The other day I got invited to a party but I stayed home instead

[latexspectre]

WHO: Laurie Juspeczyk & You!
WHERE: A drinking establishment with jazz music!
WHEN: December 2nd, throughout the night
WARNINGS: Language, possibly
SUMMARY: It's Laurie's birthday again and she's celebrating by drinking.
FORMAT: Your choice!

Normally, she'd stay at home if she wanted to drink. Or she'd go to someplace expensive and order something incredibly overpriced. But Laurie didn't have an expense account in the City, and since moving into Sally's now vacated apartment, she didn't feel much like celebrating her birthday with all of her mother's things. That was pathetic and sad, and Laurie was anything but. Even if she was choosing to celebrate by drinking alone. At least she'd do it in public.

She was seated at the bar, listening to a pianist pick out "Misty", waiting for the bartender to bring her another scotch mist. Her trusty trenchcoat was draped over the stool next to her, eyes fixed on nothing in particular as she soaked in the atmosphere and tried to enjoy this odd little birthday alone in the City.

Comments

[motherflocker.livejournal.com]

Oswald had spent probably far too much time perusing the local establishments. Some of it was a recruiting exercise, finding some of the finest dancers he could, and some of it was figuring out what other people had done. He wasn't about to create an establishment that was anything but unique, and he couldn't do that if he didn't know what other people had done.

Tonight, it was this particular establishment, and tonight he caught sight of the lovely young lady drinking alone. To him, it was a damn outrage. No lady should be drinking alone, and further no lady as lovely as that one should, no matter the circumstances. He made his way (okay, more like waddled) over to the bar stools, moving for the opposite side from her coat, and lifted a finger to the bartender.

"Let me take care of that for you, my dear."

[latexspectre]

Laurie hadn't been paying any attention to the man wobbling toward her. She was quite engrossed in the music, very grateful for the distraction it was providing. Loathe as she was to admit it, she truly did miss Sally. And she missed Jon. She missed being surrounded by familiarity in 1985. She missed it all so much, she had to do a double take when she realized she was being addressed.

"Oh?" She blinked in surprise, a small, curious smile curving across her lips. She had to remind herself that it was very rude to stare. She always seemed to have trouble remembering that. "Thanks. That's real kind of you, Mister."

[motherflocker.livejournal.com]

He looked at her over the length of his nose, a smile breaking his face. "Please, it's nothing. It's the least I could do," he grinned at the bartender, who only looked down his nose at him. One of the problems with being so squat, but that was irrelevant. "All alone tonight? That hardly seems fair to you."

[latexspectre]

Laurie laughed, not actually embarrassed, but compelled to make a show of being modest. She might not admit it, but she was her mother's daughter, and she could act an awful lot like Sally when she wasn't really thinking about it.

"Alone, save for the bartender and the music man," she said, relaxing a bit. This fellow was odd looking, he seemed so much larger than he really was. Laurie figured it must take a lot of effort to seem so imposing in spite of his stature. He was impressive really. And nice too, to get her a drink and all. "You're welcome to join me though, if you'd like."

[motherflocker.livejournal.com]

It took a moment, but he was much more spry than the stature really gave him credit for. Oswald hopped right up on a bar stool, and with an elbow on the bar itself, he leaned to face the young woman. "Well, at least there will be more company for you, then. I'm Oswald. Oswald Cobblepot," and his face split into the kind of grin that was charming, but still sharp. Not danger, but well, there were some habits that didn't always melt away. "Hopefully my company will agree with you more than simply a bartender and a musician."

[latexspectre]

Laurie's danger sense was pretty lousy anyway. She was out of practice, and even when she had been in practice, she still ran around and did a lot of dumb things. She felt more at ease with Mister Cobblepot, extending a hand to shake his. "Laurie Juspeczyk. It's real nice to make your acquaintance, Oswald."