To say that Arc was a bit surprised about how Josie's House of Jazz turned out to be would have been a bit of an understatement. With the Barrens address, the human had figured it would turn out to be some kinda dive like she was used to. She shyly nodded to Henri as they were let in, eyes blinking as she looked around in small wonder. It wasn't cheap or dirty by any means, yet didn't give off that air of superiority like at the Stardust. Refined...drek, I didn't think places like this could hold a spot around here... She was even more taken aback by meeting Josie himself, his smooth deep tones not matching the guttural look he gave off at first glance. Arc muttered a "nice to meetcha too" To the troll before they sat, ordering a soda for herself, for once finding herself not wanting any alcohol for a night.
After ordering the lamb as per Yelena's request and a moment of silence to herself, Marco arrived just as the Russian returned from practice. She gave a little nod of recognition as she scooched over a bit while the meal arrived. In regards to how she was feeling, she casually deflected the question away, directing the small talk between the two elves on their date. When Yelena stepped up again to go warm up, she listened to Marco's query about her neighborhood, nodding a bit in small understanding.
"I don't handle talks that well, but I can get you some pointers. You ain't gon' find a place round here that ain't territory of some gang or another. If it ain't the Ancients, it's the Howlers, or Halloweeners, or Turnpikes, to name a few. And it shifts too. Basically, you gon' need to keep on toes and make sure whateva gang is in control is on yo good side, ya heard? As for a place of...wuzzatusay...great evil drek?" She paused a bit, thinking to the battle against the blood spirit. So much death... She pulled up her AR map, sending the keeb a location. "This place was where the Barrens rallied against the Smiley fragger. Lotta geeked there. Sounds apropo eh?"
She was cut off as the group Yelena was in came on. The music...jazz...it definitely didn't evoke the same emotions Arc felt when listening to her metal. With her music, it was powerful, giving her strength, confidence, a primal surge of identity, if one will. This, however, the notes that wailed and sang into the air....passion, vulnerability, love. It reminded the human that jazz was also called soul music, and this music was certainly an extension of that thought. She smiled a bit, leaning back and sipping her drink as Marco invited her to dance. She paused, colors flaring on her cheeks as she wondered his angle. "...I got regrets, but the beef ain't with you. I'll dance, but that's just it. Am I clear?" This might have perplexed the keeb, but to Arc it was necessary to make that distinction: in Howler culture, dancing with another's vrukan was grounds for a fight. Regardless of Yelena's feelings or level of comfort with the idea, Arc wasn't about to step on bounds. So, taking his hand, in her worn jeans and tank, she joined the elf on the floor.
To say the human's step was awkward would have been a mild understatement, but by some miracle Marco was able to make it work, weaving and moving to the beats, directing the short girl in the subtle intricacies of jazz dancing. Her green eyes caught Yelena's briefly during a solo, showing a bit of enjoyment as she relaxed a bit, letting herself get swept up into the movement and the music. And just like that, it was over, the two were back at their seat, and Arc was having a smoke if no waitstaff objected. When Yelena returned, she shoved the shot of vodka to the older woman. "Frag, I thought you played good when we met...dayum..."
She was interrupted as Josie joined them, the human scooching over to the edge of the booth to allow seating room. She smiled as they all chatted up, especially the troll, who seemed all too happy to talk whenever he had the opportunity. "Man, I gotta say, you got nice digs here, Josie. Hella wiz. Kept it indie of the local hoopla too." She was referring to gang influence, but that may have been missed. And who cared, it was a night of stress easing, wearing on until it was near last call. Grabbing her jacket, she took one last swig of soda. "Well...I guess this is my queue, eh?"