Looking for someone (open!)

[Macbeth]

Macbeth examined her face thoughtfully, then turned to order another round of drinks for both of them--and she bumped herself up from beer to gin and tonic for good measure. "You're living over at Duane Street, ain'cha?" she said gruffly, figuring a change of subject was in order. "I think I've seen you around."

[Svetlana]

"Da," she replied with a nod, snapping herself out of her current train of thought. "As long as I have been here, that is the only part of the city I know well." When they first arrived, her brother had moved them both from house to house quickly, never really thinking that any were good enough, safe enough, or clean enough for the two of them to live. She never really got the chance to know any other lodgers or neighborhoods because they were always moving.

However, now that they were at Duane Street and it appeared that they would be staying for quite some time, she still found it hard to meet others. As for exploring the neighborhood, well, her brother still kept denying her requests for that, too.

"Have you been at Duane Street long?"

[Macbeth]

"Ain't actually there no more," she explained. "I only lived there for three months or so. Got an apartment over by the bridge now, with, um...a friend. But I still swings by the lodging house a lot--my best pal, Ershey, lives there, you met her?"

[Svetlana]

"No," she answered softly. "I do not know, maybe I have seen her, but I do not know many of the others." Or any of them, really. "Everybody seems so busy."

[Macbeth]

Macbeth tossed back some gin and smirked at her again. "Oh, there's ways to get their attention, but I don't think you want me coaching you." Yes, a lot of people knew Macbeth or knew about her, but most of them probably spoke of her with a liberal sprinkling of expletives. Clearly not the sort of social interaction this girl was looking for.

Still, Beth did have a weakness for lonely people. And a loathing for overprotective types. And she'd been out of trouble for far too long. "You oughta come by and visit me and Risk sometime," she said innocently. "Bring that brother o' yers if he won't let ya come alone."

[Svetlana]

"I can try, maybe," Svetlana shrugged. "If I can get my brother to sit still for more than five minutes before disappearing again. I do not know where he goes or what he does.... Sometimes, I think that I do not wish to know."

Her eyes widened as she saw how big the crowd had gotten. How could so many people fit into one building?? "You know," she laughed, "I think I may have to come here more. This place, it is fun."

[Macbeth]

Beth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's fun central all right. Cheap booze and cheap vaudeville." She scanned the crowd. "I oughta introduce you to folks, if I can find anyone I know who's willing to speak to me..."

((Oy, someone come join us! ^_^))

[Svetlana]

((agreed! my characters could use some friends, haha! And this poor girl could totally go for some corruption))

"Do you know a lot of these people here?" Svetlana asked. Her forehead wrinkled slightly. There was no way that anyone could know this any people, she decided. That had to be impossible. "That queston, it was silly, wasn't it?"

[Macbeth]

"Not especially," Macbeth said, raising an eyebrow. "I usually knows a few of 'em. Most of 'em hates my guts, but you can't really blame 'em, can ya?" She swigged her gin. "Honestly, I don't actually like most people. Ain't sure why I'm being all friendly to you." Because this was Beth's idea of friendly.

[Leo]

((aww hope its alright if I bring Leo in? He'd think Svetlana is sweet))

Leo rubbed his eyes for a moment as he entered behind the bar, nodding to Charlie. Since the crowds were getting busy during the holiday season, he was getting shifts more and more, which was good- if he wasn't so exhausted from the day at the veterinarian's. He needed the bartending job more than ever, since the animal doctor didn't pay him yet, but it was getting more than he could handle.

He tossed a towel over his shoulder and glanced down the row of customers at the bar. Charlie was handling a few factory men down at one end, and he leaned forward, smiling at the pair of ladies. He recognized one from the lodging house, but not the other.

"Do you ladies need a refill?"

[Macbeth]

((YES. ;D))

"I ain't a fucking lady," Macbeth snapped automatically, then glanced from the vaguely familiar newsboy to her new Russian acquaintance with a somewhat sly expression. "This one, though, she could use a--what's yer name anyway?" she demanded of the Russian girl, realizing they'd kind of skipped introductions.

[Svetlana]

((haha yaaaaay!))

"Svetlana," Svetlana replied quickly. She finished her drink and swiped her hand across her face, removing the hair from in front of her eyes. She looked over at Leo and smiled shyly. Oh, if her brother could see her now!

"I would like another drink, yes... thank you."

She looked back over at Macbeth, her forehead wrinkling slightly. "What is your name?"

[Leo]

Leo sort of jumped at Macbeth's rudeness, but reached to fill up the other girl's drink, handing it to her with a friendly grin.

[Macbeth]

"Macbeth," she replied, then looked back at Leo. "Better be careful, kid, she's got an overprotective big brother," she said with a wicked smirk. Apparently, she was in the mood to make everyone uncomfortable.

[Svetlana]

Svetlana's face turned bright red at that and, shyly, she took her drink from him. "Thank you," she said quietly before taking a sip.

Carefully, she set her glass down on the bar. "He is not here, Macbeth," she reminded the other girl with a laugh. "He does not know that I am here."