12540/Demon Alcohol

Demon Alcohol
Date of Scene:	22 August 2022
Location:	Oblivion Bar
Synopsis:	Perhaps the most awkard kinda sorta totally not but maybe a not-a-date that ever might have possibly happened. Or not.
Cast of Characters:	Rien D'Arqueness, Chas Chandler

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Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
The offer of drinks at a 'real pub' had been made, but given that neither of them is technically human, 'real pub' is a pretty loose term. They end up at Oblivion to enjoy some of that enforced neutrality Papa Midnite offers. Getting in is no problem for either of them, and Rien even recognizes a few faces inside when they step into the bar. She offers smiles and greetings to a few of the beings and murmurs to Chas at one point, "Huh, will you look at that... Grygax is topside again. I'll have to keep an eye out. He loves to hit up Monaco, Monte Carlo, and the French Riviera and live the high life through rotten royalty, super rich dictators, and black market kingpins."

Shaking her head, she moves towards the bar with the ease of having spent many an hour here with various people and beings. She's a little more chic and dressed up, if only because of the atmosphere; baby blue leather pants fitted to her frame, a light gray sleeveless silk top with a semi-high collar, a black velvet tailored blazer, and heeled ankle boots. "Hey, Eddie! Good to see you're still kicking around here." She offers a wide smile for the bartender before glancing up to Chas, "What's your pleasure? At the bar, or do you want to see if we can find a pool table, or booth?"

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas isn't so much a regular at the Oblivion Bar, but he's a known quantity. You can't be the unofficial sidekick of John Constantine and not be a known presence in the supernatural circles. Being one of the few Earthbound angels and being one of the only divine ones and still having Free Will (tm) makes that presence all the more palpable. He gets his fair share of eyes and looks as he follows along in the shorter woman's wake.

    As she suggests a few locations he gives the crowd a once over. "I'd... ah... rather not have my back open to anyone here" he says hesitantly. "Midnight runs a tight ship and this place is neutral; but even some people or things will disregard that neutrality in favor of slapping the Big Guy in the face by knocking over one of His agents if given an opportunity. I'd rather not give them the chance if I can help it. Booth for sure."

    He nods to one of the empty booths not far from the bar with a good view of the entirety of the place. "If that's alright with you, that is?" He's in nice dark jeans and a granite grey polo along with a nice pair of working boots. He looks a little uncertain as to how to approach this outing. Is it a date? Is it a friendly drink between friends? Is it something else entirely. Still he's willing to let the older woman lead the way a bit in how the night goes.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
His comments have her nodding agreeably, "That's a fair assessment. I'm not even an angel and I've still felt some pretty hostile presences from time to time. Booth it is!" She looks back to the bartender with a smile, "Get us a pair of whatever the big guy wants and we'll be at the booth over there, s'il-vous-plait?" Her smile warms a degree before she's turning and bumping his thigh lightly with her hip, "Lead the way, I'll cover your back."

When they reach the booth, she'll slide in next to him, close enough for quiet conversation but not so close that she's forcing physical contact. Glancing up at him, she offers a smile, "So, all nationality teasing aside, I thought maybe it was time we start trying to get to know one another. We haven't really had much interaction outside of, well, business." Tucking a lock of hair behind one ear, she lifts a shrug, "And hey, maybe we can help support each other through the loss of a significant other. I am sorry to hear that Asariel has gone."

When the drinks are brought over, she offers a smile to the server, slipping them a little something for the hustle, then turning back to Chas. "I'm ashamed to say that I don't really know much about you. You used to be a bartender, you used to be an associate to John Constantine, and you like dark rum. And you like to dress nicely, if understated. My French fashionista can appreciate that." There's a quick grin at the end for that last part.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas orders two Category Five Hurricanes and follows Rien. As they settle in the booth he listens for a moment and then smiles. "Yeah. You and I don't have any history like me and Jon. That makes sense" he replies with a soft smile. To her sympathies he nods. "And I'm sorry about Robbie. Asariel just... wasn't a fit for the life that I lead. Even those blessed with perfection want some variety I suppose. When it came to her and those I count as friends, allies, and family? She was the lighter scale." He shrugs. "Not much more to it."

    At the commentary on his past and what he wears he blinks and looks at the jeans and the polo. "Oh... I usually just grab the first thing to catch my eye and leave the rest up to being what I am. We're not exactly painful on the eyes from what I hear." He smirks. "Outside of that. I used to be a cabbie back in Liverpool. Still do some freelance work here in New York, but I'm moving out of that and getting a bit more into the Private Investigator business. My particular skillset means that tracking down and finding things for people is relatively easy but there are aspects that could use some work."

    He makes a face and sips from his drink, finding the mix of sweet, spicy, and sour enjoyable, "I'm not exactly the most stealthy of guys and I stick out like a sore thumb without much issue so blending and stealth are some points of highlight for me. What about you? Aside from wrangling Old Gods, and jumping timelines, what more is there to Rien that you don't let associates see, hm?" he asks with an arched brow.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Nodding, Rien glances down at her hands, "I had hoped that Robbie was going to stick around. It seemed like he was. But I guess this lifestyle was just... too much for him." She glances up at him with a half-smile and a wry expression, "Oddly, I'm more upset over not being able to be around Gabe more than I am about losing Robbie. Which, maybe makes me not a great person? I don't know." Lifting a shrug, she looks back to him, "Is it weird that I had a better relationship, if non-sexual, relationship with his brother than him?" After a beat she adds, "But you're right. When it comes to friends and allies versus the relationship... not even a contest."

She looks back to him with a small laugh and shakes her head, "Well you wear it very well, then." There's a pause and then, "And no, you're not at all hard on the eyes." Rien chuckles softly, "I, on the other hand, look absolutely nothing like either parent, and I'm still not sure how. The D'Arqueness women are all dark eyed and raven haired. Logan is also dark-haired and dark-eyed. And then there's me. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Nobody knows why, or how." She clears her throat and looks up at him with a crooked grin, "Let me know if you ever need a bloodhound. I've thought about advertising myself as a PI before but, ah, requires licensing? And... I still technically don't exist? Sooooo.. it's been more just living off defunding terrorists, dictators, and taking whatever remains from the demonic hosts that don't survive the possession."

Laughing softly, Rien nods, then glances up at him, "I could actually help you with that. Stealth, real stealth, isn't about being small. Its really just about knowing your own body and center of balance and how to step to minimize sound. For going unseen, there's things you can do to minimize your presence, if you want to learn. But that's more magical than physical." Pausing, she looks down at her hands, "I have more hobbies than I could easily mention right now. You already know that I like to cook. I enjoy painting, reading. I love music." Pausing, she flushes for just the barest second before muttering, "I am a closet disco fan..." Clearing her throat, she quickly moves on, "But really, given the amount of time I've had in this timeline... there's a lot that I've done and tried in pursuit of filling the empty hours. I haven't had... that is... I've been... alone... for the vast majority of my life. So. Lots of hobbies."

Sipping at her drink, she blinks in surprise, letting all the flavors sweep through her mouth, her senses. "...huh. I don't.. hm. It isn't /bad/, but it's definitely different from anything I've really tried before. Then again, I'm mostly a wine and bourbon sort, so I'm used to dry or smoky more than spicy and sour." Glancing up at him, she smiles, "Not bad, though."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas nods with a small smile. "I figured you might want something a bit different for a change. Glad you appeciate it." He considers her words for a time and then shrgs. "And it's not at all strange that you felt closer to his brother than him. He wasn't the most... open of individuals and that I can tell, and communication is key to any relationship. I learned that much from my first marriage. That and to realize your responsibilities before accepting any and all of them that come."

    He peers at her for a moment, there is a certain unphased intensity in his blue gaze. "I like your look. It suits you. The -creature- that took your place tried to look like what I imagine your hereditary look would've been. Or a close approximation to it. But the blonde hair and the blue eyes gives you a very..." he pauses, "...unique--for your family--appearance. I can see traces of you in Gabby: the nose, the musculature. But those traces are just that, traces."

    "I've started doing the same. Picking up hobbies, that is" he replies. "Not needing to sleep or eat has given me a rather large chunk of time that I wasn't even aware of. I've used a lot of it to catch up on reading--well that and the fact that language isn't a barrier anymore. Aside from that, I've dabbled in cooking and a few of the other more domestic hobbies: knitting, crochet, cross-stitch." He smirks. "I'm making myself sound like a little old lass, aren't I?" he says with a chuckle.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"It's welcome. If there's one thing that I've missed about my earlier years, it was the... more organic nature of foods and drinks. While the industrial mass production was already well into swing, there used to be more.. farmers. Ranchers. People that made small batch oro still used the old distillation techniques. As time passed, things became more mechanized. And food and drinks started tasting.. bad. Fake." Rien offers a quick, wry smile and shrugs, "But with the last twenty years or so, things have started shifting back towards small business, hand-making, 'classic' techniques, organic farming. It's been a welcome change for me."

She gives a small nod and glances towards him, "That was my first relationship, so I certainly learned some good lessons from it. And well, we'll see if I can't do better the next time opportunity knocks." Rien chuckles softly, "Oh, accepting responsibility has never really been an issue for me. It's knowing when to say 'enough'." Taking another swallow from the drink, she glances up to meet that intense gaze, smiling faintly.

"Thanks. It's... bothered me a bit, that I don't actually look like my family. As if I'm not really part of them. Either of them. As if I were one of those changeling children that got swapped out at birth. But I've gotten more used to and proud of my differences as I've gotten older." She chuckles softly, "The height. Or lack thereof. That and the bone claws are really the big 'markers' for being a Howlett." Rien smiles towards him, "But still. Thank you."

Laughing softly, she shakes her head, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with knitting or crocheting, they're very calming activities. Abe taught me knitting in.. '74? I think it was '74. He said it was very sooting and that once you got into the rhythm, you could just.. go for hours." Rien glances at him, "I've not gotten into cross-stitch, but I /did/ dabble in the SCA for a few decades. I can do some basic leatherworking, I'm not a half-bad smith if I do say so myself, and that is where I learned gardening from as well." She flashes a quick grin, "SCA was actually really fun."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    "SCA, that's those Ren Faire on steroids groups, right?" Chas asks with an arched brow. "Actual jousting and fetes and the whole thing?" He chuckles. "I figure someone so used to living in an older time would find that trite... but, now that I think about it, you might be in for reliving the glory days, yeah?"

    He sips his drink and absently mutters. "Seeing you in one of those dresses wouldn't be too terrible either." He blinks and glances at her. "I... don't know where that came from... and I'm sorry if it offended you."

    He could've stopped there, but instead he continues; unfortunately. "Not that you wouldn't look marvelous in one but... the attention from me... when you..." He sighs and picks up his drink again. "I'm just going to shut up now before I shove more of my leg down my throat."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing softly, she gives a nod, "There's... a little more to it than that, but yes, at its very basic. SCA takes people back to the medieval era, before modernization for a lot of things. People have to agree to a certain amount of involvement, but how deep you dive into it is a personal choice." Rien motions with one hand, "You learn actual trade skills, from certified masters. I apprenticed under people for years to learn smithing and leatherworking." There's a brief pause, then a wry, "I'm not /that/ old. I was born in 1963, and joined this timeline in 1944. But I /have/ visited then, yes. I wanted to get a look at authentic designs and patterns."

She lifts her glass, taking a swallow, then freezes, eyes shifting to look at him from over the rim. Setting the glass down, she's smiling softly as she watches him shove his whole foot into his mouth. The smile widens as he keeps digging the hole deeper. "I'm not offended." She glances down, then back at him, "I have pictures. If you want to see. You know, what it was like." There's PICTURES. Of course there's pictures.

She chuckles softly and shakes her head, "I don't mind, Chas, really. I'm.. well, flattered, really." Taking another swallow from her drink, she adds softly, "You would look really good in the menswear of the time yourself.."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas swallows and chuckles. "Oh god...maybe now I would. But before..." he shakes his head. "Constantine made me wear this ridiculous getup from Italy with the tights and the puffy shirt for an exorcism a few years back in Brixton." He shakes his head. "Let me tell you, a man on the other side of three hundred -does not- fit into tights well."

    He sips his drink. "Pictures? From the events? I suppose you'd be in one of those if you weren't in the forge, huh?" he asks with a chuckle at the thought of a buxom blacksmith and sips his drink a bit more. "I would like to see them sometime. The pictures, I mean." Oh, he almost got his foot out of his mouth that time. Almost.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing lightly, Rien shakes her head, "Gods no, nothing... nothing like that. No tights. Most of the leggings worn in your corner of the world were looser than tights, but tighter than trousers. Think more like... tapered leg jeans over straight leg. Closer fit, but not binding. Only the true court dandies wore tights, codpieces, waist cinchers. Men who were too vain about their appearance." Pulling out her phone, she scrolls through her gallery, pulling up the SCA folder and turning it towards him, "More like this. See? Sure, velvet doublet with leather insets, gilded steel buttons. Silk shirt with ties. Leggings made of silk or leather or whatever material really. Boots or shoes, depending."

She pauses, biting her lip briefly, then sighs and flicks to the next folder. There, in a period day dress and ankle boots, with a heavy leather apron and wielding a hammer... is Rien. She's sweating but not flushed, streaks of soot on her facefrom where she's armed away the sweat, hair tied back in a simple ponytail. Another flick of a finger and she's in doublet and leggings and skirts, wielding the sword she's forged against an opponent. Another flick and there she is. Courtly dress, waist cinched to the Gods, empire waisted gown fitted to perfection. Hair up with ringlets around her face and neck, smiling.

"There. Now you know my dirty secret."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas looks through the photos with interest. When Rien moves to the folder of her he smiles a bit more. "I will say you make it look more natural than I would that's for sure..." Then she moves to the more beauty shot and his smile splits into a wide toothy grin. "Oh... wow... that's... you're..." He sets the phone down and takes up his drink. "You're very pretty" he manages, despite the redness creeping into his cheeks.

    "I might be able to pull off some of the pieces in there but everything would need to be custom given men weren't the better of six and half feet and nearing the line of 300 back then. Unless they lived in Norway and even then..." He chuckles. "Maybe when this is all over you can take me to one of these events and we can see how much I can do. I'm a fair hand with weapons even when they're not made up of the very essence of my being. Comes with the territory, I guess."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Giving an awkward laugh, Rien ducks her head and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, "Thank you. I do make a good damsel in a dress. And now, I'll even have my own ivory tower. Maybe I'll have to bust out some of the dresses and make a forge there. Start my own little SCA plot on the edge between dreams and void." She clears her throat and tucks the phone back into her pocket, "I'll admit, I've missed the duels and forgework."

Laughing gently, she grins at him, "Back then, all clothes were custom made, tailored to the specific person. So everything would have been made for you. To you." Rien turns a smile towards him and nods, "I'd like that. The events are actually very fun, and I could, ah, I could knit you a chainmail shirt, make some leather for you..." Pausing, she flushes, looking down and clearing her throat, "If you want. I mean. Not to. Uhm. You know. Not to say you have to. Obviously." She clears her throat and glance towards him, "Most of the tourneys are followed by a feast. A... a ball."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas finishes off his drink, setting the glass down on the table. His blue eyed gaze meets hers and he arches a bushy brow. "Why, Queen Rien, are you inviting me to escort you to a ball?" he asks, mocking jest lacing through his tones. He even emphasized his accent to make it sound more in line with Received Pronounciation.

    "I... I don't know what to say," he continues, the accent rich with feigned shock. "What... what will the court think if you come to such an event with a simple commoner such as myself? The scandal would be... absolutely devastating, would it not?" The toothy grin on his face after is enough to need sunglasses from the sheer reflection of the shine.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Letting out a groan, Rien gives him a playful shove, "You are /terrible/, Chas Chandler. Just horrible." She laughs and shakes her head, "Just for that, I'm signing you up for the joust, too. Hope you like plate metal and horses." Lifting her glass, she finishes off the hurricane and glances towards him with a smile.

"Now how about saying 'why yes, Rien, I would love to go to the tourney and feast with you'? Then I can get started on your armor, since I'm pretty sure impervious angelic armor would be cheating." Chuckling softly, she nudges at him, "Besides, I would... like to.. do.. something. With you. Sometime. If you want." Rien kicks a half smile up towards him.

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas blinks as Rien makes her threat but then laughs. "Oh fine. I guess I need to brush up on my husbandry..." he says as his chuckle dies down. Then he nods. "Very well. I would love to attend a tourney and feast as your escort, Rien. And yes, impervious angelic mail would be cheating and we can't have that."

    He pauses and meets her case again. "I think I would like that. For all the cracks and jokes I make about where you're from, you're a good woman and I enjoy your company." He pauses and considers something, his own smile turning more true and playful. "It's an odd pairing, an angel and a sorceress who specializes in the energy of Nullspace, but we work well together and I think we can have fun together in the same vein if we put our minds to it."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien seems almost surprised when he agrees, quickly overtaken by a pleased expression as she gives a quick nod. "We might have to get you a special horse though. You /are/ a sight taller and broader than most jousters. Buuuuuuuut, I have a pretty good connection. They raise Friesians. Excellent warhorses." She chuckles, "And they're on the taller side, so you wouldn't dwarf them."

She stops, looking towards him and smiling, "I feel the same way. For all that we tease and poke at each other... I really like you. Like spending time with you. You have this way of... centering.. everything. I've been feeling so.. I don't know. Mixed up. There's something happening and it's been confusing and frustrating but..." She looks at him and smiles, "But then I see you and you say something silly about me being French and it's... calm again. You make me smile." Clearing her throat, she quirks a half-smile towards him, "Opposites do attract, and I think.. we're alike in some ways too."

She pauses, then laughs, "And now I'm the one putting my foot in my mouth." Rien smiles at him, "I like you. And I think we could definitely have fun together. And.. you're, y'know. Hot."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    It is lucky that Chas has finished his drink. If he had one when Rien drops her compliment he would've likely choked on it. "I'm... what?" he asks, arching a brow at her. "I... I'm flattered, I guess. I mean, you don't have to say that just because I called you beautiful."

    He chuckles. "I know I'm not anywhere near the perfection of the other hosts, and I have my share of scars so..." He runs a finger over one of the more prominent ones: a slash from a scythe demon he got maybe 6 years back. Nearly took his eye out instead he dodged last mintue and took a nastly slash just to the right of it, the line lingers and will forever linger since it came before his immutable state.

    "It's not like we're in a competition here" he says, gesturing to the whole of Rien. "You're absolutely stunning and I doubt much will change that from then to now. I'm just a regular bloke who happens to look the same now and forever after because of... well... God or something. Nothing in me to suggest the good genes were in my history."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien props her chin in her hand, watching him as he tries to dissemble about himself, a smile growing on her lips. She watches him trace the scar, still just smiling at him, giving a little nod. When he finishes, she chuckles softly and says, "You're still hot." Lifting her chin from her hand, she lets a single claw slide out from the back of her hand, slicing across the palm quick and clean. It heals to perfection almost before the blood can spill out, wiping it away with her thumb and showing it to him. "I have never and can never scar."

She glances down at her palm, smiling wryly, "Scars are.. something different. Interesting." She motions to her face, then points in a general 'up' position. "Perfection? Overrated. I would as soon someone with some character."

Looking back down to her glass, she shifts it this way and that, then looks back to him with a smile, "No, we're not in a competition. But it's also entirely possible to each think the other is attractive." Rien sets the glass aside and the smile widens, "Besides. I think you're the only one I've met that has bluer eyes than I do. And I like your smile."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas is not unaware of Rien's particular inherited mutations. Even so, watching both of them with little to no adrenaline produces a far more detailed account of the process. As it clears he gives her one of those smiles. "You mean the real ones, not the ones where I'm giving you shite, right?" he asks with a chuckle.

    "I have heard that one before... about my eyes and the smile" he replies. "How about... I dunno, we head out of here and see if we can produce some more?" He realizes the implication of his words and quickly adds, "I meant... doing more outgoing stuff, there's a county fair across the river in Jersey, or we could go do something more action packed... I meant fighting something together... or...you know what I mean" he says, almost pleading for the woman to save him from his own conversational blunder.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Letting out a small snort, Rien flashes a grin towards him and lifts a shrug, "I like those ones too, but that one is better." Reaching out, she just barely grazes a fingertip against the fullest part of his lower lip before pulling her hand back quickly and clearing her throat, "Sorry. I should have asked first. That was... presumptuous."

She flashes a quick smile and gives a nod, relieved that he's offered them both a stall. "County fair sound fun. You're willing to rish Kersey for me, I'm flattered." Rien slides out from the booth and holds out a hand to him with a smile, "I'll win you a giant stuffed animal." Chuckling, she offers, "I'm pretty good at the ring toss."

Chas Chandler has posed:
    Chas doesn't move as the woman touches at his lip. There is another small fold in his skin there, fist fights with even the least possessed can result in a fair share of split lips and between that and his fights with John Constantine he's earned his fair share of cuts along the mouth. Even as she apologizes he's shaking his head. "It's alright. I don't... I don't mind."

    He's more than relieved that Rien understood his sentiments about more fun between them and didn't take the opportunity to let him bury himself in the hole he dug. He gestures, "I'll take care of the bill and we'll put you to the test. I'm a fair hand with the ball throw myself... cricket is surprisingly good practice... maybe I'll win -you- something instead?" he supposes with another crooked grin.