 |
|---|
Mystery,
|
| Players |
|
|
Factions |
|
|
Music |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcTfpL3iyMk Or:
|
With Caritas opening once more in San Francisco, Angel takes Dawn to meet Lorne. Angel's reading goes about as expected, but Dawn's hints at a great future.
6/19/2016 7:00 PM
Caritas San Francisco
Caritas[]
The lights are on, illuminating the area.
This could almost pass for any quirky neighborhood karaoke bar, except that most of the patrons are visibly non-human. Demons, vampires, werewolves, and all manner of folk seem to gather here, hidden from prying eyes by a layer of glamours and protection spells. Perhaps it's the niche clientele that assures such a steady crowd. Most nights, it's got just about the right number of people to make things friendly but still comfortable. It's decorated in splashes of silver and purple, and the decor of the place feels like the grandchild of mod-deco, punched up here and there with chintzy theatrical flair.
Subtly varied spot lighting creates just the right mix of tables where one can be seen or not seen, with a mix of small tables in the center and quiet booths along the edges of the room. A stage at the back features a high-end karaoke setup, the backdrop featuring a silver curtain that can be drawn aside to feature a full cinematic projection screen. Along one wall, the bar is stocked with everything from high-octane cocktails to fruit smoothies. Notably, they check IDs very diligently when drinks are purchased, as this is an all-ages place -- and they cut anyone off who hits the sauce too hard. For that, they'll tell you, go down the street to the Bear and Staff Pub.
Outside, it's overcast and warm.
Caritas. It's not your typical karaoke bar, given the clientele is largely comprised of various supernatural beings, ranging from demons and vampires to fairies and werewolves, but it's also exceptional because manages that elusive combination of quirky, individual charm, trendy night spot appeal, and Cheers-bar-esque welcoming atmosphere. Sunday nights aren't usually too busy, and tonght is now exception. It's a far tamer crowd than Friday or Saturday would bring, but the place is just active enough to feel right. The crowd level is comfortable, not packed.
The host and proprietor of Caritas, "Lorne" to those who know him, is currently on stage, just finishing up an old school classic. Decked out in a plum-colored suit with a dusky tangerine shirt and black cravat, he cuts as whimsically stylish a figure as ever--and if he belts the tune out maybe a little more than is strictly necessary, it's also obvious that he's having fun with it more than he's trying to put on a flawless performance.
It's karaoke, after all.
I said I'm hooked on a feeling
And I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
I'm hooked on a feeling!
And in the door, during the end of the performance, comes a tall dark brooding presence. Who once again seems to have little sis along with him. He's starting to wonder when Joyce is just gonna have her stay at his hotel for a while instead of driving her back and forth all the time. Gotta be draining on gas. "So, Dawn, this place is called Caritas. Just like Hyperion itself, it used to be in LA. Not anymore. Lorne seems to be doing well for himself...he's the guy singing, and a friend of mine."
Dawn follows Angel in, just a few steps behind. Whatever she was expecting, it wasn't this, and she spends a few moments looking around at the clientele in shock. Then, at the introduction, she looks up to the stage. Her initial shock wears off quickly, and not wanting to look too speciesist, she focuses on the singing instead, "He's pretty good."
Lorne steps down from the stage amidst a smattering of applause--the crowd here is used to him performing, so it's perfunctory, but polite--and he crosses the room, motioning to the bartender, to greet Angel with a wide, red-lipped grin. "Angelmuffin!" he all but crows, somehow managing to make it sound almost like "stud-muffin" in just the right tone for playfully flirty, not obnoxious or creepy. "Welcome!" He turns to Dawn, giving her a brief once-over, and puts on an impressed face. "My, my. What a charming escort you've brought this evening." He offers her his hand, bowing slightly over it, and says, "Absolutely enchanted to meet you, young lady. I'm the host of Caritas, 'Lorne' to my friends--and if you're a friend of Angel's, that means, please, call me 'Lorne.'" He gestures, ushering them toward a table, and says, "Can I get you something to drink? Add your names to the list?" At this last, he nods toward the stage. "It's not a long wait tonight."
Angel seems used to this kind of treatment from Lorne, and doesn't seem to pay too much attention to it. "Might as well, with the list." He might even change up what he usually sings this time. After all, Mandy was a song for who he was. But since the bigass ritual...he's not quite the same vampire anymore. No indeed. "And this is Dawn Summers." The last name, there, being the key point. Adding, "Her younger sister." He doesn't even bother say who he's referring to as 'her' younger sister.
Dawn smiles brightly, reaching to shake the offered hand, very happy it seems with the welcome. "Cool to meet you, Lorne." Angel just introduced her, so she doesn't bother with that part. She looks up to the stage with some hesitation, "Sing, in front of everybody?" But, when even Angel agrees, she straightens a little and says, "Sure! Could be fun."
Laughing gently, Lorne says, "Don't worry, kiddo. This is a judgment-free zone. Karaoke is about fun first, performance second, and it doesn't matter if you're great or lousy. As long as you're enjoying yourself, you're doing it right!" He vanishes for a moment, then, to put their names on the list, and then he visits the bar. Upon his return, he has a covered coffee cup of a warm, familiar beverage for Angel, a Shirley Temple for Dawn, and of course a sea breeze for himself. Getting everyone settled at the table, he asks, "So! What brings the Bay Area's favorite brooding avenger to my humble establishment?" This is said with a casual wink at Dawn, as if to suggest that nothing he says is to be taken /too/ seriously at the moment.
Angel, being decidedly on the 'lousy' end of the spectrum, is very much grateful that it is a judgment free zone. He's also grateful this particular establishment caters to his own kind rather casually, and that Lorne even still had the good sense to cover the cup. As long as he drinks VERY neatly, perhaps Dawn won't have to pay too much attention to what warm red beverage he's actually drinking. "Well, I'm showing Dawn around. She spent most of her time in Sunnydale, and didn't have a chance to meet all my friends formerly down south, now up here."
Though she doesn't admit it, Dawn looks relieved as it's described as a judgment-free zone. She looks curious to the drink she's brought, but then takes a sip and then smiles. She giggles at Lorne's question, but nods to what Angel says. "We did live in Los Angeles for a while, after, but I was mostly with Buffy getting trained."
Lorne nods along with all of this new information, then he declares, "Well, any friends of my friends are welcome. They also tend to end up becoming my friends, too!" He laughs lightly, and then the name above the stage flashes, changing to Angel. Grinning wider, Lorne says, "Looks like you're up, big guy. Try not to completely break our hearts, huh?" His tone is gently teasing, but it's also encouraging, supportive. Clearly, he actually believes that karaoke is worth doing. Maybe even good for the soul.
Angel is more worried about breaking eardrums, being, ummm, not at all good at this. But still, it doesn't take any powers for Dawn to figure out who he's singing about.
"She stares through my shadow.
She sees something more
Believes there's a light in me
She is sure
And the truth make me stronger
Does she realize
I awake every evening
with her strength by my side...
I am not a hero
I am not an angel
I am just a man
man who's trying to love her
unlike any other
In her eyes I am..."
Dawn starts to clap, as Angel takes the stage. She has a bright smile, totally optimistic about his chances. And then he starts to sing. Her smile falters for a moment, but just for a moment. He's having fun, and Angel doesn't get to have fun very often. Though she makes a mental note to tell Buffy never to ask for a serenade, she keeps smiling, and claps again enthusiastically when he's done.
Lorne's applause is legitimately enthusiastic. At first it might seem he's just being polite, but despite Angel's lack of singing talent, it seems Lorne is legitimately happy with his performance. Maybe it really is all about participating, not showing off. Of course, there's also the other thing: Lorne saw and heard an accompaniment that nobody else in the room picked up on. As the applause dies down, he waves Angel back over to the table, beaming at him. "Well, mozel tov! I've peeked at your soul before, Angelito, but I've never seen it /glow/ like /that/. Whatever whammy those witches put on you, looks like it took, but good!" He pauses to sip his drink, which seems to center him some. Speaking in a more sedate tone, he adds, "There are storms on the horizon--So what else is new, am I right?--but nothing too specific yet. You, though--you're lookin' good, slugger." Then, with an air of mysterious sage wisdom, he adds with a sly wink. "As for the other thing, well. Just... give it time. It'll work itself out."
Angel gets off stage, and comes down for the analysis, "Storms on the horizon? Must be a day that ends in Y." But he's pleased to have confirmation from yet another source that all the witches did for him was a smashing success. Give it time? And then he realized, he WAS giving it time. The apocalypse in Africa probably had sorted itself out already, she just wasn't ready to see him yet. One reason of many why he hadn't called her. He'd been disciplined about it this long, he could hold out a little longer.
Dawn looks between Lorne and Angel, looking a little lost for a moment. "Wait, you can see his soul? How's that work? Some kind of aura thing? I've heard Willow talking about auras sometimes, but she couldn't ever do that." She seems simply curious and perhaps a bit hyper, apparently finding this ability pretty cool.
Lorne pats Angel's arm as reassuringly as he can, and then he turns to Dawn, dipping his head in a slow nod. The host takes a sip of his drink to buy a moment, then sets it down and leans forward slightly. "'Auras' is close. Basically, when someone sings, I get a little peek into who they really are, like a glimpse of their soul. I also sometimes get some kind of insight into their future, especially if anything big is coming." He grins a bit. "Still want to go up and sing? You don't have to if you don't want to. And, even if you do, I won't tell anyone else what I see. Kind of a... host-patron privilege sort of thing."
Angel also turns to Dawn. "But you're a Summers woman, Dawn. So...get up there and knock 'em dead. I'll stay away when you talk to him afterwards. What he has to tell you is really meant for you and you alone." He's not going to intrude on her privacy. Not even tempted to, really. As for him, well, he probably didn't tell Dawn secondhand anything she didn't already know or guess at.
Dawn considers for just a moment, but she looks to Angel and then nods again, grinning, "Yeah, I can do this. Maybe I even should do this." She hops to her feet, all confident now as she steps up onto the stage. She flips through the songs on the machine for a few moments before she finds one she likes.
"Like a small boat,
On the ocean,
Sending big waves,
Into motion,
Like how a single word,
Can make a heart open,
I might only have one match,
But I can make an explosion."
She's singing 'Fight Song', and she isn't a bad singer. Very much a soprano, which doesn't quite fit the song, but she tries.
Lorne smiles as he listens to Dawn's song, nodding a bit to encourage her, and then as she gets going, his eyes widen slightly. "Whoa," he murmurs under his breath, "that girl's got a bright aura, all right. She's dazzling! I've hardly ever seen..." But he trails off abruptly, a look of confusion passing across his face, and then he interrupts himself with a soft, pained grunt. Lorne lurches to his feet, looking like he might suddenly shout something, but then he just stands there, dazed, for a half-second, before giving a shiver and reaching for his drink. "For a tiny thing, she sure packs a pun--" But then his body twitches, and the drink slips from his fingers. Crying out, he doubles over and falls back into his chair, clutching at his head.
He doesn't even manage a witty remark as his glass shatters on the floor.
Angel's torn on what to do about this. On the one hand, he said he'd respect Dawn's privacy. On the other hand, Lorne obviously needs some help. Angel hesitates a little. With his vamp speed, he could be over there in a moment if Lorne doesn't get up right away from whatever he saw. Still, he's trying to be respectful of Dawn, so...
Keeping her attention on the words, Dawn doesn't notice how Lorne is reacting until she hears the glass break. She looks up, her voice faltering, and then stops singing altogether as she puts down the mic and jumps right off of the stage to go and check on him. "Are you okay?"
Once the music stops, Lorne seems to pull himself together. He takes a few deep breaths, then even manages a slightly shaky grin and says, "Just fine, kiddo. I just wasn't ready for the... aura-whammy you just mic-dropped on me." He shakes his head a bit, waving at the bartender, but of course by then a server--a young-looking changeling of some ogrish variety--arrives to check on Lorne and start cleaning up the mess from the drink.
Sitting up straighter, Lorne shakes his head and then offers a smaller, somewhat weaker smile. "Dawn, I don't know what exactly I saw, but it was some pretty potent stuff. I'd say, at least, that you've got some depths to your soul that you've hardly even begun to guess at, and maybe one whopper of a possible future ahead of you." Managing a steadier smile, he says, "Whatever it is, I'd say your future looks /bright/!" Then, glancing toward the bar, he says, "Hey, would you be a darling and go ask the bartender for a fresh drink? I could really use one right now."
Angel is still being as good as his word and staying away. While the natural temptation to help is always there, he hasn't been waved over yet by Dawn or Lorne, and steadfastly remains out of his own considerable hearing distance till then.
This reaction, the way Lorne describes it, seems to spook Dawn a little, though she relaxes a touch as Lorne says her future is bright. To the request for a drink, she nods quickly and says, "Yeah, I can do that, right away," as she turns towards the bar, waving to Angel that it's okay to come over.
Lorne also waves Angel over. He's looking a few shades less green than usual, and he regards the vampiric champion with a half-wary, half-warning look. "You know I don't give away others' secrets," he says in a low, firm voice, "and I won't. Thing is, I /couldn't/ if I wanted to." He frowns, then shakes his head. "Look, all I can tell you is... keep an eye on her. There are big things in that girl's future, and there's more to her than it seems. Whatever it is, it was such a strong reading, I can't even make sense of it yet. So..." He shrugs helplessly. "Just... please. Look out for the kid." Then he stands, slowly, and groans softly. "As for me, I think I might have to take my sea breeze and retire to my boudoir for the evening. That really knocked me right on my pizzazz."
Angel listens to what's being said, and...gets very serious. He's learned to trust Lorne's judgment on these kinds of things. "Got it. She's currently living with her mom in Beacon Hills. Should I have her stay with me till her sister gets back?" Which seems like a good idea right now, though explaining why that has to happen to Joyce is going to be a pain.
Nodding some, Lorne says, "Not a bad idea, really. Maybe arrange a summer job or something. I'd offer one here, but... well, I kinda doubt mumsy would want her youngest daughter working in a nightclub just yet." He offers a thin smile, then gives a shrug, looking suddenly tired. "You'll work it out. Just make sure that someone's keeping an eye on her. I'll be in touch if I think of anything else I think she should know."
At about that moment, Dawn returns with Lorne's drink, carrying it carefully as she hands it to him, having missed the conversation, "Here you go. I hope it's what you wanted, I just told the bartender to get you whatever you just had."
Angel nods solemnly. He'd get to work on that. He could probably finagle something age appropriate around his business. That'd do as summer jobs go. There's always mundane normal teenage jobs too. He'd have to refresh himself on labor laws for minors. Probably put Cordelia on that. "Do you wanna head back to the hotel now, Dawn?" The conversation about Dawn staying in San Fran for a while is not one he's looking forward to having with Joyce at all.
Lorne accepts the drink with a smile, perfectly sincere but definitely showing fatigue. "Perfect, just perfect," he confirms, and he nods. "Well, you two have a great evening. I think I'm going to take a powder, myself, and rest up the old green matter for the evening." Nodding to to each, he says, "Angel, congrats again on getting your groove back, permanently. Dawn, it's been truly lovely to meet you. I hope we all get a chance to do this again soon!" And then, doing his best not to be too abrupt, he slips away from the group and heads for the private stairs to his apartment. The night, and whatever he saw, has really taken it out of him.
Dawn looks a little surprised, but then nods to Angel, "Oh, yeah, all right." She looks a little sheepish as she looks back to Lorne, and gives a little wave, "It was nice meeting you!"