IC Inbox for PSLs & Game Contact

[youngtimer]

NeverAcorned - Standard UN || HoratioV - Fog/Lighthouse UN || 5ofDiamonds - Casino Business || Odyssean - Anonymous/Sock UN

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, NEVERACORNED. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 208.52.15.25 *** NEVERACORNED has joined 208.52.15.25 <NEVERACORNED> This is the private channel for Horatio Hargreeves. Leave me a message and I'll reply as soon as I can. If this is related to the Lucky 38, please start your message with a '38' so I can prioritize. <NEVERACORNED> Spammers will be banned, IP tracked, and have their index fingers broken. Have a nice day. :)

Comments

[youngtimer]

Same here. You want me to meet you somewhere, or you want to just hop over here to the Lucky?

[it occurs to him that he has no idea where she lives]

[ohmyscream]

I better come out to you. I live all the way by the Lake plus taking over a bakery has really made me need to travel more.

I'm glad Jack let me have the business but boy have I been busy revamping the selection. I want chocolate I haven't baked myself badly.

[youngtimer]

You can meet me at the bar so we can do some pregame shots, or you can come on up to 207. How come you're all the way out there by the damn lake? You don't strike me as the scenic loner type.

[ohmyscream]

I get sensory overload issues. I don't know if it's me or an Arachne thing but ground vibrations s u c k.

Plus Bavan seems to be the epicenter of a lot of the weird? I kind of couldn't deal with it all between the dreamscape stuff plus the time we couldn't lie for a week. I don't like babbling about my trauma top just anyone.

Pregame shots would probably help a wee bit. I admit me and caffeine are not on great speaking terms.

[youngtimer]

If caffiene ever tries to talk to you I will gladly intervene and be your moderator.

Meet you at the casino entrance, then. We'll go up to the good bar, not the one they used for the auction.

> Action

[ohmyscream]

Now I have strong suspicions my coffee will magically disappear.

Oh no.

Be there soon.


Action

In about five minutes Annie has arrived. She smells a bit like sugar and baked goods. If anyone is paying attention the dark green sweater dress she is in has a bit of sugar stuck to it in parts where her work apron hadn't saved her.

There is also the smallest amounts of coco powder on the under side of her chin. Annie had been a very busy girl. She is keeping an eye out for Five. Honestly it's good to be back after staying away.

[youngtimer]

Five dressed for hunting: a black turtleneck sweater altered for his wings, black jeans, combat boots. In other words, he's a walking Black Sabbath song. The pomade he usually slicks his hair back with to bartend is wearing out, so he's a little disheveled, and looks like an Emo Teen Deluxe. As he spots her, he tips his chin in greeting.

"Hey."

He brushes the bottom of his own chin with his fingers. "You've got ..."

[ohmyscream]

She was about to offer him a compliment. She pauses to touch her jaw and gives a slight sigh as she has to brush away cocoa powder. How annoying. Annie herself looks decently wholesome in green. It tends to be one of the most common colors in her wardrobe.

"I was working on trying something new for a cobbler. Sort of a brownie topping with plums and peaches for the filling," Annie explains. "I'm test running a bunch of stuff. I think I did great with the Earl Grey cupcakes. They're top-notch at this point."

[youngtimer]

"I've never heard of brownies for the top of a cobbler, I bet you'll get a lot of people trying it." He smiles, locking his apartment door behind him. Peaches and plums aren't his personal favorites, so he'll leave the taste testing to others. In fact ...

"Actually, that reminds me of something I've been meaning to mention to you." He turns to lead the way down toward the casino, tucking his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans. "You ever meet a kid minotaur named Gosalyn? She does work for Jack, you might've seen her around."

[ohmyscream]

"I'm going to try for different fruit combinations until I find the right blend," Annie admits. "I had to eat a really strictly healthy diet while I was competing. My coaches were all about encouraging us to take care of ourselves.... but I totally cheated a bunch due to my love of ice cream."

Never mind her obsession with what the local pizza place called Garbage Pizza. It was a pizza with literally every topping. Annie misses it and also needs it in her mouth someone.

"I think I heard of her. A fr.... This guy who used to be here got accused of being a bully for trying to correct her grammar." Annie wishes people stopped disappearing once she got to know them. It's creepy.

"Why? Does she need a cake? 'Cause that I can help with."

[youngtimer]

"Nah, she just -" He stops short, just outside the doors to the Lucky, as he fully parses part of what she said.

"... You talking about Obi-Wan?"

[ohmyscream]

"No. Guy named Seto," Annie supplies with a bit of a frown.

"He had a very overly serious vibe going on. Like. Doesn't make jokes that much. Or smile."

How were they friends? She blaims Noa.

if you want to handwave this b/c of Life Things, just hmu on Plurk and we can figure it out <3

[youngtimer]

"Oh. Yeah, I don't think I met him."

He opens up the casino and leads her to the elevator, which he'll program to bring them up to the VIP Lounge, where the best of the bars is.

"He doesn't sound like someone you'd hang out with, if you don't mind my sayin' so. Did you meet him through a job or something?"

[ohmyscream]

"He.... He's gone." Annie looks a bit sad.

"I kept getting close to people and then I guess She didn't like them or something. There's a number of people that are just... Gone." Annie frowns to herself.

"He was Noa Kaiba's step-brother. So it was a case of I tried being nice to him because of that." Annie personally thought Seto could have used a friend willing to call him out on his shit. That's important. She had needed that a few times.

"Honestly? I don't think he and I would have seen eye-to-eye at all if he stayed here. I'm a bit of a marshmallow."

[youngtimer]

"I happen to really like marshmallows," Five says, "especially in sandwiches with peanut butter." He gives her a reassuring grin. "So I'm pretty sure you're stuck with me."

A pause, during which he inspects the punched-tin ceiling of the elevator.

"... Does that make me the peanut butter, y'think?"

[ohmyscream]

That makes Annie laugh.

"Maybe." She gives him a pleased look like she just figured out a puzzle. Annie has in a way. She likes having this found family she is building here and having gotten adopted before she basically metaphorically pointed and went 'mine' is nice.

"But it's good. Peanut butter is incredibly handy to have around."

[youngtimer]

"I'm glad you think so," he chuckled, pushing open the doors to the VIP Lounge. The bar's shelves were glass, backlit with red lights, which made everything look like liquor from hell, and the bar seats were alternating red, black, blue, and white, like giant poker chips. He hopped up behind the bar and pulled down a bottle of tequila, intent on making himself a margarita.

"What'll it be?"

[ohmyscream]

She scuttles up to the stools then doesn't give them much consideration. Trying to navigate sitting on a stool when her body had so many limbs just wasn't worth the stress. It got a bit bothersome trying to not tangle herself up.

"I usually stayed away from anything with whiskey," Annie supplies. "I do like rum though. Ever do a Painkiller?"

Of course Annie is into something fruity. Of course, it sounds dangerous but is actually just fine as far as drinks go.

[youngtimer]

"The lesser known and better cousin of the pina colada," Five says by way of acknowledgement. He starts to pull the fruit juices out of the bar's fridge, deciding to be economical and make his own drink a pineapple margarita. Less space taken up by ingredients.

"I take it you had a fake I.D. back home?" He asks, as he starts mixing her drink. "Oh, and there are a few ottomans back there that might be easier to sit on if you want. You can drag one over, no one ever cares."

[ohmyscream]

"I don't mind piña coladas. I just hate that song," Annie says trying to avoid sounding judgmental, but she totally is. Annie acknowledges his offer and just goes to get on ottoman. It takes almost no effort to nudge it over. Getting up on it is rather easy, and she looks comfortably perched up on it. The only issue is she doesn't have the extra height the stools give.

It makes her look a bit small which isn't hard.

"Nope. My friends tended to have parents who went away a lot. Latch key kids. We did have a few responsible adults but I don't think they noticed when things went missing. It was normal stuff. Sips of vodka here and there. Sneaking craft hard cider. You know. Normal stuff."

[youngtimer]

"It's so stupid," Five agrees. "Everyone makes such a big deal about it but the truth of it is that both of the adults in the lyrics are complete idiots who were both willing to cheat on their spouse for a dumbass fling. There's nothing cute about that to me."

He doesn't mind seeming like the larger one in the room, he thinks, as he sees how diminuitive the ottoman makes Annie seem. It's a nice change of pace. He does, however, know better than to say anything out loud. She has more legs than he does, she'd pin him in a sibling fight faster than he could say 'punch buggy'.

"Okay," he said, pausing to shake her drink into submission before pouring it out. "It's just us, so I won't feel dumb for asking. What the hell is a latch-key kid?"

[ohmyscream]

"Mom says they deserve each other," Annie supplies looking amused. "She said people like that make most divorce lawyers very busy people. Also why she refuses to take on divorce cases."

Annie has zero experience with actual sibling fights. However, she is the Queen of tickle wars with her close friends. Annie just gives him a surprised look.

"Okay. So basically it's a kid who doesn't have a lot of parental supervision. Given a key and allowed to go out and do.... whatever. They're expected to be more self-sufficient but also just... don't have anyone waiting for them after school. Most of my classmates had that kind of situation. All our folks were busy."

[youngtimer]

He laughs a little. "So basically, the exact opposite of what me and my siblings were. No wonder I didn't know what it was." He finishes her drink and slides it to the other side of the bar where she can reach it, before starting in on his own. He has made it very, very strong, but the sweetness of the juice keeps it from being a complete kick to the head.

"So, where do you wanna go hunting?"