[OPEN Mingle] If music be the food of love…

[robintohood]

Who: Mingle post! Jason Todd (DCAU version) robintohood is also available in a separate top-level comment
What: Valentine’s Day season at the Descendant Karaoke Bar and Lounge
When: 2/1 to 2/13, before the February game event
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: None for now. Will update if needed.

[It’s early February and even a place as gritty and tough as Central City isn’t immune to the Valentine’s Day mood.

If one visits the Descendant around this time of the year, one may notice that some of the Gritty the mascot figures are holding fake roses and Cupid bows and arrows. Don’t worry. They’re safe. Really.

In addition, there are two types of songs getting a ton of play. On one side you got romantic and sweet songs such as Truly, Madly, Deeply, My Heart Will Go On, and As Long As You Love Me. On the other side is quite the opposite. These songs about heartbreak. A lot of them also are blow-out torch songs. Classic hits such as You Give Love A Bad Name, I’m Still Standing, and Should I Stay or Should I Go are getting performed with at least as much enthusiasm as the love songs, if not more. Even mobsters sometimes have rough love lives and need to blow off steam.

So whatever your feelings are about Valentine’s Day this year, come drop by for a drink, some entertainment and maybe a bar game or two. Chances are, you’ll be in decent company. Besides, what else could possibly happen in Central City this month?]

((OOC: Mingle post before this month’s big event! Have fun. Jason’s own top-level is right here. My contact information is on this journal's profile and I'm in the game's Discord server. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns as well. I also have a feedback post.))

Comments

Jason Todd (DCAU) | OTA

[robintohood]

[Meanwhile, Jason’s around and busy like any good owner. He’s taking and serving orders as either a waiter or bartender. He’s playing host, especially to the possibly shady VIPs. He’s checking inventory. The list goes on.

Sometimes, one can find him taking a break at the reading room. He’s not ashamed of his fondness for regency romances. Jane Austen’s novels are classics after all! Or maybe if you’re one of lucky few who are allowed, he might up in the attic safehouse.

Come bug him wherever he is at Descendant]

[welcome_summer]

[On a fine mid-February night, Mayuko rolls up to the Descendant with not one, not two, but four individuals with her. Her mayoral security detail have been working hard this past year. Plus with some bigwig from Atlantis scheduled to visit the Alliance, they were all in Central. So after dinner, Mayuko takes them to (in her opinion) the best place in town. They take a table upstairs, with the main karaoke stage and the dance floor.

After a few drinks, the three ladies in the group sign up for the stage. One song each.

Waterloo is a warmup for everyone. Something fun, playful and bouncy, led by a woman who looks like she could arm-wrestle both Jasons simultaneously and win. It seems like the group has some unified steps to go along with the song?

Then Lay All Your Love On Me kicks in, and the moves get crisp once the beat drops. The languid-eyed lady leading must have some siren in her ancestry, because she has the audience singing the plaintive chorus back to her, reverberating down into the rest of the building, drawing more people upstairs. ~Don't go wasting your emotion, LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME~/~Don't go sharing your devotion, LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME~

Which means when Mayuko steps up to the lead mic and the riff of Voulez Vous rings out, if the audience members aren't thoroughly entranced by the songbirds, they are ON. THAT. DANCEFLOOR like they're auditioning for this universe's remake of Saturday Night Fever. Taking advantage of that peak Eros-energy. Mayuko herself is in full-throat, commanding and proud, her steps not a tad bit slow or sloppy after two full songs.

Once their set ends, the ladies take their bows, finish the drinks one of the gentlemen was watching for them, and join the second on the packed dancefloor. That's where Mayuko can be found nearly the entire night. She's spent the last month and a half sad in the snow so really, she has energy to burn.]

[purplexing]

[There are probably better places to bother a person than at work but Donnie's spent enough time holed up in his workshop alone that some ambiance and a change of scenery seems better. But after having two people disappear on him, it's taken some doing to get out of that rut of thinking that maybe it's not so great getting close to people.

Honestly, he's not completely convinced about it, but here he is anyway. Jason's always been pretty cool to hang out with. Even if his bar is way too bugged.

Donnie hasn't been back since they'd discovered those, but then he's been a bit busy- not busy enough to remember to check that his counter-frequencies are activated. He may be slightly depressed but that's hardly any excuse to be sloppy. If he's not held up by the bouncers, he'll make way for the reading room and without any sass.]

[robintohood]

[At this point, Jason’s used to Mayuko’s visits to the Descendant. It’s the extra security detail that catches more of his curiosity. Figuring she must’ve just come from something work-related, he subtly follows the party upstairs and watches them perform. He has to admit that they’re three of the more enthusiastic ABBA performances in recent memory.

He waits for when Mayuko’s at the edge the dance floor to greet her]

Yo. Business or pleasure tonight?

[welcome_summer]

[Even with her pact with Athena, Mayuko is like most of the Sunset Falls citizenry during White Hearts. More than a little Eros-touched. So when he comes up, there's a moment where she's still focused on the song that's ending before she realizes: Oh! It's Jason. Right. C'mon. Words. TALKING.

The haze clears a bit and she's brushing up bangs that are drooping into her eyes.]

Hey, Jay! Uh, it's a pleasure visit. Reaching that point where everything sobers up before Spring, you know? Gotta cut loose before then.

[robintohood]

[The Descendant’s bouncers don’t hold Donnie up this time as Jason told them that Donnie can be an exception whenever he shows up. They just have to let Jason know right afterwards so he can monitor whatever might happen.

If Donnie were to scan the building again for bugs, he’ll find that the bugs’ signals appear to be gone. After what happened last time, TJ and Jason worked hard to better insulate their listening devices.

It’s not long after Donnie settles himself in the reading room that Jason shows up as well]

Hey. Needed a change of scenery?

[robintohood]

[Jason’s taking mental notes of Mayuko’s current state versus how she usually is. At least he probably won’t have to cut her off tonight. She’s got company]

Yeah, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Seems like you guys have been dying to blow off steam.

[purplexing]

[By the Donnie's picked out the first sci-fi title he'd come across, skimming the summary on the back to see if he's ready to commit. He'd done a scan out of habit because 'fool me once, etc, etc...' but even without getting an active number of pings, he's still making his own private little dead-zone.

He looks up when Jason makes his appearance.]

Hey. Yeah, something like that. You like going all out for the holidays huh.

[robintohood]

The customers seem to like it. We went way more out with Christmas.

[Jason sits down in armchair. It was time for his break anyway]

We make Gritty extra festive for that.

[welcome_summer]

[Company that is clocking where Mayuko is talking to Jason. They have each been around before, at least once, when she's visited. One of them is definitely a Society member-- not a big name, but more than skilled enough to have a place working for a metahuman hub's government. She might have more liberty to visit places outside of Sunset Falls, but it still keeps its eyes on her. No wonder she's gotten so touchy about surveillance.

Meanwhile, Mayuko nods at his comment, more focused now.]

They're Sunset Falls natives, they've done the White Hearts thing or have things lined up later on; we all decided to do something different, for a one-year thing.

[robintohood]

[Jason vaguely recognizes the fellow Society member but they wouldn’t recognize him as he’s always made a point to have his mask and/or helmet on whenever he was at Society HQ. He also doesn’t miss how the rest of her company are observing him. He makes no sign that he noticed that though. Better to keep his cool for now and not cause trouble]

Aww. I’m flattered you picked here then. Seems like you’re all enjoying yourselves. I could hear it too.

[purplexing]

[Donnie smiles crookedly at that.]

I've noticed.

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko's cheeks puff out slightly at that.]

I bet you could. Something other than my standard, it must be a blue moon.

[robintohood]

Good. I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.

[Jason gestures at the shelf Donnie was just looking through]

You came in right on time by the way. The newest donation batch came in this morning.

[robintohood]

[Jason grins Mayuko’s reaction]

ABBA’s a good way to get pumped up. It can’t always be monster ballads here.

[purplexing]

I think you'd have to be blind not to.

[Donnie looks back the shelf then.]

Oh yeah? Cool. I thought these titles looked unfamiliar since the last time I dropped in.

[robintohood]

We usually keep the rotation pretty fresh every month. Anything specific you’re in the mood for?

[purplexing]

Sci-fi. [He waves around the book he's found.] A real page-turner, something to keep my mind occupied. Any recs?

[welcome_summer]

I suppose not.

[The dancefloor is the most full that it's ever been, in her reckoning. That's not shabby by any means. She can still be huffy at Jason's teasing. Business as usual.]

Though while I'm out of the throng, it's a good time to bring up another round. Show me your special concoctions for this festive occasion?

[It'll give an opportunity to touch base as needed outside the hearing of her minders.]

[robintohood]

Anything by Ray Bradbury, Jules Verne, or H.G. Wells are always good if you want early classic sci-fi. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is comedic sci-fi and fun. Don't read George Orwell if you don't wanna depress yourself.

[Likely there are more Jason can think of but for now, these are the ones right at the top of his head]

[robintohood]

The menu this time isn't as big of a variety as the Christmas one but I might have a few items in mind.

[Jason starts to lead her back to the bar downstairs]

[purplexing]

[Donnie grimaces a little.] Er, yeah. I think I'll keep my distance from depressing. Had enough of that.

[He mutters that part mostly to himself as he turns to consult the shelves again.]

Jules Verne's always good though. Might try Hitchhiker's though. I could go for fun.

[robintohood]

It’s a lot of absurdist humor so it’s a good escape. If you like that book, you can check out the rest of the series.

[Jason watches Donnie scan through the shelves]

How’ve you been?

[He did hear that mutter Donnie made]

[purplexing]

[The turtle runs a finger along the book spines as he skims the titles.]

Been better.

[He pulls Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, brow arching at the cover before he turns it over to glance over the summary.]

...you ever have to deal with people you've only met here suddenly just. Not being here anymore?

[robintohood]

[At that question, Jason becomes a little more serious]

Yeah. It’s happened to me before. Why?