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Thread: Outlandish Voyage

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    Closed Roleplay [WoD] Outlandish Voyage

    The midnight blue Suzuki GSX quieted after its owner secured the kickstand and with the helmet still on, took a cursory glance around the neighborhood. Gloves were plucked off and tucked into the side zippers of the form fitting red leather jacket, attention focused on the Moonstone Cafe across the street directly behind. After dismounting the bike, Nara pulled the black helmet off and sighed before securing it on the back.

    London was overwhelming and entirely Michele's fault. The young Immortal had coaxed the Black Fury into following her across the ocean to get away from the shit show Chicago had become and try out a new crowd for her music here in London. For the young Garou, the idea was daunting. She had never traveled outside of the states but a large part of her heritage came from the islands. She was curious to see where she came from, have the stories she had listened to come to life.

    But first she needed to establish herself and understand the political entanglements of the shifters here. So while her band, and also kin, went sightseeing, Nara decided to scout the areas her tribe had recommended. The cafe she was heading to was one of them. With the hustle and bustle of cars and pedestrians, she kept her senses dull or risked being overwhelmed and overstimulated. Until she got used to the pulse of the city, Nara couldn't risk becoming debilitated. If this was Chicago or Portland, or any city she had called home for several months, she would allow her senses to roam free, knowing instinctively when to modify her hearing to avoid being startled by a loud car horn blocks away, or dull her sense of smell when there was a sewer block. It was familiar. London was not.

    Still very much jet lagged, Nara entered the cafe to take it all in and see who was here this late afternoon before getting desperately needed coffee...

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    The late afternoons could be busy at the Moonstone cafe, when students stopped by for some after class chill and esoteric reads, or just because they hoped the last batch of fresh pastries of the day would still be awaiting them. Roxane had been away part of the day, driving out of town to get new goods to add to the bookstore and esoteric shop. She hadn't had time to set them up yet. They had a sale going on for a couple more days, so she would rearrange things the following week. It was what made more sense.

    She also felt tired because of the moon's changes. She knew that her Priyio was about to change again, and she felt that she was headed towards a daylight one that made her more intense than usual. It was the rarer kind for her to experience. She originally was a nighttime one, making her quite introvert and the accomplished dark magician she had become over the centuries. The irony was that the daylight one tended to make her more social. The transitions always felt hit and miss even after such a long existence.

    She was happy at the chatter going on the moment a bunch of students showed up and started raiding Lila's counter; but she wasn't ready for the sensory overload. So she retreated towards the large room at the back of estbalishment, which served as evening bar, sometimes with live music. Feeling a bit more relaxed, Roxane actually got herself an ale from one of the refrigerators behind the bar counter, and popped it open. Since she had some times for herself, she could as well just arrange tables for the evening.

    Back at the front, Lila handled the ravenous university students, and once they were happily claiming a table, she turned her attention to the lone woman appearing behind them. "Welcome to the Moonstone Cafe! What would you like?"

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    It was just her luck that college students were out for the day. They were the worst bunch too - loud, hungry, college students. Normally Nara could care less but her exhaustion and lingering headache due to the massive time change was making her prickly. Glaring brown eyes snapped towards the new voice as the students found a table far, far away from her. Eyes widened with exhaustion and a hint of desperation as she ran a hand through her unruly brown hair.

    "Tell me you have a pot of coffee I can guzzle down," she pleaded, her American Accent giving Nara away. "Cuz jet lag's a bitch."

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    Lila heard that American accent right away, even before the brunette bitched about jet-lag.

    "Give me a second, and I'll get it ready for you."

    The young woman grabbed one of the bigger coffee pots, taking the new customer to her word. While coffee was on the way, she picked a large mug and handed it to her, informing her of the price, and waiting for payment. Within the next minutes, the coffee pot was set on the counter.

    She leaned forward and discreetly gestured towards the open backroom. "If you want some quiet from the monsters, you can sit there. Roxane's there, but I don't think she'll mind."

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    She chuckled at the college students being called monsters. They were more an annoyance then a real threat because she knew what real ones looked like. She fought them. This woman should know too if she worked here but the Garou was too tired to get a sense if this woman was kin, a sister, or some other gifted. She wanted to keep her magic honed in for emergencies right now.

    Nara grabbed the handle of the pot, hooked a pinky around the mug handle and offered a tight smile of gratitude. "Thanks. Think I'll do just that if this Roxane don't care. And if she does?" She shrugged, dangerously tipping the coffee pot to where it looked like it would spill. "I promise to find a nice wall outside to keep me upright while I down the coffee and bring your stuff back. Cool?"

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    Lila chuckled and gently shooed the customer away, before returning her attention to what was left of the last afternoon batch. Whoever that woman was, she was tired as hell, and some quiet should help. And Lila was confident in her coffee-making abilities. And she knew that Roxane wouldn't mind. She had caught how her boss had needed some peace of her own today. A jet lagged, coffee-guzzling customer should cause no issue at all.

    In the backroom, Roxane had finished setting up the table, and was sitting at one, nursing her ale, as she went through the list of purchases she had picked up in the morning. She perked up when someone approached. Her eyes fell upon the woman, one she didn't know; but one she believe was no human either.

    "Hello,"
    she said with a tired albeit warm tone.

    She caught sight of the pot of coffee instead of just the mug. That was a lot of coffee, though Roxane wasn't allowed to judge, or even wanted to. The maxi size of her teapots had earned her lot of teasing in her long life.

    "I take it Lila must have sent you here for some quiet," she added with a lopsided grin.

    "Sit wherever you want," she said with an accompanying gesture towards the room. "I'm Roxane by the way."

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    Once she was shooed into the backroom, Nara immediately noticed the stage and wondered what sort of shows the cafe hosted. She never did get a real answer from her contact - just that the cafe was safe for Garou. She scanned the size of the room to gauge how many people it could hold when her eyes rested on the woman that had to be Roxane - who was definitely a sight for sore eyes.

    "Hey," she greeted back with a voice that wasn't as gifted in concealing her exhaustion right now, which rather irked the galliard right now for some intangible reason. "And yeah. She did."

    Here was the part of social necessities that required her brain to function. The woman out in front definitely hinted Roxane wanted some quiet, just like her, but the garou didnt want to be rude either as the whole point of being here was to establish herself in a new city in a new country.

    Two tables away not only seemed fair, it was the closest to her, so it was a win in her mind. She swung her leg over the chair and sat down with a an 'omph'. Sitting down without a destination in mind on a bike made her body feel weary. She immediately set the mug on the table and poured. "I'm Nara. And thanks for letting me stay back here. Not that busy in front but the students make it sound like the place is fucking packed."

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    Out of habit, Roxane observed the other woman with polite but direct scrutiny. She always felt territorial towards her establishment, and when tired, her instincts could flare up even more. This place meant a lot for her, and she wanted others like her to feel safe and like they could come in anytime. At least, they could as long as they weren't assholes. Some had definitely got nasty scratches and bites from her cat form in the past. And she wasn't sorry one little bit.

    "There's more where that comes from if this isn't enough," she said with a nod towards the coffee pot.

    She took another sip from her ale. She didn't want to get in the woman's way, especially as her tiredness was visible. And she wasn't at her most sociable or energized either. She felt very feline in the "let me nap in peace" kind of way.

    "Well-met, Nara. And you're welcome."


    She chuckled at the remark about the students. "Yeah, this time of the day during the week makes the place almost as bloody loud as during bar hours. It takes certain stamina to put up with them. Lila has plenty of it thankfully."

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    Nara quirked a brow over the mug rim, wondering how badly she looked if Roxane was offering more coffee. Lila gave her a full pot to begin with!

    "Hopefully this'll be enough," she said, noticing that her drinking companion looked weary too. The Garou couldn't even begin to guess as to why since her own brain could barely keep her physical necessities functioning. There was unconscious curiosity that would slowly simmer to the surface when the caffeine really hit her.

    She did find a smile. "Lila seemed like an expert in corralling loud people. Course, that's just a quick thought with a brief convo with her."

    After another sip, she continued. "If I wasn't so ..." her other hand came up and twirled her hand at the wrist "... brain fogged, I'd be alright up front. Dealt with enough college students myself."

    That population made up a huge portion of her fan base when she held gigs at smaller venues.

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    Roxane hadn't planned to have a conversation; but she nevertheless felt compelled to speak with Nara, despite them being obviously both tired. The blonde took another long sip of ale, and chuckled softly at the remark about the coffee pot.

    "Lila is a gem. She's worked with me since I opened this place almost ten years ago. I envy her reliable stamina with all and any customers,"
    she explained with a grin. When at her establishment, the Bastet always made sure to be professional, and even friendly with a number of regulars; but with her complex and unexpected mood shifts, it wasn't always an easy feat.

    She arched a brow at Nara's mention of having dealt with college students. "Oh? Higher ed professional? Or am I totally missing the mark?" She could very well be with how tired she was, but she was curious.

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    In an instant, Roxane had Nara's full attention. She owned the cafe and was a potential point of contact for shifters. Silently she praised herself for not being too gruff and dismissive with the other woman because of lack of sleep. It meant that Lila would be in the know too, but was she kin or not? Questions to ask later once the coffee kicked in and maybe Nara would feel strong enough to sense it herself. Though the Garou wondered about the stamina remark with Lila if she were more than just kin.

    She couldn't the slight chuckle that escape, almost making her break out in a full on belly laugh. The jet lag was making her feel euphoric and giddy for that brief moment.

    "Sorry," she calmed herself with a few long, drawn out, breaths and cleared her throat. "Not trying to be rude. Just really slap happy."

    Downing some more coffee, Nara answered her question. "Definitely not a teacher. Why I was laughing. I could never see me doing that. Ever. Not my thing."

    She took another sip. "I'm actually a musician. Played a lot of gigs in college towns and met a lot of them pre and post shows."

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    Roxane wondered whether Nara had come to the Moonstone Cafe because someone had pointed her there, for her establishment had the reputation of being a safe spot for shifters, immortals, and assorted preternatural beings. It was possible the other woman was only here by accident; but that was quite rare. The blonde couldn't exactly place her, but she knew that they were both part of the same community. Her senses didn't fail her, even when bloody tired as she was now.

    Then Nara's loud and cheerful laugh broke through the silence of the back room, and the Bastet couldn't help smiling and chuckling. "No apologies needed. You have a contagious and freaking adorable laugh, Nara."

    Roxane grinned at Nara's explanation about her not being a teacher. Frankly, she couldn't blame her. She guessed it had to be one of the positives of being one of the very last of her tribe, and be huge loner. She never had to train anyone as she had once been educated in the ways of the Bastets. She doubted she would have the patience.

    "A musician? What kind of music?"

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    The apology wasn't due to Nara being embarrassed by her quick burst of laughter. She just knew that Roxane had wanted quiet back here and the Garou may have ruined that. She was pleased to hear that wasn't the case when it coaxed out a chuckle from the blonde and one hell of a compliment.

    "That right?" she grinned, which wasn't as suave as she pictured in her head. It was more of a lopsided smirk as brown eyes focused with a narrowed gaze. "Thanks."

    Her audience of one was becoming more interesting and the caffeine was helping to coax conversation. "Hard Rock/Metal. Just depends on my mood and how I feel the music should go. Thankfully the band's patient with me cuz we can spend hours banging out notes and come up with nothing. It's a process and all."

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    Roxane had really wanted her quiet, but the unexpected visitor piqued her curiosity more than expected. She chuckled at Nara's reaction to the compliment. The blonde liked people could laugh freely, instead of stuck-up chuckles that were supposed to be well-mannered but only sounded hypocritical as hell. She knew she was a handful due to her changing moods due to her nature; but she was mostly straightforward as an individual. She liked people who were like that. Sure, she could be a devious minx as quite a few people had called her; but unless people crossed her, she had little interest in being a manipulative Bastet.

    "Hard rock and metal? Alright, when do I get to hear you?" She grinned before finishing her ale, pushing the empty bottle away from her notebook and pen.

    "Process is something many people stupidly dismiss," she mused, thinking about her practice of dark magic. The humans loved to talk about how it was the journey not the destination, which was kind of over the top and cheesy as humans could be; but it held a grain of truth.

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    This was going far better than expected and downed the last of the coffee. As she refilled the mug, she nodded with agreement. "Right? How the hell can anyone create anything if you don't have some way to concentrate. And there's no right way of doing it either. Just gotta find what works. But to get back to your question..."

    Nara grinned as she set the pot down, leaning closer towards Roxane, which really didn't close any distance since they were still two tables away from one another. "Band's out right now being London tourists. So if you wanted to hear something, all you get is me."

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    "Exactly! I mean we're all individuals for crying out loud. It's normal we do things our own way. But some people, well they just don't even try." The Bastet was perking up again, which was a usual side effect when she got intrigued about something or someone. "Granted, too many morons walk down this planet anyway, so it shouldn't be surprising."

    Smirking, she got to her feet while Nara refilled her coffee mug. She went to discard her empty bottle, and then went to check one of the fridges, fetching herself some orange juice. She felt that more booze for now wasn't her best option. She was feeling a little refreshed and she wanted that to last.

    She walked to the table where Nara was sitting. "Well, you sound like a real nice start," she said with a grin.

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    She bubbled out a laugh before her lips curled back to reveal a toothy grin. Roxane was not wrong. Human or supernatural, there were a lot of idiots on this planet who'd probably die from combustion if the correct neurons rubbed together properly. The grin barely softened when, to her surprise, Roxane came to her table. She kicked out the chair across from her with invitation.

    "Got any instruments back there to make good on that assumption?" She touched fingers against her clavicle and gently followed the curve up towards her neck. "Or would my voice be enough?"

    Nara hoped she wasn't misreading the banter. If so, she had a good excuse with the caffeine kick overriding the exhaustion.
    Last edited by Nara McKenna; May 10th, 2019 at 08:33:39 PM.

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    Roxane slid in the chair across Nara right after the other woman had kicked it out. She shook her head at the mention of instruments. "I used to have some spare and decent instruments in the back; but I don't since we redid the area a few months ago."

    She wasn't much of a musician herself; but had a couple of friends who were and normally kept extras in the backroom, but they had been traveling. Roxane definitely hoped they could have more bands featured in the evenings.

    "My music manager is actually off in France at the moment, helping for some big event."

    Hell, when Isabelle had hesitated to help with the De Montespan's upcoming festivities in Versailles, Roxane had practically packed her out at once. Not only was it one hell of a thing for her friend, but it would also make it look good for the Moonstone Cafe due to the connection.

    Roxane quirked a brow at Nara, and grinned. "I believe your voice may very well suffice."

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    "That's alright, I guess. I mean, I'm not much help here either since all my equipment is stuck in the back of a U-Haul outside my apartment," she explained. "And even if I knew I'd get a impromptu audition, I didn't have any room on my bike to bring anything."

    She downed the last of her second cup, regarding Roxane curiously. Slowly the mug came back to the table, barely making a sound. "Course, is this just a pre-audition until your manager comes back, or you get the final say?"

    Half smiling, Nara poured herself a third cup. "Or dare I say this is just a private audience?"

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    "Yeah fitting goods and equipment in a limited or altogether nonexistent space can be a challenge," Roxane quipped, her tiredness returning a little bit at the memory of the very long morning.

    She quirked a brow as she met Nara's eyes when the questions came next. She paused for a moment, pondering on it. Her lips curved into an amused smile. There was a definitely feline quality about the Bastet as she kept her attention upon the other preternatural woman. The conversation and interaction were unexpected; but she found them quite enjoyable so far, a lovely surprise after a long day, and a tiring week.

    "Those are not mutually exclusive," she replied before taking a sip from her drink. "For the record, I have the final say, though Isabelle and I rarely disagree, although I lean on the edgy side compared to her."

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