But there's a light on in Chicago and I know I should be home.

[nothingsodivine]

As is custom, there are many different people around, engaging in many different activities (and some of the same activities in different places). Come with me, gentle viewers, and we will see what they're up to.

Desmond Descant is in a bar as is per the custom of manly men who suffer manly heartache (the narration hears you snickering). He's

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[nowinprint]

Bars are popular haunts. They're especially popular among the imported-Angel-of-Knowledge crowd, which basically means Dmitri. She's still making the rounds, seeing which of her favorite bars are the same and which have changed from her home Chicago, and... oh, look. A person.

She steals up behind him and pokes her nose over his shoulder with absolutely no regard for personal space. "It looks like a Jack," she mentions. "It drinks like a Jack. It doesn't dress or smell like a Jack. You must be Desmond D Descant!"

She slides into an empty chair, giving him a smile which has never, in the history of her smiling it, put anyone at ease.

"Dmitri Lang. The Doctor probably hasn't mentioned me, but that's the Doctor for you. How d'you do?"

[nothingsodivine]

It's been a long time since someone made the 'oh you look like Jack' comment and unfortunately that entire sentence for some reason (maybe it's just the unexpectedness of it) makes him choke rather unceremoniously on his beer, so as Dmitri slides into an empty chair, he's too occupied with trying not to die of beer inhalation to tell her to hit the streets

[nowinprint]

"Dessy, you haven't seen an entrance," she says. "That was saying hello. Pleased to meet you."

She makes a note in her journal - the one no one saw her take out - which may or may not be Met Desmond Descant. Caused to choke on beer. ++.

"Stopped by earlier looking for the ol' Doc, but I think he was Out Of Office. Really, there comes a point where I think the greater good might be best served by getting him a collar with a bell, but seeing as that leads back into an entirely different subculture I don't think he wants to get tied up in, probably not the best sustainable solution. But this isn't about him, Disco, this one's about you. Don't think we've ever crossed paths before now."

She sticks out her hand. He's expected to shake it.

[nothingsodivine]

Des gives her a look and tentatively sips his beer as if he's expecting her to make him choke again. "I really don't want to see your entrances." It's not every day Des sees someone who reminds him of someone from the 'Old Country,' but if this dame were just a bit more clingy, she'd be a little too close to Pestilence for comfort

[gunslingersai]

Roland has only recently walked into the sun room, but he's been watching (in a non creepy way) long enough to recognize how nervous the other girl is with that box of camcord aimed at her. He adjusts the guns at his waist and steps toward them both with ridiculous stealth. It's not that he's trying to sneak up on them. It's just the way he moves.

"Andrew," is all that he says, tone low, almost commanding.

Again, it can't be helped. When gunslingers talk, people listen.

[savesomelight]

Andrew jumps, because he is like a frightened rabbit. He blinks at Roland a little, somewhat sheepishly, because Roland, despite being younger is kind of scary and has very pretty guns.

"Hi, Roland," he waves. "Have you met Piper?"

Piper, meanwhile, is more than happy to be rescued and gently pushes Andrew away so she can meet this... Very dashing young man. Andrew is more than a little miffed, because it's not like he was torturing her or anything, and eventually just starts toying with his camcorder.

"Hi!" She says, gleefully, sticking her hand out. "I'm Piper and I'm a demon, and should I say that?" That last bit is directed at Andrew- like Andrew should know.

Andrew doesn't look up. "The demon part might be a bit much.

Piper makes a face and turns back to Roland, still holding her hand out. "Well, I'm Piper anyway. Nice to meet you, Roland... Are those real guns?"

The narration is so sorry, Roland.

[gunslingersai]

Andrew's reaction almost makes Roland smile. Almost. It's a difficult feat to accomplish.

He looks very confused at her hand sticking out, but then seems to remember that people shake hands in this world when they meet each other. Roland does not seem to think it applies as well in this moment. Shaking seems much too... rough. He takes her hand, lifts it up a little, and bows his head a little.

It's cute and awkward.

"And you, lady-sai." Roland raises his eyebrows, releasing her hand. No one's asked him that before. "Yes."

He'll take one out and hold it in his hand so she can have a better look at it.

[savesomelight]

Piper blushes and somehow doesn't mind the awkward. She thought he was going to kiss her hand there for a second, but... This was just adorable.

Do not spazz. Do not spazz.

Somewhere behind her Andrew scoffs, catching her thoughts and plops down on a chair. Of course, Roland is all handsome and dashing and from another world and has guns, and girls swoon over him. Bleah.

"Lady-sai. I like that. It's so... Storybook." She's a little breathless and she squeaks a little when he brings out the gun. "Really, really storybook... Well, it's a fairly modern fairy tale with guns, instead of swords or something... You're not some kind of prince, are you?"

Because that'd be weird. And cool. But mostly weird. And it should be noted that only the last bit was actually directed at Roland. Piper has a bad habit of talking to herself.

[thecellsiam]

Aubs is still wandering the Gauche, though xe's been sizing people up warily and avoiding those that look even mildly suspicious. Or like they might know Tesla. Dammit, even if xes Sneaky Stolen Vacation did start out fantastically horrible, xe's still trying to get to know the parts of the place that aren't the basement. The people...well, we'll see.

Xe's wandering an area that looks lived in, but currently fairly empty, when xe passes the sun room. Glances in, keeps walking, then stops and backs up, staring with a rather perplexed look at Andrew and Piper.

"What're you doing?" xe calls from the doorway.

[savesomelight]

"Recording for future generations!" Andrew calls over his shoulder in a tone that suggests he's been explaining this for a very long time.

Piper glances over Andrew's shoulder and gives Aubrey a rather pained look that pointedly says, He's very cute, but I'm very tired of sitting here and talking into his camcorder. Please save me?

It's not that Andrew can't actually hear those thoughts. It's that he's choosing to ignore them. He's getting good at that.

[thecellsiam]

Aubrey definitely catches that look, shooting back a look that says something akin to 'I totally feel your pain, but I can't promise I can do anything about it.' It's something between a wince and a grimace and a sympathetic smile. Only Aubrey would be able to mash all of those into one facial expression.

Both Piper's discomfort and the fact that Andrew's holding a camera, which xe's currently very twitchy about even though it's obvious that this kid doesn't actually mean any harm by it, help Aubrey decide to saunter into the room. Xe leans down so xe's almost in front of the camera, and definitely in Andrew's field of view, and says, "How long have you been doing this?" Can't you see she's fucking uncomfortable?

[savesomelight]

Andrew backs away a little, lowering the camera compulsively and almost making to hide it behind his back... Yes, like that's going to help. Andrew's not exactly the kind of person who knows when to back off unless people tell him too, and since Piper's a doormat, she isn't going to tell him too.

"Um... Just, uh, a few.." He stammers.

"About an hour," Piper supplies, standing up. "It's fine though." She gives Aubrey a small smile. "Thank you for distracting him. I don't think he gives in without a distraction of some kind."

"I would have stopped if you told me to." Totally ignoring the fact that he could hear her thoughts. Tooootally ignoring that. He's not actually used to dealing with that, so they're easy to ignore now that he has the knack for it.

Piper just shakes her head and offers a hand to Aubrey. "Hi, I'm Piper. This is Andrew, if you don't already know him. I'm new here, so I don't really know who knows who around here."

[elashte]

And Elashte is out looking for one particular young Charun.

Malek found him, as it turned out, and gave him a message which was... to be honest, largely incomprehensible. Had something to do with "Luther" and "empire" and "aht great" and quite a lot of grinning. He decided that the best course of action would be to consult the source directly.

It's not hard to find people in the Gauche if you're psychic, and Elashte closes in on him fairly quickly. He strolls up, glancing over the courtyard with an appreciative eye.

"I spoke with several landscapers before going with the ones who designed this area," he says. "I'm quite pleased with the result. Mr. Remington, I presume?"

[borntobealeaver]

"I'm impressed," Ashley drawls, admiring a particularly nice bit of landscaping. "You've not amazing taste, sir. Your building is a masterpiece in itself."

He turns his eyes towards Elashte and offers him a hand. "That's exactly right, and you must be Elashte. Good to finally meet the man who solved so many of my problems."

Because Luther amounted to so many various problems in Ashley's head. So. Many. He's hoping life under Elashte, provided the Neqa'el will have him, will be much more to his taste.

[elashte]

"Oh, it was my pleasure," he says, flashing him a grin and shaking his hand. "Really, Luther should have known not to assume he could walk with impunity over another Neqa'el's territorry, though I suppose certain unfortunate stories about me may have given him... the wrong impression, shall we say."

He may be the nice demon around here, but he's got goals and aims he'll fight just as hard as anyone for them.

"But something tells me this isn't a social call."

[borntobealeaver]

"Luther was under the impression that you had a weak-hearted sentiment and were, dare I say, somethin' of a pushover, but I'm glad to see you proved him wrong."

Ashley grins a little and pulls the manilla envelope he showed Malek a day or so earlier out of his jacket. "Social call, no, but if a beautiful friendship comes out of this, I wouldn't be opposed to it." He holds the envelope out to Elashte, still grinning like a maniac. "What I have here in many, many more words and legal terms is documented proof that you are now the sole Neqa'el in charge of Las Vegas. You see, the Neq's in that part of the country were very old-fashioned. You slay the dragon, you get the dragon's horde. Simple as that, really. Granted, you don't have to be present there all the time. If you want a vassal, I can nominate a few excellent candidates who aren't as brutish and vulgar as some of Luther's minions tend to be."

This is the Ashley Channel- all business, all the time.

[sensi_doctor]

JD has been working for Ariel all week long and once again, she had to tell him to go do something else, even with the comfort of the fluffy panda, he isn't quite ready to go back outside.

So he finds himself in the Conrad Hotel's bar. They don't have appletinis here, but they have some other drink with the word apples in it so he may have had one too many of those, but he's warm and happy and totally not aware of any paranoia or fear, and oh the world's spinny! But he doesn't notice the way he kind of wobbles when he walks.

And look, he knows that person by the bar part of the bar! What a funny thing to have a bar in a bar. Why didn't they just call the bar by another name? Oh right, PERSON!

"HI Bianca! Haven't... seen you in... since that one time when we totally met and that was like forever ago! How ya been?"

[asoultosave]

Bianca has seen small drunk boys before, so it doesn't take her very long to assume that JD is very much drunk. She smiles a little and pats the stool beside her, urging him to sit and hoping he won't fall over.

"It's been awhile hasn't it, Fluffy? Not since I first got here. I've got a ward-" Or two. "-and everything now. Jesus, how times go by. How have you been, other than drinking too much, apparently? You okay, sugar?"

JD is adorable and innocent and Bianca feels an impressive urge to mamacat him randomly.

[sensi_doctor]

JD manages to sit at the stool. He feels very proud of himself or would if he realized just how much of a feat that is for him right now.

"You've got a-? Oh" A grin slips over his face. "That's right. You're a guardian! A guardian an-gel. Gellin'." He finishes his current drink. "You know... a guardian angel saved my life once! Act-u-ally, it happened... two.. two... about two weeks ago. Bad week. Disaster sort of week, ya know?"

[asoultosave]

Bianca nearly chokes on her martini. "Shit. I forgot you got caught all up in that mess, kid. I don't pay attention to the news if I can help it. Which guardian angel. Maybe I know them."

Bianca is a crazy gossip who thinks she knows everyone, however, so that's not really that surprising.

"Yeah, that week was a disaster all right. Top it all off, I met the lovely new owner of this fine hotel and she's got a ward who'd like to tear mine's face off. Ain't it a pip? It's like bein' two moms with children who don't wanna play nice."

She's suddenly very concerned for him- both for the drinking and for the badness of the last couple of weeks. She pats him on the leg. "You gonna be okay?"