[LOG] Let me see your jazz hands.
On account of it being October, the most festive places are already decorating and the nightlife venues are certainly preparing for the Halloween holiday. The Zephyr is no exemption to this because what's better than teenage shenanigans on the last party holiday before everyone's trapped in their homes by snow and frigid temperatures. Fake spider webs hang from the ceilings and all sort of gruesome decorations are present on the walls and doors. The DJ is even sliding in a few themed tracks, just for the more Halloween enthuastic kids.
Alec is in a better mood than usual, which is saying something. He's currently chilling in an oversized, comfy chair with a drink in one hand and one of those massive pixi stix in the other. He's chugging the candy down like an addict getting their fix and there's already two discarded tubes on the ground in front of him. He's going to be /flying/. Maybe even literally.
Oh no, new kid alert. Carmichael's family just literally moved into town a few few days ago, and hailing from California, he's finding all this cold weather to be foreign and, well, /terrible/ what is this even? But he's heard tell that this is where the cool kids hand out, and since he's not starting classes until Monday, he figures he'll get a head's up on that whole meeting people thing. So, here he is, walking into the building and eyeing the decor for a moment before slipping out of his super cool red motorcycle jacket. Awww yeeeah. Phe's been antsy for the last week or so, spending a lot of time away from home and away from her normal group of friends. What? No, she's not /hunting/ and watching you mortals like you're juicy steaks on legs. What are you, dumb? The Zephyr is not a strange haunt for her, so this is where she's ended up tonight. Worst case scenario, nothing interesting happens and she chats up some people she knows.
Galen is of the slightly-less-new-but-still-new-new-kid variety, and right now he's hanging around a separate crew of people, unaware of the wonders in store! The conversation isn't that exciting; he's mostly listening and looking around at the Halloweeniness - his favourite holiday - like he's waiting for something exciting to happen. If nothing does, he's finding another group.
Dakota's doing her usual skulky thing, lurking around for possible customers and opportunities for trolling. She's settled against one of the walls, texting, not doing anything more than that. She's always open to conversations, of course.
Another empty tube is added to the pile. Okay, now Alec just has to move before he spontaneously combusts or something. He gatheres up his garbage, chugs his drink, then bolts towards the nearest trash can to chuck the plastic into it. Oh, that guy has a red coat! Oh, there's flashy lights on the dance floor! Oh, there's a crowd! Everything is exciting to him at this point. He's like a squirrel on speed as he goes hither and yon through the club, pestering people he knows for high fives along the way.
Carmichael folds his coat over his arm and goes to walk over to the bar, when oh shi- that kid with the frosted tips is /booking/ is. He pauses, blinks, then decides he better find someplace to sit down, because he's the only person hanging out by the door and that's just awkward. So over to the bar he goes to get a drink,because that'll give him something to do with his hands if there's no conversation to be had.
Phe sees Alec tearassing around and wonders where Clara is with his leash. The poor boy is going to be found passed out somewhere by the end of the night. She weaves through the crowd to get to the bar and play sociable. A smile is given to Max, who's always here on the weekends. "You seen McDowell? Who gave him sugar?" Max shrugs, "Wasn't me. I know better than that." Everyone with a brain knows better than that. "You want anything?" Phe hmmms, "Anything caffineated should suit me well enough." It's a poor, poor substitute to what she /really/ wants. But Max tosses her a bottle of Coke before going to check on the stranger at the bar. New kid, don't recognize this one. "You need anything?"
Conversation officially boring. Galen abandons ship and heads for the bar, taking his drink with him, and stops abruptly next to the new guy because boundaries? What boundaries? There are no boundaries. He slides in next to the dude just as Max is getting Phe's Coke, giving him The Nod and looking interested. "That is one fuckin' badass jacket. Kudos." Then Max shows up and he quiets, letting jacket dude answer.
Oh, /hello/, attractive boys at the bar. Dakota pauses in her texting and watches them with her usual 'I'm so disinterested' look, and then decides why not. She's not doing anything else. The point here is that she /could/ be doing something (or someone) and that is what motivates her to head across and settle at the bar, in the empty seat next to Charmichael, tucking her hair behind her ear. Don't mind her, she'll just be sitting here, being a creeper like she always is.
Carmichael glances over as Galen rolls up- homeboy's a little close but that's alright- then glances down at said jacket like he isn't aware of what it looks like. "Aw, thanks," he says, and it looks like he's gonna say something else, but Max takes that moment to address him. "Hmm?" Oh, hi attractive bartender, how you doin'?
Wait. There are people. At the bar. Who are NOT basking in his amazingness. This needs to be corrected asap! Suddenly, like he teleported there, an Alec appears. His pupils are dialated like woah and even though he's just standing there the boy just can't stop subtly twitching. Maybe adding those sugar sticks to multiple cans of energy drink wasn't the best idea after all. "HI!" He flicks Max off, does the same to Phe, nods to Dakota and then stares at the two unknown males. Don't mind him, he's just...uh..well, at least he still has clothes on!
"A Coke's fine," he says, then glances over when Dakota takes a seat. Oh, well, two attractive females in close vicinity. Life is good. He starts to tug out his wallet, and turns his attention back to Galen. "So, I heard this is the hang out spot extrordianre. That true?"
Oh, Carmichael. Becoming interested in Max is like a death sentence. Or, at least, a being-death-glared-at-by-Ben sentence. Whichever. But she doesn't notice any looks the boys at the bar may give her because she's used to getting them anyhow. "Coke." She repeats, then looks to the other two, "Anything I can get you?" Max is a Grade A multitasker. At Alec's friendly hand gesture, she rolls her eyes. "I can get you escorted out, McDowell." She wouldn't, but she'll threaten it.
Phe watches as the bar begins to fill up. This is either going to be an entertaining scenario or a terrible one. "Awww, Alec. I don't think Clara would share you. Also, I'd wreck you into next year. You wouldn't be able to walk right for weeks." You think Clara's a wildcat in the sack? She's /mortal/ (to Phe's knowledge). Phe would /destroy/ you.
"I'm still a noob but it's looking that way," Galen says with a nod, lifting his own drink to indicate to Max that he's good for now. Then Alec happens and Galen looks perplexed for a moment, then amused, then... well. "You gonna make it, bro?"
Dakota shakes her head at Max's question, and starts playing with her phone again-- until Alec comes up, and she kind of just... stares. Alec is waaaay too hyper for her tastes. So instead of talking, she turns back to Max and, with an exasperated look, orders a Coke. Alec doesn't need drugs to act like he's on speed, thus, no interest.
"Thanks." Carmichael sets a few dollars on the counter and takes the Coke, cracking the top open. "Ah, a noob? Same here. Name's Carmic-" Suddenly, ALEC. Carmichael sort of scoots to one side reflexively, staring at the kid tweaking out before him, and accidently bumps his hip into Dakota. "Sorry," he offers, eyeing the girl for a second, then hmms. She's cute. He just needs an segway into a conversation... "I see you're drinking Coke. I too am drinking Coke." Dude... you are slicker than that, for shame.
Alec hops from foot to foot and sticks his tongue out at Max. "Would not!" He snaps his head in Phe's direction and stares for five seconds straight before even replying or blinking. "But it's my birthday! Birrrrrthday," he draws out like a whiny child. "How about just flashing me your tits then? I'll show you mine!" Hey, he'll bargain. "Huh? What?" And then those owl like eyes are on Galen and he grins. It's almost a psychotic expression. "I'm fiiine!" He leans against the bar where there's an open spot and starts to drum his fingers on the smooth surface. "Max! Another Red Bull please!"
Phe watches this whole thing and does a very good job at not laughing. It's entertaining, she will not lie about that for a minute, but she's suddenly abnormally uncomfortable. Time to bail. Somewhere with....less juicy mortals. Yes. "Well, I guess you'll just have to imagine it. Go get birthday sex from your mistress." Coke is finished, tossed into a nearby trash can before she disappears back into the crowd.
Max frowns at Alec, "I'm not giving you another Red Bull and I'm not showing you my tits. Don't you have a girlfriend?" He does, but he's also stupid like any teenage boy. To the other three at the bar, she comments as she slides Dakota a Coke, "Don't mind him. He's on a suge high, but he's completely harmless." Seriously. This is Alec we're talking about here.
Galen snickers out loud, visible from Dakota's angle, at Carmichael's apparent smoothness. He takes a swig of his drink to hide his smirk and then leans his elbow on the bar, casually watching to see how this exchange goes - and he also glances over at Alec every so often because he feels the need to make sure the guy hasn't slipped into cardiac arrest.
Oh, goodness. So many things going on at once. Dakota takes the Coke Max hands her with a 'thanks' and settles down-- until Carmichael bumps into her. She's about to make some kind of snarky comment as per usual, but then he slaps down that totally amazing conversation starter and... well, Dakota can't resist these kinds of opportunities as a troll. "Oh my goodness. You've awed me into speechlessness with that amazing lead-in to conversation," Dakota replies, raising the back of her hand to her forehead as if she feels faint. "I am drinking a Coke. What an amazingly astute observation. Tell me more." There's no stopping her. She does note Galen in the corner, thinking she'll save him for later. And then Alec's talking again, and Dakota is distracted momentarily, glancing over at him. "Please tell me you don't go by 'The Situation'."
Well, that went about as good as expected. Carmichael claps his hands together in front of his chest, then glances over at Galen as if the other boy can magically save this trainwreck with some sort of telekinetic intervention. When that doesn't happen, he looks back towards Dakota and flicks his wrists to point his fingers at her. Quick, think of something, anything, to say... astute observations, go! "You have red hair, you're on the short side, you're snarky, your freckles are adorable, your faux fainting could use a little work- not gonna lie- and you're cute." Cue a grin. "Should I go on?" There you go, get it back on track Mr. Smooth Operator.
"Wait what, mistress?" Alec's having a hard time concentrating. "Maaaaax, c'mon please?" Puppy dog eyes activate! "I do have a girl friend but it's like, illegal for me to bone her now because I'm an adult! And sheeeeee's not here anyhow!" That pouty face gets worse. "So I /need/ sugar. NEED." Twitch, twitch. "The Situation?" He eyes Dakota and, in turn, her caffeine-laden Coke. "Nope, A-Train actually!" He says it proudly to boot. He slinks around to the other side of the bar and tries to peek over, to see if he can snag a can of his OHGODINEEDIT before Max stops him. "Come to daddy!"
Max sort of pays mind to the conversation happening at the bar, but when Alec goes grabby-handing for the Red Bull, she snaps a hand out with lightning reflexes and grabs the back of his ridiculous polo to pull him away from the bar so she can scold him. "McDowell. I will /not/ tell you again." Oh. "You're cut off and if you keep acting out, don't think for a minute than I can't find your girlfriend's - or your parent's - number in under twenty seconds." Do not screw up her work, boy. "Now settle down before you rile yourself up into, I don't know, a sugar coma or something." Hell if she knows.
Galen lets out a low whistle at the Max-taking-action going on over here, then directs his attention back to Carmichael's wooing techniques (but not before making a comment of "the lady has spoken"). Okay, nobody's getting slapped or laughed at, this is promising.
Oho, someone who can shoot stuff back. You have earned her interest, Carmichael, ten points to Gryffindor. Dakota actually gets a sort of smile on her face, amused for the moment. "Well. I wouldn't complain. I have to practice my faux fainting somehow, don't I." Pause as Alec grabs her attention again, and she kind of gives him a /look/, pulling her Coke protectively to her chest. "Uh... huh. Alright, A-Train, you're not getting any of my Coke." Of any kind, drinky or snorty. Shoo. Fortunately, Max comes to the rescue, and Dakota takes a sip of her Coke triumphantly. Winnar.
"Hmm, well, if you ever feel up to it, we can go practice trust falls." Grin. Carmichael watches Dakota guard her drink, then glances back at Alec. That kid's got some issues, he thinks. Odd, sugary, caffeinated issues. "...Maybe you should sit down before you hurt yourself... or somebody else, yeah?" His tone isn't bitchy, he just doesn't want to see Alec run face first into a wall or anything.
Alec whines a little and tries to back away from Max but he's snagged. "Fine! Maybe I /will/ go!" His eyes narrow in defiance. "I'll just stop by the grocer's and buy like, three packs of it and do what I want!" He's vibrating by this point; he's been still for too long and he needs. To. Move. So he does what any other crazy person would do. He bolts backwards, squirming, and slips free of his shirt. This can't end well. And for some odd reason, he has happy birthday stickers stuck over his nipples. Huh. "No I'm good!" he says, like it's all one giant word, to Carmichael as he glares at Dakota. Fine, he doesn't need that Coke! Alec shakes himself like a wet dog and zips away from the bar and back to where he was sitting earlier. He probably has a stash.
Max flails when she's left with a polo shirt in her hands and Alec fleeing from her grasp. Oh, what a wiley bastard. Someone needs to settle him down. Maybe she should give him some Benadryl. Would that count as drugging him? Possibly. Would it calm him? Absolutely. Oh, the choices.
Riiiiight, Dakota is so not impressed. She watches all of this go down with a raised eyebrow, and settles back into her seat, glancing at Carmichael. "I'll never understand how boys like that find girlfriends." ... Dakota, be nice. She offers a hand to Carmichael, a small smile on her face. "Name's Dakota. What's yours?"
Carmichael can't comment on that; he doesn't even /have/ a girlfriend, and his nipples are sans stickers. Maybe that's the trick? He takes Dakota's offered hand and gives it a shake. "Dakota, huh? Nice to meet you. I'm Carmichael." Yes, he's serious. "Feel free to butcher that into any number of nicknames." Everyone else does.
Alec only has a girlfriend because he got a lucky break. Truly, some god must've been looking the other way when that happened. He crouches down to fish under the chair, grabs his remaining giant tubes of colored sugar, and then dances his way through the crowd towards the doors. See if he tips you any more, Max! Meanie.
Max is left with a guy's polo and, well, she does hope that Alec actually makes it home and doesn't end up asleep in a bush again. College is going to wreck that kid. Or vice versa. Who knows.
Then, there's Phe again. Only now, she doesn't look as alert or observant as she did just earlier. Hazy-eyed, she moves through the crowd and right into Alec's be-stickered chest. To anyone who might be familiar, she actually looks high. But she doesn't party...does she?
Okay, to be fair, the name does get a little eyebrow raise, but at the prompt to butcher it, she shrugs. "I like to be original. Carmichael it is, until I figure out something else." For instance, Evan is the Unicorn Prince. Durden is Dickface McGee. You see the pattern here. "You're new here." Dakota prompts, because questions to get to know people are for squares.
"Fair enough." Carmichael watches Alec saunter off for a moment, then looks back at Dakota. Hopefully that kid doesn't accidentally skip off into oncoming traffic or some such thing. "I am. I just moved here from California. Not that you asked where I'm from." He shrugs. "How about you?"
Ahh! Where'd that girl come from? Alec stumbles back, blurts out a quick 'sorry!' to Phe, and then slips out of the club. God only knows where he'll end up. Probably crashed in an alley after comsuming a four pack of Red Bull.
Max squints at the short confrontation between Phe and Alec. That's weird on both ends, really, but she doesn't think into it too much. At least, until she realizes something's not quite right with her friend. She moves away from behind the bar to attend to that issue.
"Nowhere important. Wyoming, if you're looking for a state name." Dakota takes another sip of her drink, then checks her phone as she talks. Very important to inform Evan that she is talking to a boy. Not that he... really cares. "I feel obligated to ask you if you surf."
"Surf?" Pffft. "No, I don't surf." Carmichael twists the cap off the top of his bottle and takes a swig. "Do you... hell, what /do/ people do in Wyoming?" It's a valid question. Because seriously... what do they do?
"Nonsense. All people from California surf." Dakota says, serious-faced. And then comes that question, and she snorts. "Drugs, mostly." ... What, she's being honest. All the people she hung out with did, anyway. "It's a lot of empty space. Just like the brains of the people who live there."
That gets a snerk out of Carmichael, and he plays with the cap from his Coke bottle absently. "Drugs and empty spaces, huh? So did you like drop acid and go cow tipping?" Not that that doesn't sound like a blast. He swivels on his barstool for a second, looking around the bar, then, without making eye contact, asks, "So what would you say if I asked you to get out of here with me and go get something to eat?" Doo dee doo, watch the crowd, avoid looking over, ho humm.
"You say that like it's a joke, but cow tipping was the talk of the town. I didn't partake in it. I was much more interested in taping unicorn horns to the cows." Again, straight-faced. And oho, an invitation to go out and get food, Dakota is totally on board with that. She's going to be difficult as usual, though, resting her elbow on the counter, chin in her palm. "I'd say ask me again and this time, look at me."
Unicron horns? Huh. Carmichael quirks an eyebrow when Dakota dishes out that little challenge, then spins his stool back around until he's facing her. Sassy girl is sassy. But he won't be deterred by a little thing like face-to-face conversation. "Do you want to blow this quote-unquote popsicle stand and let me buy you dinner?" Oh look, he made eye contact! And there's a smirk to boot.
Thaaaat's more like it. Success! Dakota gives him a lazy smirk right back, ten types of pleased. "Oooh. Macho. I like it. If I had a handkerchief, I'd give it to you so that you could bear a token of my affection." She hops off the stool, curtsies, and extends a hand, like she's waiting for him to kiss it. "Escort me, good sir, and make sure I don't collapse from a case of the vapors."
"Yes 'mam." Carmichael smirks and takes Dakota's offered hand, hesitates for less than a second, then leans down to give it a quick peck. Hopefully she won't backhand him on the way back up. He lets her hand go, since they're still virtual strangers, and puts his bent arm out for her to take instead, should she feel so inclined. Then, he grabs his jacket, and head for the doors, pausing to hold one open for Dakota. Gentlemanly indeed!