?Huh?? she asked back, taking a step out from the washroom. While Alain had been busily ironing out the last few kinks, she had snuck away to clean herself up and change. After literally twenty tries, she had managed to get her hair into a semi-professional French twist. She was very proud of it. She had also given herself a hint of blush and a teensy bit of golden eye shadow.

She turned her head to look at her boss, grinning as she did. ?Hold on. We can compare,? she said, placing the bag with her previous outfit (the one she?d used to clean and set-up in) behind the bar while glancing over to her ward, Jean. She giggled at his sentiment, before heading for Alain.

Standing at about five foot nine with the thin-strapped black heels, she moved with a bit of awkwardness, making it fairly obvious she hadn?t had much practice in formal shoes. She looked him up and down when she got near, making a very critical ?hm? noise. When her eyes finally made the circuit back up, she reached out and unfastened the buttons holding his shirt collar down and mussed up his hair artfully.

She rocked back to investigate, cocking her head first to the right, then to the left. She gave his hair another push with her hand and nodded with a grin. ?Clah!? she exclaimed happily, her accent all the more sing-songy for the occasion.

Inching back enough to be appraised, she gave a spin as she asked: ?How am I??

She had bought herself a fern green, taffeta, wrap dress for the affair. Fit at the top and flared out at the bottom, the waist was cinched in by a tie belt secured in a bow to the side of her waist. Her arms were left bare by cap sleeves, as was a fairly modest V-cut view of her chest. Like his outfit, the dress had a collar.

She checked the door once, seeing as it was 7 sharp. She was getting antsy.

Cassie came rumbling down the stairs, sounding almost like a herd of elephants all on her own! Black stiletto heels put her at eye level with Alain as she rushed up to him, the material of her LBD (Little Black Dress) swishing around her knees and slithering across her hips with the movement. It was sleeveless, thin straps resting over her shoulders, the bodice snug against her upper body. The dress flared out just a bit at her hips, giving enough room for some swish. 'Lanta got an excited "Hi!" before Alain was practically attacked with a hug and a brief kiss.

"I'm so proud of you! It's gonna be great." Then she stepped back with a sheepish grin, brushing a few lavender curls back behind one ear. Curls were styled in artful disarray and she had traces of make up around her eyes and lips.

She took a turn around to get a glimpse of the room while it was still in its pristine condition, waiting to be filled with a rumbling crowd of people doing this and that while having their evening drinks.

Alain happily returns Cassie's kiss, hooking an arm around her a moment and letting her go again. He smiles as he watches her fuss sheepishly with her hair... and then turns to Anastas with a grin. "Glad you could make it."

Jean snorts again, but this time he stands, stretches, and trots out into the side yard through the doggie door.

"He's harmless. I'll have to introduce you two properly sometime."

Eager to kick things off - he even gets a little shiver, taking this as an historic moment - he moves behind the bar. "What can I get you to drink?" He inwardly hopes people go after the Silver Mark lagers - he's rather proud of them.

"Not half-bad!" she repeated with a scrunch of her nose, before laughing at his amendment. She might have come up with something to say, but she was soon distracted. People!

'Lanta broke out the biggest smile she had when Cassie entered and clapped her hands excitedly. The woman's appearance put hers to shame, but rather than envy, she simply marveled and kept from watching her display of affection. She wasn't trying to be rude.

However, Anastas came blowing in soon enough, giving her someone to wave and smile to, instead of standing there idly. She didn?t call out a hello, though. Her chest was swelled up. She couldn't even imagine how Alain felt--she hadn't put in nearly the amount of work he had, and still, she was to the brim with nervousness and delight.

When the gentleman referenced her ward, she turned to look at the pup trudging off, giving his tail a grin. Poor thing did have a long day chasing after her, yipping at the broom. She twisted to Alain, next, finally reclaiming her tongue. "Am I out of a job, already?"

What to wear? What to wear? Locke had immersed himself in his wardrobe for the past few days, flipping through the seemingly endless supply of vividly colored dress shirts he had. Salmon, pink, eggplant, mauve, maroon, burgundy. No, no, no! None of these match! Locke had wanted desperately to head up to the upper crust tailors and fashion houses of New Haven to shop, but his wallet was feeling lighter than usual lately, and besides, he was saving up for...more important things.

He had taken the time to catch a few of the fashion shows, even though they seemed to be predominantly geared towards women's clothing. Part of him was secretly hoping that one of the designers would pluck him out of the crowd, spin him around, and say ?Yes! You're perfect for it!? They'd dress him up in the latest style, give him a little shove, and he'd be strutting down the catwalk, the industry's latest sensation. This dream was soon shattered, though, when a tall man with severe features sitting next to him at one of the shows took one look at Locke's gold-colored dress shirt, and clucked his tongue. After a somewhat heated discussion with the man, who turned out to be a critic for one of the smaller fashion magazines in Rhydin, he discovered that it might not be a good idea to wear a dress shirt that was the same color as the dress his evening companion might be wearing. Which led Locke back to square one, sifting through his closet for another option.

With a sigh and a pout, Locke decided to go with something a little less...subdued. He wore a spread collar solid white dress shirt paired with wool trousers, a simple leather belt with a small silver buckle, and Oxfords, all a similar shade of black. He decided not to wear his snowflake earrings or carry around his messenger bag. Instead, he accented his outfit with silver snowflake cuff links and a dark green, skinny silk tie. Instead of the usual spiked-up hair, Locke went with something a little more toned down yet still stylish. He had his hairstylist slash his white locks into several layers with a razor before mussing it up with some product. The end result was a flatter but still full-bodied 'do that toed the line between edgy and professional. The whole wardrobe was flawlessly cared for: collar starched, shirt tucked in, pants ironed, shoes shined until they were nearly blinding to look at. After checking himself in the mirror one final time, he grabbed the blood red rose he had frosted previously and headed out the door.

***

A few minutes after 7 p.m., Locke pushed the door to the Silver Mark open as fast as he could, seemingly oblivious to the possibility that there might be other people on the other side. For a moment, he stood there straight and tall, mischievous grin plastered on his face. He was waiting to see if there were any other customers there who might not have seen a person with pale blue skin before. Eventually, he stopped preening and posturing long enough to scan the pub. He nodded and smiled to Anastas and Alain when he saw them, having talked briefly with the former on a couple of occassions and seen the latter once or twice around the Red Dragon Inn. He beamed even brighter, though, when he spotted Riley and 'Lanta. Left hand behind his back, he called out to the pair.

?Evening, mates!?

?If he tries to kick us out, we can revolt. I think the two of us could pack a decent wallop,? she grinned, her jest quite apparent, as she looked to her (twice-over) co-worker. She always appreciated the accent, especially since it reminded her of Tamleix and the Irish roots it maintained. Refraining from making a ?we almost match!? comment, she watched Riley set her things down as ?Lanta stepped closer to the break in the bar. There was a laugh at Alain?s promise as she pointed a finger to prove she was holding him to it, even as she kept investigated the group. Everyone was looking so lovely---

---And the man at the door was no exception. She spun when she heard the voice, anxious hands sliding to check the position of the bow and to iron out an invisible wrinkle. When green eyes landed on the sharp-dressed fella with the stylish hair and the cheeky grin, she couldn?t help but paint on a too-large smile. She hoped she looked impeccable. Everything had been tripled checked to impress. The overwhelming urge to leap forward and seize him in a hug captured her for a full instant, but her feet were unsteady in the heels, and the desire to not make a scene was stronger than the first.

Besides, she was really too busy soaking in the moment to think of moving.

Locke took one last moment to sweep the surroundings with his cobalt blue eyes. He was familiar with the trappings of the typical pub house, though this was the first one he had actually set foot in. Most of what he knew about them had been told to him by his stepfather, who dismissed them as ?dark, smoky, vile dens of iniquity.? Then again, his stepfather tended to be a rather boring person, so that had piqued his interest all the more. His lips curled up in a grin at the sight of the pool table and dart board. Locke had played both games a few times while in college, and while he was by no means skilled at either, certain...characteristics of his helped him play somewhat better than the average person. Before he headed over to where Riley and 'Lanta were, he tucked that frost-rimmed rose into one of his back pockets.

His first words were for Riley. Locke's smile, the wideness of his eyes, and the tone of his words made it quite clear that he was pleasantly surprised to see her. ?Riley, you work here? Aces! I haven't seen you in a month of Sundays! How have you been faring?? After a second or two, he turned to face 'Lanta. His voice rang out like a bell, melodic and sweet and a touch sing-songy, before shifting back to his usual, more British accent. ?Lle maa quel, 'Lanta. This place looks fantastic. 'Grats to you and everyone else involved.? Then, his cheeks dimpled as he beamed further. ?Think you could fix your 'ol pal Locke a drink? I'll give you a pair of guesses as to what I would like.? His left hand remained behind his back, leaving only the right in view, clad in a black lambskin leather glove. He bounced on the balls of his feet, waiting for her to say something about his sneakiness.

Frank's greeting has him opening his arms, as if to say, Who, me? I'm innocent! He laughs, and then nods slowly to Tarna with a smile. "Thank you, Tarna."

The crowd and the mood of them are getting to him in a good way - he can't get rid of his smile, he gestures when he talks - he's in a good mood.

"If you're going to break with tradition and be a gentleman and get the young lady a drink - you'll have to get it from her," he says to Frank, with a tip of his head and a wink to 'Lanta.

"Perhaps you could." A coy smile to Frank. Then putting her hand to his offered arm, Tarna followed Frank towards the bar, a smile to the woman Alain had pointed out. Hm, Tarna should have spent more time socializing and less time moping into a tea cup. A bit nervous as she didn't really know anyone aside from Frank here. Her knowledge of Alain and Cassie had been very brief and it didn't involve much conversing on her part. (Still the mild shudder in her thoughts when she recalled the words of that man... have you for dinner...)

She offered a wide smile to the woman opposite the bar, "Something light, please? Whatever you recommend." Spoken as she leaned against Frank ever so slightly, casting him a look from the corner of her eye.

Locke turned to Alain first, extending his cold, gloved hand to the man. He figured now was as good a time as any for introductions. ?Name's Locke. Locke D'Vestavio. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. 'Grats on the pub, by the by. Looks like you and yours did a fantastic job getting everything squared away before the big night. I look forward to stopping by again, sir.? After a friendly wink, he then turned to Riley, still trying to angle the back of his body away from 'Lanta's view.

?Indeed. Riley here has some sharp elbows,? Locke said, pretending to throw a blow in slow motion while glancing sideways at 'Lanta. ?That bloke never knew what was coming. Anyways, it's wonderful to see you out and about, and I'm sure that I'll be spotting you again in here some day. Although had I but known you were going to be here, I would've brought you something special.? With that, Locke held his right hand palm up towards Riley, as if telling her to stop. His arm dropped down, and he snapped his finger and shook his wrist simultaneously. When he brought his right hand back up to face her, a silver coin was pinched between his index finger and thumb. He flipped it in her general direction. ?Consider this a small token of my gratitude. Your first tip, one of many more to come, hopefully.?

Finally, Locke's body and attention shifted back towards 'Lanta, who, in heels, stood a couple inches above the ice elf. His next trick was a little more mundane than the one he performed for Riley. Hidden left hand suddenly popped back into view in front of his body, holding a dark red rose. The petals were lined with white frost, and the flower almost looked like it might break if handled indelicately. ?TaDa! I figured six or a dozen roses might be a bit much for tonight, but I wanted you to know that I was thinking of you. It should stay cold for a day or so, then you can do with it what you will.? He softened his smile for a moment, before her memory for what he liked to drink brought that high wattage grin back. ?Whiskey would be tops, thanks.?

The night was placid and seemed almost electrifyingly calm. An Idol Pro 66 guitar was carried encased within a black bulky box-like container. Jingles of overwhelmingly proportions overlapped with every step.

Mismatchingly she wore a hoodie jacket faithfully in the night, yet tails of a paneled skirt seemed to flutter in, out, and between her legs as she walked. Unlike her torso, arms, and back, few tattoos marked her legs. The one distinguished one was curvatures of vines that anatomically flowed along the length of her right leg. The other had no visible inkings of any kind. The fabric was Egyptian cotton. Light, wavy, and ruffled in texture.

She wore makeup of performer?s proportions. Years of makeup artistry under her figurative Gypsy belt would invite illustrative capabilities beyond anyone?s imagination. Using durable liquid liner to trace designs of striking simplicity from the outer corners of her eyes. Glitter was outstandingly applied below her brows and thicker onto her upper eyelid. Ruby red lipstick traced her lips.

Earrings of jingly potential swayed generously from her ears. Chains linked piercings from her upper ear?s cartilage to the bottom-most piercing on her lobe. Her hair was loose, but with new additions of metal spirals encasing underlying locks of hair. Beaded, braided links of hair were cleverly hidden underneath, revealing themselves only by dangling inches longer than the rest of her hair.

She wore flats, fully intending not to wear shoes for much longer. There it was. It came into view. The Silver Mark. It?s a good thing she had great navigational skills. Entering, she fearlessly allowed her jingles to be heard, smirking upon sight of Atalanta. The girl had effortless beauty. How she would envy the dame for such lucky traits graced upon her.

?Evening, folks. This place accepting employees still?? She semi-joked, looking to Lanta with a hopeful glance. She sure hoped she approached Alain about her little proposal beforehand like she said she would!

A smile to Frank as he spoke quietly to her. She picked up the offered sampling, giving it a taste. Leaning back to Frank, she tilted her head 'just-so' to whisper back to him. "I would assume 'ripper' means 'good', love. It's quite lovely." Here, lifting the glass to offer her companion a taste as well.

While Frank tasted or not, Tarna watched the bubbly tendress and her exchanges with the others in the bar with a soft smile. At times she wished she had a more socialable attitude, of course... her current attitude had snagged Frank's affections... so it would be enough.

Making eye contact with 'Lanta when the woman finished with her own conversation, Tarna gave her a small wave that she was ready. With luck Frank would be ready to order as well.

"It is quite 'ripping' and I would adore a glass, thank you for the suggestion, Miss...?"

Alain shakes Locke's hand firmly, grinning at him. "Alain D'Mourir. It's good to finally meet you, Locke." He takes a look around at the pub, and back at him. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it - should've seen the place when I bought it." He chuckles, and lets him return to 'Lanta and Riley.

There's a quick wink for Frank, and his attention turns to Chase. "Glad you could make it tonight. How've you been?" As he moves over that way, he sees AJ's entrance, and raises a hand to wave her over, even as she approaches. "Chase, you've met AJ, haven't you?"

He takes the proffered glass, "Yeah, but you can never tell around here. For all I know, means there's a snake crawlin' round in it." He takes a sip anyways. "Not bad," he concedes, the closest thing anything besides vodka would likely get out of him. "Make it two," he says to Tarna. Quite content to let her do the talking. Besides, it wasn't likely the lady would be torn from her beau by another man, anyways. He fishes out a couple coins and places them on the counter for whenever 'Bubbles' comes back this way.

Frank turns toward, AJ, "I'd know that little French lilt anywhere!" He grins, "Welcome to the party, AJ."

Locke knew that look by heart, even if it had been years since anyone had viewed him like that. As a teenager, he had been quite the charmer, and he had seen irises of almost every size, shape, and hue gaze upon him that way. Usually, he just tossed them a wink and a grin, like the cat who ate the canary. But when 'Lanta's deep green eyes locked onto his warm, dark blues, his irises couldn't help but match that intensity. His pupils seemed to flare and widen a bit in the lighting, before she finally turned away to get his drink. He took that moment to expel the air from his lungs, in a sigh that was probably louder than he intended.

It was because of that look that he was on his best behavior with the other patrons of the pub. Under most circumstances, Locke might have grinned cheekily and flashed a cheesy wink at the other females there, even those with significant others present. This evening, though, he gave each of them a pleasant, friendly smile and nod. When Chase entered, though, he chanced a brighter smile for her.

?Evening, mate! Looks like the crew's all here, no?? His laugh was joyous and child-like ? if he could, he would've wrapped her up in a big bear hug. ?But seriously, Chase, it is fantastic to see you here as well. You really should get yourself a drink...unless you need to stay clean and sober for your performance?? He canted his head towards her guitar case, curiosity clear on blue features.

"Oh no!" She said when she looked at Frank. "You're here..." She snickered but patted his shoulder. "I'm kidding... good to see you though!" Still to Frank. "And your lady." With a smile to Tarna.

She glanced to Chase and nodded. "Really it would be nice if we could kick back and have a few drinks, no?" Her accent still strong, yet sweet as always.

She glanced over to Alain. "I doubt it, but Phillipe might show up later." A pause. "He apologizes for being so busy with working all the time." And she smiled before looking to 'Lanta and smiling. "Bonjour! I think I've seen you around... none the less... my name is AJ!"

Cassie looked on benignly at the wink to Riley, smiling in return when the girl smiled at her, and then giving Alain a quick squeeze before flitting off to do greeting of her own. Anastas was given a wave and "Hey!" along with a greeting to Locke. Didn't know him all that well, but both 'Lanta and Riley seemed to know him.

She couldn't help but grin as she watched Frank watch Tarna when they came in and he took her coat. Aw, it was cute! "Wow Frank, you clean up nice. Tarna, you better keep him in line tonight!" Also grinning at Tarna. She did look lovely tonight.

Cassie flitted back over to Alain to grin at him, trying not to bounce too much in her excitement. "AJ! Wow look at you! Phillipe is going to be missing out on quite a sight if he can't make it tonight." Chase was given a nod and friendly smile. Cassie didn't know her, but she was pretty sure that by the end of the night she'd know most of the people in there better as they all imbibed the alcohol Alain had stockpiled for the occasion.

"Well well, Lockey-boy, it's rockin' to see you here too! Lookin' sharp, as always, sir." She arched a naughtily teasing brow towards the Ice Elf, smiling at the sight of him with his date. It was just too cute! If she could, she would've pinched the blue cheek of his. He was juuust precious! Chase almost giggled to see Locke's total bubbly-ness this night. Then again, he was the date of his favorite gal, any guy would be.

Speaking of guys, she inwardly wondered where Quel would be. It slipped her mind to tell him about such an occasion. Shutting her eyes as if witnessing someone get decked in the face by a block of cement, she hissed under her throat. Shrugging her shoulders, she let it go. She wasn't about to let a small shortcoming ruin her night. Plus, she hadn't seen the Gentle Elf in several days! Absence without at least a heads up? That definitely deserved some sort of retaliation. She masked her forgetfulness of informing her Elven lover with the fact that he hasn't been present at all to inform. Relief washed over her in an awesome wave.

Chase smirked to see Atalanta's reaction to her attire for the occasion. Sure, the girl was the Gypsy's best friend, but she still had to learn that when given the chance, Chase was always going to show her heritage with eye-catching flare. I mean, if her jinglies, makeup, and mid-section exposing attire didn't do the trick, she deserved to be denied any true acknowledgment.

Chase grinned softly upon AJ's mentioning of drinking and compensation for their lack of interaction. She could use a few Goldschlagers to get the night going! And to drink with a lovely french woman like AJ was enough of an honor in itself, let alone to party hearty with her best friends as well. And we can't forget Anastas. She looked to him, winking impishly and waving his way as well. "Tonight's going to be faaaar out! I can feel it. This rocks." She nodded, grinning cooly to herself. Thanks to Khuna, her inner surfer was rearing its ugly head, complete with the slang.

Right when she had forgotten any of the word of "shortcomings" yet another resurfaced. It was the girl that punched Captain Alexander that night when he had kissed her. She knew this would be awkward. Pursing her lips to the corner of her mouth as if in deep thought of something, she shrugged to herself as she too replied to the girl with an equally courteous smile and wave. She hoped the girl was good enough of a sport to put such trivialities behind them.

"Look at me?" Was asked with a laugh. "Look at you Cass darling with all your beauty and whatnot." She gave the girl a glance over... she felt so plain next to Cass, but then again she felt special in Rhy'Din being of the plain sorts of her standards.

She then looked to Frank. "I'd be the life of the party sweetheart beside Alain..." And she laughed before brushing off her short dress.

"Alright.. where is the liquor?!" She was ready to drink... oui...

Locke felt the tug on his shirt sleeve and took the tumbler full of whiskey and ice with a wink and a grateful smile. Then, his mind suddenly put two and two together, and he covered his face with one of his hands briefly. Chase had been with the guy that Riley had elbowed in the nose! He crossed his fingers and looked to Riley with a friendly smile, hoping things wouldn't come to too much of a head between the two ladies. Though, if he had to guess, he was fairly certain that the two would probably get along swimmingly, given the chance. He used Cassandra's greeting as a welcomed distraction, raising his glass to her in a friendly salute before sipping the glorious golden liquid within.

The frost elf replied to Chase's compliment and eyebrow arch with a tug at the collar of his dress shirt and a mischievous wink. ?You should know me by now, mate. I always dress to impress.? He paused, giving her outfit the once over, before shooting her a thumbs up. ?You seem to be dressed to impress as well. Lookin' sharp, Chase.?

Free hand placed against the bar, Locke started to lean casually and drink his beverage. Tonight was shaping up to be a pleasant evening.

Alain smiles as he finds himself watching Cassie a few moments, even as she moves off... and then he catches the all too familiar sound of Frank ribbing him.

"Enjoying your drink, shorty?" he says to Frank as he rejoins Cassie's side, folding his arms.

The bar's drawn a decent crowd, and not a lot of time has passed. This is a good sign.

The Gypsy smirked in delight, watching Lanty-kins fill up her first pair of shots for the night. She came ready to party in more ways than one. Pulling out from the bust section of her halter top came a bulging coin purse. Ornate, old, worn, and aged. From the pouch, she pulled out a pair of silvers. Setting them upon the bar, she nodded once in a cheery fashion as she looked out towards the population of the new establishment.

"I propose a toast! If that's not too much for me to impose." The Gypsy then looked to Alain with a flirtatiously Quizzical look on her pretty Gypsy face. Could she help herself? For a detective, the guy was on the handsome side. She winked his way, holding her shot glass high in readiness for his call.

"Oui? A tost... I need a drink!" To Lanta.... "Lanta right? Pleased to meet you, very pleased. Such a pretty bartender!" And she smiled. "How about some blueberry schnapps and cola? That sound right about nice."

And she looked to Chase who was enjoying her drink and around to everyone else.