Utterly Upstanding Drunk Gentleman!

Subject: Utterly Upstanding Drunk Gentleman! Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:08 am

(Rated PG-13 for Intoxicated Whales and slight Flirtatious attitudes)
Smiling as he walked down the beautiful stairs, each one giving slightly to show its age but over the din of the bar it was a silent descent, the young man couldn't help but loosen his tie after the long discussions with his cousin over finances. Perhaps he wasn't ready to open up that envelope and see the amount of money his father left to Arthur, money he had never seen growing up with his single mother, a woman who never showed weakness in front of anybody, reduced to tears each night because of a lack of support, of love. Stopping on the stairs to calm down, his grasp onto the railing having tightened to the point of his knuckles growing white and the wood yielding ever so slightly. With a deep breath the strawberry-blonde shook his head and traversed the last few steps before meaningfully walking to the bar and ordering whatever they had on tap. As the drink arrived and Dylan paid for the drink and sat there, silently sipping until the pint was emptied and he started the cycle over.

After the tenth pint the shepherd was leaning onto the bar, still coherent, but utterly depressed from all the thoughts that ran through his head, clouding his natural pragmatism. When he reached pint twelve the young man just raised his hand for the bartender to stop wondering exactly how long before he started actually noticing the effects, if his slightly staggering gait was to be forgiven. Bumping into a sturdy table jolted Dylan to a stop, forcing him to sit down and hold his head, briefcase by his feet as he flagged a young waiter over and ordered a glass of water, somehow oblivious to all the goings on of the club, including the cat calls to the stage he wasn't facing.

Subject: Re: Utterly Upstanding Drunk Gentleman! Tue Jul 30, 2013 5:03 pm

Nei-chan winked at a young man as she passed his table, tilting her head and giggling as a blush rose to his cheeks. Several other patrons called to her, but she merely turned to acknowledge them briefly before continuing on her way. They would soon be distracted by the show on stage anyway, which would prove much more interesting than her subtle head tilts and close-lipped smiles. Still, she made it a point to smile or wave at everyone who caught her eye, though she focused her attention on certain men and women in the crowd. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone who entered through the doors of the Thorny Rose did so to enjoy the shows...or because they frequented any strip club regularly at all. There were those who were dragged, or their dignities brought into question by friends until they were seated at one of the many finely decorated tables, waiting for a show to start that they did not entirely want to see. Most of their friends believed they would come around, but that did not stop them from shifting awkwardly in their seats, or subtly shrinking away as the waitstaff openly flirted with them.

These were Nei-chan's people, the ones she tended to become fast favorites with. Her kind nature, with or without flirting, allowed her to get closer to them and to create a more comfortable atmosphere for them. They were slowly eased into the flirting, into the sudden flashes of skin on stage and the way a sultry word could send shivers up their spines. She put those sorts of patrons at ease, but simultaneously she brought her own regulars back again with her teasing smiles and occasional kisses to the cheek. Tonight she danced through the crowds before the show, focusing primarily on the shaky new customers without ignoring her regulars. If she could put the less experienced at ease, they would most certainly return again. Many returned her smile, or refocused on their meals and drinks with more enthusiasm than before. Nei-chan took mental notes of their places in the crowd, intending to check on them later (should they still be seated, of course).

With another secretive smile, Nei-chan made her way to the bar as the lights flickered to signal the beginning of the show. Her rounds were done for the moment, and she intended to order her traditional strawberry daiquiri to sip on her 'break'. The break was less a traditional, off-the-floor one and more that she would simply remain in one place to flirt or be sociable with their guests rather than to roam the floor. With a soft sigh, she placed her order and then headed for one of the nearby empty tables. She had discovered on one occasion that she attracted less attention by sitting at a table rather than the bar, which suited her just fine. As she turned, daiquiri in hand, she noticed a young man sitting down rather roughly at one of the nearby tables. Worry flickered across her expression as she began to make her way in his direction. Was he all right? Was he drunk? Would he need help making arrangements to return home?

Though such things were not necessarily her responsibility, Nei-chan's fraternal nature brought her to take a seat at his table. "Excuse me, mister...are you all right?" She inquired with a tilt of her head, her gaze only leaving his momentarily as a server brought him a glass of water. Ah, so at least he was making an attempt to sober up a little. As her gaze returned to him, her eyes widened a little in recognition. 'Ah, he must be related to Arthur! They at least resemble each other a little!' Nei-chan kept her thoughts to herself, instead keeping her gaze kind as she took small sips of her drink.

Subject: Re: Utterly Upstanding Drunk Gentleman! Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:02 pm

Pulling himself into a sitting position while focusing his eyes upon the beautiful girl across from him, Dylan nodded languidly, almost dropping himself before correcting the movement and sitting back straight-ish. He tried his best to focus his eyes on the beautiful girl but it seemed to be in vain as his water arrived and he took a sip, clearing his throat before speaking. "Dwi'n iawn... I just drank too much..." His words were slipping and his accent was thick in his throat as he finished the glass, hoping the server would get him a refill soon. He didn't feel like making a complete arse out of himself in front of the fetching figure before him.

With his next words carefully chosen the man looked at his female companion the best he could, mustered a convincingly sober smile and stretched out his hand. "My name is Dylan Kirkland, pwy wyt ti?" After he finished speaking his full brows drew together in consternation before cursing under his breath. It was obvious that even when sober he had to try hard to speak coherently and clearly, so it was rather difficult while intoxicated. "I meant, what is your name my dear?" Now his charm was back, an his smile was resting lax across his face, lips slightly agape to show teeth that were probably ground when in stress. Luckily his server had returned with some water which he sipped at nervously, looking anywhere but his companion's face.

Subject: Re: Utterly Upstanding Drunk Gentleman! Sun Sep 15, 2013 11:14 am

Nei-chan's eyes shone with worry, though the worry turned quickly to confusion at his words. She felt fairly proficient with English (no one had ever complained about her speaking it, anyway), but the language spoken by the other was completely new to her. Luckily, the man seemed sober enough (or smart, or perhaps both) to translate. Nei-chan silently thanked the alertness of the servers for the glass of water. The cool liquid seemed to help sober up her new companion, though she supposed he could simply be a rather convincing actor. But his acting skills were not hers to judge, only whether he was pleased to be in her company or not. She smiled, a less flirty and more genuine smile laced with a little concern. Would he truly be all right? Should she help to find him a ride home? She supposed she could find one of the other club members to help, or even call Arthur, but she hated to bother the club owner unless it was an emergency. Still, the man in front of her looked vaguely familiar, and his very slight resemblance to Arthur made her wonder if this sort of thing counted.

When the man introduced himself, Nei-chan's suspicions of his relation to Arthur were confirmed. 'Ah, so he was the man that was here when I came in...' She had forgotten about him, mostly because her attention had been on Alfred at the time. At least she knew his name now, though she would have to be careful. "Ah, it is nice to meet you, Dylan-san." She bowed her head politely. His question made her raise it again, and she tilted her head once more in confusion. The language he spoke in, while foreign, sounded quite nice. She decided she would ask him about it later, perhaps when he had sobered up a bit more. Thankfully, he translated after a moment. She found herself attempting to stifle a small giggle. The difference between the foreign language and his English was highly noticeable, though she found she liked when he spoke both. She managed to stifle it, not wanting to inadvertently insult her guest.

She gave him a shy smile, hiding behind one of her hands. With just the right amount of hesitation, she lifted her free hand and set it delicately in his own. "I am Nei, but everyone here calls me Nei-chan." She dipped her head in another short bow, hiding the slight blush that rose to her cheeks. She usually did not introduce herself, or if she did, the customer was just sober enough to read her nametag. Introducing yourself with the honorific in Japanese was insulting, and she certainly never meant to insult anyone. She noticed the server had brought the man another glass of water. She would have waved down another if they had not, but her hands were preoccupied. He still held her one captive, while the other had moved from brushing her bangs from her face to resting delicately on the table. "I believe I have glimpsed you once before, Dylan-san, but have never had the honor of meeting you." She decided she liked his smile. He was a natural charmer, which made speaking with him both easier and more comfortable.

She lifted her strawberry daiquiri, taking a sip. She noted that Dylan seemed nervous, or perhaps he was still drunk and trying to hide it. She felt a small pout tugging at her lips, and she wondered if perhaps he was simply shy. She often served customers who were first-time customers at the club. Not every guest that came to the Thorny Rose came of his or her own free will. Occasionally, the club played host to parties, where unsuspecting--and usually virgins, she found out after several glasses of something strong--men and women found themselves at the expense of their friends' happiness. Perhaps Dylan had come at Arthur's request, though she doubted the owner would keep his own blood waiting this long. She reasoned that if she found out why he had come in the first place, she might be able to ease some of his nerves. "If I might ask, what brings you to the Thorny Rose, Dylan-san?"

Subject: Re: Utterly Upstanding Drunk Gentleman! Sun Sep 29, 2013 12:52 am

Feeling the edges of his mouth twitch traitorously upwards as he relaxed his grip on Nei-chan's hand, not letting go but not stopping her from doing the same. The young man sipped on his water before opening his mouth once more, deciding it was best to talk to a stranger about himself than his family, even though technically she worked for his family. Sort of, well not really but he wasn't splitting hairs about moot points of internal discussion. As for what he was doing there... " Well miss, my business here is, ffwicio, difficult? No no, that's not it..." His thoughts were coming easier at least, and as the minutes passed away Dylan felt sure his liver was working overtime to clear his system of the toxins he had so carelessly imbibed. Soon he snapped his fingers from his free hand and smiled up at her, the movements much quicker than at the beginning of their conversation.

"I'm actually here to talk to my cousin, Arthur, about some finer points on a certain issue, though we went over the majority of the topics earlier." His voice and his eyes dropped towards the end of the sentence, not at the same time but it was difficult to remember which led the way. It wasn't that he was upset about seeing his cousin, it was just, difficult after so long. Especially upon seeing his father's will and all that he had left to other's for seemingly no reason. It was fine he determined, he would just do his duty then return home, perhaps go back to Uni. "Anyways Nei-chan, what about you, how long have you found yourself in this tafarn, um, bar?"

Subject: Re: Utterly Upstanding Drunk Gentleman! Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:05 am

Nei-chan observed Dylan carefully, ready to assist should the man suddenly decide to pass out. So far, he had simply taken small sips of his water, and she could only hope he recovered quicker than most. The club did not treat drunkards badly, but they were usually dealt with before the bouncers returned to their homes. Arthur would most certainly NOT be happy if he came to find someone in his establishment after closing, especially someone who had simply been irresponsible. She pushed the thoughts aside, not wanting to be distracted from the man across from her. She noticed he seemed to be sobering up a little, and her smile became less shy and more relieved as she listened to him. He still slipped into his native tongue, though now she began to think he did this whether he had alcohol in him or not. As he struggled to explain, she merely let her eyes meet with his. She was curious as to his reason for attending the club, but she did not want to make him uncomfortable with her questioning. If he did not wish to share his business with her, she would certainly leave him to enjoy the rest of his evening in peace.

Just as she was about to excuse herself and apologize for intruding, the man spoke again. Her eyes widened in recognition, and inwardly she berated herself for not connecting the man's name to his face sooner. 'Ah, of course! Dylan-san was speaking to Kirkland-san the day I came to help Alfred-san fix his costume! I cannot believe I did not remember this! Though...I only saw him, and it does not seem as though he remembers my presence.' She felt some relief at this thought. "Ah, I see. Unfortunately, I have not seen Kirkland-san all evening. I am sure he is in his office working, or perhaps attending to other matters. I apologize that I cannot be more helpful to you." She bowed her head, but kept her gaze on him as he dropped his own to the table. 'He seems rather shy. I wonder if he truly understands the ah...nature of this place.' She covered her mouth with her hand as a smile touched her lips. The way Dylan spoke to her, it seemed that the club's owner had not informed his cousin of the nature of the Thorny Rose.

She sensed he wished to change the subject, or perhaps that he had said all he could on the matter. Nei-chan did not mind talking about herself, especially if it would set him more at ease. "Ah, I have been here for several years, Dylan-san. However, I am not new to this sort of thing, that is...I worked in a few bars--" She used his terminology, in case he was not comfortable with the actual happenings at the club. "--before this one. I must admit, none of the owners were as good to their employees as Kirkland-san has been to us. I honestly do not remember exactly how long ago it was that I began working here." She did, but she had not started out as a regular employee and did not feel comfortable sharing this information with Dylan. It was not that she did not trust him; he was Arthur's cousin, after all. But only a few people knew the truth about her and her 'family'. "My entire family performs here, well, except for Kiku." She giggled into her hand. "He does help with our schedules and other little things."

Her thoughts wandered again, settling on Dylan's reason for coming to the club. He had already had his main discussion with Arthur (Nei-chan had been partially a witness to this), but was there some other reason he needed to speak with Arthur? "Ah, I believe Kirkland-san is busy this evening, but surely he would come to see you if he knew you were here, Dylan-san." She wondered if Arthur had given Dylan his contact information, or if the club's owner had simply expected Dylan to show up during club hours for any further inquiries. The latter did not seem like Arthur. Even if the club owner found a client to be difficult, Nei-chan admired his ability to handle the situation smoothly. She quickly pushed the thoughts aside and focused her attention on Dylan. Perhaps the man had not gone to see Arthur himself because he wanted to talk, or for some other reason she could not guess. "Is there anything that I can do to help, Dylan-san?" She asked, sending a sweet smile his way.