2 heroes, 1 marine, 1 pirate, + 1 dhampir walk into a cyborg's bar. That title is the punchline

[justicereigns]

Who: Smoker + friends. HE HAS FRIENDS. BE SHOCKED. (see tags)
What: Drinking and meeting each other
When: April 20th
Where: Holy Diver
Notes Language (Smoker), flirting, a lot of drinking, dumb decisions, Gale poledancing. It's a good night.



Smoker face palmed. "Remember that discussion about purgatory..."

But he didn't chicken out. He grabbed Ace's hand and dragged him inside. Hopefully the music wouldn't be too loud.

Comments

Smoker + Ace (closed for now)

[justicereigns]

"Okay, remember what I said before? You don't have to try to keep up or do anything. Just be you. Aizawa and Augustine know you mean a lot to me, but they're friends. I trust them. Gale runs the bar and said he can make something to knock out even a devil fruit user, but let me know if you want to try it, so I can carry you home if needed." A quiet snort, as Smoker remembered getting drunk with Aizawa to give Bakugo a talk that never happened, and instead resulted in Smoker calling Augustine, thinking Shota had worked things through with Faye. Was that really just last summer? Time flies. "I haven't met... Mic yet. I need to get his real name. They're not marines, but their world has similar. Not vigilantes, but heroes for justice."

Smoker closed his eyes. Did he say explicitly anything about blood being the cause of Ace's would-be execution and criminal life? He did with Rip, but he was pretty sure he was a bit vague with the others. And Gale knew nothing of it. "They don't know all of what happened at Marineford, obviously, but they know I wasn't happy about it. Aizawa knows the most. That you're my equal, friend, and some pieces about Garp too."

Nod.

"Everything else is your call, brat. And if it gets to be too much, just punch my shoulder and let me know and I'll get you out, okay?"

That'd be a first. Usually Smoker was the first one dying to get out of social situations. And Aizawa wasn't too far behind... well it was going to be interesting anyway.

[burnt_offering]

Ace is actually somewhat nervous. He adores Smoker and he had been thrilled to get an invitation to come out to Holy Diver with him and spend some time with Smoker's friends, what was there to be anything but happy about? But nightclub in his mind, especially with the mentions of drinks, really didn't equate to this. He's used to little taverns and bars, with quiet music and full lighting and aside from the occasional rough customers they weren't shocking in the least. Hell, he and Luffy hung out at Makino's bar sometimes when they were kids. This is closer to the casinos, but still, it's pretty wild and over the top and he's a little out of his element.

But that doesn't mean that he's not excited anyway. "I'm good, you don't have to worry so much. Besides, I'm still kinda shocked that you'd wanna go out at all." He's absolutely set on trying out a drink that would affect him that strongly, but not at first. He's not in a rush. And he wants to experience this place in all it's crazy glory first.

[justicereigns]

Smoker snorts at that. "Usually your tomcat ass would show up at 3 in the morning, and I'd take you out for ramen, since nothing else was open, and I didn't know back then how well stocked to keep everything, but yeah. It's nice to be sort of scheduled. I've been drinking with Aizawa before. Closest I can describe him as is like me. Except his quirk-- that's like devil fruits in his world -- is like seastone, nullification. And he uses his scarf like I use my smoke." A lewd smirk to remind Ace of what Smoker could do with that. "In fighting," he specified.

"Augustine...." a head shake, "You'll just have to meet him. Words don't do him justice. But he's a museum curator, and really into the finer things. Which means a rough marine dog doesn't fit, right? Yeah. Rip thought that too, I guess I grew on her. And I already told you about Gale.

Smoker rolled his shoulders. "Whatever, you'll be fine." It was Portgas, after all. The brat could befriend the most random of pirate crews and keep their loyalty to the point of anything. Smoker was probably more nervous. He's not really a people person. But it's good. He's looking forward to it.

Smoker Catch-All

[justicereigns]

[He's not even drunk... but he's stacking shot glasses.]

[And possibly trying to turn them into a card castle.]

[As you do.]

[You know, given that it's his fault "everyone's" here you'd think he'd be more in the thick of it, but it's SMOKER, so really... don't expect that at all.]

[DO expect him all but hiding in a corner, but managing to listen like a bat, and watch everything like a hawk. Perception haki is a wonderful thing, even if he can't tune anything out and that music is gonna last in his skull for months.]

Hizashi Yamada (Present Mic) [OTA]

[vociferates]

[Hizashi is doing his level best to ration his drinking this trip, because the last couple of times he's gone drinking has been, well. They've been productive and weird in very strange ways. That doesn't mean he's going to avoid drinking at all, if the large mug of beer pressed to his lips is any indication.

When one of their group sits down next to him he puts the drink down and grins, shooting them a fast series of fingerguns and a wink.]

Hey hey hey! What's happening! If you're lookin' for Shouta he's around here somewhere. He'll be back soon!

---

**OR**

---

[He might be found dancing. if he's in the mood to do this you can bet he's going to drag anyone he recognizes as part of their little date group into dancing with him, or wave and walk over to initiate conversation instead, especially if they don't seem to be the type to dance.]

Part 1!

[justicereigns]

[Smoker nods.]

You're... Mic then? His partner? I didn't catch your real name.

[Grabs a seat, and he's got an entire bottle of rum. Part of his "quirk" in a way.] I'm Smoker. That's my real name. Marine name is White Hunter, though from what I gather, that'd be reversed in your world, huh?

[Rubs the back of his neck. One day he will be less awkward. One day.] I guess I should say... thanks for looking after my friend.

[vociferates]

Present Mic's my hero name, yeah!! You can call me Hizashi though or Yamada -- you know whatever floats your boat! [His grin is brilliant, toothy and wholly genuine. He only sort of stumbles over the title of "partner", doing his level best to hide that behind the grin.]

Yeah Sho and I've known each other since middle school! Best friends and all that. [The new level their relationship had stepped up to is still new and they haven't really discussed how much they're telling other people. There's something kind of vulnerable about pro heroes dating, or whatever it is they're doing.]

Didn't know he'd gone and made so many friends while he's been here, man! I'm the one who should be thanking you, you know? So thank YOU! Instead!

[burnt_offering]

[After a couple of drinks Ace has calmed down considerably, and he's interested in harassing people and maybe making a friend or two. Smoker likes at least some of the people here, so he's going to do his best to try and play nicely. So he sits down, sets the bottle he's working on down on the table, and grins when he gets that greeting.

Ace is definitely warming up a little more now.] Shouta? I dunno who he is, sorry. Guess you're stuck with me until he gets back.

[vociferates]

Hmmm... You must be the one he hasn't met yet then? Guess you and I are the newbies here. [He grins a little, holding a hand out.]

Hizashi Yamada. I think the intention is for us all to be friends. Shouta's pal's with Smoker or... something. I think. Unique name!

I.

[immortalrose]

Blond hair...?

[Augustine can't help but gawk once he catches a glimpse of this absurd looking fellow. The parrot that accompanied Aizawa earlier spoke of the hero having a fondness for blonds but Augustine didn't quite expect this. He stares at this silly looking man with a look of mild amusement.

Is this really the man that Aizawa allegedly likes? Oh wow. Augustine can't stop giggling.]

O-Of course.

[vociferates]

[Hizashi just looks confused. His brows raise up towards his hairline, a hand lifting up to rub his neck.]

You don't sound too sure man, everything alright? If you wanna hang out I can order you a beer or something! Promise I don't bite!

2.

[sleepingbagsensei]

[Guess who's trying to avoid dancing and failed? This guy. Eventually, Shouta is dragged by the hand to follow Hizashi to the dance floor, almost dreading, almost.]

Is this necessary?

[What song is even playing?]

[vociferates]

We're here to have fun right?! Don't tell me you don't wanna dance with me.

[if he does though, he'll relent, probably. Right now though he's looping his arms around Shouta's waist to pull him in close. The song playing right now isn't particularly slow, but not fast either. a good start.]

[orlokbutterfly]

[After the mess that was this past week, Gale was kind of happy to be back to business as usual. Or at least, happy as he can be. No more tiny adorable goats out to eat all the paperwork in sight (why isn't everything digital yet? Fayren be damned.) and now it's a night of working at Holy Diver... so long as he doesn't get called out to Nova in an emergency, that is. Of course that meant that he was garbed for the occasion. Not that this day would be without its weirdness, since there was some whacko outside yelling at him about "sullying the sanctity of the church on a holy day" or some shit. He had a bouncer shoo them away pretty quick.

He knew of the coming party (having some pretty mixed feelings about it), so he had one of the large corner booths in Heaven's Gate reserved for them. A few sample drinks were at the table in advance, as well as a pitcher of water to help ward off hangovers tomorrow. There also might have been a Cubone sitting on the table.

(Un?)Fortunately for the coming party, they would show up while Gale is on stage with a few other dancers doing a choreographed poledance routine to a perhaps appropriately titled song. While this routine may not have been a strip routine, it had more than enough gratuitous touching and sensual, seductive movements to make up for it.

Whatever smirk he had plastered on his face was an intricate mask, a facade that he knew one of them could likely see through at the very least. But after that dance routine... do you even want to look at him as he approached?]

Nice of you to join the party, boys.

[burnt_offering]

[Ace is reeling mentally from the general atmosphere of the nightclub, it's worlds wilder and more exciting than the entertainment from his home world was as a rule. It's not that they didn't have their share of crazy fun, but the sort of places that would go this far Ace just didn't go to. And it's not that he disproves, that's not it at all, but it's just a lot to take in. The music is amazing and strange to him, the club itself is decadent and sleek and it seems wrong somehow it a way that's appealing. And so far, he's glad he came.

The dancers are just a little much though, he hadn't expected that at all, and he's just not going to make eye-contact. Or really look at all. Damn, those drinks on the table are super interesting all of the sudden, and he has no idea about what that weird animal is but it's a great focus away from things until he figures out how to get himself calm enough to not be red in the face. But then Gale speaks and dammit, he has to force some sort of response. ] Yeah... It's a hell of a party.

[orlokbutterfly]

[The dancers are never too much, but Gale will happily deflect the blame to Smoker for not saying "don't reserve a spot in the strip part of the club". And he's the one that said Holy Diver in the first place.

Cubone seems to notice Ace looking at it and stares back at him, until Gale scoops up the little guy off the table.]

Hell of a party in Heaven, eh?

[Gale is far too proud of what Holy Diver is, goddamn. Blasphemy is clearly something to be proud of.]

You feelin' alright? You look like you've had a few many before you even got here.

[Or did Smoker not warn him that he was bringing a bunch of prudes to a strip club? Gale sure hopes that's not the case.]

[justicereigns]

[Face palm.]

[Yes, he can see through it, no, he doesn't want to make eye contact.]

[Okay, he can joke, ready? Ready??] Guardian, owner, bartender, and dancer. Is there anything you can't do?

[orlokbutterfly]

[Your fault for not saying "don't reserve a booth in the strip club part", buddy. His smirk seems to broaden as he puts his hands on his hips.]

Well, my photography isn't quite up to snuff. That's why I'm better in front of the camera.

[He's taken his pants off for charity before, he'll do it again.]

But I like to have a multitude of skills to keep myself busy.

[immortalrose]

Talk about an intro...

[Augustine let's out an uneasy laugh once Gale makes his approach. Honestly, he can barely look the man in his eyes after that "simulating" performance. This isn't his first time venturing into Holy Diver but this is the first time he ever stayed this long. Augustine feels painfully out of place here, more so than usual since his love for all things pink is showing. He doesn't know what think about Gale but as usual, he thinks the man has an impeccable sense of style.]

I'm quite impressed but I fear I'll have to pray to wash the sin away. [He's joking of course. The Church lost its appeal to him decades ago.] Gale Reinhardt, I presume.

Goodness, I swear we've spoken before.

[sleepingbagsensei]

A.

[Drinks with a group he can tolerate. Okay sure, he can do that. Aizawa shows up sometime with Mic (aka Hizashi the other blond). This time he looks a little decent with his hair tied back, less hobo. Thank God the parrot thing is over. He's also watching how much he drinks after.. events. His goal is to be sober by the end of the night. For now, he's the quiet guy at one part of the table, sipping his drink, listening to conversations.]

B.

[Sooner or later he was about to fall into that drunken state yet looks indifferent. Possibly the only people who can pick up he's drunk are Mic and Smoker. That or.. until he calls someone out.]

Hey Smoker, what are you trying to do up there?

[Aizawa may or may had not mistaken a dancer, a pole, or some object on stage as someone. Where's the peanuts....]

B

[justicereigns]

What are you, Tashigi?! I'm over here!

I can't even tell you to put your glasses on, stupid!

A

[burnt_offering]

[While Ace had been pretty uncomfortable at first, the nervousness hadn't lasted after a couple of drinks. And when he spots someone who's quiet, trying to just do his thing in peace? That summons him like a damn siren's song. And he leans over to get a good look at him, with no shame and minimal boundaries.

Who is he? No clue. But if he's here, he's one of the people Smoker talked about. He just can't guess at which one.] So which one are you? I've got all the names mixed up.

Augustine [OTA]

[immortalrose]

𝓐 𝓢𝓲𝓹 𝓸𝓯 𝓑𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓫𝓸𝓷

[This isn't Augustine's first rodeo here but this is certainly the longest he ever stayed here. Everything about the Holy Diver offends his delicate sensibilities but not for the reasons most would think. The bar's thematic jab at religion and the afterlife bothers him less than the gratuitous skin he's witnessing here. There's a lot of scantily-clad men and women wandering about, almost too much for Augustine to feast his eyes upon. That and the fact it's awfully loud in here. He's a vampire, after all. A half-breed but a vampire nonetheless. His sense of hearing is better than most so when the DJ drops the bass, he really drops the bass on Augustine's slowly budding migraine.

Oh, the sweet irony of it all! Not too long ago, Augustine thought he could become a rock star but since gaining his footing in the world of opera, Augustine's love for overly loud music has dwindled significantly. No longer is he interested in such trivial pursuits. He's a refined gentleman of better tastes or so he believes in his silly little mind.

Nevertheless, Augustine quietly nurses a glass of bourbon once the others settle down at the booth. With only Gale missing from the picture and probably Smoker himself, Augustine can finally get a feel for the crowd gathered here. Despite his strange fondness for all things pink or fuchsia, Augustine is clearly the best dressed here in this charming flamingo fuchsia suit, waistcoat included, with a light pink tie and a crisp white dress shirt. He sticks out like a sore thumb here but when doesn't he?]

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓻𝓾𝓷𝓴 𝓕𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓸

Dance with me~

[That shrill plea is followed by childish giggle all thanks too much bourbon on his part. Augustine usually would refrain from drinking so heavily but he's in a mood. What kind of mood? Well, he doesn't exactly know but he's lost somewhere between agitation, dismay and general unhappiness. This isn't his kind of scene typically but after all the liquid encouragement he had, Augustine is finally eager to party.]

Oh, come on! Stop trying to tongue your buddy's tonsils and dance with me!

[Who is he talking too again? Some random stranger? The bartender? Or is he talking to one of his companions here? No one knows. Hell, Augustine doesn't even know.]

Daaaancing

[justicereigns]

[Normally Smoker would apologize for the accidental on purpose bonk to Augustine's head out of sheer fucking reflex, but it's Augustine, drunk Augustine, so he drags him out onto the dance floor by way of semi-apology instead. He DID say he liked Augustine best when he'd been drinking (and thus didn't try so hard to maintain an image), no sense punishing it now.]

I was not doing that. [Sternly.]

How much have you had? [But this is a lot more amused despite the rest, and he shakes his head despite the grin.] You look like Hina's twin. [Snort.]

[burnt_offering]

[Augustine is the kind of person that as a rule repels Ace. That sort of overdressed finery and perceived pretentiousness are traits that push him away, he tends to avoid this sort of person as a rule. He just knows what kind of person he usually gets along with, and what kind he usually doesn't. It's not personal, it's just how it is. And honestly, it's usually mutual. The fancier the person, the more they tend to dislike rough pirates who've been raised by bandits.

But he's had a couple of drinks, and Augustine has been pointed out to him more than once at this point, and Augustine is important to several people in his life. So he downs about a fourth of his bottle of liquor in one go, wipes his mouth, and heads over to say hello.] Hey. You're Augustine?