To say that Rhy'Din was an assault on the senses was a bit of an understatement. To add that Rhy'Din thirty-eight years into the future for the newest additions to its wonderful mix of the normal, fantastical, and out of this world was just a little mind-blowing was also an understatement. Helena had done her best to warn Tommy and Jack about the many unusual things and peoples they were going to come across, but some things just had to be jumped into head first. Thus, she'd given both men absolutely no choice but to come out with her for the evening, just a couple of days after they had arrived. After all, the business with the surfboard had been taken care of, they were settled in Willow Manor for now, and the beach had been well and truly declared perfect. Why not choose now to dip a toe into Rhy'Din's night life"
She hadn't chosen anywhere too vastly strange for their first outing, though. The bar they were heading to dealt with mostly humanoid clientele, though that still covered a plethora of races that weren't human. And she had quite deliberately chosen this bar on this night for one reason in particular, which would, for now, remain unknown to both men. It was an open mic night, and she had a better than good hunch that someone she knew was going to be there.
Tommy had thankfully taken it all in stride, just as he had his first time around through the portal, which now hadn't even really happened, as far as he was concerned. To say he'd gotten excited about the beach and the surf was an understatement, however, and he was already making plans for a new shop and talking about designing a new board specially designed for Rhy'Din.
Jack, on the other hand, was like a kid in a candy store. He was full of questions, wide-eyed with wonder at the sights and sounds of Rhy'Din. He wasn't yet sure what he was going to do with his life here, but he wasn't too worried about it just yet. Whatever Tommy had planned, he was sure he'd be part of it somehow. And while Tommy kept waiting for someone to pinch him and wake him up from a dream, Jack was the one who had embraced Rhy'Din with wide-eyed childlike wonder.
The words "night out" had produced an interesting response in both of them as well. Lena had told them they didn't need to dress up for this outing, no more than they would normally, but for some reason a certain amount of playful excitement had spread through the house once she'd informed her pair of hippies they were going out for the evening. For once, it was the woman who was ready to go first, waiting patiently in the great room at Willow Manor for her evening's escorts to make their appearance.
The idea of a night on the town was met with excitement from both men, though Tommy was suspicious about what exactly Lena had planned. He knew she was planning on setting his friend up with her cousin, but he wasn't sure if she was going to choose going out for a night on the town as an excuse to do it. Jack had yet to emerge from the bathroom, taking more time in there than a woman, according to Tommy. When he had finally emerged, it had been without the scraggly overgrown beard, hair trimmed to a more reasonable length, glasses gone from his face. He was almost unrecognizable in a lime green leisure suit - the only one he owned - a print shirt beneath the jacket, open at the front, a chain dangling from his neck from which hung a Peace symbol. The laughter that bubbled up from Tommy at the sight of his friend echoed throughout the house, reaching the great room to announce their arrival before they got there.
As for Tommy, he was dressed in an equally ridiculous-looking psychedelic print shirt and matching bell bottom pants, along with a pair of worn leather sandals, his blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. It was hard to tell which of them looked more out of date and ridiculous.
The sound of laughter was enough to draw Lena's attention to the doorway as they entered, her own reaction to the change in Jack's appearance bright and genuine. The suit ....well, that she could have lived without ever having seen at all, but the rest' "Jack, you look gorgeous," she told him, absolutely sincere in that compliment. She was pretty sure that one way or another she or someone else would be able to steer him away from lime green and that suit over the next few months. As for Tommy' She just about managed to keep her laughter in check to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, but she could foresee a shopping trip in the very near future. "You both look fantastic," she lied through her teeth with a grin, moving to join them, pretty glad she'd gone with dark and understated for the evening herself. Looping her arm about Tommy's waist, she met Jack's gaze with a smile. "No glasses" I like."
Tommy grinned, pleased at the compliment, not realizing how ridiculous and out of date he looked. And what did he care" It was Rhy'Din. Every night was like Halloween here. He might as well look the part.
Jack frowned uncertainly, feeling half naked with all that hair gone from his face. It hadn't helped that Tommy had laughed at him, though his friend's laughter was not malicious in any way, just amused.
"Come on, Romeo," Tommy teased, reaching over to ruffle Jack's much shorter mane. "Let's see what the girls think of the new you."
"Hey, it wouldn't kill you to have a trim, you know," Lena nudged Tommy teasingly, knowing from experience that Jack was probably wavering on whether or not he wanted to go out at all tonight. Laughter was just going to make him want to hide inside until it all grew back again. She reached out to loop her arm through Jack's, leading both men out the front door before either one could put up much of a fight. "No arguments, we're taking the car tonight," she informed them. No way in hell was she going to get out of Tommy's van with them both looking like that.
"Me?" exclaimed Tommy, more than a little defensively. As far as he was concerned, he didn't have to make much of an effort. He already had a girl who liked him just fine the way he was. It was Jack who was the problem child. "Oh, no," Tommy muttered with a chuckle. "No one is touching this hair. It's taken me years to get it just right!"
Now it was Jack's turn to laugh at his friend. "You could have at least worn a suit."
Tommy turned a glare on Jack. "I don't own a suit, and you look like you're ready for the disco."
"At least, I made an effort!" Jack shot back, his freshly-trimmed boyish face flushing with anger.
She hadn't chosen anywhere too vastly strange for their first outing, though. The bar they were heading to dealt with mostly humanoid clientele, though that still covered a plethora of races that weren't human. And she had quite deliberately chosen this bar on this night for one reason in particular, which would, for now, remain unknown to both men. It was an open mic night, and she had a better than good hunch that someone she knew was going to be there.
Tommy had thankfully taken it all in stride, just as he had his first time around through the portal, which now hadn't even really happened, as far as he was concerned. To say he'd gotten excited about the beach and the surf was an understatement, however, and he was already making plans for a new shop and talking about designing a new board specially designed for Rhy'Din.
Jack, on the other hand, was like a kid in a candy store. He was full of questions, wide-eyed with wonder at the sights and sounds of Rhy'Din. He wasn't yet sure what he was going to do with his life here, but he wasn't too worried about it just yet. Whatever Tommy had planned, he was sure he'd be part of it somehow. And while Tommy kept waiting for someone to pinch him and wake him up from a dream, Jack was the one who had embraced Rhy'Din with wide-eyed childlike wonder.
The words "night out" had produced an interesting response in both of them as well. Lena had told them they didn't need to dress up for this outing, no more than they would normally, but for some reason a certain amount of playful excitement had spread through the house once she'd informed her pair of hippies they were going out for the evening. For once, it was the woman who was ready to go first, waiting patiently in the great room at Willow Manor for her evening's escorts to make their appearance.
The idea of a night on the town was met with excitement from both men, though Tommy was suspicious about what exactly Lena had planned. He knew she was planning on setting his friend up with her cousin, but he wasn't sure if she was going to choose going out for a night on the town as an excuse to do it. Jack had yet to emerge from the bathroom, taking more time in there than a woman, according to Tommy. When he had finally emerged, it had been without the scraggly overgrown beard, hair trimmed to a more reasonable length, glasses gone from his face. He was almost unrecognizable in a lime green leisure suit - the only one he owned - a print shirt beneath the jacket, open at the front, a chain dangling from his neck from which hung a Peace symbol. The laughter that bubbled up from Tommy at the sight of his friend echoed throughout the house, reaching the great room to announce their arrival before they got there.
As for Tommy, he was dressed in an equally ridiculous-looking psychedelic print shirt and matching bell bottom pants, along with a pair of worn leather sandals, his blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. It was hard to tell which of them looked more out of date and ridiculous.
The sound of laughter was enough to draw Lena's attention to the doorway as they entered, her own reaction to the change in Jack's appearance bright and genuine. The suit ....well, that she could have lived without ever having seen at all, but the rest' "Jack, you look gorgeous," she told him, absolutely sincere in that compliment. She was pretty sure that one way or another she or someone else would be able to steer him away from lime green and that suit over the next few months. As for Tommy' She just about managed to keep her laughter in check to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, but she could foresee a shopping trip in the very near future. "You both look fantastic," she lied through her teeth with a grin, moving to join them, pretty glad she'd gone with dark and understated for the evening herself. Looping her arm about Tommy's waist, she met Jack's gaze with a smile. "No glasses" I like."
Tommy grinned, pleased at the compliment, not realizing how ridiculous and out of date he looked. And what did he care" It was Rhy'Din. Every night was like Halloween here. He might as well look the part.
Jack frowned uncertainly, feeling half naked with all that hair gone from his face. It hadn't helped that Tommy had laughed at him, though his friend's laughter was not malicious in any way, just amused.
"Come on, Romeo," Tommy teased, reaching over to ruffle Jack's much shorter mane. "Let's see what the girls think of the new you."
"Hey, it wouldn't kill you to have a trim, you know," Lena nudged Tommy teasingly, knowing from experience that Jack was probably wavering on whether or not he wanted to go out at all tonight. Laughter was just going to make him want to hide inside until it all grew back again. She reached out to loop her arm through Jack's, leading both men out the front door before either one could put up much of a fight. "No arguments, we're taking the car tonight," she informed them. No way in hell was she going to get out of Tommy's van with them both looking like that.
"Me?" exclaimed Tommy, more than a little defensively. As far as he was concerned, he didn't have to make much of an effort. He already had a girl who liked him just fine the way he was. It was Jack who was the problem child. "Oh, no," Tommy muttered with a chuckle. "No one is touching this hair. It's taken me years to get it just right!"
Now it was Jack's turn to laugh at his friend. "You could have at least worn a suit."
Tommy turned a glare on Jack. "I don't own a suit, and you look like you're ready for the disco."
"At least, I made an effort!" Jack shot back, his freshly-trimmed boyish face flushing with anger.