1164/At Mellville's Bar

At Mellville's Bar
Date of Scene:	14 April 2020
Location:	A bar near NYU campus
Synopsis:	Alex meets an Olympian cousin (Sofia) in a bar.
Cast of Characters:	Alexander Aaron, Sofia Maroni

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Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Melville's is a little jazz bar just off the street, take a turn in Greenwich, a few blocks from ESU and you'll find an alley that's been widened, incorporated for foot traffic into the area for the many farmers' markets and street fairs that pop up in the neighborhood. It's there that Melville's set up shop, taken the basement storage area and converted it into a lounge with decor inspired by the late 30s. It's mostly monochromatic, with deep blacks and pristine whites, though rapidly followed by jetstream chrome. All of it inspired by that optimism held by the country before the war.
    Within the lightning is demure, muted with the sconces obscured by silver clam shells while the single chandelier high above provides most of the illumination to the room. The stage is at the far end of the room, sizable enough for a decent production if one wanted but currently set up for the use of the current musicians.
    Earlier the place had been buzzing, the music had been well-received and creating a blissful feeling in the customers, drawn to the vocal stylings of the young woman that had graced them with song. It was there that the youth known as Alexander Aaron had arrived. Near the end of the evening. No table for him, at least at first. He had sidled up to the bar and shared a few words with the tender. When he crossed he'd gained a few glances, some curious, others not.

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    NMelville's is one of many clubs on Sofia Maroni's rotation. It's not really that she needs the money, but the girl enjoys singing and it keeps her distracted from other matters. She's dressed simply, a little black number that tastefully clings down to mid-thigh. It's a good-quality dress, and the pumps are Jimmy Choos. A bit nice for a college bar.
    Sofia has been singing classic 'girl-tunes' from the 40's, mostly Ella Fitzgerald with the occasional Billy Holiday thrown in. There's soft applause as Alex makes his way inside, and she nods appreciatively. Cueing the piano player with a gesture, he plays a slow riff and she speaks into the mic.
    "Thank you for being such a wonderful crowd tonight. I'd like to leave you with a little Nina Simone..." The intro given, the piano plays the cue and she starts the song.
    In fluent French.
    "Ne me quitte pas...."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Taking up a place against the bar, the room settles for when she begins her song. Voices are muted, soft, but not only that but movement is held, gestures tempered. As if the people there were not wishing to take away from the experience. All eyes are upon her, even in the moments the bartender can spare as she looks across the way and smiles a little wistfully toward Sofia.
    It's an experience to be in such an intimate setting, to have the nearness of a musician giving their best to entertain, focusing on their art while the band supports her.
    And for the blond at the bar it's a rarity, something he's only experienced once before in his short life so far. It's enough to prompt him to lean over and murmur quietly to the bartender, asking her gently, "Who is that?"
    To which the woman says with a smile, "That's Sofia. She comes in once every few weeks." Even as she sets a martini upon the bar in front of one of her other customers.
    At that answer, however, Alexander's eyes rise with appreciation if not recognition.

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Sofia's eyes close as she begins to sing, cozied up nice and close to the mic. It's a slow, sultry, and almost lazy song... full of passion and emotion. The intro is soft and smokey, but the piano begins to pick up the intensity and the woman really starts belting it out. Arms raise, hips shifting as she rocks with the deliberate, driving tempo.
    The woman loses herself in the song, and it quickly becomes apparent that she really didn't NEED a mic in this place. The piano builds and builds, and her vocals follow right along. The crescendo is gradual and driving, tapering just as slowly back down to a nice, soft ending. As one would plead with a lover.
    The last words fade, the piano striking the closing chords as the woman steps back a pace from the mic and finally opens her eyes.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The applause she gets is earnest, not the kind that seeks to overwhelm, that wouldn't fit the room or the crowd. It's the nods of recognition along with the clapping, the one man who whistles in adoration. Earlier in the night it likely would have been stronger but for a crowd this size it's a warm positive thing shared in that synergy between artist and admirers.
    And for Alexander it is rare he feels a part of something, to share this moment gets him to smile a thing akin to a genuine smile even for one such as him. He tilts his head to the side and offers to the bartender, "She's good."
    Though the bartender's reaction is more to just look at Alex as if he were just stating the sky was blue.
    As she takes a break from her music after that song one of the patrons sends a drink her way, waving with the offering. But perhaps it will have to wait if she continues her show.

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Sofia dips into a curtsey, right leg tucked behind the left as she bows. It's a natural gesture for her, albeit one that's oddly out of place for the time. Reaching up to click the mic off, the blonde turns towards the bar to claim one of the remaining stools there. A step onto the rail, a hip-shift sliding her onto the seat. To where a drink is already waiting. She smiles, giving the bartender a questioning look. Then those big, brown eyes flicker around the room as if seeking patrons she recognizes. Her gaze stops at Alexander, lingering there. "You're new here." she declares, raising the gin and tonic.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The blond youth definitely doesn't entirely fit the rest of the crowd. Oh certainly college students come by certain nights, some even stay around to close the place out but they present a different mien, a different vibe. But this one is young true, but there's an element of curiousity to him.
    It could be the slight glimmer in those hazel eyes, the way the pale blue wends its way to a jade green. Or it could be the way his hair seems to defy combing, always seeming to partially get in the way of his brow. But more it's the feeling one gets around him as he turns and smiles at her easily enough.
    "You're right," He replies, his hand around the base of a drink that's all bubbles and ice in one of those hexagonal glasses reserved for the non-alcoholic.
    He looks back to the stage, then back to her and offers small insight, "Thought I would take a walk around the campus and see what there's to be seen. Apparently that's you."
    And then his hand extends as he murmurs, "Alexander Aaron."

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Now that the singer is no longer plying her craft, it's pretty apparent to Alex that he's not the only one with a certain unnatural vitality. Lightly shaking her glass, the slowly melting ice settles and those big, brown eyes meet his own. The blonde accepts his hand, her nails short and manicured, her own grip firm and confident.
    "Sofia Maroni, just like it says on the board outside." she replies. "Nice to meet you, Alex." The woman smiles and it's a charming one. Devastatingly so. And to one who's used to gauging people, the woman behind those eyes has an old soul.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Normally when she offers such there is an amount of mental damage done, even to those that might not normally find her attractive. A sort of melting of the soul at the blaze of beauty in those eyes and the casual aplomb seen in that touch, as if this was just how things were. And for her, it likely is. She's used to seeing the cracking of facades and the breaking of veneers. Nervous smiles, nervous laughter, the flush of blood.
    And yet Alexander's manner... is so like her own. There is no imbalance there, no fear, no hesitation. It's not as if he were immune to those charms. But perhaps perceives them in a slightly different way.
    So he meets her gaze and his smile is given back to her, "You have a gift. It's kind of you to share it with people."

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    While Sofia is a natural beauty, her charm and allure is something that she's cultivated over the years. Many years. She smiles at Alex's response, or more specifically his lack of the predictable response. A dark brow lifts, the handshake held for a moment.
    "Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it." There's a pause before she continues. "You've probably heard this before, but you're a unique sort of man." She looks like she could say more, but refrains from it. "So you're looking to attend NYU, then, or are you just slumming around campus?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "And that, is another kindness." Alexander offers in rejoinder to her compliment. Or at least what he perceived as a compliment. He then looks away, toward the door as she inquires about his plans, his efforts, before those curious hazel eyes return to hers.
    "Next semester. Orientation. Though this is more exploration. Wandering. I like to take walks in the evening." He lifts his drink a little and fishes out an ice cube, then crunches it as he considers her.
    "Sometimes it's just fun to people watch. Other times you come upon interesting things or people you'd never find otherwise. Such as yourself."

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    "I've learned over the years that people are often full of surprises." Sofia replies, nodding in agreement. The bar stool swivels and she shifts to cross one leg over the other. She takes another sip, a deeper one this time.
    "Well if you wouldn't mind the company, I'd enjoy a walk tonight as well." Sofia pauses, then adds. "Assuming it's not too late to take a walk, that is. The city can sometimes be a bit... dodgy... at night." Not that the woman looks terribly concerned about it.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Are you finished with your performance?" He asks as he glances over toward the stage, and indeed the musicians seem like they're packing up their gear, at least to his uninformed gaze. Perhaps they're just making ready for another set. But then the blond youth looks back to her and smiles a little.
    "That could be nice," A walk, wandering the streets of the great city at night, even if it's a bit dodgy. To which he says, "Usually it's not so bad. At least as far as I can tell." Then those pale eyes lift for a moment, before he cants his head curiously to the side, "Though I've only lived here a few years."
    That said he rises from his seat and uncurls a twenty from a small wad of bills in his pocket, leaving it on the counter for the bartender before he gestures with one hand toward the door. "If you would join me?"

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Sofia nods to that, taking another deep swig of her drink. "That was my last set, yeah." she replies. "I'll be back in a couple weeks. This place is in my rotation." There's no protest when he pays the bartender, and Sofia slips off of the barstool.
    "Let me get my coat and hat, first." Her steps are brisk and sure as she walks to the coat rack. A classic trench coat and a fedora are retrieved, then donned, giving the woman an air of Lauren Bacall. Offering a smile, she slips her arm through his own and gives a small nod. "After you."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    If she is Lauren Bacall he is no Humphrey Bogart. She has that so casual air of belonging to another time, while Alexander is all too much of the now. His clothes are not his usual fare, not the t-shirt and jeans he sports so casually and lazily from day to day. With the events of the day before he was wearing black leather shoes and a pair of grey dress pants that gave a place for his pressed white buttoned up shirt.
    So with her on his arm they emerged from the interior of that club out onto the streets of Greenwich where the halos of light from the street lamps give a similar ambiance as that watering hole they just left.
    "There is something different about you, Miss Maroni." His footsteps are light and easy, hands in his pockets as he blows a small puff of breath toward one of the stray locks of his hair that keeps getting in his eyes. "Would you like to help me pin down what it may be?"

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Sofia settles comfortably onto his arm, the clicking of her heels punctuating their walk with the rhythm of her steps. Her gaze shifts towards him often, head tilted just so to peer from beneath the rim of the angled fedora.
    "It's Sofia, please." she replies. "And no, I won't be giving any freebies." The woman pauses for a few steps, then adds. "But I'm always amenable to answer questions, provided you'd be just as open with me."
    Her hand gives his bicep a tentative squeeze. Testing.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    That is the thing about Alexander, how he dresses, how he at times wears his hair. It's all a subtle way to try and dissuade overly long glances or too much attention. Oh it's not entirely effective in all ways. As she can tell when she holds onto his arm and that small squeeze is met with that instinctive tightening of his arm. She can tell by the tension in that muscle, the swell of it, that there is perhaps more to him than at first glance.
    When she declines with the word 'freebies' his lip twists a little. He is no stranger to meeting the city's interesting people, ever the woven strands of fate see to bring them across his path. Likely she is no different. So the game and the dance begins, each of them offering small insights and taking what observations they can.
    "So it's to be questions then." An enjoyable game.
    His head turns slightly, and in truth she is beautiful. A woman from another time, not of his generation in some ways, yet part of it as well in others. "You have a golden voice, yet you seem to sing for the enjoyment of it. Which might offer the thought that you are safe in your life in other ways that you do not do it for a living. Why is that?"

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Yes, she's learning quite a lot just by walking with him. The muscle squeeze was just the first test, of course. Her laughter is soft at his declaration, her smile full of amusement when he gets to the question. "You're a bold one, to ask first." she replies. "But I like bold, so let me answer in this way. I sing because I enjoy it, not because I have any desire for fame. And I certainly don't need the money."
    They walk a few more steps as she continues. "With fame and notoriety comes other, less-desirable things. Visibility. Media attention. I have my reasons for wanting to stay below the radar, and I'm happy to do so."
    "As for my question, you carry yourself confidently, yet you are without arrogance. And there is a great strength within you." Sofia pauses for a moment, her steps slowing. "One might almost suspect an unnatural strength, even."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The tow-headed youth's smile is a little lop-sided as he casts his gaze distantly down the street while they walk, footfalls quiet compared to the click of her own, though with their similar height it's easy for them to sync as they stroll. "I can understand that sentiment," The desire for anonymity, or at least avoiding fame.
    But then she offers her observation about him and he replies with a casual glance sidelong. He could offer some fib to cover, some misdirection, but that would cripple the entire game. Truth is important, even if it's not the full truth. "Some might not call it confidence, more hubris." He offers with a sardonic smile, but then he grants a decent touch of truth. "I have good genetics." That might give some paths to follow, then he adds with a smile. "And I workout a smidge."

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Sofia's smile becomes wry when he speaks of good genetics, and she nods. Sympathetically, even. "I'm beginning to suspect that we both suffer from good genetics." she replies casually. And when she squeezes his bicep again, it's hard enough that there is little doubt of her own strength as well. The blonde tilts her head towards him, giving another knowing look.
    "My mother was from Greece, originally. Or at least from a mountain in the region near Greece." She pauses to let him guess a little before she continues. "I picked up a few of her natural gifts, but thankfully not her full temperament."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    As she speaks she can see his smile broaden and there's a certain amount of tension that leaves that strong arm of his as she holds him there. A few more strides carry them forward and he murmurs sidelong, offering to match the cards she's laid on the table with some of his own, "Ah, I think we're cousins then?"
    A few more steps and he tells her, "My father is from Greece as well. John Aaron, he works in construction." In his mortal guise, but then he adds. "Well, and runs the union lately." Another small insight.
    "But I'm his son, didn't see you at the family gathering when I had my whole..." He waves a hand to the side, meaning his ascension to the mantle of Phobos but then adds, "Celebration."

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Sofia brightens at his admission and she smiles more genuinely. "I'd heard about it, but I was unfortunately on an errand at the time." she replies. "My... MOTHER... apprenticed me to Iris. That was... sometime in the late-30's." Yes, it appears that Sofia still has some maternal issues.
    "I'm actually surprised that I haven't been tapped out to deliver a message to you yet. It's really pretty impressive, all in all. Wings. Caducceus. Rainbow effects."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A small laugh as she gains some enthusiasm, so he covers her hand on his arm with a hand of his own, giving a gentle squeeze. "Ah, how old are you? If it's not too rude. I ask because I'm..." His grin is wry and at /that/ she might catch a subtle hint of a blush to his cheeks as he walks into the next halo of light from the street lap. "The youngest of our kind I've met. I keep hoping there's..."
    The youth looks away, then back as if trying to espy something hidden even as he shakes his head, "Some tween child of Apollo out there or something, if only to save me from the ignominy."

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    Sofia laughs softly at that, giving his arm another, comfortable squeeze as well. "Well that's a rude thing to ask a lady..." she begins, playfully. "I was born in the 20's, out of wedlock, and raised by my father. I grew up with a fair amount of unpleasantness, but it took me years to figure out that daddy worked for the mob." She pauses, then, turning to face him.
    "Don't be in a hurry to add years, Alex. Being long-lived carries its own burdens. But my life's story isn't one that's told all at once, and certainly not without plenty of liquor."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I know, I know, super rude." His manner eases a little now that they have that common shared background, easing into it with a casual manner and seeming to find some nice equilibrium with the woman upon his arm. Those curious pale eyes slip back to meet her gaze as he smiles a little while listening to her abridged tale.
    But then he nods as she offers the insight that her tale is best told with a good amount of drink shared, but that brings up a point of curiousity for him as he looks back to her, "Do you feel the effects of liquor? It tends to do nothing for me." Then there's a beat as he thinks to add, "Well, except for Asgardian mead, that is heady stuff."
    That said he murmurs, "I was born in 2002. So... you have some time on me."

Sofia Maroni has posed:
    The blonde just slugged back a gin and tonic like it was soda. Sofia shrugs at his question, smiling wryly. "Not really, no. Other than the taste, that is. Perhaps it was Prohibition, but I do like a good gin."
    "I may have a few years on you, but we all have our gifts." she replies. "Let me give you my number, and we'll sit down to compare notes sometime. In a place that's not a public bar." Sofia's expression becomes wry, then. "Now that I've seen you and I know your name, I'll be able to find you without any problem."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A nod is given and he smiles a little wryly, "Sure that's cool, thanks..." But then when she says that about being able to find him he bites his lower lip, "Oh that could be both good and bad." Considering how their family at times gets along... poorly.
    With that said he pulls out a cellphone from his back pocket and swipes it to life with the brush of a thumb. Then he extends it to her, the bluetooth connection open if she just wishes to mate one with the other, or she could just type in her number as she likes. Once that's done he'll smile, "Come and find me sometime soon, Sofia. It was a pleasure meeting you."
    With that said he gives her hand a squeeze, then disentangles to start walking off for the evening. Knowing now that she'll be entirely fine on her own in the big city.