffles make a nice crunch because she doesn't abuse them with syrup. She saves her syrup for other things. "He'll take tart." She says to Love and then she lifts the waffle to her mouth taking a bite.

"I have a few movies in mind, and I really want a chicken burrito. Yes yes yes. Love. Babe. I can't cook, but I can help with prep. I can cut things with a fucking knife." She waves her fork around grandly, some syrup dripping down on the bar. "Poe, babe. We're gonna duct tape your mouth shut during the movies, just saying."

"Fuck, Mae. I like to talk - but I'm not rude. I can get through a movie without running my mouth. Promise. If I don't, well, you can bring out the duct tape and do as you will. Just make sure I get some chicken burrito into me before you seal up my mouth. I'd do a lot for a chicken burrito." Poe keeps mostly focused on his waffle, though he cuts his eyes over toward Blake at the man's words and his change in tone. "Life is too short for dull."

Talking about all the foods and the food arrives. Love, too, perks up when the waffle man makes an appearance. Sweet, crispy waffle edges are pretty much one of the top twenty things in this world. "Oh, Enchiladas. Yum." She mms and then adds, "I need to install a system at the Strip Mall, and I know zero about that. I'd like something I can review from my phone, outdoor cameras." She can't believe she's asking for cameras as basically dumpster and lot security. Her tenants have insisted, and so, to keep the peace, she's asking Blake about it now.

She turns to fill the shaker with pours from a few bottles, forgoing a jigger to measure. "This is going on the Sinners & Saints menu. Let me know what you think." Light rum, dark rum, orange curacao, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, passion fruit syrup, grenadine, and the list goes on. Another rum goes in there. What fresh hell is this? She caps it and gives it a shake after adding at least ten ingredients. Shake, shake, shake.

"Tapas are finger foods, tiny samplings of all the things. You can try like eight dishes before you're full. It's the ultimate in eat a little of everything because your tongue's a total whore for flavor experience." She caps the shaker with a strainer, and pours a deep orange drink into a highball glass over ice. She slides that over to Blake, garnished with mint and a strawberry. She pours a second one for Mae. "You'll like this." Or it'll put you on your ass is the subtext.

"Strawberry or cherry?" Blake asks, tilting his head to regard Mae after he notices that Mae spares her syrup. He pools up the maple syrup and starts cutting off bites with little precise jabs. "I believe you can cut /people/ with a knife," Blake suggests with a wave of a waffle bite on his fork toward Mae.

"Fuck yeah man." It's a little /too/ sincere, a twinkle in Blake's eye. He turns his attention back to Love. "Yeah." He pulls his phone out and unlocks it. "What's your number?" He doesn't seem startled by the smorgasborg of alcohols going into the drink. He just nods and grins. "Yep. Small dishes. Everyone shares family style. You take what you want. Fucking delicious." He pulls the drink closer, admiring the tint before he takes a sip. "Fuck that's good," he says under his breath.

"Cherry." Mae blinks and glances over at Blake, eyebrows lifted slightly. She clears her throat, takes a sip from her appletini and smirks. "I'm up to doing anything, I just think we need a lot of food for this party because it's turning into a really large party." She takes another bite of her waffles, dipping it into the syrup. "You tasted this syrup the other week, Boyfriend. Did you like it?" She licks her bottom lip when the syrup drips there.

"Love, if you have to do any cooking, I'll make sure the kitchen at my place is clean. We don't really use it often, we rely on take out. When I'm there." She looks guilty for a brief second and then shrugs it away.

Love holds her hand out for the phone so she can type it in. A bartender never recites her number aloud in a bar full of thirsty men. If he hands it over, she keeps it in his full view the whole time, and never navigates away from the simple act of entering her digits. She returns it with her left hand.

After she finishes, she tappy-taps another text to someone listed only as blue-eyes about chicken burritos and horror preferences. But most of it's in emoji. God knows if the person on the other end will even understand it. Lots of knives. Could send the wrong message.

She glances up at Blake, then to Mae, then back. Suddenly, he seems rather more outgoing, doesn't he. Maybe it was the first drink she put down him. Appletinis usually have to go to three, slutty girl Martini, before it causes a shift in mood. "... Clean kitchens are hot." She picks up a syrup laden waffle with her hand and takes a bite. So what if it dribbles down her wrist. "I mean as long as there's not a two foot pile of old dishes in the sink, I can work with it." She has no kitchen right now. Any kitchen is worthy.

Mae digs into her waffles with her fork, stuffing another bite into her mouth, a syrup drip just missing her lip. "Our clean kitchen isn't hot, it's just clean because Boyfriend here is the only one who uses it." She rolls her eyes at that, glancing over toward Blake. "He does the dishes too, it's the best. I find that if you break things or burn everything you put your hands on, people don't allow you do to any of those things." Mae has figured out the way to live life, and not have to cook or clean. Break and burn things.

"So when are we doing this. I'm gonna start sending out texts so we can get shit together. Shopping for foodstuff has to happen soon." She glances at Blake and Love. "You're both coming with me, right?"

"Again?" Blake nods. "Yeah, might be too big for some people." He twirls his bite of waffle, coating it in maple syrup before-CHOMP. His eyes wander back to Mae at her question. "It was alright. Think I'd like to try the strawberry flavor." He smirks and then looks to Love. "Takeout and my cooking. I've just been out of commission. Sick."

Blake doesn't seem too keen on surrendering his phone, but in the end, he does. He keeps his eyes on Love while she handles it though. He tucks his phone away in his hoodie pocket. "What. Do I have something on my face?" He asks as Love doe her back and forth. "Yes. They are. Well you're welcome to ours." Might as well be his, but he doesn't think of it that way. At Mae's question, he nods. "We have to. We need to pick out the ingredients and I know what's in our pantry."

Finally having the strength to venture out into the world without a face mask, a stomach full of drugs, and a low moaning noise, Park arrives at work. At least it's the quiet night to resume 'spinning' tunes. She dresses for work before leaving the house, unsure if she's allowed to use the dancer dressing rooms, so she turns up in tight Cabaret t-shirt, booty shorts, sneakers, and a satchel bag in the shape of Pikachu where her laptop is stored.

"Hey, everyone!" she greets with a broad and genuine grin. It looks like she is coming in for hugs before looking concerned. "Oh, is everyone okay? No one will get sick if I hug? I mean, I'm totally fine now. Pretty much. I can think again so that's a good start. Oh! I'm doing songs about all the people who work here as part of my Platinum Cabare suite. I can't show you them yet...so not sure why I told you?"

Love regards Mae for a long moment. "You know, that's pretty much genius. I'm going to be sure to drop something the next time someone asks me to do dishes." She's going to test this theory for sure. Does Blake have something on his face? "Not yet." She twitches a little crooked smile at the kitchen offer coming from roomie #2 (of... 4? 5?). "Thanks. That's generous of you."

"Hey, Mee!" She lifts a hand in a wave to the perkiest of DJs. "You feeling better? Wait, songs?" Love's brows go up. "Really? That's pretty rad."

Love says to Mae, "Babe, I'd go just about anywhere with you."

"Park, how are you feeling?" Mae beams at the younger girl, opening her arms for a hug. "I think I'm clean, and that I'm not gonna get sick again. If you get me sick again, I'm gonna stop over at your house and beat up Ico." Why? Who knows. She turns to gaze at Blake, her arm still around Park's shoulder. "Well then, that means that we're going grocery shopping. Two tattooed women and Blake walk into a supermarket. Do you know, that could be the opening of a good porno." She squeezes Park for a moment and aims a grin at her. "Did you get soup while you were down with the flu?"

Mae lowers her lashes as she gazes at Love. "Don't say that, or we might have to take a roadtrip to Seattle to get into some real trouble, woman."

"No hugs. My shoulder's hurt," Blake mentions to the newcomer, even if they're complete strangers. He laughs out loud at Love's commentary, but shoots Mae a smirk before he chews on his waffle bite. "Ink looks good against unmarked skin." He shrugs softly and sips his drink. "Hey. I'm Blake," he offers to Park before they can be introduced by anyone else.

"I am super duper awesome sauce" Park assures Mae as she goes in for the hug. "Why do you want to beat up Ico? Oh...because he got sick after us. Yeah, he's been doing that whole man-flu thing. In death's doorframe but still always thinking about sex." A nervous look at her co-workers. "Not with me! I did get soup off him. I think everyone did. Hey, you don't think he spread the Pink Death, do you? And I ended up getting him soup too since he was so kind to everyone."

A smiling nod for Love. "Yep, songs for everyone. Mae and you have such great names for song lyrics." Park was definitely going to give Blake a hug before being warned off about injuries, and also quite happy to have someone as cool as Mae have her arm around her. "Hi, Blake! I'm Mee...or Park...whichever one works for you. You can even call me DJ Dental if you like. Oh, Love, did you see my vlog?"

Park eyes off her friends for a moment. "You're making a porno?" Then a shrug, happy for the pair. "If that makes you happy, go for it. Do you need music?"

"Wait, Ico lives in your house?" This is to Mee after what Mae says. How does she not know these things? Love'll probably forget anyway, until she's been in the place with all the people to lock it in her visual memory. "I can count on one hand the times I've seen a good porno."

"If you want real trouble, we can take the ferry over to Vancouver." Love's brows go up, and she looks to Mae with a anytime, woman kind of look.

Slight double-take at Blake. "I like you. You're a stealth dirty kind of guy. You look all sweet and innocent, but," she lifts a hand, and waves her fingers around in a vaguely figure-8 gesture at Blake. "Not."

Love's about to take a drink when Park says and still always thinking about sex. She snorts behind her glass and then settles down, taking a sip. Not touching that. "I did, sweetpea. I saw it and I loved it. I'm so glad you decided to do it." She smiles widely at all the questions about porn, that ends in a sweet little offer. It's impossible to resist a smile with Park around.

Mae grins over at Love, her head tilting as she slowly shakes her head. "Okay, now we're taking a road trip soon. You and I. You might regret giving me that kind of look." She flicks her fingers at Love as she carves off another piece of waffle. "Yeah, Blake is.. something else. It's why I call him Boyfriend. Keeps the other girls at bay, right?" She eyes Love, because the other woman started calling him that too. "Plus, I think he likes it."

She doesn't choke when Park speaks up about Ico still always thinking about sex. She might have some text messages in her phone where it might have seemed like Ico was trying to lure her over to his place of residence. She just sips from her drink and cuts into her second waffle. "Want a bite, Park? It's very yummy. Fruity syrup, which is really good if you're trying to get a man to go down on you. Sticky though." She dips her finger into the syrup and holds it out toward Park. "Try it, before you try it on a piece of waffle."

"I was a bit sick for the Vlog so I hope the next one will be better. I'd never heard 'Cannibal Corpse' before" Park explains to Love before nodding about the accommodation. "The band all live together in one room. Like The Monkees. How cool is that! We practice in the garage. Number nine, Elm Street. You should drop by sometime." As for what the two mature women are planning, Park just smiles sweetly and hopes for her own shenanigans one day. Perhaps even hijinx.

"Ooh...waffles! Yes, please." The talk about it being good to get someone going down on her has Park looking confused. "Are we supposed to smear it down there?" That makes sense but it seems a bit messy...or sticky as Mae put it. Still, she'll give it a go. A blushing giggle before she nervously wraps her lips around the offered finger and suckles for a moment. She pulls away, nodding happily. "That is yummy. Has Mister Antonio ever thought of opening up a cafe here? Food will mean people can drink more before they lose any idea what they are doing...or is that the idea?"

"I think we should do a road trip, and also that you should drive," Love says. Why? Well, her car's been in the shop three times since she moved here. She brushes her fingers through her long hair, pulling it back over her shoulder. "He seems sweet." Maybe that's not the right word, but she's only known him briefly.

She finishes off her waffle, then reaches down to wash her hands in the low bar sink. Love also finishes her Appletini's last sip, putting the glass down in the dirties bin.

"It's pretty cool that you live with your bandmates. Living and playing together, jamming anytime." She's quiet for a couple of beats before she says, "I don't know what the rules are about full monty and food."

"On my motorcycle, we'll be frozen solid once we get there." Mae promises, shifting her eyes over to Love as she pushes her appletini cup toward the bartender. She slides the rest of her waffles toward Park and stretches her arms over her head. "I think I might go home and cuddle with Dylan, see if I can wake him up with the extra syrup I ordered." She gives it a thoughtful look, head tilted slightly. "Love, if you're about tomorrow, we'll plan some grocery shopping, yeah?"

Her eyes are on Park for a few beats as she listens to the band set up. "You all sleep in the same bedroom?" That's what she caught.

"We have two sets of bunk beds" Park explains in her usual bright and innocent way. "Who is Monty? We usually cook our own food. Though there is not much you can do with three minute noodles. But, yeah, the idea is to jam and come up with songs all the time. A creative hot pot of nutritious music."

"You two are going on a road trip? Cool." A wave to the ladies as they get busy or go home...to get busy. "I better go play some music. So wonderful to see you both." Hugs around before she is off to the DJ booth.