496/Bar in the Afterlife

Bar in the Afterlife
Date of Scene:	19 May 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	183, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester

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Luminitsa (183) has posed:
This beautiful brownstone screams character and history, as if the building itself could spend a lifetime whispering stories. It boasts a a beautiful but short set of stairs that lead up to a double doors set in an ornate archway. Three stories high and with a lower level, each level has a rounded side that promises a beautiful bay window is waiting for you within its walls. A sign in elegant gold writing in the arched window above the doors reads: The Afterlife.

Entering through the double doors from outside, you're greeted a mix of warm, rich scents and the low thrum of people talking. To your right is an ornate, rough iron winding staircase up to the second floor with gold writing on a sign next to it that reads 'Heaven' and to the left is a curving set of stairs that lead down to the lower level and the sign next to it, writing in black, olde english print is the word 'Hell'.
    Straight ahead of you, you'll find that you've entered what appears to be a bookstore. On a column that runs through the middle of the entry way is a sign in standard print which reads "Purgatory'. The bookstore itself is lit just well enough for customers to see by and be able to navigate their way around and through the aisles. The bookstore, while somewhat small, seems to hold a wide variety of subjects and genres, fiction and non-fiction. In certain areas throughout the shop, small sitting areas have been set up for the patrons to sit and read a little, some by lamps and others by firelight.
    The interior walls of this floor have been left their natural brick and the draperies on the windows are neutral in color. Towards the front, near that column, is the register as well as one places orders for books. In the far back is another area where items other than books, such as crystals, bookmarks, pens, parchment, et cetera; can be bought.

The Bookstore seems closed for the evening however and the spiraling staircase has been locked off. The only way left, boys, is down.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Ascending the stairs, Dean can't help but look around. Though considering where they are going, he is packing a gun, tucked at his side to be hidden. Yes, its supposed to be a haven and non-combatal, but when have they ever met cooperating Supernaturals that actually followed the rules? Except the rules that hurt them, of course...

Entering the main lobby, he reads the signs. Glances up, glances down and starts laughing. "Okay... This is like a trippy dream, right? I mean seriously? Do the angels bunk upstairs and the demons downstairs?"

Though 'Purgatory' being the bookstore makes him laugh a bit more. "Hey, look, its your haven." He nudges his brother with a grin. The irony of the lobby itself is just... way too damn funny with everything they've been through.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam's face gets rather grim as he takes in the choices, especially when he realizes Hell is their only option. He just half-shakes his head at his brother's quip, having no good rejoinder for it. Dean teases him about the books, and this produces a little smile. "Yeah, it's too bad they closed that part of it off," he says, with real regret. "Maybe next time."

If they live through coming in the first time.

He follows Dean down the stairs warily, not really sure what he ought to be expecting here. So far it doesn't really look too sinister, but one never knows. Hopefully, they've come at the right time to meet with the owner, as advised. All in all, he gives the air of a man who is tense and wholly on his guard.

Luminitsa (183) has posed:
Welcome to Hell. That is what the bar in The Afterlife is called. The brick in the room has had a tinted matte finish put over it to make it seem a little redder and a little darker. Black pillars sit at various points throughout the room and go ceiling to floor. The walls also over black beams running up the to unite the look. The hardwood floor is a deep redwood of some sort. The entire back wall boasts a long, black bar with a few stools. This area is mainly for ingredients and mixing drinks. The back wall behind the bar is all shelving heard without wood trimmed glass doors. Some are locked and some aren't but it makes the wide variety of alcohols and other such things easily seen.
    For seating, you can choose between plush, rounded couches that encircle small, intimate tables; matching plush chairs that have a table between them, or one of the few straight benches along the walls. Lighting here seems to be done by magic as above each table and stretched above the bar are motes of light that sparkle and shimmer, hanging midair in various shapes and forms which shift from one to another.
    Here, one can find a wide range of mundane or magical concoctions to choose from in order to wet a parched throat.

Tonight isn't that busy. A few patrons here and there. For those who know the signs, there's a demon present as well as vampire and fae being of some sort. And that's not taking into account the red headed woman behind the bar who seems to be the only employee in here.

Seeing the two new arrivals from the corner of her eyes, she lifts her head. "Well now..." She smirks. "Welcome to Hell, boys." It's warm and friendly and almost as if she knows them in some way. "What can I do ya for this evening?" Something's off about her as well. She's not human. A hybrid of sorts.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Descending the stairs with Sam, Dean is on edge and ready to dance if need be. Though he can't help but be amused by the irony of this place. If Dad could see this...

He scans the room, noting the other patrons in passing, but the bartender does catch his attention. Her greeting makes him smirk: "And there is the punch line..."

Nearing the bar, but at an easy pace, he shrugs his shoulders. "Looking for the owner, actually. Someone pointed us in this direction, hoping they might help with some information."

Sam Winchester has posed:
They weren't kidding. This place is like a who's who of things that need to die. But stirring up trouble in here would be the height of stupidity, and not just because they've been warned that it's a kind of neutral ground. "We're looking for a missing person," he elaborates, lest Dean's words about information suggest that they're here seeking information that the bartender might not want to give out.

"Though I'll take a beer," he adds, looking to Dean to see if he wants one. It seems rude to just come in here and not buy something, after all, and, well, if the information ends up costing money they might as well have a ticket to tip on. Hopefully the beer isn't weird or enchanted. He's hoping for a plain old Bud or a plain old Coors or something of that nature. It occurs to him that a bar this exotic might not //serve// anything so simple...

But it is worth a try.

Luminitsa (183) has posed:
There's a warm laugh from Lumi, head shaking slightly. "Well, you've found her. What informa--Ah." Her eyes flit from from Sam to Dean and her head tilts. "Missing person? Sounds like something you should be going to the police for... Unless..." She reaches into a fridge behind the bar and pulls out an ice cold Bud which is slid to Sam. "You boys don't think humans can help..."

Leaning back against the counter behind the bar, her eyes flash a faint red as she lets her second sight take over, reading their emotions, tasting their auras and attitudes. "Who's missing?" She doesn't seem disinclined to help. "Wait..." Looking around them, she smirks. "Last cll. Down 'em and scoot. On me tonight. You have ten seconds."

All the eyes that had been on the three snap back to their drinks. Most of these are regulars who know what will happen if they irritate Luminitsa. It's not pretty.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Dean grins, "Why not?" To the offer of a beer. Though he is about as dubious as Sam, though relaxes a little when she hands him a bud. This whole going to the supernatural guru owner is a little unsettling for Dean. He's far too used to... just kill it.

Going closer to the bar, he leans against it, casting a look over the patrons as they suddenly pay attention to their own drinks, a side glance going to Sam with raised eyebrows that just reads 'Ooookay then'.

Back to Lumi, his expression is a little more serious. "We're looking for someone who went missing maybe a year ago, but as far as we know it was in this area." He is uncomfortable with revealing familial ties with their father to any 'supernatural' just because of who and what is after them and their dad. But.. sometimes you have to bite the bullet, persey.

Taking out his wallet, he tugs out a picture of their dad and the two brothers as boys. "Seen this man? Maybe a little older now?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam, too, is relieved when what winds up in his hand is just a beer. He pulls out his wallet, digging out some cash to pay for it. He places it on the bar, along with a generous tip that doesn't cross any insulting lines into the realm of bribery. He sips on his beer, noting the way Lumi manages the patrons. New York, he can see already, is going to play by an entirely different set of rules than the ones he is used to.

He keeps a poker face on as he watches Lumi in particular. He watches her reactions to the photo, watches for any sign that might help shake out any additional bit of information. He is quiet where Dean is bold, utterly observant. He won't reveal family ties either, but he allows his eyes to hint that the person they're after is someone they care about, lest she think they're after a bounty or somesuch. It might change the equation of the information they get.

Luminitsa (183) has posed:
With a two seconds left, the patrons begin to clear out. Lumi waits until the last one is out before she turns her attention back on the Hunters in her bar. She considers them both for a moment. "First, let's get a few things straight okay... Do not EVER bring weapons into my bar again, am I understood? I don't give a damn who you are, and yes I know who you are (Which I can change if it bothers you guys), it's not allowed here." Her eyes glow a bright red. "Am I understood?"

Dean's own beer is gotten out and slide over to him and her eyes fade back to chocolate brown as she relaxes. "I'm more than happy to help you guys in any way I can if at all possible." She really is an easy going little.. witch? Demon? Something.

"To answer your question... Yes, he came in here. A couple times actually. Had the same basic attitude you two do at first." She hehe slightly. "Didn't put up with it from him either." And then she frowns. "He's missing now?" That seems to bother her.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Their dad is a little more 'hardass' than any of the three. Dean is a close second. He catches his beer, and will add to the money to pay for his if Sam doesn't cover it. Which he totally won't complain about.

Taking a deep drink, Lumi's attitude change makes Dean smirk. "Hey, we were told neutral ground. Didn't take that to mean we couldn't protect ourselves if someone decided not to play by the rules." He shrugs his shoulders. "I'll remember next time." Its not the first time they've been spotted as hunters. They carry some sort of weird air about them apparently. Outsiders to society usually.

Though his demeanor changes when she says she saw him. "Your sure?" He glances over at Sam a moment then back to her. "What was he asking about? How long ago?

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam...clears his throat guiltily as he's called out for the weapons. "Sorry ma'am," he says. "Force of habit. We have no intention of making trouble."

And it really was force of habit for him. He's quickly doing a mental tally. Gun, check, dagger, check, salt bag in the pocket of his jacket, check, oh yeah, there's another knife in his boot...yep. He's loaded up for bear right now, and he hadn't even given it a second thought. Leaving without his weapons these days is as unthinkable as walking around in Central Park, say, wearing his boxers.

The fact that the disappearance of a Hunter //bothers// Lumi catches his attention though. He cants his head to one side and says, "If you'll forgive me saying so, if you know who we all are..."

Wait, that borders on the rude. He changes tactics.

"You seem concerned," he says, instead.

Luminitsa (183) has posed:
Pushing off the counter, Lumi leans forward on the bar, arms folded across the top of it. "No need to be sorry. I knew you'd be armed the minute I felt you enter Afterlife." She offers a warm and friendly smile. "So was he," she nods to the picture. "To the teeth and ready for a fight." She can't help but chuckle a little.

She looks up at Sam, features softening slightly. "You're surprised? He was... a good guy from what I could tell. Didn't cause me any trouble, offered to pay for the information he asked for, came in more than once for a drink and a chat..." She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't like the idea of a good person going missing. Especially if anything I said may have been the cause..." There's even a good chance she knows about the boys' past.

Pulling her eyes from Sam, she looks over at Dean and arches a brow. "You could learn a lot from the one with manners... He asked about a lot of things... What kind of stuff happened here. Where the concentration of it was. If there had been any problems lately. Took a lot of notes."

She sighs and straightens. "The only information I couldn't immediately provide for him at the time was in relation to some deaths that he thought might be some sort of ritual... People being drowned along the coast." Her eyes drop, a frown marring her features. "It's not a ritual. And isn't tied to the supernatural in anyway. It's hard to get a read on it... The information is... Sporadic. Almost like it hasn't been decided yet."

Lifting her head, she smiles faintly and sadly. "If you'll let me... I'd like to help you find him?"

Dean Winchester has posed:
The fact that she is concerned throws him off too, but .. hell this whole thing stinks. He does smirk when she mentions their dad was armed when he came, but he is watching Lumi carefully. Disbelieving and cautious. Even more when she seems to know so much about them.

At the mention of notes, he glances over to Sam in question. He didn't recall seeing anything glaring in the journal he got, but that doesn't mean that Sam's didn't have completely new information. When she mentions drowning at the coast he looks back to Lumi, that light haunted look crossing his eyes. "That one is taken care of." Hopefully.

His jaw sets a little as he glances back to his brother. "It tends to be a bit of a family thing, no offense..."

Sam Winchester has posed:
"The notes must still be with him," Sam says with a shrug, in response to Dean's unspoken question.

It seems like Aspen was onto something after all, and most likely? They're going to have to learn how to use a bunch of deep sea diving equipment without breaking it. But for now, what's in front of them is a situation that Sam himself would think of as inconcievable if he weren't hearing it for himself: a supernatural being earnestly asking to help a Hunter, whom she believes to be a good man.

Dean puts her off, and the same level of paranoia informs his action now. He can think of a lot of reasons for her to want to go along.

Sadly, 9 out of the 10 reasons that spring to mind involve some manner of horrible treachery down the line.

Dean puts her off with the family line, and that's not a bad one as diplomatic lines go. He decides to follow it up with a careful, "He really must have made quite an impression on you." This, really, is simply in the hopes that she might give a little bit more information, perhaps while trying to make her case.

Surruptitiously, he flicks his gaze to the symbols she's wearing. He's now studying them, trying to identify them.

Lumi is now officially a puzzle to him.

Sam is now officially trying to solve it.

Luminitsa (183) has posed:
Lumi's eyes flit to Dean and she smiles. "You don't trust me. I can say I blame you. But think about this... I offered to help you which means putting my life in your hands. You judge me because of what I am... I haven't done any such thing. I get the hesitance though." She shrugs. "If there turns out to be anything I can do, let me know."

She loiks down at her necklaces and chuckles, holding them out to him to look at. "Why not just... ask?" That makes more sense to her.

"And yeah. He did. Look... You Winchesters? You're very well known. The entire story... Everything that's gone down... All the hell... That any of you continue to smile and love... That's impressive."

Dean Winchester has posed:
Dean glances at the necklace and back to his brother arching a brow. They look strange, but not familiar to him. Sam is the 'brains' when it comes to that, definitely. Dean learns as he goes.

"That you seem to care, is impressive." Dean quips back, glancing back at Lumi, and taking a deep drink of his beer. This has got to be the weirdest dream ever. "Pinch me." He mutters to himself, shaking his head. Granted. He's one to talk about trusting supernaturals. His girl is one.

"What do you know about the Blues and Blacks?" Dean questions, since she mentioned the coast. And thats where he was drug under for a good year.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam takes a moment to really have a look at them. What he sees makes his eyebrows twitch upward. He glances at Dean, glances //back// at the symbols as if he's not sure what he's seeing, and then clears his throat. Announcing the nature and manner of them seems delicate, but she did just sort of cooperatively let him have a look, suggesting perhaps she's not terribly embarrassed.

"Symbols from four occult traditions. Gaelic, Romanian, Romani, and Latin. They're...self-imposed bindings, Dean. Miss Lumi is using them to keep her demonic side in check. She appears to be a, uh,"

Here he clears his throat again, and a slight flush takes his cheeks.

"Well uh, she's a succubus."

Good thing he didn't pull the same trick in here that he pulled in the diner when trying to run 'tests' on Dean and Aspen. But he has never in all his days seen a demon who didn't want to revel in every last bit of his or her demonic side, who tried to keep it in check in any way. He looks beyond horribly confused as he adds, "They're the real deal." The double check was to see if perhaps there was some crucial subtraction that would have rendered the binding completely ineffective, that might have outed them as a decoy.

To her compliments, he simply says nothing, whether because he's too poleaxed by this revelation or because he isn't sure how he feels about it is anyone's guess.

Luminitsa (183) has posed:
A warm smile is turned on Sam. "Half, actually, but yes... My mother ans I made them. And before you ask, the other half is natural witch. My magic comes from that which my family is naturally born with and passes down through the generations instead of any demonic pact."

Her eyes cut ovwr to Dean. "You -really- need to let him talk. You can't seem to hwlp but insult people." Which makes her all to happy to reach out and pinch him. What? He asked for it!

"Legends, mostly. Stories. Why?" Does she seem somewhat conerned?

A look goes back to Sam and she grins. "Have you started trying to figure out what will amd won't hurt me, yet?"

Dean Winchester has posed:
Dean nearly chokes on his beer when Sam says 'Demon'. "Self.. Imposed?" Though when he says Succubus he flashes a quick grin: "Well, at least your one worth dreaming about." Quickly his expression sombers as he looks between the two. No. He didn't just say that.

He's as confused as Sam about the whole situation. "And a witch?" He shakes his head. At the pinch he flinches, "Ow! Seriously?!" He rubs his arm, shifting back a half step, but retaining his beer. "Starting to think I should just leave you two alone." He smirks at his brother and finishes his beer, setting it aside.

Though his attitude fades a little at her question of 'Why'. Yes... thats a complicated one. "I have a feeling they may be involved. I .. tangled with them for a while."

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam gives Dean...The Face. Dean knows The Face. It is the one where his jaw tightens, his lips thin, his eyes narrow, the one that says there are a dozen little things he could say right now if he weren't too much of a gentleman to say them. It is a face which expresses Epic Levels of Irritation with effortless ease, an expression which really says it all without help.

He steps back from the bar, clears his throat, and folds his arms. "And you said there were things going down at the coast," he says. See him? Rising above all this juvenille discussion about him getting a room? Refocusing on the mission? Yep, they can both see this.

She asks if he's trying to work out her weaknesses. He hesitates, then...yep, he nods. That's exactly what he's doing. An exorcism probably wouldn't work. Devil's trap? Possibly? All the standard remedies vs. witches might be totally effective or completely ineffective...maybe a layered devil's trap, salt ward, and witch's trap circle, intricately woven in and out of one another...

Look, he can't help himself.

Luminitsa (183) has posed:
The joke about her demonic side has the smile fading and she takes a step back, arms wrapping around her midsection. She isn't embarrassed by it but when the nature of that part of her is brought to attention... She's very clearly ashamed. She isn't even tormenting Dean anymore.

"There's... whispers from generations ago. Stories of a race that lived in depths of the ocean no man could reach... And another race even deeper... mortals and gods of the sea... some worshipped them. Some feared them. Eventually people just quit believing in them because they quit being seen."

For a split second, her eyes flit to Sam and then they drop again. "He had noticed a patter along the coasts and other saltwater areas. Families were being attacked. The parents killed in front of the child that were left alive. I had mever heard of anything that behaved lile that... There's no ritual that calls for it..."

There's a pause and then, "Belief. It's the power of belief in an holy item that can harm me." Yep. She just gave them that one.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Sam's expression draws Dean to react in kind of the shrug and 'innocent' look of 'What?'. Though the epic levels of irritation only make Dean's grin grow, looking between the two and then back to Sam with the smirk of 'yeah right, whatever... play it off.'.

He rolls his eyes at the 'mature' sibling.

Dean goes somber again however as he looks back to Lumi. "Yeah, it was for a particular summoning..." He says bitterly. He still can't believe what tehy would do to get Aspen's attention. "They shouldn't.. do that for a while."

Admittedly, he does look a little surprised when she just offers up a bit of her weakness.

Sam Winchester has posed:
She could, of course, be lying. There is no way to test the theory without hurting someone who clearly doesn't deserve it.

In the end, his eyes soften a little bit. It's the shame. "You can't help what you are," he says, his customary empathy taking over at last. "You seem to be a good person, intent on doing the right thing and helping as much as you can. You've built a nice place here. Please don't mind Dean. He doesn't mean anything by it."

And while it's true that Sam isn't necessarily at all shy about enjoying the company of someone who wants to go and enjoy that kind of company, he rather feels like it's crass to assume that Miss Lumi wants to enjoy that sort of company just because she happens to be a succubus-witch. And he definitely has a sort of policy about not going after company that Dean suggests he goes after, because if nothing else, his brother's eyebrow waggling definitely kills any kind of mood.

Besides, there's all this tantalizing information. So that was what Dean was trying to stop, or perhaps even did stop, before his unfortunate and recently-reversed disappearance. "It does seem to confirm our theory about where he might be, Dean," he says at last. "Even if that's all over, it doesn't mean that Dad didn't get caught up in it, which means we pretty much need to reconvene as planned."

Luminitsa (183) has posed:
Uncurling from herself, Lumi steps around the bar and walks over to Sam. "Do you believe in your tools?" is asked as she holds her hand out to him. "It would help to know I'm tell the rrurh, wouldn't it?" She knows it's going to hurt like hell. No pun intended

Ahe turns her attention on Dean and nods. "Well... whatever 'they' are... They aren't within my realm of expertise but I'm glad it's been handled."

And rhen she smirks at Sam. "Perpetually in high school?" Refering, of course, to Dean's demeanor. And then she's frowning. "You think they took him? Ans you plan on going after him?" She looks bavk and forth between the two. "Give me a few days to work out a few things that might help?"