6287/Trip to Maine

Trip to Maine
Date of Scene:	20 May 2021
Location:	Rosie's Bar
Synopsis:	Arthur takes Kori to his old neighborhood and performs in his band to her everlasting fangirling.
Cast of Characters:	Arthur Curry, Koriand'r

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Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur gave Kori a call to see if she wants to check out him and the band in action, they've got a gig tonight. He swings by Titan Tower and hits the intercom at the door to let her know he's arrived.

Koriand'r has posed:
It only took Kori an hour to decide what to wear, then another thirty minutes to get ready, but she planned her time well to ensure she wouldn't keep Arthur waiting.

When the intercom chimes, she bounces over to press the button and say, "I will be right down, Arthur!" Not even waiting to see if it was him there or not, she heads down the hall, then down the elevator shaft and to the front door.

Getting in the 'rock n roll' spirit, Kori wears a black tank top tucked into a pair of designer jeans, with silver stars stitched into the back pockets. Around her waist is a leather belt with silver eyelets as decorations. A pair of black leather, lace up, high heeled knee boots adorn her feet, and over it all she sports a cropped leather jacket of dark blue. Her hair is left free and wild, untamed as she prefers it.

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur is dressed pretty much as usual, boots, jeans and a black t-shirt with a sleeveless leather vest over it. When Kori makes her appearance he smiles, "Lookin good, Kori. Very rock and roll." He head over to the Tamaranean and gives her a hug and quick kiss.

"I figure we can travel the same way we did to Iceland, I'll swim near the surface and you fly above so we can get there quick. Then we'll just do a quick flight inland to get to Rosie's and I'll introduce you to folks."

Koriand'r has posed:
Kori bounces over to hug him, even as he is coming closer, so they meet in the middle and the hug is had... and then a kiss, she is feeling special now!

"That is an acceptable way to travel. Would you like me to take your clothing with me, so you do not have to leave it behind, or would you rather dry it when you get there, the shirt anyway, I have seen you dry the pants, it is an interesting things that you do to cause it."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur chuckles and nods, "Yeah, I'll be able to make better time without the shirt and vest, they're not as streamlined as the pants are, so if you could take them, that'd be great." He takes her hand and heads for the shore, picking up his trident from where he had leaned it against the wall of the tower.

Reaching shore, he quickly removes the vest and shirt, kind of folding them a little before handing them to her. "Ok, you all set? Let's get going then." He wades into the water until he can dive forward into it and starts swimming, slowly until he sees Kori above, then he goes slightly under and shoots off to the north.

Koriand'r has posed:
Once again Kori enjoy the moment when Arthur reaches the water and half strips. There is something to be said for the sheer masculine beauty of a shirtless man.

"No trouble at all, Arthur," she says as she accepts the shirt and vest. "I am very pleased that I can help."

As he makes his way into the water, she watches him depart, enjoying the second part of the show. Usually it was men who coined the phrase, 'I hate it when you leave, but I love to watch you go.' Clearly they had not seen Arthur walking away.

Lifting herself into the air, she waits for him to get out into the water further, the moves to follow.

Arthur Curry has posed:
It's a fast trip up the coast to Maine, given how fast Arthur can swim and Kori can fly. So maybe ten minutes later Arthur spots the landmark he wants and veers in to shore, wading out of the water. He waits for Kori to land, running his hands over his pants and boots to draw the water out and dry them. Once she comes down, he puts on his shirt and vest, then picks up the trident, "Ok, little slower bit, but it's not too far."

With that, he lifts into the air and flies inland until he spots the highway, following it to the exit before amnesty Bay. He comes down in the parking lot of a bar labelled 'Rosie's', which seems to be the type of place that mainly gets local business, not a ton of tourist trade. "Ok, so this is where we play. As you can probably tell, we're not really going for a lot of fame or anything."

Koriand'r has posed:
Following along, Kori is holding his clothing against herself to make sure the doesn't drop it and humming 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' for reasons even she doesn't know. As he aims in toward land, she floats down to stand beside him for a moment, then nods.

"I did not know you could fly," she admits, then moves to follow him once again.

As the approach the bar, she is already looking at all the little details. Condition of the building, the way the sign looks, the cars parked outside, people in the parking lot, the sort of things that most people just take for granted. Once again she lands beside him, turning a slow circle to take things in around herself, "Fame is not always important, the enjoyment of the music is what truly matters. Where are we exactly?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
"We're just outside of Amnesty Bay, Maine. It's the little town I grew up in. Should be a bunch of people I know here, they usually show up when we play." He waves the trident a little, "I can only fly using this, otherwise I would have left it somewhere safe like I usually do when I'm out and about."

He heads over to the door and opens it, holding it for Kori to walk in. Once she does, he follows her inside.

The interior of the bar matches the outside. Most of the decor seems to have come from the fur trade of the late 1800's. Many critters, dead and stuffed adorn the walls, interspersed with beer signs, cigarette adds and old posters for concerts dating back to the fifties. A short, balding man comes over as Arthur enters and high-fives him, "Heya Arthur, you made it." The look he gives Kori is quite appreciative as he asks, "Who's your friend? She's a lot prettier than you are."

Arthur replies "Heya Glen, wouldn't miss it." He introduces them to each other, "Kori, this is Glen, he's our guitarist. Glen, this is Kori, my girlfriend." Glen offers his hand to Kori "Pleasure meeting you, you're way too good for this bum." He and Arthur are both smiling at the good-natured abuse as a few other people gather around.

Koriand'r has posed:
Completely caught up in looking around, as Arthur moves, Kori follows. She listens to him explain where they are and seems to light up when he says he grew up here. The home town, it was important to most humans.

Slipping inside when he holds the door open she stops right there inside the door, eyes go wide and she /stares/ at all the dead things. At first she misses the other decorations, caught up as she in the animals that are no longer among the living. It's very like that had Glen not come over, she would have asked Arthur a lot of questions, but thankfully she is distracted now by someone new.

"I am Koriand'r, yes Kori will do as Arthur says," she comments while shaking the mans hand. "I do not think I am too good for him, nor that he is a bum, he has a place to live." She offers them both a smile, now that she's cleared that up. "It is very nice to meet you Glen, you play guitar, that is a difficult instrument to play."

And now, the smiles and introductions over, she looks to Arthur and asks, "Why are there so many animals that no longer live on the walls?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry shrugs, "Hard to say, it's just kind of the way the place is decorated. It's a rural kind of thing, I don't entirely get it myself, but what can you do?" He leads her towards the small stage in the main room of the bar, Glen following along behind. On the stage is a woman tuning a bass and a large man behind the drum set. "Kori, this is Louise and Big Mel, they're married. Heya guys, this is my girlfriend Kori, she's here to have her ears assaulted by the noises we make."

Koriand'r has posed:
Kori continues to stare at the dead animals as she is guided to the stage. There there are a number of things that could be done really, but her mind was already starting to wonder if there was a bar on a far off alien world with taxidermied humans and the alien race looked a lot that like that former fuzzy thing over there.

Looking away from the former fuzzy, she offers Louise and Big Mel each a smile and an eager wave, "Hello! I am looking forward to being assaulted!"

Arthur Curry has posed:
Mel and Louise greet Kori with smiles, immediately telling Arthur, "She's far too good looking for you, you know that, right?" He shrugs and replies, "Yeah, I know, but she likes me or something, it's wierd." with a grin of his own and a wink at Kori. He seats her at a table near the stage, then hops up onto the little stage and grabs the mike. "OK, Tony, checking levels.. test... test. We looking good?" Tony gives a thumbs up from his place at the sound board, and the lights dim, a spotlight on Arthur.

"Good evening! We are the Artful Dodgers, here to ruin your hearing.. well, when we feel up to it, really!" A couple whooos and cheers sound from around the bar. Arthur looks to the band, then nods and they launch into a rendition of Even Flow, his vocals actually doing a pretty good job, though he's not likely to win any multimillion dollar recording contracts anytime soon.

Koriand'r has posed:
Kori offers her hand to each of the newly introduced people, after all that was the official greeting of Earth... shaking hands. A giggle escapes as they also claim her to be too good for Arthur, though she still doesn't quite understand that particular joke she plays along. They laugh, she giggles, a smile is offered and she kisses Arthur's cheek just so everyone understands yes she is with him.

Moving to the table she settles in, eyes locked on the stage. She is among those who "woooo", even though she's never heard the band and then... they start.

Although Arthur has always seems to downplay the band, and his vocals, she stares in surprise and delight to find he was wrong about himself. Sure, no studio was going to beat down the doors to sign him up, that didn't matter... he put is heart and soul into it, that's what mattered.

Arthur Curry has posed:
The band finishes the first song and segues into Vasoline, Arthur getting into the music and.. well, bouncing around the stage isn't the right word for it, maybe stomping or stalking is closer, but he's moving and pointing into the audience at people he knows. Strangely, despite the armor he tends to show in public keeping himself insulated from other people, on stage he's actually personable, smiling and enjoying himself, putting on a good show for the audience.

After that song ends, he comes back to center stage and addresses the audience, "Thanks all, always a fun time being here! This next one is for a special friend of mine, everyone say hi to Kori!" He points to her, and a spotlight catches her, setting her crimson hair ablaze in light for a moment. Once she acknowledges in some way, the light shuts off once the next song starts: Legs, by ZZ Top.

Koriand'r has posed:
Kori was really getting into watching Arthur on the stage, bouncing in her chair like a fangirl, and rocking out with the music. This was a side of him she had no idea existed, only the hints in the way he moved and things he said, and here it was laid out on the stage and it was WONDERFUL!

Cheering along with the others, she is almost sad when the song comes to an end and then the spotlight hits her and he is dedicating a song to her. Kori waves like mad to everyone, then blows a kiss to Arthur... no idea why, it felt right and the song starts... nope, she can't stay in her chair.

Up on to her feet she moves to in front of the stage to start dancing, and she's no slouch at it either.

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur grins at Kori from the stage, but keeps with the song and performance, moving on into How You Remind Me next, the bar erupting into cheers as the music goes on. Partway through the song he pulls off the black leather vest and tosses it to her, finishing the set out in his black tee shirt as he performs. This Arthur is very different from the normal one, it's like he uses this to let out all the stuff he hides from the world in his hero persona.

Moving into Black Hole Sun, the dance floor fills with couples dancing. Arthur smiles at Kori as he sings, swaying with the music as this part of the set isn't as energetic. He's still way more open than normal though, looking happy, surrounded by people he considers friends rather than a bunch of strangers who want to know Aquaman. Finally, he announces, "And one last one for you all, we're gonna go with a classic to close things out. Thanks for being here, this is Riders on the Storm! Have a good night all!"

Koriand'r has posed:
Kori continues to move with the music, and even as the beat changes her dance changes. She does not accept dancing with anyone, nope, not a single guy that might want to join her. She gives them an apologetic look, points to Arthur and dances away, this dance is for him, with him, to his music.

As the last song starts up she pauses to look back up at Arthur, and though dancing to Riders on the Storm is more of a swaying and rocking thing, she moves into is fluently while watching him. She loves his music, this side of him, him.

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur finishes out the song then waves to the crowd "Thank you. We'll be here again soon!" He shakes hands and talks to the band members for a few minutes before he steps down and over to Kori. "So, what did you think? They keep letting us come back, so I guess it's not a complete disaster." He slips an arm around her and walks her back over to the table, urging her to sit before he sits beside her so they can continue to talk.

When the server comes over, he orders a beer and whatever Kori wants, still looking happy and strangely carefree for a change. This is obviously a very comfortable place for him, despite the multitude of mounted animals on the walls.

Koriand'r has posed:
Arthur is greeted with a hug once he's off the stage and then a kiss, not a little one either. She presses her locks her lips with his, wraps her arms around him, and gives him a kiss that could curl toes. She let's it linger then steps back to be escorted to the table.

"I loved it, absolutely loved it. I want to record it and listen to it all the time," she is talking really fast, faster than even usual for her. "Would you be willing to do that? Record some songs so I can listen to them whenever I wanted? I would pay for it, arrange a studio, everything."

Now she orders a coke, because she needs sugar, clearly. "With a little cherry sauce in it please." And back to Arthur. "You are all so good!"

Arthur Curry has posed:
He leans into the kiss, of course, squeezing her tight before they make their way to the table. Once they are sitting and drinks are ordered he addresses her question, "Um, sure, I guess. I'd have to talk to the others, but I can't see them having a big problem with it. I just don't know if it'll be the same doing it in a studio, that's way different than playing for the folks here."

He smiles at her, "Well, thanks. We're no Van Halen, but we manage. We've been doing this for a good long while, just for fun. Like Mel's actually an accountant, that kind of thing, this is just a little escape."

Koriand'r has posed:
She scoots her chair around so she can sit right beside him. "It can be the same. We get some of your friends here, who have heard your music, and you perform for them from the sound booth," Kori offers, clearly having already planned this out in her head.

"That way you still get the reactions you feed off, oh you were so wonderful up there Arthur! I do not think you even realize the change that happens with you. So free, so amazing."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur raises an eyebrow, "Well, you've got this all figured out already, don't you? Well, not like I want to tell you no to begin with, so long as the guys are ok with it, we'll give it a try." He takes his beer as it is delivered and takes a good pull from it, in the meantime Kori's soda is put down with the cheery sauce she requested.

He looks a little embaressed when she starts praising him, shrugging a little and muttering, "It's just fun, that's all. I know most all these folks, ever since I was a kid. They're not here to see the superhero, they're here to hang out with Arthur from down the block."

Koriand'r has posed:
Kori watches his face, the way he reacts, the body language. He's not used to praise, she got that, but really could not understand why.

"Obviously they have to be alright with it too, want me to talk to them? I am certain I could convince them," it what she starts with, but then she leans a little closer. "They may not be here to see a superhero, but they are still here to see a hero, in this case one with music talent and good looks. They are your friends and comrades, they have been there for you for a long time and will be there for you in the future. It is alright to have this, and not be embarrassed by just how good you actually are. You do not have to be Aquaman all the time, you can be Arthur... you are always just Arthur to me."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry nods and takes another drink, then shakes his head, "Dunno about hero, but decent music, anyway. And sometimes it's nice to be just Arthur, you know? Everyone always expects stuff from Aquaman, I never know just how to act to be what everyone expects. It's way easier to just kind of keep everyone away and stay distant than try and figure out what everyone expects from me."

He smiles and reaches out to squeeze her hand, "I know I am, that's once of the things I love about you, you just want to spend time with me, not expect me to be a certain way or anything."

Koriand'r has posed:
She leans offer and places a kiss on his cheek before whispering, "You should always be you, no matter the situation, and if it is not what people expect..." she looks left, then right, then back to whisper, "Frick them."

She was dead serious with that frick to. Another kiss to his cheek and she sits back to sip her coke. "You should not worry so much what others think or want. You are a good person, kind when you need to be, strong, willing to assist, but you like your private space, and that is acceptable. So be you."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur laughs at the 'frick' with a big smile, he's obviously very amused by it, "Frick them all, huh? Maybe you're right, but it's just not quite as easy when you're facing a whole crowd of people. I'll work on it, I guess. I'll just watch what you do, heaven knows you aren't ever anyone but yourself."

He takes another pull from his beer, still smiling at her and adds, "Besides, I like watching you, you're pretty." He tilts his head a little and asks, "So you wanna help me figure out how to just be me in public? Apparently I'm not good at it."

Koriand'r has posed:
Kori nods emphatically, "Yes, I will most certainly help you to be you in public. I will have you comfortable and accepting out there in no time at all, but remember, it is all an act they put on out there for the public. Most would rather not be famous or heroes either, they wish to just be themselves, live their lives, and help where they can. This puts them in the public eye, and they accepted, but the casual comfort you see, is an act."

Another sip of her coke is taken, the amount of cherry sauce perfect. "Not me, I am always me as I do not care if I am popular or liked or famous. I have to be me because I do not know how to be anyone else."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry laughs, "See, that's what I need to figure out, how to not care what they think and just be me when I'm in public. Don't know how well it'll go over though, cause a lot of the time the real me just wants to tell them where to stuff it, and that's just not terribly heroic, you know?"

"You have it easy, you're naturally friendly and bubbly and just like everyone, so you get along great. Those of us who aren't so friendly have a little harder time of it."

Koriand'r has posed:
Kori mocks a pout at him, "Poor Arthur, he does not like people..." then a bright, sparkling smile spreads across her lips. "And that is okay! You do not have to like them! I will teach you how to pretend that you care, even when you do not. How to interact and show interest in the boring things they say, and trust me they will say very boring things, a lot. And you will learn to nod along with fake interest and no one will know the difference except you and I, it can be a private little game between us. We know you give no fricks, they do not... see you pulled the wool over that ones eyes, they think you actually care that they invested in a company you saved from destruction and they got rich from it."

Arthur Curry has posed:
He clinks his mug against her glass, "It's a deal, you can teach me how to look like I care. Hell, Diana will be thrilled, she's been after me to be more personable for a long time. But yeah, I suppose as a hero and model you must have to deal with a lot of really boring people all the time." He grins, "So, what say we get out of here? I'll show you around my old stomping grounds since we're out this way."

Koriand'r has posed:
Finishing off her coke rather quickly, perhaps too quickly but it doesn't seem to phase her, no brain freeze, Kori nods. "Yes, I want to see all the places you used to be you at, as a child, the things you did, everything."