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A moderately sized establishment on the corner of Spruce and S 12th streets, Club Vertigo is one of the many bars in Philadelphia's Gayborhood. There's a reasonably large dance floor, a small stage for live music and/or karaoke night, and several different pride flags on the wall behind the bar proper. Of especial note, at least for the city's Changeling population, are the Fairest and Ogres who work there. Right now, Annie's just finishing up serving an NPC patron, before going back to polishing glasses as she waits for the next person to approach.
@Spider (they/them)
The little Thyrsus isn't literally walking on air, but she's bright-eyed and ... figuratively bushy-tailed. If one must specify. She's humming to herself, bopping through the crowd. Swaying contentedly. "Hello, Annie!" she calls, sliding herself up onto a stool. "May I have a glass of... something delicious? Something new?"
"Hello, Naika," Annie greets with a smile, turning to grab bottles from the shelves behind her. "I do not know if this one is new to you, but I have it on good authority that it is delicious, at least" she adds, mixing them a Lion's Tail before pouring it and sliding the glass across. "How have you been?"
A little flutter of happiness rolls across Naika's face -- she's no good at hiding her feelings, no good at all -- and she takes the glass in her little hands, raising it toward Annie. "Budmo!" she offers, taking a swallow, and the accent in her voice has shifted, the way it often does when people with 'hidden' or latent accents spend time talking to people from wherever they got that latent accent from. "I am ... very well, actually." She rests her forearms on the bar. "And yourself?"
"Tired," Annie admits with a sigh. "Worried about Aaron and Mei. I have faith in Ms. Mori's abilities, of course, but... I do not trust the cops, or the courts."
A soft puff of breath out, and Fox deflates a little bit. "Yeah, well," she answers, rubbing her face absently with one hand, and then picking up her glass to take a swallow. "I don't trust them either. But we don't have much choice but to wait it out, and to trust in our friends and their abilties to handle things."
"True enough," Annie nods. "I am sorry if I ruined the mood." Beat. "Do you mind if I ask where your accent is from? I do not recognise it."
She shakes her head a little bit. "No, it's fine." It's not fine, she's a shit liar, but it's the polite thing to say. Fox drifts on to the next conversational topic easily, taking another swallow of the drink. "I'm from Philly, but I lived in Russia for several years, and kept company with a bunch of Ukranians, so... it's a mash-up, really. I was talking to friends tonight."
"Oh? What was that like? I must admit to not knowing a lot about Russia." And most of what she does know is centuries out of date, but she's not about to mention that here.
A pause, and Fox tilts her head to the side. "It was... complicated?" she answers, pulling in a breath. "Complicated, yeah. That's... that's about right. It was complicated." A small smile. "I am not ... it was good and right that I went, and I wouldn't trade it, but. I... " A soft laugh. "Being a trans queer Jew in Russia was ... a whole pile of shit."
Annie chuckles quietly. "I can imagine. I have never felt unwelcome within the tribe, but... society outside it was not always so accepting." She shrugs. "I have found good friends here, though, even if they do not share our faith."
"I mean, we're there because we're... just about everywhere, but ... it's real fucking hostile." whether she means trans, queer, Jewish, or all of the above? Naika doesn't explain. "I'm glad! Friends are terribly important for health."
"Oh, believe me, I know." Annie is a medical student, after all. "...Do you have many friends in Philly, Naika?"
"I could always have more, but I think so! I make them pretty easily, because that's fairly easy when you just, you know, give a shit about people." Fox swings one of her sneaker-clad feed underneath her bar stool, taking another drink of the Lion's Tail. "This isn't bad! It's very... it tastes golden. I guess that's why they call it that, I dunno. How about you?"
"A few? Working to pay my way through med school does not leave as much time for socialising as I might like," Annie admits. "The ones I have managed to make are nice, though."
Fox leans her chin on her hand. "Tell me about them?" she prompts happily, focusing her wide green-gold eyes on the Nymph. Another sip of her drink. "I mean, as much as you're able."
"I mean, well. You know Aaron and Mei already, of course. Most of them are in at least one community relevant for here, actually," Annie gestures towards the various pride flags on the wall behind her. "Yu Jin is probably one of the more significant, though, since I am dating them."
"I do know Aaron and Mei already, of course," agrees Fox, nodding a little and flicking her gaze to the flags and back again. "Yu Jin? Oooh. I haven't met them. Tell me about your datemate." Her gaze is eager, her smile delighted.
"I shall have to introduce you at some point, then. They are amazing." Beat. "Excellent conversation, too."
Her smile widens, and she finishes her glass. "I'm happy for you," Fox agrees. "I'd love to meet them. But for now, I have to get back." Where, she doesn't explain. But somewhere. Digging a handful of rumpled bills from her pocket, she puts them on the bar. "Thank you for an excellent experience, Annie. I'll see you soon, I'm sure!"
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