2025-01-07 - Hokey Pokey

It's a Tuesday night and the beat is pumping, a bit of techno house going on down on the floor as the younger crowd dances the evening away. There are people on the raised tiers seated at the tables and in the private booths toward the back and top of the club. The tiki bar is open on the inside, but not on the outside tonight -- too chilly. Though some people stumble out onto the beach to get a breath of chill air after the warmth of the dance floor every so often.

Alan, better known as DJ Escape, is in the DJ booth keeping the beats flowing from one to the other. Its a fairly low booth with an open window out onto the floor where people can come and lean up against the wall below and talk to him over the thump of the music. He's talking to a couple of people, each with glasses in hand. One woman lifts a glass up to him, which he takes and salutes her her with before draining it entirely and handing it back.

This is not Theo's usual scene but he decided he wanted to check this club out in particular. He tends to hang out with those closer to his age and maybe he was the scout to see if this place was worth to chill with his friends. He has a glass in his hand with something that looks amber in coloring. Making his way to the DJ booth where DJ Escape is. Projecting his voice, "Hey!" Standard greeting right? At least it is for Theo as he salutes the other man with his glass when he's not busy entertaining the woman and whoever else. "Nice vibes here!" Then he takes a sip of his drink.

Blaze is still living out of boxes, so she has no business heading out. That doesn't seem to stop the newest park employee, even if it should. Dressed in a pair of low-rise jeans and a tank top, her many tattoos on full display, she hardly fits in with the normal crowd. Despite that, a smile easily tugs to her lips and she moves past the front door and further into the club; a b-line made for the bar. Step one, drink, step two, uhh...make it up as you go along.

The club itself caters to all ages, with under 21 nights for the younger crowd. Tonight is not one of those nights so there is booze flowing and the crowd is a fairly diverse cross-section of guests from the park and some employees taking a bit of downtime to dance. Blaze doesn't seem particularly out of place among them.

Alan is dressed in a pair of hip hugging black jeans and an electric blue tank top, a few thin bracelets with small silver charms on them around one wrist and a couple of rings on the other hand. He's sporting a bit of eyeliner and it's unclear if the light shimmer of glitter along one shoulder came from someone else or from him.

What might be strange up close are the curling swept-back horns that come to a point on either side of his head, partially hidden within his hair, and the very sharp nature of his smile. Those teeth are a little too sharp. "Hey," he says to Theo with a grin. "Thanks. You got any requests?"

After work, woo! There are so many corners of the park to explore, and Louise has found herself in this one. Band tee and ripped jeans, no makeup, and excessively long hair twisted up in a messy almost-bun, and most importantly, a drink in hand as she sits at the bar and bops in place to the DJ’s jams, taking advantage of a brief lull to yell “I dig your groovy tunes, man,” and then snorts to herself because she at least finds herself funny. When Blaze ends up conveniently nearby, Lou tilts her head back to look at her, and asks - without preamble - “What d’you would be the weirdest song request to make?”

There was a jacket or something, but who knows where it is? Theo is seen in a black tank top, black jeans, and black shoes. There was an attempt to put his hair in place, but it was bouncing everywhere. There are tattoos of gold on his body. It must be a recent thing because it doesn't look like tattoos, and it doesn't hurt. Also, his eyes are like mood rings. He is having a good time, and they shine gold as he hears Alan speak to him. "Uhhh... how about Move by Adam Port?" It seems appropriate with a crowd like this. The title alone says such. Not sure who he sees in the crowd but up nods given to those that might be familiar to him.

Once she's reached the bar and put her drink order in, Blaze turns around and gives the room another look, "They didn't have places like this back home.." She unconsciously reaches up and slides her fingers through her short brown hair. Louise interrupted whatever thoughts she had, and Blaze turns her attention over, a single eyebrow lifting, followed by a laugh, "wedding march?" Her shoulders lift in a non-commital shrug, "Either that or the hokey pokey." She offers her hand to Lou, "Hey, I'm Blaze."

She then looks over to where Theo and Alan are talking, catching bits of conversation when she can.

Alan gives an up-nod and a flash of a smile to Louise for the compliment from where he moves to set up the next song, blending one into the next as he bobs his head along with the beat. His eyes close briefly as one song blends into the next, and once it's done he leans back over toward Theo to take his request. "Alright. I'll work it in," he says as he goes looking through what he has to see if he's got it ready on hand.

On the floor, people are certainly moving and grooving and enjoying the warmth that fills the club. There is a couple on the floor that moves like they are professionals, perhaps performers from one of the attractions in the park.

“Oh my god,” Louise says, but appreciatively, with a press of her lips that threatens to be a smile. “I was thinking Cheeseburger in Paradise, but I wonder how many we could get to actually do the Hokey Pokey. ” The handshake is preceded with a point, a lift of the eyebrows, a look that would be serious if there weren’t mischief in it. “If I do it, you gotta turn yourself about.” Nobody asked for this, Lou. But then she takes the other woman’s hand, shaking, unabashedly eyeing tattoos. “Blaze,” she repeats, and nods. “I’m Lou. First time at Spellbound?” She didn’t miss that earlier comment.

Blaze’s tats are eye catching, Theo’s got his whole thing going on (she doesn’t know him - doesn’t stop her returning a nod), and it leaves Lou pursing her lips. “I should get a tattoo.” Right now it’s just freckles. Could be the beer talking though, she tips that up and then puts a hand next to her mouth to call out again, “Play the hokey pokey.” Then Blaze gets a thumbs up. Look, they’re doing it. Whatever it is.

Theo is perfectly fine to just hang out by the DJ booth and sip his whatever this is. He told the tender to surprise him and the tender did! Grinning when he hears Alan, "Hopefully, no one really pays attention to the words." He did happen to catch Louise mention hokey pokey and is amused about that.

"Right? You can't go to a bar and not do the hokey pokey? If you are, then what kind of life are you having?" She laughs again, "I'm only turning myself around, and all of the other moves if you join me. I can't be the only one."

She reaches back and claims her drink, "mmhmm." is her answer as she brings the glass to her lips, "Thought I would see what all the fuss was about, plus who doesn't love amusement parks? It's; well it's not what I expected."

Blaze gives Louise an unabashed look, "Maybe. At least that depends on where you plan on getting it. I have them, pretty much everywhere." her eyes sparkle with amusement. She then looks over at Theo and grins, "Going to come dancing with us?" That attention then shifts to Alan, and she is momentarily pulled away from her drink, and towards the DJ, "Are..are those horns?"

The song that was playing blends into Move by Adam Port as it fills the dancefloor and people get into the swing. He sways a little bit from side to side and then leans down into the window, arms folded on its surface, leaning over Theo's shoulder to glance at what he has in his glass. Then he catches Louise there and a slow smile spreads over his lips and he mouths I got you back to her.

When Blaze calls Theo out to go dancing he leans over and says, "The ladies are calling you, Golden. You should dance. It's your song." He can't quite hear Blaze from where he is but he can see her looking at him and he winks at her before straightening back up and dancing a little to the music from within the booth.

The drink in Theo's hand is likely Long Island Iced Tea He just never got the name of it when he asked for the surprise. He offers the rest to Alan when he does that lean over his shoulder. "Here. You finish it. I got a dance I should tend to." He winks at Alan. "If you ever take a break, I'll dance with you next."

He moves in the direction of Blaze and Louise. He asks, "Who am I dancing with?" Gold eyes look from one woman to the next. He only moved because Alan let him know what he had missed in being close to the booth where the music is louder. He's already moving as if he knows this song. He probably does. He did request it.

“That’s what I’m saying,” Lou agrees with Blaze, evident satisfaction in her voice. How long her personal motto has involved the Hokey Pokey can be counted in seconds, but she’s rolling with it — and it’s only the more gratifying to get Alan’s buy in. She raises her drink in acknowledgement. Look at this, they get her.

“I don’t suppose it’s what any of us expected,” she responds wryly, because hello understatements. And with that, she raises her bottle to clink with Blaze’s drink, because it’s as good a toast as any, and drains the rest — she’s ready to get up, because dances have been promised with new claimed partners in shenanigans. When Blaze asks about the horns, Lou takes a second to catch up, skimming until she zeroes back in on their trusty DJ, currently her personal hero if he comes through - “Shit, I didn’t notice,” she muses. “He’s got a whole thing, doesn’t he?” It’s all eye catching, the whole look, but the parameters for normal shift rapidly in this place. Alan, Theo too with all that gold; she gives him an appraising look as he comes over like a good sport. “Shiny,” she comments, before answering his actual question. “Both?” A glance at Blaze. “Both is good. You better know your left from right though or it’ll throw the whole thing off.”

Blaze laughs as she moves to the dance floor, "Just when I thought I've seen everything there is to see." This song might not be the hokey pokey, but when Theo and Lou join her on the dance floor, she gives them each a grin, followed by her doing the moves from the hokey pokey; complete with putting her right foot in and out and turning around, which is followed by another laugh.

"Honestly, I'm trying to figure out if they're real or not. Do other creatures live here? Wait." She pauses, "Don't tell me mythical creatures are real." Given Theo's golden appearance, he is the newest one that Blaze turns her attention to, "Why are you gold?" tact doesn't seem to be her strength.

Bringing her hands up to her to her mouth, she cups them so she can make her voice louder, "You aren't going to join us?" To Alan. After all, he could probably manage ONE dance.

Accepting drinks from strangers is generally not the best practice but Alan isn't feeling that wise at the moment, so he takes the glass from Theo and takes a sip. "Will you?" he asks, "Hmm. I'll think about it." And then he's watching Theo go off to join Louise and Blaze while the song plays on. He does have a whole thing. Well, a couple of whole things anyways. Bobbing his head along in time with the beat, he fiddles around behind the decks in front of him, occasionally watching the crowd. He tilts his head a little bit when Blaze cups her hands to her mouth and shouts. He can't hear a damn thing she's saying but he gets the general gist, lifting a wrist and tapping it. He's on the clock. This is work. Then he mouths back, When I'm on break.

Theo is not usually that bold in his words, says to Alan. It has to be the alcohol.

Since Theo is with the ladies, he tells them both about Alan's horns. "They look pretty cool. I have heard there is at least one more person around here who has them." Grinning when he is told it would be both that Theo would dance with. This doesn't seem to be an issue with him. "Got you." This is said to Louise. He is ready to do the hokey pokey, and hopefully, he doesn't fall on his ass doing it.

When Blaze asks him that question about being gold, he contemplates telling her the truth or coming up with a story. He is a storyteller-singer at Lamplight. A snort. "I think this is from the NYE event. My roomie and I woke up changed."

Louise is downright delighted that Blaze plays along - she’s not much of a laugher but she does now, leaning in to give a directive over the music, “You gotta shake it all about.” crucial step. She’s not much of a dancer either, not exceptionally graceful, decidedly not sensual, but she can hit the rhythm and there’s at least unselfconscious enthusiasm in the way she does it, bopping pleasantly along with the tune (even if it’s no hokey pokey). Speaking of which — Alan’s refusal to dance? She catches that, and she gives him a narrow eyed look and very purposefully mimes the hand in, hand out, shake it all about move. You know. To entice.

Oh fine. She looks back to the companions,with a snort of agreement for Blaze’s comments. What is real, anyway. As for mythological creatures? “Ok, I won’t,” she promises - just to leave it mysterious. Theo’s explanation gets a look back at him, sharp and thoughtful, if only briefly. Oh NYE. “That was a hell of a thing, wasn’t it?” she says, eyeing those markings with fresh interest. “Guess I won’t ask for your tattoo artist. Does it feel…” She doesn’t actually finish the question, leaves it open ended, shakes her head. “Think now we put our whole selves in,” she suggests helpfully.

She might jump in and out of the circle a few times to the music, her hands and feet moving; and she manages not to trip; win! Blaze's version of dancing is less graceful but not as bad as a flailing giraffe. She gives Alan a wave of understanding or tries to, before her hands move into the next move of the dance. "Damn, seriously? Feel like I moved here at the wrong time. So far, I haven't seen anything except the four walls of my new room, and where I'll be working."

In case he didn't hear her earlier introduction, "I'm Blaze. Just moved here." She then looks between Louse and Theo, "uhh, well, for me, I got most of these when I was a teen when I was growing up, so pretty sure my tattoo artist would be hard to track down." Then back to Theo, "So you just woke up gold? You can't turn things gold, can you?"

Eventually Theo's song comes to an end and that is when the .. well.. it's definitely not a familiar version of the hokey pokey, but it is a Techno Kidz version of the Hokey Pokey. There's a momentary pause in the crowd, and then some laughter, and then some folks really get into it, putting their hands in and their hands out in time with the techno beat. Up in the booth Alan points to Louise and bobs his head and then starts doing the hokey pokey right along with them, his hand bouncing, palm down. Then swapping to the left when the song calls for it, grinning.

This is where Theo goes along with the hokey pokey when that song comes on, and his has ended. Grinning to himself as he plays along with the song. Still in conversation with the two who are closer to him than the DJ.

"It sure was a hell of a thing." He agrees with Louise's words. He's been chewing on that thought since he woke up changed and trying to figure out what goes where.

"It doesn't hurt. It feels like it has been there the whole time. Strange." When Louise talks about putting their whole self in, Theo does that move now and wiggles about. But he raises his hands in the air as if he doesn't care. Likely looking like a tree branch or something in that movement.

"Nice to meet you, Blaze. You can call me Prince Theo." Flashing her a grin when he says that. Shaking his head in the negative. "Naw, all cosmetic. I think that is it."

The song comes in and Louise falters, shooting a look towards the DJ booth as though to double check she’s hearing correctly. Oh yes. Alan gets a beaming smile, both her hands thrust in the air in victory. Some people get horns, some people are gilt, let this be her legacy. She jumps right into the moves right along with Alan, finishing a round with a ‘shake it all about’ that ends on a silent mimed applause in his direction. Well played, DJ Escape.

“Very strange,” she agrees, lightly - it’s not easy to speak heavily when doing this dance. “But at least it’s pretty.” There are worse traits to exhibit. “Bet you’re going to see plenty soon,” she adds for Blaze, though whether that’s reassuring or alarming is up to interpretation. “I’m Lou!” She adds in after the round of introductions — then throws herself back into fully hokey pokeying for as long as the music allows.

Only when the song ends does she flash Alan another smile and wave, give her newfound friends and enthusiastic thumbs up, and drift back to the bar to grab another drink.

When both the ladies go back to the bar to get drinks or to sit for a spell, that is when Theo comes back to the booth. He asks Alan, "What is your favorite song? Do you ever get to play what you might want to play?" He is curious. Did he introduce himself? He doesn't remember, so he does it again. "Theo. I know your real name isn't Escape. But if that is what you want to be called, I can do that. But if you want to tell me your legal name, I'll hear it. Or if I am too nosy, you can tell me to butt out." He's amused either way. Not seeming to mind either way in whatever way Alan might want to answer. Or not at all. He's just here to have a good time.

As the Hokey Pokey becomes something else entirely, another dance hit, Alan goes back to his bobbing along behind the window, moving in time with the beat. When he glances over and sees Theo standing there, he moves over to lean against the window's again. As for his favorite song? He shakes his head. "Too many," with a laugh. As for whether he gets to play what he might want to play. "All the time."

"My legal name," Alan laughs. "DJ Escape isn't an illegal name." But then he relents and says, "Alan is my actual name. Nice to meet you, Theo."