Rebels & Mutineers is set in modern day New Orleans, Louisiana. R&M is fueled by player's plots and group input.
Supernatural people have always had their place in society, hidden in plain sight or locked away for their own protection. New Orleans, a haven for the strange and mysterious and a magnet for the supernatural.
Established: Oct. 27th, 2018 Recently Updated Posts && Recently Updated Threads
05.11.19
As the community reels from the untimely death of Lucia Lovelle, life has to move on. Primrose readies for the annual Prom celebration! Keep your eye out for a event board and have fun!
02.27.19
It's not too late to vote for February's OTM winners! The winners for January, keep an eye out on your messages for your winner's graphics for your signature. Already voted? Make sure you check out the Mardi Gras event board! Party up, have a good time, and enjoy!
[attr="class","albedo"]He gives birth to swimming horses.
[attr="class","gaignun"]It was the quiet that Rowen hated the most. Even in her tiny, secluded apartment, she usually had a radio of some sort on or the television set, anything that would keep her from having to hear the all-encompassing silence. The hum of digital sound sustained her, provided much-needed relief from the quiet, but eventually, even it faded into background noise, an unintelligible thrum in the back of her mind. If she was feeling enterprising or desperate enough, she tried to make her own sound, sitting at the upright piano or humming some incomprehensible tune, but often that ended up just sounding tinny, weak, ineffective. After that, the hollow would set in, and after that, it took a while to shake out.
So she tried to head it off. She filled her world with sound and people, with color and light to distract the wolf that stalked on the edge of her mind. Tonight, the venue was a bar, one specifically for those like her. She had been before, just a handful of times, but it was fun enough. Even if her power wasn’t obvious, it was nice to know that it wouldn’t matter if something did happen. It made her feel safe, something she rarely felt in her life. Sitting at the bar with a light drink in hand, she watched the other patrons. They seemed to be split between watching the live entertainment, dancing, or just generally having a good time.
It wasn’t the best balm in the world, a temporary high more than anything else. It was a bandaid, but that was okay for her. It only took so much to patch her up to something like working order. Rolling her drink between her palms, she watched the subtle interactions in the crowd: the way some couples leaned closer while others pulled a little apart, the other people alone in the throng trying to tie their boat to any anchor offered. Any port in a storm, her mother would have ‘tsk’ed, deriding the entire idea of desperation in any form.
Before the thought could settle and take root, Rowen threw back her drink, draining it completely. Depositing the glass gently back on the bar napkin, she leaned back in her seat and ran her hand through her hair. Even from here, on the periphery of a large and uproarious crowd, it felt too quiet. Shivers ran up her arms, and she leaned forward, motioning to the bartender for another drink. Once it was set down in front of her, she couldn’t find it in her to drink it. Peevish, she resolved to wait until the urge returned, running her finger around the rim of the glass.
Declan rubbed his eyes. This was the par of the job that he hated so much. It was the part of the job. Balancing the stupid books. He was more of the go out, have a good time, pick up Nerys' tab type. Not the figuring out food waste sort. A grin of triumph spread across his features when he finally getting the last bit of the paperwork settled. He signed all of the payroll checks and pushed his chair away from the desk, deciding that it was time that he rewarded himself with something to drink and some fun. Declan stood up, his grey shirt rising slightly on his stomach as he did. The bar sounded like a good crowd, he was looking forward to spending time in it. It was all that was keeping him to do his work, the promise that he was going to get a pint of dark beer, find someone beautiful, and relax a little.
He stepped out from the back office, grinning broadly as the familiar faces behind the bar. Declan grinned, seeing some local favorites. He grabbed two shot glasses and a bottle of whisky for an older shifter with a tartan print hat. He gave the older man one of the shots and held his up for him. "Cheers." The older man drained his in time with Declan and moved down the line, greeting regular customers and stopped in his tracks when he got to a beautiful brunette. "Hey, how's it going?" He asked, leaning down on the bar, resting on his tattooed forearms.
Being as tall as he was, there were times when it was difficult to be comfortable while talking to some people in the bar. He looked over the dark haired woman, interesting in getting to know her a little bit. He enjoyed talking to people, he was social and full of light and energy. It was something that came naturally to him. "I'm Declan, nice to meet you."
He held one of his hands out to shake hers, curious about her and what she was going to be like. The last woman he tried to pick up in The Gorgon's Head turned into rather sour and unpleasant. He made a pass, she wasn't interested in it, it was still uncomfortable to think about. He had told Nerys all about that one, she rolled her eyes and made a biting comment. He cared for Nerys deeply, but he did not think that they were good around each other in large doses. They had been together on and off since they were teenagers, but he knew that it wasn't going to last forever. He wanted to enjoy his time being single, but possibly get to know people as more than a random hook up.
[attr="class","albedo"]He gives birth to swimming horses.
[attr="class","gaignun"]Rowen had gone out to have a good time. That was what she kept telling herself. There were many things she wanted to do: get up, dance, down a few more drinks (her system went through them quickly enough anyway), maybe sing along with the crowd. Still, she seemed to be content with just sitting at the bar, her drink steadily losing its cold touch and she steadily losing even the faintest promise of a buzz. Maybe it would be better to go home, she mused, to crawl into some comfortable pajamas, throw on late-night AM radio, and try to sleep the night away. She had spent much too long on making her make-up presentable and choosing a cute going-out outfit to throw in the towel now.
The man that stopped in front of Rowen caught her well off guard. She nearly snapped to attention, finger paused on the edge of her glass. His attention made her a little self-conscious, and she slid her hand down until it was wrapped around the glass. “Oh, it's going pretty good. The band is great tonight; how is it going with you?” she replied, tossing her head back so she could get a full look of his tall stature. And boy was he ever tall. He was a full foot taller than her, and sitting at the bar made it a little more exaggerated. She had to lean a little bit back to view him, which she gladly did. It was, after all, better than contemplating the benefits of throwing her pajamas on.
Her head titled to the side slightly, as though she were contemplating him. There was something about him she couldn’t put her finger on – not that she was interested in putting her fingers on him, she quickly told herself. He had an ease that she naturally reacted to, though, and her smile crept into her eyes as he introduced himself. “Rowen. Very nice to meet you as well.” Her hand met his halfway over the bar, but it felt miniscule in comparison to his. Despite his size – or perhaps because of it –, there was something light, fun about him, a natural charisma she had never found in herself or ever really tried to look for. Her sister had had more than enough for the both of them growing up.
At his question, she looked down at the glass in front of her, and for some reason, she was almost sad it was still full. She raised it gently, letting her discontent with the night shatter around her. She was out for a good time; she may as well act like she was having one. “Well, I’ve barely started this one, but if you stick around, I might just let you. What would you recommend?” She took a sip from it, as though she were trying to prove something. She eyed him over the glass, curious. That name. Declan. Where had she heard it before? He was certainly not someone she would have forgotten easily, even if she doubted that, in any other setting where she wasn’t a sitting duck, he would not have so much as looked at her. She knew she was not the worst looking woman in the world, but she often felt like little more than pretty wallpaper.
Declan was ready to have a good night out. Being in the Gorgon's Head, surrounded by all of the laughter and the fun, he felt the most at peace. There were times when it was hard, being away from his entire family in Hawaii. Sure, he had his cousin staying with him and it was nice to be around her, but he missed having his entire family. He missed the beaches, the surfing, the sunshine, the culture. It was a lot, but he was living his own life in New Orleans. Not one dictated by how much money his family had in O'ahu. He could build a life for himself that was based on what he wanted. And right now- all that he wanted was the brunette woman across the bar from him. She looked like she was dressed for a night on the town, and he was excited to see just how much trouble she was going to get into.
He grinned, happy that she was able to contribute to an actual conversation. Some of the women he tried to pick up were very one or two words and then their hands were down his pants. Not that he was complaining, but he also enjoyed just talking to people. It was a nice change in pace. "Just got some paperwork done, so looking to celebrate that a little bit." He said with a grin, the shot of whisky barely did anything for him, his practically living at the bar and his size didn't help much either. He grinned when she seemed to be taking in the full view of him, and it gave him a chance to return the favor. Long dark hair, dazzling dark eyes, there was something familiar about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Something familiar in her eyes or in her smile, it was going to bother him, but he would figure it out another time.
"Nice to meet you too Rowen." He shook her hand, being careful with how soft and delicate her hand felt in his. He stood back up and grabbed one of the pint glasses from behind the bar and poured himself a dark beer, keeping an eye on Rowen while he did so. She was pretty. Too pretty to be sitting alone. Declan grabbed his beer and walked out from behind the bar and took the seat next to Rowan, still easily a foot taller than her, which the bar stools did little to hide. He typically went over all of the applications for admittance to The Gorgon's Head himself, but with so many people flooding to get into his bar, he had to hire managers to do some of it for him. He clearly missed hers, cause he would remember someone who looked like her.
Declan grinned when she asked about his recommendation and looked at the jewel colored bottles with bright backlights displayed behind his bartenders tending to the needs of all of the guests fighting to get a drink at the bar. "Well then I'll just wait for you to catch up, and buy your next." He looked her over and felt an easy grin pull at his features, "So what do you do, Rowen?"
[attr="class","albedo"]He gives birth to swimming horses.
[attr="class","gaignun"]His grin was a point of light in the dim bar, somewhere between charming and disarming, with a dash of toothy promise. A smile tugged, unbidden, at Ro’s own lips in response. She had just, originally, wanted to cruise the night, riding the waves of others’ vibes, but holding a conversation, especially with such a partner, was an even better distraction. Her usual MO would have been to stay on the edges, to watch, but obviously that had not been working to lessen her melancholy. She was never one to turn down a bit of friendly conversation; she wasn’t about to start now.
“Paperwork? On a Friday night? That is absolutely unacceptable.” She ‘tsk’ed her tongue lightly. Still, she raised her glass in a subtle cheers. “But here’s to finishing up your bureaucratic duties for the night.” She downed quite a bit of it before setting it back down gently. Her healing, she had figured out, worked internally as well; the buzz would never last as long as she needed it to. That rarely stopped her from trying. It at least gave her something else to focus on besides his eyes on her. “Any set celebration plans or are you winging it?”
His hand definitely dwarfed hers, but he seemed to take extra care with hers. The thought almost made her laugh out loud. She couldn’t remember the last time she had treated herself with that sort of delicacy, but then again, she probably seemed like a twig to him. As her hand fell back to the cold glass, she watched him pour himself a glass of dark beer. He rounded the bar, and she was almost afraid he would leave completely. To her surprise, he was coming closer. Much closer. The seat next to her closer. Instinctively, she crossed her ankles and tucked them under the barstool. It was an old habit, drilled into her by comportment lessons.
She followed his gaze to the glinting bottles behind the bar, her brow raising. They were certainly new to her, what she could see through the hustling bartenders. “Sounds like a plan,” she shrugged. Gave her something to look forward to, she supposed. She turned in her chair so she could more fully face him, one stand stood wrapped around her drink.
She smiled at his question. “I teach music. At Primrose Academy. What do you –” Realization dawned on her, her eyes widening slightly. “Wait, you’re the Declan, aren’t you? You own this place?” She had gone through a secondary manager to receive her invitation and had been, unfortunately, spared meeting the man himself. Feeling a little clueless, she laughed at her own mistake. “I love what you’ve done with the place.”
Declan laughed when she seemed appalled at his dedication to paperwork on a Friday night. He took a drink from his beer and grinned at Rowen. "So my celebration plan so far is, beer. Which I have. Good music, which you're right, is good. The final part, well, I'm hoping you can help me with that cause I got through all of that paperwork hoping to meet a beautiful woman to spend some time with." He grinned at her, hoping that she would be up for the company.
He enjoyed talking to people and being around beautiful women, and Rowan was easily the most stunning at the bar. He took a seat next to her and grinned at how regal she sat. He grinned, getting comfortable on the chair next to her. The party was raging around them, and he just wanted to enjoy the night. He wanted to talk to her, and get to know someone. It was a newer thing, but he knew that it was ready to try it. "What about you? You out with a purpose tonight?"
Primrose Academy, so she knew Nerys. He took a deeper drink of his beer and knew that it was going to be a little more complicated than he originally thought. He knew that things would easily get back to Nerys and she was a protective bitch when she wanted to be, especially when she felt that something was hers. Primrose, Declan, all of that was included. He looked over Rowen, the way her dark hair fell on her cheeks, the way her fingers traced over her glass... Primrose was a large school. Nothing had to get back to Nerys, and nothing had to change with his flirting with Rowan.
He nodded when she asked if he was the Declan and held his hands out in a way to emphasize that he was who she thought that he was. "I am, opened this place after I got my MBA." He explained, realizing that not many people knew that he was college educated. Most just assumed that he was a rich kid who got money from his parents.
"How do you like working at Primrose?" He asked with a grin, knowing that if he ever had her as a professor at Primrose, he would have been a much better student.
[attr="class","albedo"]He gives birth to swimming horses.
[attr="class","gaignun"]His laugh was deep, bubbling up from his chest, but more than that, it was infectious. Rowen could feel herself falling into an easy laugh with him, her hair falling into her face until she flicked it away. She eyed him and took a sip of her own drink. He wasn’t bad company; at least he was better than the handsy or asshole men she had run into at bars before. He exuded a calm confidence that rubbed off on her and put her at ease enough to raise a brow at his statement.
“A beautiful woman, huh? And you’re hoping I’ll point you in her direction?” She had to toss a laugh at the end of it, lest he think she were actually serious. She did not want him to leave now that he had sat beside her. That would be a fine way to end the evening, wouldn’t it? Start a conversation only to send him scurrying off to some blonde bombshell in a corner? No, she was definitely joking, if only to cover the fact that he had potentially implied she was beautiful. “No really, that is a fair reward for finishing paperwork.”
A purpose? It had been quite a while since anyone had asked her that. She was pretty sure, the last time, she had waved her hand and made up something about being there to serve the student population. She hadn’t been wrong, at the time; teaching music gave her something to look forward, a venue to share her craft with people who might need it. It was hardly a true purpose, though. But he hadn’t asked about her life’s purpose, just one night’s worth. Still, she could only shrug. “Just to hear some good music, I suppose. Be a part of the crowd.” That was about all she had planned; the rest was just icing.
“Congratulations are in order then. It’s quite the spot; I’ve seen people bend over backwards to get invitations, so you must be doing something right.” She had bent herself out of shape quite literally to get in. When her bones reset with guidance and were mobile once more, the manager had readily added her name to the list. Sometimes her power came with better benefits than just healing; it afforded her opportunities like she had found that night.
Sipping from her drink, she smiled behind the glass. Once she had her fill, she answered, “I like it well enough. Most of the kids are great, talented, smart as a whip. The others...” Her voice trailed off as she shrugged noncommittally. “But really, its great.” Primrose had always been a cold place to her, and she had kept completely to herself during school. She had only seen Nerys in snatches, as her older sister’s schedule had been quite busy. It had felt like two different worlds, but being a teacher there was a bit different. Nerys was her boss now (more like just a formal title to the position her sister had held her entire life), and yet they still didn’t know how to capture what they had enjoyed as kids. It was all awkwardness and thorns.
“And the bar, would you say running it is all you’ve ever dreamed? Paperwork included?” She took another sip of her drink before setting it back down.
Declan enjoyed a woman who was able to laugh and have a good time. He loved her laugh and he knew that he would be enjoying her laughter and her smile as a light in the dark bar for the rest of the night. She seemed like someone who needed someone else to be around to have fun, and Declan was always happy being that person for someone. He wanted to show her a good time, not make her uncomfortable. Declan always heard from people that he was a different kind of confident. He didn't have to prove to anyone in this world that he was strong, or tough, or brave. That was natural for him. The ones who had to make claims all day every day about what they could do and how they could mess someone else up, were typically the ones who couldn't do anything of the sort.
"Yeah that's clearly the hope." He said back as sarcastically as possible, but with a smile on his face. "Cause that's why I'm talking to everyone else in this place except for you, Rowen." He could easily get the blonde bombshell in the corner. There were always blonde bombshells in the corners. There were always reliable fucks like Nerys just a text away, he was enjoying actually talking to someone else and getting to know them a little bit, "I mean, unless you're interested in beautiful women too, cause I have been told that I'm an excellent wing-man."
Declan took a drink of his beer, enjoying how the rich dark stout made him feel warm and fulfilled. The music was going around them, people were getting up to dance and enjoy the pulse of the crowd and the music. "Well you're doing a fantastic job of that so far. Though, I have to say, I can't imagine anyone like you being able to just be part of a crowd, when you clearly stand out." She was gorgeous and Declan couldn't believe that she really thought blending in with a crowd was even an option for her.
Declan laughed when she said that he was doing something right, "Eh, was only a matter of time before a place like this came up." He was still worried about possibly being the reason their world was exposed to the rest of the world. No matter how many people he managed to get into The Gorgon's Head, they were still the minority. They were still the people who had everything to lose if the larger world decided that they had to all be destroyed. "But thank you, it doesn't compare to teaching something as beautiful as music, but I'll take it."
He laughed, "I swear, I would have been a much better student if I had a teacher who looked like you when I was at Primrose." He said with a longingly and obvious look over her full body. "A much, much better student." He was too busy getting into trouble with his friends and sneaking off with Nerys all the time. He had been sent there from O'ahu and went through the complete shock as he went from being surrounded by his large family to being there alone. It was part of why he wanted to give Millie as much support as he could, since he knew that it was like to be tossed into a whole new world and feel alone.
"I would say it is, it's a lot less drinking with friends than I would have expected, but I guess I'll take what I can get." He took another drink of his beer, draining the glass completely. "So, does your ability help with the whole teaching music thing? Like you one of those sirens or something?"
[attr="class","albedo"]He gives birth to swimming horses.
[attr="class","gaignun"]Her smile echoed his own, even if it was a little rueful. “I suppose that’s a fair answer, then, Declan.” She had no doubt that he could have pull down anyone in the bar he wanted, no matter their internal creed, and she was sure it meant something that he had struck up a conversation with her of all people. Perhaps she had given the vibe that she needed it, for she certainly did. Maybe, then, it was a bit of fate, universal direction, or something. It was nice to be Rowen for even just a little while, not Ms. Oswald, just Miss, or Nerys’s little sister. The anonymity of detached and true personhood was nice, she had to admit. It reminded her how far she had let herself drift away from it in the first place. She raised her shoulders in a simple shrug. “I’m not opposed to beautiful women, but I’m not hard-pressed for a wingman right this second.”
The lukewarm drink passed over her lips; she could practically feel her body already straining it, filtering it, taking out whatever impurities it could find. The warmth of the buzz would fade too quickly. People around them were leaving the bar, fading into the thrumming crowd behind them. One of her crossed feet kept perfect time with the music, thumping beneath the stool. “I try my best, but you’ve already blown my cover.” She shook her head in mock disappointment, though the smile on her face had never faded.
She supposed that was true. They generally needed places where they could relax for a little bit, be themselves without thinking too hard about it. That was one of the few things she had enjoyed about Primrose, even if she hadn’t taken full advantage of the school. It had been just nice knowing that others were like her in some way, shape, or form. “Yes, but keeping it up has been all you. This place could be a pressure keg just as easily as it could be a kegger. I’m glad it’s the latter.”
At his next comments, she scoffed and gave her eyes a good roll. “I can’t possibly imagine you being a bad student at Primrose.” Her sarcasm was thick, but she hadn’t remember anything about a seven-foot-tall troublemaker running amuck at the school. He couldn’t have been that bad. Though, to be perfectly fair, it wasn’t like she had been up on all the gossip at Primrose. Time not spent in class had been spent inside of clinics or exam rooms; that left very little time for much of a social scene.
She could see that; her job was a lot less having fun around the piano with students and more putting up with more than her fair share of headaches and paperwork. “I’m glad you get the opportunity sometimes, though. I would hate for you to be deprived of the nightlife you created,” she said with a laugh. She eyed him as she drained the last of his drink; she set her own now-empty one down beside it.
A siren? Not by a long shot. She wanted to laugh, but instead she just shook her head. “My ability is completely disconnected to music, unfortunately, but I’m flattered that you think I could be a siren. I heal quickly; I’d do a demonstration but it’s a little gnarly.” She surveyed him; he was definitely a physical man. She would guess something along the lines of a shifter. “And what about you? Power for power; it’s only fair,” she rejoined in a rather singsong voice.
Declan felt a smirk on his lips when she admitted that she was probably as interested in beautiful women as he was. Something fun to keep in mind. Something about meeting someone at a bar and just connecting on some level for a few hours. Her name didn't even have to be Rowen, though it did suit her, and he wouldn't have been any the wiser. This was his bar, his place where he lived and worked and spent so much of his time. She was a visitor in his life, and only she could really determine how much time she wanted to spend in it. "Hopefully you're not just interested in women, or I would have to admit that I would be a little disappointed."
He wanted to spend more time with her, get to know her in more ways, but he knew that not everyone came to The Gorgon's Head for getting to know each other. With evOlvd being a thing, his bar was quickly becoming the choice location for places for hook ups and meet ups on the app. Something about a double assurance that the person they were going to meet was really part of this world with them. The Gorgon's Head was a safe haven for all things that people in his world needed, but it was something that scared him for the sake of them getting caught.
He looked around at the bar that he cultivated on his own. He had wanted so badly for a place like this the whole time that he was at Primrose. Somewhere he could go and be free to spend time with his friends, goof off, and not have to worry about someone figuring out what he was able to do. "Well thank you for that, it means a lot that I'm not the only one who enjoys this place."
Declan laughed, remembering all of the trouble he had gotten into with his friends and with Nerys when he was at Primrose. "Did you ever hear about a group of guys streaking through the cafeteria with socks on their junk?" He said with a laugh and motioned for his bartender to replace their drinks, "That was me and my stupid friends." He said with a laugh. He could remember those days so clearly, and how much fun they all had. Most had went back into their parents businesses or whatever it was that gave them the wealth to afford Primrose in the first place. He seemed to be the only one who struck out on his own from his old friend group, and he was okay with that.
He grinned when the replacement drinks came to them. "Well hopefully I can continue enjoying this nightlife with you, Rowen."
She was beautiful, she had a magnetism about her that was making Declan nearly delirious to know more about her. Something about her that made him feel like he had known her for a long time, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Going to have to show me another time then." He said with a fascination about what she could have to offer. He stood up from his chair and picked up hers with one hand while taking a deep drink from his beer. It felt like nothing to him, even when he lifted her up on the chair higher and finished his second beer. He set her back down and placed the empty glass on the counter, "I can do stuff like that."
[attr="class","albedo"]He gives birth to swimming horses.
[attr="class","gaignun"]Rowen watched the smirk bloom on his face; it wasn’t a bad look on him. “Well, then it is my fortunate duty to belay your disappointment, sir. I like men well enough, I suppose.” Some men more than others, but that had already been proven by her avoiding eye contact with a good ninety percent of the men who had tried to catch their attention. She had gotten quite good in her thirty-two years at spotting bad news from a mile – or so she thought. There was a certain look in the eye that she tended to avoid, some sort of harsh spark, but Declan, despite his size and appeal, was non-threatening to a point. He certainly hadn’t pointedly hit on her or tried to touch her without consent, which tended to accompany most random encounters in the bar. Already, she was a little more relaxed with him than she tended to be with such physically intimidating presences.
“I think you should be able to look around and see that you’re not,” she laughed, indicating the nearly packed club with a wave of her hand. Every single person in the room had an ability. Pyrokinetics lit cigarettes with their fingers in the corners, cyrokinetics chilled glasses before serving them, and she was pretty sure one of the men down the bar was telepathically hitting on every leggy red-head he could spot. It was a paradise of sorts; at least, it was the closest she could get on Earth.
His story brought only the slightest bit of memory to her, but she had always thought it had been a rumor, a school legend of some sort. To know that the behemoth in front of her had actually donned a sock and nothing else was almost more than she could take. She quickly dissolved into a tittering laugh, shaking her head. “I’m almost sad I missed it; I could just imagine the faces on some of the faculty.” She managed to squeeze out the words between laughing fits. She couldn’t even meet his eyes for a little bit or else the image would try to manifest itself too fully and start the whole cycle over again. “My goodness, was the punishment at least worth the prank?” she asked when she finally calmed down.
When the replacement came, Rowen picked it up and made a cheering motion. “I can certainly drink to that,” she saluted before taking a sip. She considered it for a moment before nodding. His recommendation was a good one; she’d have to ask him for more when she got the chance.
“If you’re really that interested, I can be coaxed, I suppose. Just do be warned that I wasn’t kidding about it being gro-” His standing up cut her brain off mid-sentence. He really was tall at his full height, but she barely had time to admire it before his hand was under chair. She clung to the seat with a death grip as he hoisted both her and the stool high into the air, higher than she would have guessed was possible.
As soon as all four legs of her chair were on the floor, she was able to start breathing again. “That is quite impressive, Mr. Declan.” It certainly put hers to shame. She righted her dress once more, self-conscious after he had lifted her as though she were nothing more than the now-empty glass in his hand. “You’re a regular Samson. Or Hercules, take your pick.” That certainly explained his size; he was a veritable demi-god.
Declan was enjoying talking to her, spending time with her, and getting to know the brunette woman more. She was graceful and stunning, and while he could see various men and women surrounding them and looking at Rowen, he knew that he didn't have anything to worry about. He liked her and he enjoyed how easy it was to talk to her, but if she wanted to go off with anyone else in the bar he wouldn't stop her. He was a fan of letting people do what they wanted, do what they wanted to do in order to be happy, and if that meant being with someone else he wouldn't stop them. He could just be as appealing and satisfying as possible. "Lucky me."
He looked around at the same people who she was looking at, pyrokinetics, cyrokinetics, telepaths, telekinetics, everyone coming into a place together to feel like they were normal. A place where they could be together and feel like they could talk about anything. He was careful and screening people in, they had to provide proof of ability, and only could come if they were able to pass the application process. He had already screened out a few siblings of supernaturals who wanted to be able to get in with their siblings, but he caught it quickly. Being able to tap into some of Nerys' and Carver's files helped too. The benefit of having friends in the highest high and the lowest low places.
His friends thought that the prank was a great idea, it was right around Christmas time and they wanted to do something fun to send off the holidays. Declan had recommended Christmas stockings, but apparently his friends thought that was more of a brag than an honest suggestion. "It most definitely not worth the punishment, if I'm being honest-" He grinned at her laughter and joined her, thinking about the memory of running through the cafeteria. "It was a stupid idea, but I happened to have some very stupid friends at the time."
He still had stupid friends. The Rogue with the Brogue came to mind, but there was only a small chance that Carver would want to streak through Phalanx. The Gorgon's Head, probably, but not Phalanx. If he ever wanted to start a ladies night, he would probably have to consider it. "Cheers, beautiful." He tapped the side of his glass with hers, tapped the bottom on the bar, and then took a drink.
Hearing that she would be willing to consider showing him her ability was an offer he was going to have to take her up on. Holding her up, that was easy. The weight between his two hands was practically nothing. One held an emptying glass, the other a grown woman and a chair.
He took his seat back and pulled the stool a little closer to Rowan so he would be able to lean in a little closer to her. "I'm guessing Samson with the hair, just promise you won't cut it off while I'm sleeping." He said with a smirk and looked her over, "Wanna show me here, or should we head somewhere else?"
[attr="class","albedo"]He gives birth to swimming horses.
[attr="class","gaignun"]“I wouldn’t go as far to say that,” Ro teased him with a cluck of her tongue. A playful, unsaid yet seemed to hang on the end of her statement. Had she wanted to leave, she had a billion tricks up her sleeve. The fake text from a friend, the fake yawn, the old “I have to powder my nose” and run out the back door. The fact that she hadn’t thought of a single one since he started talking spoke volumes about her level of comfortability at the moment. Besides her still-crossed ankles, the rest of her was relaxed.
“At least tell you got called into the headmaster’s office while still only wearing the sock,” she requested, trying to hold her laughter at bay once more. She swallowed back the laugh and calmed down once more. “And I’m sure you’ve never thought about it as an adult, huh? Just warn me if you’re ever going to have a sock-streak night here, please.” He could probably sell tickets to it and make a hot buck, were the bar ever strapped for cash. She had no doubt he could still get into his fair share of trouble. And then get right back out of it again with that smile and laugh.
Their glasses clinked, and she watched his ritual with interest. She didn’t engage in enough casual drinking with friends to have her set of customs. He could teach her a lot, she supposed, about the social world that fluctuated in and out of his bar. “Cheers, Mr. Declan.” She sipped from her glass with a bit of abandon.
He sat back down closer to her, a fact that she was“Oh, definitely. I’ll sneak back here at night, scissors in hand. Just to cut your hair,” she ribbed him with a smile that turned a little roguish at his question. “You know, that almost worked, but right here is just fine.” She grinned though, and she angled herself so that they were even closer, blocking off sightlines from the rest of the bar. She wasn’t scared about freaking out most of the crowd; they were too focused on the music.
“Trust me. The sound is the worst part about it.” She splayed her hand near him and held her ring finger. She gave him one last, brow-raised look as though he could still back out. When he didn’t, she pulled back with the required force, all without a wince. Mingled with the thumping music notes was the sickening crack of her finger. It was a small break, no more than a fracture, and as soon as she righted the finger, it began to realign and straighten. It took a minute or two, but the minor fracture was internally sutured. She held up her ring finger for him to view, bending and flexing it. “I told you it was kind of gross, but now it’s right as rain.”
Never mind the fact that she knew the exact amount of force to break her own bones, never mind the fact that she didn’t even flinch.
Declan grinned at her, enjoying that she wasn't making any of this easy on him. He enjoyed the chase, and part of him knew that this was better than the series of numbers on his phone that he could text and have someone begging for him within thirty minutes. The comfort between the two of them, it was something that Declan didn't think that he would be able to have with someone this quickly. He made friends, but this easiness was something that he cherished.
"We did, all of us got caught pretty quickly, and we had to sit while they contacted parents." He grinned at the memory, knowing it was one of the best times that he spent with his friends. Nerys gave him an earful when he got back from his detentions, and they still joked about it at times. "I mean, I'm sure you would want to have a front row seat to the event if I did do it again."
He grinned at her cheers and took a deep drink of his beer. He enjoyed being an owner of the bar, because while he to deal with stupid paperwork and training new employees, but he was also able to sit back and enjoy this world that he spent so long making for others. "Cheers Miss. Rowan."
One arm on the back of her chair, keeping close with her as she made a comment about cutting off all of his hair. He grinned when she said that they could stay there together. She was beautiful, and he wasn't going to give up on her, even if it didn't happen tonight. "Making promises of you visiting me in the middle of the night? Lucky me." He watched as she moved to be closer to him and watched her curiously. What she was going to do and why was he so enamored with this woman and her secrets.
"The sound?" He was confused, but watching her pull her finger to the side and broke it. What kind of freak did he find and why was he even more into it? Declan watched her finger mend back on it's own, and he was completely transfixed on the scene in front of him. "That is amazing."
He took her hand in his, running his fingers over her formerly broken finger, also enjoying how soft her hands were even after break.
[attr="class","albedo"]He gives birth to swimming horses.
[attr="class","gaignun"]The last time Rowen had made things easy for a man, she ended up losing her family, her fiance, and eventually her child. That had been a quick lesson learned hard. She kept part of herself reserved after that, like the booze Declan kept locked up behind the counters. It was difficult to keep that up without losing yourself completely under lock and key, a hard lesson learned long. Declan’s grin made finding the safe key that much more worth it, and for the first time in a hot minute, she was just Rowen, nothing accompanying her but a want for a good time on her own terms.
Her lingering giggle was as light as she felt. “I hope they put towels down before you all sat down,” she snickered. Had a few young men tried that very same thing at Primrose the next week, she would have no idea how she would react besides nearly fainting. She doubted she would hardly maintain enough brain power to finish the referrals. But she wouldn’t have to write a referral for Declan, and her smile turned cryptic as she shrugged. “Depends on who is headlining the show,” she joked.
Miss Rowen had a nicer ring to it than she would have liked to admit, and she was thankful for the drink that hid her mouth as it curved upward. “Remember, if I’m coming in the middle of the night, scissors would be in hand.” Her voice took on an almost singsong quality as she warned him. She was vividly aware of his arm on the back of her chair as she steadily flexed and steadied the healing finger. She had done it so many times; she should have been concerned by how little the act concerned her. Most of the time, when she used her power in front of people, it was an othering experience that was largely out of her control. It was usually under violent circumstances, where injuries were expected and due course, and the shock of it turned stomachs.
There had been a moment, right before it began to mend, that she had feared his reaction, her stomach in her throat. But he hadn’t ran off or made excuses to end their talk. That was amazing. Even before he took her hand to inspect it, she felt warm, but the incredulous way he inspected her hand only spread it.
“That’s not the usual reaction, but I’m happy for your janitorial staff that you kept your drinks down,” she laughed. With her free hand, she reached for her drink. The bones in her hand had been frequent victims and had grown hardy and better at their own repair. She knew, from the clinics, that any sort of x-rays would show absolutely nothing at that point, a faint crack at the very most. “It can definitely come in handy sometimes.”