Mar 07 07:49:24 107 PA - Night at the Nightingale

From Chronicles

The current game time is: Tue Mar 07 07:49:24 107 PA.

The hub of the Nightingale Nightclub is the large dance floor in the center of the club. Overhead are racks of lighting and the infamous speaker system that makes the Nightingale all the rage with Kingsdale's more affluent citizens. A large, carpeted DJ booth oversees the crowd gathered, blasting a mix of the latest techno/pop/hiphop mixes along with Pre-Rift favorites. The club is decorated in mostly drab black and grey colors, to give the place a serene atmosphere. No matter what time of day, there are a few patrons inside, and after 9:00PM, the club usually fills up, with a long line waiting to get inside.

The tables are typical of nightclubs, and there is some seating around the dance floor. There is a section of bar stools near the bar, and a row of booths along the right and left walls. A set of black curtains separate a smaller, private room from the rest of the club. The bar is circular, with about 20 seat all around it. The bar has all the modern conveniences and sports a wide selection of liquor and beer, even a good selection of imports, though the prices are higher than elsewhere in the city, is manned by 3 bartenders at night, 2 during the day. Waitresses wander around the room in skimpy outfits. They march about with their black trays and handle themselves like professionals. Drink orders are punched into a small computer on the try and sent right to the bar. The patrons are mostly the upper class of the city. They sport the latest fashions the cand lub has an affluent atmosphere. No one is in armour or carries weapons that can be seen. Several large men in tuxedos are strategically stationed around the room. A little wire behind their ear proves they are in constant contact, and can hear even over the roar of the DJ.

Late, real late. The music plays, the people carouse and drink. Vixen does one of those herself. Settled at the bar, hunched forward slightly with a near empty glass loosely framed by hand, she spends some time tonight. She's been a bit reclusive as of late and it doesn't change here. Most people she ignores, safe for the occasional moment of people watching. Otherwise, she's obviously thinking a bit, her attention drifting easily.

The broad form of Sebastien bounds down the stairway into the Nightingale proper, from the hotel above. His eyes scan the crowd, shirt and jeans indicating he's been inside for quite a while. That scarred face opens into a smile of recognition as he spies a waitress, and with quiet murmurs of 'excuse me,' and such he presses from one end of the club to the center, greeting her with a quick peck on the cheeks and a press of an incongruous handshake. The waitress glances down at her hand, once, and nods back towards the bar, and Sebastien smiles and nods once without looking. Easing his way back towards the main entrance, he pulls out a small cell phone and checks the time.

Erica walks in on her tall heels and is wearing a soft smile as she manages to get into the classy club. She looks around for a bit and walks over to the bar to get a drink. She quickly spies Sebastien and gives him a wave, but her first priority seems to be getting a drink. She bobs her head in time to the music as she waits to order her drink from the bartender

Vixen lifts her glass, tilting it a little as she considers the interior and its near lack of contents. She grimaces faintly and lifts it to drink the rest before laying it aside. A questioning look from the tender is answered with a shake of her head before the young woman turns a little to consider the club itself. As Erica comes to the bar as well, she catches attention and Vixen says lightly, "Looking classy." And since that's where her attention fixes for now, she misses Seb's presence for the moment. "What brings you over here this late?"

Sebastien slows at the entrance, waving back at Erica and waiting, curiously, as she presses through the throng past him towards the bar. His wave becomes a confused shrug, the young man eyeing her passing (and possibly the dress!) until he spies the woman's target at the bar opposite him. Rolling his eyes, Sebastien laughs and heel-toes back towards the bar as well, slowly approaching behind Vixen, so that Erica might watch.

Erica blushes slightly at the compliment from Vixen and nods her head in thanks. "Thank you. You look very nice yourself. I'm supposed to meet Sebastien out here." She says before turning to the bartender and ordering a raspberry vodka and soda. She turns back to Vixen and notices Sebastien sneaking up on the other woman, and she shakes her head slightly while a frown curls her lips. "Don't sneak up on people Sebastien."

Vixen smirks faintly. "Why?" Asked of her plans as if she didn't really see much point to it. Then, at her second set of words, she snaps her head around and sights the sneaking man. "I'm sure you weren't about to do something juvenile, were you?" She shakes her head, slipping a and into her coat to slip out her dull silver cig case, extracting one of the brown paper items from within before it's snapped closed and stuffed away again.

Sebastien's pace increases as Erica speaks, light footfalls closing the distance quickly, though he freezes in place when Vixen spins. "Now mademoiselle," he speaks, a little frown crossing his lips and drawing his broken face in opposite directions. Plainly hurt at the accusation. "You face the bar. I have to approach from behind one of you, and between the two I knew you would trust me far more. For our bond is love such that poor Erica has never known." He bows deeply at that, eyes flicking up at the end with a smirk.

Erica rolls her eyes slightly at Sebastien as she turns back to the bar to get her drink from the bartender. "Oh he asked and it seemed like a good excuse to get dressed up." Turning back to Vixen and Sebastien she chuckles softly at his confession of love for Vixen. "Well that is nice. I didn't know you had such love for Vixen, Sebastien."

Vixen shakes her head at Sebastien's words. "Charm someone else, I'm not really in the mood for it right now. Not much in the mood for games either." She looks towards Erica and says, "Don't believe half of what comes out of his mouth. And watch the other half while you're at it. He spins a good line, but that's all it really is, a line." She glances back towards Seb, then Erica again. "But I suppose I should get outta here and leave you two to your good time." Though she doesn't progress in that direction just yet, slipping her lighter out of her pocket to go about lighting her cig.

"No no," Sebastien speaks, holding his hands up and out to show himself unarmed as he closes in on Vixen. "I do not come to you with only my heart," he speaks, voice softening as he closes the distance, "I come with a gift to claim yours." The last spoken nigh as a whisper, and he edges in between the two women at the bar to first turn and wink at Erica before focusing on Vixen. Leaning in close, as if to whisper suggestively in her ear, he speaks in an earnest voice, "The gang war. I know who started it. Sofiya is a patsy, and I'll have proof. I need insurance, and you'll have a story."

"Aww that is too bad Vixen. You will leave me all alone with him?" Erica says with a slight smirk. She shakes her head slightly out of amusement before taking a sip from the straw in her drink. She raise an eyebrow out of the mention of the gang war and leans in a little bit to listen better while she stirs her drink with her straw idly.

Vixen takes two light draws off the cig as she lights it and is flicking the lighter closed when Seb moves between them. Her eyes flick towards him, but she still stuffs her lighter away and lifts the cig for a steadier draw. Her response to his words is a smirk and she turns her head, breathing the smoke out to the side before she shakes her head. "You obviously didn't listen to my frequency. I'm not in that game anymore. It was fun, but impractical. If you know who started it, I'm sure you can deal with it. Then another one will pop up and another. Should keep you busy for a while." Her eyes move past Sebastien to Erica and she says, "I'm sure you can handle yourself."

Sebastien leans back a touch, a little smile forming on his face. "It may surprise you that I didn't," he replies, looking aside. "I wouldn't ask, I know you and I have our differences, but ..." Sebastien gropes a moment, a small croaking sound as he searches for words. "This man, he's not just a gang warrior. He's a mass murderer who targets children and families. He'll do it again. I don't need you in the game. Vixen. I need one broadcast. Shout it loud enough, via your station, and his demise will save dozens, maybe hundreds."

Erica laughs softly as she shrugs her shoulders. "I guess I can, but it is always nice to have another woman around to at least divide his attention." She says while continuing to chuckle to herself. She takes a long drink from her cocktail before climbing up on to a bar stool. She keeps tilting her head to listen in to what Sebastien has to say with obvious interest.

Vixen grimaces faintly as she considers Sebastien. "What I have issues with is how some people only seem to want to be nice to me when they want something," she states. "Not hard to do something for a friend who gives a shit about you. But fine, what exactly do you want me to do, Sebastien? Drop the guilt trip and lets talk bottom line. I can't stand guilt trips." Her eyes lift towards Erica then and she says, "I don't really want his attention. All it does is annoy me. As you can see." She lifts her cig, taking a draw off it.

"It's news," Sebastien speaks slowly, a smile spreading over his features. "It's not even bad news. It's tremendously entertaining, good for publicity, gets your groove back, and you know it." He leans back and chuckles, "Oh, oui, you may grouse at me, but that delicious mind of yours has already begun to spin. In three days you'll be nagging *me* for updates. So." Sebastien raises his hand at the bartender, waggling as he calls out, "Rum and coke, s'il vous plait!" He leans back, giving the women some room. "I'll get you incriminating audio tape. You broadcast on whatever frequency you think people will listen to, give enough framing that they understand what you have, and then you air it. When enough people know the truth, killing those who found it will be secondary to our adversary's own survival."

Erica keeps laughing softly as she nods her head. "Yes I can see that. Sorry to hear it Vixen. You deserve better then to have people take advantage of you." She finishes with a slight frown as she shakes her head slightly. Raising her drink up she takes the straw inbetween her painted lips and takes a sip. Turning to Sebastien she raises an eyebrow. "Maybe she wants a different groove Sebastien? Why don't you turn thaqt tape into the Kingsdale police at least?"

Vixen shakes her head at Sebastien and starts to get up when he starts ordering drinks. Obviously not very enamored with his start. But when he does finally get to the brass tacks, she pauses and faces him, fingers of her free hand lightly tapping her thigh. "Would be nice to have someone ask how I was before holding their hat out," she says casually before she answers Sebastien. "Go ahead and get me the tape. There is no groove to get back. I'll do the broadcast, but it won't be with fanfare. I can put it on a lot of channels, but it won't be official. The View is folded and I'm not looking for more notoriety. Especially any connections with the latest flash fire in the Dregs." Her eyes flick to Erica, then back to Sebastien. "You should probably send copies to the police as well. Just don't name drop me to anyone. Last thing I need is anyone who likes this guy you're outing coming after me."

"Vixen?" Sebastien asks, a smirk on his face. "You could not field that one, at least?" He leans back, and shakes his head while laying a gentle hand on Erica's shoulder. "The gangs are better funded than the police. The police are funded by what taxes the council sees fit to divert from KDM, roads, the enhancement center subsidies, and the like. The gangs sell drugs and traffic in sex slaves. You can imagine which group has the funds to buy out the other." He smiles softly, patting Erica's shoulder, before reaching for his glass. "Which is not to say the KDM is wholly corrupt. Of course it is not. But I need insurance from everyone. And thank you, Vixen." He pauses a moment, eyes narrowing, and asks, "You really did sell that pulse rifle I gave you, didn't you?"

"Hey I was trying to make some nice talk Vixen." Erica says with a slight shrug of her shoulders before turning back to her drink. She looks at her shoulder that Sebastien is laying a hand on with a raised eyebrow. "Uh huh Sebastien. Of course you know all. How silly of me to make a suggestion." She says with a slight shake of her head and obvious sarcasm. Then she takes a small sip of her mixed drink before letting out a slight sigh.

Vixen scowls faintly at Sebastien. "Give the recording to the police. They have voice analysis tech monkeys. They'll verify it as needed, I'm sure some gangs have moles or other ways inside and the info will get back to them. Think laterally, man. It's all about lines of communication and verification." She shakes her head and adds, "I don't know what you're talking about. You never gave me anything." She gives him a firm look. "Must have been someone else." She then steps around him and reaches out to lightly pat Erica's shoulder. "I know. I was talking to him, not you, girl. Remember, watch him. He's got his fingers on a lot of chicks, way I hear it. Do with that what you want." She grins and then continues past, cig lifted for another light draw.

Sebastien laughs, and agrees, "In fact, I know one of them." He nods, a faint smile creeps over his features. "Well, that will work out to my favor I think. Not that I need it, but she can't be leaned on." Sebastien blinks at the admonishment, and frowns across at Erica. "I wonder; is it that you or I have more female prospects just now?" His head tilts to the right, blue eyes searching hers.

Erica looks into Sebastien's eyes with her own green eyes as she shrugs her shoulders. "Perhaps, but I doubt it. Everyone seems to think you have many girls at your beck and call though." She says with a slight smile as she looks up at Vixen and offers the other woman a soft smile. "It was good to see you again Vixen. I hope things are going well for you." She mentions to Vixen as the other woman leaves.

"Things are empty right now. If you can think of something to fill it up, let me know." Vixen tosses casually as she goes on her way. The smell of an herbal cigarette smoke left in her wake. Not your average over the counter brand.

Sebastien's eyes follow Vixen as she stands, and he seats himself on her stool with a wriggle of his rump at the warmth below. Finally, as the smoke clears, Sebastien snatches up his glass and continues to watch Vixen leave, musing softly, "And you would be counted amongst them. How true is that, I wonder?" He lets the idea float a moment before peering back at Erica, before grinning. "I do love that dress. You know, I still claim credit for it. Not for making it lovely, of course that is entirely you, but for causing you to own such a thing I call a personal victory."

Erica laughs softly at Sebastien as she shakes her head. "Oh I brought this dress and these heels with me to Kingsdale hon. I just didn't really remember them until you brought it up. I do need to buy another nice dress though. I suppose I'll go look for one soon." She says with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "But I am glad you like it. What should I get for my next outfit then?" She asks with a little laugh to her voice before raising her glass up and taking a sip from the straw.

Sebastien snaps his fingers, leaning back to laugh and eye Erica. "I still claim credit then! But yes. Next." The young man leans forward, sipping his drink before setting it aside, frowning faintly as his eyes slowly descend over her ample curves. "Corset, full boned and..." Sebastien places his hands over his chest and makes lifting motions, "enhancing. Pale green, I think, to make your eyes truly verdant. White trim, naturally," his hands slide down his body as his eyes slide down hers, pantomiming a wasp waist and a flare at his hips, then a sharp vee. "Satin with lace below, dark green trimmed with white, a hint of a crease at the back, and white silk stockings." His hands end someplace at his knees, with his eyes focused plainly at her legs before he blinks and wonders, "Or did you mean, for public consumption?"

Erica laughs again at Sebastien's description and idly stirs her drink with her straw. "Well I do own a pink corset. I liked it and Zero bought it for me after I helped him shop for underwear for Sofiya. But I do not have a skirt to wear with it. And really white stockings? I don't like the look of white stocking for some reason. I don't know why just too loud for me." She lifts up her drink to take a sip of the sweet mixed drink. "The corset can be worn in public I think, but you will have to wait and see."

Sebastien pauses at that, responding in an entirely different tone of voice. Deeper, somehow, as he hears her comment about the skirt. "You don't need it." He swallows, and reaches for his glass again before nodding, turning back to face the bar. "I will wait, and I will see. What about moi, mademoiselle? Have you any suggestions for how a young man might be better dressed?"

Erica rolls her eyes at Sebastien as she again shakes her head while her lips show a bemused little smirk. "Oh I think I do if I am to go out in public Sebastien. Maybe a pleated red skirt would work. I'll have to look around." She pauses to take a sip of her drink and look at Sebastien with an appraising eye. "Well have you ever thought of maybe a button down shirt and some nice pants? I think you might look nice if you tried for a more classy look. Nothing wrong with looking classy or elegant everyonce in a while. I need to find an elegant dress for myself."

Sebastien laughs at that, and peers down. "What, so I don't wear my slacks tonight. I tell you what; next time we meet, I'll wear slacks. And a tie." He leans in closer, grinning, "Perhaps even a sports coat. I could pull off the professor look, non? Tweed with leather elbows?"

Erica shrugs her shoulders and looks up to give Sebastien a little smile. "I think a nice black button down shirt with little silver buttons. Plus some black pinstripe pants and some nice leather shoes would jsut about do it. It would look classy and demure and I think it might be nice to see you like that for once." She stirs her drink again before finishing it off with a long sip. Raising her hand she gestures to the bartender for another one.

"I don't look good like that," Sebastien replies with a shake of his head. He frowns bitterly and peers at the counter. "Look at me. Black nullifies you. It would draw attention to my destroyed face, Erica. I can do rugged, I can do silly, I can do severe or anachronistic. I don't do pretty." He reaches for his glass, downing the remainder in a long pull.

Erica shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head briefly. "I don't think that. I think it would draw attention to your grace and poise. But it is your choice after all." She says as she smile up at the bartender as she gets her next drink. "You asked for my opinion and that was it. You look nice today though. Although jeans are a little overdone."

"For good reason," Sebastien replies gamely, his good humor suddenly back as if flipping a light switch. He looks up with an amused smirk. "Have you ever ridden a horse in a set of dress slacks? You need to buy some very special sets with extra room in the crotch and padding to make it out on the other side without a window opening up betweem your legs."

"Why would I ride a horse in the first place?" She says with a little smirk and a raised eyebrow. "I have my jetpack and in theory a hovercycle, and I'm damm good on both of them." She stirs her mixed drink to make sure the soda and vodka are well mixed before taking another sip. "I've only ridden one once and that was Sage's horse. I was wearing my fatigues and those seemed to work ok."

Sebastien was ready for that one. He leans forward and reaches for Erica's glass, stealing her raspberry vodka and raising it towards his lips with a defiant look in his blue eyes. "The same reason you'd ride a man," he declares, toasting Erica with her own drink, "for the feeling of power between your legs."

Erica frowns as her drink is snatched from her hand and she turns to look at Sebastien with an annoyed look on her face. "Then I guess I can get that from my hovercycle." She says with a sigh as she trys to catch the bartenders attention for another drink since hers was stolen. "So gracious of you to take my drink by the way."

"We can't share?" Sebastien wonders with a smirk, and takes a sip of her drink. "You know," he notes, letting her drink sway back and forth in his hand, "once upon a time I'd chastise you for even considering that the impersonal, mechanical rumble of a hovercycle's jet engine could compare to the loving duet that is played between a horse and her rider. But you know, I think I've grown. So. You're worried that I have cooties?" He winks and places the drink between them.

Erica looks up at Sebastien and laughs softly. "Maybe I'm worried that I have cooties, and if I wanted to share I would have offered to share. I want my own drink." Turning her head back to the bartender she asks for another mixed drink with a slightly apologetic smile. "Well you are the one with a mechanical horse, and I'm guessing that isn't quite the same as a real horse. But what do I know."

Sebastien shrugs and reaches for his raspberry vodka, half lifting it before pausing and blinking once. He sets the glass down a little too hard, and squares up to face Erica earnestly. "You have one free pass, mademoiselle, and that was it." He presses on, a note of passion touching his voice, "Sara is a real horse. She is wildly intelligent; more so than any animal and in ways more than most humans. She is agile, fast, strong, caring, and protective. She has saved my life a dozen times, and if you speak poorly of her I will be cross. So don't." He nods at that, and reaches to sip his drink, eyeing Erica warily.

Erica shrugs her shoulders as she shakes her head slightly. "Ok, sorry. How the hell was I supposed to know? She is a real horse then." She says with a look of slight confusion. Turning back to the bartender she offers a smile and nod as she recieves her new drink. She stirs it to make sure it is mixed up before setting it down and leaning in to take a sip from the straw.

"I told you it was free, so now you know," Sebastien notes amicably, leaning over to sip from his straw in response. He draws it empty and shivers a touch, peering down at the mixture. "But you will have to make it up to me." He flickers a grin and pushes the drink back, waving a 'no' at the bartender.

"Oh when I do wrong out of ignorance I have to make it up to you, but when you sneak up on me at the gym and scare me half to death you don't even apologize? That doesn't seem very fair." Erica says with a smirk and a shake of her head. She leans back in to sip from the straw not bothering to move the drink and just leaning in to drink from it at its place on the bar.

"Well how about you don't try to sneak up on me any more. That might be ok with someone who hasn't been training half her life to fight, but it isn't ok with me. I would hate it if I hurt you by accident." Erica says with a little shrug and a shake of her head. She remains leaned forward so she can keep sipping on her drink without moving it.

"I'll take my chances," Sebastien says, fighting hard to keep his eyes north of her neck. He's mostly succeeding, but the dress' cut and her aggressive lean make things ... interesting. "And I like an aggressive woman. What else is there?" That look is still in his eyes, a knowing smirk on his features.

Erica smiles softly as she notices you looking down her dress and her cleavage that is still tight from all the exercising she does. "Well I wouldn't exactly call myself aggressive, but I know how to handle myself well enough I guess. You should see the weapons I picked up recently for the next outting I'm going on."

Sebastien's smile is rigid a moment, and he laughs softly before looking away. "I forgot, you're still ... new, to this," he speaks, dropping a hand to rest casually on Erica's knee, first two fingers walking about like a little pacing man just below her thigh. "I was creating some form of exaggerated and possibly imagined slight so that you could overreact and come up with some exotic yet sexy way in which I might be cunningly be tortured or punished for my insolence," he notes, and winks at the woman. "So the next time, you'll know."

Erica rolls her eyes slightly as she takes another sip of her drink. She makes no move to move the fingers that are walking on her leg yet. "Oh yes? That is what I'm supposed to do? You think I am the type of person to torture or punish someone? What have you been hearing?" She says while she leans back in her chair and crosses her legs, the leg with your fingers over her other leg.

Sebastien smirks and keeps his fingers in place through the move, noting, "I've heard nothing, but I had hopes." He winks at that, and dips his hand to give her knee a squeeze before releasing it, and sliding from his chair. Scooping some credits from his pocket, he drops them on the counter to pay their tab. "Actually, my hopes involved you strapping me to your bed and letting your girlfriend du jour mind me like that. Could be interesting to see what she makes of things." He winks, and blows a kiss. "But you're right. You're not like that. So." He grins wickedly, and glances back at the door. "Adieu, mademoiselle Erica."

Erica returns Sebastien's grin with a little grin of her own. "Perhaps I am not, or perhaps I am. You will have to try to find out for yourself." She says with a little wink. "And where have you heard about this so called girlfriend of mine?" She asks with casual curiosity as she finally picks up her drink and takes a long sip of it. She looks up at Sebastien as she waits for her answer.

Sebastien just silently smiles back at Erica, taking three steps backwards before turning and sauntering off. He sways his tush incongruously, raising a hand in silent wave as it to say, 'I'm here' as he makes his way out.

Erica leans back in her stool and turns around to face the exiting Sebastien. She uncrosses her legs and then crosses them the other way before giving him a little wave good bye. All the while she is wearing a little smirk. Picking up her drink she makes a show of taking the straw inbetween her pink painted lips and taking a little sip.