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+---- Thread: but it's not goodbye forever (/showthread.php?tid=11137)
but it's not goodbye forever - Flora - 04-16-2025
Inside the Hanged Man, the light is dim and golden, the kind of hazy warmth that settles into the bones of the place like memory. Even now—with the bar closed for the day, the stools flipped, and a strange silence settling over everything, there’s something about it that still breathes, like it’s waiting for her to change her mind.
But Flora doesn’t. Can't.
The faint clink of glass carries through the quiet as she stacks another set of tumblers behind the bar, sleeves rolled up, curls pinned off her neck. Her heels are kicked off in the corner—sensible, for once—and a clipboard rests on the counter with a list written in tight, looping script:
HANGED MAN — HANDOVER PREP
☐ Restock limes
☐ Label poison drawer (DO NOT DRINK, EVEN IF DARED)
☐ Move Kaisel’s jacket to Lost & Found
☐ Rotate wine barrels
☐ Inventory knives (and feather daggers)
☐ Interview applicants?? ?
She exhales through her nose and leans back, hands on her hips, surveying the nearly empty bar. There’s something a little too quiet about it all. No off-key singing from the corner. No Spice dive-bombing a patron’s plate. No familiar voices calling her YoUr HiGhNeS S with exaggerated drunken bows. Just the low hum of the ceiling fan and the scent of old wood, citrus, and the faintest trace of blushberry from the prank she still hasn’t fully cleaned up.
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Calypso - 04-16-2025
It’s warm, not quite Longheat warm, but enough that Caly has fully absorbed as much of the golden light as she could before she’s drifting through Haulani. Her main objective had been to go maybe snag a drink from the Hanged Man, but as she arrives she notes that it’s closed. The door is cracked a smidge, but it’s very clearly quiet, and as she takes in the exterior she decides to say fuck it and investigate.
With the sun illuminating her back, the attuned cracks open the door, glittering and glowing as if manifestation of the sunlight itself as she slips in and closes the door behind her. Flora is there, but she’s strangely the only form of life she sees. “[say]Hey Flora.[/say]” Comes the chime of greeting and the sunny smile, fairly confident they aren’t on first name basis given how much interaction they’ve had, but she isn’t much one for formalities. “[say]You closed? I can come back later.[/say]” She murmurs, taking in the space again, the flecks of dust that rise in the rays of the sun that peeks in through the windows. “[say]Unless y’want some help with somethin’. My rate’s low, don’t worry.[/say]” She teases, swinging her amber gaze back to Flora with that same smile.
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Flora - 04-16-2025
Flora glances up from behind the bar, one of the lower cabinets yawning open beside her, its contents half-sorted into neat rows and chaotic piles. A bottle of mango rum is dangling from her fingers—not to drink, just to clean the sticky residue crusted along its base—and she blinks at the sudden stream of sunlight before realizing who’s just walked in.
Flora doesn’t miss a beat, offering a half-smirk as she straightens. [say]"Nah, you’re good,"[/say] she says easily, propping the bottle on the counter and wiping her hands on a towel. [say]"You can come in. Not really closed, just... half out of commission."[/say]
She gives the room a dry once-over. [say]"I’m getting everything ready for whoever’s gonna run this place while I’m temporarily banned from the city. Y’know. Casual queen things."[/say] The joke is light, but her gaze sharpens just a touch as it lands on Caly again. [say]"You’re Calypso, right?"[/say] she asks, like she’s just confirming, though her tone makes it clear she already knows. [say]"One of Jack’s kids? I’ve been meaning to say hey."[/say] But then she'd gone and gotten infected, Jack had left her, and their regional quest had kicked off and suddenly social pleasantries had been downgraded on her list of priorities.
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Calypso - 04-16-2025
The second that Flora says she’s good, the attuned drifts further in — watching the rays of sunlight play against spots of the bar as she approaches the other side of it, opposite of Torchline’s Queen. Golden brows lift a little as surprise coats her face, her head tilting. “[say]Banned?[/say]” She doesn’t know the intricacies of the quest they’re on or why Flora has to leave.
Ah, but then the Queen mentions her name and the attuned smile grows bright and sunny once again, confirmation despite the woman’s tone already suggesting as much. “[say]That’s me, one of the three.[/say]” Waggling her fingers, gold glints from two of her fingers before she settles, not nearly as chaotic and flashy as Nova was, though there are some similar traits.
“[say]Eh, everyone’s been busy. I ain’t worried about it.[/say]” She hums, before she’s leaning forward a touch to glance at the bottles Flora is cleaning. “[say]You got anyone in mind for who’s gonna take it over for a bit?[/say]”
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Flora - 04-16-2025
Flora exhales slowly, setting a bottle down with a soft clink as Caly echoes the word banned. [say]"Yeah,"[/say] she says, voice quieter now. [say]"It was part of the deal I made with Dahlia. I could use the vial of her blood, but I wasn’t allowed to benefit from it personally. And since Torchline voted to protect the city, it means..."[/say] Her hand gestures vaguely toward the window, toward the city sprawling beyond. [say]"I can’t enter it. Not until the Family are dead and taken care of."[/say]
She rolls her shoulders like she can shrug off the weight of it. [say]"I didn’t say anything at the meeting because I didn’t want to sway the vote."[/say]
There's a flicker of something bitter at the edge of her mouth, but she swallows it down, returning to wiping the bottle in her hand. [say]"I have no idea who’s gonna take over the place, though,"[/say] she admits, trying to shift the mood. [say]"Sohalia offered. And Kaisel too."[/say] A small smile this time, tinged with affection. [say]"But they’d only be doing it for me, you know? And this place..."[/say] She waves a hand to encompass the bar, the rafters and windows and walls like ribs around a heart. [say]"It knows. The Hanged Man's got a spirit. A rhythm. If someone’s just here out of obligation, it’ll start to rot. Might as well chain the doors shut."[/say]
She glances up at Caly then, one brow arched and a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. [say]"So, what do you think? You and your siblings want it?"[/say] Her smirk curves like a dare, her tone teasing. [say]"You strike me as the type who’d make a mean cocktail and an even meaner bouncer."[/say]
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Calypso - 04-17-2025
She’s usually quite good at keeping her emotions in check, keeping it so that nobody could glean the thoughts that filter behind that bright mind of hers. But Flora’s admission and reasoning have a flicker of surprise crossing her face — because she’d suggested the city as opposed to the coast, because it’s what made sense to her. And if she’d known that Flora would be banned from it because of it, well, the golden Marin triplet isn’t that heartless. “[say]Would’ve swayed mine.[/say]” She admits with a slight wrinkle of her nose, realizing it was her fault for it.
But Flora was the Queen of Torchline and had connections every which way, as far as Caly could tell. Surely she’d be okay, and likely would be, but the bar which was a place she frequented regularly would be unmanned, and from what the attuned knows about Torchline… that simply won’t do.
“[say]Yeah. I feel it every time I’m here.[/say]” She murmurs, looking up and around the building, the bar, the memories and events that have long been etched into the very fabric of the Hanged Man. Her hand slides along the smooth surface of the bar as she takes it in, turning back toward Flora when she suggests that she and her siblings could take it.
A chime of a snicker leaves her, but she does consider it. “[say]Do I have to share?[/say]” It’s a girlish whine, but one she clearly doesn’t have an issue with. “[say]I think we could do ‘er proud.[/say]” Nova would have her own spin, and Vesper likely too. But for Caly? If she had something she could really sink her teeth into, it would remain the sun on Torchline’s salty sweet horizon. “[say]Wanna teach me some of the popular cocktails?[/say]” See if she’s as good at making them as she thinks.
She’s got the mean bouncer part down. She can turn into a jaguar, after all.
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Flora - 04-21-2025
For a moment, Flora says nothing—just leans against the bar, one elbow propped lazily, the other hand tapping her rings against the wood in a rhythm that doesn’t match any beat but her own. Her gaze skims over Caly, searching for any flicker of sarcasm, for some hint that this is just a joke, another bright-eyed grin on a golden face.
[say]"That's between you and your siblings,"[/say] she chuckles, eyeing the tip jar as if to suggest that if the other two didn't even know it existed, that Flora wouldn't be the one to tattle. Letting herself imagine the possibility of it for a moment, the queen pauses. The triplets behind the bar. Caly prowling the floor like the threat of goddamn sunshine and claws. Nova blowing kisses to every stranger with a silver coin. Vesper brooding near the back, making the walls look glamorous just by leaning. It shouldn’t work. But maybe that’s exactly why it would.
At the question about cocktails, Flora straightens, something sparking in her aqua gaze. [say]"Babe,"[/say] she says, reaching beneath the bar to grab two mixing tins and setting them down with a clack, [say]"I thought you’d never ask."[/say]
She slides a small notebook across the counter—it’s water-stained and heavily scribbled-in, but still legible, a chaotic mess of notes and sketches and half-named drinks. [say]"We’ll start with the Doubletake, obviously. That’s the bar’s signature. It’s basically a tropical rum punch with a kick so fierce it might call you an ex in the morning."[/say]
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Calypso - 04-24-2025
It was between her and her siblings, and maybe if she took a hard line of you guys have your adventures and chaos and brooding times while I sit here and bask in the sun all day, it might go over well. For now, though, Caly nods and beams to Flora, especially as the Doubletake begins to brighten with the idea of showing the cocktail recipes.
To which, Caly slips over behind the bar and takes in the view briefly before she’s getting to work. It’s different on this side, like being accepted into a higher bracket than just the patron she’s been since she’d arrived on Torchline’s shores. There isn’t the sense of accomplishment for having created something, but there was a sense of pride in continuing a legacy. Even if Flora wanted it back at some point.
So, in her own cunning way, she’s aiming to make Flora proud of sharing the Hanged Man with her. So when the little weathered book is slid over to her, her arms brace against the bar top as she reads the recipe and commits it to memory. “[say]Aptly named.[/say]” She chimes with a snort, (obviously unaware of anything that might be happening between Flora and Caly’s father), but she does start getting the glass ready, following the instructions on the booklet to a T. The correct glass, the rum snagged from beneath the bar and expertly twisted the cork off of, pouring into the measurements. It’s like she’s a natural (though in reality it’s because she’s tried to replicate some of the drinks from here so many times just from taste).
“[say]Mixin’ glass or shaken?[/say]” She asks to Flora, her amber gaze sliding over to the Doubletake curiously.
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Flora - 04-27-2025
Flora’s grin widens, bright enough to catch the glint of the bottles lining the shelf. [say]"Shaken, always,"[/say] she replies, tapping one manicured nail against the tin for emphasis. [say]"The Doubletake’s a show-off. Needs that frothy swirl of fruit to flirt with the rum."[/say]
She watches Caly measure, the precision impressing her more than she lets on. [sa]y"You’ve got a steady pour—remind me to quiz you on free-handing once the bar’s open." [/say] With a quick flourish she drops a handful of crushed ice into the shaker, then reaches for the passionfruit purée.
[say]"Order of operations is key,"[/say] she murmurs, sliding the tin back to Caly. [say]"White rum, pineapple, passionfruit, a squeeze of lime. Shake it like you’re trying to embarrass your ex across the room—ten hard seconds."[/say] Her brow arches, teasing. [say]"Then strain over fresh ice. Float the dark rum on top so it hits like a second wave."[/say]
While Caly gets to work, Flora busies herself rimming two hurricane glasses with toasted coconut sugar. [say]"Final touch is the flaming peel,"[/say] she adds, retrieving a thin strip of orange zest. A quick flick of a lighter sends a flash of blue-gold fire kissing the surface before the peel drops in. [say]"Just enough drama to earn the name."[/say]
[say]"Next lesson,"[/say] she says, nudging the notebook to a fresh page littered with half-formed names—Saltwater Sin, Maritime Mistakethanks Kaisel)—[say]"is inventing something that screams Marin triplets. Think you can handle that?"[/say] Her tone is all easy challenge, but there’s genuine pride shining in her sea-glass eyes as she clinks her glass lightly against Caly’s. [say]"To keeping the Hanged Man lively—and filling Torchline with questionable decisions, one cocktail at a time."[/say]
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Calypso - 04-28-2025
“[say]Show off.[/say]” Caly murmurs, cementing it to memory before the chime of a snicker adorns the young attuned’s charm. As for her steady hand, she’s quite proud of it, and it’s evident in the way she seems to show off herself a little. Quizzing on free pouring though meant that she’d have to practice, not that Caly thinks her siblings would mind the flare and flourish of her attempts back home in the interim.
Retrieving the tin, Caly follows the exact order of operations - White rum, to pineapple, to passion fruit, and deftly squeezes a lime. Now, when it comes to shaking it as if she’s trying to embarrass her ex, the young woman can’t really relate personally. Having no ex to make jealous, she can get the idea. So she pops the cap on and shakes it with both hands, hard for ten seconds, until the outside of the metal tin seemed frosty enough.
She snags the strainer while Flora’s busy, popping open the tin with a loud pop, and sets the strainer over the top and pours it in, withdrawing to shake the ice tin a bit to top off the rest that had lingered behind some of the cubes of crushed ice. Setting it down, she snags the tiny bartender spoon and floats the dark rum on top, seeing the gorgeous dark film it seems to make on top of the colorful drink. Then, she watches as Flora sparks the peel and sinks it in.
Quite proud of the attempt she’s made, the golden attuned beams at Flora as the next lesson comes. “[say]Oh, I’ve got it. Easy.[/say]” She boasts proudly. “[say]Obviously a flight. We’re triplets but we ain’t the best all mixed together, y’know?[/say]” She chirps, flashing a smirk. They needed something where each one of their charms and personalities could shine, not to be outdone trying to mix them all into one.
Snagging her glass, she clinks it against Flora’s and takes a long slow sip - relishing in the fruits of the labor, feeling as though she could imagine what having an ex was like, if the Doubletake was anything to go off of. “[say]To keepin’ it alive in all it’s best ways.[/say]” Caly mirrors the agreement, snorting as she takes another sip contently.
RE: but it's not goodbye forever - Flora - 04-29-2025
Flora watches Caly work with an expression that’s half mentor, half very smug bartender mom. [say]"Look at you,"[/say] she drawls, admiring the tilt of the pour, the shake with just enough theatre to earn tips in all the wrong ways. [say]"You sure you haven’t done this before? Because that float—"[/say] she tips her glass toward the layered rum with a nod of approval, [say]"—is a damn masterpiece."[/say]
She grins as Caly proposes the triplet flight, clearly delighted. [say]"That’s actually genius,"[/say] she says, flipping the notebook toward her with a dramatic flourish. [say]"Three minis, three flavours, three personalities. Like... a sweet-and-spicy dream team. Nova’s is obviously some unholy mix of glitter and battery acid. Vesper’s would be dark and broody with, I don’t know, edible stardust or something. Yours?"[/say] Flora pauses, tapping her pen against her lip as she sizes Caly up. [say]"Golden, obviously. Bright. Something tropical, but with a bite. We’ll workshop the names."[/say]
Her gaze softens as their glasses clink again, pride flickering warm and unmistakable beneath the sharp gleam of her grin. [say]"I always thought this place needed a little more chaos,"[/say] she murmurs, swirling her drink once before sipping. [say]"Glad you’re here to bring some of it back."[/say]
~FIN