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.
-> >> 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.
-> >> 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
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.
"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.
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.
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?"
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.
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.
-> >> 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.
"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."
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."
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.
"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?"
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.
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?
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?"
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.
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.
-> >> Carter to Here << <-============================================Rolled 2 Successes < 1 2 4 5 5 5 6 6 8 10 > ====================================-> >> Clarity + 2 No Flags << <-
-> >> 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."
-> >> 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.
"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.
"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."
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."
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?"
"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.
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."
"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."
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."
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