Small Town Celebrities party log for Sept17-Oct6

[dirtyredneck]

The Redbright students clearly aren't getting enough homework if they have the time to start following their favorite members of supernatural society around for the chance at getting The Perfect Shot of them looking hot. It starts slow and small, for the first week, anyway. Just a random person pulling out their phone and taking a quick shot. Can't even be sure it was you they were photographing. By the five days in, though, they've started making a game of it. Groups of two and three going out together. Following people for a while. Having the audacity to wave when they're looked at. Some even invite their target to take a picture with them and their friends. (If you say yes to that, please do flex a little.)

Ratings on the website change on a day to day basis and currently both Redbright Professors and the Hillingdon Clan lists are the current most popular due to the territory change over and general familiarity with the groups.

Hans Estergaard had been reigning supreme as #1 in Hillingdon since he had the audacity to challenge Sylvia for her seat on the council. An unprecedented length of time! (It's like the students enjoy the idea of someone standing up to Sylvia, the person ultimately in charge of telling them what to do. Go figure.)

Most factions are getting more attention from these folks, though. They really have a lot of time on their hands.

[[ooc: post around like it's a party log. If you want an npc bothering you and want me to play them, put NPC request in the subject line.]]

Comments

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline laughed at Gwen's enthusiasm. "No, but this is London, there must be a place to serves tea somewhere nearby, right?" she asked with a grin.

[goodgraces]

Gwen laughed at that, the uneasiness from before fading as they talked.

“True! But I think you might be a bit more familiar with this area than I am. I’ll let you lead the way this time.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"Oh dear, blind leading the blind then," Caroline admitted. "Tonight's really the first time I've been in the neighbourhood. But hopefully we'll get lucky."

[goodgraces]

“Well, in that case, if we get lost, perhaps you can charm someone into helping us out? I’m sure that wouldn’t be too hard.” She gave her a mock appraising look. “What with you being ‘right fit’ and all.”

Joking about what had happened earlier made it easier for Gwen to rationalize away the events as no big deal.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline laughed. "I think my charm might be a bit rusty but if it comes to that, I will take one for the team." She started walking, keeping her eyes peeled for some place to get tea. She'd been joking a bit before, but really, it shouldn't be too hard to find a coffee and tea shop here, should it?

[goodgraces]

Gwen had no desire to traipse around Barnet until her feet hurt. The moment she spotted a Caffè Nero, she headed straight for it, dragging Caroline with her. This wasn’t a place that could satisfy her tea needs, but there were other things on the menu that were perfectly acceptable alternatives over which the two of them could have a little chat.

“Calories be damned, I’m getting a Hot Chocolate Milano. Pick whatever you want. It’ll be my treat.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"Thanks," Caroline said as she eyed the menu. "I am suddenly in desperate need of a Chai Latte."

"So," she said after they had ordered, "you were telling me about your job ... before we got interrupted."

[goodgraces]

“Hmm? Was I?”

Guinevere can’t recall what she had told Caroline about her work before they were rudely interrupted.

“All right, where to start…”

She savoured a spoonful of whipped cream while considering how to talk about her job without crossing a line that could get her in trouble with the Night Council.

“I work at the Redbright Institute. It’s an exclusive school for extraordinarily talented students.”

She waved that bit of information away as though it were unimportant.

“My job is to help students who are struggling to connect with the school: failing to make social inroads with their peers or having trouble focusing in class, that sort of thing. Sometimes I work with them while they’re at the institute. Other times I make house calls, like I did today.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline frowned; she hadn't been expecting that. She knew about the Redbright Institute and what 'extraordinarily talented' students really meant. But she didn't know for sure what that meant as far as Gwen.

"Sounds a bit like my high school guidance counsellors, though definitely more involved." Not that Caroline had gone to the counsellors all that much - she'd been such an overachiever in high school that she flew way above their notice.

[goodgraces]

Gwen paid Caroline’s frown no mind, assuming it was a sign of concentration, nothing more.

“Yes, exactly.” She nodded. “It can be a bit more involved than basic guidance counselling, especially on a personal level. I don’t simply work with the kids, but also their families and often in their homes. There’s always the danger of becoming too attached, but the good I can do far outweighs the bad.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"It's sounds ... challenging, but definitely rewarding too." A bit more important than being a night club singer - Caroline couldn't help but make that comparison.

"I've heard a bit about Redbright, what's it like there?" She knew it was a loaded question, which was why she asked it.

[goodgraces]

“It’s a great school! Very inclusive. Lots of history. Modern curriculum and technology. The staff is wonderful, if I do say so myself. And we’re given a lot of freedom with our work. ” She smiled. “Honestly, I love being a part of it all. Of course, the students aren’t always angels…”

Gwen gave Caroline a knowing look.

“But like I said, they’re special, which also makes them different. And being different can be tough, especially when you’re young.”

She stirred her drink while staring off into the middle distance.

“I’ve been there. So, I understand that.”

There was a very brief moment of silence before Guinevere abruptly blinked and refocused her eyes on Caroline. Since she wasn’t free to go into detail about exactly how different the children really were, a change of subject was needed.

“Listen to me blathering on without giving you a chance to speak!” she said with a headshake and a laugh (that might have been a bit forced). “We should talk about you for a bit. What do you do for a living?”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Loaded question, loaded answer. But Gwen clearly wanted to change the topic and Caroline wasn't going to push it, at least not right away.

"I'm a singer at this night club, called Rhapsody in Red. It's in Hackney, near where I live. It pays the bills and is pretty fun, though I'm not going to be changing anyone's lives. At least, I doubt it."

[goodgraces]

Eyes alight with excitement, Gwen waved off Caroline’s negative talk.

“Don’t sell yourself short! Music is a powerful force in many people’s lives.”

She leaned back in her seat, taking a moment to process what she’d just learned.

“Wow, a nightclub singer…. I never would have guessed that. The title alone sounds so glamourous, like something out of a movie.”

Glamourous and far more interesting than working at a school. A tiny part of her felt a little foolish for having rambled on about her own job, which probably seemed rather pedestrian in comparison (even if in truth it was not).

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline laughed. "It's not quite as glamorous as it sounds, though I do get to wear some pretty dresses. And I get free drinks, as long as I don't have too many and can't perform. You should come out some night and check it out."

[goodgraces]

“Oooh, pretty dresses and free drinks. Sounds like a delightful setup to me.”

She refused to believe it was anything but amazing.

“I will absolutely make time to hear you sing!”

A little voice in Gwen’s head spoke up to remind her that Hackney was vampire territory and not a smart place to be. She paid it as little attention as possible.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"Great. My schedule changes a bit each week, depending on whether anyone else is lined up to perform, so give me a text when you're free and I'll let you know which night is good. Oh, and if there's any song you'd particularly like, for you I'll take a request or two." To be fair, she took requests from pretty much anyone but usually they had to ask first, rather than having it offered.

[goodgraces]

“Alright. I’ll try to make it out there next month. And I’ll give some thought to a potential request or two. Speaking of which, what type of songs do you sing?”

Having no real idea how any of this worked, until told otherwise she could only assume that Caroline and her…backing band (?) must be somewhat specialized in the music they performed.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"Great!" She always liked seeing a familiar face in the crowd who wasn't just one of the regulars. Though the regulars were perfectly too.

"It's mostly jazz. If there is a standard, that would be the easiest, since that's someone the accompanist would already know. But if you pick something in advance, I'll see what I can do."

[goodgraces]

Gwen nodded. Jazz: That makes sense, and she can already think of a few songs she’d love to hear Caroline interpret.

“When I call to let you know my schedule and compare it with yours, I’ll be sure to also have a song request or two ready. But for now…”

She sighed and let her spoon drop down into her hot chocolate. The drink wasn’t finished; all the same, she was definitely done with it.

“I believe that I better start thinking about making my way home. This is still a school night, after all, and I need to be rested every bit as much as my students do.”

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline actually missed school nights a bit. Though mainly she missed school days, or just daytime in general. It would be really nice to see the sun again.

"Yeah, definitely, that makes sense. But we definitely need to get together again soon."