2024-09-23 - Three Roomielleros

New job, who dis?

Not only new job: new country, new home, new career? If selling popcorn counts as a career? River has had a lot of questions for herself of late, and this is but one of them.

That's all pushed to the very back of her mind right now, though. Right now, she is holding a cocktail glass and it is not her first. She is also standing in front of the jukebox, flipping through all of the song choices to find the perfect tune for tonight's vibe. The bar is lively, full of new hires looking to mingle with their new coworkers. And River is one of those mingling new hires, although for the moment at least, she's alone at the jukebox.

With the summer quickly fading, she's fighting it this evening by wearing a cropped tank top and sparkly skirt.

Another one of these new hires is Ty, also a few drinks in and nursing a half empty glass of what looks like a stout. He's in a vintage brown leather bomber jacket with a loose black button down underneath and baggy acid wash jeans. There are a few necklaces layered over each other and a dangly sword-shaped earring providing a bit of shiny accessories, as well as a couple simple rings spread across his fingers.

"What song are you gonna put on," he asks out of nowhere just off to the side of where River is studying the jukebox. Where did he come from? How long has he been there? He shakes his bangs out of his eyes and smiles a bit at her.

"Please, for the love of all that's holy, put on something that was written by a person with a soul and not just 100 monkeys on typewriters like this shit."

What's playing? Sully couldn't tell you. It's some mindless bop where the lyricist rhymes true with you and then you again, and maybe ooh, and it doesn't matter because it's meant to be danced to.

Sully doesn't look like he's much of a dancer, not dressed in anything sparkly. He's maiking a plain white t-shirt do some heavy lifting around his inked arms and braod chest. He just so happened to be walking by when Ty asked River what she was planning on playing.

River does a double-take at the sudden apparition of a man just to her side, asking her a question. And she's about to answer when another man appears! This shock lasts approximately 1.7 seconds before she looks between the two and starts to laugh. "Oh. I've got the perfect song in mind," she promises before promptly shifting her body to block the view of the jukebox. It's also a secret song!

Until it starts to play, that is. As the opening notes begin, she whips around and shimmies her way right up to Sully, singing along... "I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and my car-di-gannn!"

That's what he meant, right? Either way, she spins around to Ty and beckons him over to dance. Clearly Sully needs... to be danced at?! Let's remember that this is not her first drink.

Perfect song? Ty's brows shoot up as he tries to peek around her shoulder to no success. A glance goes to Sully. Does HE know the perfect song?

What plays is a total surprise given that Sully JUST said not to play a song written by 100 typewriting monkeys. He quickly hides a grin behind a hand as River then shimmies up to the other man. Look, he's also multiple beers in too but dancing...

The beckoning gets what starts off as a sheepish shake-shake-shake of his head, moppy waves bouncing around-- but then. Never lure what is essentially a professional theater kid into a sing along.

He tips his head back and lifts an arm. "That's when the taxi man turned on the radio and a Jay-Z song was onnnnnnn--" Ty can sing BUT, he's also pretty tipsy and it's a shaky warble right now trying to fight the jukebox. When ya can't hit the note...shout it? "And a Jay-Z song was on...AND A JAY-Z SONG WAS ONNNNNNNNNN!"

"I've only just met you," Sully says very solemnly once River puts the song on, somehow managing to stand stoic and un"readable despite all the shimmying. Why do you hate me?"

But then he laughs, and his pugilistic countenance turns into one much more amiable and affable and by all accounts agreeable. He doesn't join in the dancing, but finds a place to lean and watch as Ty and River do their thing. Finishing off his drink, he orders another, then holds up two fingers and gestures to the dancing strangers. A third finger pops up. Make it three.

He doesn't sing on until the chorus, which he apparently knows, but none of the verses, and what he lacks in pitch he makes up for in volume.

"SO I PUT MY HAAAANDS UP!" River belts out as, yes, she does put her hands up. It doesn't matter that Ty is barely scratching the surface of anything that can be considered 'dancing,' or that Sully is lamenting her hate. She dances a circle around Ty, dances back up to Sully, holds up an invisible microphone for her and Ty to shout-sing into. These two are now a part of her performance whether they meant to be or not.

As soon as the song comes to an end, she straightens up, runs a hand through her hair, and looks sheepishly between the two men. "Isn't it basically your national anthem?" she innocently asks with a helpless shrug, like, 'what can ya do?'

Sure Ty's not dancing and more swaying side to side but he's belting out Miley to the best of his ability. When River holds up the imaginary mic, he leans into it with a hand over his heart and croons. A grin spreads wide when Sully joins in despite his reluctance.

Eventually all good things come to an end, which means he's back to his drink and chugging what's left at full speed to make up for the sudden burst of song. River's comment has him looking over at Sully, brows quirked. "Our national anthem?" It takes a second to realize that maybe she's not from here, but when he does he makes a face. "Nah nah nah, you kidding? Watch this."

Shuffling over to the jukebox, he scans the pages for the song he knows lives in every playlist in every public space no matter the genre. Boop boop, buttons get pushed. Then he turns around and crosses his arms to smile all smug.

It starts off slow, fine, he holds up a finger to tell her to WAIT FOR IT. Very quickly all the patrons of the establishment start picking up words and phrases, some louder than others, in unison...

Hands. Touchin' hands. Reachin' out. Touching me, touchin' you.

"I've got dual citizenship, and in times like these, I'm 100 percent Irish," Sully informs River with a good-natured grin. There is a little bit of a brogue curling around the edges of his words, but it's easy to miss. "Where you from?" He includes Ty in this question.

As Ty picks up the next song, he shakes his head as if he's in pain. The bartender brings the drinks, though, so he throws back his and offers the other two to the other two (how handy). They're both doubles of whiskey, neat.

"You both hate me," he declares, yet he sings along with Sweet Caroline anyway.

"Ohhhhh." River was not expecting either of these men to not be American, and she smiles sheepishly when her assumption turns out to be incorrect. "Okay so half your national anthem? No?" No. "I'm Canadian." She's just going to forget about this moment by downing what's left of her own drink. And oh look, the Irishmen has ordered more!

As her duet partner goes to the jukebox, she gives him space and goes over to Sully's side to pick up the new drink. "Slaínte, then!" she offers, lifting her glass in a 'cheers' before Ty's song starts to play. It takes her a moment to realize what he's after, but then it all clicks as the bar begins to sing and she bursts out laughing.

"Touché!" she tells him, pleased, before she starts to sing along. It turns out this anthem is international.

Expectations are meant to be subverted, like Sully being Irish and Ty being-- "I'm from Boston!" okay American. But still! He gladly accepts the new drink and takes a grateful sip, grinning and waiting for the moment to hit.

Which moment?

The BUM BUM BUM that everyone yells out in unison. "See--" he laughs, then gestures to how everyone, including both Sully AND River are singing. "That part ain't even a lyric and we all know to sing it. That's the most anthem-y anthem of all." He takes another sip, then tilts his head. "What part of Canada? And what part--" he looks over at Sully, "of Ireland?"

Sully definitely does shot the Bum-Bum-Bum part, because you don't have to have good pitch to belt those lyrics. If they can be called such.

"What!" he exclaims as Ty says he's from Boston. "I'm from Boston. Before I went to med school. I moved to the States when I was a ween still, but been here long enough that most people think I'm a Yank," he says, then adds, "Killarney, southwest bit."

He looks over to River. "Clearly she's our superior in every way, being Canadian. Wait -- it all hinges on the part. If she's Quebecois, that changes everything -- if I go by what my Canadian friends have to say, at any rate." He squints at her. "She doesn't sound like she's from Quebec, but then most people don't know I'm Irish, so she could be just a bit canny."

The look on River's face as she takes in the singing crowd is one of pure joy. It's a look she turns on Ty, for being absolutely right in this regard. "That is the most anthem-y anthem of all!" she agrees whole-heartedly, before the look then gets turned on to Sully. "Your turn on the jukebox, Bruin! Show me what song wasn't written by a thousand monkeys." Or was it a hundred monkeys? Maybe she's upping the requirements.

But wait, what was that? "Wait you went to med school? Are you a doctor?" This sounds very impressive to River. Then, laughing, she adds, "Your friends are correct! And I am from the best part of Canada." She pauses a beat to let them wonder, before supplying, "British Columbia!"

Sully's what draws a reflexive "What?" out of Ty before he barks out an overjoyed laugh. "Ay! That's amazing! I grew up in Somerville!" He gives Sully a once-over, which is more just a tilt of his head and a squint. "You a Southie? Also what the heck is a ween? Definitely not passing for a Yank when you say ween."

As for River being the superior, he's quick to shrug amicably. "Yeah and like the rad hair helps too. Okay, I'll give it to her." The question of whether Sully's a doctor gets a curious look from Ty. "Oh snap, are you? I'm just a performer. A bard, actually."

"Bruin?" Sully asks, arching a brow at River's new name for him, and then he moves to the jukebox to consider its offerings. "I'm definitely limited by what they have in here, so I'll take back my earlier laments."

He glances back at River and Ty at their questions, brow knitting into a look some might find intimidating -- that baelful gaze lands on Ty. "That's such a stereotype, how dare you," he growls, before nodding. "And yes. That's where we lived. Ween is a name for baby, but the adults'll call anyone who's not grown a ween. I was in middle school when we moved here."

Finally he chooses a song -- at first, delicate piano and Freddie Mercury's voice:
Tonight
I'm gonna have myself a real good time
I feel ali-i-ive...

"I don't think a roomful of monkeys would come up with Lady Godiva on their own," he supplies to River with a grin, as the song builds like a roller coaster car climbing its first summit.

Ohhh is someone complimenting River? She lifts her chin, her smile widening, and gives her head a little shake. "Thanks! I just dyed it, I was blonde before. Trying something new."

She's taking a drink when Ty shares his own job, which gives her an excuse not to share hers. Also, looking utterly aghast at Sully not understanding the Bruin reference puts it out of her mind anyway. "Yea, Bruin!" As if repeating it is going to help. "Like the hockey team?" Looking between both men now, she adds, "Please tell me you both are aware that your city has a hockey team?"

But she relaxes back against the counter as Sully gets the new song queued up. And when it starts to play, she shoots Ty a smile and shrugs. "Can never go wrong with Freddie. Think he's got me on this one."

Some DO find it intimidating! Ty lifts both hands in quick surrender, a bright pink blush blooming over his cheeks and nose. "Okay yeah that was pretty bad, sorry. You're right--" But then it turns out Sully is a Southie and Ty has to gather all his willpower to not bark out a laugh. He also just learned a new word-- ween.

When the song changes to Queen, he nods slowly with appreciation. "Great choice." And yes he is complimenting River. She gets a smile in return. "Oh yeah, I've been to a Bruins game. Couple, actually. So how did you all find out about this place?"

"Ah right. Of course I do. I have a Chava jersey," Sully tells River. "You a Canuck? You know why there's so many water fountains in Vancouver?" He doesn't wait for the reply -- it's an old joke, and she probably knows it. "Because there's no cups."

He moves back, out of her arm's reach in case she feels like punching him.

"You cannot go wrong with Queen. This is true. It's a truth universally acknowledged among anyone with musical taste." He looks at Ty, pointing one finger at the other man, then points to himself, "So performer, medical, and?" He looks to River. "Did you say and I went ADHD on you in the middle of it? I'm sorry if so. Hockey and music and whiskey and pink hair distracted me. I have excuses. Signed and notarized."

"I have no idea what a Southie is," River says over the rim of her whiskey glass. "This is really good, by the way, what am I drinking? I mean I know it's whiskey, for I am a worldly lady who is nearly thirty years old, but what kind?"

She looks relieved that everyone present is aware of the sport of hockey, only to shoot a mock glare at Sully as he sets up his joke. Yes, she knows this one. "HA HA," she literally says, "Yes, very funny, at least they get to live in CANADA though. You get all of the geese with none of the perks, down here."

Of course the job question comes back around on her though, and she nods a few times to acknowledge it before actually answering. "Um. I sell popcorn? Like with one of those..." she holds an arm out like she's circling a large stomach. "...Trays? And nah you're good, I hadn't said. You guys have cooler jobs."

"Someone who lives in South Boston. It's like, a very specific neighborhood." But Ty doesn't elaborate much after that, he just glances over at Sully and smiles apologetically again.

He's never heard this Vancouver hockey joke and actually blurts out a laugh into his cup as he takes a sip. Don't mind him making bubbles.

"Selling popcorn is pretty dope. I love popcorn. What, you'd rather run around in tights all day? Or I guess..." he looks over at Sully, "stitch someone up? Wait, what's like the worst thing that's happened to someone out here? I bet it's mostly like dehydration right?"

"Basically someone who looks like me, you might assume they're from South Boston, and have a pretty high chance of being right," Sully says diplomatically. "Blue collar, Irish. I love it there, though."

He gives River a dip of his head in concession to the point that the Canada is the better country. "What brought you this way?" he asks, before looking down at the drink in his hand, like the surface of the amber liquid might answer the question. "Oh. Teeling, single malt. Decent basic Irish whiskey." A beat. "Popcorn is delicious."

He looks over at Ty and tips his head. "Yeah, some abrasions, once in a while some illnesses. Had a guy that thought he was having a heart attack but it was just heartburn the other day. The usual problems. Once in a while a burn or broken finger from a performer. I haven't had anything too bad." He reaches over to knock on a table. Just in case.

"I'm not sure 'wearing tights all day' has the same negative connotation when you don't have a dick," River points out, tipping her glass at Ty. She's left blinking at Sully when he mentions people who 'look like him' though. She looks him over, clearly having no idea what this could mean, but does not ask further.

His explanation about the whiskey has her looking down at hers, as if that will tell her anything about it. It doesn't, but she nods along anyway. "I like it! And oh, um... well I lose my job? And saw an advertisement for this place hiring." Smiling, she shrugs, since it's not that deep. "So far so good, too!"

"Some of the best bars are there, if I'm honest," Ty admits with a small smile. There's no SHADE, just the stereotype.

He lifts his brows, thinking over that puzzle about tights when the lightbulb ignites. "Right."

As for the type of things Sully has had to deal with-- "Oh phew, okay. Those all seem pretty standard I guess. For a second I was like...do I need to up my insurance or something." He breaks out into somewhat nervous laughter then washes it down with a gulp of his drink. A bleary eyed look into the contents of his glass has him squinting. "I think I'm drunk? Wait, did we even exchange names? Woah! I'm Ty. Hi. Hello."

"Sorry to hear that," is a quic, sympathetic response to River's losing her job.

But then it's time for names and and Ty's introducing himself. "Ty-hi?" he repeats and teases, eyes crinkling around the corners again, before he offers a hand to shake, now that they're making things official. "Shannon Sullivan. If you had any doubt I was Irish. People call me Shan or Sully. Only my ma calls me Shannon."

He offers his hand to River next, brows lifting for her to supply her name.

"Oh im definitely drunk!" River says, sounding quite happy about it. But wait, have they not introduced themselves?! She blinks between the two men, only now realizing she doesn't know their names. Or, didn't. Since they've just introduced themselves.

"Oh! I'm River," she says, laughing as she takes Sully's hand. "Hi! And-- wait, do you two have roommates yet?!"

Ty snorts lightly at Sully's tease but shakes his hand nonetheless. He's in that too-smiley mode where everything's funny and he could be a heartbeat away from saying something embarrassing or just flat out falling asleep. "I like Sully. I'm going with Sully. Nice to meet you."

His attention then turns to River when she introduces herself. "Oh that's a cool name. And...no? But...why does it feel like I'm about to?"

"Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand," singsongs Sully, but unless you know the lyric, it'd be hard to place the song. He truly is tone deaf, but it doesn't stop him from trying. "It is a good name."

When River asks if they have roommates, he glances over at Ty, chuckling at the words. "Not yet. I've just been napping on one of the cots in the clinic until I had time to go look at the living quarters," he confesses, eyes darting from side to side as if someone might over hear and fire him for the admission. No one shows up to haul him away, though, so he grins. "I'm used to having a pretty small space but to myself, so I can't promise I'm a good roommate. The last time I was a roommate for any length of time was in med school, and neither of us were ever home, so it didn't really matter."

Now River seems to be inspiring song and she is eating this UP. "Just like that riverrr twisting throughhh a dusty laaand," she sings, her own voice quite pretty if a bit loud as she sings over whatever the jukebox has moved onto. And of course she does a little dance as she sings. Because it has already been established that she is A BIT drunk, and this is just the sort of drunk she is.

Also, perhaps fortuitously(?), she's also the sort of drunk who decides things like, "Oh we should all TOTALLY be roommates then! Right?" she looks between the two men, eyes bright with excitement for this idea. "If we all don't have roommates, and Sully doesn't even have an apartment, and we've already established we all have impeccable taste in music--" wait did they? "--then this is kismet. KISMET!"

"KISMET!" Ty echoes excitedly. Really, he just feeds off of everyone else's energy. "Okay sure! I have a bunch of instruments in storage so as long as no one minds a practice sesh from time to time. I'll try to reserve one of the rooms for that though. The rehearsal space. Let's do it. Three Roomielleros!"

What could go wrong living with strangers? Surely NOTHING.