ongoing; open

[moresake.livejournal.com]

When; during the All That Jazz curse
Rating; PG to start; may increase with comments
Characters; OPEN
Summary; Prohibition is for other people, not us.
Log;

You've probably walked by this shop a thousand times before and never taken a look. There's no sign and it hardly looks open, but it is, trust me, and if you were to wander up to the door in curiousity, you'd be able to go inside.

The counter girl is friendly, sweet, and innocent-seeming-- she will smile at you and show you the antiques. But if she isn't there, you might be greeted by the owner-- a tall, dark-haired woman who dresses like she belongs in the caberet, not like a businesswoman.

But if you know her well, or have spoken to the right people, then maybe you can find the back door to this "antique shop." In the speakeasy below, alcohol flows freely (courtesy of the quiet bartender), the atmosphere is smoky, and everyone is happy. Well, everyone is drunk, anyway, which is nearly as good, in Yuuko's opinion.

There is a certain policeman always poking his nose into things, but so far, secrets are safe.

And if you're looking for a good time, this is the place to be.

[ooc: Feel free to start threads in the antique shop, in the bar, doing whatever with the exception of no police raids, please. This post is open to any and all, whether you've met any of the mentioned characters or not. Please mark threads as closed or open; if you want Yuuko specifically please feel free to page her in the subject line of your comment.]

Comments

at the bar || open to all;

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

Just an ordinary business day... That's bad news.

In times like this the blue-haired girl who stands absentmindedly by the bar almost wishes trouble would come knocking on their door, for one. Dealing with boredom irks her more than having to fend off disrespectful drunkards or people with noses too long for their own good.

It's not for easiness that she abandoned a life of luxury and comfort at dad's estate to come under Yuuko's wing and make a living out of the illicit. No, what Umi looks for is a thrill, and usually being an enforcer for the lady in question's business provides.

At first sight she's as deceptive as the shop's front itself: your rich teenage girl, impeccably dressed in expensive clothing. Many make the sore mistake of underestimating her. But the retractile short swords cleverly hidden inside her designer purse make that a mistake people commit just once. Yes, Umi prefers blades to bullets, and has many times proved she's as deadly with those as to make up for the disadvantage. It's just her coworker's constant concern -- she swears Clef can be as fatherly as dad sometimes -- what makes her carry a gun secretly holstered against her side.

Today she just stands there watching the usual crowd gulp down their drinks. Hopefully something will happen. Otherwise the place will really start getting the vibes of an antique shop.

at the bar || open to all;

[moresake.livejournal.com]

"Umi, you look almost bored!"

Yuuko is grinning, leaning against the bar as if she owns it (since, well, she does). It's hard to picture the mistress of this establishment as ever being bored. Even when the usual crowd is around, she finds something to do, whether that's cheat blatantly at pool (and who would call her on it?) or drink until sobriety seems like a long-lost dream.

And sometimes, it means teasing her help.

at the bar || open to all;

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

"Try it without the 'almost', boss." Though chatting is as good a solution to that as any.

Umi nods at the barman and comes stand beside the mistress of the establishment, wearing with a little, crooked grin: one that contradicts her prissy girl looks quite strongly.

She's respectful despite her apparent nonchalance: she owes Yuuko the chance to live a life different than the one that truly bores her. "Do you think there'll be any deliveries today that need supervision? I hear Clef and his partner have everything covered on their own."

at the bar || open to all;

[bequiet_hescreamed]

Clef wanders in, slowly and deliberately making his way up to the bar as though not in any hurry. Once there, he simply looks Umi up and down like. Really, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?

Except he knows what she's doing. It's the fact that she's dressed like that anyway that gets to him.

"You're looking for trouble."

at the bar || open to all;

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

Aw, she gets that look a lot. Daily, in quite a fact. To the point she can translate from silent language without effort. Sometimes it amuses her, sometimes it just ticks her off -- everyone says her temper will be the death of her in this business one day.

But when it comes to the one who's been such a mentor figure to her, Umi understands it's but true affinity behind it. She smiles. Her own expression's just screaming 'That goes without saying'. But instead she flicks her hair and replies. "Only if trouble comes looking for me! Besides I saw today's schedule."

Her smile turns into a grin, though it's still very fond. "You're going out with Ascot for a drive, right?"

at the bar || open to all;

[bigpuffyhat.livejournal.com]

Ascot arrives, looking nervous like he usually did. However he spots Umi at the bar, and his nerves seem to settle somewhat. He hadn't been working under Yuuko for very long, and therefore hadn't gotten to know anyone very well, but he'd liked Umi from the start. Of course it probably helped that she was the one getting him out of trouble; which he got into far too often.

He couldn't even begin to guess what had brought him to be a runner for Yuuko in the first place. It was dangerous, it was illegal, it was everything he wasn't, but really there wasn't much else for him to do. He'd plan to quit after making some good money, but seeing Umi there was enough to make him think twice about that.

Carefully and quietly he approached Umi. "H-hello Miss Umi."

at the bar || open to all;

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

...Well, look here. Her favorite person in the business!

Umi's bored demeanor changed entirely, her face lit up by an impish smile at the arrival of the youngest runner for the place. She'd taken a deep liking for Ascot from the very beginning and, truth be told, she enjoyed seeing him blush and being generally adorable. It made the former rich girl wonder what exactly had gotten him there in the first place. Perhaps he was a runaway like her.

"How's it going, Ascot? Busy schedule today?" She inquired in a singsong tone, making room for him where she stood. Things were already looking up, it seemed! First an assignment at the docks and now she'd gotten to see her cutest coworker.

at the bar || open to all;

[monsterepellant.livejournal.com]

Speaking of being at the bar, this bartender is polishing a glass, eyebrow raised.

"Bored again?" Because really, this probably isn't a new occurrence.

at the bar || open to all;

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

It's not. It's in fact very frequent when it comes to this spoiled brat made enforcer. Umi makes a face that's more eloquent than any answer she can give.

"Can you believe that?" She sighs. "Days when things are slow are the worst."

in the shop || open

[bequiet_hescreamed]

There is a certain white-clad gentleman who frequents the front part of the shop, at least when it's otherwise empty. He doesn't go into the back much; too noisy and drunk in there. Out here, however, it is nice and quiet and he can sit by the door to the back room, reading a book and generally looking as though he wasn't secretly watching everyone who passed through for that little telltale inconsistency in the fabric at the chest or just under the coat that signaled a weapon. It wasn't like Umi couldn't handle it if something happened, but he'd rather she was the only one in there who was armed.

Today was not one of those days, however. He stepped into the shop just after dawn - it would have to be open at this hour, of course, because there was no other way to get to the bar down below - lit a cigarette, and just. Stood there and seethed.

What was this, Monday?

in the shop || open

[moresake.livejournal.com]

Clef might be surprised to see Yuuko awake at this hour, but perhaps less surprised if he knew she'd simply been drinking since midnight and hadn't stopped yet. She seemed almost surprised by the early morning glow outside the window when she stepped out of the back, shutting the door firmly against the revels still going on there.

"Morning, Sunshine," she said, somehow managing not to stumble as she made her way toward the shop's counter. (Perhaps she wasn't as drunk as her patrons assumed-- after all, one did have to stay regrettably sharp in this business.)

in the shop || open

[bequiet_hescreamed]

"What are you even--" he stops himself before he blurts out something completely rude. Yes, yes, he was quite surprised, but fortunately his first assumption was that she just hadn't gone to bed yet. Really, what the hell kind of business was she trying to run here, getting wasted on her own stuff?

Just. Unbelievable. He fumed silently for a moment and took another drag, which he exhaled in a frustrated-sounding "whuu" before he could even manage a flat, "Morning."

Barender Post || Open

[monsterepellant.livejournal.com]

So you're sitting at the bar. So you want a drink. After all, what else is a speakeasy for, then for alcohol. And who was Doumeki one to deny that request, being the bartender he was.

Right now, he's behind the bar, polishing a cup. So come in, sit down. Maybe you've spoken to him before. Perhaps even poured out your day's woes while he listens, silently. Maybe you haven't spoken to him at all, other than a 'Whisky on the rocks, bub.' Either way, you can tell he's a man of few words. But don't let that scare you. Why not have a seat? Order a drink. Make yourself comfortable.

Bartender Post || Open

[moresake.livejournal.com]

Yuuko wanders by, as she is wont to do with some frequency. She flashes Doumeki a smile. "How's business tonight?" she asks; she always wants to know.

Bartender Post || Open

[monsterepellant.livejournal.com]

"Not bad at all." It isn't. They've had a steady flow of customers. Not their usual overflow, but it's not a terrible amount of people by any stretch of the imagination.

Barender Post || Open

[closetpervert]

Finally a place that was serving drinks. After a long days work, researching at the library, there wasn't anything more Klarth wanted then to relax for the night with a glass in his hand. But today was somehow different.

He knew this world was odd but not THIS odd. For what he knew, he didn't have any difficulties getting a drink in the past and now all of a sudden these rulers had decided to ban it? And from reading the news on the network, it seemed people were getting arrested for it as well. Klarth hid his face with the tilt of his hat and slyly walked into the promising place.

Observing several others enjoying themselves, he felt more relaxed and took a seat at the bar.

in the shop || open

[moresake.livejournal.com]

Business booms on Fridays and the trickle of visitors is steady, and growing into more of a flood as the afternoon passes on.

Oddly, Yuuko isn't sitting in her bar at the moment. She's rarely upstairs, a constant fixture downstairs, larger than life, drunk as a skunk and still a pretty good pool shark. After a leisurely, late nap, she's decided to spend some time in her other business. Some sort of intuition keeps her upstairs this afternoon, and she's pretty good about trusting her instincts.

So she's perusing a cheap romance novel, stretched out in a not-very-antique rocking chair near the door, rocking it absently and waiting for her hunch to pay off.

in the shop || open

[i-themagician.livejournal.com]

It is polite to knock, at least when you don't have a warrant, so that's what Inspector Reed does almost without exception. Even though he's been sober for almost the length of prohibition, he can't keep the somewhat long-suffering look off of his face. So many visits to this place, he thinks, and not a single drop to drink. That's what virtue gets you in this world, and he's starting to think that it's not as rewarding as he had been led to believe.

in the shop || open

[moresake.livejournal.com]

Ah, so that's what it is. Yuuko sighs and gives a long-suffering look at the shop and any possible watchers, but she slides a smirk onto her face when she answers the door, leaning against the frame in such a way that it accents her assets.

"Good afternoon, Inspector Reed," she drawls.

at the bar || open;

[pharles-at-life.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough for someone employed by a speakeasy, Presea isn't much of a drinker. Tonight, though, she feels the need, so she's sitting there on a stool, nursing a glass and watching the people around her, uncharacteristically quiet. She's not bored and hasn't been bored since their early-morning expedition, which may be the problem. Close calls always make her reach for a distraction-- the bottle, shooting practice, anything she can think of.

She smiles at anyone who approaches and makes conversation, but her mind is elsewhere.

at the bar || open;

[bequiet_hescreamed]

Clef was strikingly similar in his habits - except that he had been chain-smoking ever since he got back, as he tended to do when he was angry, so he figured he might as well drink, too. For that he had to stay at the bar, and since he was there he might as well sit with Presea. They had a way of calming each other down. At least, he hoped that he helped her as much as she helped him.

So, he approached her with his most (unintentionally?) cute charming expression on. "Hello."

at the bar || open;

[monsterepellant.livejournal.com]

He's setting down another drink for her just as she finishes the first one. "Quiet tonight." Does he mean her or the joint? Hard to say.

at the bar || open;

[willofthewinds.livejournal.com]

It was almost like routine work for Fuu to visit the bar. A sweet, always smiling girl was a rare sight in this place, of course if one would be talking about another sweet, always smiling girl. Because beneath this sweetness and resolute beaming facade was the group's excellent marksman.

Or woman, for this matter.

She adjusted her glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose as she took her seat. Wearing a frilly green dress always disguised the gun cases strapped to both her legs, in them the armaments she wields with much grace. Even the violin case she's carrying right now would've fooled anyone. An innocent violin ready to be the centerfold to an awaiting eager audience, only for that audience to find out that the firing of bullets was the music for this girl's ears.

Her baby inside was no mere musical instrument. More like an instrument for another situation.

Brimming with light, she sat down on one stool, placing her violin case with a soft thud on the counter - surprising if you find out what it's been keeping inside. Music would be the last thing that would ever cross your mind.

at the bar || open;

[moresake.livejournal.com]

"How's practice been?" Yuuko said, wandering by with her characteristic smirk. She loved the illusion her enforcer presented and often took the opportunity to tease Fuu about it, asking her to play jazz at the bar or other similar things.

at the bar || open;

[soulofocean.livejournal.com]

"My girl's in the house! Look at that."

Heads around the place actually turned at Umi's cheerful greeting for her colleague, but the blue-haired enforcer could care less.

She traveled the short distance from the spot on the bar she'd been sulking at to go catch up with Fuu as the blonde lay her violin case on the polished wooden surface. Umi's nod for the supposed 'instrument' was as meaningful as her affectionate smile for its maestro.

Nothing could hide how much she enjoyed working with Fuu: both had joined Yuuko's establishment at around the same time, far as she remembered. And despite Umi had underestimated the curly-haired blonde at first, that feeling had lasted until she'd had the chance to see her in action. She'd counted Fuu among her most preferred people to work with ever since. Just like with every opinion of hers, Umi made not effort to keep that favoritism quiet.

"Seems like I've missed another concert of yours! That's bad form. I owe you attending at least one of them." She placed her elbows on the bar and nestled her chin on her joined hands, staring at her best friend impishly. "First row tickets!"