11307/Noise Solution

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Noise Solution
Date of Scene: 07 April 2020
Location: Sunnydale, Avalon
Synopsis: Katsumi just wanted to share something nice with Buffy. But it seems nothing ever goes right.
Cast of Characters: Bakeneko, Buffy Summers, Nightwing, Phantasm (Drago)




Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro has been living in what she'd describe as Hell for the past month or so. Her life was turned upside-down. Some people tried to help, some only made things worse. Nothing she did improved her situation that she could see, other than becoming less outright dangerous on accident. But everything kept getting worse. She became a vagrant. A transient. Like she was living outside of her own life and didn't recognize herself.

In fairness, those eyes looking back at her in the mirror weren't hers.

Now, however? There's a glimmer of hope, at least to some degree. A metaphorical life raft that she can latch onto from an unlikely source; someone who's been weathering her demeanor and sass. She's grateful. She has no idea how to express that. It's as foreign to her as the country she's stuck in. The idea she's landed on may be a tinge selfish, but in her mind, she's sharing what she loves. Maybe Buffy'll love it, too. But either way, she's not giving her a chance to brace herself.

Miss Summers, the Slayer, protector of humanity, receives a text from the Punk Princess:
Hey betch. Get dressed. We're going out. Meet outside the Magic Box. >:3

Katsumi is nowhere to be seen just yet.

Buffy Summers has posed:
It's spring, hooray! And with classes on spring break, and Buffy nearly finished college at that (And with no demons lurking about lately), things are pretty swell. Soo why not chillax for once, even if it's with a crazy girl who reminds her way too much of another crazy girl?

ANYWAY, here she is, hanging around outside the magic box, dressed in a cute, hot pink top, black jeans and a patent leather jacket. Ready for..Well whatever Katsumi has planned. Now if she can only find the crazy gal..

Bakeneko has posed:
And soon, a taxi rolls up in front of the Magic Box. A window rolls down in the back, and out pops Katsumi's upper half wearing a sleek crimson dress with her typical black, gold-coined choker. Completing her ensemble is a pair of punky, shin-high, heeled leather boots.

"Haaayy~," she calls with a bright smile. The door pops open, and the Japanese starlet retreats into the cab's recesses. "Get in! Quick! We've got places to be!"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers blinks at the taxi, and peers back at Katsumi. "Oh. Heh..." she laughs nervously, glancing down at her own, comparatively plain attire. "Well. Great. Am I underdressed or what? I mean, all we're missing now is a limosine."

Buut...Okaay, looks like she's got other stuff planned and Buffy's curious about where they're headed now so with a faint smile and nod, she hops into the back, smirking.

"Soooo, what's this all about?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro greets Buffy with a dazzling, excited smile. "You're not underdressed! You're..." Her eyes uplid a little. "...urban." After a beat, she reaches out to lightly bap the Slayer's shoulder, with extremely little strength. "I'm screwing with you. You look cute! Guys are gonna stare. Deal with it."

The cabbie seems to know where they're going already, and the vehicle is moving out onto the street.

"This is about doing something besides getting in fights," she replies, voice approaching a more sincere and moderate level of enthusiasm. "Something other than stressing about things we don't know, or what /might/ be. I know I could use a little recharge. And something tells me you could stand to love life a little more, too."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers laughs a bit nervously at that, shrugging a little. "Honestly, I dont need guys staring at me, really. I mean, I have an awesome boyfriend I'd like to keep, thank you!" still, it's fun to flirt. Maybe? She's still young and a free spirit.

"Heh, it's funny, things have been unusually quiet lately. I just hope it's not the calm before the storm." Buffy sighs softly, drawing a deep breath, smiling and shaking her head.

"No, I'm not gonna worry about that right now. So, what did you have in mind? Gonna do some clubbing? Dance the night away?" she laughs, "Don't remember the last time I had fun, really.."

Bakeneko has posed:
Why, Buffy. Why would you tempt the tigress like this?

"A boyfriend!?," Katsumi excitedly squeaks. Forget that whole 'modest and reserved' level she'd reached a moment ago. Buffy has a boyfriend and she didn't tell her! The spry Japanese girl bounds from her seat to the middle of the passenger booth, officially invading the blonde's personal bubble. All the better to peer pressure her! "Is it that Angel guy? Someone I haven't met?"

She gasps! Fingers lift to delicately cover her mouth!

"Is it /Papa Bear/?"

Meanwhile, the cab driver shoots an annoyed look into the rearview window. He doesn't like passengers bouncing around. But he also wants a tip. So he stays quiet.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers arches a surprised brow at those questions, and even laughs nervously. "Angel? Heh...Well we used to...Umm. That's a long story really, for another day.." and as for 'Papa Bear', she nearly chokes. "What...Giles! Hahaha nooo...He's just my watcher. He's like a big brother in all honesty.."

But hey, that means...Oh boy, she hasn't met Thomas yet..."Um..Yeah! I guess I never got a chance to introduce him because he's been so busy managing the Blue Lady recently." she shrugs, like it's not a big deal.

"We'll have to swing by sometime.."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro tilts her knee to bump Buffy's. "Promise not to steal'em," she teases. Though her smile is somehow predatory, confident. She relents back to her seat and fumbles about for the seatbelt. Finally. "Aaanyway, if you like'em enough to date'em, he must be a nice guy. I can't imagine you going for a jerk. Besides that, I'm the jealous type." She lifts her arms to recline in the seat and uptilts her chin, affecting a haughty, eyes-closed pose. "You already have a jerk to hang out with."

By this point, the cab is near the outskirts of Sunnydale. Fewer establishments are making an appearance, but for a shopping center in the near distance.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers shrugs and chuckles a bit. "Heh, well I'm sure head over heals in love with him..But depending on who you talk to, I apparently have really bad taste in guys..Y'know, between all the vamps, badboys and centennials I apparently have a knack for attracting.."

She smirks at the last part, "Hah, I'm a pretty jealous person myself.." Buffy shrugs as she peers out the window. "Sooo what are we doing today, shopping?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro peeks an eye open to peer aside to Buffy. It's a quiet, curious, but vaguely appreciative look. How can she be so patient with her? The maddest Buffy's ever been with her seems to've been when she was literally forcing a fight with her in the Bronze. Everything else just seems to slide. The affectedly cocky smile dims to a more natural level.

The taxi pulls off into the shopping center.

"Nnnnope." *Click* The seatbelt is undone, and Katsumi bounds once again to Buffy's end of the bench and leans over her. "There." She points out the window.

There, nestled between a Chinese restaurant and local grocery store, is a club. Of sorts. The neon pinks and blues and cartoonish eighth notes of the garishly 1980's storefront doesn't play particularly well against the setting sun backdrop. Music can be heard softly rolling from the interior, courtesy of the open door.

Katsumi pre-emptively opens the door for Buffy, hoping to not give her a chance to back out. The cab driver is quickly paid out of a small black handbag.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers doesnt seem to notice the look that Katsumi gives her, peering out the window with a very faraway look in her eyes, as if her thoughts were miles away. Oh look, there's a shopping center. This should be fun..Maybe she's not underdressed afterall?

And then Katsumi has another surprise for her, and she peers towards the 1980s-esque nightclub, eyes widenned in surprise. "Ooh, now this looks fun!" she grins, stepping out, nodding to Kats. "Thanks! This looks like fun! I'm sure you'll woo 'em all in your decidedly flashier outfit!"

A hesitant glance is given the cab driver as Kat pays him for the fare. "Hmm are you sure? I'd be happy to split.."

Nightwing has posed:
This... is not the sort of place that one usually finds Dick Grayson. For one, his evenings tend to be on the fairly busy side. For another, well, this really isn't his sort of scene. Maybe every once in a looooooong while. But then he isn't exactly here for pleasure. He's here on business. Nightwing business. He also looks nothing like Dick Grayson either, so that works out too.

He doesn't have quite the same problems as Bruce when it comes to going out in public. On the whole he has managed to live a much more discrete life. More or less. Nevertheless, he has lifted something from Bruce's playbook tonight. He's in disguise. That black hair is nowhere in sight and he instead sports wavy blonde hair, part of which falls forward all but obscuring his left eye. He has also foregone his more comfortable, casual attire for something a little more clubby, if decidedly retro to fit in with this place.

Normally even work wouldn't bring him out this way, the boundaries between Bludhaven and Sunnydale becoming increasingly blurred. But his investigation into the increasing gang violence in his city has brought him here, so here he is. Waiting at the bar, casually letting his gaze periodically roam over the sea of people, looking for tonight's target.

Bakeneko has posed:
"I usually woo'em when I'm wearin' less," Katsumi notes to Buffy, a coy half-lidded look shot her way. And after a beat, she adds, "As in my wrestling gear!"

The diva climbs out of the cab, waving off Buffy's offer to go halfsies. "Not a chance! We're just having good vibes tonight! Besides, food in places like this can be kind've expensive. May wanna save your money for that. But avoid spicy things. Total newb' mistake."

Without waiting for permission, she attempts to loop an elbow with Buffy to guide her on inside.

The interior they're met with - and the interior with which Mr. Grayson has acclimated himself - is awash in glowing, smooth neons lining the walls, the bar counter dominating the end of the room, and every table arranged on the floor. The interior is a deep, dark midnight blue flecked in sparkles, including the booth tables arranged along the perimeter of the main floor, and the dancefloor is a glassy, polished affair reflecting the light in dazzling prisms. If anyone ever wondered what it might be like to live inside a jukebox, this could be it.

A stage is set just ahead of the dancefloor, seemingly made up of the same tile. And the most important attraction to this venue happens to be going on up there. That music they heard from the outside? Live performance. By an amateur. A burly man in a leather jacket is attempting to belt out 'Let The Bodies Hit the Floor'. The crowd already present is pleasantly encouraging, but woof.

Katsumi has brought Buffy the Vampire Slayer to a karaoke club. This might be why she wanted to loop her arm. Keep her from fleeing. And her intention is to march them directly towards a booth. "So, this guy blows, but I'm sure the next one won't be ear-cancer!," she says, voice elevated enough to be heard over the misguidedly passionate singer on stage. "Let's get food!"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers quirks a curious brow at Katsumi as she says that first part, and just smirks and shrugs. "Honestly, if you ever met Faith.." she just clicks her tongue, shaking her head as hse follows her into the club.

"Wow, nice lil' place. Love the music.." she grins, glancing around, stepping up to the bar, glancing briefly towards the cute blonde and smiles briefly at him. "Hmm, wonder what's good to drink, here?"

She cant help but tap her foot to the beat, grinning at Kats as she finds them a booth, "Just a sec, I'll grab us some drinks then we can chow down."

Nightwing has posed:
He is not entirely sure that this is fair. When Bruce pulls out the Matches Malone disguise and goes to hit up some of his less than reputable contacts, he gets to hit the dive bars of Gotham. Sure, they're dank holes, filled with bad people and even worse beer. But this place has karaoke. C'mon! You can bet that none of the rest of the Bat Family is listening to not so gifted singers while pretending to gulp down over priced, watered down drinks tonight. The life of a costumed vigilante. Not always as glamorous -- or on the brighter side, violent -- then one might think.

Just as they always seem to do whenever the door to the club opens, Dick's eyes flicker over towards the entrance in oh so casual fashion, briefly taking in the new arrivals, checking to see if it is the target he's hunting tonight. But while the pair might be eye-catching enough he quickly returns his attention to the rest of the club, surpressing a small griamce as the man up on stage goes hunting for a particular note... and doefinitely does not find the right one.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As the pair enter in to the club, a familiar voice greets them. "Well, seems it's true. Small world."

Well, the voice is familiar to one of them at least as Nick gives Buffy a smile in greeting, "Just in time for the-" He pauses, considering the appropriateness of the word. "-show."

Yes, his voice is the same but his attire is a little bit old even for the Goodwill channeling rockstar. But, one could argue he probably pieced this one from there as well. The attire is simple, but pristine. The bright white color of the dress shirt pops in contrast to the blue of the jacket, sleeves cuffed up halfway, exposing a little bit of the old scar on his forearm.

The short cropped hair appears to have been blow dryed, allowing for what hair remains to mimic the spirit of the club while the small beard he grew out for his film role remains intact. Yeah sure he'll get in the spirit of the club if he is given enough advance warning but there are limits to what he'll do.

Bakeneko has posed:
It seems that Buffy either hasn't quite realized what she's been pulled into, or she's surprisingly cool with it. Katsumi's fine with either possibility! Though as she claims a booth to scooch into, she reconsiders Buffy's priorities. There's a chance, a /chance/, that she's opted to get wasted before she's dragged on stage. Because that's going to happen.

The folks gathered get a passive look from those inhumanly-colored peepers, and Katsumi can't help but notice a fella already chatting up her friend. There's a twinge of jealousy. Just a twinge! "Damn, girl," she mutters, lips pursed and twisting slightly to the side. She's not used to playing second fiddle! Granted, she has no idea Buffy knows that dude already.

Katsumi redirects her focus onto a laminated menu. Her gaze flits over a few options before immediately landing on something. A waitress is flagged down, she makes an order, and off she goes, leaving Katsumi alone at the booth.

Her gaze returns to Buffy for a moment in silence. It's still something of a marvel to her, how extremely tolerant the blonde has been towards her. She really is the goody-two-shoes she seemed to be at the Bronze. Somehow, that makes picking a fight with her more fun back there. That thought tugs the corner of her lips into a small grin. Arms fold over the tabletop, her shoulders roll, and the Japanese girl tosses her hair to scatter the silky black bangs from her face.

Nightwing has posed:
It is probably inevitable that Dick would start to wonder if the information he shook out of one of his regular informats earlier in the day is actually going to pay off. While it could have been a somewhat amsuing evening to drag some of his friends out to this place, sitting here and waiting on the rumor that this is the place his quarry will show is starting to try even his patience a bit. It probably doesn't help that the vocal talents of the eager beavers who have already taken their turn up on stage has varied tremendously in quality.

Just when the disguised man is starting to debate trying to hunt down the next lead he has in Bludhaven's escalating gang war, there he is, walking through the door with his little entourage in toe. It's pretty hard to take him seriously in his throwback gear, hard to imagine that he might be the next key piece in the puzzle in putting an end to an escalating turf war. But there he is... wearing a brightly colored, neon headband. And his crew appears to be color coordinated. Ugh. He doesn't need to beat this guy up. He just needs to take a picture and spread it around. No one in the underworld will take him seriously after that.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick glances over to the friend of Buffy's that has made her way over to the table and lifts up a hand in greeting. Due to the proximity to the door, Nick also sees the Headband Crew. Yeah, it's bad... but not as bad as what Wade chose to wear.

He glances over to the other side of the bar to his roommate.

Off over to the other side of the bar, the head of Shaw Studios lingers, dressed in black pants, a sleeveless blue and black shirt with a very geometric design it seems that he too has embraced the club theme. But where Nick drew the line, Wade. Did. Not. Who knows what magical abilities Wade must be able to have in the world of hair care but he has managed to adjust his hair to where they peak up on the sides, forming little horns while a long wave of hair arcs out like a beak, shading one of his eyes from the oppressive club lights. And yet despite the look, he is giving the club owner the hard sell on booking actual music acts through them so they don't have to go through the atrocity going on right now ever again.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro may be thoroughly unaware, in a spatial sense. Or possibly just dulled to the notion of danger in a place like this, unless she's the one causing trouble. The dorks entering the club get an amused glance, but she doesn't linger. Her attention is stolen by Nick, who seems to be acknowledging her. The Japanese girl lifts her shoulder with a coquettish smile, one hand raising to wiggle slender fingers in girlish greeting. She suspects Buffy just mentioned her, is all! The blonde in her much more modest ensemble probably hasn't paid for a single drink yet! But it's nice to be noticed; oddly comforting.

The guy at the end of the bar counter is also noted. Good lord, some people go all out for this! She thought the place was a bit of a hole-in-the-wall compared to the places she used to hit up in Japan, but it clearly has a dedicated following! That's... fun. She could rock an off-the-shoulder pastel top and legwarmers. It gets her mind moving while she grabs the big book o' songs to choose from. If Buffy's going to take her time, she's gonna peruse some selections.

Nightwing has posed:
It would appear that Nightwing's prey would be counted among those regulars that seem to make this place a fairly popular local establishment despite it's quirky and niche appeal. But instead of being welcomed, it is almost possible to feel the mood darken among a number of the others present. Behind that bar, the tender's face goes almost immediately stony, doing his best to show no emotion at all as one the lead jackasses boys pushes his way up to the bar, elbowing aside another pair waiting there for their drinks. Any complaints die unspoken on their lips, the annoyance on their face almost immediately slipping into anxiety as they beat a hasty retreat.

The same is true up at the table closest to the stage as the group already seated there is already up and scattering as the little criminal posse rolls up, smirks on their faces and clearly indifferent to the fact that they are being major douches.

At the bar, the disguised Dick Grayson can only roll his eyes. How on earth has this twerp amassed any sort of power in the Bludhaven underground? Ugh.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As Wade seems busy and Buffy heads to the ladies room, Nick turns to look back towards Katsumi, giving a slight smile as she waves back. The smile fades as one guy shoves a few people between him and the table, causing for him to look over towards the pushy patron. He glances over towards Wade who is near the bar to determine how far he might be from any percieved problem persons.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro is starting to lose herself in the idea of singing. It's been so long. Since before she even came to America. She's been so consumed with everything else, from mysterious fatigue to her life falling apart, and now trying to pick up the pieces somehow. But there's such an unadulterated joy in performance and making music. Distantly, she reflects on what her life /could/ have been if she'd finished college. Music would've been her career. Music wouldn't have been destroyed by what's happened to her. Her parents-

She catches herself, feeling a little weight on her eyelashes.

No. No, no, no. Not here, not tonight, not with Buffy.

Katsumi quickly lifts a hand to brush her wrist gingerly at her eyes. "/F***/ you," she seethes under her breath. Why? To who? Who can say? But it's said with such vitriol.

Commotion towards the bar counter gets her attention again. Her button nose crinkles, realizing Buffy seems to've gone missing! She scoots out from the booth and makes her way over towards Nick, the last person she'd seen talking to her. "Hey! The blonde! Where'd she go?," she asks bluntly. Her shoulder carelessly bumps one of the 80s'd-up thugs, and she pays it no mind.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers steps out of the washroom (finally, dammit!) and loses herself in the crowds. Oh look some random guy (totally drunk dammit!) is trying to chat her up, and she's looking bored as she tries to remember where she was sitting..

Nightwing has posed:
Clearly this little group is used to having their way when they breeze in. Certainly it is understandable that no one wants any trouble. Indeed, more then a few people start picking their way towards the door, put off entirely by the thugs presence in their fun spot. While the bartender's face might go even stonier watching customers begin to flood out into the cool evening air, the troublemakers are indifferent, clearly in their element.

The pair of toughs at the bar laugh and sneer at those departing, turning back to the bar only occasionaly to impatiently ask the closest server why their drinks aren't ready. At least until they find a new target for their boorish behavior when Katsumi accidently jostles one of them. Glaring, he turns towards her, reaching out with one hand to try to give her a hard shove -- much more so then her accidental jostle -- in return. "Hey, watch it bitch," he barks.

Fortunately the rest of the group is indifferent to what's going on at the bar for the moment, much more interested at jeering and hassling the man currently up on stage singing, leaving him red-faced and increasingly flustered. It's not like he was setting the world on fire or anything but still, rude.

Well, this was not exactly what Dick had in mind. He intended to watch, maybe try to get in with his lead or just follow them after they left until he could discretely take him down. But it increasingly looks like that plan has gone sideways. He sees what's coming of course... how could he not, but he is at the other end of the bar so nowhere close enough to do anything when the jackass at the bar goes to shove the dark haired woman.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Hearing a question that seems very pointed aimed in his direction, he turns to look towards Buffy's friend. The rude comment reaches his ear, but he doesn't respond to the man. And instead pipes up rather cheerfully, speaking over the man. "Why she would be in the bathr- Oh wait," He smiles, extending an arm quickly up to point that way, 'accidentally' punching the man, "There she i-OH! " He steps over, looking to the man, giving an apologetic look, "I-I-I'm so sorry."

No. No, he's not.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro doesn't know Buffy's emerged yet. But Buffy's likely to realize very soon that Katsumi is right back in her element, even when wearing a figure-flattering dress. She starts to respond to Nick, only to smirk when he sneaks a punch in on a thug. That's not sufficient, though.

"McScuse me?," she asks, slender black eyebrows raised. "So far as I can tell, I'm /already/ watching a couple b****es." She bobs an index finger to indicate the punched thug and his buddy. "I'm talkin' about you two." Her stance adjusts, left fist propping to her fist with that shoulder shrugged back; comfortable, confident, and confrontational. "So what's the deal here? Is tonight like an outreach thing? Or are you two just out'n'out proud of your uncle-dad and auntie-mom?" Her lips purse slightly. "Talkin' about your parents, slackjaws! You two are like the living, breathing reason why cousins shouldn't marry."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers sighs, rolling her eyes at the guy who continues to chat her up, visibly yawning as she steps up to the bar. There's something odd about him, the way he keeps sliding his hand in his right pocket, glancing over his shoulder as if waiting for someone, or something to happen perhaps?

And he doesn't take no for an answer, insisting on buying Buffy a drink. She shrugs and laughs. How can she resist a free drink? And it's too bad she doesn't have a danger sense from normal humans. She's usually too focused on demons..

Nightwing has posed:
Well, look at that. It would appear that the situation at the bar is handled without his intervention. That's convenient. And really, rather nice to see. Certainly Dick isn't about to complain about that pair of jerks getting what's coming to them. Just so long as it doesn't escalate. Which is why he slips from his barstool, starting to discretely move towards the table up by the stage.

"You bwoke mah nobes! Ah'm gwonna kwill yow!" barks out the man who Nick 'accidentally' punched, the fact that his nose does appear to be bent at an angle that nature probably didn't intend and that his attempt to threaten verges on the comical seeming to back up his claim. He lunges for his assailant, blood leaking down his face. His partner in crime glowers at Katsumi through narrowed eyes, features increasingly contorted with rage with each second she continues to speak. "We'll see if you're still talking so touch in a moment you dumb--" he starts, hand already reaching behind his back, the flash of gunmetal visible as he begins to pull the weapon out from his waist band. Neither smart nor professional, but this lot has already established that.

As the disturbance at the bar begins to escalate, the trio left at the table up front finally take note and get up from their seats, starting to head on over. They shoot a brief look at their employer who despite being at the bar seems far more interested in the pretty blonde he's now trying to pick up then what his boys are up to. He has no idea how disappointing his night is going to be.

This has the potential to get messy and was definitely not what Nightwing intended when he showed up here tonight. Eyeing the situation, he casually palms one of the geletin capsules he brought with him despite not being in costume and moves to slip up behind the headband wearing thug chatting up Buffy.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Flock of Seagulls, who is on the other side of the bar with Dick, turns to look towards the commotion, frowning as he sees one of the persons situated near the trash talking wrestler. "God, Nick." Wade laments softly, praying to whatever bar deity there is that Nick gets the message, "Don't do it. Don't do it..."

Nick looks to Katsumi quietly, seeming to actually be listening to her words, and not seeming to be paying any heed to the threats coming from bent nose. But his feet are moving, spinning him around as he essentially oles around the bullish brute. Bringing a hand down to add to the forward momentum the thug had so thoughtfully contributed to the movement, in an act to throw him off his balance.

He does give a glance to make sure the guy is down "Hmm. Not bad. But I think what you described is more like a pair of brothers who married a pair of sisters only to find out they should have married the other o-."

"Goddammit Nick." Wade mutters.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro is all brass, sass, and confidence until a gun comes out. Then she's backing up, immediately on the defensive, her hands raising to chest height in surrender. "H-hey, easy..," she says, heart immediately jumped into her throat. "Y-you said some s***, I said some s***, we're- we're good, right?"

No, Katsumi doesn't think she's bulletproof. Guns are instant death in her mind, and she's struggling to keep a quiver out of her voice. Nevermind the karate antics going on nearby, she's focused on not dying.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers turns back to the bar to accept her free drink and takes a sip...Mmm, this is good wine! Too bad the headband guy is trying to get all cozy with her now, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as if she were his date or something. She rolls her eyes, "Are you kidding me?" and then shrugs him off, about to move to help her friends when she sees the flash of weapons threatenning her friends.

"Alright, that's N--!" suddenly she feels cold steel pressed against her back, headband guy wrapping that arm around her waist and pull her in close, hiding his true intentions through the guise of fake intimacy as he whispers a threat into her ear.

Oh great, this punk is asking for trouble. Unfortunately she's already wedged between punk behind her, stool in front, bar on one side of her making it difficult to easily disarm him..Especially with that gun so close against her back. "What the hell do you guys want?" she murmurs, "Can't a girl ge ta break around here?"

Fortunately headband guy has yet to notice Dick. Or whatever he's calling himself these days. Creeping up behind him..

Nightwing has posed:
Throw him off his balance he does and the ass with the broken nose goes sprawling, crashing into the side of the bar and sending a pair of stools clattering across the floor as up on stage all semblance of karoke performances pretty much coming to an end -- the clientele still present pretty much turning all their attention towards the disturbace at the bar -- or edging their way towards the exit.

As Katsumi begins to back away the hunched posture of the tough straightens a little, her sneer becoming a little more pronounced, a little more confident. Apparently ever so fractionally smarter then his friend, he takes a step back instead of towards either Nick or Katsumi. "That's right, you'd best hope I don't decide to put you down. Maybe we can have a good time later. But your friend here, he's not my type," he says, swinging that gun in Nick's direction, that cocky sneer only growing when he sees his trio of friends advance up behind up behind the troublesome pair.

Surprise, surprise, Head Jerk is a handsy tool who's idea of a pick-up line is a threat. Color Dick surprised. About the only good thing about the situation is that he is clearly distracted which makes it incredibly easy for the fake-blonde to come up behind him, slapping his rather hard on the shoulder, fingers digging into a nerve cluster there to encourage his arm to go numb. "Don't mind my friend here. He hasn't really gotten past the caveman phase," he says quickly, giving a laugh even as he lifts a hand to the man's mouth to cut off his reply. And not inconsequentially, crush that geletin capsule in his hand, dosing the man with knockout gas. Almost immediately he starts to go limp. "Not to mention he started drinking a little too early. I'll make sure he doesn't bother you again," he promises the blonde, already starting to turn his attention towards the other four who are causing trouble.

Honestly, when he showed up here tonight he had no intention of roofieing some strange guy. This is why he doesn't go out to clubs more often.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Damn it." Wade brings up his voice, "If I were you and wanted to live I REALLY wouldn't do that!" He shouts at the gun man in caution, "Look at him! Does he LOOK familiar?!"

Nick facepalms. Glancing over towards Katsumi, not looking to the gun man. "So, as I was saying earlier, the comment you made didn't really make sense. I don't think cousins marrying produces mom-aunts and dad-uncles. And that is really bothering me." As he's talking to Katsumi, his facial features shift slightly. His clothes, thankfully not really displaying a pattern doesn't give any appearance of shifting but the scar peeking out from the sleeve on his arm fades, forming upon the other arm.

"So I'm really thinking that what you really meant is and TRUST ME. I have given this a lot of thought-"

He grabs Katsumi's hand.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro can't believe her sass is being critiqued while a gun is being flashed around. What is even happening tonight. Where did things take such a turn!? Somewhere between outraged and frightened, Katsumi snaps, "I was saying their parents are cousins and they're the inbred offspring!"

Her hand is grabbed. She loses all sensation. Somewhere in her brain, the conclusion she reaches is that she died. Or was shot. She has no context for what death feels like. Her breath catches, and the Japanese girl is frozen in her boots.

There's so much to process, and she's found herself numbed. Her hand is held, but she feels so much nothing.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers blinks slowly, as some action happens behind her. Surprised really. That was a pretty advanced technique, and pressure points are something that even Buffy is a newbie at. She smiles as she picks up the gun. "Heh, not bad, whoever you are. Thanks!" She flashes a smile at Dick.

All the while trying to figure out how he did that. Probably a shaolin monk in disguise. Or some kind of superhero. Or batman. Ahem, anyway. She aims the gun at the punk who has his gun aimed at Katsumi or Nick. Or both. Good. Looks like Nick's got her covered.

"Alright. Enough. Put the gun down before anyone else gets hurt." she calls out to him in as commanding a tone as she can muster. Honestly, Buff's never been a fan of guns. Doesn't mean she doesn't know how to use 'em though.

Nightwing has posed:
None of these thugs look like they're what one would call intelligent. Like, at all. For Bludhaven gangsters, they're kind of an embarassment. Here they are in a suburban, themed karoke bar. This, apparently, is where they come to feel like the big men they clearly are desperate to feel like. Not exactly the underworld's finest. But on the other hand, they are apparently armed. And if there is one lesson that has been drilled into Dick's head it is that guns change everything. No one is an insignificant threat if they happen to be armed. All it takes is one startled reaction, or one lucky shot. And there is a ten-year old kid standing in an alley over his parent's lifeless bodies.

The thug with the gun is clearly still angry, and more then a little confused and at the shout from across the bar from Wade, perhaps feeling just a shiver of fear now. He out numbers the pair -- or trio now that Buffy has joined them -- what with his own friends approaching them from behind. But still, that reptile part of his brain instinctively begins to pull the trigger of that gun, hammer starting to draw back as a bead of sweat runs down the side of his face.

The threat is the guy with the gun. Nightwing knows that. But he is a little lacking in ways to deal with that right at the moment. He didn't bring a whole lot of his gear with him -- he didn't expect to need it -- and there are now three people standing between him and the gunmen. So do what he can do. While supporting the unconscious target of tonight's outing he casually palms the plastic pick from his drink. He barely even looks as he hooks one of the fallen barstools with his foot, kicking it with surprisingly accuracy towards the trio of thugs advancing on the group from behind, catching one in the head, the chair rebounding off to catch another as well. Pushing away from the bar, he carries his prize with him, looking for a clean angle to toss that plastic pick if he's left with no other choice. Desperate times, desperate measures, right?

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"It's ok. It can be confusing." Nick replies, giving a nod, And this is getting tiring I admit." He leans over to Katsumi, lowering his voice for only her to hear, "When I let go, move away from me."

Letting go of Katsumi, Nick moves away from her, giving a glare to the gunman. "Are you really considering this?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro is still struggling to catch up with everything. It's all happening so fast, when her world came to a near crashing halt the moment a gun came out. The fact that she's lost her senses isn't helping! A blank stare is turned to Nick when he speaks to her, giving no outwards sign of understanding what she's being told. But the moment her hand is released and her ability to, well, sense things returns, she's /immediately/ backing up. She doesn't get too far before Buffy enters her peripheral.

Without a word, Katsumi firmly grabs for Buffy's arm with every intention of trying to back out of the club with her. Her one instinct beyond personal survival is making sure her one friend gets out with her.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers sighs. Oh great. So much for that. And she's really not into guns, and while it may have given her the advantage, it seems the other punk chose not to step down. She starts to move into high gear, but Dick gets there before her and she rolls her eyes. "Why do I even bother?"

But it seems he missed a few, and she lunges at the one creeping up behind him, aiming a jumping kick at his mid-section before shoving him hard into one of the other thugs. "And stay down!" the gun is handed to the barkeep, who will probably find better use for it than herself.

And then Katsumi grabs her arm and she doesnt even have time to protest as she's whisked away..

Nightwing has posed:
Well... that was unexpected. It would appear that the pretty blonde was fully capable of taking care of herself. It worked out for him -- he has his target in hand -- but he probably didn't have to get involved at all. He could have just picked him up on the way out after she knocked him flat. Still, it might be a cold day in hell before he goes clubbing again after this, no matter the reason.

With everyone suitable preoccupied, he takes his 'friend' in tow and slips out the back. An hour or so from now the unconscious punk is going to wake up, dangling from the highest building in Bludhaven. And Dick will be one step closer to sorting out the mess plaguing his city with any luck. Either way, someone is about to have a very bad night. And well deserved it will be.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Well, that was anticlimatic. Gunman now down, Nick shrugs as his hand comes up to his face, "What a night." Switched back, he looks over at Flocks of Sea-Wade. "What the HELL was that line about?"