Inoue was obviously extremely uncomfortable and trying not to obviously cover her ears to shut out the cacophony. Which amounted to erratically touching fingertips to her ear and then forcing her hands back to her side and generally looking incredibly flustered.

She flinches a little bit as Elissa practically yells in her ear while somehow not being loud enough. "What?" she yells back. "There's a werebear in the stars?" She mutters under her breath (not that her normal speaking voice would he audible) the whole time as she is lead to a quieter part of the Tablon where Ann is.

"Oh, hello Ann!" she greets, down to a half-shout. "Elissa said that there was a bear?"

Elissa tapped the bar tap. "There's a 'Bar'. B A R" she spelled out chuckling. She didn't seem to be suffering from the loud noises "It's where we can order drinks." It was tempting to order Inuoe a beer and watch her suffer... that little bit of Schadenfreude that we all have, but instead she waved to the Bartender "Joe. A Britvic Orange and lemonade for my friend here"

she turned and put her back to the Bar to scan the crowd. Perhaps she was looking for a fae, or a vampire, or perhaps just for some eye-candy. Difficult to say

Ann smiled at Inoue as she approached the bar shouting something.

"Hair? What's wrong with my hair?"

She turned to look in the mirror behind the bar and make sure it was all in place. Satisfied, she turned back to the others and led them to a quieter spot.

"I guess you didn't do too much of this when you were in your nunnery, or whatever it was. But if a vampire wanted a juicy teenager to snack on, this would be the place to come. So we need to be here to protect them. And maybe have a little fun on the side. Think of it like Charlie's Angels hanging out around the pool while scoping out the bad guys. Although you've probably not seen Charlie's Angels, Inoue."

"We just need to look and act like normal teenagers. So Inoue, your lesson today is to watch and try to blend. And if you manage to dance with someone you like, teacher will give you extra credit."

"Ohhh!" Inoue laughs awkwardly.

A Britvic Orange and lemonade for my friend here. "And a saki for me if you have- wait!" She blinks at Elissa. We're friiieeennnds~?!" She clasps her hands together over her chest and makes a starstruck pose. And then the beat drops and Inoue stumbles over in surprise, clutching at her ears. "Uzai... uzai!"

Inoue stumbles dizzily behind Ann before the saki question is settled and ends up having whatever Elissa gets for her. She has to be led by the hand through some of the thicker congregations of people. She finds a chair and occupies it, hugging her knees, knee-length skirt, and drink to her chest and possibly cluing in anyone looking at her from just the right position that she's wearing panties with blue stars on them. She listens as Ann speaks, nodding and making indistinct acknowledging sounds.

"I... I do enjoy extra credit," Inoue says as softly as she can while still being audible to the two girls. She looks around. "How do you dance in a place like this?"

Elissa didn't fully understand Inuoe's gestures, but she got most of it. She watched Ann take Innuoe over to a table and followed with the drink. Which was the orange and lemonade. "We're vampire hunting" she said "light drinks only, or we get hunted. And yes we can be friends if you want to "

She did wonder how to rectify Inuoe's wardrobe issues, but then decided that the was the Japanese girl's style and it was her call. Elissa did her own 'shocking' things 'just because' and this was Inuoe's.

"You can dance anywhere, anytime Inuoe" she said seriously "Either on your own or with someone." Just then the music changed to 'I can't stand the rain'. "See one of the best songs ever. John Lennon's favourite. It's all about showing emotions and desire" she grabbed a chair and moved onto the dance floor to show


Dance: level 6 success with extra goodness from 'artistic flair'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r-M0Lq6xvY

We're vampire hunting; light drinks only, or we get hunted. Inoue blushes a little as she realizes how self-evidently right Elissa is. By the kami, this socialized chaos has really got her off her game! And yes we can be friends if you want to. Inoue nods a few times, reasoning that would be easier to understand in the local environment. "That would be great."

Inoue doesn't know who John Lennon is, but she can't help but admire Elissa's performance. One can say whatever they like about her demeanor but no one can deny Elissa has a fantastic... form. Some of those fuzzy feelings she had felt that first day she had stepped into Cambridge return.

Showing emotions and... desire. Yes. Inoue thinks she understands.

With a start Inoue remembers she has a drink and tries it. It is very... orange? She isn't sure what she expected it to taste like. It's fruitier than she is used to but not unpleasant.

"If you want to dance, you can do it like that - " Ann nodded towards where Elissa was doing some of the best dancing the club had ever seen, "- or just get up and move to the music. Just feel the beat of the, uh, tambourine. It's up to you: sit here and nurse your orange, or throw yourself into it. And it will get us warmed up for any vampire-fighting later. Who knows, maybe you'll meet a boy out there."

So saying, Ann stood and moved out onto the dancefloor near Elissa, where she put on her own show, beckoning Inoue to join them.

20:50, Today: Ann Winters rolled 17 using 1d10+11.  Dance. – 17. 5 success levels, so slightly worse than Elissa, but still excellent.

"You've had training girl" Elissa said approvingly as she merged her dance effortlessly into Ann's. "Damn girl, you're good. Now we just need some talent to join us. If the Fae are like the Shakespeare stories... this will draw them out. Vampires... that's 'your thing' to try and find. Use your spidy sense"

"I am not interested in boys," Inoue says, sipping her drink. In truth, it was more that boys would not interested in her once they realize she cannot consummate their relationships in the physical way. In theory. She had never tried pursuing a boy-relationship. But... something inside her that she did not want to confront right now knew and was happy with the simpler explanation.

So Inoue watched the two physical paragons dance. Ann moved better than any human ought to be able to, better than Inoue ever could. Of course she did; she was the slayer. But what did that make Elissa? With a start, she realizes there is no way Elissa can possibly be 100% pure vanilla human either.

And, worse, she was making Inoue jealous. And jealous girls don't make the wisest choices.

Inoue downed the remainder of her orange and lemon... thing... and then moved to join the girls.

15:34, Today: Inoue Miko rolled 14 using 1d10+3+2.  Dance (art).

For a mere human whose usual dances were shamanistic in nature, she thinks she does pretty well for herself!

Eyes are on all three women but it's not the eyes they should be worrying about, nor other body parts for that matter.  All three sense something anomalous, powerful and not quite there. Whatever it is, it is outside the club, or maybe not.

"Nicely done Girl" Elissa cheered Inuoe on. And then stuttered... or stopped... just for a moment. A funny look coming into her eyes. "Let's go back to get a drink" she said look distracted, and looking around to see what was happening

"Do you feel it? Like a bright glow... like the dreams I told you about Ann" she said as they got off the dance floor. "Shit a whole lot just happened then, we need to talk when we are on our own. But what do you two feel?"

Ann sighed to have her dance interrupted.

"See, Inoue, I told you it would be fine if you just tried. Are you sure you haven't done this before? Because you had some pretty groovy moves. There were definitely a few people in the crowd checking you out."

As she took her beer bottle from Elissa, she nodded.

"There is something going on, though I'm not sure what. Not our befanged friends, I don't think, so maybe the Fae instead. Don't look now, but over my shoulder in the corner - you see the girl dancing alone? There's something about her. She's not a vamp, but she feels like one. I can't explain it. Why don't you two try to spot anything weird going on causing us to feel strange? I'm going to see if I can figure out just what she is."

So saying, she made her way back over the dance floor to the solo dancer. She started dancing near her, none of the radical moves from before, just something to not look out of place. She gradually made her way nearer, then said, "I don't think I've seen you here before."

Inoue feels it too, dropping back into her demure pose and closing her eyes, lashes all aflutter. She has to be dragged off the dance floor by Elissa.

What do I feel...? Inoue shakes her head, that is the wrong question. "There is a shaman in the club," she states in a monotone, eyes still closed. "Experienced. Powerful. Primal." She revolves slowly on the spot until she has zeroed in on what she is feeling, and her eyes flutter open.

Inoue felt a little nervous. She did not want to interfere with another spirit walker's business; it would be rude. They are not a vampire or demon. They do not seem to be hurting anyone. If it were up to her, Inoue would let them be. But they'd attracted the attention of Ann and Elissa, and it seemed unlikely they would walk out of this club without meddling.

Feeling a little guilty, Inoue gestures with her eyes. "It's her. The dancing girl." She seems to be referring to a conspicuously enthusiastic dancer with skin like dark chocolate and mohican-styled hair.

...

Then she notices that Ann has already left to talk to her. Inoue sticks her hands on her hips and pouts. "I feel redundant," she mutters.

"I wouldn't feel redundant, girl. That was such a blast that I'm surprised everyone one in the club isn't reacting. Ann is the Slayer: she sensed that woman. You did too" Elissa shrugged. She clearly hadn't.

"Since you are a shaman... Can you feel that ... bright power ... outside the club. Not too far, but enormously powerful. I've not felt anything like it before."

The girl Ann approached slowed down but did not stop dancing as she met Ann's gaze.  She had dark, dark skin and a pair of strikingly pale blue eyes which seemed like points of light in the darkness of her face.

"I don't think I've been here before now that you mention it," says the girl and it's not entirely clear whether she means The Taboo, Cambridge, England or even 1978.

She stretches out a hand.  "Sonja", she says.

Ann shook Sonja's hand. Perhaps it was best to be direct and get to the bottom of what was going on.

"I'm Ann. I don't suppose you've got any idea what's going on here? I don't mean the disco; there's something magical happening. And what with you being a shaman, I thought you might have sensed it. Or started it, you know, like in the Cliff Richard song about the devil woman."

She looked Sonja in her pale eyes.

"Why don't you join me for a drink and we can talk about what's happening?"

Sonja grinned and said in a vaguely Eastern European accent, "I don't drink... wine." but then she smiles a wide smile which showed her extremely human, pearly white and very even teeth.  Her accent changes, becomes somewhat different, Scouse perhaps but the kind of Scouse one might expect if a Swede or a German had learned English from watching Z-cars or The Liver Birds.  "Nah, just funning you.  I'd love a pint of snakebite thanks but I'm not a Shaman.  I just have a tenant."

"Tenant?" said Ann uncertainly. "Do you mean that a shaman's spirit is in your body and I'm speaking to the original occupant of your body?"

She led the way to the bar.

"These are my friends Elissa and Inoue. This is Sonja. While I get your drink, why don't you tell us about this shaman?"

"Shaman?" Sonja was more amused than surprised by the idea.  "He's not a shaman.  He's a dead guy... except technically he's not dead.  You ever hear about vampires?  Not the kind with the Valentino hairdos and the talk like some kind of Mitteleuropäischer nobility.  More like the kind with the fangs and the monster faces that stalk the run down areas of broken down cities?  Well no, he's not one of those either but he would have been if he wasn't such a schlemiel."

"Like wow." Elissa looked shocked. She only understood half of what Sonja was saying, but that half was enough "Like really? A vampire living in your head. Are you there now Mr Vampire?" she gave a tentative little wave "Is it ... Do you get a choice Sonja? What do you get out of it?"

Sonja grinned, "Oh no, you misunderstand me.  I was n the verge of death and this monster tried to kick me out of my own damned (that's like figurative, yeh?) body so he could become the vampire he's supposed to be but I was a lot stronger than he thought with a much stronger hold on life.  I get the long life and the super strength and fast reactions without the downsides like blood drinking, never seeing the sun and the whole being dead thing.  my would-be parasite gets not to get dusted or sent back to Hell where he belongs.  You see, I was so angry, so righteously enraged that he had no chance. Verstimmt?"

"Sounds really scary, girl. You were lucky. Sure you were good, but you were lucky too." Elissa said admiringly "Well hell that's a ... that's a strange story. But... did you feel that shit that hit us all about a minute ago?"

Sonja frowned.  "What shit was that?" she asked.  "I can tell that the three of you are strange travelling companions, a slayer, a skinwalker but nothing like me, and I think you're some kind of a demon?"  This last was very tentative, almost a question rather than a statement.

"I didn't feel anything outside though."

Can you feel that bright power outside the club? "Hm?" Inoue looks around. "No, I do not. Sorry."

Inoue waves meekly when she is introduced to Sonja. "Hajimemashite."

She is skeptical of Sonja's story about hosting a vampire spirit, and bristles a little bit at being called a skinwalker. That sounded gross. Sonja was gross. Ew. She shakes her head and racks her brain to determine if she has heard of any similar stories or if this dancer girl is fibbing.

"She certainly dances like a demon," Inoue playfully notes with a glance at Elissa. There is an unspoken question in her eyes, but in front of a stranger is not the time to discuss it.

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Spoiler for gameplay stuff: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
18:46, Today: Inoue Miko rolled 13 using 1d10+4+3.  Occultism.

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This message was last edited by the player at 18:27, Mon 14 Mar 2022.

"Nah" Elissa said to the demon question "I've been asked that before by people that think 'magic' all the time. They see something they don't understand and instantly put 'Demon' on the label. Or Fey. Everyone's happy with putting things in boxes so that they can give them a name, and once they have a name they can treat the thing in the box like everything else in the same box with the same name. I'm in my own little box. Call me an 'Elissa' if you want a label."

Elissa pondered things over "So you know about Slayers. And can tell when someone is a slayer. And you can spot 'Skinwalkers'. What are your intentions. You know that Slayers kill vampires. Are you for that or against it?" she watched intently for the answer. She was quite good at spotting lies in humans...

Rolled a 16 on Per+Infl