♬ karaoke party ♪

[deformiwhats]

“Welcome to Caritas!”

That’s what you’ll hear when you make your way down the stairs into the Karaoke Club. Dark and atmospheric, with glowing tables and a stage that faces the bar, if the sights don’t make it obvious this is a karaoke bar, the crooner up on the stage will.

He’s dressed to the nines in a cream suit, deep purple shirt shining under it as he belts away, welcoming you in. He apologizes for the intrusion, but it seems the ship wanted more than just his beautiful, sultry voice.

“My name’s Lorne, and I’ll be your host for tonight! So hit the bar and drink in your courage, Sailors. Because you might not be able to leave until you give us a show!” That's all he gives you before slipping into what he thinks is a pretty appropriate tune for the occasion.

If you didn’t come here by choice, hopefully Lorne’s words will give you a hint? The ship is hungry for bad belting. For some, the door will reappear after they chirp a few bars. For others, a few songs are required.

Some people have even gone up, struck with the strong feeling that they must do so, even if they’d been railing against singing at all just a minute ago. The ship just really wants everyone to sing and enjoy themselves, OK?

Comments

the trio of wonder

[resuming]

There are three vital things to keep in mind here, denizens of Voyagers.

1. This was all Caroline's idea.

2. The girls are slightly intoxicated following a generous amount of fruity drinks not even vampires are immune to.

3. This was all Caroline's idea.

Life can get far too serious, far too often. No one knows that better than Bonnie Bennett, Caroline Forbes, and Elena Gilbert. That's why they've decided to paint the boat red tonight and have themselves a girl's night. It's also why Caroline is ushering her two best friends up on stage to sing - and neither one of them is putting that much of a fight. It's all those appletinis, really. They're here, they're dressed fabulously, and you should all be paying attention.

Magic will be happening in 3, 2, 1...

[vampireboulevard]

Of course this was Caroline's idea. Who do you think you're talking to?

That being said, she's a little boozy, the three of them are already up on stage, and it is a karaoke club. If they walked out of there without singing, she's pretty sure that's a crime against nature. And then some.

And naturally, Caroline called dibs on Bette Midler.

"You don't own me," she begins with a smile. "I'm not just one of your many toys."

lorne ( ota )

[deformiwhats]

Lorne's always hanging around, whether it's at the bar or on the side of the stage. Other permanents include the general air of near-judginess on his face masked by a half-grin and a drink that's always at least half full in his hand.

Sometimes, his hips sway from side to side and others, he's just trying to block it all out and just get through the next stanza without his ears bleeding. But this is his element, and he's happy to mingle, chat, and be of general service. Whether that's being on the opposite end of a good rant about not being able to leave, or something a little deeper.

Being an empath demon gives him a little insight to the world when it's not singing. And when it does sing, it's like inviting Lorne into your home (if you had one) to rummage through all your things, if your things were materialized memories, feelings, and destiny. And for some people that's a handy skill. Especially for people who are lost and looking for answers.

[wemadeit]

Something fun and magical is going down on the boat again, and Helen is all over it. Because lounging about all day getting burned in the sun gets pretty boring after a while, and she needs to find something to fill her time before the door lets her return back home again.

So, there is a tiny teenage Angel of Death skulking around, half-transfixed by the singing, half-cringing when the performer hits a bum note. She sidles up to the bar and gives a curious look to the green-skinned man in a pretty fabulous get up. She's missed his intro, but she suspects he might have something to do with this place - she's never seen him around before.

"Ummm... this place doesn't have a, like... 'no minors' rule, right?"

Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.

[deformiwhats]

"Minors?" Lorne whirls around enough to nearly slosh his drink out of its glass. His eyes are relatively bugged, mouth agape, the standard fare of someone caught completely unawares. Which is something this demon is unused to.

Then he just blinks some more. Because while he requires a song to fully read someone, his abilities of empathy still retain some power without one. And there's something decidedly different about this little danish.

"Well, how old are you, Cupcake?"

[wemadeit]

Helen is definitely different. She's not human for one, probably something Lorne's never ever come across before. Universes can be interesting like that. "How old? I'm sixteen." she says with a small smile. "And a bit."

Yeaaaaah, she knows bars are no-no's for people her age. But this boat is special. Normal rules don't really apply here, right?

"I pinky promise to only drink lemonade all night if I can stay." she assures him with a winning smile. "I don't even like booze, I've never even had it before but I'm pretty sure I won't even like it.. so..."

And now there is puppy eyes. All the puppy eyes.

[visiongirl]

Cordelia didn't mean to be here. She had been pushing Connor on a stroll to get some sunlight when the ship drew her here. She can't really complain though because there's a Lorne here and she's missed her friends. She'll have to let Angel know he's here too.

As it is she'll be making her way over to the empath demon. She's since taken Connor out of his stroller and is currently holding him. The baby gurgles and smiles at the sight of his favorite babysitter.

"You know, I was thinking that this place was in need of some serious talent."

[deformiwhats]

"Cordelia!" Lorne doesn't hesitate to invade his favorite queen's space, reaching around her careful so as not to spill his drink on either her or Connor. "And the little sugar cookie, ohh it's so good to see you!"

When he pulls back, Lorne takes a good gander at them both as he resists the urge to reach forward and try to get a gurgle out of the little nipper.

[visiongirl]

She is totally willing and happy for that hug. As is the little nipper who coos and makes grabby hands for Lorne. Which is why Cordelia is more than happy and willing to hand him over for the time being.

"Angel will be happy to hear you're here."

[kiss_evilgoodbye]

Buffy's never been to Caritas before. She hasn't exactly spent much time in LA, aside from her brief "vacation" there at the beginning of senior year, but you would think that with all of the things attached to Caritas, she would have been there at least once. She hasn't. Which is why she doesn't recognize it when she walks in, more curious than anything else.

She glances around curiously as she goes, trying to get a feel for the place. She doesn't flinch at Lorne - she's been around demons before, obviously - but her history with demons and singing combined hasn't exactly led to the merriest of combinations. So she's just going to slide to the bar for a drink for now and consider more about singing later.

"Any particular house specials?" Just out of curiosity.

[deformiwhats]

He's been in Angel's headspace more times than he can count now, and so Buffy's is a face and aura that's immediately recognizable. Now separated from the lens of Angel's emotion and history, though, she's much different than how Lorne knows her.

"Music or drinks, vanilla bean?" Lorne smiles, and maybe it's the red eyes and horns, but he can't help how mischievous he looks. This is a real treat, meeting Buffy independently.

He's an empath demon. So cheating's pretty much in his resume.

[kiss_evilgoodbye]

"Is both an option? Because I think I'm in the mood for both." She's not that terrible a singer, and while her encounter with Sweets may have put new meaning on the words "dance til you drop" she's been known to indulge in a little karaoke every now and then. "But I think drink first. Something fruity."

cassie (ota)

[ohstarryeyed]

Cassie is already tipsy when she discovers Caritas. She's pleasantly drunk, because it is likely to be Friday somewhere in all the universes.

However, when she discovers the place is a karaoke bar, her face completely lights up in realisation. Cassie loves karaoke bars. She used to love performing in The Crowbar at Open Mics during her time in Chicago, too. Music is forever her forte. Her only regret is not having her guitar on her.

It doesn't stop her punching the air and letting out a very pleased-sounding "Yes!" though.


At some point during the night, she'll be up and singing along to a rather slow, sweet tune, swaying from side to side on the stage. Tipsy she'll be, but she can strangely sober herself to sing well.

[deformiwhats]

Once her song comes to a close, Lorne sashays himself out onto the stage, tucking in close enough to wrap an arm across her back.

"Wow! I feel sorry for whoever's going to have to follow that act! Let's give another round for Cassie, everyone! See if we can coax her back up after she and I have a little chat, huh?" He smiles warmly, turning to usher her off the stage and sticking close all the while. Lorne might actually have to admit for once that he was so focused on the show he didn't quite catch everything underneath.

"Really, doll -- that was life-changing. You are an actual angel, did you know that?"

[ohstarryeyed]

She's thankful Lorne's there to wrap an arm around her back, because she's pretty sure once her concentration finishes on the singing, her balancing is going. But she manages to keep herself steady enough to do a little bow at the applause, laughing a little.

"I can go again?!" she half-shouts, her voice going up in pitch. Why, hello adrenaline. "Yeah, please!"

She's missed performing. It's been too long. At least she has her guitar up in her room.

Cassie laughs again, shaking her head once she's ushered off stage. "Nah, nah. Very kind, but not an angel." she tells him, her London accent a little more prominent with the alcohol in her system. "Very sweet of you, though. Thank you!"

[deformiwhats]

He hums in reply, chuckling as he rebalances them both. It's easy to tell that she's in her element, and while it does tend to make the rest a little fuzzy, Lorne can't help but enjoy the thrill Cassie's riding.

"You're welcome, Sweet Pea. So how long's it been since you performed, exactly?"

Rebekah (ota)

[easily]

Rebekah's not sure how she ended up here. She was trying to get to the 20s bar Katniss had shown her before. It was her favorite place to drink on the ship. But instead she's stuck here in this place. It's not exactly her style, but it could be a lot worse, she supposes.

Currently she's nursing a gin martini and looking through the song catalogs for something she might recognize. Luckily, Stefan's been helping introduce her to some more current stuff.

Not that what she chooses is that modern but still, more so than her usual fare from the 20s.

i'm so sorry, but i had to do it. i couldn't resist.

[otherwise]

Matt wasn't sure how he got there either, but having caught sight of Rebekah on the stage near the tail end of her song has him drawing closer to it. He's waiting for her when she comes down off it, completely unaware of the fact that this is a Rebekah Mikaelson who has no idea who he is. She never did time in Mystic Falls, never caused him to swerve off the road and veer straight into the river, never talked him into dancing with her at prom, never broke her vow to be as human as she could to save April's life, never sat down and helped him with all the schoolwork he was behind on when his friends were too busy to pay him any attention...

"Figures I'd find you here."

It's said as if it's supposed to have some bite to it, but is edged with an amused sort of budding fondness instead.

you're a monster

[easily]

Rebekah doesn't know the boy who approaches her. Doesn't know the history they would share in an alternate history she never lived. Before Nik could dagger her she woke up ninety years in the future and in a new, different Chicago. She reconnected with Stefan -- she lived her own life. The one she lived in Mystic Falls remains largely a mystery to her.

She tends to think that's for the best.

One of her brows arches in confusion at the familiarity in his voice -- a fondness she doesn't understand.

"Do I know you?"

Re: you're a monster

[otherwise]

"Funny," is his response. "Hilarious. Comedy's not a good look on you, Rebekah."

[deformiwhats]

This time, Lorne waits for Rebekah to make her own way offstage. Of the few rules Lorne does follow, not assaulting an impossibly old and well-traveled vampire is definitely one. He doesn't keep his distance entirely, of course. Two drinks in each hand, one intended as an offering, Lorne smiles as if they were old friends.

"Now if we had a little more of that around here, I wouldn't need to pay that pesky no-violence tax. That was certainly something, Princess."

[easily]

No doubt that her performance probably showed him a lot of her very long life -- and the rather unhappy parts of a lot of it. Rebekah projects enough even without mystic help sometimes.

She smiles at the praise as she turns to the man. The green skin is definitely out of the realm of what she's used to but she's a thousand year vampire. She can cope.

"Why thank you, I figured if I was going to do it, I might as well do it right."

seven of nine | ota.

[assimilate]

[ after being informed by a horned, green-skinned humanoid she was unable to properly identify that lingering near the back of the room was unacceptable, insisting that she partake in at least one of the establishment's festivities, seven's singing. she doesn't know the song, having selected the first one on the list out of sheer indifference towards music, but she sings it flawlessly — literally. pitch, tone, everything is crystal clear, each and every note hit perfectly. former borg drones may be cheaters in the singing department, but they lack the emotion that usually goes with it. if seven were capable of putting that sort of umph into the song, it would likely have the power to bring the room to tears.

but all it does is give said unidentifiable green humanoid a dose of horrific borg imagery. you're welcome, lorne.

when the song's over, seven steps off the stage in midst of the applause, quietly resuming her position near the wall at the back of the room.

social situations make her uncomfortable. ]

[deformiwhats]

[ oh mama has he got a headache. literally instantly, lorne had dropped where he stood behind the bar, unable to block it out or get someone to make her stop. and once he's back up, he looks much worse for the wear.

ugh, she made him wrinkle his suit. he's never regretted trying to help someone so much. ]

Well. Now that you've made my ears bleed, I have a mind to ban you from the stage forever. [ empathy will come later, once he stops wiping that aforementioned blood from his ears... ]

I need another drink. Lorenzo, sweetie. Make it a triple, would ya?

my seven is so rusty

[assimilate]

Your ears are not bleeding. I fail to see why a ban is in order. I sang the song correctly.

[ you are interfering that she is not perfect. that bugs her for reasons that are far too human for her to grasp, which is why she's following him over to the bar. ]