7981/98 Bottles of Beer on the wall now

98 Bottles of Beer on the wall now
Date of Scene:	21 June 2019
Location:	Josie's bar - Hell's Kitchen
Synopsis:	Aquaman and Vanessa continue a conversation at the bar. Arthur gets her to give her impressions of other customers.
Cast of Characters:	Copycat, Aquaman

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Copycat has posed:
Vanessa smiles to Josie as the woman brings the round of beers over. "Thank you. Though I feel like I let you down," she says to Arthur. She takes a sip of the beer just the same, apparently not so broken up over it that she won't accept the cold approximation to beer that Josie serves.

At his question, Vanessa answers in the same tone as she's had for the rest of the conversation, "Sometimes I waitress or dance. But mostly I'm an escort," she tells Arthur. The brunette's large, clear eyes are watching Arthur's reaction to this overtop of her beer glass. She's likely gotten many reactions to the answer, and is used to gauging other's expressions as the hear it to tell what they really think.

Aquaman has posed:
"Hard work," Arthur grunts after thanking Josie. His expression does not really change when Vanessa says what she does. He motions to the bar, a gesture of invitation.

If she accepts he walks to the bar after her and settles in.

"You're probably an expert at reading people then," he says a bit of a smile. "What's that guy's story?"

Arthur nods subtly toward a tired, balding middle-aged Caucasian male sitting alone with a beer at one of the tables.

Copycat has posed:
Arthur's reaction, perhaps the lack of any negativity, seems to please the woman with the long brunette hair. She walks over with him to the bar as he gestures that way. "Thank you," she tells him, taking a seat beside Arthur once they reach the bar. Josie casts an eye over towards Vanessa. It's kind of neutral. If Josie knew her profession - and she does - Josie would probably be negatively inclined in general, so if she's at a neutral opinion at least - and she is - then Vanessa probably scores well enough with Josie to offset the woman's bias.

Vanessa looks over towards the man. "He lacks confidence. His posture is stiff. Not the most comfortable in a social environment. Probably comes out to places like this a lot though, hoping to turn things around. What he really wants is someone that gets him. Will listen to him and like him for him. He doesn't want to have to pretend to be someone else, but feels that's what he has to do since being himself doesn't work," Vanessa says.

She looks back to Arthur. "Not as general of a reading as you expected? It is a very particular set of skills," she says, quoting Liam Neeson.

Aquaman has posed:
Arthur makes a bit of an appreciative face. He drinks from his mug.

"Not bad. Those two," he nods towards a young guy who looks like he is fresh off shift at the dock. He looks very relaxed and so does the rough-looking young woman across the table from him.

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa takes a sip from her beer, waiting a moment so it won't be as obvious if they saw Arthur's nod, and then turns to look over towards them. "Hmm," she says, not giving a verdict yet. She moves over to a seat the other side of Arthur so she can face him but keep an eye on the couple easier without seeming to be staring.

Vanessa takes a sip of her beer as she observes. "So how long until you ship out again?" she asks, making conversation as she observes the two talking together. Vanessa rests her elbow on the bar, and her head on her hand, focusing on the couple rather than on Arthur, leaving him mostly unobserved for the moment. After a few moments Vanessa gives a little bit of a small frown.

Aquaman has posed:
"Me? Never can tell. The winds change, something happens, and off I go," Arthur says. "But I'm not usually around for long." He considers the young woman thoughtfully when her attention seems to be elsewhere, then glances up at the TV again before taking another drink. He misses the frown.

"Do you think our friend was really a teacher?" he asks with a bit of a chuckle. "Ethics and etiquette..."

Copycat has posed:
"I'm not sure," Vanessa replies about the man that they met earlier. "He seemed to me the kind it would be difficult to tell when he was lying or telling the truth. Not someone I'd suggest playing cards with," she comments.

Vanessa sets her beer down and frowns. "I get a bad feeling about him. I can't really put it into words. I think she's the kind that won't leave him even if bad things happen though. And I think that's something he likes. I wouldn't go with him, or let any of my friends," she says, frowning and turning back to Arthur. She picks up her beer and takes a long drink from it, as if finding comfort in it. "I'm not always right, of course. Have run into guys who didn't give me that vibe, but that's what they were like."

Aquaman has posed:
Arthur snorts. "I don't trust anybody plays pool like that. They must be spending too much time in places like this," he quips.

â??It was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice," Arthur quotes after Vanessa's observation. "Sad she doesn't have anyone to punch him in the face. People have a funny way of living down to what they expect."

He shrugs. "Lotta people need saving. They don't always want it though."

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa looks down at her drink. "Amen to that," she says a little softly. She picks up her glass again and takes a long drink from it. "Everyone's probably got something like that, I think, if you look deep enough," she says with a shrug.

Vanessa forces a smile to her face. It's a visible effort, but once it's there it seems to help with her mood tremendously. And she does have a pretty smile, so there is that. "Appreciate the drinks," she tells him. "I hope you've had an entertaining time. Josie is excellent with the jokes. Once she gets going you can't get her to stop," Vanessa says, flashing a smile over to Josie which just nets a dour look in return. It makes Vanessa grin towards the woman warmly.

Aquaman has posed:
"Heh, funny, she doesn't tell me any jokes. Just keeps giving me dirty looks," he says dryly. "I got a smile out of her the first time I came here, but nothing after that."

"I wonder why," Josie answers with a bit of a smirk. Arthur just shrugs and hides his smile in his mug.

"You're welcome, hope you did, too. You alright?" he asks with an arched eyebrow.

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa gives Arthur a confident smile as she nods. Whatever thoughts she might have had, the woman of the streets has managed to push them back away, like survivors are prone to doing. "Yes, quite good actually," she tells him. She finishes off her beer and sets it down on the table. "I should probably get going. Need to get home and clean up for work tonight. In one of the clubs," she says her eyes widening as she gives an expression that suggest that can be a tenuous job sometimes.

"I really enjoyed meeting you Arthur," she tells him. She'll reach over and, if allowed, rest a hand on his arm, but just for a moment as she says, "And thank you for the beer. It really did hit the spot." She pulls her hand back as she stands up from her seat at the bar. "I imagine the odds of running into you again are remote. But thank you for brightening my day," she tells him.

Aquaman has posed:
Arthur certainly does not object and shoots her a smile.

"You never know, stranger things have happened," he says and winks. "Be safe, keep the wind at your back."