Log:Gallery Grand Opening

Gallery Grand Opening
Participants Amity Millikan, Carter Logan, Casper, Magdalena Martinez, Mavis Octavia Baines, Poppy Devereux, Tally, Thea, and Zillah Logan.	14 December, 2019 Mags finally opens her first gallery...and wanted to make sure she's known to be here to bring art and promote art in the community.
Location Martinez Gallery & Studio
The news had gone out and the flyers were up. Mags finally had her first real gallery and tonight was the opening night party. Needless to say she got the place even more spiffed up for the event. With buffet tables at the back as well as a small bar, it was the cocktail affair to be at! As one enters, a string quartet is playing softly in the background, stationed in front of the roped off stairs. And at the door? The hostess and proprietress herself: Magdalena Martinez. GAME: Tally spends 3 Glamour -> >> Tally to Here << <-============================================= Rolled 1 Success < 1 2 2 3 3 6 7 8 > ========================-> >> Wyrd + Manipulation + 1 No Flags << <- When one is homeless and poor, how do they manage to get proper society clothing? Well, there are two ways. the first, of course, is to steal and cheat your way into the minor fortune. The second way?... Be a trickster like Tally. Just outside of the building he is, wearing his normal ensemble, before flitting into the shadows and coming out in a crisp, dark suit. A charcoal grey tie, white dress shirt beneath that... And black sneakers. Why? Because why mess with a good thing? His hair is pulled back into a ponytail, his eyes are a deep, dark blue, and he merges with the small line to enter the gallery. of course, it may take a couple glances before most who know him would recognize him, all dressed up. Thea, on entering, tucks her cigarette behind an ear. The woman strides in, dressed in jeans. Doc martens. Glasses catching the light, behind which violently violet eyes lurk. Her curly hair brighter than starlight. Almost glowing. Yeah, the heavily tattooed woman either has missed the memo about it being a fancy cocktail party, doesn't understand what that means, or doesn't care. She's clean at least! Yeah. She enters, takes a look around the room, and grins. Her smile smolders, a flash of white teeth. She's got a Nokia brick phone in her hands, with which she's rapidly tapping out text messages (one could presume). And, just like that, she shows her priorities in all of this and goes to make a beesline to the buffet table. "Welcome!" Her voice rings out as each person enters the gallery. A bright smile on the young woman's face, Mags seems to be almost vibrating with excitement as well as nerves. Taking a deep breath she lets them enter, her door being open. And now...she gets on the task of mingling! Tally enters not long after Thea does, and contents himself to looking about. Seeing Mags, he offers her a friendly smile and looks her over, but he, too, quickly ends up by the buffet table, snagging a couple bites to eat, but inevitably, his attention is drawn over towards Thea, maybe because she stands out so much, and he frowns as he looks her over before offering her an amused grin with a cock of his head before stating lightly, "Oh hai there." His tone light and airy as he looks at Thea's tats, before turning to see who else is about The young woman is dressed in a fitted black turtle neck sweater dress and black pumps. Her long brown hair is pulled up into a slicked back bun on the top of her head. Sighing a bit she smiles at Tally but of course gives Thea a warm and courteous smile as she passes. "Do let me know if you have any questions at all." Tap. Tap. Tap. Thea continues to text as she hovers by the buffet table, pointed grin at her lips. There's a primal sort of energy about the woman. A weird feeling, like she's about to sizzle. Beep-boop, chimes Thea's phone, with a distinct buzz. Yeah, she's definitely texting *someone.* Tally greets her, and finally, she looks up from her phone. And directs her grin his way. Hien comes through the frosted glass doors of Martinez Gallery and Studio, shutting it behind them. Thea says, to Mags, "How long have you been at all this, then?" and gestures at the gallery, food in hand. Tally is mortally offended by the sigh from Mags, of course, just raising an eyebrow and offering her a wave and a grin, before tilting his head. "Heya Lena. Nice shindig here." He ends with an amused grin before glancing towards Thea, offering her a mischief filled grin as he stands casually before reaching into what appears to be his suit pocket and pulling out... An unopen deck of cards. "Wanna play poker? I'm sure we can get some others to as well." He asks of Thea, because why not ask one of the few dressed down people to play poker? "Oh? Well I've been just...sketching since I was a kid but...." Mags seems to think on it more now. "I would say painting I picked up when I was about seven. This is my first gallery though....it's been a goal." Taking a deep breath she then smiles a bit before looking over at Tally. "Thanks! I...." Seeing the cards she then blinks. "Um....so you're going to a casino to play poker I'm assuming?" Oh there is a looook. Thea nods, listening to Mags with interest which threatens to be actually genuine! The heavily tattooed woman makes eye contact. Her lips part, almost like she's about to ask more questions. But.. hearing Tally's question she instead seems to consider the food in her hand. Some kind of small pastry. She pops it in her mouth with a chuckle. "You mean you wanna sit down in the middle of this fancy shindig and get some folks in on a game of poker? What'd we be playin' for? The right to pay the artist to do us a portrait or sommat?" Thea speaks with a Brittish accent. And her mouth half full. She swallows. Grins once more. "Might make folks a mite angry, lad." Notably, she hadn't said *no.* -> >> Tally to Here << <-============================================= Rolled 4 Successes < 1 4 5 6 8 9 10 10 > ================================-> >> Wyrd + Wits - 1 No Flags << <- Tally's got a trickster's smile as he looks at Mags, raising his own eyebrow as he looks at Mags, before remarking, "Oh, fine, fine, I won't start nicking people's pocket money. You'd almost think Lena here is against the distractions." He ends with a wink at her before Tally opens the deck of cards, pulling a card out and then offering it to Thea. "Here, take a card to remember our lovely hostess with, wouldn't you?" he asks, offering the card. And when Thea lifts the random card up... It happens to look like a picture of Mags in work attire before he quirks a lip and winks at Thea as well. "I make all my friends angry. Just ask Lena here, who I'm here as emotional support to." His tone light and teasing as Tally shakes his head. Of course, Thea can evidently see the darkling is more then a bit fae, what with his inhumanly pale skin, the shadows that seem to almost writhe beneath his skin, and the shadowy, smoky end of his hair, so she's got a fair idea of how the card looks as it does. Mags is... Probably stumped if she see's the card Apparently deciding to spend an evening off attending something that's entirely different than her usual, Poppy slips in after the line has sorted itself out, heels clicking against the floor despite the weather outside. Perhaps she likes to live dangerously. Despite the chill temperatures, the blonde is dressed in a black cocktail dress with silver sequins applied in a geometric, art deco-style pattern; rhinestone-encrusted wedge-heel boots with telltale red soles zip to the ankle, exposing the length of her pale legs. A black choker with a silver, inverted triangle pendant is clasped about her neck and that blonde hair is worn loose, falling to her waist. Looking around brightly she offers the host for the evening a cheerful smile that turns into more of a sharp grin as she spies Tally, lifting a hand in a wave. And oh, hey, there's food /and/ booze to go with the art. Mags just keeps her gaze on Tally for a bit longer before she sees...well....the card. Blinking she seems taken aback as she looks to Tally before clearing her throat. Looking back to Thea she smiles a bit then rolls her shoulders a bit. "Hmm. Yes. Just...he's....something alright." At that she looks to the new face, Poppy, and gives her a smile. "Welcome. Please help yourself to snacks and drinks." Mavis comes through the frosted glass doors of Martinez Gallery and Studio, shutting it behind them. Amity comes through the frosted glass doors of Martinez Gallery and Studio, shutting it behind them. Amity wanders in through the doors, dressed in nice enough clothing. Skirt, leggings, low heels and a comfy, though fancy sweater in a warm autumnal brown. She looks around the entryway for a moment, then realizes that she's gotten here ahead of the rest of her merry band. She hesitates, lingering near the entrance and glancing back to see if she can spot them outside--no luck yet. Her attention flicks towards the art on the walls, curiosity tugging her onwards. "There's s'posed to be food here," remarks Mavis as she steps in front the outside with a young, redhead punk coming in behind her. He's short, freckled, and Mavis is unwrapping a scarf from around her neck to give to him. "I dunno where to put this," she murmurs to Casper while peering over a shoulder at the gathered crowd here to look at the art. "And my friend should be here," warns Mavis, pulling off her knitted, fingerless gloves to jam them into her hoodie pocket. "Amity, too. Oh--!" She spots her, waves, and walks over to her and slip arms around her girlfriend and nuzzle an ear. "Hey, you. How was work?" She beams and puffs out her cheeks, a little taken aback by the setting. "These things always make me a little uncomfortable," she murmurs quietly to Amity. from the outside* Tap. Tap. Tap. Thea continues texting, looking away from Tally as he mumbles about cards or something. She's amused. Her smile is.. rakish as she looks around the room. Lena? Who? "You know, lad, I dunno who the fook yer talkin' about," Thea mutters beneath her breath, British accent still distinct. But.. she plays along. Takes the card. Glances at it. Barely looks at it. And then, does a double take. Both at the card, and at TALLY. Her vividly violet eyes narrow a second. And then she tucks the card into her pocket. If Tally thought he was gonna get it back, he had another thing coming. "So, uh. Goodness, forgive me, love, but I've forgotten your name. Silly me." She addresses Mags. Offers her hand. "Thea. I'm actually real impressed, like. If I wanted to get some pretty pictures drawn, need some art for my band's poster--" her words trail off when she looks to Poppy. "..hoh." Thea exhales, grin broad. And resumes texting, words forgotten. Thea blinks, looking at her phone. And then up. "Mav? Haah. Nice to see ya, love!" "Come on Lena, you don't find me /that/ despicable." He ends with a grin and a wink, before looking back towards Thea and raising an eyebrow before giving the lady yet another wink and glancing about. When he see's Poppy, he gives the lady a grin and an inclination of his head, before seeing Amity come in and get joined by someone else. "You need a drink before I go say hi to some people, Lena?" he asks, looking back towards Mags and raising an eyebrow... "Oh, didn't realize I've got a knack for card tricks?" he seems amused even as he goes to get both Thea and Mags drinks, despite not asking the one and not even waiting for an answer from the other Casper comes in behind Mavis - yes he is short. And freckled. And very redheaded. Like a stepchild. Mavis hands Casper a scarf and he quickly whispers something to Mavis who whispers something back with non-committal body-language. He frets with the scarf for a moment before bundling it up clumsily and trying to cram it into one of his jacket pockets. His eyes widen as he sees the place they have arrived, though - it is, in his view? Ritzy. "Oh man, Mave, this is... I'm not dressed for this..." He sighs, averting his eyes and blushing so hard his face turns pink. He keeps a small pace behind Mavis, approaching Amity behind her and giving the bespectacle gal a friendly wave. "Hey. I... uh, didn't know what kind of art show we were talkin'." He glances at the bleach stains on his jacket, takes a deep breath and holds it for a few seconds in counting as he lets his eyes wander about. A tattooed woman, Thea, catches his attention as she addresses Mavis between texts on a burner phone similar to what he lost in Jersey. He notes a skinny guy nearby in a ponytail speaking with... Casper pauses and blinks. He looks to Mavis, and then he looks to that brunette woman again. Oh, right, he should be breathing. He lets out a long exhale and returns to a normal breathing routine through hise nose. "It's alright. I'm Magdalena Martinez....owner of the gallery and artist." Mags chuckles a bit then smiles a bit. "And...just. Just...let me know..." Trailing off as the woman gets back to her texting. Looking back to Tally she snorts a bit then smiles. "I..." That's when she pauses a bit. "No no you're fine. Go do you..." With that she smiles and resumes her mingling. Poppy nods easily to Mags. "Thanks," she says cheerfully, even as she starts towards the bar. Thea's regard is met with a broadening of that sharp smile and a wink before she nods to Tally. Then she falls into a quiet, if brief, conversation with the bartender, placing an order for something that, should the color be anything to go by, is extremely alcoholic. Amity brightens immediately when she sees Mavis enter and Casper following behind. She slides an arm around the other woman in a warm, affectionate hug that belies her impassive facial expression. She tilts her head a little to listen to Mavis, smiles just a little. "You'll be fine. I thought you were an artist?" she murmurs, half-teasing. "Do artist stuff." Then, louder: "Hello Casper, I think you're fine. But if you want some help putting together some nicers clothes for interviews and whatever, let me know. And work was fine. Still quiet, probably will be until we get some proper snow." She tugs at Mavis, trying to drag her over to look at a nearby piece of art when Thea pipes up. Amity's attention immediately slides to the tattooed woman, appraising her silently before her gaze flicks to Mavis. Questioning. How many people does Mavis /know/ in this town? The love thing is probably down to the accent, right? Right. Don't be weird, Amity. "...Why don't you introduce me?" Its with a grin at Mags that Tally leaves to go stand beside Poppy, ordering a beer for himself, a cocktail with a naughty name, and a vodka on the rocks. Of course, he glances towards Poppy and gives her a grin before remarking, "i almost want to do a magic trick to pay, but I can pay normally, unfortunately." he ends with a sigh and a shake of his head, even as he reaches into his back pocket to pull out some small, grungy bills, proof that they are real, to put on the bar for while he gets the drinks. "So hows it going, Poppy?" He asks curiously even as he turns to people watch for a moment... "Whose the girl over with Amityville over there? And the red head?" Mavis slides out of her embrace with Amity and pulls her phone out of her pocket. Those thumbs of hers are LIGHTNING FAST at typing on the virtual keyboard and she tells Amity while she's texting, "A friend of mine's supposed to be here." She links arms with the Changeling, pocketing her phone. Her free arm lifts to wave over at Thea just as that text hits her Nokia. A smug grin sprawls across the mortal's lips. She knew she'd surprised the colorfully inked Lost. Coming here had been a split-second, spur-of-the-moment decision, and she'd brought two Lost with her. Both quite fair, if ya catch the drift. "It's okay, Cas," she turns to tell him, smiling. "I'm not dressed fancy, Thea's not." When she says that name, Mavis nods in the direction of the white-haired woman who'd called out to her. "There's a bar, too, look." She looks from one of her companions to the other and murmurs something quiet outside of their circle. Then, she says, "Try not to mention that, I'm kind of..." Uncomfortable. She wasn't exactly a well known artist or known at all and Mavis' tawny cheekbones actually flush as she's tugged over to check out a piece of art. Mavis glances over her shoulder back at Casper with a wide-eyed plea in them. Drink? Please? Now-ish??? "Yeah, sure. I mean, I only met her the other night," she explains in a rush, trying to quell whatever thoughts flinging around inside of Amity's pretty head. "Come on. She's a little gruff, but she don't mean it." Moving a sleepy Mavis. Tally is given an amused look at his remark, along with a smirk. "Life is pretty fucking hard, it's true," Poppy agrees, even as she reaches into her top for money to pay for her own drink. Classy. It's hard to say if it's a deterrent or incentive to theft. "For me? Things are pretty fucking decent. And you could ask them." Her eyes gleam at that question about the newcomers. "Coming?" Once she's paid, she pushes away from the bar, virulently green drink in hand as she sips from it. Mavis comes through the frosted glass doors of Martinez Gallery and Studio, shutting it behind them. Thea grins at the group of three, winking at Mavis. She's got a cigarette behind her ear. Her burner phone? She shoves it into her jeans pocket. Well. One could assume that whoever she *had* been texting was now, in fact, here. Or.. someone better had arrived. She could make her way over to them, but.. well. She suddenly felt the need for a drink. The white-haired punk swaggers over to the bar, orders a beer. Isn't specific about what she wants. Just a beer. And, leaning against the bar, next to Poppy, she stares at Mavis even as she addresses the other woman. "Say," she says to Poppy. "Do I know you from somewhere? Name's Thea." Work. Amity works with a friend of Caspers! He smiles to her and decides to ask as he shoves one hand in his jacket pocket, and the other into scarf rolls that are already filling that jacket pocket. "Yeah, that'd be great. I think..." He winces at the thought of working fast food or something." The weensiest little groan escapes him, and he is about to ask something when Mavis slips from Amity to draw attention to the pretty tattooed woman. Thea was a lot to take in, and Casper does his best not to stare. That would be rude. And conspicuous. And he is trying to make friends. He glances toward tall card-guy and Magdalina parting from him to start mingling with other patrons. Then he glances toward Poppy. New life in Vermont - new faces, new layers, new life. Then, he catches Mavis's wide peepers thrown in his direction. He stares back, also wide-eyed. Oh! He stares back, wide-eyed, his lips stretch out to the corners, and he starts nodding toward a few things: Bar? Food Drinks? What!? His brow creases as he glances toward the bar and back to Mavis. He huffs and makes his way toward the bar. This will go SO well. "many things in life are hard." he ends with a dry smirk back at Poppy, before noting where she keeps her money... "You know, I'd do a magic trick and make your cash disappear, but I'm fairly sure that either you'd sock me or the owner of the place would kick me in the family jewels if I was seen to be groping someone at this party." Tally ends with an amused laugh before getting the cocktail and telling Poppy, "Just let me drop this off and then I'll be over." And Tally vanishes into the crowd for a moment to give Mags the drink before eventually starting on his way over towards Mavis and Amity, carrying a beer for himself and a vodka on ice for Thea. -> >> Casper to Here << <-============================================ Rolled 1 Success < 1 2 2 4 7 9 > ===============================-> >> Wits + Composure No Flags << <- Amity nods at Mavis' explanation. Right, okay. Figured. Mavis did get out more than Amity. Okay. She's got this. She gives Casper a little smile as well, though then the poor boy is sent off in search of drinks and she's left with Mavis. She tugs at the other woman, glances towards Thea again. "Did you wanna introduce me now? Or..." She watches as the other woman gets a drink. "Maybe wait? I... Well, I don't draw a lot of attention at these sorts of things." Or she's not used to drawing a lot of attention, anyway. Except Tally is headed for them now. Oh. Jeeze, this is crowded. Amity takes a half-step back, angling herself a little so that Mavis sort of... interposes between Amity and the chattering crowd. Nothing weird here, nope. Mavis knew about that friend of Casper's who also worked at the Red Clover Hotel. She frowns just a little bit when the redheaded punk brightens about the subject, but keeps her mouth shut and sends him off with a pitying look. They all three felt out of place here for different reasons. "Yeah," she responds to Amity, checking once more over her shoulder for her charge. She looks back at the blonde Lost, muttering, "Sorry, he just seems a little anxious." And that made her anxious. "Anyways, yeah-- let's go-- Oh." Some woman-- Tally in disguise-- was coming over with the clear intent to speak to them. Maybe she was going to mention how Mavis' and Casper's clothes weren't exactly up to standard and Mavis peers over at the bar where Thea is stationed. She wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion either. Her arm snagged with Amity's pulls a little tighter, trying to steel the woman with her. She tilts her head, murmurs something close to Amity's ear. Poppy pauses at the sound of a new voice as she starts to walk away from the bar, turning back to face Thea instead. "Could; I'm pretty much a fucking fixture at Alchemy. And to be fair, I have more than little fucking music out there at point in time." A cheerful, if sharp smile is directed at the white-haired woman before she sips from her drink. Swallowing, she says, "My name's Poppy." Tally's remark has her smirking and nodding as he excuses himself. Mags had acquired that drink from Tally and there was a moment of pause from her. Clearing her throat she moves towards the string quartet, smiling as they slowly die down the music. Taking a deep breath, she leans behind them to retrieve a mic and a small speaker. Turning it on she then clinks clears her throat into the mic. "Welcome everyone." When everyone starts to die down she finally speaks again. "Thank you all for coming. My name is Magdalena Martinez, owner and primary artist here at Martinez Gallery and Studio. This has....this has been a dream of mine for a long time and I'm so glad to share it here." With that she takes a small sip of her drink before continuing. "Sorry...nerves. Anyway....I do hope that this gallery does provide a space for other artists to showcase their work as well become eventually a shared space for others to learn and grow as artists....." There's a longer pause. "Please enjoy yourselves, eat up the food, have some drinks...and let me know if you need anything." - in disguise, it's just Tally as Tally <- Mavis owning her fuck up* Stopping from fully approaching the pair, Tally turns to listen to Mavis even as he see's the red head guy walking past him. Putting both his drinks into one hand, he turns and walks past Casper and continues on his way, eventually coming towards Mavis and Amity, blinking as Amity hides behind Mavis before looking towards Mavis with an owlish gaze. "Hello. I don't think you'd be fitting as a spade... Do you think a club is more your speed?" he asks as a way of introduction, before offering the vodka on the rocks to Mavis. "The person I went to give this to decided she was getting her own drink and stealing my cards, therefore you or Amityville there can have it." Casper might have been trying not to be rude, but Thea plainly had no such compulsion. The rakish punk woman's grin stretches at her lips as she catches the ginger looking her way. Poppy speaks, and finally, finally, she stops leering at Mavis and Casper. Interest decorating the tattooed punk's features. Her lips part. Oh. Shit. She actually *does* recognise Poppy. It's not just some attempt to lead into a really awful pickup line this time. "Oh, wow. Pleased to meet y--" She starts to say. And then Mags addresses the crowd. Thea listens real politely, which is saying something for her. And then she claps. Clap, clap, clap. She doesn't care if she's the only one to applaud, she'll do it all the same. Casper feels a hand(!?) slip past his person on his left side, and he blinks, turning his head to look over his shoulder as he nearly walks into a barstool. He checks his left back pocket, pulling out a small card (Jack, Red, Dia) and frowns at it before putting it back in his pocket. It might be part of the art show or something. He'll throw it away when he leaves. A flicker of light - or something - catches his attention, and he is once again giving Thea a quick up and down. He should definitely say something not corny. Those Docs meant she could probably kick his ass. ...Which is actually kind of a turn-on. He smirks, quietly coughs into his fist, adjusts his jacket, pushes back his hair, and then 'Welcome everyone' sounds as he begins to strut over and he turns on a heel toward Mags as she addresses the room. He cannot stop himself. He claps, and again, slower, and then stops - only to pick up when Thea starts after him, and then slowly stops when she does. Mavis shoots Amity an uncertain glance out of the corner of her eye then looks back into Tally's owlish gaze. Her head shakes as she says to him, politely and with a little laugh, "I'm not sure that I know what you mean. Name's Mavis, though. Oh-!" Mags was speaking to them. "Sh." She listens respectfully, clapping with her arm still linked with Amity's next to her. The mortal peers over at her, smiling hugely at her with the sliver-gap between her incisors peeking in between her smile. Poppy winks at Thea, even as whatever she was going to say is interrupted by annoucements; turning her attention politely towards Mags as she speaks the blonde smiles; she seems content to clap along with everyone else, although in her case it's her free hand against her thigh to avoud spilling her drink. Then she takes another sip of her drink, nodding brightly at Casper before glancing back at the white-haired punk to see if the other Lost is going to finish her sentence. Amity's attention flicks to Thea, to Tally, then over to the front of the room where Mags is giving her little talk. She's too polite to interrupt her in order to reply to Tally, so she just smiles her small, polite smile. It does get a bit bigger when Mavis gives that huge, wide smile though. It's hard not to feel good when Mavis does! When the talking is done, she claps politely before her eyes finally settle on Tally. "My name is not Amityville," she says in a cool tone. "I will not be drinking tonight, since I have to drive home. Thank you for offering, though." Of course Tally listens responsibly and politely. Its not at all like Tally is tilting his head slowly to the side and in ultra slow motion making funny faces at Mags up on the stage, slow enough that it probably takes a couple of glances to realize that he's actually shifting his expression on purpose. Unfortunately, his hands are full, so he can't clap for Mags, but he does nod to the front and smile, before turning back to his companions, looking to Mavis and smiling, before glancing towards Amity. "And my name isn't Jason." He ends with a light lilt to his voice before saying easily, "Ah, how are you doing Amity? and miss Mavis?" Mavis casts a glance back over to the bar. She sees Thea there still, talking to someone who looked familiar, Poppy, and spies Casper's curly, bright, red head not too far off. Looks like he got held up on his way to the bar by the speech. Her gaze cuts back over to Amity, though, when she says that and her eyes flicker darkly over to Tally. Mavis knew that tight, polite tone very well, although it was never addressed to HER personally. "Hm," she hums, then carries on lightly, "Nice to meet you, Isn't Jason." She grins, dimple deepening at her left cheek. "And I think I'm going to take my girlfriend over to the bar, at least while _I_ order something. Then, I'll get back to ya on that." Presumably, she'd feel infinitely better with a drink in her hand. With a murmured, "C'mon, Sunbeam," she pulls Amity with her away. Casper finally - wait, was he supposed to be doing something? Whatever, like five hundred things happened between Mavis's not-at-all-clear instructions that were obviously her attempts at broadcasting some mental signal and now. He turns to Thea and Poppy, tucks his thumbs into his jacket pockets - fuck the scarf, it just gets shoved harder into the crammed confines of the jean-jacket pocket - and introduces himself to the two. "Hi, cool show so far, huh?" He gives a quick cursory glance around at the art - yep, it is definitely art. Back to the two cool eye-catching Lost, "I'm Casper. I'm new in town, how about yous?" Thea takes a deep swig of beer, before returning her purple gaze to the woman beside her. The rakish grin has faded, instead replaced with something edging towards genuine interest. "Yeah. I thought so." She snaps her fingers. "Might be I've got one of your albums on CD. You got a real fine set of pipes, love." She flashes a grin. "You still in that band, or are ya flying solo? You ain't looking for a bassist, are you?" Aaaand then Casper speaks up. "Thea. Been here a month or so. Still getting settled." The rakish grin grows, and she removes her hands from her pockets. Not to shake hands with Casper, but to pat him firmly on the shoulder. "Nice shirt." "Ah. She wants a drink," Amity adds to Tally as if that additional information will help explain things. Amity lets herself be tugged towards the bar by Mavis, her shoulders feeling suddenly tense. The arm sliped through Mavis' is stiff, almost uncomfortably so, and it's only years of practice that make Amity's movement go as smoothly as she does. She doesn't speak, instead letting Mavis take the lead and sinking back a little. Just. Let Mavis talk. Yes. Thea flashes that grin Amity's way. Tally... Blinks as the two suddenly leaves and frowns, glancing to watch them leave, before looking down towards the drink he has, the spare one, with a frown and a shrug, before going to give it to some random passerbyer. Looking towards the bar where several people are gathered, he then glances towards the crowd, as if thinking for a long moment as to what to do... And then takes a sip of his drink and decides to go to the far end of the bar, out of the way of everyone and very out of view, and sit there and drink alone for a few minutes. Poppy nods easily at Thea's placement of her, then grins sharply. "Thanks, and glad to hear that shit. I feel like I've been all of goddamn nowhere lately, but honestly, there are worse things. Reminds me I should actually start fucking recording again." A sinuous shrug. "Been doing solo, but where I am right now's always looking for acts." A smile is directed towards Casper. "Poppy," she supplies by way of a name. "Nice to meet you both." Mavis leans against Amity's side as they walk over towards the bar without a backwards glance. The mortal has chosen a slower pace, giving her time to lean in to talk to privately talk to Amity. She could feel how stiff her girlfriend's arm was in her grasp and Mavis leans her head to murmur something again, catching Thea's eye as the tattooed Lost grins over at them. "Sorry," she says quietly to Amity. "I wasn't trying to be rude to your friend, but I'm kind of 'funny' about taking drinks from strangers." Mavis doesn't elaborate WHY, she doesn't feel she needs to explain that one to her own girlfriend. Sighing a bit she seems to just be...well...sipping her drink. A smile is on her lips however as the soft music resumes and she moves to stand by a painting. Taking a deep breath she just seems to be...happy. Yup....she's content letting everyone just have fun. Her? The hostess just...watching. Casper smiles to Thea as she pats him on the shoulder and compliments his shirt. "Yeah? Thanks. Same; I got rescued by," he gestures toward Mavis and Amity, "those two." He shrugs his shoulders, "Been... a real trip. A friend told me I could get right in Vermont, so I made my way here. Hoping to, you know, fit in." He does wince when Poppy mentions her frustrations with art. He listens attentively, giving a small nod. "Yeah, definitely." To recording? To meeting Thea and Poppy? Yes. He pauses for a moment, smiles to both women, "nice meeting both of you," and then decides to start looking at, well, the art. It is an exhibit, right? Casper is stopped by the velvet rope with a sign that says 'Temporarily Closed'. Thea nods politely at Casper's explanation. His story was similar to hers, but she didn't really feel the need to explain why she was in town. "That so," she says to Poppy's statement about Alchemy looking for acts. "Well, I've got the hottest act in town. Might be I'll come chat to you about that after this show. I've got some art to look at." She follows Casper, though she does drift dangerously close to Mavis as she shifts to examine one of the exhibits. "What do ya think the artist was intending with this one?" She gestures to a painting, taking a sip of her beer. Thea is stopped by the velvet rope with a sign that says 'Temporarily Closed'. Amity murmurs back to Mavis and settles herself against the bar, seeming a touch more relaxed now that she's not in the middle of the room and having conversations. She leans over to speak to the bartender and a few moments later, she's sipping on a soft drink of some description, listening to the talk going on around her and taking a few deep breaths. Title: Betrayed Artist: M.M. This painting is obviously not done by an amateur but it shows that there are some nuances of a newer artist. Needless to say it's very well done. So well done it's been hung up here in the lobby. The painting looks similar to a renaissance painting set in an open clearing. An older man leaning against a tree in medieval garb is bleeding from his chest, holding his hand over the wound. In front of him is a young woman crying as she hold a dagger dripping blood, her long brown pulled back so it shows her expression and the details of her 14th century styled red and green gown. Through her back and protruding from her is a long sword. This weapon is held by another woman with orangey red hair in a 14th century gown of black that stands behind her. The red head's gaze is fierce as she impales the brunette from behind. Casper has taken notice of some stairs but is briefly halted by a velvet rope with a sign that says 'temporarily closed'. He sneers at it, his brow curling in aggressive dismay. He considers walking around it... but that would embarrass Mavis and Amity. So, art. He starts to look at one of the pictures, unaware that the pretty lightshow of a person that is Thea comes up, and gestures to one of the paintings. "...I... uh..." He stares at it for a moment, eyes squinting at the painting. His eyes focus on the main holding a hand on his chest. He glances at the title. His eyes flit back to the chest wound, and his fists tighten in his pockets. His throat catches for a moment as he speaks, and he opts to lie instead. "It sucks. Let's look at another one." Poppy arches an eyebrow at Casper's grimace before she smirks at Thea's response. "Feel free to drop the fuck by and bring a sample, then." She sips from her drink again, gaze considering the others in the room before offering a smile to Mavis and Amity, should the two glance in her direction. Mavis' arm slips out of Amity's once they reach the bar and she orders their drinks. For her, "A beer, please," and she glances to Amity to ask her, "You sure you don't want a Coke or something?" Then, if Amity did want something non-alcoholic to drink, Mavis would order it and settle next to the blonde Lost. She peers over at Poppy, not far down along the bar, grinning something cheeky. "Funny," she goes. "Usually, you're on the other side. Amity," Mavis says, getting her girlfriend's attention and leaning to let Poppy peer past her at the bespectacled Lost. "This is Poppy, she works over at Alchemy." She wasn't sure if they'd met, couldn't remember. The last time she'd seen Poppy, Mavis had had a lot on her mind... Thea, too, thinks about stepping over the velvet rope and sneaking upstairs. But without a cute honey to have all to herself, she really has no reason to try and find somewhere a little more private. "Will do, Poppy!" She answers, brutally cheerful, as she stands in front of the painting. Close to Casper. If his discomfort was noticed, she certainly doesn't react or say anything about it. Instead, she stands there, tattooed hand at her chin, as she regards the scene. "I dunno, I think redheads are hot." Again, that rakish grin. Tally's bored, and thoughtful for a moment... And then he gets a sly grin, before leaning over towards one of the napkins, grabbing it and looking about, thinking for a moment, before looking around, looking for a pencil, before finally asking one from the bartender and starting to draw on the napkin all secretive like. Its just a rough sketch, but the amused grin on Tally's face... Amity lifts a hand slightly to wave at Poppy. Her other hand grips her class of Coke, though she only sips once or twice. There's a slight smile, a polite nod of her head from behind Mavis. "Nice to meet you, Poppy. I don't think we've met before? I haven't been to Alchemy. Not really my scene." Casper does not quite move on from the painting just yet. His eyes flit from the stabbed man, to the impaled brunette, finally to red-headed woman in black. His brow knits, a few shallow creases appear on his forehead as he works through the work - eyes ready to flit toward another painting when Thea speaks. He turns to look at her politely, then she says her line and grins. His freckles nearly glow with saturation as his cheeks and nose pinken right up. "I dunno, we... uh, skew toward trouble." he offers with a smirk, jerking a thumb toward the ole broadswordswoman. Something cause Mags to purse her lips but then she clears her throat and finishes the rest of her drink. Making her way over to the bare she leans on the bar, speaking the bartender in Spanish while he's helping then smiles. At that she passes him the dirty glass and just leans on the bar to wait. Mavis comes through the frosted glass doors of Martinez Gallery and Studio, shutting it behind them. Writing something else on the napkin, Tally stands up and walks to go over and see some paintings himself, after buying a second beer. Eventually, he see's the painting of the betrayed... And nopes, just going on further, passing Carter nd Thea. The Coke is set down in front of Amity first and, not long after that, Mavis has her beer in her hand. She pays for it with cash, tips, and then turns to lean against the bar with her back against it. She sips her beer, looking out over the brim at the crowd of people milling about. Casper is spotted over yon with Thea and why was she not surprised by this? Mavis quietly shakes her head, lowering her beer so not to spill it, and grins over at Amity to tilt her head, murmuring, "Looks like Cas found a /friend/." She purses her lips, frowning at Amity. She could tell the Changeling was NOT enjoying herself, but Casper was absorbed over by the art with Thea. "I think I forgot something in the truck," invents Mavis, sitting up like it'd only just occurred to her. Lame excuse, but whatever. Her girlfriend could get away from the crowd and breathe in some much needed air. Mavis sets her beer back down. "Mind minding this? Don't worry too much about it, I'll just order another. Sorry- Gonna steal Amity for a sec. Amity?" She peers at the Lost as she stands up straight again. A hand is offered. "Come with me?" Skew towards trouble? "Yeah, maybe that's why I like them. The best things in life are a bit dangerous, right?" The white-haired glowy punk steps closer, closer to Casper. Not quite touching. And then she is. Her hand goes for his shoulder as she leans in to whisper something in his ear. Poppy gives Amity a wry smile. "We've met really fucking briefly, I think. And no worries about Alchemy; it isn't for everyone." Her gaze flickers towards the painting everyone's studying and she sips her drink thoughtfully, taking a long look herself. Amity blinks and as Mavis takes her arm, the other hand sets her Coke down on the bar. She lets herself be tugged away towards the doors, giving a small smile and dip of her head towards Poppy as they go. "Ah, nice meeting you," she mmurmurs and then she's gone, whisked away by Mavis from the scene of the crime. Or not crime. Casper leans in to listen to Thea. His eyes widen and then he blinks twice. He glances toward the stairs in defeat, but nods and something back with a small, genuine smile. Mags gets her new drink and smiles over at the bartender then blinks. As she sees the secondary napkin she just opens it up and stares. Her cheeks going red she just sighs as she picks up her drink and takes a long drink. Yup...needed. Taking a deep breath she just pockets the artwork on the napkin...and pocket she means holding it since her sweater dress has no pockets. Thea laughs. The sizzling hot punk's laughter is genuine. It's also loud. Easy to hear over the fancy string quartet. Her fingers curl against Casper's shoulder, stroking up to briefly trace against his jaw. Her glasses catch the light, hiding her violently violet eyes behind the lenses as she regards him. "That so?" She's about to say something else, and then her phone buzzes. Beep boop. Chuckling, the punk withdraws it and resumes tap, tap, tapping against the Nokia. Reply finished, the phone goes back in her pocket. Poppy glances sideways to Mags and that blush. Arching an eyebrow, she moves a bit closer to the artist. "You doing okay?' she asks her inquisitively. Her gaze only flickers to the napkin once before resting on the other woman's face. He's got a grin on his face as he glances back towards Mags in time to see her reaction, before he thinks for a moment, looking around, before he finally goings back towards the bar, this time to be on the other side of Poppy, not saying a word, instead going to sit down and look at the bartender. "Hey, can I have a pencil and a beer?" he asks curiously as he smiles at the bar tender. Casper's face pinkens but he does not shy away from the contact. If anything, he straightens up - swelling with... confidence as he returns her mirth with a cool response. "Ffsh, yeah," his eyes roll upward and then return to Thea, enjoying this exchange. Then he leans in, gesturing an intent to whisper. If received, he leans further in, and delivers. Mags glances at Tally, pursing her lips before looking back over to Poppy. Giving her a warm smile she chuckles softly then nods. "Yes I'm good. Thank you. I'm just....enjoying the atmosphere...." Then there's a laugh as she nods. "But now I know why my mentor had someone accompany her on all of her gallery opening. When everyone is networking...you at least have someone to talk to when you're in a lull." Chuckling a bit she nods. "Anyway....are you enjoying yourself?" Casper pauses and pulls out a cell phone with a pink case over the back of it. It is on its second pulse. He seems to be getting the hang of texting, as it takes less effort - but still a bit of hesitation with swipes - before he tap-tap-taps a response. Poppy grins cheerfully at Mags' response. "Or you could take a few minutes to fucking breathe and not talk to anybody. In which case I'm being rude as hell and interrupting." Her eyes glint at that, then she replies, "I'm enjoying myself. Good drinks, good art, and people are always pretty goddamn interesting." She sips from the virulently green drink in her glass. Thea too, doesn't shy away from Casper. Even as her phone buzzes, beeps. This time she doesn't immediately pull it out, instead she runs her tongue over her teeth. If it wasn't for the light catching her glasses lenses, it would be incredibly obvious that her attention is less on the painting --creepy in its detail, she'd decided -- and more on looking Casper up, and down, and up, and then admittedly -down- again. She pulls out her phone, glancing at it before deciding on a response. And, amused, the British accented voice is louder than a whisper oughta be. Fancy string quartets and art galleries call for a bit of class. Fortunately, Carter Logan is never short on that; when the door opens to admit him, the mortals in the crowd can see a tall, slim, imperious man in a tasteful but obscenely expensive suit, leaning on a long, slender cane. Something about him draws the eye. Something about him commands attention. Suddenly, and quite without any apparent effort on his part, the center of the universe has shifted oh so slightly to put him on stage. Or, rather, him and his companion - he isn't alone, and the woman on his arm is every bit as jaw-dropping as he is. Of course, the Lost present can see what's /really/ just entered the building. For some of them, a few moments of silent, blind panic might be understandable. The man himself, though, does nothing particularly terrifying. He simply steps in, pausing as the door swings shut behind him to lean over towards the woman beside him and whisper something in her ear. Then, catching sight of Poppy, he breaks into a broad, heart-stopping grin, and lifts his hand to offer her a wave of greeting. -> >> Tally to Here << <-============================================= Rolled 0 Success < 1 2 2 2 7 7 > ============================-> >> Resolve + Composure No Flags << <- "Hey, Piranha, whose the kid." he ends with a glance over towards where Casper and Thea are, before he takes out his pencil and frowns as he watches the two before snorting, and Tally glances towards Poppy, before looking to Mags and giving her a wide, trickster grin. "Oh, I wrote down the numbers of half a dozen different guys I over heard were asking if Mags was single. She said she wants a dashing young man to take her out for a drink." His tone is slyly amused as he looks back towards Mags and then adds cheerfully, "I might of /also/ added my own personal reccommendation of what those guys sounded like. 'Sleazy ball with a wife' was one of my tamer descriptions." Of course, Poppy knows Tally at least a little bit, so can guess he might be flat out lying, even as he turns around and starts writing on his beer bottle, looking about curiously. And he stops, staring at Carter and Zillah when they come in. And he /stares/ at them, before muttering under his breath, "... Did death's handmaiden find her death?" "Oh no no. You're not being rude...." Laughing softly Mags just nods to Poppy. "But I'm glad you are. And people are always....interesting. After moving here and finally getting out and about here...now I'm finally meeting people. I guess I was a bit of hermit." As the door opens her attentions turn and she just...blinks. Clearing her throat she seems...fidgety before she smiles slightly. "Welcome to the gallery!" At that she looks to Poppy then Tally. Parting her lips she just laughs a bit and shakes her head. "...ay dios mio..." Finally that Spanish accent slips through but it's gone just as quickly as it came. The man has class enough for the two of them. Which is a lucky thing, as the woman beside him has...seemingly little. At least to Mortal Eyes. They see a curvy brunette with smokey eye makeup, black lipstick, and wild hair. The dress she wears is black, snakeskin patterned, and...covers very little. The neckline dips low enough to show her belly button, and the silver ring that gleams within. The hem is only a few inches longer than needed to cover what's considered impolite to go flashing in public. And her wedge heels are at the nine inch mark, ribbons lacing around her shapely calves. Despite this, she looks completely, totally at home on Carter's arm. The Lost, well, they get that curvy slither-shadow that is the Moon Court's highest ranking local. Shadows reaching out, spreading, in her wake. Her hips sway with her walk, dancing to music that no one else can hear. A flashing wink, a smile - teeth looking a bit like fangs, even to mortal eyes. Poppy raises her glass in greeting to the relatively terrifying - or at least striking - couple that's just entered the gallery, returning that grin with a bright smile. The siren's dressed up for the evening, it seems, in silver and black. "Hey," she offers in greeting before glancing towards Tally. That remark about a list is met with a rather musical snort before she glances at Mags, expression wry. "Fun times?" she asks whimsically. Tally's muttered comment has her looking more than a bit amused, for all she doesn't respond. Feeling a swell of confidence from his exchange with Thea, he smiles and glances toward the door right when Carter arrives. Just the man's bearing is enough to drain the color from his face and bring a freeze to his step. His eyes widen, his throat drains, and he turns toward Thea. His voice lowers, and is discrete even when not whispering. "Now's... now's... yeah, a good time to go." He steps closer to Thea, beside her. A hand reaching down to grab and squeeze hers tight for a second. Casper cannot help but glare at Carter, so he tries to avoid looking his direction. Fear? Likely. He waits for Thea, but he will likely want to lead her out. The hand not squeezing the pale tattooed woman has found his chest and is holding it similarly to the Betrayal portrait behind him. Casper had not even noticed the slinking shadowy woman on Carter's ram. In fact, even with some details that are a teensy bit recently familiar to him, she is practically a relief to notice. No immediate warning bells. No, whatever the reason, she was antithetical to his fears; tolerable? She reminded him of music he started listening to last year. GAME: Tally spends 3 Glamour -> >> Carter to Here << <-============================================ Rolled 2 Successes < 1 2 4 5 5 5 6 6 8 10 > ====================================-> >> Clarity + 2 No Flags << <- arm, not ram*** -> >> Tally to Here << <-============================================= Rolled 3 Successes < 1 1 5 8 9 9 > ======================-> >> Manipulation + Subterfuge No Flags << <- Thea doesn't immediately look to the door. Oh, yeah, her senses prickle. But her intensely, violently violet gaze is wholly focused on Casper. At least until she notices the colour drain from his face. "--hoh." Yeah. That's something. Casper goes for her hand, heck. Thea links arms with him. She stands tall, instinctively taking the half step forward to act as a shield for her red-headed companion. Aside from that, she just.. stares. Bit rude, really. But hey. The adreneline surges within her. Metalic taste in mouth, she grimaces. She might have fronted up, might have squared up. Aaand yet, there was something that was seriously testing her resolve. Well, not something. Two somebodies. "...hoh," she repeats, fetching the cigarette that she'd tucked behind an ear earlier. And notices the wave to Poppy. "Chill, Casper. I got this." Bold. Brash. Probably a lie? But hey, only way to find out. Flashing her best rakish grin, Thea starts to stride forward. Swaggers forward. "See ya later, Poppy." She waves, before turning the wave into a flourishing bow directed at the devilish Carter and his shadowy companion. "The name's Thea, I'll see myself out." GAME: Mags spends 1 Willpower -> >> Mags to Here << <-============================================== Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success. < 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 10 10 10 > =============================-> >> Wits + Empathy + 3 No Flags << <- Mags' greeting gets Carter to incline his head for a moment. When he says the words "Thank you," the voice that they're spoken in is... exquisite. Impossibly perfect. Deep, rolling, sonorous. It carries like no other - save, perhaps, for Poppy's - and seems to tug the listener's attention still more inexorably towards him. Zillah's inappropriate dress, despite seeming entirely at odds with Carter's own traditional suit, suits the pair of them very well. Somehow, they simply work together, the handsome, besuited man and the barely-dressed woman on his arm. They move together, despite his limp and her sinuousness, without any apparent effort, sliding further into the gallery. Any looks of fear or worry from other patrons are left without comment. Carter hardly seems to notice them; Poppy gets a smile and a nod, but the others, save for Mags, are largely ignored for the moment. He strides up to the mortal woman, smiling an exquisite little smile, and says, in the same hypnotic voice, "You would be the proprietor of the establishment, I'm sure, then. It's a wonderful place." He gives an approving nod towards the architecture, then opens his mouth to speak again- and stops. And turns. Thea's bow gets a brief grin, and a returning inclination of his head in acknowledgement of her. "Have a wonderful evening, miss," he says - and he sounds as though he means it. But he doesn't look at her for long. Instead, he looks over towards Tally, and, still smiling, lifts his hand to wag a finger in silent admonishment of... something. Then, as if nothing had happened at all, he looks back to Mags. "As I was saying," he continues, "it's a wonderful place. Fort Brunsett has needed a shot in the arm to its artistic side for quite some time. It's wonderful to see it finally happening." Thea's resolve seems to be, well, infectious to Casper. He had been pointedly avoiding Carter, but when Thea takes hold of his arm, it seems to bring him some small amount of peace. His hand slowly lowers from his chest, fingertips glancing over his sternum in a faint appraisal of the stiff paint of the white blocky and grunge-inspired letter A. Still, the bravado stems from proximiate courage. A careful eye will still notice obvious wariness toward Carter. Also, anyone paying attention. He follows beside Thea. He forces himself to nod to Carter and Zillah, a quick dip of his head that is fast, simple, and passable as respect. It is obvious his intention is to leave with Thea as quickly as possible. And maybe possibly borrow a drag or three from her cigarette. Maybe head home and listen to Shiny Happy People at max volume. Blinking slowly as Tally just... Stares at Carter, he doesn't seem to be showing much emotion on his face, instead Tally's head is slightly tilted down to obscure his features somewhat, and he seems to kind of just... Sit in such a way that makes it harder to notice him. Its not you can't, its just he seems more like part of the background, or something to not pay notice to. But he watches Carter and Zillah, silently for a long moment, before blinking at Carter's words... And then his actions. Standing up in a slow, thoughtful, yet smooth way, Tally stands up straighter and goes to stand beside Mags, leaning back against the bar even though he had to walk all the way around Carter and Zillah, and takes a sip of his beer even as he twirling the pencil around his fingers. "Yea, Lena here happens to be a good artist. Although, there are plenty of artists you can find just about anywhere, mister...?" he asks quietly, his voice a bit... Wispy, almost? Smoky? Its a bit different from how it was before, when he was speaking 'normally', but he seems to be okay standing there. Just twirling his pencil and offering Carter a faint grimace mixed with a shit eating grin Compared to the man she's on the arm of, for the Lost? Zillah is a breath of fresh air. It's true. While there's some heavy weight to both her Wyrd and Mantle, and something inherently -Divine- about her, it's the Devil that is the knockout punch. She blows a kiss to Poppy - the full gesture including her free hand, to really get the effect, and there's an up and down look of the siren before she gives a rather approving grin. "Yes, it's fantastic thing to have some new art about, I..." Her own voice is pleasnt, but Zillah lacks that extra gusto that her companion has. A low, pleasant purr, for sure. But it doesn't give a kick in the gut. Her gaze moves over to Thea and Casper, and she gives them a lovely, fanged smile. "Hello, Thea. I hope that we'll be seeing you both around, soon." She seems to mean it. Even as her shadows twine, dance around the pair like a nest of hungry serpents. Mags looks to Poppy but over to Tally but her brow raises. She seems to be silent before setting her drink down now. Clearing her throat she nods then, extending her hand. "Si...I mean yes. Magdalena Martinez....glad to have you and your guest here." IF her hand is taken she then nod. At that she looks down at her own turtle neck sweater dress to adjust it, feeling slightly even underdressed as well...or nervous. Who knows! "Well I am so glad to have started that. It took me a bit to get this set up like." Of course Tally making his way around to her causes her some surprise...not sure whether to be insulted by that last bit. Clearing her throat she then nods. "Um...yes so feel free to have snacks and order drinks...and if you have any question do let me know and hopefully I can answer them." Thea swaggers past both Zillah and Carter, boytoy on her arm. She turns, likely wheeling Casper about, just as she is about to exit. Have fun? "Oh, I will." Seeing you both around soon? Dimples form at her cheeks. Why, if it wasn't for how the white-haired punk moved, you could almost make the mistake of finding the expression cherubic. "Ma'am," she boldly states, "you could hardly miss me." And just like that, perspiration threatening to dot her brow, Thea 'peaces out' from the art gallery. As the door swings shut, the guests inside likely hear her remarking, "Fuck, I should have grabbed a drink for the road." Poppy tosses a salute to Thea as the woman heads towards the exit, sipping from her drink and leaning idly against the bar, apparently holding it up for the moment. The Lost winks at Zillah's approving grin, then she tilts her head, expression curious as she watches the conversation between Carter and Mags unfold. Casper comes through the frosted glass doors of Martinez Gallery and Studio, shutting it behind them. Carter accepts the handshake readily, as though he was expecting it. He doesn't seem bothered in the slightest by the fact that he and Zillah have become the center of a small crowd. If anything, he seems rather pleased by it - the small quirk at the corner of his mouth makes that much plain. But he shakes Mags' hand professionally, and, despite his imperious bearing, there's no sign of any sort of condescension in his demeanor. "Oh, please," he says. "I'm just a guest. A potential patron, at best. This is /your/ show, Miss Martinez. /We/ are glad to have /you/ here. Art, regardless of medium, is one of the few things that still manages to capture my attention nowadays. I've been attempting to coerce another of my associates into displaying a few of her own creations, in fact. I'll have to introduce you, assuming that you haven't already met." He looks back over to Tally, and one eyebrow lifts very slightly as he gives the younger man a quick, up-down appraising glance. "Artists exist everywhere, yes," he says. "/Good/ artists, however, are in dangerously short supply, as are venues suitable for displaying and marketing their work. And it's Logan, thank you. Carter Logan." "Unfortunately, you have me there, Mr. Logan. Associates?" he asks curiously, Tally glancing back towards Carter with an upraised eyebrow, before seeming to turn his attention back to his twirling pencil, as if he doesn't have a care in the world as he sips his beer, even as he adds lightly, "Like Zill there, who sounds like a good singer, or Poppy, whose also a great singer... Why, there is almost an unusually high amount of talent in the area." Of course, Tally does not at all state that he has /any/ interest in /any/ form of art, instead just staring at the twirling pencil and giving Carter only as much attention as is needed to continue the conversation. Slowly, oh so slowly, Zillah removes herself from Carter's side. It has her slinking over to Poppy, moving in close enough to lean in, and brush lips against her cheek in greeting. "Poppy, my dear, it's great to see you here. How are the drinks? Strong, I hope? Come get one, and slither on over with us." Those eyes, gleaming with impish delight. "Who were they? The ones that just left? The woman has such pretty eyes..." Zillah's voice trails off, and she looks back towards Tally. "I don't sing, not when I have such stiff competition in the area with our Poppy and my Mister Logan. I know when I'm outclassed." "Oh you flatter me, Mr. Logan." Mags chuckles a bit and then nods. "And please do. My goal is to have space for other artists as well having workshops and the like for the community...." At that she picks up her drink again finally, exhaling softly. Looking around she then smiles. "Well...I won't stop you from enjoying the music and the art. Please...." She motions to the bar before looking to Tally. "May I speak with you?" With that she nods to Poppy, Carter, and Zillah before stepping towards the stairs. "I was addressing Miss Martinez," Carter says, in response to Tally. His voice is not rude, but it is curt and blunt. "The nature of my associations with the local artistic community is hardly of any relevance to you, I'm fairly certain. Whereas, for someone of your profession-" he looks back to Mags as he says it "-I'm sure the connection would be most useful. I saw her as I was entering, actually. She may have come in earlier - a young woman by the name of Miss Mavis Baines, who apparently has a rather unique style of art all of her own." When Mags addresses Tally, he gives a little nod, a smile, and steps away from the bar, towards Zillah and Poppy. "She did have considerable backbone, as well," he adds, as he steps up behind Zillah, wraps his arm around her shoulders, and leans in to press a kiss against her cheek. "Took our arrival better than most, at least. I take it you know her?" Poppy grins at Carter's insistence that Mags is really the woman of the hour, it's likely the expression is meant to be more encouraging than not. Taking a sip from her drink, she arches an eyebrow at Tally's seemingly idle remarks before she's distracted by Zillah, leaning into kiss the other woman's cheek in return. "For you, I'm pretty fucking sure they'll make whatever the hell you want," she says with a ripple of laughter to her voice before offering the alarmingly green drink in her hand to the snakelike woman in the barely-there dress. "Thea was the woman. The redhead was Casper." A flash of something is in Tally's gaze when Carter states that first bit, however he does keep the majority of his attention on the pencil... And doesn't speak up against the insults lobbied to him from the man, instead glancing towards Mags when she asks to speak with him, focusing on her for a moment before Tally shrugs and pushes off the bar, leaving his beer behind... But keeping the pencil twirling between the fingers of his left hand, even if it returns to his side, and managing a surprisingly decent clip, as he tries to just... Blend in with the crowd while following Mags. The siren tilts her head, glancing towards Carter. "Just met this evening, actually; it seemed fucking appropriate to talk to the artist, being her gallery and all." Her eyes glint at that. Mags walks up the spiral staircase to the second floor. Zillah takes that offered drink, sipping from the glass. Not intimidated by the near-glow of the liquid in the cup. "Mmm," she intones. "This is lovely. It almost tastes like bad choices." She grins, handing the glass back, and looking over towards Tally. A slight frown, but it's fading the moment that Carter brings his arms around her. Cheek tilting up to it, and then turning her head to steal one on the lips. "You should get some new art, for the cottage," she suggests towards the man behind her. "It could use a change. Or the Garden." Zee looks back to Poppy, then, nodding. "Thea seemed to have some spunk. I like that. And it encouraged his. Very lovely." Warm, approving. Her eyes follow, though, as Mags and Tally head off. "A fair point," Carter says, sounding amused. "Even if some persons-" a brief jerk of his horned head towards the door that Tally and Mags have just vanished through "-can't quite understand that such conversations shouldn't be interrupted. An egotistical individual, that one. And I say that as a raging egotist myself." He laughs, then adds, "It's always good to see someone who can draw the hidden reserves from their partner. Miss Thea and her friend will do well for themselves, I imagine. But yes, we should find something for the Garden." He glances around, taking in the pieces on display. "I had rather hoped to find something tonight, in fact. I like to encourage establishments like this. Why not make a purchase?" He turns away, then, and limps back towards the bar. "Find your favorite," he calls over his shoulder, towards Zillah. "And I'll find mine." Mags arrives via the spiral staircase. Tally arrives via the spiral staircase. "Do you really need a drink to help with that shit?" Poppy asks Zillah archly, taking the drink back and sipping it again herself. Opalescent eyes shift to Carter, then she grins, watching him start to circulate among the art. Turning, she requests the bartender refill her drink before starting to look among the paintings herself. Mags makes her way down the stares, a smile on her lips as she clears her throat softly to herself. As she steps her way to the bar, she waits for the bartender before speaking to him softly, her Spanish accent slipping back in. "Solo vodka ... helado por favor." With that she waits her turn for that drink and looks about. "Poppy, love, I -always- need a drink. It makes the bad choices go down more smoothly." Zillah chuckles, in tones that are both warm and dark all at once. "Find us something fitting," she calls back to Carter, as if he needed the instruction. There's a hooking of Poppy's arm, with her own. "Walk with me, pretty? It's been too long since we've caught up. Tally follows along down, of course, its quietly and without really most people needing to note the lean, short Darkling, and he follows Mags to the bar to order himself a whole bottle of booze. His words? "Don't care, just give me some hard shit." Before turning and leaning against the ball, waiting for the bottle Carter is already at the bar as Mags and Tally reappear, watching with a slight smile as the bartender tries not to panic in his presence. The drinks that are placed in front of him are of a similarly venomous green color to the one that Poppy and Zillah have been sharing, and he scoops them up with a nod of appreciation to the worried man behind the bar. Before he turns to leave, however, Mags catches his eye. "Ah," he says brightly. "Miss Martinez. Welcome back. You're just in time - Zillah and I-" he indicates the woman in the low-cut dress with another grin "-are of a mind to make some purchases. So." He looks around at the various pieces, then settles back against the bar and takes a sip from his drink. "Care to make any particular pitches, or shall I wander about on my own? I've quite a broad taste, so feel free to take your best shot, regardless of what it consists of." Poppy laughs at Zillah's reply, taking a sip from her refilled glass before offering it to the shadowy woman again. "It has been; that's the fucking truth." A wry look, then she smirks. "Did Duncan ever catch your ass? I told him to go find you." Her eyes gleam wickedly at that, perhaps she can envision that particular exchange already. Mags looks over to Tally, a look of concern on her face before she purses her lips. A hand goes to touch his shoulder, squeezing it slightly before looking back to Carter. Smiling a bit she chuckles a bit before rolling her shoulders. "Well...I like to take styles...and give them a bit more of a modern twist." With that she turns to look around...smiling. "Some are...happy...some are not so much...some are hard to tell..." With that she motions to a painting that looks like the same flower over and over but in various stages of wilting then decay. "That one...is just a cycle of life....watercolor...." Then she turns and motions to the one named Betrayed. "However this one....is an oil...done in a renaissance style but a hint of modernity." Tally doesn't even seem to note the squeeze of his shoulder, instead taking a mouthful from the bottle he procured for himself, give Mags a smile, and then listen in to the conversation with the affected air of the disinterested. "Duncan -did- find me," Zillah muses. And oh, she looks far too pleased by that fact. Way, way too pleased. "It was a lovely conversation. I'm looking forward to hearing from him, for follow-up." She glances over her shoulder, watching as Carter speaks to Mags. A brief look to Tally, but it's to the art she gives the most of her attention, once she's walking about with the siren. "Which reminds me," she murmurs, before leaning in. Carter glances about to each of the pieces that Mags indicates in turn, though none of them particularly seem to get his attention until the last. When "Betrayal" is offered, however, he steps away from the bar, glass still in hand, and limps his way through the assembled mortals to examine it more closely. They part around him as he moves, instinctually stepping back, making room for his passage. He stands in front of the painting for almost thirty seconds, apparently examining it closely. With his back to the others, it's difficult to ascertain anything regarding his expression, or any appreciation or criticisms that he might have in mind. He just takes an occasional sip from his glass, his head moving slowly as he looks the piece over. When he does turn back, though, he's still smiling, a crooked, approving little smile that is accompanied by a nod to Mags. "I'll take it," he says. "I appreciate art which isn't afraid to exhibit the darker passions, however grim they might be. Name your price, Miss Martinez - it's yours." The siren gives Zillah an arch look as she confesses to having been found by the other Lost. "I look forward to him actually fucking sharing the fruits of the goddamn conversation then," she says laughingly, glancing at some of the paintings. As the other woman leans in, Poppy tilts her head, all the better to hear her, than grins broadly at whatever it is she says, murmuring something in return.