𝔉𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔡 ❀ 𝔉𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢𝔰

p r i v a t e ˖ ‎‎i n d e p e n d e n t‏‏‎‎‏‏‎‏‏‎ ˖ ‎s e l e c t i v e ˖ m u l t i - m u s e‏‏‎ 21+ only.

   There’s a small laugh that falls from Tal’s lips at her words. Of course, he knows this game, it’s been played on him quite a few times but who was he to not want to give in to such a pretty woman? In reality, he could have a bleeding heart for the right person and so far, he was finding it a bit hard to say no, especially to those green eyes that he seemed to like staring into. Damn him for finding her so attractive that it could make him weak. He mentally lets a breath out, if only his group of friends could see him now. At least she was no Athena and he could go on another day without his buddies reminding him of the girl he had lost. No, he didn’t lose her, he left her. She was everything they had wanted and more and Tal enjoyed his time with her, but it just wasn’t worth it in the end. All good things be damned, he did what was best for him, no matter what.

   "You got me there.“ He starts, the smile upon his soft lips only growing just then, head tilting ever so slightly to the side as his gaze stays locked on her gorgeous greens. "Fifty bucks won’t be too much to cover, but it’s late so it might be safter if I gave you a ride. After all, wouldn’t want someone to take advantage of you on your way home.” Everyone has a bargaining chip, so why not play his own right along with hers? He’ll play into what she wants, but it won’t stop him from putting a feeler out there as well. Talon shifts, hand reaching behind him, making sure his wallet is still there, as if giving indication that he planned on giving her the money now, when he still had plans to hear her sing tonight. “I wouldn’t want my chances to go down, so consider it covered. On the house.” Another pause and he takes a step toward her, a small one, not much to show there’s difference between the space that rested in the middle of them. “And everything else you order for the rest of the night, is on the house as well. We close at 2am, though.”

          Whether or not Tal’s words had meant to be delivered in a genuine and protective manner, Jade couldn’t really tell. Just the mention of being taken advantage of had caused her skin to crawl, an uneasiness settling over her. Her posture had stiffened slightly and her teeth were gently biting down on her lower lip. She wasn’t about to just go ahead and assume the worst, but she wasn’t going to stay quiet about it either. It wasn’t in her nature. Whether or not people wanted to hear what she had to say, she’d say it anyway.

-

   In reality, Tal had met a lot of people in his short time of being an adult. Most he met through the bar or the black market, but the others, he met out and about or through his sister’s small circle of people she ran with. Yet, everywhere Talon went, he was typically able to strike up conversations with strangers and keep them going. His appearance could’ve made someone suspect something else when they looked at him. Maybe the boy their mother wouldn’t want with their daughter, but he was charming. He had a way with words and with people, which was funny, considering his jobs that he works. Though, he was no stranger to the few customers with every job that made him want to commit murder or smack them upside the head a few times. The bar kept him busy when the market didn’t and vice versa. Sometimes, the crowd from the market would come here as individuals, in search of a good drink and nice place to relax and, well, business was busines after all, right? Who was he turn anyone away that was a paying customer and paid well as well?

   There’s a raise to an eyebrow when she stops, his words catching his attention as his gaze is tossed over his shoulder toward her. At first, he doesn’t speak, instead he pivots at the waist to look at her better. So her friend ran off with her purse, huh? This wasn’t the first time Tal had heard something likes. Everyone liked free things, no matter what way they could get them. If she had been someone that hadn’t interested him upon first glance, then he would’ve told her that was too bad, call her friend or find someone else to cover her tab. He didn’t always do handouts in his own establishment but because she had captured his attention, then maybe he’d find it in his heart to be kind to her. “Damn, that sucks that your friend did that. That must mean you’re without a ride home tonight too, huh?” Hands slip into the pockets of his skinny jeans, gaze never leaving her. “How about this, I’ll cover your tab for the night and pay for your ride home, or give you one. On one condition though.” This time, there’s a small smirk that dances mischievously over his lips. “You owe me a favor.”

          ❝ Ugh, I have more than just a few words for her later. I’ll bet she even paid for her stuff with my card. ❞ It was a trick Jade had pulled a few times before; anything to get out of paying for things herself. Kurt would always warn her that she was going to earn a bad reputation, but she always shrugged it off and continued on with her ways. In her mind, he didn’t understand because he was born into money. Jade wasn’t, so she’d been conning and manipulating people when she discovered that she had a talent for it.

-

   There’s a small chuckle that escapes his lips at her words and he can’t stop himself from wanting to move closer to her. In reality, he’d say it was to give the girl behind him some room, or because he wanted to hear her better over the loud thunder of voices and the next person that had taken the stage after he had finished his own song for the night. Her number? He made note of that, making sure to put on his world’s best and the people charmer that he was known to be. After all, if the number was what meant she was impressed, then how could even turn down the idea of a challenge? The thought itself was enticing enough as it was. “Both.” He nods just then, giving a slight wave of a single hand to his bartender after they had delivered the drink. Considering he was the owner, they all knew what signals to look for when it came to Tal and when he was at the bar. Though, her face was recognizable, unable to quite say where he knew it from, but her good looks were ultimately what made him approach her.

   "Then go on, show me what you’re made of.“ He nods towards the stage, the song finishing up as the microphone becoming free. He wants to hear her voice and perhaps, the two could sing together later on in the night, depending on where this night was going to lead. So far, things seemed well. He was attracted to her and his next step was to get her to laugh, to keep her smiling. So far, he liked what he saw but would he like who she was when he spoke to her more and more? "Surprise me with the song choice. I don’t want any hints.” He laughs a little, moving away from the bar as he grabs his glass of beer, slowly heading for the stage but always making sure she was walking with him. “Are you from here then or just visiting town?”

          𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝑒𝓎𝑒𝓈 𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓃𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝒶 𝒻𝑒𝓌 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈 after hearing Talon answer with both. Even though she liked to talk herself up a lot and claim that she was an actress, as if she deserved a place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she hadn’t been in any movies that had made it to theatres. They were all just indie films, ones you might see on Netflix but decide to skip over. She was good at her job, playing convincing roles, but she lacked the motivation to work her way up to the big screen roles. She just wanted it all with a snap of her fingers.

   As the glass of beer is sat in front of him, Tal simply tells the bartender to get Jade, he had made note of her name after she had said it, whatever she wanted. It was on the house, after all, a pretty girl deserved to be treated like a queen and not a paying customer. Besides, the night was still young for him and he was curious to see how long it would last. Most women, he had noticed, came and flirted with other patrons, getting free drinks and sometimes food before they decided their cup was full and left whoever they had been flirting with, high and dry. It was always amusing to sit back and watch some poor soul lose out on the chance to take a hot girl out on a date a second time or even get to spend a night with one between the sheets of a bed or pressed up against a wall. He lets his lips curl further into their smirk, gaze resting on her as he takes a long swig of the beer, using it as a way to make the time press out longer, being her presence longer and giving him a chance to figure out how to reply. Naturally, after he finished singing, he’d get a beer and return to his office, still having paperwork that needed to be done before the night was over and another business to check in on.

   "For now, huh?“ A pause and Tal sets the glass back on the ground, amusement lighting up his gaze. "Guess I’ll have to make sure I keep you impressed, Jade.” Elbow rests upon bar top as he leans against it, dark gaze moving to look her over, drinking her in and he debates where to take this conversation next. “Is your first time here? Karaoke is pretty popular but I normally don’t see so many new faces tonight.” Another pause, a quick drink of the alcohol down his throat. “But I couldn’t ignore yours after I saw you from the stage.” Tongue darts out, wetting lips just then and he doesn’t pay attention to the girl that comes up a little too closely behind him, her arm brushing across her back, the silent spoken apology that sounded shy and sheepish. “I’d love to hear you sing if you want to get up on stage.”

          𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝒯𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓃, Jade had gone ahead and ordered whatever she so desired. Normally, in situations like this, whether it was at the bar or some place else, she’d reach for the most expensive things. In this case, however, she was more than happy with a fruity, alcoholic drink that she had to so often remind her best friend, Kurt, to sip on instead of downing it like kool-aid. She’d made the mistake a few times before too, regardless of being able to handle her alcohol well. Small as she was, she’d built up a tolerance over the years, so kneeling in front of toilets while Kurt held her hair out of her face was a less common occurrence.

| Closed Starter | @fadedfables​ | Jade

   The music flowed through him like the blood in his veins. It was almost like it had been second nature to him. Another language spoken that he had known since birth. Music had always been a passion that poured through him. One that he didn’t quite often express, but when he did, he made sure others were listening and paying attention to his voice. Though, the irony of that happened to be easy, he wanted others to hear him sing but when it came to piano? He only did so in private. Not many others have ever gotten to hear the melodies that he can play.

   As the song comes to an end, Talon places the mic back in it’s stand, taking a bow to the crowd with a smirk upon his features. Nights like this were always packed to the brim at his bar. The style had been almost like a Speakeasy, wood and dark lighting. There was a scent in the air that one never quite knew if it was smoke or fragrance. Almost a musky sort of smell that played under one’s nose but not enough to be a turn off. He wanted his bar to be a place that others wanted to be. A place that he, himself, wanted to be, so he designed it with such.

   There had been a girl that he had spotted from the stage. She was gorgeous and the way she looked at him had been what ultimately pulled him in, wanting to seek her out once his feet were back on the floor. As he approaches the bar for a beer to quench the thirst in his throat, he spots her, a beauty both from the stage and up close. His lips form another small smirk as he approaches her, making sure his presence is known. “Excuse me,” he starts, light gaze shifting to rest upon her as he waves down his bartender with another. “Mind if I buy you a drink? You look thirsty. How’d you enjoy the show?”

          Karaoke nights had always been something Jade enjoyed, even if she wasn’t any good at it. Drunk or not, she had fun taking the stage and flipping off the people who told her she sucked. As an actress, she simply enjoyed having an audience and having the spotlight on her. Sitting in a chair next to another young woman at the bar, she leaned over to whisper in her ear and ask about who the guy singing was. He had a nice voice and was actually nice to listen to, which wasn’t always the most common occurrence with karaoke at bars. She’d learned that he was the owner of the bar, which immediately had caught her interest. A flutter of the eyelashes, a sultry smile and twirl of her hair, and the man had approached her after the song had ended. Bingo.

𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝑔𝓇𝒾𝒽𝓂

          With the promise of money from the newest addition to the apartment, Calypso, Jade had agreed to pick up some things for her from the Black Market—a place she didn’t even know existed until recently, and a place she wouldn’t have probably ever discovered if it wasn’t for Calypso. It sold all sorts of neat objects that she’d never heard of before, and it tempted her to play around with the supernatural more to see what kind of cool stuff she could make happen. It was probably a bad idea though, as tempting as it was to unleash some sort of hell on the people she’d declared her enemies.

          As the raven-haired female strolled through the market, looking at all the different stalls and glancing at her list to remember what to keep an eye out for, she overheard a conversation being had between a customer and a seller. Well, it was the price she’d heard first. Whatever he was buying, he was handing over a fair bit of money for it. Her curiosity was piqued, partially in the man (who either saved up or was wealthy) and partially in the object itself.

𝕴𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖘𝖓’𝖙 𝖆𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝕾𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖓 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖕𝖚𝖙 𝖆 𝖙𝖔𝖓 of thought into the usage of ‘yak fur’ when he’d come up with a possible definition for his name, but he’d definitely seen the humor in it as soon as it had left his mouth, as was evident by the grin that he was wearing. It only widened after the remark that Farryn had tacked on; something about ‘penguin poop.’  It drew out a bout of genuine laughter that only grew as she continued.

            The sailor’s smile quickly reached his dark eyes, causing them to squint. ❝ What are you saying? ❞ He asked through his laughter. ❝ It’s obvious that I smell like penguin shit? That’s the most obvious answer? ❞ Of course, he knew exactly what she’d intended when she’d used the word ‘obvious’, but he couldn’t help himself, nor could he contain his laughter, the sound spilling out from a wide grin. His own mug remaining on the table and far away from his lips, as he didn’t trust himself to avoid choking on his tea.

              The last thing Soren wanted to do was offend the young woman or make her feel as though he was making fun of her, but he was sure that he was safe in assuming that she had a good sense of humor.

          𝐹𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎𝓃 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝒶𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 seemed to amuse Soren, but confusion began to write itself across her face when the laughter only grew. It was when he asked her if it was obvious that he smelled like penguin shit that it dawned on her: she had insulted him again. Twice in the span of an hour. Blue eyes grew round as saucers, a hand lifting to press against her mouth. ❝ Oh my god, ❞ she spoke with a muffled voice. She hadn’t meant to insult him and had been referring to a more obvious answer rather than what he obviously smelled like, but she could now see how it could be taken that way. At least the guy had a sense of humour about it though, because she would’ve felt awful otherwise.

          Allowing her hand to lower back down, she too had a smile that reached her eyes as the laughter spilled out. How strange it was to think that, only a day ago, she had been on a journey to go visit her grandmothers grave. And now, she found herself aboard a cozy little boat, laughing with a sailor who she hardly even knew yet at the same time felt as if she’d known for years.

‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒  FARRYN ALWAYS KNEW HOW TO lift up Ginny’s spirits , even a tad when it came to her foolish ideas of grandeur. Her life wasn’t anything really spectacular – not at all! Compared to Farryn who lived in the forest with little animal friends and a cute and cozy cottage, Ginny…was just normal. There were MILLIONS just like her out there, she was certain! People always dreamed of wanting a bakery, but Ginny wasn’t even remotely OWNING a bakery ; in fact, she was so low on the rung at her boss’s work that she often wondered if he kept her around because she was cute or if he thought she actually had some kind of skills with her baked goods. Being clumsy, being doofish, being…just plain a train wreck in the workplace had made her tear up whenever she made a mistake, ready for the day he’d fire her. It was nice having someone to look up to like this, seeing the other so free and perfect – one day, Ginny! One day, you can be like that!

     ❝ Oh, no! ❞ Childish giggling would begin, a hand leaving her handlebars to cover her mouth and shake her head viciously, though Farryn likely wouldn’t look at her to see it (keeping your eyes on the path was far too important). ❝ If I sang, all seven dwarves and the lovely Snow White would run away! ❞ On her BEST DAY, Ginny had an average singing voice, nothing to write home about, but she felt it could go sharp or flat at the worst times! It would cause mirrors to wobble and windows to start to loosen from their frames! Despite having a princess-like demeanor, added with some clumsiness to subvert it, Genevieve definitely wasn’t going to win any points in any Disney film! Before she’d continue, her hand would slap back on the handlebar, not daring to test the fates with her wobbles being so common.

      Speaking of Disney film, she could hardly believe that Farryn would say they should watch a movie and then NOT recommend it be the one just mentioned! It was too perfect! They’d have to watch it and then look at their apples and make jokes about the fact they could be EEVVVVILLLL and POISONED! and then one of them pretends to go into a coma and – ❝ Ooooh! You can’t make a reference to that movie and not want to watch it! ❞ But Farryn’s idea was too good to pass up! What if they wind up watching a horror movie or a really raunchy one to boot? It’d make them both laugh, maybe, if they weren’t horrified at an X-rated accident! ❝ Okay, first movie has to be Snow White while we bake, then when we’re done baking, we let Jesus take the wheel! ❞ Last part she’d sing, putting on a phony country accent, the temptation to grab her nose and make her voice go nasally resisted to avoid anymore tree roots suddenly coming up on her.

          𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐹𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎𝓃 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒶 pleasant voice to listen to, she knew she would continue to sing simply because she enjoyed it. There was nothing quite like being at home with some music on, and singing along or humming while she cooked or gardened. It was a must for cleaning and doing the laundry, because at least there was a bit of fun then to be had with chores.  ❝ We’ll just see about that, ❞ she shot back playfully, hoping that Ginny would just let loose with her when the time came around. There was never any pressure though, for she didn’t like to push people to do anything they felt uncomfortable with.

          ❝ Oh gosh, you’re right! I can’t bring up the one and only Snow White and then not have us watch it, ❞ Farryn said in a dramatized tone, as if what she’d done had been unspeakable. Ginny was right though, it would be too perfect to watch Snow White while they baked their pie, and then they could go ahead and try out their little Netflix game after. She was already excited for all they had planned, and she adored Disney movies. As a child, watching them always cheered her up when she had a hard day.

𝕬𝖑𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝕾𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖓 𝖐𝖓𝖊𝖜 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞 𝖓𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖉 an origin and a meaning, he’d never been curious enough to look into it for himself. The mention of the background behind her name, however, finally piqued his interest, but the wide grin that suddenly pulled itself across his lips was elicited when Farryn had cracked a joke and then felt the need to explain to him why it was funny. ❝ Yeah, I got that, ❞ he laughed. ❝ Ironic. ❞

❝ I don’t know what my name means. I’ve never looked into it before. Pretty sure it might be Dutch though, ❞ Soren explained, his gaze dipping down towards the mug that was clasped between his tattooed hands when he felt Farryn looking at him, as though she was studying his face. It wasn’t as though he was horrible with girls, per se, but the pretty ones tended to make him nervous. And this one was especially beautiful. Now that she was showered and the color was coming back to her skin, he was able to notice her prominent good looks even more. Her blonde hair, blue eyes, delicate lips…

            Suddenly, the captain was hyper aware of his own appearance; his posture, the way that his wet hair was hanging, whether he’d missed a spot while shaving or not. It wasn’t as though he felt as though he needed to impress her, nor like he’d ever cared much about the way that he looked, but he was simply conscious of it now that her eyes were on him.

❝ Here’s hoping it means something cool, and not ‘smells like yak fur’ or something. ❞ Soren laughed, raising his mug in a cheers gesture as he caught her gaze once again.  ❝ You got a guess? ❞

          𝒜𝓈 𝓊𝓃𝒾𝓆𝓊𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓈 𝒮𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒶𝓈, Farryn had a sneaking suspicion that it could be of Dutch origins, since she’d been raised there for most of her life and therefore had some knowledge of it. Her smile, still soft and sweet, widened a little when she noticed the sailor avert his gaze away from her. A little shy, maybe? She saw it as being a rather charming quality, especially when they were still able to keep conversations with her. Or maybe she was just reading him all wrong.

           Before she was able to take another sip of tea, laughter had bubbled up and prevented her from drinking, since she feared accidentally spitting it out or choking on it. ❝ Yak fur? That’s oddly specific. Why yak fur and not something more obvious, like penguin poop? ❞ She laughed, her hand lifting to tuck a piece of her hair, which was beginning to dry and curl, behind her ear.