The In Crowd

[st_clare]

She'd been meaning to get to Ragnarok anyway. Gerald had mentioned it to her ages ago, but between one thing and another there'd been no time. With spring approaching, classes had hit a bit of a lull, and she was prepared for the next week. That cleared some of her schedule.

Julianna had parked her car in the lot and was now waiting in the queue to get inside. Some of the 'costumed' staff were outside greeting guests, and the Watcher was amusing herself by trying to deduce who was actually human and who wasn't. It was the perfect place to be if you wanted to hide in plain sight. She wondered if the owner had to strike a deal with any vampires who might be employed here.

Inside, it was surprisingly ordinary, at least as far as decor went. Julianna ordered a gimlet at the bar, then sipped at it while she wondered at the possibility of getting an audience with the proprietor. Her colleague wouldn't have mentioned the woman if she might not be a valuable acquaintance to have, so perhaps she should make an effort herself.

In the meantime, she would enjoy the atmosphere here. Las Vegas might not be much for culture, per se, but it didn't lack for its own brand of ambiance.

Comments

[st_clare]

There it was again, that potentially dangerous charm, and Julianna lifted her glass in a toast at Daniel's remark. "I wasn't intending to take it as an insult," she told the vampire with a half-smile. "I have no wish to turn back the clock forty years."

As unlikely as the source of the advice might be, he wasn't wrong. Children had stopped being a possibility years ago and she didn't regret that, and while her relationship status might change, she doubted wedding bells were in her future either. Just the prospect of things altering was terrifying, but not awful.

"And now if you won't take this as an insult, I'm going to tell you that I think you might be a good influence on Holiday. I didn't approve at first, although I'm sure it's hardly my place, but on closer inspection you're not without merit."

[daniel_stacy]

"Not without merit." He ran his tongue inside his cheek and washed down the pretzels. "That's almost as good as saying I have merit. Either way, I'll take it. Look at that, you just complimented a vampire and the world didn't end." He winked at her.

Of course he hadn't seen Holly in ages, but neither had Julianna, so apparently it wasn't personal. He wasn't about to get creepy and start following her around.

"So you're here to see my boss, that about right?"

[st_clare]

"Yes, actually. A colleague mentioned making her acquaintance, and I decided to give this place a look myself. It's a relatively small community, and perhaps there's information that can be shared."

Julianna had finished half of her new drink by now, and that meant she should cut herself off. Two was her limit in situations like this, when she wanted t make a reasonably good impression. The Watcher emptied her glass, set it down on the bar in front of her.

"If I don't see you before I leave, it was nice to see you again, Daniel."

[daniel_stacy]

"You, too." He pushed away from the bar, remembering that he needed to get back to his shift at the front door. "If I see Livia, I'll send her your way." He grabbed the bartender's attention on his way past and mumbled, "Put her drinks on my tab."