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Post by Aura on Jun 6, 2019 1:14:33 GMT -6
Aura had heard rumors of some place that came alive at night, where there were no transactions but drinks and food. Supposedly, there was music, and the way that they dressed would actually be normal. They were expecting a building like where they'd worked back in their homeland- open, with lanterns hanging in the windows and well ventilated for the desert heat. They had expected raised platforms with centers of dirt, where various beings would be dancing, or singing, or even offering refreshment. What they had not expected was a place that was dark, with lights that were as bright as the color of their eyes, or the vibrations of bass coming from within. As a result, it had taken them some time to work up the courage to approach it. They expected to be out of their element at all times in this strange, new place, but not quite so much as they felt upon stepping into the main club.
One thing was for sure; they looked like they fit in. The lights threw flattering patterns over the paint-like splotches on their scales, giving the galaxy effect motion. The shirt they wore- if it could be called that- only wrapped around their flattened chest, and their pants had open panels on the side, held together only by the laces and a bow at the top on the hip. Even without being shined, their scales gleamed in the lights.
They made their way to the bar, side stepping around anyone that got in their way. Their boots clicked against the floor, giving them another four inches to their already impressive height. They didn't tower over everyone, just damn near it. Aura leaned back against it, watching the crowd with narrowed eyes. Watching the people here was on another level. People were dressed in new and different ways than they'd expected. The music thrummed in their ribcage, a vibration they were certain they'd feel for days. There was an energy in the air that they could feel, and in the way people interacted. Strangest of all, there were no animals. This place seemed to be the only exception to the rule when it came to the usual culture they'd come to expect from the labs.
Their eyes landed on a man they had to guess was someone of importance, based on how people were looking or acting around him. Did he own the place, or did he just work here? It was something worth asking. After all, they were in the market for employment, and this had been the most interesting place they'd seen in quite some time. They wondered if they should approach, or wait until he seemed like he wasn't busy. What was considered the "polite" thing to do around here? Aura considered this, tilting their head to one side. The customs of this place baffled them. Everything was wrapped up in formalities, in a social game they felt like they were missing the rules to. No one seemed to understand what they meant when they asked, though.
Would it be rude to approach him? Perhaps, especially if he was engaged in conversation with any of the people here. They would just wait to catch his eye, then, and go from there.
(1/10)
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Post by Ashe on Jun 6, 2019 18:02:01 GMT -6
The Panther wasn't the same as it had been, but maybe that was because Ashe wasn't trying to slide his way into the owner's bed anymore. He wasn't looking for excuses to grind with her, or sneak a touch when he could. And maybe that took some of the suspense, some of the excitement out of it. In a way he would never want to reverse, of course. Now, he was free to dance with other people, host dance offs on the stage, and flirt shamelessly, all without doing anything he would normally do because he was sure to go home with a special someone each morning when they shut the doors. It was probably best if the guests didn't know anything about that, though; cleaning the surfaces of the club could only do so much after all. Today, he was being a good host and socializing, complimenting, gossiping with some of the regulars, and generally enjoying being around people - all from behind the bar itself because, lo and behold, the bartender had called off yet again. He wasn't sure what Vix was going to do about him, and their other staff were spread thin between bouncing duty (they'd had a few rowdy drunks getting handsy with the ladies and needing an escort), DJing, lighting, and whatever else was going on. A few of the newbies were putting on a Leather Show tonight, which explained why Ashe was wearing leather pants that laced up the sides, a leather vest, and a leather choker style collar.
He slid the next lady's drink to her with a warm smile. "Enjoy! I don't want to see you spilling it on the floor again," He teased, obviously knowing her. When she left, that opened up a gap in the crowd and he was able to see the tall lizard person. No, Ashe, you were doing better getting over your racist issues, he scolded himself. They wouldn't want to be called a lizard person, just like you wouldn't want to be called a squishy peach person. He was pleasant in person, his thoughts just got away from him sometimes. "What can I get for ya?" He asked in a charming voice. A customer was a customer, and he didn't think he recognized this... was it a male or female? He was terrible at judging, both because gender didn't matter to him if they were attractive and because he tended to use boobs vs no boobs, and Ssashirk weren't so helpful in that regard. Maybe the voice would help? Morte, he had to get out and socialize more often.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen you around here before. Are you traveling through, or is this just your first time in the Club?" The music was loud, the lights were so flashy that they were loud, and they were standing a ways away, so Ashe leaned forward across the bar to catch their reply.
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Post by Aura on Jun 6, 2019 23:15:58 GMT -6
"I'm new to the area. I just moved in a few weeks ago." They answered. They stole a glance at all the bottles, unfamiliar with the brands, but they doubted it was anything that could knock them off their feet like the stuff brewed back home. "I'll have a glass of the strongest thing you've got." An accent curled around their words, not too thick, and not enough to distort what was being said. Their voice was, unfortunately, no help to anyone trying to guess a gender- too deep to be a woman, too high to be a man. While they said this, they moved closer. It was difficult to hear over the music, but at least their question was answered; this guy worked here. He seemed exceptionally busy, too. Perhaps there was a chance at work here.
They looked over his clothes; he wore something quite similar. The information had been correct, then; this was where they could fit in with their particular fashion. They'd seen humans before, of course, but never so many in one place- and their bodies still struck them as odd. How did one protect themself from danger if the entire body was as soft as the underbelly? It must not matter quite so much, seeing as there was an abundance of humans. The way they reproduced was also strange, but that was a thought for another time. He was their best resource for information for right now, and they didn't want to insult him with too many probing questions.
"Places like this back home were quite different. What is its purpose here?" They looked back towards the floor, glancing over the arms and thighs of those mingling and working. No markings like what Aura had. "You are not marked, so presumably you are not a kager." This was stated matter-of-factly, though they were well aware that the word was not something used around here. It just didn't translate, as far as they were aware. Perhaps he would know it.
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Post by Ashe on Jun 7, 2019 1:03:12 GMT -6
Normally, when someone asked for the 'strongest stuff you got,' it was the bartender's job to assess the person and water it down enough to keep the person living, based on their tolerance or current state, both emotional and drunken level. Ashe was less picky than required for this job, as he liked to have fun too, after having been a straight edge stick in the mud for too long, and this person looked like they could handle whatever Ashe threw at them. Still, he only filled it halfway, because you didn't give full glasses of hard stuff straight, so it was basically a few shots worth. Hopefully his initial impression was right, or else he might be banned from bartending. He gave it to them dry, figuring they'd have asked for rocks if they wanted it - ice tended to water the good stuff down, though. Unfortunately for Ashe, he was still at a loss as to what to call them. Ma'am? Sir? Your lizardness? And this was definitely not something he could just ask, you know? So he resolved to try to avoid gender terms at all.
He felt their eyes roam over him, and he had the feeling he was being sized up. While Ashe had gotten into his fair share of fights here, he didn't particularly want one tonight. It wasn't like he felt threatened or that he was being threatened... Come to think of it, maybe this Ssashirk liked soft fleshy humans? His muscles were hard, but not as hard as scaley skin. Then their words revealed they were just a foreigner trying to socialize.
"People come here to get drunk and blow off steam. They come here to dance, hook up, socialize, relax after work or training." He shrugged, showing he just listed examples and the sky was the limit for reasons people came here. "I, for one, don't see many people during the day, so I get my chance to talk to people at night. What was its purpose back home for you?" What other purpose did bars have? Ashe was very sheltered in the ways of the world, so his curiosity was genuine. "Marked? Like, for the Workshop?" He was about to show her he did have a tattoo, but then she used a word he didn't know. "What's a kager?"
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Post by Aura on Jun 7, 2019 2:00:15 GMT -6
They took the glass and a swig of it, surprise registering on their face. It certainly had flavor, much more than expected. It was reminiscent of home. If nothing else, these humans could make a good drink. They downed the rest of it, with a flinch at it burning in their throat. They could handle their liquor, though, and Aura was well aware not to follow that up with more until they knew just how strong it was. "Marked. Like this." They pointed to the diagonal scars on their thighs and arms, pairs of them. "Its purpose back home was for those who were ready to find a kager, so there is much like this- drink, song- but it looks very different. Kagers are..." They fought for the words. Again, it was something that did not translate easily. They still were not sure how matters like that went here.
They gestured at people dancing, or kissing. "Here you are free to choose for yourself. No one is documenting; there are no books. It appears from the way people behave as if pleasure, love, and sex are the same." Their tone of voice implied they found those two things vastly different. They shrugged their shoulders; it was the only explanation they could think of to explain. Normally, they might have been nervous, sharing the meaning of their marks- but it was not as if he would be able to call upon their meaning anyway.
Aura turned back to him, feeling the telltale sign of warmth settling in their blood. They tended to burn through alcohol rather quickly once it started to settle in. "This place is fascinating, as is this concept of 'modesty'. Also, what was in the drink you just gave me? Or...any of those bottles?" They gestured to the wall. They were familiar with the things brewed back in the homeland, and the concepts of them were not different from place to place- just the flavor. They wanted to learn the names, perhaps take up mixology once again. If they got the garden going, perhaps they could come up with new and strange brews of their own... And this seemed like the place to learn about what was already known.
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Post by Ashe on Jun 7, 2019 22:18:39 GMT -6
And just like that, the drink was gone, barely a flinch. He was right, this person could easily handle the alcohol. Or rather, could handle it going down. There were plenty of heavy drinkers who didn't know their limits but could tolerate the burn. He'd have to wait and see which one they were. He observed the marks, taking note. They looked more like scars than birthmarks or tattoos, almost like a branding. He was starting to wonder if 'kager' was a slave. Coming to what might basically be a bar, to find one... "Are kagers like... Slaves, then?" He couldn't help asking, rather bluntly, because the documentation, the books, sounded like selling, and the lack of choice definitely screamed slavery.
"I mean, we have people who sell themselves for money, on their own terms. It's frowned on but not illegal here. Mostly, people do it on their own, freely, and sometimes it's love but sometimes it's just pleasure." Ashe should know; how many times did he mix up the pleasure/sex part, with the love part? He had slept around so much in his time it was a wonder he hadn't caught anything, but most of that hadn't been love. And now that he had love, had the sex and the pleasure all together, it was obvious. "For some, they are the same thing. Sometimes it's just fun."
But now it had sunken in now that the reason they had those marks, meant they were a Kager. And Ashe had questions. "So... are you a kager?" He had half a dozen questions, assuming he didn't offend them with this. How does one become a Kager? Why? What happens?
Ashe opened his mouth, the thought immediately popping into his head that of course modesty was different, mammals had obvious sex parts hanging out, and reptiles didn't. But he stopped himself, not wanting to offend this person by straight out commenting on genitals. Though, now of all times, he suddenly became extremely curious... So he just answered the next question. "Spiced Rum. A favorite of mine. People usually get it with soda, but I think it's great straight. We also got Whiskey, Tequila, Vodka..." He rattled off a few of the more basic ones, and some exotic brand names.
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Post by Aura on Jun 7, 2019 22:46:06 GMT -6
"No, kagers are not slaves." They replied, immediately. They weren't offended by the question; on the contrary, they were suddenly well aware of how that implication came to be. Aura fought for the words to explain it. They were familiar with the concept Ashe described of those who were bought for pleasure, but it was quite different than their former life. "I was one. For my people, pleasure and love are different from sex. Kagers keep the records, and when one finds themself ready for a clutch, they arrive at the dens to find someone suitable. The books are checked to ensure they are not too closely related once a choice is made." That was the most concise way of explaining it, they were pretty sure. They absorbed the rest of the knowledge of how relationships mingled in this place and filed it away.
If they were approached here, then, it was for pleasure seeking or companionship rather than business. They'd come to suspect it, but to have it confirmed was a relief.
Their eyes followed the bottles as they were pointed out. They were only familiar with one of them- tequila was something their people traded for. The rest was new. "In my rotation of the dens, there was often I would be responsible for serving refreshments. I'd be interested in learning how to do that in this place, as well. May I have a sampling of all of them? A half shot of each, perhaps?" They wanted to taste the alcohol and get an idea of the flavor, after all, not get drunk. They had tested the spiced rum and already had some ideas on how it might could be favorably mixed with things from home. It would be rude to do those tastes in the traditional way of someone avoiding getting plastered, and so they did not request an empty glass.
They also had no problems spending what few credits they still had from getting settled to learn local drinks; after all, it might prove to get them money in return if they found a talent for it here as well. It was also a fair exchange- knowledge for knowledge. Aura spoke of home, and he gave them the information they needed to start blending in a little bit better. So far, they'd only been able to pick up bits and pieces from others, and they stuck out like a swollen tail.
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Post by Ashe on Jun 9, 2019 17:46:38 GMT -6
"Ah... So you didn't partake, you kept records. Geneology. We kind of do that here," He said, trying to relate, to understand. The Labs were proud of their creations, and thus didn't want to mix genes of creatures that were related, either. There was one case of inbreeding Ashe had heard of, and the results had been terrible. Word of such things spreads through the city like wildfire; he hadn't even known the person who'd done it. But something else was wiggling at the corner of thought, and it suddenly fell into place. This wasn't a slavery conversation, this was a 'reproductive business vs pleasure' conversation.
He nodded. Without thinking about 'does this mean I have to hire this person' or 'is this a job interview', he simply poured them a sample of each type of alcohol. He placed the bottle behind each one, so they could learn what came from what and which bottle tasted like what - could they read Common on those labels? He didn't know. "So, your people - do they wed? Or, you know, ...'get together' for reasons other than business?" If they wed, what stopped married couples from having kids? Were record keeping couplings the only way? Did the lizard people even have time for love and stuff, or were they more focused and ambitious?
He poured himself his own shotglass full of the rum. He wasn't supposed to get plastered on the job - and he wouldn't - but all this temptation before him, and he wanted to join in. They seemed really interested in the drinks, the how tos, and the ways of the common people... He had a feeling they wanted a job, and he wasn't opposed. This person was fascinating.
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Post by Aura on Jun 11, 2019 1:42:02 GMT -6
"We have partners for business and for love. The kagers are for reproduction and...Genealogy, yes. I suppose things are different here? I have not been here for long, admittedly, but I don't see facilities for those who have the equipment for it to relax during their season." They had been watching the way people mingled here, the way they talked. They had been trying to find where they could go when it was the right season, but there didn't appear to be dedicated housing; they'd have to stay in their own home. They hoped they had it set up in time. There were no 'accidental' clutches; it was easy to track the right times for that sort of thing, and it was obvious when it was time. "My people were careful about our lines and our growth, since resources could be scarce. We allowed and took the burden of raising clutches with good lines, but only the allowed amount in a season."
They went down the line of samples, one by one, and memorized the labels as they did. Some things were incredibly strong, and others barely a flicker of notice but quite the flavor. Ideas were swirling in their head of what they could do with them, but with such an extensive collection of liquor, even just taste testing meant they needed to be done or risk getting intoxicated. They passed the glasses back to Ashe, and then examined the bottles directly. Clearly, they were just reading them; they weren't so rude as to drink directly out of one.
"I'm impressed; I wasn't sure what kind of drink you could brew here, but these are good." They complimented, passing each of the bottles back. Their eyes flicked back to the dancefloor. They were interested in this place, how different it was. They felt like others might not notice them quite so much, especially if they were able to listen in to conversations and learn more about what was normal around here. "Is this what you do for currency? Making drinks here?" They asked. Even if this was his job, perhaps he could point them into the direction of someone who could use a bartender. They had a feeling they could pick it up quick enough that their lack of experience wouldn't hinder them for too long.
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Post by Ashe on Jul 12, 2019 19:58:02 GMT -6
All of this was so fascinating to Ashe. It was hard for him to wrap his mind around it being real and not just a story or a novel or something. He found he wanted to visit there and see it for himself, it was so alien and new. While at the same time, he didn't doubt he'd get himself into trouble while he was there. He was rather speechless for the time being, listening to this person talking about 'equipment' and 'season' and 'clutches'. Hell, his Draconics had clutches, not the people! It all made sense, in a way, if their people lived clear out in the middle of nowhere, he supposed. Lack of resources, far away from other civilizations or perhaps not friendly with them...
Still, he couldn't think of anything else to say that wouldn't come off as rude, except for- "Well, you don't have to worry about resources here. We are able to create most things we need, recycle back into the system so we don't drown in trash, and a lot of us can garden and fish and hunt, so we always have food. We have a lake for water. No droughts or terrible natural disasters." How much of all that was due to the scientists, Ashe wasn't sure. It was what it was.
Ashe would take each glass they finished and give it a quick wash behind the bar, dry it, and set it back where it belonged while they read the labels. As they finished with the bottles, Ashe put them back in their slots as well. "One of the things we do, yes. Quite popular. And there are near endless combinations people like. I only know a few, actually, but if a customer wants something and knows what's in it, I can try to match it. We have all kinds of juices and sodas, too, to mix with the alcohol." He gestures toward where they keep the non alcoholic stuff, showing them the selection, though he didn't think to offer samples of those, still forgetting and assuming they'd grown up around these luxuries. He wouldn't be opposed to sample tasting, either, he just didn't offer.
"Tips for drinking, dancing, sometimes a local comedy act... We have pretty much everything at the Midnight Panther." He was still a little sad Vix hadn't allowed him to host Fight Club nights. "What brings you here, anyway? If you don't mind my asking. And how far did you have to travel to get here?"
5/10
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