Bar Night! (Open)

The week was long and trying, and left many innocent civilians weary and woeful. Times were truly trying. With a police military wandering the streets and arresting the very superheroes set to defend it, and the constant pressure of picking out a cute outfit for work 3 days of the week... stress was truly building inside a certain raven haired zombie.

"At least it's Thursday."

She mused to herself out loud as she pushed open the door to the place she was destined to be tonight. It shot open and hit the wall with a thud as she struck a pose - her hands in a peace sign and a cheerful smile on her face as she looked to the barkeep.

"The time has come!"

Isabel all but screamed to the bar and it's patrons, spinning around and using both hands to haul in the machine she had behind her. It was bright pink, about three feet tall and had Hello Kitty all over it. It was a Karaoke Machine. Tonight was the night, and it was going to happen again and again. Every week, Thursday at 8! For a thousand years!

"Make me something strong, barkeep. Double it!"

The barkeep would know that Isabel was not 21 and never ate or drank anything he gave her. Instead, she walked by and started setting up the Karaoke machine.

"Sign ups start in five, guys!"

Starfire had been very confused as of late. So much had been happening all at once, the villains escaping, a giant skeletal being attack, the department of metas issuing for her and her friends arrest, but for what crime she was still uncertain. She refused however to let that keep her down, she could not afford to bring herself to feel low. So with that she grabbed her friends and convinced them to join her in a rendezvous stroll through the city....or at least she tried, but the only one she managed to convince...wasn’t that convinced at all, more so just guiltily pulled along for the ride.
“Oh come now friend!” Starfire cheered as she tugged on the arm of her gothic counterpart. “We must not always keep ourselves imprisoned in our tower and let alone in our negative thoughts!” She was very enthusiastic even though her friend showed no emotion other than that of utter annoyance. “Let us indulge in some nightly time fun! I feel we are in need of an entertaining distraction.” with that she opened the door to the bar, arm linked to Ravens as she smiled at the....not so lively atmosphere, at least not yet. But there was a karaoke machine that’s color peeked her interest so she made her way towards it.

Meditation was hard work.

Especially when the world burned around you. Escaped convicts ran amok, the police was overwhelmed, and a shadowy organization emerged out of nowhere, seeking to recruit or restrain people from doing something about the mess the government itself initiated. It was hard to see and hear people's pleas for help. Even hard was ... to do nothing. For two weeks, the Teen Titans stopped being Titans. Just... teens.

It was part the reason why Raven was now dragged along by an overly powerful alien, into the bar. It felt so strange, without the cloak, or the leotard. Instead being clad in tight-fitting jeans, a black shirt with a friendly "Go away" sign, and a hat. The combat boots stayed on though, and a spiky choker found its way around the girl's neck. Possibly the most questionable decision so far - the spikes were far from comfortable. Still, she did have an image to uphold. Even in a place like this.

"I am not here to have fun, Starfire. I am here to make sure you stay out of trouble. I made a promise to Robin to bring you back home in one piece."

She lied. A part of her wanted to spend some quality time with a friend, alone. Both being girls, Starfire was possibly one of the people Raven could relate to in a way she could not with the rest. And ... a small part of her enjoyed the sparkling optimism even when things went gloomy. A very small part. Raven did not resist being pulled. Past the bar and the very odd bartender, towards the TV screen and a machine in front of it, with a microphone.

"This is a karaoke machine. It plays a tune and lets you sing into it." - Raven explained, dryly, and coughed a little. Reaching up, she rubbed her own neck, and finally decided to dispense with the choker. Useless thing.

Sol was as always busy behind the bar, serving drinks, helping cook food- occasionally try talking with people every so often. Then SHE came barging in, the oddball that never drank or ate anything outside of water. What was she doing now? Sol blinked as she dragged something in behind her, which he soon recognized as a karaoke machine. There were so many questions on his mind now- such as how did she afford it? Where did she get one with those design choices? And did she drag that thing all the way here? Sol set a cup he had been cleaning down as he headed over to actually help her get it inside and set it up. He was probably being far more accomodating than he should've been but it really didn't bother him too much.

Then the bell chimed again with more customers, this time two local celebrities- Starfire and Raven. Sol offered them a friendly wave. He hadn't heard very much of their activities lately, vaguely remembering something about DOMA driving up to their door and all that. It wasn't any of his business, even heroes needed time off once in awhile. Once the karaoke machine was all set up, Sol would slip back behind the counter- one of his servers getting Isabel a water as he went back to his actual job. Why did he suddenly have this overwhelming sense of dread?

Petra didn't usually find herself in bars like this. She was used to life on the streets, and while locations like these certainly did have a place in that lifestyle, it wasn't usually for fun or recreation. But, be that as it may, everyone needed a little personal time now and then. Besides, this bar served actually good food! The sandwiches were great, and Sol toasted the bread just right. "I've gotta hand it to you Sol, these are my favorite sandwiches."

Spoiler:

She wore a stylish, fancy leather jacket to keep her warm, and was wearing combat boots with her black jeans. She wore leggings under those, but who would see them? as well as a My Chemical Romance t shirt. The Black Parade, obviously.

She turned to watch as Sol helped a girl carry in a karaoke machine. They were doing karaoke now? She smiled lightly. She got down from the bar stool, her sandwich finished, and wandered over towards the machine. This wasn't really her thing, but... Before she made any drastic decisions, two more people wandered in behind them, right up to the karaoke machine as well. Petra's eyes widened briefly. Were they...?

She shook her head. If they were incognito she wouldn't give them away. "I'll take a go," she said, looking to Isabel and smiling towards Starfire and Raven.

Walking in behind Starfire and Raven was a redheaded girl with bright green eyes. She had a few studs in her ears, a pair of thin glasses over her eyes, and she was dressed in a black and purple leather jacket with a pair of blue jeans and a yellow tank top. "And I'm here to make sure you two don't piss off every DOMA agent in a 5 block radius for existing or whatever." She muttered quietly to herself. She sat down at the bar with an incredibly smug smirk on her face. It was fun to watch Raven get dragged around.

Of course, she didn't know Raven well, to be frank. She'd only known her about 4 days. And her daily routine didn't exactly lean itself to braiding each other's hair and talking about their lives. Star on the other hand? Barbara probably knew everything about her by now.

Barbara glanced among the group amassing and sighed. Based on what she'd seen and knew, Starfire could probably use the girls night though. Raven was overly accustomed to doom and gloom, which...Barbara would address that later. Star, however, was bright and bubbly. And if her file was correct, her powers were based on her emotional stability too. Best to try and keep her relaxed and happy. "I'll uh, I'll just chill over here." She said as Star yanked Raven to the karaoke machine. "Let me know if you need to tap out, Spooky." She said with a girlish laugh.

Sol was predictably easygoing as Isabel took over his bar. Fortunate, because Isabel would have 100% thrown a whining tearful fit if he'd shut down her Karaoke night. Especially since the bar was starting to get crowded. Isabel recognized Raven and Starfire from when the skeleton attacked midtown. In fact, Isabel had tried to help Raven seal the beast!
Isabel played it cool, though, glancing at the pair with a cute smile.

"Perfect! You'll be second then... what's your names? Also, pick a song from this list. You guys can do a duet or something, it'll be perfect."

Isabel would reach into her bag and heave as she pulled out a GIANT book that seemed to conveniently have any song any player character would want in it and dropped it on the table with a loud thud.
Next, she was approached by a stranger from the bar who asked to sing and Isabel lit up again.

"Wonderful, there's a list in front of the book! You'll be up after the duet!"

Isabel grabbed the mic, and turned the machine on. It cackled to life with a surprisingly loud speaker. Sol's headache would probably start to set in now. Isabel would jump with catlike grace onto a table after hitting a button.

"And for the first performance... the crowds favorite Isabel Harkness! In these trying times of military takeover, it's important to remember..."

The song would start, and Isabel would be dramatically posing.

"I am a real American..."


In the middle of the performance, she'd produce sparklers and wave them around as she absolutely destroyed the song.

“My name is Koriand’r, but you may call me Starfire.” She placed a hand to chest and then placed it on Raven’s shoulder. “And she is my best girlfriend Raven!” She then clasped her hands in a cheerful manner. “Thank you for letting us partake in the singing with your beautiful bright pink machine!” She then carefully held the book that was handed to her and turned over to Raven. “Did you hear! we are second!” She stated gleefully, bouncing on the balls of her feet until she realized she didn’t understand a certain phrase the girl had used. “But...what is a duet? It sounds almost like a duel.” Her face lit up more as if that was even more humanly possible as she tried to guess what it could possibly. “Will we be battling in song where we are to attack one another in the form of exchanging verses?!” she could not be further from the truth.

Suddenly her attention would be drawn back to the hello kitty machine as the speaker boomed to life. The girl had stepped on to the table and had introduced herself to the world. Starfire was very much intrigued and getting more excited by the second. Her hands were clasped and her eyes glued on the performance. She clapped her hands to the beat sometimes and even nudged Raven’s shoulder when she noticed her friend’s gaze was averted. “Is this not wonderful?”

Raven's lips tightened a little, as she noticed the third figure sneaking around after them.

It was that girl... Robin's friend. The one who broke into their home uninvited. Raven was suspicious of her. She was naturally suspicious, but since a while ago, less trusting of strangers. The last one she trusted tried to drown her in mud. And taking it upon herself to keep both of them out of trouble? How exactly was she gonna do that? Raven shrugged. "Be my guest." Were there any empty tables in some of the convenient corners? Apparently, no. No tables in the corners. Before the gloomy girl could find a place from which she could observe Starfire while remaining relatively undisturbed, the was pulled into the introductions by a very strong alien hand.

"Hi." - Raven delivered in the driest tone possible. She did not blink or flinch, though her cheeks briefly took on a shade of red at Starfire's choice of words. Best girlfriend, that's new.

"There is supposed to be a space between those two words, Star. And no, we are not going to fight each other with words." - the girl said, as her face returned to its normal, grayish color. This was a karaoke night, not a rap battle!

Fortunately, a lucky break happened as the girl running the show started singing her song. Something about America, very patriotic. Humans in this country seemed to enjoy these songs more so than others. Raven let her eyes drift away, only to be brought back by Starfire's nudge to the side, which brought her back into focus.

"Hm? Well, my ears are not bleeding, so it must be nice. I think you should go for the next one on your own. I do not exactly have a singing voice."

It was hard to be undercover when you had been on the news so often, or were similar in color to an orange. Basically the odds that someone wouldn't recognize them were slim to none and Sol had to briely try to discourage people taking pictures. This feeling of dread still loomed over him though as Isabel began with some kind of patriotic inspired song. He had no idea where it came from but it wasn't his business to question it as he caught a glimpse of Blonde Hair out of the corner of his eye. It was Daniella, trying to sneak around and probably see what was going on- must have heard Isabel. Sol turned and got her attention as she smiled sheepishly. "I-I heard Isabel~" She confirmed his suspicion before he made a 'shoo, shoo' motion with one hand. It was a school night after all.

Petra would flash a grin and paid up her order, leaving a good tip for Sol, before she would return to the people assembling for the karaoke machine. No one seemed to really be concerned with her, and that was just fine. Isabel told her that she could sing a song after Starfire and Raven did. She smiled and would wait patiently to punch her song into the queue after the duo chose their own.

"This is going to be a lot of fun. It's not every day you get to sing with two of the Titans!" She looked briefly at Barbara at the bar and smiled before returning her attention to the machine as Isabel began.

Her vocals could use some work, obviously, but it was a classic rock song, and she enjoyed it. She was sure she wasn't anything to be proud of in the singing department either, but that was the point of karaoke, right? A bit too nationalistic for her anti-establishment vibes, but she clapped for Isabel when she was done nonetheless. "So what are you two going to sing?" she asked the Titans harmlessly.

Barbara sat with her chin in her hand, glancing back to the bartender. "You aren't gonna sell me scotch, are you?" She watched him shoo off a blonde child, and she smiled to herself. "Cute kid." She said simply, putting a card on the bar. "Just run it on this one for me, the orange one, and the gloomy one." She said with a smile. The card said 'Barbara Joan Gordon' on it of course, but it routed back around to a quite full bank account.

She took whatever Sol decided to give her and nodded to him, glancing back at the group just in time to catch Petra's glance. She smiled back courteously and stopped as she was raising the glass to her lips. "...Huh."

She stood up and made her way over, sitting down next to where Petra had gotten up from, putting her feet on the table. "Hi, my name is Barbara." She said kindly, trying to get a better look at her. "But...I feel like we've met? Maybe?" She really couldn't place it just yet.

Isabel's performance, though amazing by all standards, seemed to get less of a reply from the crowd as she expected. How annoying. She wondered briefly if any of them had ever studied performance before in their lives. Instead, she hopped off the table and approached Starfire, handing the mic over.

"Easy. Tough crowd. Your duet is up! You guys probably know the words but they'll be on the screen!"

Isabel would usher Starfire AND Raven over, hardly allowing for resistance. After, she'd go to the bar and look at Sol suspiciously.

"I could have sworn I heard the kid. Where's she? I had a duet planned. DON'T YOU RUIN MY NIGHT SPICY BOI!"

She'd sit back in the chair, taking a minute to regain her composure. Then look to Petra and smile.

"You're very pretty. What brings you to a bar like this?" Before Petra could answer Barbara came up and introduced herself, which was not unwelcome at all. Isabel smiled at the girl and waved. "I'm Isabel."

She knew the question wasn't directed towards her, so she didn't answer, but wanted to introduce herself anyways!

“Nonsense, we will both perform and have a joyous time doing so.” Starfire stated, placing both hands on her hips and puffing her cheeks at her friend who she would not let sit this one out. She turned her attention back to the girl who had been singing and clapped her hands gleefully as she finished her time on stage. “We are Next Raven!” Starfire cheered as she was handed the mic and then reached down and pulled Raven by the writs with her free hand as she made her way to the screen. “Come! I have chosen the most perfect of tune.” She grinned and gripped the microphone tightly as she began swaying with the music. She did not pay much attention to the audience as more so the words on the screen. She toyingly bumped shoulders with Raven as she started singing. “Do not go breaking my heart~” she began and would then point the mic at Raven for her verse, and even if Raven did not show much emotion or melody, Starfire was sure making up for it by being her normal, over top gleeful self, having a blast.

Raven let out an obligatory groan as she was pushed to the machine by both Starfire and the previous singer, and had a microphone pushed to her hands. "This is so embarrassing..." - she muttered to herself, but because the mic was actually on, her 'mutter' was heard quite loudly. Still, Starfire seemed to have enough enthusiasm for ten more Ravens. It was ... endearing, in a way. She knew the alien girl's story, and what she had to go through. The life on this planet was akin to ... exile. Her people were at war, her sister hated her guts, and now the locals looked at her as if she were a dangerous alien, and not a hero.

I wonder how she does it... Maybe this cheerful face is just a mask? - Raven wondered. But when the music started playing, her face dropped into a frown.

Or maybe she's just not too bright.

The song was very chipper, from the tune to the words. So very Starfire. But then again, if she chose anything different, then she would not be Starfire. And then... they would probably not have ever ended up being friends. Food for thought. Raven was pulled out of hers after Starfire's bump into her shoulder, and looked at the screen for her own words.

"I couldn't if I tried..." - she muttered, sheepishly, and gave a shrug, eyes briefly shifting over the 'audience'.

If I see anyone laughing at me, I swear to Dad...