2022-01-07 - Dad Jokes, Karaoke and Amateurs

It's that time before late, but not early. That midpoint of the day. Should one have coffee? Should one not have it? There are so many choices that happen there. Right now it seems a few people mill about the coffee place, seeking the caffeine to make the tired fall away. Or to make sure that they are prepared for what the evening has in store to them.

Gabriella is already sitting at one of the seats and she gasp already has a drink in front of her. This does not mean she won't hit up people for a new one. She's staring at it and glancing at her phone every so often. For the most part, she's letting the world go by for now. For now.

The pleasure of being retired and self-employed is that you can take your coffee break whenever. So Joe's already done some shopping, by the canvas bag carried over his arm. Books, it looks like. He's in his heavy bridge coat, white scarf, those ocean blue fingerless gloves. No hat, for once....and he's blinking owlishly as he makes his way towards the counter. No doubt he'll get something elaborate and sweet, as he so often does.

Gabriella glances towards the door and sadly, her eyes flow to the bags first. A look of interest that they might carry books. Then her green eyes slide up the person and when she sees it's Joe, there is a vibrant smile towards him. "Hey! Did you know you were away from the water?" She's pretty sure she's only seen him around the beach or at the beach.

Some people don't have the luxury of flexible coffee breaks, and have to take what they can get when things quiet down for a minute. Javier's one of those unlucky bastards. And appears, judging by the badge and gun in full view, to have pulled a rare stint of patrol duty today. The cop's still decked out in civilian attire: tee shirt, jeans, baseball cap. Though the GRAY HARBOR POLICE slathered all over his black jacket kind of ruins the unassuming image.

He spots Joe ahead of him in line, smirks to himself, and digs out his phone. Gabriella's not yet been noticed, but that'll likely change momentarily.

The stare Joe turns on Gabriella is utterly guileless, blue eyes wide and innocent. "You don't say," he drawls. "I manage, sometimes. Just gotta have bathed in seawater again before midnight or I'll turn to dust and blow away on the breeze."

That shift of position is enough to have him notice Ruiz, and he gives the cop a crooked grin. "Hey, you," he says, gently. "What're you havin'?"

(TXT to Joseph) Ruiz : way to fucking ruin the surprise. and here I was going to send you something dirty.

"Wait.. is that a thing?" Gabriella offers from her perch. "Do merfolk turn into dust if not bathed before midnight?" She's probably making a note to ask Ravn about that later. She jots down in her phone. Merfolk. Dust. Midnight. This probably sounds like a bad invite to a rave though. Then her eyes track Javier for a few moments. "What the hell.. you are in a uniform.."

Once he's fired off a quick text, the cop goes digging for his wallet. And happens to catch a familiar voice. "Gabriella," he murmurs as he fishes out a crumpled bill. "Hola, cómo estás esta noche?" Then he's placing his order for a black coffee with the barista, before Joe can pay for him. Hey, whatever keeps him awake for the next few hours. "What's in the bag?" he asks the sailor.

Lyric sashays in and to the counter where she waits her turn to order. When it's time, she just has a hot chocolate with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce on top. No cherry. Only when she's paid for it does she turn to look around at the others. Ruiz gets a wave, so she includes Joseph in there too. Gabriella, she thinks she's met before but not one hundred percent, so she just offers a wave there too. "Hi. Do you karaoke? They used to have open mic night here and Karaoke at the PourHouse. Totally should sing." Cause all pretty girls can sing right?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joseph : Sorry, baby. You can still send me something dirty.

The sailor favors the blonde with a perfect deadpan. "'course it's a thing," he assures her, giving her a glance over the rim of his glasses. "We can't just walk around on land like it's no big thing, you know. There are rules to be followed..."

He lets Javier order before placing his own order for a caramel chai. Because really, it's dessert. The question about the bag has him hefting it, grinning. "Books. They had a whole bunch of this series I'm collecting, a comprehensive history of human spaceflight called The Outward Odyssey." Lyric gets a little nod and a smile, but mostly he's focussed on the cop.

That smile is a slow and wicked one towards the cop (and the sailor). "Estoy bien, he estado esperando a que un hombre mayor caliente entre en busca de dulces para la vista. Mi suerte. Tengo dos." Gabriella winks towards Javier and she'll include Joe in it too. Then there is Lyric and she smiles in her general happy fashion. A quick up and down and it's clear that she's trying to figure out if she'll buy her next round of latte. "I mean. Yes, but you don't want me to. I sort of sound like a dying cat... who's already been dead once... and was brought back... to only be struck by lightning." There is a redirect at Joe and she offers in English, "Well at least the sea witch gave you some great legs."

Whatever was in the message he received from Joe, it has the Mexican looking amused. He takes a lean against the counter, once his drink's ordered, and types out a reply. Then Lyric gets a hitch of his chin in greeting before his gaze roves back to Gabriella. Chuckling, he replies to her in a low murmur, "Estoy trabajando." A quick glance at his watch confirms that he, indeed, isn't off for a good four hours yet. As to Joe's chai, "The fuck are you drinking?"

(TXT to Joseph) Ruiz : how do you spot a blind man at a nude beach?

Lyric peers suspiciously at Joseph despite the nod and the smile he had given her. "I was a mermaid once too. It was great. Then I had to kill a sea hag and that wasn't so great." A light shrug, things happen.

As Gabriella breaks into Spanish, Lyric understands about every couple of words and may somehow get the general gist of it. There's a thumbs up to the other blonde. "Doesn't matter if you are good. Most people just sing because they love to. That's what's important." Her drink is delivered and she meanders over close enough to have a seat nearby all the people. Dipping her finger in the whipped cream, she puts it in her mouth, tasting it. "Best drinks around." Said to absolutely no one.

"All that ocean swimmin' keeps me in great shape," Joe says, still deadpan. He's given his chai, which needs no doctoring, and blinks at Javier, innocently. "Caramel chai. You want some?" He knows the answer, clearly. Then he's looking down at his phone.

"Well, every career comes with its challenges," he commiserates with Lyric, eyes bright, before agreeing, "That's how it works. No one expects you to be skilled. Most of the appeal is getting up and making a fool of yourself....and you don't even need a bottle of rum to do it." He slants a sly look at Ruiz, before tapping out something on his phone.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joseph : I don't know. How do you?

"Me too." Gabriella offers to Javier with a wink. Her eyes slide between the men on their phones. She has a love of all things media. Then she looks up at Lyric. "I tend towards the chai lattes unless I'm stea--being given someone else's drink. So you know Javi and Joe?" She stops herself before calling Joe, Joey. It was there. It almost happened. "What do you do..." A trail off for a name that she's not sure she knows or not.

Joe's thrown the middle finger at the crack about the rum. Then Javier's being handed his own drink, and he snaps a lid on before digging his phone back out to reply. That is one shit-eating grin he's sporting.

"We, uh, we're acquainted," he reports, when Gabriella asks Lyric if she knows them. The offer of a sip of that monstrosity however, gets a flatly disapproving look.

(TXT to Joseph) Ruiz : It's not hard.

(TXT to Joseph) Ruiz : get it? hard, you know, his dick. except it isn't

(TXT to Joseph) Ruiz : Because he's blind

"Yeah that's how Karaoke works for sure." Lyric agrees all over again. Amused though, when he slants the look at Ruiz. "He sings good too. I've heard him." Using a straw, she stirs the whipped cream into the hot chocolate while listening to the others. At the question from Gabrielle, she grins. "One, um.. better than the other, but they're both pretty great." Beaming smile. Yep! Lifting the straw out, she licks the rest of the whipped cream off of it before placing it aside and focusing on her drink. "I work at the strip club." It's said in an off-hand manner before she blows on the drink so she can sip it!

"Yeah, we've met," Joe agrees, with a grin. "More'n once..." Unwisely, he takes a mouthful of that chai as he turns away to look for a seat, and promptly chokes on it when he looks at his phone again.

It takes a few moments of him juggling drink, phone, and gloves before he can seat himself neatly at one of the little tables, and manage a reply.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joseph : Well, you are a dad, so I don't suppose I should be surprised at the dad jokes. You got me.

(TXT to Joseph) Ruiz : how the fuck is that a dad joke?

Gabriella watches the others as she starts to say something and her own phone goes off. There is a tip of her head. "Hey.. I have to take this." She smiles at Lyric. "You should go interrupt their table. I do it all the time." She moves over to the table of the menly men duo. "We should catch up later, but I've got to bolt before she face times me next." There is a wink to both of them and then she's out.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joseph : It's a silly pun? Though I guess it is too raunchy for a real dad joke.

Javier's technically not at a table, though he looks up when Gabriella approaches, and switches off his phone screen. She might catch a glimpse of what he's been messaging Joe with; or she might not. "Todo bien. Buenas noches." He briefly watches her go, then sinks into a seat beside the older man. Pitched across to Lyric, "You still DJing there, huh? Haven't been by in a while."

The only one without her phone out is Lyric and she is too busy with her hot chocolate. After cooling it some she takes a sip from it and finds it cool enough for bigger drinks. Settled in, she focuses mostly on that instead of the two over there texting. As Gabriella gets up to go, she nonchalantly lifts a hand to wave her off, "See you at Karaoke." Or so she assumes.

Hearing Ruiz, she looks up from her drink and grins. "I am, it's good pay and good tips. I like it mostly just because I like the music. I noticed you didn't come by for awhile. You and Joe should come sometime on amateur night or somethin' it's super fun."

Gabriella gets a little wave of his hand, but Joe's already looking to Lyric. He's set his phone aside, for the moment. "I don't know that I've ever been there," he says, "Or.....no, I must've." He glances at Ruiz, like Ruiz will remember. "I used'a know a lady that worked there. Redhead named Kass?"

Another glance is sent sidelong to Lyric and her hot chocolate. The comment about amateur night has him looking briefly uncomfortable, and he scratches at the bridge of his nose before murmuring, "I'll think about it." His coffee's sipped, and the name provided by Joe seems to ring a bell, but he doesn't comment.

As to liking the music, "You're good at it." He gestures with his coffee cup. "The DJing, I mean. Keeping the place, uh. Lively." Smalltalk is hard, and he digs his phone back out like he's had enough of it.

"I remember Kass. I remember lots of them. Dancers come and go, but like everyone else, if they can get away, they do. Away from this town, I mean." Lyric looks a little too solemn at that before she grins, forcing the brightness back. "Thanks. I'm glad you think so. If I manage to get someone to run karaoke at the Pourhouse will you both try and come? I'll even buy ya a drink." Speaking of drinks, she's close to finishing hers off.

Joe is surprised, perhaps, by Javier's lack of enthusiasm. But he just nods at that. "I don't think I ever have been there," he says, musingly. "Amateur night does sound fun..." Nevermind that he's seen many a pro at her job, in that field.

But mention of karaoka makes him brighten. "Oh, sure. That I can promise. I'm almost always there, and I might even get Javier here to come along."

Since when does Javier show enthusiasm for much of anything? "You should get up on stage," he murmurs to Joe without looking up from his phone. "Bet you'd be a natural." He'll neither corroborate nor refute the possibility of him joining the other man for karaoke, though he's surely aware of the little conspiracy.

"You really should, you're really hot, Joe. Both of you are. Amateur night is any gender you know." Lyric gets to her feet and grins, "I'll see you both at karaoke then, as soon as I can set it up. It'll be super fun." With a breezy smile and a wink to Joe, probably for conspiring with her, she sashays out much the way she had come in.

The sailor freezes at that, before turning a bewildered look at Ruiz. He promptly blushes like a rose. "Wait, me stripping? You gotta be kiddin'," he replies, before glancing desperately to Lyric, who's already on the way out. "That wasn't what I meant!" he protests.

Javier's no help at all; he's checking his watch and pulling to his feet, citing, "Back to work." As he passes by Joe, he slides fingers along his shoulder, and leans in to murmur more seriously, "Come over tonight? I need to talk to you." And then he's off.