The Captain's Deck

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Well, somehow she had managed to avoid working on Valentine's day, but promptly working the day after didn't seem all that bad. Sighing heavily as she pulled her long white hair over her shoulder and braided it before twisting the braid up onto her head and clipping it down behind her perked ears. Looking at herself in the mirror in the back room of the bar where the employees could drop their stuff, Stryker huffed and turned away promptly. She hated mirrors, hated seeing the monster that she'd become. It still haunted her that she didn't know what her face looked like before all of this. Or the fact that she couldn't remember if she had family, friends. Anything. Gripping her hands into fists at her sides, she shook away the creeping feeling in her mind of frustration and hopelessness. She'd searched, for years, for anything. But the facility that had created her and the surviving experiments was so well hidden and covered up, anything about them or who they were before they became weapons was wiped from history. She could only hope the people who had given her up were happy. But she had a feeling that maybe to ensure silence, anyone who had known her, were all six feet under by no choice of their own or natural causes.
Relaxing her hands and taking a deep breath, she gave subtly nods to those she worked with before taking position behind the bar as usual. The day after Valentine's Day seemed blissfully quiet. So either couples were still wrapped up in their partner's bed or the singles were too hung over to come into a bar again and had to sleep it off. Smirking to herself at the stillness of the building, she simply propped up her phone, choosing a news channel and set about cleaning glasses and chopping limes and stocking their containers. She was tempted to mix a small drink for herself, but she something nagged at her not to, so she skipped it and just got herself a glass of water and slipped a lemon wedge in before leaning against the bar and idly watching the news she had brought up on her phone. There wasn't much new to think about, she normally watched international news. She'd gotten quite good at picking up bits and pieces of other languages from watching them so much. Sighing as nothing she hadn't already heard about flashed across her phone screen, she blinked as the cook brought out a plate of food for her, giving her a small smile before disappearing back into the kitchen.
Stryker was always surprised by the small kindnesses brought to her by the people she worked with. They had been scared and nervous around her first, but now seemed to be warming up the more she worked and seemed to prove herself. Somehow. Picking up the chicken tender, she took a bite into the warm white meat and sighed happily before pulling up a book on her phone. It wasn't the same as holding a real book, but it scratched the itch she had to read. At least she'd have some time to get some reading in today. There wasn't likely to be many people in today. ╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ Bored ] [☀: Location][ Captain's Deck ][☁: I'm With][ Herself ][☄: Thoughts][ Boring day... ][O.O.C.][ ]

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tiny14xx2

 

[tiny14xx2]

tab Location : Captain's Deck | Company : No one of note | Mood : Tired | OOC : Just going to use his old layout until I make a new one~

It's been one of those days where he's been a busy bee with his move and his brother pestering him. He's lived so long with Azazel that it really must have been a shock for him to decide to leave on his own. Having the comfort of his family home while he ran his own practice in the city must have seemed too good to move on. And while it was for awhile, he could see what was blooming between his brother and the local PI. Eventually their relationship might have grown into something more, and if he didn't leave now, he was going to get in the way of their growth. Like if Azazel wanted to move Oliver into the home so they could try living together. Having your brother there would be weird. He knows that Azazel doesn't feel that way, since he heavily protested the idea of Luther moving out at first. But it felt like time to root himself elsewhere on his own instead of always attaching to his elder brother and relying on him to always be there. A change was certainly needed.

Which led to this brand new city and a long day of dealing with movers. On top of somehow losing track of one of the trucks, they managed to barely break an expensive gift from his mother sent to him from Italy. Azazel has been pestering him with phone calls and texts all day to see how he was doing on his drive and to not let him fall asleep at the wheel. His mother called to see how he was doing, and the call got entirely taken over by the entire family, turning into some kind of loud conference call about whether or not him and Azazel had a falling out finally. Hearing his mother rant at Azazel over nothing in Italian was pretty amusing all considering. "I am only going for a few drinks. I know my limits." He assures his worrywort brother over the phone AGAIN. To be fair, his brother is a homicide detective and has seen plenty to be worried over.

"Oliver and I aren't even that far in the relationship to move in together. I don't get why you felt the need to uproot your entire life!" He hears a wave of Italian slurs before Azazel is sighing. "Just...do me a favor and BE CAREFUL. Don't leave me alone in this world with tweedle dee and dum by getting yourself offed. Mom would never shut up if that happened. I don't want to be investigating your body Lu." The doctor hums, but doesn't provide much in terms of reassurance. He can't promise on behalf of the city after all. "I don't think that is how jurisdictions work Aza, but you know I will take care of myself on my end just fine. You on the other hand, please stick to your diet and don't stress eat again. We talked about what that does to you." He hears a groan of misery on the other line before Azazel is telling him that he's the worst, he loves his stupidity as a way of passing on his brotherly love, before they hang up and he looks up at the building of the bar he was following the directions of in his brain. Benefit of remembering everything you read, you only have to look at directions once.

The man pushes open the door and makes his way over to the bar as he pulls off his coat and tucks it over his arm. When he reaches the bar, he takes a seat and looks at the menu of drinks while he waits on the bartender. He really needs that drink right about now so he can relax a little.


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XxXZephyr_SkyXxX

 

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Stryker's ears perked and twitched until they settled on pointing forward in the direction of the door, knowing someone was entering the establishment long before her eyes lift away from the screen of her phone. Sighing and closing out of the book before slipping the device back into her pocket, her bright yellow eyes found the face of the person who had entered and seemingly broke the strange spell that had come over the place. That stillness that was eerie but so completely peaceful. Arching a delicate white brow as she took in the man's appearance, he seemed rather, docile, for a place like this. Or a bar really. But who was she to judge? Maybe he'd surprise her like others had before. Za'saad's face popped into her mind for a moment before she shook it away.
Approaching after he took a seat and looked over the drink menu, Stryker wiped her hands on the front of her pants and moved to stand across from him, her long and slender fingers with her clawed nails drumming idly on the counter. Not a motion of impatience, just something to allow her body some sort of movement. "Looks like you are in desperate need of a drink. Anything in particular look appealing? Or I could surprise you with a hard hitter." She paused to shrug vaguely, "Depends on how bad you need to feel nothing real quick." She usually only offered what she liked to call the 'hard hitter' to those who she knew or regulars she knew could handle the drink. It was literally an abomination of alcohol, but it would make even the most seasoned drinkers black out. Had a foul taste to it though. It was most of their high-end stuff just slapped into a glass and sometimes had ice added to it. She'd come across the strange combination to subdue her own nightmares. Being the monster she is, it wasn't exactly hard for her to get drunk, but sometimes, the altered blood in her quelled anything that might make her brain shut off for a minute and she'd have to live through every waking moment. Reliving the horrifying life and events that created her. A chill ran up her spine as she realized she'd been standing there, eyes completely unfocused before giving herself a shake and just taking a step back. A shaky breath rattled in her chest before she cleared her throat.
"New to town though? Can't say I've seen you around before. Though that's not saying much. Unless you're a regular in the bar or we've managed a chance encounter in the city, I don't get out much." Chuckling nervously, she bid herself to shut up, the poor guy probably didn't want to listen to her prattle on about nothing. It was usually her job as a bartender to listen to those who came in. And man, had she heard some things. ╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ Bored ] [☀: Location][ Captain's Deck ][☁: I'm With][ Herself - Bar Patron ][☄: Thoughts][ Boring day... ][O.O.C.][ ]

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tiny14xx2

 

[tiny14xx2]

tab Location : Captain's Deck | Company : The bartender | Mood : Disappointed in oneself | OOC : Just going to use his old layout until I make a new one~

It is a blessing and a curse to analyze everything from a critical mind like he does. He sees a patient in every person he tends to meet. It can kind of put a damper on any kind of social life you might want to have when you fail the have the necessary skills to be social. So he might notice the haunted looks and the always moving body, or the way she tends to have a tick of tapping her nails against the bar. Analyzing her almost makes him forget that speaking is usually something you do with people. "Pardon me, my brain has been wandering today. I am new and have had to deal with movers who like to break gifts today." he gives a sigh as he rests his jacket on the back his chair before looking at her again. "I do have to drive home, so perhaps nothing black-out strong." He answers before chuckling. "Perhaps you can still surprise me with something less intense, but still an interesting mix. My usual whiskey choices could probably use some sprucing."

He glances around the bar, brow furrowing as he tries to remember the date. "I didn't even realize that yesterday was Valentine's Day. Perhaps I should buy one of those stronger drinks and get a taxi home instead." He's not one to forget things, but there are times where he is voluntarily negligent in time when it comes to his work. He could easily lose hours of free time studying the uses of the vastus medialis in the human body. Point is, he loses track of his days and forgot that the holiday of love passed the previous day. Which would probably explain the lack of people in the bar today.


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XxXZephyr_SkyXxX

 

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Baring her teeth and sucking in a deep breath, the sound of the air passing through her teeth showing her sympathy to his dilemma with the movers. Luckily for her she hadn't had many possessions to move when she had come here. She couldn't even imagine trying to deal with movers who were that incompetent going about their jobs. Even her ears laid flat back against her head in another show of sympathy. At his suggestion of still giving him something of a surprise to drink, Stryker gave a laugh and nod in show of understanding. "That is fair enough. Surprise you I shall then." She tapped a finger to her chin for a moment in thought before settling on an electric lemonade. Wasn't anything crazy, as it was one of the standard drink the bar offered. "What's your preferred type of whiskey?" She asked idly as she grabbed the glasses she needed and started to mix the drink for him.
Noticing him look around the bar, and as he spoke, she let a full laugh come from her as she thought about adding some extra alcohol into the drink for him now. "Well that's certainly the spirit." Her laugh quieted down to just a soft sound more for herself. "There usually is a fairly nice perk to working this day though. I tend to enjoy the quiet times than when things get hectic. Also I tend to avoid working that particular holiday. Never been much for celebrating it. Though I guess I've never really had a reason to?" At least not that one she could remember. Thinking back on it, she made a face and gave a small 'hm' noise before shrugging her shoulders to herself. Quickly finishing his drink, she slid it in front of him, "Let me know what you think. And if you do decide on taking a taxi home, I'd be more than happy to make you something stronger." She gives him a wink before moving a few steps down the bar and wiping down the counter. "We might even have some real good whiskey in the back." Leaning forward after she tossed the towel back onto the counter, she watched him with a steady gaze, her expression hard to read. "Sorry, my name is Stryker by the way." She flashed him a toothy grin before reaching for a glass and filling it with water and taking a quick sip. ╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ Bored ] [☀: Location][ Captain's Deck ][☁: I'm With][ Herself - Bar Patron ][☄: Thoughts][ Boring day... ][O.O.C.][ ]

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tiny14xx2

 

[tiny14xx2]

tab Location : Captain's Deck | Company : Stryker | Mood : Pleased | OOC : Just going to use his old layout until I make a new one~

He supposed that the good thing about being slow is that you could actually speak with the person you are serving instead of having to be curt with them. He wonders if a person has to be good at socializing to be a bartender and how taxing the job might be. He was about to ask, but decided better of it and instead answered the question she asked him. "Scotch whiskey is probably my usual go to. It is a house favorite back home so I grew used to it over time." Azazel was probably the cause of it becoming a staple drink since he was the one that gifted a particularly expensive whiskey Scotch to their father. "I share the sentiment. I never could see the point of it since it always felt like more of a corporate holiday and not an actual one of love and caring." A budding and long lasting relationship did not have to be showered in gifts for a person to know its strength.

He takes the drink gratefully before taking a drink and giving a pleased hum and drinking more of it. It was refreshing and a good start to help him relax more. "Money is no issue on my end, I am more than willing to give that whiskey a try." Perhaps he could find a new favorite to have around the house. Or at least a reason to get out of the house more instead of locking himself in to work. He still takes his patients via video call for those who aren't ready to part with their psychiatrist. he takes another drink before he's offering a small smile in return. "A pleasure to meet your Stryker. My name is Luther Baleel, but you can call me whatever you please. It's all the same to me." His brother tends to fall into nicknames so he doesn't often hear someone call him by his name anyways. Either it is sweetie or son by his parents, brother or Lu by his siblings, and Dr. Beleel by his patients.


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XxXZephyr_SkyXxX

 

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Scotch whiskey hm? Tapping a finger to her chin in thought, she ran over the stock they had in the back mentally of the good whiskeys they had. She made a soft hum noise as one crossed her mind, the label having been something that stuck out to her before when she was putting things away the other day. "I think I have something you'll enjoy in the back." She gave a bit of a mischievous smile before laughing quietly to herself. But giving a thoughtful nod to what he said about the holiday being corporate, Stryker was in full agreement honestly. "Exactly. You shouldn't be showing your partner love and affection like that for only one day a year, a day they dictate to be 'romantic'." Rolling her eyes, she sighed at the thought of Valentine's Day being the only day someone gives their partner some 'special' treatment. Again, not like she would know, but at least she'd observed it before. It really was something else.
Styker's eyes roamed over him as he took the drink and smiled as he seemed to enjoy it. She didn't say anything, wanting to let him enjoy it in peace for a moment. When he gave words of approval to trying that whiskey, she drummed her hands on the counter in an excited manner before giving him a wide smile and disappearing quickly into the back. Luckily she knew right where it was at, and it wasn't long before she reappeared with an extravagant bottle and vibrant label. "We'll see how this one is. You'll have to be my taste tester." Grabbing a glass, she poured a small bit and slid it over to him. Watching him with a careful gaze, she let her fanged smile show as he gave his name back. Resting a hand over her heart and inclining her head in almost a bow, "The pleasure is all mine Luther. You've been one of the more pleasant patrons I've had honestly." Speaking honestly, other than Za'saad, most people who she served were not very nice and quite judgemental of her appearance. This was a nice change of pace. ╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ Calm ] [☀: Location][ Captain's Deck ][☁: I'm With][ Luther ][☄: Thoughts][ Nice to be able to talk to someone while working... ][O.O.C.][ ]

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tiny14xx2

 

[tiny14xx2]

tab Location : Captain's Deck | Company : Stryker | Mood : Pleased | OOC : Just going to use his old layout until I make a new one~

He can wholeheartedly agree with her statement. He's never gotten the point of the supposed holiday people tend to go overboard on. But then again, he's never been in a relationship before. At least he can say he's viewed healthy relationships which do not rely on Valentine's smoop to be happy. "Whoever decided that money gauges your relationship clearly wasn't having a happy one of their own." He waits when she disappears to go find that whiskey she spoke of. It was nice to relax as he leans against the bar and drink down the beverage. He doesn't take breaks often, but moving here has given him the opportunity to relax for a little bit. You know, before he gets antsy again and starts throwing himself back into his work. It is only a matter of time since he fully planned to job hunt the minute the sun rose tomorrow.

It even sticks to his brain when she comes back with a fancy looking bottle in hand. "It looks like it has potential." He finishes off the lemon drink in order to be able to focus fully on the whiskey before he takes the glass slid over to him. Lifting the drink, he swirls it before taking a whiff of it like he's seen alcohol snobs do before. "It has a nice smell profile." That might be a good sign, so he lifts the glass to take a drink, savoring the flavor instead of just knocking it all back. Humming in satisfaction, he drinks more before nodding. "Definitely worth it." He just might have a new favorite and a reason to come into this bar more often!

He offers her a pleased smile before he's considering something with a curled finger on his chin. "Do your customers get rowdy with you because of you not being human?" To help her feel a bit more comfortable with him, he opens his mouth to lift a lip and show off some sharp canines. "I had the same issue with some of my patients. People tend to have misconceptions about supernaturally inclined based on their species I noticed. Vampires aren't like the way some people depict, but stereotypes are sadly everywhere and no one seems to consider the idea that not every creature in a species class is the same." He lifts the glass to her with a smile. "Your company has been pleasant and your service extraordinary, that is what I make my judgments on." After taking another drink, he sets the glass down. "Onto better topics, have you been in the city for long, Stryker? It seems quite large and it would be nice to get some perspective from a citizen who has been hear longer than myself to get my bearings."


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XxXZephyr_SkyXxX

 

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Breathing a deep sigh as her ears laid back and her eyes narrowed a bit, Stryker washed her hands in the bathroom after it seemed like something didn’t quite agree with her stomach, which was peculiar because she’d never really had that happen. But she dismissed it, chalking it up to stress or maybe finally something genuinely not sitting right with her. She was also coming up on her sensitive time of the month, which was a miracle she was still able to conceive after what they did her body. Maybe they had hoped to breed them for more monsters. Too bad for them. Drying her hands with some towels, she huffed a bit before going back out to the bar where she immediately grabbed a glass and filled it with water, trying to rinse down any remnants of the foul taste.
After downing the glass, she chewed her bottom lip as she surveyed the bar around her, she’d already spent time earlier cleaning. She hadn’t had any patrons come in so far and she’d honestly didn’t mind it. Though it meant her tip jar suffered more than usual. Leaning her elbows against the bar, she’d wonder if she’d see any of her new friends. Luther had been an interesting and pleasant man to serve. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was like if she had been on the other side of the counter versus the one who was serving him. Then of course her mind wandered to think of Za’saad again. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since that first night. She wasn’t well versed in social interactions, but maybe that was normal? Shaking her head to herself, even she who was completely socially inept knew better than that. But their particular interaction seemed simply a one time thing. Right? Rubbing her head, it was giving her a head ache to think about, and she’d likely be better off just forgetting about it. Or so she’d try to keep telling herself over and over again as she tried to dislodge the thoughts from her mind.╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ Calm ] [☀: Location][ Captain's Deck ][☁: I'm With][ Herself ][☄: Thoughts][ Quiet Day... ][O.O.C.][ ]

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Ashtail Foxclaw

 

[Ashtail Foxclaw]

tab tab ooc: xoxo
tab tab outfit: sneakers, hoodie, jeans. left sleeve tugged into the shirt, bcs one-armed, also eyepatch as forever (though different colours from last time, he's not wearing the same exact outfit everyday, just the same type of clothes)
tab tab posting colour: "#D19FE8"

Their night had been fun and playful and it gave Z the energy to relax the following days - even at work and in stressful times. Valentines were almost an all-hands-on-deck situation, and the constant flirting between patrons had him think of the woman that generously graced him with her attention. It wasn't that he meant to ignore her or never reach out but they'd both forgotten to leave any form of contact for the other and thus, here they were. It was a few days after this strange lovers' holiday that Za'saad wondered if he should search for her again. It wasn't necessarily that he wanted to court her and seek a more permanent solution for them, but at the same time he wanted her to know their time hadn't been insignificant to him.

There was only one thing he truly could do at this point then.

Passing the doors to the bar, his eye scanned the room, finding her bright hair to stand out against the rustic decour. It was with long, confident strides, that Za'saad found place up front and center, giving her a bit of playful smirk. "Afternoon, Mydame. I hope to find you in excellent health since our previous encounter?" He said, not meaning to be smug, but seeing her again did stir that previous playfulness that she had summoned in him. Perhaps his coy attitude was in vain though, for he had no idea whether she even remembered him at this point. While he liked to think of himself as plain, he did have unique features (or lack there-of) that made him confident she wasn't about to forget him as he hadn't forgotten her.


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XxXZephyr_SkyXxX

 

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Having picked up a glass to clean it, Stryker lifted her eyes when she heard the door to the bar open, her ears swinging forward to listen to the footsteps before her eyes landed on the person. Eyes widening in slight surprise, like the very person who'd been on her mind just materialized before her. Fumbling the glass in her hands, she gave a soft squeak of surprise before recovering it and setting it down as he sat in front of her. Cheeks a deep pink of embarrassment as her eyes finally met his, chewing her bottom lip anxiously as he spoke. Ears lying flat back, she drummed her fingers on the counter before finally mumbling out a response.
"I have been well enough I suppose. What about yourself?" She didn't need to go into detail about the nausea or anything else. He probably didn't care anyway. Right?
Though his demeanor was similar to how they were behaving when they first met, she couldn't quite get out of her head. Though they hadn't had a way to contact each other, he could have come here to find her. Well, she could have also gone to his work. Would that have been weird? Groaning mentally, she didn't know how these sorts of things went. Telling herself to pull it together, she took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth before she finally asked, "Want a drink? Or were you just stopping in to say hi?" She gave him a small smile, her words not full of malice or sarcasm, just genuinely wanting to know. Pulling up her own glass of water, she sneered at it, the taste turning her stomach again. Strange. Though she tried to play off her own demeanor as cool and collected, she couldn't help the fluttering in her chest of her damnable heart. Her pale cheeks still covered in an obvious blush as she eyed him from her peripheral view. He was still just as attractive and charming as before, the corner of her mouth pulling up in a small smile at the thought. Damn him for that. ╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ Nervous ] [☀: Location][ Captain's Deck ][☁: I'm With][ Herself - Za'saad ][☄: Thoughts][ Have I finally gone crazy..? ][O.O.C.][ ]

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Ashtail Foxclaw