Martin was engaged with another gentleman when Lilli came through the doors. A new face registered her arrival, and walked to the foyer. Tall, for a woman, at slightly over six feet and thin limbed, Katarin Obertlich had several outstanding features, but her green hair was the most visible.
Her smile was ready, she seemed all energy when she arrived and faced Lilli.
"Good evening!" Hard consonants and peculiar pacing in her words gave her immigrant status away. "Welcome to Ladies by the Lake, may I seat you?"
Rock-hopper paused a moment, considering.
"Y'know, I came in 'ere lookin' for a drink or two, but now that you mention it, I could go for a bit to eat. Yeah, just meself tonight, thanks."
He brushed a speck off of the tight-fitting spandex penguin suit's sleeve.
"'M I good like this, or should I change into somethin' more formal?"
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
He disengaged the anti-gravity module and dropped silently on to the roof. He crouched behind a large roof fan and turned off the cloaking device. He was dressed in a camouflage bodysuit only broken up by a few metal spikes.
He looked around as he opened a backpack and slipped on the clothes he had carried there. Even in the jeans and dress shirt he moved with almost complete silence and his movements were perfectly choreographed and precise.
He breathed deeply as he stuffed the backpack under a duct. He pulled off the mask and tucked it into the back of the shirt. This is stupid. He said to himself as he shook his head. He knew he shouldnt be here but he had come this far all the way from the Rogue Isles so he might as well go through with it. He put on a pair of narrow, blue-tinted mirror sunglasses to cover his clearly cybernetic right eye. The scar still showed both above and below the glasses, though.
Hed survived eating bugs in the Amazon and scorpions in the desert.
Hed gone days without food and water.
Hed eaten garbage during urban missions.
All that was part of his past jobs.
But when he had a chance, his weakness was good food. The talk of Gals Place restaurant in the Kings Row district of Paragon both before and during his latest assignment in the Isles had just tempted him for too long.
It was a big risk, but one he had to take or hed go crazy.
He looked down at the entrance and saw what looked like a hero enter the place. Soon after him a carnie gracefully strode in. He wasnt sure what a carnie was doing in Kings Row walking into a place like this but she did look a little different than most he had seen.
He shrugged and noted that the street was clear. He jumped down and landed with very little sound, then walked to the front door and let himself in.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
When he walked in he instantly noticed the smell. It almost overwhelmed him and he breathed deeply in through his nose one of the few remaining non-cybernetic senses.
The place was beautiful inside making him think he should have rented a tux or at least a suit. A glance at his reflection on a glass surface made him wince his brown, shoulder-length hair was somewhat unkempt and his modest height and frame didnt make the rumpled shirt look any better. Shrugging he moved in the fine smells wafting from the kitchen were too much to resist. Maybe he could sit in the bar and wouldnt look too much like a vagrant.
He eyed the carnie woman as he waited, hoping she would be seated well away from him. The last thing he needed was someone picking his brain and finding out something he didnt want known. Despite years of mental exercises and some electronic shielding he knew nothing was 100% sure. He decided to concentrate on the smells, seeing if he could discern what they were. His mouth watered as he thought about the impending meal and hopefully some good wine to go with it.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
Martin looked critically over the outfit. As much as he would have sent the man to a respectable tailor, he knew that Gal allowed for heroes to be in less formal attire.
"While we prefer dinner wear, Sir, I can find you a table without difficulty." Motioning with his free arm, Martin indicated the interior of the restaurant. His steps led to the seating near the tropical planter, subtley out of view form the front door.
"Will this meet with your approval, Sir?"
"Good evening!" Hard consonants and peculiar pacing in her words gave her immigrant status away. "Welcome to Ladies by the Lake, may I seat you?"
"Ah, not at the moment," Lili replied, smiling. Her own voice still evoked the Old Country, a genteel take on country French. "I am here to make reservations for later in the evening for myself and some friends...and to present to your proprietress a small gift."
She nodded slightly towards the bottle she carried under her arm. "Something with which to celebrate, no?"
"And in this moment, I will not run.
It is my place to stand.
We few shall carry hope
Within our bloodied hands."
"Yeah, this should be fine, thanks."
He sat down and began carefully studying the menu.
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
Martin had just swept back to the podium, from seating someone on the other side of the plantings. Seamlessly, he drew up another menu, and wine list from beneath the station and spoke to the slightly disheveled man.
"Good evening, Sir," oh for the old days, where men went to work in suits, even worked on their cars in shirt and tie, "Welcome to Ladies by the Lake. I am Martin. Would you care for a table in the restaurant or perhaps, in the bar?"
((OOC: Bas, I hope you know Martin is a snobbish boor to everyone. No harm meant from me in the way he acted to you.
Thank to everyone who has returned, and the new faces!))
((Heh- no worries. RP is RP, right? 'Sides, Rock-hopper is dressed as a 6', 250 lb penguin. That'll draw attention wherever you are.)) 
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
The tall woman seemed at a loss for a moment, unsure whether to get Gal, ask for permission or take the reservation. It passed quickly, her consternation giving way to a polite smile.
"You want to speak to Miss Brown," she used Gal's actual name, pronouncing it more like 'brawn'. "A moment then, please. I will take your reservation now."
She produced a pen from below sight level and opened the quaint ledger the restaurant used for reservations. Absently pushing back shoulder length hair the color of tarnished copper, she looked to Lilli for the time.
Babetta approached the table, mentally smiling at the man bent over his menu. She saw much stranger things than men in penguin suits, but perhaps this man was part penguin. Having lived with a half-leopard woman for many months, she would not discount it. Well, this was all part of her training.
"Good evening," she said by way of introduction, placing a basket of warm bread and a cruette of oil on the table, "I'm Babetta. Would you like to start with something to nibble on or something to drink?"
She had an eastern accent, somewhere near Maine, maybe. Her face was cherub-like, cheeks and nose slightly rosey and framed by brown-blonde hair cut at her ears. Green eyes peered out from her young face. A simple, light blue dress with high neck gave little of her middle five foot tall body away.
Soul was bone-tired; she'd seemingly been persona non grata in Bricks, as far as the various Crey agents scattered around were concerned. That, plus the Rikti nest she'd uncovered in Baumton had her completely wrung out.
Food. That's what a body needs, some good down-home cookin'. Wonder if Gal's got her restaurant open yet? May as well swing through Kings and check.
She alighted on the sidewalk in front of the place and checked the menu. Seemed that Gal had gone upscale. Hrmm. Well those mussels sounded yummy. She activated the control for Serge's latest 'wardrobe teleporter' costume gimmick, and felt her white-and-gold hero uniform rearrange itself into a smart-looking suit jacket, white ruffled silk blouse, and long black skirt. The thigh-high stiletto boots she kept, only their color changing fron white and gold to black. Her tiara disappeared, to be replaced by a pair of rose-tinted Ray-Bans.
She pushed open the door.
"City of Heroes. April 27, 2004 - August 31, 2012. Obliterated not with a weapon of mass destruction, not by an all-powerful supervillain... but by a cold-hearted and cowardly corporate suck-up."
Rock-hopper looked up from his menu as the woman approached.
"Good evening," she said by way of introduction, placing a basket of warm bread and a cruette of oil on the table, "I'm Babetta. Would you like to start with something to nibble on or something to drink?"
He paused for a moment, considering his choices before replying, "I'll take a glass of the house white."
He reached behind his head, unfastening the two snaps that held the gas mask which served as a "beak" to his face. He placed the mask on the table beside him, as the rich scents of the restaurant finally reached his nose. Another smile crossed his lips.
"That's the problem with that bloody mask. Keeps me safe from poisons an' such, but I miss out on the good smells, too." He winked, punctuating his sentence.
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
[ QUOTE ]
"Good evening, Sir," oh for the old days, where men went to work in suits, even worked on their cars in shirt and tie, "Welcome to Ladies by the Lake. I am Martin. Would you care for a table in the restaurant or perhaps, in the bar?"
[/ QUOTE ]
He could feel the disapproval despite Martins obvious years of training and experience. There were times and places where he wouldnt have taken that kind of disrespect, but this was not one of them, and plus he knew that Martin was right.
A touch of grin peaked one corner of his mouth as he resisted falling into an obnoxious persona just to bug Martin.
Hello Martin, Im Nick. He answered in carefully cultured non-distinct, unaccented American English. I think the bar will do fine, thank you.
It took significant willpower not to spin around as the front door opened behind him. Instead the finished the initial flinch as a slow turn to view who was entering as he proceeded to the bar area.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
"High Wire" Jenni Shinobe had returned into Paragon City after coming back from her native Maui. She was excited to see her friends again and to tell them about her latest win in the Oahu Invitational surfing contest. She was a Japanese looking girl but spoke in a laid back attitude, wearing her black T-shirt and blue Khaki shorts with a colorful Lei around her neck. Her long black hair was in a pony tail that day as she then turned the corner, seeing the sign on the restaurant doors.
"Ladies of the Lake? It sounds like a very cool place to kick back. I hope that they serve Mai Tais." She said to herself as she then approached the door.
"Aloha? Is this place open for service and... is there a specific dress code that I must abide by before I enter?" She asked the tall woman at the door, not noticing the familiar face of Lili nearby.
((OOC: I hope that I an not too late to join. This sounds like a VERY good RP here.))
"Miss Train! What a nice surprise." Beth was just arriving, through the same door the patrons entered. She came up to the taller woman's right, and quickly walked through the coat closet, appearing back after leaving her light jacket.
"I got caught up in the traffic, there must be something going on in Atlas tonight." As she spoke, she fitted her stylized name badge on her loose, white blouse and reached for a menu. "Would you like a table or the Bar tonight? Gal will want to see you, I'm sure."
The young Beth's face was bright and slightly flushed, glad to see a welcome face. She knew Martin would have something to say, but just being here was enough for now.
"An appliance?" The girl loooked very interested, a sparkle in her eyes. "Very clever, sir. I suppose the rest of your uniform is also technological in origin?" She had temporarily forgotten the menu and service.
"Very good," Martin nodded, motioning towards the ornate door that denoted where the Bar started and the Restaurant ended. The frosted glass in the upper portion showe movement and light beyond.
"The bar still serves the full menu, but in a more...casual atmosphere," his measured tone indicated casual was something he had never experienced. "Miss Narshawn will gladly make you comfortable."
He walked the short few steps to the door, passing the doorway to the coat closet, and directed the man to follow. As the front door opened again, Nick could see the radiant Train enter, then a few steps later, Beth. They appeared to know each other, from the friendly greeting Beth gave.
The door to the bar opened on a warm, very Irish-feel bar. A long wooden bar, with brass kick rail and padded arm cushion took up the whole of one wall. Toward the far end, he would see the pool and game area, through pass-through windows. Tables along the left wall for patrons to sit and eat or enjoy their beverages. An entry door, from the street is a few steps in and on the right wall, just as the bar curves to touch that wall.
Behind the bar, Narshawn, the Ice Maiden, hovers around the immense liquor display. The length or the bar, and floor to ceiling, the mirrored wall holds liquors of all types, exotic to mundane, and some that seem to move on their own. Beer, drink, conversation and friendly atmosphere.
((OOC: Welcome to my rangy mob of women, and the retentive Martin, Gremlin. You will find everyone a lot more relaxed than Martin, who, BTW, actually sleeps in ironed and starched pajamas, or "bed clothes" as he quaintly calls them.))
((OOC: Too late to join? Nonsense, lass, all are welcome, and I can manipulate time as I see fit ))
The green haired woman smiled, taking in the leisure wear and the smiling woman wearing it. The lei was something new, she had never seen it's like, but the flowers were beautiful.
"A dress code, yes there is. You look to be wearing native attire," she misunderstood the shorts, as she misunderstood much about the world, "and Miss Brown allows that."
"Welcome to Ladies by the Lake, would you care to dine with us?" This word, 'Aloha', she did not recognize, but it was rude to ask about it, perhaps later she would ask Beth.
((OOC: We will assume that Lili's visit was before this encounter, and perhaps concluded just before. Gal is on her way to meet Lili, and K is free to speak to Jenni. I try to keep everyone involved, and realize that some people can only post once a day. No worries, post as you feel, and I will handle the timing. Or, interact and enjoy!))
It took a moment to take it all in and he was almost stunned at the display. The bar area was literally a step into another world for him.
Thanks
Marty He said as Martin returned to the front, unable to resist a littler jab.
As he walked in, almost wide-eyed, as he took in the array of liquor. A quick look at the pool table also surprised him; it was actually a high quality, professionally leveled table something he hadnt seen in quite a while. He sat at the unique bar and a genuine smile crossed his face. Yeah, this really was a good idea. He said out loud as he nodded to himself.
He ran a hand along the bar, admiring the amazing wood, before looking for what would start his night. Oh my
30 year Laphroaig scotch?! Better start there. He looked up to see if he could get the attention of the hovering bartender.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
[ QUOTE ]
((OOC: We will assume that Lili's visit was before this encounter, and perhaps concluded just before. Gal is on her way to meet Lili, and K is free to speak to Jenni. I try to keep everyone involved, and realize that some people can only post once a day. No worries, post as you feel, and I will handle the timing. Or, interact and enjoy!))
[/ QUOTE ]
((OOC: That works perfectly...I wasn't able to post Lili's reply and request for a reservation in a timely manner, so let's have her in a different area waiting for Gal, where she won't hear Jenni (a close friend and associate) speaking right away.))
"And in this moment, I will not run.
It is my place to stand.
We few shall carry hope
Within our bloodied hands."
"Greetings," the tiny woman behind the bar said as she noticed the man gesturing. "Welcome to Ladies by the Lake." She smiled, with closed lips, and a frozen mist floated from her mouth with every word. She was an economy of motion, no movement except what was necessary. Her hair did not flow with her movements, her semi-transparent outfit stayed stiff.
Translucent eyes, slightly more blue than her skin, never blinked as they watched him. She hovered closer, the same frozen mist wafting behind her. A large coaster quickly slipped into place in front of Nick, the woman moving quickly. At this range, it was evident the woman was all sharp edges, like carved ice.
"Please mind the bar, it is alive. May I interest you in something to drink? Billiard balls are available should you care to play." Observant, and gifted with sight that extended beyond simply where her eyes rested, she had noticed his admiration of the antique table.
"There is also a full menu, should you care for it. Gertrude is the waitress for food orders, she will be out presently." It was still early for the bar, so the wizened waitress was still arranging the night's supplies. Narshawn's smile was not warm, but friendly.
((OOC: In case you didn't know, Gremlin, Nar is made of ice. She's translucent, not see through, but it is apparent she is not made of flesh. Her "clothing" is actually a construct she creates for propriety, and the bar saves a bundle on refrigerators for beer 
))
Gal stepped from the main kitchen into the restaurant, glancing at the growing activity near the entrance. It looked to be mostly heroes if her intuition served her, but then most civilians tended to steer wide of places the powered gathered. The ocassional brave soul would come in, but it suited her to simply be a refuge from the daily war outside.
Rufuge, refugee. She had seen enough of them to last a lifetime, what with the last few months. The most recent addition to the growing number of refugee aliens she dealt with stood at the podium, conversing with a small woman (anyone under seven feet was small to Gal). Kupferdaechli, the namesake for her hero persona. Her ability to control electricity had been engineered on another world, one where the Column had won the war.
Anyway, she shook her head, the tailing ends of her headscarf brushing her shoulders. Her newest employee had said an old friend was waiting, and bearing a gift. Gal hoped the friend intended to share it, as no Sister would accept a gift unless there was sharing involved.
She thought on that, the code the Sisters lived by, as she walked to the front. She had seen what the code meant to some, on that world, and their sacrifice only made following the rules more important. Almira, Mer, Snare and the others.
Catching sight of Lili in one of the alcoves near the door, she was very hard to mistake, the tank's wide smile returned. Life went on.
"Hey there, thanks for coming to the opening. Are you stayin' for dinner?"
((OOC: Nice to see you Dollhouse. I love your characters, they add flavor to the soup. As I said, I control time here, so there's room for anyone and everyone.))
"Hey there, thanks for coming to the opening. Are you stayin' for dinner?"
"Staying? No. Returning? Most definitely!" Lili's eyes glittered. "I just made a reservation for 8PM...for a small party from the troupe. We have some things to celebrate...and so do you!"
Festival presented the bottle to Gal. "A little something from me and the Carnival of Light...to celebrate the return of truly fine dining to this part of town." She paused, glancing at the label.
"I feel vageuly disloyal to my homeland, particularly considering that my family hails from the Burgundy region...but this is the finest Pinot Noir I have ever tasted. It is Eugene Wine Cellar's Reserve Cuvee Daoust, the 2001. Not so well known, as it is but a ten-acre vinyard, and the vines are very old. They don't produce a lot of fruit, only 100 cases worth. But what a fruit!"
The gaily-clad Ring Mistress laughed musically. "I ramble, as always. Martin will likely know more of this wine than I do. Please accept it as a token of my appreciation...for your staff to enjoy. Alas, it is the last bottle...perhaps in the world. Drink in soon...it is at its best right now."
-------------------------
((OOC: I actually have one bottle of the above wine in my very modest little collection...and it may very well be the last one of that year!))
"And in this moment, I will not run.
It is my place to stand.
We few shall carry hope
Within our bloodied hands."
"Indeed, Sir," Martin's smile was that of a man habitually unhappy, but in a position that required polite congeniality. He did recognize the speaker, even though the outfit appeared somewhat different.
"Miss Gal has been somewhat indisposed of late. The desire to instill some sense of palate and decent edibles in Paragon has brought her back to the kitchens." Oh, how he had withered in the months since Gal had been gone. This simple interaction brought warmth to Martin's soul. "I believe you will find the service nothing if not improved. Will you be dining alone this evening?"
Several young women were moving about the main room, a few that had been at the place before, and some newer faces. The smell of various different foods wafted through the interior, something roasting, something grilling.
Martin stood, a menu in one hand, expectant.
((OOC: Though Martin has a menu, heading to the bar would only bring a slight quirk of the eyebrow. Otherwise, he will gladly seat you and have one of the lasses start the service.))