17244/Windows for Josie's!

Windows for Josie's!
Date of Scene:	23 February 2024
Location:	Josie's Bar
Synopsis:	Josie's will have all new windows and then some. There might even be toilet paper in the bathroom on the regular now.
Cast of Characters:	Luca Bandoni, Sara Pezzini, Johnny Blaze, Ted Kord, Joshua Foley, Blue GhostEyes, River Banks, Olivia Gaudin

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Luca Bandoni has posed:
Not that they were actually responsible, but Luca's crew was present when Josie's Bar got caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs. So, they took it upon themselves to make it right.

The bar is /hopping/ tonight, standing room only! Most of the crowd is FDNY or NYPD and their significant others. FDNY has already started 'passing the boot' to take up donations like the collection plate at church.

There's even a small Karaoke machine set up in one corner, but it'll cost a fiver to embarrass yourself tonight.

A table in the back, near the pool table, is set up for the silent 'win a date with a firefighter' auction. Luca is in back AT the pool table with Olivia sitting somewhere in the vicinity more like than not.

He sucks in a deeeeep breath and bellows, "BLUE! Start me a tab!"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara had been there that night, bullets flying through the air, which really for the Avenger was just a Tuesday, but she wanted to help. The collateral damage that these kinds of events incurred always pissed her off. No one's livelihood should be compromised due to assholes waving their guns around to compensate for other issues.

Arriving with Joshua, dressed in the attire she wore to work as an NYPD Detective (black slacks, blue business shirt, and hiking boots), but over it was a father fancy looking leather jacket.

"If you start him a tab, he'll pass out on the pool table," she called out over the noise of the room, already preparing to lead Joshua toward the back. "Bandoni! I got a bone to pick with you!"

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny Blaze rolled back into town a couple of weeks back after a long year on the road, raising hell and burning souls. The Rider had carved a swathe through the devil's own, chasing a cult in service to a devil Johnny hadn't managed to identify yet. There were so many who claimed the title, after all, all of them nasty buggers in need of penance.

Johnny just tried to save as many innocents as he could along the way - the Rider didn't care much about collateral damage. He was too hungry for the damned.

He used to hit Josie's now and again back when he prowled these streets last time. He has a bandanna on over his dark red hair, sunglasses and a studded leather jacket with BLAZE written in flaming letters on the back. Blue jeans, biker boots, a pack of Red Apple cigarettes stuffed in his pocket. No mistakin' him for anything but a biker. He bellies up to the bar and raps his knuckles on the table, "Tequila and a beer chaser. Anything Mexican," he sighs, putting his elbows and then turning as he hears Sara Pezzini's voice ring out, "Well. I'll be damned."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord enters in his civvies. A pair of smart glasses are perched on his forehead. Beside him is a cylindrical robot floating on very well behaved thrusters of some sort. He pats the bot on its shoulder and says, "Get us a booth. I'm getting some drinks. Uhm, here's some money for charity stuff." He pulls a few hundreds out of a roll he produces and hands it to the bot who bobs in agreement. As a final Touch he puts a sticker on it -Hi, my name is Bingo! Preferred pronouns: he, his, they, their. I am not an 'it'. The bot slides into a booth and deploys landing gear to sit on. Ted moves to the bar.

A guy and a robot come into a bar...

Joshua Foley has posed:
In the accompanyment of Detective Pez, Joshua had arrived, having also been in the bar the night that it was shot up. A glance over towards her as she calls out about the tab and who will be passed out and he gets a small smirk. He has yet to tell Sara that drinking... really isn't working for Joshua. He can suck down beer after beer, but his body's own biokenesis is dealing with the issue before it gets worse.

"I've been fast-tracked into the EMT program." he is telling Sara as the pair of them walk, him dressed in a black button-up shirt, blue jeans, and a light yellow jacket as he offers up a small smile. "Next training class starts the first of the month. I'm going to be in it. Already sent my withdrawl letter to Oxford. Hopefully mom won't be too disappointed in me." he admits with a shrug. But he's making his decision.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue studies her surroundings through piercing two-toned eyes. Ebony and glacier blue. Nodding with satisfaction at the growing crowd she grins at Lucas and nods. "Sure thing!" Strong hands move swiftly to get an array of drink orders out as fast as possible.

The bartender is dressed simply, clad in worn black jeans, cowboy boots and navy blue halter top. Her long dark hair is held back from her face by a trio of braids that circle her head like a crown before meeting behind a silver and jade barrette.

After hearing about the recent trouble here she's decided to take a few shifts here and there. It seems like it's gonna be a good crowd tonight and that makes her happy. "What'll you have?"

River Banks has posed:
    River wasn't related to any of this particular mess, but she was hired for a promotional gig. Which promptly canceled about fifteen minutes before hand since they kind of didn't ask permission to promote their product, so when River walks in she's wearing a low-cut V-neck shirt under a denim jacket, a black skirt, and cowboy boots with the hat to match, strawberry-blonde hair pulled up and into a fancy-messy bun, the freckled blonde lady coming up to the bar and slipping over cash as Johnny makes his order.

    "Whiskey, whatever's in hand is fine, an' a beer -- ah..." she leans over. "Blue Moon. That's good," she twangs in her Lower 'Bama/Florida Panhandle accent, and she looks at the crowd with a dismayed expression.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia is perched on a seat, watching the boys play with a little smile that shows up every time Luca leans over to take a shot. She's here to relax and make sure that the charity goes well. Which is to say she's ready to backstop donations, though it seems she won't have to. She's got an eye on one of the auctions, of course. There's a certain firefighter she has her eye on taking out.

    Tonight, she's wearing a little black dress, carefully cut to be flattering and comfortable. She pairs it with her usual high heels. Impractical, but she rarely leaves home without them anyway.

    She was just about to call out a very inappropriate remark concerning Luca's next shot when she hears Sara's voice. It draws attention, but she can't say she recognizes the woman at a glance. Then again, the bar is packed and she can barely see through the press of people.

    "Friend of yours, Luca?"

Luca Bandoni has posed:
"Is that supposed to be a new thing, Pez!?!" When /doesn't/ she have a bone to pick with him. Luca makes his next shot, really, anything with balls. Billiards may not actually be a 'sport', but if involves manual dexterity and hand eye coordination, he's a pro.

His opponent moans, "He has to be cheating."

"More like a sister by proxy," he replies to Liv with a wide, toothy grin. That grin only fades a touch when he adds, "Her dad and mine were partners before... the Invasion." It's easier to say that than 'before my dad died'.

Of course he already has a drink in front of him. Like every other night, he's starting with shots and will move on to mixed after he's starting to feel it. Luca downs that shot and snags another right next to it and downs that one too.

His current mark... uh opponent laments, "Hey, that was mine!"

When he wanders past Liv and kisses her on the cheek, his entire crew lets out a very mature... 'OooOOOOOooo," with one adding, "Bandoni's got a girlfriend." Boys will be boys and most of these boys are still in disbelief over him coming with a /date/.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Moving through the crows with ease, holding onto Joshua's hand to ensure that he makes it through as well, she pauses a moment to whisper to the golden man, "That is fantastic new, and if Nettie has a problem with it, it's her problem not yours. You get to choose what you want to do with your life."

Placing a light kiss on his cheek she was about to continue on to the pool tables when she spots Blaze at the bar... and she freezes in place. "Holy shit..." she breaths out, blinking a few times then has to shake it off. She didn't expect to see him again, the Rider took him places both far and wide, yet there he was.

If he happens to look in her direction she offers a nod, a smile and the tell-tale sign for 'call me' (the hand to the ear in the shape of a phone). With that moment passed, she offers Josh a smile and makes it to the pool table.

"I will /always/ have a bone to pick with you Bandoni," she states, clapping him on the back. "But right now, I have several bones... let's start with not including the NYPD in this, we would have come." She levels her eyes on him, looking as if she is upset for all of ten seconds then starts laughing.

"I have someone I want to introduce you to," she continues. "And I believe you have someone to introduce to me."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord returns to the booth and Bingo. Bingo for his part opened a small compartment on his torso, removed a bag and dumped some Legos bricks on the table. He was building a car by the looks of things. Ted sits down, setting two White Russians on the table. He puts one by the robot, to show Bingo was honoring the drink minimum. He also notes the bot has the money laid out, bills in a single row.

"The place is filling up. We should share if people need to sit. Put the Legos away. Try to be sociable. Wave or something. Bailey would be out there making friends."

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Liv perks up at the mention of sister. By proxy counts as far as she's concerned. And of course there is that kiss. It perks her up more than just a bit. All the more because the boys give Luca crap for it.

    The sensitivity around Luca's father is always noticed. Diving deeper into that is not a thing to do in a noisy bar, though. Besides, there's a sister to meet! Liv is only about a half-step behing Luca in doing just that. Still, there is that initial meeting thing where she waits patiently to be properly introduced, even though she is perfectly capable of speaking her own name.

    A quick glance over at the auction table. Seems that money will flow tonight! She also notices... is that a robot? It sparks a memory somehow. Something she saw on video somewhere. News? Social media? It'll come back to her.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny Blaze understands Sara's nod and the implications that come with it. He gives her a nod of his own. His eyes flick momentarily to Joshua, a simple, measuring assessment as he gives her another nod, this one of approval. Not that she needed it, of course. But the boy did not stir the Rider within him, a test many men have failed and been found wanting. It's a good thing. No need for Johnny to ruin anyone's night by his darker half dragging one of the patrons into the street on a chain for judgement and penance.

He takes his shot and throws it back, offering one last salute to the Witchblade herself. At least he hadn't burned that bridge. More than he could say for most he crossed. "I miss smoking in bars," he says out loud.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue nods and hands River a whisky then grabs the asked for brand of beer. She listens to the newcomers with one ear while keeping track of the crowd with the other. With an easy going attitude and flirty nature, Blue serves drinks with a brisk efficiency.

This is her first night at Josie's though far from her first night tending a bar. A brief scowl forms on her face as she glances at the boarded windows before passing Luca another round of shots. Her eyes narrow for a second as she adds those shots up and takes in his demeanor. 'Huh.' With a shrug she hurries on, a bounce in her step.

Interesting group and Blue likes interesting. She laughs softly at the good natured teasing. "Ah, young love.." Uttered too softly for most to hear. The robot draws a raised brow stare. Not having much to do with technology Blue hasn't a clue what the hell that is but just goes with the flow. If her gaze is drawn back to it on occasion, well. This is new, to her at least and new is always good. Curious, she waves after hearing Ted speak.

Blue's nose wrinkles and she turns her attention to Johny. "You can go out back but.. I wouldn't."

Joshua Foley has posed:
As they are working their way through the crowd, Joshua shakes his head. "I don't think she'll have a problem!" he offers quickly. "Just, you know." because he doesn't know himself. But he'll figure it out. And when Sara is making call me gestures at someone, there's a momentary look over at the man she was making the gesture towards.

There will be explanations later, he's sure, but for now, the golden-hued mutant is not trying to draw attention to himself as he finds himself before Luca again. There's a pause, and a raise of his hand. "Oh. How's Roscoe?" he asks, checking first on the friend he treated.

Then over to Olivia. "Miss Gaudin, hello!" he greets the songstress. "We met at the school?" he reminds her. "The little girl you comforted can't stop talking about you and playing the CD you signed." he offers to her with a warm smile.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
"I swear I'm not even buzzed yet, but does that dude have a... what /is/ that thing?" He nods in Ted's direction. But Luca's attention turns back to Sara. "NYPD is just a bunch of wet blankets," he jokes, mostly. Even in his family there's always a rivalry there.

He tries to make it sound just as casual as humanly possible when he ways, "This is Liv..." but Sara likely hasn't seen him smile like that since Amanda. He gathers up the shots along with, "It's not always this nuts, Blue," he offers the woman behind the bar. Of course first thing he did when he got here was make nice with the bartender and find out her name. Goes a long way toward not having one's drink spat in, that.

"Roscoe? He's in the little boys room, has been a little too long actually. Probably sneaked off to play footsies with that blonde he was talking to earlier. So, seems Roscoe is /really/ fine. He takes Josh's hand and says, "Name's Luca, Luca Bandoni. Thanks for saving him."

But then, still holding Josh's hand, he pulls the man closer for a little private moment and a whispered, "Hurt her and the entire FDNY will come for you and half the NYPD, got it?"

Don't mess with a man's sister.

River Banks has posed:
    River accepts her whiskey and her Blue Moon, and gives a smile to Blue Ghosteyes as she gives a breath out. She shoots the whiskey down, and assuming a position at the bar she leans back against it and looks over the growing crowd.

    "So. Uh. I got hired for a gig that canceled." she briefly explains to Blue "What y'all got goin' down here?" she questions with an upnod to the various folks. "Ain't like the spirit of Gotham recently." she states, loking to the bartenders and sipping on her beer.

Ted Kord has posed:
Bingo reaches a manipulator out and taps Ted's hand three times. Three times is a status check. Ted doesn't always do great with people. Ted has finished one drink. "I'm good, Bingo. The Bug abides." The robot nods. A small probe extends to sample the second drink. //Analysis... mine are better.//

Ted slips his glasses down and catches the analysis. Then he flicks the probe which retracts. "I have to drink that you know. Cut it out. You want people to think we're weird?" He notes River's impressive act of leaning. That's more engineering than flirty.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara took the good natured ribbing about the NYPD, intending to tell his uncle, Sargent Bandoni later. It was lovely to spark family feuds, it allowed her to focus on the moment.

Extending her hand toward Olivia, she offers a, "Detective Sara Pezzini, nice to meet you." to the woman. She follows it up with, "Luca, this is Joshua, be nice or I'll kick your ass." If Olivia shakes her hand, fine, she says nothing, if she doesn't then it's just another indicator of the woman Luca has chosen. She'll wait to address the woman, to 'get to know her', but the Detective's eyes are now intent on watching the woman.

Sometimes it was highly annoying to have a demi-God attached to your soul. Sara couldn't hear the whisper, but Witchblade could, so when he started laughing in her head she had no idea why... and he wasn't sharing. Only those who knew Sara well enough could recognize in her body language that something with Witchblade was occurring. To anyone else it just looked like she was staring at nothing for two seconds.

"I got next round against Luca," she states with a gesture toward the pool table. "Someone needs to put him in his place... and I need a coke with no ice."

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue grins at Luca. "I don't mind none." She'd never spit in someone's drink, she's far more straight up than that. She turns her head and swiftly hides a smile as she overhears the whispered threat. Not her business but amusing nonetheless. "Aw. I'm sorry." She respo0nds to River. "This place got shot up by some fucking assholes. So it's a fundraiser to fix the windows, like." She gestures at the boarded up openings.

In truth Blue is here for multiple reasons. This place isn't that far from home and she's gotten word of the customers and the enemies they might be drawing and is.. curious. Might be able to find something that is her business. Or make some new contacts. At the very least she's out with people instead sitting home alone getting drunk or trolling the streets for trouble.

Bringing another drink to Ted Blue leans over and whispers "This one is one me and weird ain't a bad thing so don't you worry none. You just do you." Back at the bar she eyes River. "I don't get over to Gotham much. Got enough here to keep me busy usually but it's an interesting city." Lot of ghosts there. A lot of freakin' ghosts. Blue nods at Sara and hands get her order. "Here ya go, Dectective."

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia nods to Joshua, "Hello! Kind of hard to forget. That's a remarkable school. And is she really? I'll have to stop by and see her. I hope she's learned not to... I hope she is being more careful." Not the smoothest of transitions, but she's never sure just what things must be kept circumspect and which can be said openly. When in doubt.

    Luca's introduction leads to Olivia reaching out to shake Sara's hand. "Olivia Gaudin. I am not a witch, but I play one eight times a week." She's been trying to think of how to introduce herself to Luca's family. It's the best she's been able to come up with. "I'm really happy to meet some of the family. So far I've met Rigs." Meaning Luca's dog.

    She watches Sara for a moment. The brief catch there is noted, but Liv figures it's just a police officer thing. "Oh, and go for the next round. They keep telling me I've got winner, and well, I think they have ulterior motives."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny Blaze grins at Blue, "I appreciate the directions. Think I can hold my nicotine for a while longer - I'm just an old guy reminiscing about his youth. Nothing special to see here," he says. He rolls his neck for a moment, popping one of his vertebrae and giving a wince as he massages it.

"So, what happened here anyways? Just a regular brawl or something worse?" he asks. It's directed at the bartender, but loud enough to be generally audible. And then he sees Sara tense up in that particular way, out of the corner of his eye, the ripples of the Witchblade stirring making the Rider's fire flicker to life in the deep down depths of Johnny Blaze's pupils. The Rider is seeking. Something capable of disturbing the Witchblade should be investigated.

"Not here. not now," he mutters. //The Witchblade hasn't struck, neither should we. Back off// Johnny thinks.

The Spirit of Vengeance gives a snarl of distaste but holds. For now.

Joshua Foley has posed:
"I'm glad he's doing well." Joshua offers. And in his young life, he's been hunted by cyborg mutant killers, mutant rhinos, mutant warthogs, demonic geese, and all manner of mutant haters that exist in the world at large, all for the color of his skin.

But there's something about being threatened by the 'brother' of his lover that is completely different. "I hope it's not the whole FDNY." he offers, a small smile. "I was just accepted into their EMT program!" But he's clearly taking the threat to heart, the firm handshake returned, a feel of biokenesis and suddenly Joshua's eyes go /wide/. He stares openly at Luca for a moment, as his feedback has hit upon something.

A reflection of his own mutant feedback. He's never touched anyone that holds the same power as him, even on a small scale and the young man's eyes search Luca's. "We should talk later." he says firmly, and while he may be younger, his words broker no argument as he pulls his hand away to join Sara, shaken for a moment, but that can be easily dismissed as Luca's threat.

"I'm sure they'd love the visit. Have you gotten your headaches taken care of? If you want, I can take a crack at it sometime, I'm a bit more confident in what I can do now."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord raises an eyebrow when Blue comes over. It's stuck that way for a moment after she leaves. His witty reply was still loading. Damn.

well he was never witty. That was Booster.

Yes Booster.

He gets up and walks to the bar. Bingo watches Creator Ted walk over to the bar and try to get Blue's attention.

"Thank you for that. I'm trying to socialize Bingo there. Do you have a tip jar...?" He sees the jar as he says it. Without further comment he places two C-notes in it.

River Banks has posed:
    The Southern Gal pauses her glass half-way to her lips.

    "/That's/ unfortunate." she makes a face. "Ain't nothin' like a little sociable charity to right a wrong though, right?" she remarks, and she digs for her wallet in her pocket. She checks her cash on the inside, and makes another face.

    "Well, lucky me, 'nough to get back to GOtham anyway." she murmurs, and then nurses another sip of her Blue Moon. Maybe she should have made this one a Bud. She catches Ted Kord's look, and gives a raised eyebrow back at him, an upnod to the man in his robot, and she purses her lips.

    "So everybody 'round this bar have a crazy story? What's with the robot?" she questions to Ted as he comes up.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
Josh may be able to sense something, but Luca's clueless. His brow creases slightly. "Sure dude, we can talk. Hee tosses a look in Sara's direction. She can read his looks like a book and this one is clearly, 'What's up with your boy here? He cracked in the head?' But he puts his smile back on and replies, "Yup, the /entire/ FDNY." But enough with the threats.Put me in my place, huh?" Luca tosses back another shot and then a second. Damn, the man really doesn't even seem buzzed. He's distracted by Johnny's question and calls back, "Bangers decided to put it between them and rivals!"

Noting that subtle change in Sara he asks, "Everything good?" It sounds just like he might be using same as he would, 'How was your day'. But she'd know that /he/ knows. She sensing something he can't?

Sara's desire to dethrone the king might just have to wait. The chief's wife, up there handling the karaoke end of things, calls over the little mic, "Luca! You're up!" Oh no, not again.

But he's not going it alone. He snags Olivia by the hand and drags her along with him.

Poor Liv. What's she gotten herself into?

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord raises an eyebrow when Blue comes over. It's stuck that way for a moment after she leaves. His witty reply was still loading. Damn.

well he was never witty. That was Booster.

Yes Booster.

He gets up and walks to the bar. Bingo watches Creator Ted walk over to the bar and try to get Blue's attention.

"Thank you for that. I'm trying to socialize Bingo there. Do you have a tip jar...?" He sees the jar as he says it. Without further comment he places two C-notes in it.

Ted responds to River with, "I'm socializing him. It's kind of like when you get a puppy and should make it meet a lot of dogs and people. Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, CEO of KordCo. Hey what the Hell, I'm buying a round for the house! I never did that."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny Blaze interjects to River, "Some places are like that. Energy coalesces, reality warps. Places where the walls are thin, where the clocks run backwards. Or sometimes just crossroads, places like this, where wayward souls meet and mingle, gamble and lust and beat each other bloody. You just end up with a higher percentage of freaks per capita."

He takes another long swig of his beer, trying not to push too hard. He could ask Sara about it all later, if they got a chance to catch up. There's no blood spilled here and he hopes it stays that way.

"Holy shit, a robot named Bingo. I'm in the god damn Jetsons today."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Accepting the coke from Blue, Sara offers a nod and a spoken, "Thanks." Before Joshua as approaches. She offers her hand out to him and pulls him in closer to kiss his cheek, pause and offer him a brief nod. She knew that, but had no idea /how/ Joshua had picked up on it.

The expression she offers Luca in return for his look, because she could in fact read him like a book, was a warning against that kind of thinking. They'd talk about it later.

"All good, just the ramblings of an old soul," she offers in response to Luca's question. Her expression speaking for her, 'Nothing to worry about.'

She takes a sip of her coke then slides her arm around Joshua's waist, then Luca is called to sing and she winces with a roll of the eyes, "Oh boy." But she also uses this moment to lean in and whisper something in Joshua's ear.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    "Oh, the head is much better now," she says to Joshua. "I've figured out ways to avoid the headaches. Turns out I just needed the right guy!" She turns to Sara, opening her mouth to speak, and then she feels her hand going towards the karaoke machine, courtesy of Luca's grabbing it and taking her along for the ride. "Annnndd it seems we're going," says Liv over her shoulder as she is dragged away. She's laughing, though.

    "Luca! What did you request?" She has all sorts of ideas in her head. Each more improbable than the last. Sure, the little girl in her is thinking maybe it's something romantic. A sweet duet? But she's not so sure she'd bet on it. She does call out to the bidding table, "Double what I've got on this guy!" In no time, though, she's off to sing! Which to her is as natural as breathing. She's got an eye on the monitor, and watching Luca, too. What /did/ he request?

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue stills and tilts her head, eyeing Johnny with interest. The hair on the back of her neck is raised in faint alarm. That could be trouble. Big trouble. "Here." She hands him another drink and then looks around the bar. Didn't she see.. ah yes. "Nicotine lozenges. I don't think whoever left it here is gonna mind." She offers it to Johnny while giving Olivia a distracted smile. Maybe that'll distract him.

Having caught River eying her wallet, when the woman turns to talk to Ted, Blue uses her swiftness and sleight of hand to stick a spare twenty in amongst the limited amount of cash before River can tuck it away.

The woman smiles at Ted and nods just as he the jar. "Hey, thanks." She'll leave it for the others here of course but is pleased by the offering. "Nice to meet ya, Ted Kord." She laughs and nods as he offers to buy a round for the house. "It's good to try new things. Keeps ya young." Briefly she wonders what the Jetsons are but won't ask. Can't afford to look ignorant amongst strangers. She'll ask the kid that does all her office work and computer shit. He always knows what's what.

The singing is something she's just been trying to ignore. Her poor ears! Ah well. Comes with the territory. Having no idea who Olivia is either, Blue will be happily surprised once she starts.

River Banks has posed:
    River looks to Johnny Blaze, and gives a slight smile. "YEah, some cities are like that. Reality warps definitely make sense in Miami." she offers a brief joke, but she may be unsettling. She's got blood on her hands, and stains on her soul. The former bank robber gives a smile back to Ted Kord and gives an upnod.

    "River Banks. Technically underemployed. Was pickin' up a gig here but -- turns out they didn't talk to the fire department 'bout sellin' no energy drinks outside an' canceled. Much obliged for the round, Mr. Kord." she salutes Ted with her beer in hand.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Pulled against Sara, Joshua manages to recover, his words a soft whisper as he explains to the detective. "He has my ability. Not as powerful. Nowhere near. But it's there." he blinks his eyes a few times, parsing that information and comparing it to the other night. It explains so much!

As Olivia explains that she's better, he chuckles. "I mean, that does work as releasing endorphines that could combat a headache, sure!" he offers cheerfully. But then Olivia is retreating as well and now it seems the pool table is now open. "I've never played." he comments as he looks from the table to Sara. "Wanna fleece me for the ten dollars I have in my wallet?" he asks teasingly, a nod to her whisper.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
What /did/ he request, indeed? He drops a twenty in the jar on the table beside the little makeshift stage. It's a small setup, almost a home karaoke machine but a little better than just that.

...wait for it.

The first of the lyrics cue up on the screen just as the music starts.

Olivia, a girl's dreams really can come true.

'Don't Go Breakin' My Heart' - Elton John and Kiki Dee. It's an oldie for sure, but when your family is one as large as Luca's with as many elders as younguns, family get togethers always have something for every generation.

Like the other night, Luca's pretty damned good. He's had no formal training and that shows, but he has a natural talent for singing that makes up for it. Olivia's first up, her line's the start, so he holds the mic out for her to sing into.

Ted Kord has posed:
Bingo for his part, hears the conversation through Ted's glasses. //I am not a dog! I am a $20 million dollar robot. Tell the nice lady you were ogling.// That draws a quick glare from Ted.

"Jetsons... I could build Jetsons tech... holy crap you're Johnny Blaze! I caught your show when you performed! Do you want to meet the robot? His name is Bingo by the way or B2."

Ted lets out a sharp whistle. The Bot approaches on his gear. It's too crowded for thrusters.

"Bingo wants you to know he is not a dog."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara laughs softly and places another kiss on Joshua's cheek. "I'm not taking your money," she comments, offering him the coke in case he wants a drink. "No, I'll wait and take Luca's money, then buy something nice with it."

With the introductions over, and the ribbing of her 'brother' complete, she lets her eyes take a slow trip around the room. You can never stop being a detective, and her instincts require her to check the room for any kind of trouble, even when there is none. Naturally her search stops on Johnny, letting Witchblade have a moment to assess the Spirit of Vengeance and ensure there is no risk there right now. Atum, the Witchblade, was one of the few being on Earth who could deal with the Spirit when he was in a bad mood.

"You want to sing karaoke?" she then asks Joshua, letting her eyes return to him. "I'm not usually one for that sort of thing, but I'm willing to give it a go, you can pick the song."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Oh no. I am not getting up there and singing." Joshua offers firmly, a shake of his head. "I am neither that brave or bold." He seems to be thoughtful for a moment as Sara once again is scanning the crowd and her eyes once again find Johnny's.

Once is a coincidence. Twice is a pattern. Three times is a need. "Want to introduce me?" he asks Sara as he slips his arm into Sara's, between her side and her arm.

"I swear, if this is a Scott Prilgrim situation, I'm going to warn you right now... I'm so not worth it." A smirk at that, as he waits for her to lead the way.

River Banks has posed:
    "'Course you ain't no dog. Dogs are creatures 'a instinct. They're able ta like, count ta five but ain't making billions of calculations a minute, meanwhile some dogs I met have an IQ of 'rocks'. Kinna like some men I've met." she gives a small grin over to the $20 million dollar robot.

    And then to Kord "he can hear... right? I don't gotta talk into your watch or nothin'?" she purses her lips, and then gives an apprasing look to JOhnny BLaze.

    "... performer, huh? Country singer?" she asks in curiosity.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia has to keep from laughing in delight. Having just one mic to share is the perfect excuse to be close to each other. Luca's pick is obviously approved-of. As for the Broadway performer? Yes, she sings well. It's her job. But that's not what her mind is on right now.

    Girl has fallen hard for this firefighter, and it's obvious. She's only got eyes for him through the whole song. In over her head? Hell yes she is. Stopping or changing course? No way in hell.

    When that song is done, she's going to seek out a kiss of her own with Luca. Not precisely chaste, but nobody is going to yell at them to get a room, either. Well, okay, the guys probably will.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue looks aghast at Bingo. Twenty million.. holy fuck! "Sshhh! Don't be advertising your price in here." She hisses. If the wrong person hears that.. Jesus. She shakes her head in bemusement. Then chuckles. Ogling? Cute. Then her eyes go to the stage. "Huh. He's pretty good. She's incredible." Glad no one knows her yet. She can sing but doesn't like to do it, has to be in the right mood and would never sing like this for fun. Usually saves it for funerals and such.

Busing herself serving drinks for a bit, Blue keeps an ear on the various conversations and an eye out for trouble even though she knows the Detective is doing the same. A soft sigh escapes her lips as she takes in the various couples. Not really what she's looking for right now but it does make her miss her last life. So much. Best not to go there though.

And then she just can't help but ask "Why would you talk into a watch?" Crap! That is she is sure, a stupid question.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
"Oh you are so going up there and singing with me," Sara replies with a laugh, having been watching Luca and Olivia. Even with Joshua's questions, she was silent and kept her eyes on Olivia.

It was there, in the way the woman looked at Luca, they way she moved, even the way she sang... she was head-over, in the clouds, fallen hard. That wasn't necessarily a good thing, given Luca's track record, but she would keep an eye on the situation.

Finally she looks back to Joshua and nods, "Sure, I'll introduce you." With her arm around his waist still, she started to move through the crowd toward the bar where Johnny was sitting.

Upon reaching the stool where the man sat, she offered him another nod before saying, "Hey Blaze, you're looking good." A pause here, to look him over and ensure what she said was actually true. "I'd like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Joshua Foley. Josh, this is Johnny Blaze."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord nods to River, "He can hear fine and understand you. Sorry I didn't get your name... I heard you're between jobs. If you hit Kord Co tomorrow I'll see what we can find for you. We always need couriers for one thing. You get benefits after a month. I'll leave word with the receptionist."

"Bingo, this is Johnny Blaze. make something for him, please."

Bingo produces his travel kit of Legos and his four hands fly barely visible. Then the bot hands a Lego motorcycle to Johnny. Someone has been googling! Ted looks like a proud dad. In a sense he is.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
Of course Luca returns the kiss and /of course/ his crew has something to say about it. It's mostly wolf whistles and hoots and hollers, but at least one calls out, "Get a room, Bandoni!"

Still with the mic in his hand, he starts, "Sara, Sara, Sara," and it spreads and spreads and spreads until three quarters of the bar are chanting her name.

"Pez! Get up here! Can'tcha hear all your fans calling for you?!"

Evil, evil Luca.

He walks out into the crowd, hand in hand with Olivia and straight to his sister by another mother and holds the mic out to her. The challenge, it has been issued. "Pick your partner," his eyes dart between Josh and Blaze.

He's managed, so effortlessly, to take the attention off the kiss he shared with Olivia. Now they're all still just chanting Sara's name.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny Blaze snorts and offers up a salute of his beer to the robot, "Nah, I don't need ya to build nothin'. Glad to make your acquaintance, Bingo," he says. He gives a half-smile to Ted, "I appreciate it. I don't get recognized as much anymore. I moatly live on through old Youtube videos of my best jumps. Usually all of 'em compiled into one video with, like, heavy metal playing underneath. I'm told I've been a 'meme' a couple of times."

Johnny's still mostly analogue, although he did have to give in to getting a cell phone eventually. They're just too useful, even if he breaks them all the time. He isn't easy on his equipment.

He gets another beer and a shot, focusing on the singing performance and trying to mellow out a little bit. He is starting to crave that cigarette, though.

Joshua Foley has posed:
As Sara makes the introductions, the name clicks and Joshua's eyes widen in realization. "Oh! You're one of mom's friends." he offers to Johnny, a slight smile. "I am Joshua Foley-Crowe." he offers in a more formal introduction, using his full adopted name. "My mother is Nettie Crowe." The Greywitch. "It is a pleasure to meet you!"

And then Sara is being challenged to sing and she's having tio pick a partner. A small noise of self-confidence lost, but he nods. Okay. Guess they are singing after all.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Liv smirks at the evil doing. This relationship between siblings is definitely different than with her brother, but its still familiar. If you can't give shit to those you love, what's the point?

    "Give 'em hell, Sara," says Olivia. "You know she's going to make you pay of that later, right?" she asides to Luca. She bounces on her toes, excited and making no effort to suppress it. She's also only drinking lightly tonight. The guys talked her into a few shots earlier but after that she's been good.

    "After that I need a drink," she says to Luca. She'd try to go get it for herself, but she knows better than to even suggest it.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny Blaze turns as Sara brings over Josh, his reverie broken by her arrival with her new friend.

"Pleasure's all mine," he says, offering his hand to Josh. "Johnny Blaze, but she did just say as much. Sara's a friend from back when I lived in the city a year or so back. Is it really that long? My memory starts to slip now and then..."

Then he lets the introduction sink in, "Nettie Crowe's boy? Damn. That's a complicated legacy for you, son. You wear it well enough, though. Lucky to be around this one, she'll keep ya on your toes," he says, nodding towards Sara. Then he turns his gaze to her, meeting her eyes.

"Glad to see you still up and at 'em, Detective," he says. "I did think about you, while I was away, but I know that ain't no apology. What's the thing kids these days call it? Ghosting? I didn't mean to ghost ya, woman," he says.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord takes the motorcycle from the bot. "Thank you for the demo, Bingo. Hunh. I got to fix a bike for a Gotham vigilante who will remain nameless. Beautiful custom built number. Never even changed the oil. It was near death. I had to fab all new gaskets for it. Terrible way to treat machinery." Bingo shudders a bit. Then he disassembles the bike and pockets the bricks. The bot watches Blue filling orders and after a moment joins her behind the bar to begin mixing.

"He does a fine marguerita," Ted says.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara had intended to drag Joshua up there to sing with her, but Luca starting the chant changed that. Standing at the bar with Johnny and Joshua, she slowly turned to look at her 'brother', a look of 'I will get you' on her face.

'Sara! Sara! Sara!' the chant continues and she had to debate if she will answer the call and finally with a sigh of defeat, gives Josh a nudge, "I'll be right back, have to go embarrass the shit out of myself."

There was no way that the NYPD was backing down from a FDNY challenge, no way in hell. Making her way through the crowd to the stage, she accepts the mic and looks over the song choices. After a momet or two she points to her choice, then gets up on the stage.

The music starts, the sound of voices chattering along with the intro music and Sara Pezzini, NYPD Detective, Agent of SHIELD, and Avenger, begins stinging Annie Lennoxes There Must Be An Angel... and she's good. Her eyes focus on Joshua out there in the crowd as she sings, a smile on her face... take that FDNY.

River Banks has posed:
    "Oh, 'pologizes Mr. Kord. River Banks -- I ah, work in a gun shop in Gotham an' then part-time out for gigs." River gives a slight embarrassed rub of the back of her neck. "I ain't educated 'nough to work for KordCo." she shakes her head with a shrug, and she downs her beer, as if in an attempt to stop herself from talkin' too much, looking over to the crowd around Blaze, and then she gives a small snort, looking down and pushes her hat back.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue grins a little at Luca's feat of distraction. That was pretty smooth. She watches the interaction with Bingo curiously, still not sure what to think. Hearing Olivia, Blue takes a second to make sure to get the woman a refill. Having better than human hearing is both a blessing and a curse in this job.

Then Bingo join her behind the bar and after watching carefully for a few minutes Blue grins brilliantly at Ted. "Wow. He's something special. Thank you." She tells him and then turns and repeats the words to Bingo before going back to work. She is pretty sure she's never seen anything like this and its gonna become a treasured memory. A story she can tell herself and maybe one that will stick. Ted has no idea how much that means to the woman.

River's unease draws Blue's attention next and she frowns slightly, her protective instincts flaring. What to do though. "Might be I got some work you could do. This isn't my real job." Blue offers. "I'm a private eye. I need help on occasion."

Joshua Foley has posed:
As he shakes Johnny's hand, Joshua nods his head. "I'm glad to be her son." he offers, in regards to Nettie. "And I try to do her proud every day." And then Sara is heading up to the stage, he watches after her. "So..."

"Look. I already got the warning about breaking her heart once tonight, so if you're gonna do that? Message loud and clear. I'm in love with her. Pure and simple. She's done everything to make me better and I do my best to give her anything she wants. Can we just assume that you gave me the warning, I'm rightfully terrified - more so than when the first guy did it." Because he knows who Johnny really is due to the JLD connection, "And we call it good? Please." A smile offered to him.

He listens to Sara sing and he lets out a sigh. "Plus, she's a hella lot better than I am at singing."

Luca Bandoni has posed:
Of course Luca isn't going to let her go to the bar by herself or pay for her own drink. He doesn't lead Olivia by the hand this time though, crowd's getting kind of thick. Instead, he puts his hand on the small of her back and stays beside her, guiding with that hand and warning any one that has a mind to get grabby off with a 'don't fuck with me' look that every fireman has to perfect. Comes in handy when people get rowdy at a scene.

Wolf whistles go wild when Sara starts singing. Man that's loud.

Once at the bar, Luca makes space for him and Olivia. For no other reason that the man looks like he might be the sort, Luca pulls a Cuban from the inside pocket of his old leather jacket and offers it wordlessly to Johnny.

Blue's offer to River gets his attention. "Hey! I know you now, I think. Lorenzo Bandoni. Didn't you help him close a murder case last year? Guy killed his wife while you were investigating him for her?"

He could be wrong, he often is, but the name Blue and PI together clicked.

"Oh and, another shot for me and..." A pause for him to ask, "Whatcha want, Liv?"

Josh's little rant gets his attention and he calls across Johnny that's between them, "Man, you really should not discount the FDNY as a credible threat."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord shakes River's hand. His hand is strong, with calluses. The man knows his way around a tool bench. "Offer stands and my name is Ted. Everybody calls me Ted. If I want people to call me Mr. Kord, somebody fucked up."

He notes Bingo's actions carefully, as he fills drink orders and passes tips to Blue.

"Thank you, Miss Blue. This is a great lesson for him. I don't program them after they activate, I teach them. they're a lot like my kids. I have a wonderful woman helping me. You program them or just dump a ton of data they can't reference... you get Ultron."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny Blaze shakes his head at Josh, "No worries from my end. I'm a lousy boyfriend and I always have been. I can sit in judgment of a lotta sins, but that one, that one's on me. If you hurt her, she'll make you pay herself, I wouldn't have to come hunting. Anybody who knows her knows as much, so maybe you're the one they're trying to protect. She ain't someone to play with and I mean that in the best way. Some people have been through enough. But yeah, kid, we're cool, you and me. Long as you keep your hands clean, of course."

He takes the Cuban from Luca and gives a chuckle, "See, that's always been my problem, I'm easily tempted. I got a lotta willpower, but not a lotta fear," he says. He gives Sara the appropriate round of applause and puts his fingers to his mouth to let out a sharp whistle of appreciation.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia is one of the wolf whistles, too. The full on blasting finger in the mouth whistle that nobody seems to expect of her. "Your sister's damn good," she says to Luca. "Oh, and the usual." Which is a blue arrow. She eyes the cigar, but does not say a thing. She has her share of vices.

    Her focus shifts to River. There's no recognition there. Liv will offer a polite wave, though. To Blue, she ventures, "You think we have the windows covered yet? I figure we keep this going the whole place can get a bit of TLC." She takes her drink once its served and sips it. No gulping tonight. Yet.

River Banks has posed:
    "Oh that.... that's real kind ma'am." River states, her discomforting keying up a little further at the news that Blue's real job is a private eye. She pulls her cowboy hat a little further down over her hat after the handshake with Ted. She gives a brief huff and then goes to stand up.

    "An' kind of you Mr. Kor-- Ted. But really... lotta demands on my time. Gigs and my work at the gun shop keep food on the table an' roof over my head -- luckily Gotham's got cheap rent." She breathes out. " Think I should go check out the Karaoke book, yeah? Yeah. Good plan, Riv." she states, draining the rest of her beer and slamming down the pint glass, she makes the excuse to go up to the stage.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Offering over the mic to the next singer, Sara hops down off the stage and makes her way back over to the bar. She can fly around in a metal bikini, stand toe to toe with the darkest demons from hell, she can even take down alien space ships, but standing in front of people as 'Sara' and singing? That was difficult.

Sliding back into place beside Joshua, she lays her hand on the middle of his back and offers a smile. "Thank fuck that's over," she mutters, then picks up her coke to take a drink. "You boys all playing nice with each other?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
It's become painfully clear in the last few minutes. Luca and Sara are tight. That's fine. He's good with that. But it's clear that Luca has no idea what Johnny is. What he is. He knows what Sara is - Sara's an Avenger. No hiding that. But, Joshua has to keep up appearances for Sara's sake.

And it is with that thought in mind that Joshua draws in a breath and shakes his head. "I took it seriously. But this guy and Sara are tight." And they all run the same mystical cricles, such a careful line that he walks. "And is close friends with my mother. So if you'll forgive me for giving his threat the same amount of credence?"

"But you know what. Message loud and clear." A toss of his fingers against his temple as a salute, before he steps away from Johnny, and glances up as Sara returns. "Hey." he starts to say, "You did great up there."

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Barely, Blue manages to refrain from cringing at all the whistling. Owfuckityow. She shakes her head to clear and then frowns in concentration. Where the hell is that clicking sound coming from? It sounds like.. a dolphin. Kinda. Her eyes finally settle on Olivia before slipping away. Okay. Interesting, but she doesn't let on to knowing other people's secrets. She sure wouldn't want them to know hers.

All in all, she's rather satisfied with how the night is going. Meeting so many people of interest is helping stabilize her. "Your kids, huh?" She asks with obvious curiousity. A little hard to imagine but then.. not so much once she thinks about it and Blue nods. "I guess I can see that." Her attention shifts to Olivia again and Blue nods. "I think we got them covered and I think you're right." River draws an amused look. Hm. Girl's got things to hide. Well, don't we all, Blue thinks to herself. She'll have to come up with a different plan if she runs into her again. 'I ain't the trouble she thinks I might be. Don't care about laws. Just helpin' those that need it.'

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny Blaze nods, "I know your Mama will keep you on the right side o' things, even if it gets messy sometimes. I understand messy, better than most."

He grins at Sara, "When am I anything other than hospitable? Okay, nevermind that, I didn't even scare him any, I promise, and I didn't even try. Well. Maybe a little bit."

"I guess put me down for "Paradise City" later, but not until I have a lot more tequila!" he calls out.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
"Sara, keep Liv company," He holds up the other Cuban he had in his pocket. "Gonna walk out front." He barks out a laugh at Josh, "Golden boy, chill." Most of his threat was just guy's being guy's. He wouldn't /really/ have the /entire/ FDNY come down on Josh - just his crew and himself.

Before he heads for the door, he taps his hand on the bar to get Blue's attention to ask one more time, "Hey, Blue, did you work with Lorenzo Bandoni, NYPD Homicide on a murder, I think it was early last year? Man killed his wife? You were investigating the husband for the wife at the time? Bastard was into some nasty shit, human trafficking and the wife was starting to get on to him?"

He'll wait for the answer, kiss Liv on the cheek and down his shot before heading out for that smoke.

Seems Johnny has more willpower than Luca. He drinks, he smokes, just not cigarettes.

The chief's wife gives Johnny a thumbs up and big smile. Really, woman looks like someone's grandma that shouldn't even be here. That's FDNY though, all in all the time.

Joshua Foley has posed:
"I'm not the one that needs to chill." Joshua offers flatly, his expression darkening. Sara can easily see that his skin is slowly crawling form the golden hue that is so bright and warm towards those darker blacks, the more he is pushed on things. It's actively crawling up his hands and neck - no telling how dark the skin is beneath his clothes.

"I get that she is your 'sister'. I get the threat. I have been threatened by much. Much. Worse. So stand the /fuck/ down."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The first skill required by any good detective is the ability to read the room, to pick up on the little things that most people miss, subtle cues. Sara was reading Joshua like a book as she walked up, and the information was loud and clear.

"Enough!" She states in a firm, authoritative tone. "This is supposed to be a fun night out, not a pissing match... no one in this room would win the pissing match against me!" She lets out a slow breath. "I don't need the man I love and my brother acting like fourteen year old boys."

She slides her arm around Joshua's waist now, leaning in close to him and offering a kiss before she whispers softly, "Let it go love, for me."

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Liv looks from Luca to Sara. "He doesn't stop, does he?" she observes. Her eyes follow him as he steps out before she directions her attention to Sara once more. Joshua's reaction makes her flinch away slightly. Seeing Sara has her hands full, Liv will make her own break from the scene.

    "I have to powder my nose. I'll be back in a bit."

    And off she goes. Of course there's a line. There's ALWAYS a line, after all. Still, it gives her a chance to refocus. Being startled threw off her control and suddenly she's hearing far more than she wants to hear. Blue probably knows her pain! They should really compare notes sometime.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue's eyes narrow at the question from Luca and she nods. "That motherfu...." She clenches a fist and then brings herself under control. She's trying to do better in this life than the last but traffickers.. there's a special placee in hell for them, she's sure. "I did." The woman admits.

Oh. Her eyes go to Joshua. Her lips quirk and she nods a silent thanks to Sara. Breaking up bar fights is on her list of fun things to do but.. "Tonight is supposed to be about fixin' this place up, not breaking it more." She looks between the two men and then rolls her eyes. She can see both sides really. It does remind her much work relationships can be. She's lonely but.. this kinda thing.. she doesn't miss. Olivia's back receives a sympathetic look.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
A ripple goes through the bar, it starts with a few of the men standing at the bar near Josh and Luca and spreads out from there. It's not exactly silence, but there's a rather sudden drop in the noise level. A few chairs scrape against the floor as their occupants stand.

Alone on the streets, Luca wouldn't stand a chance againt Josh, but here? Amid his 'brothers and sisters' of the FDNY that are just as much family as his real family?

Things could get bad really quickly.

Since he's the target of Josh's apparent aggression, the lot of them that are standing ready look to Luca for a signal.

"It wasn't a fucking pissing contest, Sara, your boy there just doesn't know how to cut up with the men without getting his panties in a bunch."

Luca? He's used to the 'don't touch my sister' threats, he's used to laughing them off with a lighthearted 'bring it bucko and I'll do the other one' or the like in return.

But then he turns and continues on toward the door after downing one more shot.

It's still tense in the room when Luca turns his back on the situation, that tension will likely stay ramped up until their boy, Bandoni, is out the door.

Don't worry Olivia, he'll be back.

Joshua Foley has posed:
"No. No I don't." Joshua says, glaring at Luca. "When I was thirteen years old, I was convinced that mutants were evil. I joined a group that fought them, bulllied them, just like you are right now." he growls. "When I was fifteen, I leanred I was a mutant. Guess who was the bullied then?"

He's not stopping. As much as Sara wants to stop, Luca's words cause those black blood vessels to color more of him. "I was eighteen when I was murdered. I came back. And I was hunted for it. Stalked. Sought out because of /this/. I lost my family, my friends, my life."

"My mother was the first person to pull me out of a dumpster to make something out of me. Sara was the first person to show me what it means to be loved. Some mutants get to be glamourous. They can hide their imperfections. They can pretend to be normal. I don't. I get to walk the streets of Bushwick and treat the mutants that noone else wants to treat because of their looks or condition,"

"So get your FUICKING HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS you stuck up twat!"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
It was times like this that Sara really wished she could work magic, or the ability to soothe the savage beast. She understood why Joshua was so upset, he let the entire bar know why he was upset, and it made sense. No, he couldn't 'cut up with the men' because he'd never been given the opportunity to know that kind of friendship with anyone before.

From the bracelet on her right wrist, metal tendrils expand out and wrap up her arm over the leather jacket to form the Gauntlet that was Witchblade's true form. From there the tendrils wrap all the way up to Sara's shoulder, her entire arm encased in the armor. It wasn't to threaten anyone, it wasn't to be a weapon, it was to protect Sara from the blackness that was becoming Joshua. Witchblade had seen what that meant Joshua could do.

With that arm around Joshua, she tightens her grip around him and, whether he wants to or not, starts heading for the back exit of the bar.

"Time for us to go," she says to Joshua in a soft tone. "Take deep breaths, we'll talk this out once we're away from here."

Calling back over her shoulder, "Nice to meet you Olivia, you too Blue... hope to see you both again soon."

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue's eyes go to Joshua and she listens quietly but intensely. He died and came back? But.. how? The more he talks to more he draws her to his side. She's been through everything the man describes and really gets his anger. It's justified. "I get it." She says softly. She's now ready to give up her rather lame attempt at pacifying the situation and throw down on the man's behalf but then her eyes widen and she eyes Sara.

"Man. I'm seeing all kindsa new things tonight." Blue can't help but grin. "Sorry. I know it's serious but.. you don't understand how rare a gift that is for something like me." She for the first time hints that she isn't what she looks like. "Good luck and thank you for the gift." She calls out to Sara and Joshua as they leave. "Look me up either of you if you need a thing. I owe you one."

Luca Bandoni has posed:
Luca's already out the door. He never looks back. It's someone sitting at the bar, Roscoe actually, that pipes in with, "You know he actually volunteers his time in Bushwick, some clinic or something," it's just a matter of fact statement. Not a bit of heat to it. It's a fact that Sara likely knows with her offices being there and such.

When they walk out, Luca will be standing just outside the door, one knee bent, foot pressed against the wall. He doesn't say a damned word if he's not spoken to, not even a goodbye to Sara. It isn't until he's finished what he wants of his cigar that he stubs it out and walks back inside.

Once he makes it back inside, he lets calls out, "So! Who's next to get their ass handed to them at the pool table?!"

Party is back on. "Blue, take a damned break and come hang out. Roscoe can man the bar."

Before he goes back to the back room, he holds a hand out to Olivia.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Once Luca is back, Liv leaves her spot in line. That was, after all, just a cover. She takes his hand and follows him back. It takes just a moment, but she's smiling again. Guy thing! Just a guy thing.

    "So you gonna teach me how to shoot?" she asks. "Or you just want me to sit there looking pretty while you clear out the place?"

    She will stop to check bids on the way, too. She's gotta make sure she's got her date secured. And she's probably spending enough to fix half the windows herself. Or all of them. Good cause, after all!

Joshua Foley has posed:
No complaint. Joshua knows not to fight the Witchblade. Much less fight Sara. She is able to just guide him out of the door. Roscoe's comment is not responded to. There's nothing to respond to. He's never felt this dark before, and he's trying his best to return to that healing color that he's more known for.

"I want to go home, Sara." It's all he says.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
"Okay." Blue agrees amiably as the chance for a good fight passes. It would have been good too, for her at least. Tonight ain't about her though. She press her palms to the counter and leverages herself over the bar with ease after pouring a half a bottle of cheap honey whiskey into a soda glass.

"I'm having a blast here. It's nothing like the place I usually tend bar. Do you guys come here a lot? And what about that gang thing.. that shit happen a lot? I'll admit this is a few miles out of my way but I've been hearing things and I dunno.. bored I suppose." In a rut actually. Starting to go to a very dark place. Meeting that guy in the cemetary was a real wake up call for her.

She doesn't play pool but enjoys watching and drags a chair over, turns it so she can straddle it and lean with arms over the back.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
"I'll teach you when there aren't so many people here to stare at your ass when you bend over," Luca offers up to Olivia with a wink. "Yo, Benton! Rack'm!"

As Benton prepares to have his ass handed to him, Luca focuses his attention on the girls. "Sorry about that mess, Blue. I don't know if I missed it in the chaos or if you missed my question. You ever work with Lorenzo Bandoni, NYPD Homicide? Husband killed the wife?" As far as the near altercation goes? He says nothing more on the subject. One thing Luca knows is his own heart and that heart isn't one of a stuck up twat.

"You need another drink, babe?" he asks Olivia.

He does, however, mention. "Guy's gonna have to grow a thicker skin if he thinks he's going to survive as an EMT with the FDNY." There's no nastiness to his voice or bitterness or anything of the sort. It's just a fact.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia laughs softly, "Really? Well, after all the light weights go home maybe I can get some private lessons." She sees the place is still hopping, though. "Imagine what this place will be like when it's a bit cleaned up! People will love it."

    Liv remembers then that she abandoned her drink at the bar. No way in hell she'll trust it considering how long that sat unattended. "After this round I'll take another," she says. She gives Benton a look, "So how charitable are you going to be?" she asks him. A little poke and jab is not beyond her.

    She directs her attention to Blue, then. "I'm sorry, in the mess I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Liv. Or Olivia Gaudin, if you must. And please don't." She grins. What she loves about this place? It's so unlikely anyone will recognize some Broadway girl.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
"I don't think you're a stuck up twat." Blue offers. "I just get what that guy is going through." She then dismisses that situation since it's over with and nods. "Yeah. That.." She looks at Olivia and changes track "useless loser" which so much politer than her original description of the man. "Some people just aren't worth the air they breath. But yeah. I worked with him." It had been a struggle. Not to just kill the husband.

"I was trying to do right by that woman and want her family wanted. It was a tough case." Since she remembers a time before laws, before this country even, existed, they don't matter all that much to her. Her last life was pretty dark though and this time Blue is trying to better color inside the lines.

"It's nice to meet'cha Liv. My names Blue." That Native woman grins.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
Balls racked, Luca picks up a pool cue - note that it's /his/ pool cue and it's not a cheap one. Man may make a blue collar salary, but he's learned how to save for the things he wants. He bends over to take a shot at the lot.

He /always/ has his tongue sticking out, just the tip, of the corner of his mouth when he's lining up his shot. Balls go flying and he sinks three, two solids and one stripe.

Benton's reply to Olivia is only to shake his head and admit, "If only that was true. Only person I've ever seen beat him is ... well, Renzo."

He eyes the table, looking for his next shot. "This place isn't always this crowded, but yeah, we're in here a lot. It's sort of our home away from home off shift. Gang stuff is a turf war between two..." Conversation hits pause while he sinks the three ball. "...low level rival gangs. I'm hoping they've figured this block is off limits now that they know it's Firefighter bar. ...and cops too, but more firefighters.

"I remember that case really tearing Renzo up. Something about the husband being involved in human trafficking and the wife getting suspicious? Was it you she had investigating him?"

"Take the shot, Bandoni!" someone calls out. Apparently he's drawing out the torture too long. Poor Benton.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia watches the game with interest. Sure, she doesn't know how to play herself, but she can appreciate it anyway. She gives Benton a slight shake of her head, "Go down fighting," she says. As if he would hold back? She's so tempted to do something just to spice up the game, but it looks like the guy is doomed from the get-go.

    "Are you originally from New York, Blue? Or are you a transplant like me?" She doesn't sound New York. This is a Metropolis girl clear as the sun in the sky. Even as she talks, she keeps turning back to watch Luca.

    Yes. Yes she is looking at his ass. She's not terribly subtle about it, either.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue takes a long sip of her whiskey and then frowns at Luca. Her brow raises and then she asks with a laugh, "Did you bring your own pool cue?" Man is serious about his game! "No. I came in too late. Otherwise I might have been able to save her. Or at least.. I wondered. Her family hired me to prove it was her husband that killed her. They knew she suspected him and believed he did when she turned up dead."

She considers the information about the gangs quietly. That confirms what her sources said went down. It's a tricky situation though. Taking on two gangs at once.. she could make things way worse if it goes down wrong. For now it's better to wait, see what happens.

Tilting her head, Blue considers her answer to Olivia's question. "Well. I'm from all over. Don't remember where I was born but I've lived all over the states and Canada. Settled in New York about a decade ago." The simplest explanation and all true even.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
"I'd like to put me in the 'non-stuck up, not a twat' category," Luca mentions right before he sinks the four. He lines up for the six and misses but it's hard to tell if did it intentionally or not. It was a much easier shot than the ones he's already taken.

"Getting what he's going through isn't really the point tonight. The point is... don't stand in the middle of a bar and spill your drama all over a good time. There's a time and a place and this wasn't the place." He sidetracks to his shot, downs it and calls out to Roscoe, "Add some coke this time!" Cola, not the nose candy kind. When he starts with mixers instead of straight up, usually means he's finally feeling a buzz.

There's just something about a blue collar boy in a pair of Levi's isn't there?

Benton sinks the eleven and gets a round of applause, but it's more of the 'slow clap' variety, they all know he's sunk.

Luca wiggles the cue a little and says, "Her name's Betty." Dude named his pool cue?

"Don't dwell on the one's you didn't save, remember the ones you did." Luca says the words almost like a mantra, definitely one he's said to himself a thousand times over. Most days he lives by the words, but some days he just can't forget the losses.

When he bends over for the next shot, he shakes that denim clad ass just a little. Yeah, he knows Liv's looking.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    "Well, we have two things in common. We both live in New York now, and we don't remember when we where we were born. But my parents tell me it was Metropolis." Olivia shares a playful smile with Blue. "It's an amazing city. New York, I mean. Everything is here."

    She's not getting into the scary side of the conversation. She lets Luca and Blue talk without showing any discomfort, though. Her life is a lot less serious than their's, clearly. She knows that this is a thing that she has to address at some point. For now, though? She's not going to fret about it.

    Liv arches an eyebrow. "It's okay that you named it after a woman, but you better handle me more than her by the time the night's done," she shoots back.

    That wiggle is for her? Luca... you shouldn't have! By which Liv really would mean she can't wait for more of that.

    "But yes, honestly, we've all been through a lot. It's kind of impossible to be, well, different and not get attention sometimes." She had to change that mid-sentence. Luca knows what she is, but Blue does not. It's not a lack of trust. It's more that she doesn't want to burden a new friend with a secret. Not yet.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
"Who...Oh." Blue cracks up. He named it?? "Wow." Is all she can think to say to that. "Yeah." She sighs a bit. "Told myself that before." More times than she can count probably. Her lips quirk at the blantant flirting and she thinks again, 'Ah.. young love.'

"Sometimes you just gotta feel what you feel and it doesn't matter where you are." She responds, thinking about Josh. Not her problem though and she's content to let it go at that aside from a grunt of agreement followed by "No, you're a good dude and you got a great woman. I can tell." Blue smiles and winks at Liv. She breaks into laughter again at Liv's comment on the pool cue. "You're both alright." High praise from her. She knows of course, that the couple are mutants but she won't let on unless they tell her first. She's good like that.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
"You ever think about taking the exam Blue? Getting into law enforcement?" From then on, Luca just runs the table and puts Benton out of his misery with a called shot on the eight to the corner pocket, banked off two rails. ...show off.

It's more so he can take a break from the table and focus more on the conversation. What he is isn't a secret with his crew and he's never minded discussing it. "I know you can't tell it by looking at me, but I'm a mutant just like Josh and I do everything I can to help when I can." He slides onto one of the stools lining the little bar that runs around the pool table and pulls Olivia over to stand in front of him, then pulls her back to rest against him.

"I've been fighting to get better training in place for first responders when it comes to handling situations with mutants. Not everyone has typical human physiology and we need to watch out for that."

Luca kisses the back of Olivia's head before he informs the room, "...and my bike's name is Rosey, what about it?"

It's Roscoe behind the bar that pipes up with, "Is her last name Palm?"

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia is still getting used to this entire concept of, well, being happy like this. She doesn't even bother trying to conceal how much she likes leaning back against Luca. She's practically in his lap. There is a blush, but she's not going anywhere.

    "You are alright too, Blue. I will be around more, too. The people here are pretty fun." And Luca is here, and Luca's crew is here. She'll be safer here than she'd be in Manhattan, probably.

    She is moving ever so slightly to music. Whatever music is playing in her head. Liv gets like this when she's happy. And Liv is obviously about as happy as she gets.

    Roscoe's comment makes her bust out into a full on giggle, though! "Oh my god...! Umm, well, Rosey may be your bike, but uhhh.."

    She leans in to whisper, "We all know I'm your favorite ride." Wow if she knew Blue could hear well she would NOT have said that. Well, maybe she would have... but she'd be blushing.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue closes her eyes and allows the bar and everyone in it to fade away for a moment as she goes to that place inside herself where all that remains of a millennium of memories and experiences hide. She weighs her current situation against all of that, allows another moment for her instincts to weigh in and then her eyes snap open and she answers honestly. "No. I haven't. The law and me, we don't get along. I do what I can to help people and I it better as I am now."

"I'm not a mutant but I'm not a human either." She offers further. "It's a good thing your doing, trying to get that training. People need it. Just like they need to better now how treat the mentally ill and the homeless." Her eyes sparkle and the woman grins. "My bike's name is Dawn." She too snickers at Roscoe's comment. It's hard not to react to Olivia's whisper but that was meant to be private so she doesn't.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
And there goes Circlin' Bandoni, backtracking /again/. "Yeah, sure, people are going to feel what they're going to feel no matter where they are. I felt like I wanted to slap the bitch right out of that kid, but I /didn't/. It's called maturity."

Even though they cut-up and bust each other's balls, doesn't mean that the group of men gathered with them aren't actually /mature/ men. Most of them have wives and kids, the ones that don't still pay the bills and do what needs done in the real world. And every single one of them would have turned and walked away tonight just like Luca did.

"Every one here has been through it, mutant or not. I was twelve when I held my father's hand and begged him to wake up. My powers manifested that night and he woke up, only to die anyway two hours later." Maybe it's the booze, but he actually manages to talk about it without his voice cracking.

"Sorry, that was a little dark," he follows up quickly. "But my point is..." he uses his pool cue to point around the room. "Every one of us here have seen things, horrible things. We've pulled burned babies from fires, we've seen people alive and talking all the while knowing they were going to die as soon as we freed them from being trapped and they didn't have enough blood in their bodies to survive the circulation being returned to the other half of them. None of us use any of it as an excuse to behave the way he did."

Benton yells, "Get off your soapbox, Bandoni!" And Luca raises his hands in 'defeat'. Yeah, yeah, he'll stop. Especially with Olivia's whispered words. "Only because I know how to rev your engine," he replies without missing a beat.

"Maybe we can get Rosey and Dawn together for a play date? Nothing like just getting on a bike and heading up to Westchester or just someplace not so urban, really open the throttle."

His jeans might be just getting a little snug talking about it. Man loves his bike.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Liv listens to Luca carefully. He can't see it, but her eyes widen when he explains what happened with his father. She turns to look at him. There's sympathy in her eyes.

    It's a battle of understanding the location and acting on her feelings. But ultimately, this is not the time or place for it. Later, though? Later she's going to bring this up. Safely away from the public eye.

    To cover that long gaze, she will kiss him. No little peck or brushing of lips, this time. It's real, it's long, it's definitely 'get a room' territory by any standards. She draws back eventually, with a smile.

    "Engine is running nice and hot, Luca." Another whisper, but this one has to be censored for the folks at home. Something about purring.

    Liv does come to her senses a moment later and laughs at herself. "Wow, I am so sorry, Blue! Just... really fired up tonight." She grins and explains, "Must be the environment. So much energy in the air!"

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
"If he's your sister's man, you're gonna have to get over all that." Blue offers. "I been married more times than I can count." Or remember. "It's better to just get over it and try to get along. For her sake." That's all she'll say about that. She doesn't think Joshua reacted badly to be honest. She's done a lot worse for a lot less. Maturity is.. relative for someone like her.

"That could be fun." Blue likes her bike but it's really just a human method of travel for her. Faster and easier to move around the city and park with than a car. She knows it's more than that for most people that have one though. "I got me a honda shadow."

The woman laughs. There is energy in the air but most of it is coming from Luca and Liv. Blue tries not to think about how long it's been since she had any action. Ugh. 'Gonna have cobwebs down there soon if this keeps up.' She thinks. "Hey if you got it, flaunt it." She winks at Liv.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
Oh man that kiss. Luca returns it with just as much abandon but he pays the price from the guys. Whistles, hoots, hollers, 'get a rooms', 'Surprised Bandoni knows what to do with a girl like that!'

It's just /what they do/ and it was, honestly, what he was doing with Josh. In Luca's world, if your friends aren't busting your balls, you've done something to piss them off.

"Harley RoasterS," Luca says with just a hint of pride in his voice. It's not like the bike was just handed to him, he scrounged and saved and worked extra shifts for at least three years to get that bike.

"Getting over it is a two way street, I don't see him meeting me halfway and I don't see me being around him at all if he keeps up the pity party." That's the crux of it all, Luca really can't handle a man feeling sorry for himself like that. Gotta roll with the punches life deals, learn from them and move on. If he couldn't do that, he would have been a burned up and washed out firefighter his first year with Ladder 8. Now that he's Rescue 1? Well, two busy months would burn a man out that didn't let it roll off some.

"He ain't wrong there," Roscoe adds. "Man that's constantly letting the past up that close to the surface? Never gonna be happy and gonna wind up dragging the people that love them down into the dark."

Whoa. Roscoe going a philosophical there.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Liv is already used to the guys. They never let her doubt if she's doing it right! And honestly, she's had her share of sidebar conversations in this bar, too. The family thing is real. But any fears are probably getting dispelled fast. Liv couldn't be more wrapped around Luca's finger.

    "You have a Harley?" Liv gives him a look. Okay, okay, that was a curious tone. She's wary of bikes, though. "Nobody in my family has ever had a bike. My father, well..." She laughs softly. "He wants one, I think, but my mom put an end to it."

    She's a little nervous. But the guy charges into fires for a living. And honestly Luca does stuff far more dangerous than that. What's biking in that mix?

    Liv shakes it off. Focus. "You wear a helmet, right?" Talk her down, Luca, girl is scared for her guy! A pause and she adds, "I think I'd like another of my usual."

    Her gaze shifts over to Blue. "I don't want to rub it in, though. Not everyone has someone, and well, not everyone wants to see me all over Luca." Granted, a part of her like 'tough shit' on that point, but she doesn't mean to be too over the top.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue shrugs. It's not her family to sort out and that's a thing she's glad for. She hasn't managed to come around to the idea of that again yet. Hell, she's just now after ten years startinng to be okay with the idea of forming friendships again. Or trying to. She's well aware she isn't easy to get along with once her real nature shows. Her presence here tonight proves she's willing to try at least. Taking several long sips of her whiskey and showing no sign yet of it affecting her, Blue changes the subject. "So. Firefighters and cops here mostly huh? What does that mean if you all break out into a fight? Like, do I just stand and watch cause you'll make my life hell if I join in or what?" She asks curiously, it having occured to her that her usual way of doing things might not work out so well if she wants to keep coming here. She's already gonna get a lot of shit for hanging out here, wants to make sure its worth it.

To Liv, "That's kind of you, but you shouldn't care what people think. Not when it comes to that." Blue almost never wears a helmet but figures that question wasn't directed at her anyway.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
"Babe, you know how many brain pans I've seen split wide open on the pavement? I'm a little crazy, but I'm not stupid. I like my brains in my head."

"I'm surprised it hasn't fallen out your ear as small as it is." That's Benton again. See, ball busting, it's a thing.

"At least I have one in my head, from what I've seen, your dick's the only thing on you that has a brain," Luca shoots back. Ball busting.

"Trust me, any of this lot goes toe to toe with each other, there's going to be enough of us left with some sense to step in and stop it. Even with the age old rivalry between the bravest and the finest, we're all family. We fight like families sometimes, but when the dust settles? We got each other's backs."

Roscoe pipes in with, "Call the police, Blue! So we can school them on how to do their jobs!"

"One thing you can count on? No one outside the blue and the red will be starting shit in here. If it happens? Well, you see what the outcome was from shit going down? Josie's is 'ours' now and we take care of our own." Does Luca sound a little territorial there? Hell yes he does. Once it's dubbed a blue and red establishment, it comes with all the protection the blue and red and offer.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia laughs. "Okay, Blue! I mean.. bartender's permission, right? It's like doctor's orders." She turns to give Luca another look. She doesn't kiss him breathless this time. No, instead, she just settles most of the way into his lap.

    It helps her relax. And her hearing locks on her new favorite sound: his heartbeat. With her hearing, though, she can really hear so many things. Altogether, it's like a fingerprint, only perhaps even more unique.

    "You know, my little sister is in the academy. Metropolis cop in the making," she murmurs. She was meaning to talk about that a bit more earlier, but she was a bit occupied.

    Her eyes drift over to watch the bar. She's not really paying attention exactly. No, that's a dreamy expression. Her mind is on something else entirely.

    "Blue, I'm a mutant," she says quietly. "I... do not share it freely, but you're cool, and well, it's safe. I just don't want to call down more idiots on the show. It was bad enough just on a rumor before."

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue considers that and then nods. "Fair enough." She figures she'll switch of her weekends, here one and at her usual place the next. It is nice knowing she isn't gonna end up in the middle of a gun or knife fight but a part of her still looks forward to that kinda fight. Having a break though.. it's good. It's more interesting here than she thought it would be and she isn't gonna forget earlier either. Something new. New is always good, even when it's bad and this hadn't been bad.

"I'll be here, every other weekend. I usually only tend bar during weekends and I got a regular place I need to be at least some of the time." She doesn't have a family or people she's close with but remembers times the person she'd been did. The ball busting doesn't seem to phase her though the cursing in front of Liv has her feeling a little growly until she realizes it doesn't seem to bother the woman. Her focus narrows down to Liv. "What show?" She asks. "And I don't care that you guys are mutants or what anyone else is. It's what people do and *who* they are that matters to me."

Luca Bandoni has posed:
"Then she'll have family wherever she goes," Luca replies. It's the truth of it. It's like a brotherhood, a family that, that sometimes is thicker than blood. Luca could walk into any firehouse in America, announce his status and find brothers and sisters. Same is true of the police.

"Her adoring fans don't know," he pipes up. See, he can even ball bust his girlfriend!

If Blue sticks around here much, her situation will certainly change. Even with all their jabs at one another and all their foul language, a person couldn't find a better group of guys.

Truth be told, they're all just big hearts and squishy centers. It takes a person with compassion and heart that cares about 'life', any life to risk their own to save it.

It's hard to be around these guys long and not end up getting close.

...to that end, Luca says, "All life matters though, even when it shouldn't." It's his job to save the sinner as well as the saint. It's his job to save lives, not judge them.

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    "I perform on Broadway. Some nuts came and shot up the place cause they heard someone on the cast was a mutant. They were targeting the girl I work with all the time. My understudy. Oh, it's the Gershwin Theatre. The show is Wicked. You'll hear me talking about being a witch a lot, cause it's a job for me. A pretend witch." Cause some people are really witches! She knows she's rambling, but she's just so damn comfortable.

    Olivia sighs softly, "But please do not make a big deal of it. If you ever want to see the show, let me know, but it's just... it's not that big of a deal. I have never saved anyone." Seeing all these guys and girls and hearing about their lives has made her feel horribly uncomfortable considering how she's paid compared to them. The world isn't fair. It's difficult being reminded that she's benefiting from that unfairness.

    "So hmmm... what should we do on this date with you I'm about to win." The guys better keep their word and not tell how much she bid. And then doubled...

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
She can't be certain how long she'll stick around. She's got more in commonn with someone like the Punisher than the people here but.. Blue has to admit there is a definite appeal and the part of her that is a hunter/killer is just that, a part. It might do her some good but in the end it won't change who she is at her core.

Blue cocks her head to one side and considers. All life does matter but there is a natural order to things. Predator and prey and Blue is definitely not prey.

Liv distracts her from the vague thoughts on morals with a soft sound of surprise the woman looks at Liv and listens. "Broadway, wow!" Her lips quirk. "I know you aren't a real witch." Oh. Hm. "I don't go around saving lives like these most of the time. I usually beat the hell out of people and then dump them where they'll get caught or call in a tip on where they are and leave proof on whatever they did."

She definitely isn't gonna admit the darker aspects of her job here. "Entertaining people is important too. Culture and the arts and all of that stuff. People need to dream and feel and have things to look forward too. It's just as important in it's own way, Liv."

Luca Bandoni has posed:
Roscoe chimes in with, "Actually, it was some little blue haired lady named Matilda Sputnick that won a Luca for a night. Said she can't wait to get him between the sheets."

They must like Olivia if they're ribbing her now too? Like little boys that hit little girls on the playground when they like them.

It's true, their lives could not be more at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

"I was thinking maybe a trip up to Westchester on the bike, weather's getting warmer. Maybe a picnic?"

"...awwwww, Bandoni's turning into a little girl!" Seriously, it just never stops with these guys. Thing is though, if they didn't rib each other and laugh with one another? If they didn't do those things, they'd wind up carrying their work around everywhere they went. It's the off color humor and the jokes that help their bond be about more than just the tragedy they see.

"I'm on shift tomorrow though and picking up another the next night," Luca explains. "So it'll have to wait a few days."

Before Liv can go all sulky sad, Roscoe chimes in with, "You're welcome to come see him at the House though!" See they /can/ be sensitive when the need arises.

"I don't claim to know a thing about Broadway musicals, but being famous would /have/ to suck."

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    "Thanks, Blue, but, well, it's different." Liv doesn't want to dwell on it, though. It's not like her pouting about it going to change a thing anyway. Life isn't fair. "So yes, Broadway, and being famous isn't all bad. I mean, the Hulk gave me flowers once. Well, Dr. Banner did, that is." She is still thinking about him being on shifts all weekend.

    "I'll have to see when I can come by. I've got shows all weekend. But, well, if you don't mind me showing up at odd hours, that works."

    She does not ask the question that is on her mind though. It's probably obvious to the guys, though. She's wondering, after all, if there's such a thing as a conjugal visit in a firehouse.

    It's enough to distract her. And get her to keep going back to earlier thoughts. "A ride sounds good." Wait, it does? Clinging to Luca sounds good, but on a bike?

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Privately, Blue agrees about being famous. She can't ever recalling liking having people all up in her business though. It seems to suit Olivia though Blue is rather surpised how naive and gentle the woman seems. To get where she is and still be such an innocent.. it's a fresh change of pace and the woman only hopes the girl can hang onto to that innocence as long as possible.

"I bet Liv is amazing as what she does. I've heard a lot of talented singers but you're special. I've got a good ear and it takes a lot of courage to perform in front of people like you do."

Understanding their need for humor and release from the darkness of their daily jobs more than one might think, Blue lets the teasing and ribbing roll past her. She doesn't usually have the patience for such things but is discovering it doesn't bug her as much as it might have. Just one more sign she'd been letting things slip too much.

'My otherself is a social creature with needs I've been starving her of. I can't keep doing that if I wanna stay sane and I know it.' A soft sigh and she eyes the bar and the whiskey and her glass. No, she's had enough for the night. The look on Liv's face and her expression, so easy to read draw Blue away from her dark thoughts and she snorts in amusement. Okay, so Liv isn't completely innocent. It's cute though. Adorable really.

Luca Bandoni has posed:
Only if a person wants to get their groove on in a storage room or something of that nature. These men sleep together in one bunk room, eat together and, yes, sometimes even shower together.

"If you don't mind that we might get a call as soon as you get there," Luca counters with.

Olivia might notice that he's starting to sweat, considering the lack of space between the two of them. She'd also notice that he's a little clammy. Had too much to drink or something else?

"Voice of an angel," he murmurs quietly. He gently nudges Liv forward so he can stand. He's looking a little unsteady on his feet.

Roscoe notices it all from behind the bar because that's what best friends do, they notice things. Just as easily as Blue did, he clears the bar in a hurdle style jump.

"Hey man, you look beat. Why don't you take that pretty lady of yours home, get some rest before you have to be in?" When he's pretty certain no one else is looking, he mimes eating something, points to Luca and mouths, 'feed him'.

"Yeah, I'm pretty beat. You can stay if you want, babe."

Roscoe fishes his keys from his pocket and offers, "You two want a ride? I'm one of the designated for the night anyway."

Luca turns his attention to Blue before he's likely forced to leave by Roscoe. "Starvation isn't fun, be it 'otherselves' or not. Gotta feed the need, no matter what that need might be."

Olivia Gaudin has posed:
    Olivia rises from Luca's lap smoothly. Something perks her attention, though, and she gives him a more serious look. "My place," she says simply. "I'm going to feed you properly." And her kitchen is stocked.

    That heartbeat makes her nervous. It draws her focus, and when Liv focuses intensely, she 'hears' everything, and can look straight into a body, ultrasound style.

    "Roscoe! That ride would be amazing. Thank you so much!"

    She turns to offer Blue an apologetic smile. "Sorry to go so quickly. You've been amazing, seriously. Um, this feels so lame, but.." She digs into her bag and pulls out her card. "This is my real contact information. Text me. Or I'll just run into you here. Either way."

    Then back to Luca, "C'mon, stud, you finally get to see my place." Liv does her best to force herself to calm down, but she's keeping an ear on the situation. Some of what she's doing is probably even outside of Blue's range to hear at this point. Hopefully. God knows what /that/ would sound like.

Blue GhostEyes has posed:
Blue's lips turn up. Having to eat her weight in food when she's being active, she intimately knows those feels. "Wait. To tide you over." She jumps up and leaps over the bar and finds her jacket. There's a couple of high protein, high fiber bars in there. "Here. These taste like ass but they'll help." She smiles at Lucas and hands the bars over. "Go ahead and get them home Roscoe. I got the bar." She winks at Liv. "It was great to meet you both. I'll see you again I'm sure." She smiles again and then turns to start taking orders once more. There's a lot to think about before the shift is over and she heads home to sleep. "What a cool night." She murmurs to herself with a smile.