ArchivedLogs:Paige Gets Drunk and Also There is a Bird Lady

Paige Gets Drunk and Also There is a Bird Lady
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Dramatis Personae Anette and Paige
In Absentia	2017-05-12 "So you just asked me out here because you didn't have any other options?"
Location <WES> Harry's Hideaway - Salem Center
A cozy nook of a bar, Harry's has been run by the same grizzled proprietor for decades. The fare they serve is plain and typical bar food, but solid and well-prepared, and what the alcohol lacks in variety it makes up for in quality. Close proximity and long-developed relationships with the staff at Xavier's means they turn a blind eye to the mutants who frequent the bar. It's been one day since Paige's twenty-first birthday passed and so it should logically follow that she is now in a bar getting somewhat drunk. Under supervision, of course. It's unlikely that the horned mutant would so much as step foot (or hoof, as it is) in a bar without a friend present or a rather good reason to do so. Besides, the most mutant-friendly establishment is in Salem Center - quite a hike from where she lives and she has no plans of impairing her judgment without someone to make up for it. Of course, only one of her acquaintances properly fits the bill of 'responsible adult' and 'designated walker'. One who wouldn't dare touch a drink herself given her current status. "So she got me cupcakes!" The goat girl exclaims with wide eyes, clearly capturing the excitement of the moment she is describing to her companion. "A cake! All I wanted was to visit and get some good food, you know? And then she goes and surprises me with a cake and wouldn't even let me pay for it. All because it's my birthday or something." There's a brief pause and she narrows her eyes. "Shit. Now I have to do something to top that for -her- birthday, don't I?" Anette is currently on her fourth ginger ale, sipping quietly from a straw as she keeps a close eye on Paige. Despite her 'current state', she's managed to dress for the occasion. A black and white striped shirt hugs her extremely round and pregnant form and somehow she managed to find black leather pants to fit. She does wear easily adjustable strappy heels, perhaps she had some trouble fitting in her usual boots. "Bah, there's a million bakeries in New York. Just pretend you made it. Hell, that's probably what she did," Anette muses, setting her drink down on the bar. As this is one of the few places she can let her wings out to breath, she does, though they remain tight against her back. "Well, I don't know -how- she did it," Paige dutifully informs her winged friend. "It took her all of five minutes to ... " here she gestures idly with a hand as she searches for the right word, " ... to -produce- it." She picks up her own drink, a second rum-and-coke, and eyes the remaining amount with a hint of suspicion before downing it. The furred mutant, for her part, is wearing comfortable clothing; she is not at all dressed up with her black cardigan and dark, well-fitting blue jeans. Her bare hooves occasionally make tapping noises against the stool she sits on. She seems content to let the conversation lull with this, but it's less than a minute before she's addressing Anette again. "All my friends are younger than me. Well, not you. And -- and except Heather, she's something else, though, you know what I mean?" Anette can't help but chuckle. "So you just asked me out here because you didn't have any other options?" Anette's light tone and wide grin imply she is indeed just joking. "You know, I think this is the first time I've been to a bar and /haven't/ gotten drunk. This kinda sucks," She looks down to her protruding belly and speaks directly to it. "I love you but you're a pain in the ass." She gives it a tender pat before looking up to Paige. "So how are you enjoying your first drinks?" she asks, ticking her head to the rum and coke in Paige's hands as she takes a sip of her own drink. A wry smile forms on the goat girl's face as she leans in towards Anette and whispers, "It's technically -not- my first drink. It's just my first -legal- one. And my first one didn't really count." That said, still smiling, she straightens her posture and gestures to the bartender for a refill. Turning back to her winged companion, she admits, "But it's ... different. Nice. Relaxing? Yeah." Paige nods at her own words. "Relaxing. And -sure- I had other options. Why, I could have asked the good Captain America out for a drink. But that might have seemed creepy, you know? And then there'd be press all over us. Questions of whether we're dating. 'Is Captain America really gay or was that just a phase?' Fucking media, right?" This is all said with a jovial tone. "And not drinking's good for you! Or at least for the baby." An eye is cast towards said child currently snug as a bug in the womb of the mother. "Does ... Do they have a name yet?" Anette raises a brow at Paige's confession. "Oh really? I'm impressed. You seem like such a goody two-shoes." She waits as Paige signals the bartender for another. "Just go slow. These things have a habit of catching up with you quickly." Once Paige mentions Captain America, Anette grins and shakes her head. "Surprised you didn't. You'd be in better hands, cuter company, and he's slightly less hormonal. The press bit is a good point." She does smirk and wink though. "You're telling me you wouldn't want people thinking you and the Cap were a thing?" She glances down towards her baby bump again. "No, she doesn't. Not yet." Her face flushing a bit, the younger woman stammers, "Well, I -- I mean ... he already -has- someone, you know? And the two of them make a wonderful couple. And no one's saying you aren't cute," she counters with a grin. "And I am -not- a goody two-shoes." Swinging her legs, Paige gently kicks the bar. "I just like to keep my head down and -not- get into any trouble. Getting arrested for underage drinking is ... -was- not on my to-do list." She looks towards Anette's mid-section. "Don't name her Paige; I wouldn't make a very good godmother." "Oh I'm cute now? You're a lighter weight than I thought," Anette teases, leaning over and gently draping a wing across Paige's back. She gently rests a hand on top of her belly before continuing. "I wasn't planning on it. We've got a couple ideas but nothing decided. But you'll be glad to know Paige is not one of the options. It'd be too much for her to live up to," Anette says with a playful wink. Whether from the wing, the compliment, or both, the skin beneath Paige's fur is a shade darker red than before. Though she laughs, the horned girl looks rather sheepish when she says, "I -am- a lightweight. So is Heather. We ... each have our own ... " Her brow furrows as she continues. "Eating, you know, issues. That, and both of us are fairly active." It is at this point that the furred mutant receives a refill - her ears twitching at the sound of the glass being placed on the bar. "And of course you're cute. Everyone's cute." There's a small pout on her face as she takes a sip of her new rum and coke, nose wrinkling a bit. "My stupid brain can't even rule safety over cuteness anymore. It's -awful-." “That-that’s not what I meant,” Anette says as Paige defends her light-weightedness. “Though I suppose I’m the same way. Built like Olive Oyl. Makes for easy flying though. I just meant you can’t really hold your liquor.” She finishes off her ginger ale and grins to Paige. “Everyone’s cute? Don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that.” Perhaps a sign of affection, perhaps an attempt to make Paige blush harder, Anette leans over and quickly pecks at Paige’s cheek. Very brief. “Mmm, you are soft.” Her attention returns to the previous conversation as she retrieves her wing from Paige’s back. “Oh god I’ve always been terrible with that. I mean….you’ve met Akihiro. It’s a lot easier when you stop caring.” If blushing was the goal, Anette has certainly succeeded. Indeed, the twenty-one year old mutant has lit up a brilliant red and the color threatens to spread to her ears, which flick up at the peck. "Y-yes," she manages to stammer out while staring intently at the bar. "It -- my fur - it's soft." Her brows pinch together and her ears press back a bit as she recovers her composure from the surprise attack. "T-terrible with what? Accidentally kissing people?" With that, she takes a long sip of her drink. “No, terrible at putting safety over cute. Akihiro’s calmed down quite a bit since we’ve been together though. And I’m not really safe myself either. You don’t want to know how many times I’ve clawed his face open.” Anette takes a sip of her drink like this is a casual, every couple’s done it, thing. “To be fair, he did deserve it.” She glances over towards Paige and eyes her up curiously.. “Why do I feel like you’re talking about someone specific?” "Ooh," remarks Paige in understanding. She shifts on her stool before turning to look at Anette again, her blush having mostly faded away by this point. Still her drink is in hand and ready to help her out in any further unexpected situations. "I guess even the best of partners have fights." Then, appearing to consider her companion's question, she takes a drink as her ears flick back. "Maybe. He's ... he's a cop, though. So it's not a thing. A non-thing. A nothing. Besides, he's probably like ages older than me." Another sip is taken. “Fights. Yeah, let’s call them that,” Anette says, taking another sip. “We are far from the best partners though.” When Paige admits it’s a cop, her eyes widen slightly in surprise. “A cop? You can do so much better. Though I’m a little biased. Still...I don’t trust the bastards. They’ve never given me nothing but trouble. I was on crutches for a month because one decided to thank me for saving his life by shooting me in the leg. Fucker.” Placing her drink down, Paige buries her head in her hands. "I knooooow," she groans at Anette. "I -knoooow-. All cops are bastards. I read about that ... " one hand continues to support her head as the other turns on the wrist as she gestures, " ... fighting ring shit. That was really fucked up." Now she raises her head again. "Like beyond fucked up. So far beyond it. -Fuck-. What the fuck? Can't leave us fucking alone. Like life isn't already soooo fucked up enough. Gods. What the -fuck-." The horned mutant shakes her head as she returns to the topic at hand. "Don't you like go around ... -doing- things, though? Like ... -dangerous- things? I'm not saying you deserved to be shot. Maybe they ... got confused. But, fuck, he's cute. Ugh. -Fuck-. But, yeah, I'm not -- no. Not a cop. That'd be -beyond- fucking stupid, you know?" Anette sets her own drink down and places a hand on Paige’s back, talons gently massaging her. She tenses as the fighting ring is brought up. “I don’t know much about that. Been trying to avoid it. I’d probably go out and murder every cop in the city if I knew the details.” She continues to gently scratch at Paige’s back comfortingly as she sits up again. “Sometimes. There was another mutant who was….having a reaction of sorts. I pulled a cop out of the way, probably saved his life. He recognized me from some...other trouble I had been in. Assumed I was trying to hurt him too I guess. Fucking stupid assumption. Half the cops in this city got their jobs because they were too stupid for Burger King.” Once she thinks Paige has relaxed some, she pulls her hand back. “But stay away from cops. Especially cute ones.” There's a brief tensing of the goat girl's muscles as she is touched, but it soon melts away as Anette massages her back. In fact, Paige seems to relax substantially. She leans a touch closer to the woman next to her and appears to be quite content. "Really?" This, in response to Anette's story, though the horned mutant's tone isn't as worked up as usual. "That is -soooo- fucked up. What the hell? Did you press charges?" Taking another drink, she narrows her eyes. "Stupid police. They shouldn't be -allowed- to be cute." “No. It wouldn’t have done any good. Unregistered mutant, a warrant or two, god knows what else. I just got patched up and that was it.” Anette grins and takes another drink. “Right. We should go ugly them all up. Let’s start with your little boyfriend.” "He's not my boyfriend," Paige immediately counters, ears flicking back. "He's just stupidly and obnoxiously cute. He nearly made the most ugly jacket I have ever -- have -ever- -- seen look okay. -Besides-" A great deal of emphasis is placed on this word as she rolls her eyes. "He's got like goons and shit. Sergeant of the fucking MID." She runs a hand through the hair between her horns. "-Fuck- -that-." “Wait, Sergeant of...you’re not talking about -Eric- are you?” Anette’s eyes widen and even as her smile grows, she quickly shakes her head. “Yeah, stay the fuck away from him. He’s bad news. I mean, as far as cops go he’s one of the less evil ones and an ok guy to have in a tight spot. But don’t...don’t go chasing after him. You can do a LOT better.” "You know him?" Paige's ears flick up briefly in surprise before they angle backwards as she processes the rest of Anette's words. With a sigh, she replies, "But, yeah, I've heard. Just my luck, right? The one cute guy who I keep bumping into." She rolls her eyes again in apparent annoyance while taking another drink. "But don't get it wrong. I'm not chasing anybody. -He- keeps running into -me-. Fuck." Then, grinning mischievously at Anette, she states, “He -is- cute, though. Tell me I’m -not- right on that point. I dare you.” “I’m pretty sure you run into a lot of cute guys. And girls, whatever you’re into,” Anette says before her mouth suddenly forms a grin despite her best efforts to hold it back. “No...you’re right. He is pretty cute. For a cop.” She sets her empty glass down. “Good. Just keep your distance from him. He has a habit of hurting people, what I’ve heard anyway.” "Everyone's cute." Paige reiterates her statement from earlier, all the while continuing to grin. "There's a severe over-abundance of cute guys and cute girls and cute everyones." This broad claim is accompanied by a one-armed sweeping gesture and a definitive nod of the goat girl's head. "But most of them my age are in school.” After she takes another sip, her jaw works silently for a moment. "I have plans, you know. Plans to go back. Maybe online courses. That kind of bullshit." There's another pause before she says, apparently out of the blue, "I have good friends."