*     #BADBIRD,    an independent    ·    semi-private      ·    original   character   birdie  reiher   a   study  in   (  sharp   tongues   &   short   skirts  ,  breaking   the   cutie   ,   &   glamour   )   ,     as   written   and   adored   by   dorothy .  

cecil’s cabaret—- a unique atmosphere, the perfect place for him to soak his brain for the night, immerse himself into something larger than himself, spiral into the brassy delight of detroit nightlife … an opportunity that arises once every blue business trip. do not be fooled … don draper is not here for the temptation of exposed skin, nor for the prospect of a cheap laugh. research, he calls it, fingering the cultural pulse—- always watching life from within his glass box like the little wooden boy he is … he’s not watching the performance. he’s watching the people, their reactions. and he has plenty of opportunity; the place is packed … not a seat in the house left on a thursday night, which is interesting … because this strip of detroit was filled with every variation imaginable of this same idea in different sizes, colors, themes, etc. and they’re all half as full … which begs the question, why this particular cabaret? was it for the entertainment? the grandiose feel, the excitement, the thrill of bright lights? the feeling that arises before one is compelled to applaud? or could it be the antiquated feel … the feeling you get like you’ve been there before, like you’ll be there again just to savor the feeling? ‘TRADITION.’ he jots the word down on a napkin, carefully dissecting his own handwriting with his eyes … it’s an idea, but it’s not the right idea.

he hardly notices the blonde at his shoulder ordering a drink. he’s seen @badbird​ before, this he knows, but where … ?   ❛ you’re the cabaret girl. ❜   he recalls loud enough for her to hear, stamping out his cigarette into his ashtray and discarding the butt among the others. smoke curls from his nose in ribbons, temporarily obscuring his face from view. and when it reappears, he is still just as expressionless as when he hadn’t recognized her at all. then, matter of factly, with a furrowed brow, he concludes,   ❛ —- you were good. ❜   

this  night  was  vexing.   round  tables  sat  full  of  boisterous  out  of  towners  ,  greedy  men  who  pawed  at  the  girls  in  their  sequined  costumes  whenever  they  ventured  too  near.  regulars  knew  how  to  conduct  themselves ;  something  people  who’d  never  stepped  foot  into  cecil’s  or  any  place  like  it  did not. birdie  wasn’t  having  any  of  it.  she’d  warned  the  girls  one  at  a  time  before  sending  them  into  the  lions  den  ,  knowing  more  than  one  would  end  up  with  hurt  feelings  &  runny  mascara.  grabbing  a  flute  of  champagne  from  a  waiters  tray  she  downed  it  without  a  second  thought  as  she  stamped  towards  the  packed  bar ,  knowing  that  something  with  more  kick  might  be  the  very  trick  to  get  through  this  obnoxiously  packed  thursday  night.

thank jesus, mary, and joseph — crossed fingers under the bar top release, and he exhales in relief. let it be the last breath of clean air he gets for the night, thank you very much. eager fingers pluck the pack from her grasp and tommy offers his guardian angel a wink: always a charmer.   “consider drinks on me tonight.”   if tommy doesn’t have the funds for an extra pack of smokes, he doesn’t have enough dough to be dropping on a dame’s tab. 

fortunately, williams holds a trick or two up his sleeve, and he’s not opposed to shorting the house. allow him a moment, as tommy lights up and that sweet, sweet nicotine enters his lungs. now, he’s back to suave smiles and allures as he leans in.   “should probably get your name then, huh? so i know the pretty lady i’m ordering for.”

@badbird​ liked,   "fuck, i’m outta smokes. you got one i can bum?“   tommy leans in, smoothing over his already slicked hair. he’s laying on the charm extra thick, because goddamn — does he need a cigarette.   “i’ll even buy’ya a drink for it, make things fair.”

“   just  a  moment  please.   ” a  soft  smile  rests  gently  upon  her  delicate  features  ,  eyes  glancing  over  to  the  stranger;  studying  their  eagerness  ,  &   the  brilliant  luster  of  his  smile  ,  he  seemed  to  be  rather  desperate  for  what  birdie  was  fishing  from  the  bottom  of  her  bag.   “   aha!   ”   shoulders  raise  with  a  quickened  excitement  as  she  pulls  the  pack  of  lucky  strike’s  from  her  handbag  ,   holding  the  prize  out  to  her  new  acquaintance.   “   should  be  a  lighter  tucked  into  the  pack  too  ,  y’know  just  in  case  of  emergencies  such  as  this.  you  can  make  things  even  for  a  drink.  buy  me  more  than  one  and  i  might  even  let  you  keep  the  pack.   ”

𝐒𝐂     /    @badbird

＂    you    wouldn’t    know    a    good    time    if    it    sidled    up    to    you    and    stuck    a    lollipop    in    your    mouth   .   ＂      a    statement    which    bear    felt    nothing    less    than    100%    confident    in    making    ,    seeing    as    how    that    very    scenario    was    the    way    quite    a    few    of    his    own      good    times      had    started    .      ＂   c’mon    ,    just    for    a    little    while              a    bear    and    a    bird    out    on    the    town    ,    what    could    be    better    ?    .   .   .   plus    ,    i    really    wanna’see    what    you    look    like    in    normal    lighting    .   ＂