2020-04-04 - It's All Mumbo Jumbo

Kip is posted up at the bar, nursing a bottle of water and a some fruity umbrella drink. Not her typical fare but she was experimenting. She was wearing a glittery black dress that fell just above her knees and a pair of matching heels. She's not going out on the floor to dance just yet. She's more warily eyeing the dj booth and some of the people dancing. She isn't sure she's in the mood for more random dancing robots.

Kip is posted up at the bar, nursing a bottle of water and a some fruity umbrella drink. Not her typical fare but she was experimenting. She was wearing a glittery black dress that fell just above her knees and a pair of matching heels. She's not going out on the floor to dance just yet. She's more warily eyeing the dj booth and some of the people dancing. She isn't sure she's in the mood for more random dancing robots.

Hmmm... A club. Where people tend to come to hang out, get drunk, and maybe get hooked up, so looking good comes with the package. But on occasion, there's someone who looks like they missed that memo completely. Cue Zoe, whose yellow Tee and worn jeans belong on a hiking trail than a nightclub, apparently has set up a little corner table for herself, complete with a laptop and headphones plugged in. For the most part she's not even paying attention to the partying folks, just peering intently at her computer, but at some point her drink runs out and it forces her to head to the bar for a refill. She comes up not far away from Kip's position, where she snaps her fingers at the bartender until she gets his attention. "Hey buddy, another gin and tonic." And while she waits for the drink, Zoe shoots a sidelong glance at Kip, followed by an upnod. "Hey."

Kip takes a sip of her drink before looking over towards the source of the voice somewhere near her. She makes a 'Who, me?' kind of expression before it is replaced with a smile. "Evening." She takes a moment to look over Zoe's set up. "Interesting place to choose to work." Her accent is very evident, and very Russian. She shifts some in her seat so she can view Zoe better.

Zoe briefly follows Kip's gaze back towards her work table. "Yeah." She agrees with a bob of her head, then reaches up to tap the side of her glasses. "I like some movements in my peripheral vision while I work. Helps with my general awareness." When Kip shifts in her seat, Zoe tilts her head at the other woman, giving her another scrutinizing look. "Nice dress, by the way. Are you here to steal our military secrets, Natasha?" She asks with a exaggeratedly quirked brow.

"Fair enough." Kip muses and then laughs, looking down at her outfit and then back up. "No, no secret stealing here." A hand is extended. "Kapitsa. Kip if you'd rather." She offers. "What do you do for working?"

The gin-and-tonic is delivered at this point, which Zoe pays for with some crumpled bills dug up from her jean pocket. Grabbing the glass for an eager sip, the gin is put back down so that she can take the offered hand in a firm shake. "Kapitsa." She tries out the name. "Huh, unique. Think I'll stick with that." Beat. "Zoe. I, uh, try to prevent the planet from wiping out the human race like a bad rash on her skin." The hand is released. "What about you? If you're not stealing secrets or trying to influence our presidential elections."

"It is nice to meet you Zoe." Kip looks intrigued at that description of job and maybe a little puzzled. Like she's trying to stitch it together in a way that makes sense with an actual profession. "Like, uh. Environmentalist?" The word is a bit awkward for her to say but she says it! She grins a little when asked about her profession. "Paranormal investigator. Also box office person at Starlight Theater."

"That's one of the descriptors, yeah." Zoe nods when Kip says the word 'environmentalist', but likewise the bespectacled woman looks suitably intrigued by the revelation of Kip's profession. "No kidding? You?" She asks, sounding a bit disbelieving as she gives the Russian woman another look. "Most paranormal types I know are big hairy guys who are plumbers in their day jobs." Beat. "Not that the science supports it, but... have you found anything so far?"

Kip grinned again. "It is a fascinating field..." She thinks for a moment and then shrugs. "I have experienced a few things...though I have no seen an actual apparition yet." She casts a glance around the club and then back to Zoe. "...And this city is very strange. In a...similar but different way. Which is why I decided to come here. To study. And try to document." She takes another sip of her drink, waiting to see what Zoe has to say about Gray Harbor being weird.

Zoe nods slowly, maybe a bit carefully. "As a scientist... and I am a scientist, I have the badge to prove it." She deadpans, pointing up to her own face as she makes a sour expression. "But as a scientist, this is my official response to paranormal mumbo jumbo. Like I said, the science just doesn't support it." Dropping her hand, she reaches for her gin for another sip. "Then again, fifty years ago Climate Change was mumbo jumbo too. And even though I'm new to this burb, I admit there's some weird vibes going around here. I don't suppose you think there might be a large scale EM field at work here, huh?"

There was a touch of a smirk on the Russian's lips. "You know, they used to think science was mumbo jumbo too." Kip added and then shook her head at the question of the EMF. "No...I do not think it is that...my EMF meter hasn't had any hits...even in places where weird stuff has happened." There's a beat of pause, "Like here...I had a strange thing happened here. Doubtful it was ghostly in nature."

"Yeah well, they used to think a lot of bullshit, like the earth was flat and women should only stay home as breeding stock." Zoe snorts to that. Which one specifically? Not clear. Evidently tired of standing at the bar, she shoots a glance at her work table to ensure her laptop is still safe, then slides on to the nearest stool. "Call it scientific curiosity, but lay it on me. Warn a sister about this locale." She prompts.

There's no real need to vocalize I doubt you'll believe me so Kip doesn't. Instead, she finishes off her drink and motions to the bartender for another one. "...Two words. Dancing Battlebots." She says, completly straight faced. "It was...almost like a dream...except I have a ruined pair of leggings to prove it. People...turned into robots...and wanted to dance battle?" She knows it sounds totally ridiculous. "There was a group of us...and then when it was over? It was like nothing had happened at all - except for the weird robot oil that some of us got covered in."

Similarly, there's no real need for Zoe to vocalize that I don't believe you; her expression is there for all to read, complete with squint. Instead of immediately commenting, she takes another long sip of her gin first. "You're not wrong. You said 'a strange thing', not 'ghostly in nature'." She points out blandly. "A strange thing that sounds like either it was free booze night, release of an unknown hallucinogenic agent, or you're gauging my gullibility. But you wouldn't do that to a stranger, right?" Cue brow quirk!

Kip took another sip of her drink as she awaited Zoe's response. A snicker when it finally came. "It could have been. Except, well, why would we all have the same shared hallucination of crazy?" She shrugged. "Anyhow, it is things like that, that make me want to stay here and explore things." She mused. "As for gauging, it doesn't matter to me if you believe it or not. I have no uses for trying to trick people." She says just as plainly before knocking back the rest of her drink and flashing a touch of a smile. "However, I think it is time I get out on the dance floor. If you happen to see any robots - you should most definitely run."