Absinthe
Art Nouveau decor throughout the main lounge pays homage to an era when architecture and interior design were the perfect marriage of form, function and art. The walls are purples and pinks that blend into more subtle hues with the constant green lighting. Small tables with four tall chairs can be found scattered about the room. Large purple couches can be found nestled between the table sets, and in front of a smaller stage used for poetry readings.
The bar itself is long, taking up the entirety of a wall. Tall chairs are scattered on the patron side, and behind the bar is a beautiful greenish glow. The glow comes from the shelving where the majority of the alcohol is stored. The nearby glass racks reflect the glow splendidly as well.
It's now approaching 9pm, this Thursday night. Dinner is over, and the bar rush begins. It's still early yet, so Absinthe is not yet crowded, but there is the usual mix of post-dinner casual drinkers, study-skipping college types, and anyone else who actually needs an excuse to go out and grab a drink (plus some of those who do *not* need an excuse).
—-
At the bar sits a man in a T-shirt that seems an advertisement for something called "Sky Blades", a faded, well worn article of clothing that is sky blue in color, with a simple picture of a sword underlining the title, and a shooting star above. A pair of faded black jeans and sneakers finish off the outfit - obviously, the man didn't dress up to drink alone at the bar tonight. "Another Hoegaarden," Skylar says, calling out to the bartender.
—-
Students, diners, drinkers and one huge panda bear, all wandering into Absinthe all at the same time. Well, the bear is not so much wandering, as he is bobbing, arms and legs flopping as the woman whose got a hold of him around the middle tries to navigate her way inside. Clearly, she's spent quite a bit of either time, luck, or money at the midway. Still, she does try to keep him from flopping around on top of people's heads, or past their drinks, as she makes her way towards the bar.
—-
Among those who randomly enter and exit comes Sophie, who has one hand pressing at the door and the other stuck into her back pocket when she comes inside. Her heels clack softly on the ground beneath her feet and they shuffle as she moves aside for someone who's finished eating dinner and is on the way out. She looks to the giant panda bear, which makes her raise a brow and grin before she looks away. Once she's away from the door she looks around shortly before she heads on up to the bar and pulls a stool back, making space for her to slip up onto the stool and not be wedged too close to the bar.
—-
One should never make an entrance behind a giant stuffed panda. Someone must've told Steve that one day in acting class, but apparently he's forgotten that sage advice… The need to sidle around the giant bear and his new owner makes Steve lean on his cane a bit. But he seems to prefer that to being patient and waiting for her to get out of his path to the bar. So once he jostles by, he makes his way up to the bar. "Crown and Coke."
—-
"Thanks," Skylar says as the bartender hands him a large frosty glass of pale white ale. Sky takes an appreciative sip, before turning in the stool to see what all the other patrons are momentarily staring at. He seems struck silent by surprise for a moment as he is confronted with the fearsome… and cuddly visage of the bear. Which is probably a bad thing, as he should probably be warning whoever is driving the bear that they're about to ram said furry into Skylar. One should not cuddle and drive!
—-
Paige doesn't seem much bothered by people moving and jostling around her. Lord knows, Mr. Panda is not the usual sort of patron one sees inside Absinthe, despite its location within the fairgrounds and not so far from the midway, but regardless, she moves out of the way as much as she can, though when she moves out of the way of the man with the cane, it does unsettle her momentarily, and gives Mr. Panda a chance to kick a poor football player, from the looks of him, right in the face, before he moves on, with a hurried apology from his handler. Skylar is similarly unlucky, as Paige doesn't quite gauge the distance properly, despite the fact that she seemed to be walking in Skylar's direction, and the blacksmith gets a stuffed bear headbutt for his trouble.
—-
Once Sophie is up on her stool she scoots in and glances to the side, watching the giant panda for a moment before she grins to her self and looks away. She orders a drink and slides her money over, then goes back to watching the panda as the drink is prepared. Her legs cross and she stretches her arms down by her side as she yawns softly and then looks away once more. A hand slips up to her head and ruffles her hair back as she waits for her drink to be passed back. For now she's content to watch the others.
—-
Steve lowers himself down to sit on a stool now that he's made his offer. He looks back over his shoulder at the stuffed patron. "Wonder if you can make liquor out of bamboo," he remarks, to no one in particular.
—-
"Watc..murf." Too late, Skylar tries to warn the panda-handler, but is prevented from doing so by it's head in his face. Skylar manages to hold on to his drink, but some of it spills on the pour Panda. Hopefully he doesn't get pulled over and suspected of intoxication - he's probably too young, even in bear-years. "Oh, I'm sorry," Skylar says, once he manages to push the bear face to the side. "Here, let me help clean that… Paige?" Apparently she wasn't on the top of his list as likely bear-assaulting suspects - though who is would be anyone's guess.
—-
"I thought I recognized you from the back," Paige offers, as she takes a step back, getting Mr. Panda out of attack range, and setting him down on the empty seat next to Skylar, which puts him closer to Sophie than to Steve, both of whom receive a smile in greeting. He must have some sort of weight, perhaps beanbags in his bottom, because he actually sits upright on the stool. "Sorry about that. He's been taking out people left and right since I rescued him from captivity." She does look at his front, having picked up on the beginning of Skylar's comment, and she reaches out to grab some of the napkins from the bar, dabbing at the bears mountainous belly. "I thought about strapping him to my back like a backpack, but I didn't have anything handy to do it with. Let me get you another drink."
—-
Dark eyes glance at the bear yet again once Sophie has a drink in her hand, and to the panda, she nods. She grins slightly and says, "Haven't seen someone like you here before," in a low voice that's saved mostly for her own self-amusement. She chuckles and looks from the panda as she takes a sip of her drink and puts the glass back down, twisting it to make it turn around as it sits on the bar. As her curiosity gets her she looks to the others again, listening this time and smiling.
—-
Steve smiles at Paige. After all, carrying around a giant panda makes you fair game for interaction with strangers. And talking to them does, too! Steve looks sidelong at Sophie. "You better be careful," he advises. "Deep down, I hear that guy's a real animal."
—-
"It's fine. He mostly just got the foam. But I am sorry about that. It may only be pale ale, but no one likes a soggy, beer-smelling bear." Almost as bad as wet dog. Or so one would assume. By this time, Skylar had already set down his glass and picked up napkins, with which he now begins to pat-dry the Panda. Appearing to catch Sophie's comment, Skylar glances past the bear to her, offering the young woman a crooked, bemused grin, and a comment once he hears Steve's. "But a real bear in the sack, or so the gossip goes." Yes, cheese, thy name is Sky. In his defense, the others started it. Turning back to Paige, he offers her the same crooked smile. "Twice in as many days after never meeting before. I'm either the luckiest guy in the world, or being stalked without realizing it. How've you been? Besides winning at the midway."
—-
"Wow, I didn't think he's be considered such a catch. And here's me, with no experience as a bear-pimp. But you're welcome to sit him down next to you. It might keep the less savoury types away." That's said with laughter, at Sophie's comment, and Steve's answer. Skylar gets a playful nudge for his troubles, "Don't give away all of his secrets." Once she's sure she doesn't need to replace his beer, she offers, in the direction of the bartender, "A virgin strawberry daiquiri, please," before she answers the comment, "I've not been stalking you, that's for certain. I just have really great timing. And I'm doing well. You look to be doing the same."
—-
Steve is indeed the guilty pun party. He lifts his brows at Sophie. "Man, you didn't get anything for the bear?" he wonders, pulling his whiskey and coke closer once it's delivered. "I wonder what kind of booze bears are into?"
—-
Sophie laughs with amusement at the comments sent her way about the bear. She reaches over to playfully run a hand over the panda's back before she leans into him and sighs, saying, "He's so dreamy. My kind of man." She chuckles again and sits up, sipping her drink before she puts the glass back down. Her legs uncross and she sits a bit crooked on the seat, shifting there while she sips again. She isn't there much longer before her phone buzzes and she reaches into her pocket to grab it and pull it out. A grin shows at her lips from whatever text she got, and she hops up, saying, "Excuse me. Gotta run.. See you all later." A friendly smile is shown again and she quickly finished her drink, then slips out.
—-
"Well, I have most of my beer, I'm in conversation with a pretty girl, and I've a bear for a wingman. I'd say I'm doing pretty good, all things considered," Skylar replies with a wink in reply to Paige, his easy grin as ever forefront on his expression. "Seriously, though, it is good to see you again. I had fun yesterday. What'd you end up doing with the shoe? Or am I not supposed to ask?" As Sophie slips out, Skylar offers her a wave, before replying for her to Steve with a grin. "Mead."
—-
Paige readily ignores the bartender's look as she orders the non-alcoholic beverage. Sober people don't tip as well, usually, seeming happy enough with the small impromptu conversation that's cropped up. "Good evening," she offers to Sophie, as the woman gets her cal and takes her leave, before she looks between Steve and Skylar, "Actually, I'm betting it's bubble tea. It's the national drink of China, I think. Oh, I put it up over the front door of my house, like you're supposed to. With the ends facing up, to keep the good luck from falling out."
—-
Steve nods to Sophie as she makes her excuses, then looks back to Skylar. It takes him a while to get it, but then he smiles and nods appreciatively. "Ohhh. Good one," he praises. "So that's what Winnie was after all those years." He makes a face at Paige. "Ugh, bubble tea. That stuff is so gross. Like drinking chunks of…spare tire."
—-
"Can't say I've had any of… bubble tea? I'm assuming it has nothing to do with bubble gum then?" This is directed to both Paige and Steve, the latter getting a sympathetic wince at his description of the tea. Then, glancing back to Paige, Skylar grins, saying, "Well done. My grams would like you, I think. I'll have to introduce you next time she comes to visit Dallas."
—-
Clearly, Paige does not get the reference inherent in Skylar's answer, so she just looks from one to the other, and then does her best to pretend she did get it, which is to say, she puts on her camera smile, which usually does the trick, before the conversation carries on past the stopping point, "I love it. Bubble tea comes in tons of flavours, from fruity to, well, tea. Which is my favourite, think sweet tea with milk, and then they put tapioca balls in the tea, and give you a huge straw to drink with, and as you use the straw, the little bubbles pop up and you can chew them. And they're really chewy, but it's fantastic, at least I think so. And now, I'm craving it." She does shift a bit, in mindset at least, as Skylar's grams in mentioned, "That depends on whether she knows me beforehand or not."
—-
Steve has a swig of his liquor to banish thoughts of bubble tea. "God…drinks you can chew are not my speed," he says. "People are crazy for it out in LA, though. Or at least they were a few years ago. It's less faddy now, I guess." He doesn't seem concerned with whether Paige and Skylar are especially interested in listening to his opinion on refreshing beverages.
—-
"If she knew you, she'd have tried to set us up by now," Skylar says to Paige with a light grin. Yes, his grams is -that- kind of grandmother. "From what I hear, the worse off it is, the bigger the rage something will be in LA, so it's hard to judge anything by what's been a fad there," he says to Steve. "But if Paige here says its good… well, actually, I have no idea if she has good taste or not. So, I guess it'll be something I'll need to find out for myself." He offers Paige another of his natural smiles, taking any sting from his words, leaving just friendship and good humor.
—-
"It's pretty big up in Seattle too. Not quite as big as designer coffee, but close. I'll have to shop around, see if I can find a place around here that makes it. And I'll get yours without the tapioca." She does make allowances, yes she does, "I'm Paige, by the way, didn't mean to be rude." Once her own drink is delivered, Paige moves to settle onto the other free set beside Skylar, which puts her between Steve and the 'smith, "Well, it's more important what you think…I think. And not your grams. But I have wonderful taste, thank you very much."
—-
"LA's got good and bad like anywhere else," Steve says, shrugging. He smiles at Paige and offers a hand. "No ruder'n I am," he replies amiably. "I'm Steve. Hi." He pauses to have another drink.
—-
"Or me, for that matter. Skylar, call me Sky," Skylar says on the matter of rudeness, and introducing himself to Steve. "As for drinks, I'm not much of a tea drinker, though I'm open to trying anything once. Usually settle for water, Dr. Pepper, the occasional pale ale and wine with fancier dinners. And not necessarily all in that order." He grins over at Paige's comments, saying only, "I'll keep that in mind." Probably meaning all of it.
—-
"I'll have to take your word for it. I've never been out to LA. Seems a bit too big and too busy for me." Paige seems content with her drink, swishing the straw around to keep the crushed ice from clumping up, always a problem with frozen drinks, "You lost me at wine, but picked me up again at Dr. Pepper. So what brought you out here all the way from LA, Steve? Seems like quite a bit of a change."
—-
"A place is only as big as your own stomping ground," Steve suggests, finishing off his drink. "Hey, Sky, what's up?" he adds, in acknowledgement of the introduction. Then he's back to Paige. "Well, this is a little closer to where I'm originally from."
—-
Skylar chuckles at Paige's comment on his choice in beverages, and seems about to comment when his phone rings. "I should probably take this," he says. "Excuse me. Shouldn't take too long. Don't let Mr. Bear steal anymore of my ale." He grins to both Steve and Paige, rises, and moves to answer his phone.
—-
Paige shoos Skylar off in the direction of some privacy, as his phone also goes off, "This is why I always set my phone on silent." A quick grin, before she watches the blacksmith wander off, and then returns her attention to the man still at the bar, "Seems like quite a few of the people I've been meeting lately are born and raised near or around here. I always figured I'd meet more people coming in from other places than sticking around."
—-
Steve bobs his head at Skylar as he heads off, then looks back toward Paige. "Well, I'm from Waco, which isn't /crazy/ close, but closer than LA, you know? And, I mean, isn't it normal to meet people who come from the town you're in?"
—-
"Well, I don't know. How many people have you met from Nome, Alaska?" Clearly her accent is NOT texan, not even a little bit, despite the fact that she's lived here for a number of years, "Most of the people I grew up with their still live there. Either that, or they're on a boat somewhere." And from there, it's an easy enough conversation as Paige and Steve talk story about their respective home towns, with Mr. Panda looking on in silence.
