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Disheartened? Disenchanted? Feeling just plain 'Dissed'?
If Valentine's Day has you down cause you have no one in your life with the societal expectation that you're going to spend half your paycheck on presents for them because Hallmark said you have to or you're a schmuck?
Come celebrate getting to keep your cash with us!
…and spend it at the Cigar Factory.
For all you single hep cats and cool chicks we are hosting a Bar Trivia night so we can think about everything other than the reminders that you are tragically single, or maybe just dodging a lot of bullets out there.
Either way: Go you and join us where winning a dinner for two means you'll have enough left over for lunch for tomorrow!
Can't wait to see you there
Your Host,
Reno M. Cordova
Charter Member of HALP (Harlem Assoc. for Lonely Persons)
"It's like I told you
Only the lonely can play"
Cigar Factory - Valentine's Day
Many were coming around to celebrate, lament, or accept singleness where they didn't have to watch couples make googy eyes and play kissy face. The Cigar Factory was offering a premium discount and the food smelled fantastic also being catered by Acreman's Deli. Off to the side there remained a bingo ball wheel with envelopes off to the side and on a stool, idly spinning, was the community crow and sometimes barber. Or maybe it was barber and sometimes crow? Either way Reno was in a good mood waving at people. When people filed in there were tables and each seat had a bingo ball on a stick to coordinate with this. At least it wasn't fastest buzzer.
"Hey everyone if folks wanna grab a sammich and get seated people be like comin round with your drinks and stuff. And please be nice to the bar. It's had a rough year and the staff's been super groovy. Oye, mis amigos, My name is Reno Cordova and, uh… you saw my flier! Good to see you guys can make it out. Lookin forward to havin fun with yous."
Danny is a frequent flier at Luke's Bar, not to mention there's a booth with a plaque with his name on it — well, his name on it because he got it put up there for Matt Murdock as a joke. But who's counting? He's seated up at the bar, however, at the moment, in more casual attire than his usual suits. He has on a comfortable pair of slacks and a dark blue sweater, his jacket hung off the back of the stool. He's already got a sandwich and a drink, bourbon, to start off the night.
While Valentine's is a wonderful night of romance to many, there are apparently enough who do not share in the pleasures it offers. A redhead with blue eyes, dressed somewhat like a PA for a not so pleasant boss, walks in presumably after finishing her work for the day and heads towards the bar. She finds herself an empty seat not far from Danny, she shifts her purse against her lap, and turns to survey those other unfortunate souls out here tonight.
This is Ollie's first time at the Cigar factory.
It seems a respectable establishment, despite what he's heard about bullet hole and what not. Something he can most definitely see himself going to more often. He is in very casual clothing today…no quiver. Though the bow doesn't make the man.
He smiles softly to Reno. "Heyo." he smiles then…singles awareness day for Ollie! woohooo!
Hajime walks in slightly later than he meant to, mostly because he had debated heavily on coming at all. He had class in the morning and a project due that he had finished a day after it was assigned but he really should be home checking and rechecking to be sure that he had everything perfect and- No. He needed to get out more often. Make actual friends and not just the band of other Orientals from his school that he stuck with for safety reasons. It would be fun. It was also a /trivia night/. Hajime was brilliant. Trivia would be a great way for him to get out there.
So after much internal debate, he does decide to go, showing up in jeans and a nice dress shirt, casual and not. Though, he's nervous, evidence by the rigid way he holds his body as he does enter. He gets a drink, immediately, to try and loosen himself up, hanging near the bar for now.
Cannonball tries not to go to too many bars that aren't the one he works in, just for loyalty's sake, but he's aparently begged off for the night because here he is, apparently single, and wearing super tight jeans.
It's a singles event, and while Thea's never really taken part in one before.. so be it. The hair is down in golden waves, and the dress is red and flattering for holiday festiveness. Lipstick and heels match the dress, and the accessories are sparkly but subtle. She'd pondered whether or not to come, but it's Luke's bar and she likes the guy. Might as well give him some more business, as well as a wink and a wave as she moves to gather a sandwich and a seat. She'll smile brightly, with a wave to Oliver. "Hello there, stranger."
Clint has been pre-gaming. Not because he's love lorn or sad sacking around town. But because it's after 5pm and why the hell not? With the myriad single ladies going around on valentines day trying to console themselves at the local bars, he has been schmoozing it up and having a good ol' time. The archer's got a warm buzz on, relaxed and just floating along with his douchebag mirrored sunglasses stuck in the top of an actual button down shirt, faded purple, not tucked in, though he swears it was when he started the night off. All easy smiles and casual walkin', he still has the faintest of limps but is done with the cane he was hobbling around with.
Clint makes for the sammiches as promised, glancing Reno's way while he chats the room up. A couple words to the bartender and a sly smile, he pushes off and gets settled in.
A fuckin' martini, straight up, will get brought to Ollie. Because that's what rich boys like, right?
Reno swivled idly perched on his stool and gestured to everyone with his index and last finger informing, "Cool cool, right so like you got these lil bingo ball things on sticks, you know to keep em from rollin around and gettin lost on the floor. Then people might like trip and stuff and like those three ladies got some fancy shoes and might like break an ankle or something." He paused slightly distressed, "Yeah I won''t want that happenin t'you so anywas! like you got a number and I'm a turn this lil wheel and grab a number and you get first dibs to pick somethin and you get it right? Cool. You get it wrong yous gotta take a drink and we ask the next person." He paused and flipped the instruction card over to read the back that was blank. "Dude," he called over the bar and asked to someone in the back, "Bro like what if you know stuff? Why these people not allowed to drink it's a bar dude? You not know how this works or somethin?"
Sighing Reno looked to everyone and waved a hand, "Don' listen to Enrique. Drink when you want. Okay! First question! The average human body contains how many pints of blood?" He turned the wheel thing and pulled a number out of it and looks to Hajime and says, "B10 - Hey man that's you. What's your name dude and uhhhh how man y pints of blood the human body hold. More so how many of those can we replace with beer before we got a problem?" he paused and offered, "Second one's a bonus question. Askin' for a friend, man."
Cannonball definitely doesn't turn down food…and beer, and gets some of both. It aint southern to refuse an offered meal. He recognizes a few people and grins, then turns a chair around backwards and straddles it to listen. He leans over towards Clint and asks, "Hey…is that 'bout…four gallons or somethin?"
Hajime is surprised when he gets the first question but he beams when he hears it. This is right in his field of interest. "The human body holds 8 pints of blood. How much beer you can drink before you start making really bad decisions though is a math question based on how much you weigh, what gender you are, many things." He says easily and it settles him. Surgeon in the making, after all.
Danny swivels his seat around so that he can watch the room and those gathered, and watch folks answering the questions. He takes in a familiar face or two and all the unfamiliar ones with interest. He lifts his glass at Reno in greeting and then settles back. He looks over toward Hajime to see whether or not he gets the question right, then lets his attention shift through the room.
"That's not a fair comment," Natalie calls from her seat by Danny, grinning at Hajime, "suggesting that your gender affects how well you drink is sexist, isn't it?" Not really, but she doesn't seem aware of it, either way, taking it as a playful slight. She still keeps away from drinks or food, and not being in anyway involved with any of those present, she doesn't greet anyone. Hey, if she knew someone she wouldn't be alone on Valentine. Probably.
Reno checked the card and looked up to Hajime, "No way that don't sound like very much. Wonder if that's the same between tall people and like me." He paused and eyes the patched bullet hole in the wall. He paused, looked at Danny, back to the wall and said with a nod to his buddy there and the room, "Hey, Danny, let's not find out, yeah?" He grinned shaking his head and stuffed his hand in the ball barrel. Looking at the ball he grinned, "Heeey, this one for the guy in the purple shirt. //'In 1960, which country became the first in the world to have a female Prime Minister?'" He paused and furrowed his brow, "That like a President or something? How come England got that and like a Queen? Maybe they can't make up their minds. I dunno. I'll have to take a trip and ask. Dude, best guess and uhhhhh I help you out. It ain't the United States!" Very helpful Reno.
Ollie finger guns at Thea with a smile. "Hey there." before he accepts the drink from Clint. "my man." he high fives him before he sits back and watches the show…"heh, oh geez." he looks though to Natasha, giving her a big wave. "Heya Nat!"
Thea smiles at the sight of the other archer with whom she is acquainted. She'll stray that way, a lean in to mutter something about the question. Probably about alcohol consumption, and other various factors. Then, slightly less muttery. "When were you going to come see me for help, Clint?" She'll ask, brown eyes glancing up at his face. She'll fall silent, glancing towards Reno when Clint is picked for the next question.
Cannonball looks over at Clint when he gets the question that has nothing to do with America. "I aint been north a New York, cept maybe on accident, sure as heck not anywhere else."
"Yeah, let's not find out," Danny chuckles to Reno and takes a swallow from his glass of bourbon, a slightly amused shake of his head following. There's a sandwich though, and he picks that up and begins to make his way through it while he glances over to see if Clint knows the answer to the next question. It doesn't seem that he knows anyone aside from Reno, but that doesn't seem to bother him.
Sam leans over to mention something to Clint and he smirks. "Hey, you're the doc, shouldn't you know?" He winks at Sam and holds a hand out in offering to shake the tight-pants man. "How's it going? It's been a while since I've run into you." Clint on the other hand procures yet another drink and mutters into the mouth of it to Sam once more. "I know I can lose about 4 pints before I pass out. Three and a half, maybe." Smirking. Because of COURSE he knows how much he can lose.
As 'Guy In Purple Shirt', Clint looks down at his chest, then smiles as he lurks on the outskirts of the gathering, jutting his chin at Reno over his question, he barely misses a beat, catching that high five from Ollie as the other archer walks by. "I've got you, Queenie." Then raises his voice for Reno. "Aw hell, that was the weeping widow, Uh…Bandersnatchenkowski or whatever." He squints and licks his lower lip, trying to remember. "Her husband got popped uhhh, shit one of those small places. That island south of India? Got that curry I like." He snaps his fingers, trying to find the country on the tip of his tongue. A quick distraction by Thea, he smiles wide at her. "Huh? Oh. I got distracted. I'll still come see you. I promised, didn't I? I keep mostsomeI keep my promises to you, how's that?"
Barton then snaps his fingers and points at Reno, bursting, "Ceylon! That was is." Because assassinations. "The Weeping Widow, in Ceylon, with the candlestick."
Natalie looks at Ollie when he calls at her, vague familiarity at best reflects in her eyes, though she does offer a polite inclination of her head. She may well have seen him during work, and best not to offend any customers or relations of the boss.
Ollie seems to lose some of his cheerful composure as Nat doesn't visibly appear to recognize him minus a small nod of her head. Man, he was forgotten quick….;_;
Regardless! he ofers a kind smile to Reno as he asks people questions, simply sipping on his drink as he watches the festivities. a crack of his neck though as he really….really notices that it's singles awareness day.
Talk about feeling alone.
Reno looked at the card tilting his head birdlike, adn then the other way. "Aaaaah eyah that ain't what it sayin on teh card. I ain't sure which is what but neither of these say Butterscotchsumthin, man." He grinned with a snicker looking back to Danny and then Ollie raisin his glass. "Hey Danny man you travel. You wann ahelp em out, or like better yet find out if this prime minister lady is single? Introduce em so he can learn geography from 'er?"
Hajime shakes his head when Natalie accuses him of being sexist and raises the hand not holding his glass up in mock surrender. "Male and female bodies process alcohol completely differently, miss. There are a lot of factors. Age too." He transfers his attention to the more handsome than should be legal blond as he gets the next question.
Danny shrugs his shoulders when Reno turns and looks to him, "Don't think it's anyplace I've been," he admits with a bit of a laugh. "Guess I need to drink." He lifts his glass and takes a swallow from the contents of it and defers to someone else with a better knowledge of recent world history.
Cannonball helps them all out and says with grace and beauty, "It was yer mom…"
A voice called out from the back all in Spanish which made Reno hold up a finger, "Que? Dude! What'chu mean they's the same damn thing? 'Rique if they change the name of the country you have to put like the maiden name of the Country on there… yeah I don' need your help lookin like an idiot." He sighed and looked to Danny. "New Quession for you man cause that wasn' cool. Port Said…wait there's a note sayin it's called //Port Sah-eed is in which North African country? Still Geography. Bam!" he looked up to Clint, "Yeah you's right man. I owe you a beer."
Natalie doesn't seem like she was expecting a retort from Hajime, as she grins and shrugs, clearly not a medical student herself, "I guess I'll have to take your word for it…if we get into a drinking contest we'll just miss out the rest of the game, right?"
"You're kidding, aw man," Clint clicks his tongue against the backs of his teeth, and though he has a competitive streak a mile long, he doesn't seem too put out when that one's counted as wrong. Giving Danny a look, he smiles crookedly and shrugs helplessly. "Aw, well." Then elbows Sam square in the ribs. Sliding Captain Tight Pants a sly smile.
Wait, then it's correct? Hell yes! Barton lifts his hand up in victory. "I never forget an assassination. Or a grieving widow." Uh, Clint?
Danny can't help but laugh at Clint's antics, distracted enough to almost miss the fact that he was asked another question. Squinting at Reno he says, "My knowledge of Geography at that level is a lot better in Asia than North Africa." He has to think about it for a bit and then he finally comes up with, "Egypt?" because really, it's kind of an obvious guess, and it's clear he's not sure that he's gotten it right.
She'll sigh, a look at Clint, before Thea will glance back at Reno. "Distracted. Right." There will be that warmth and tingling he knows along his leg, even as Thea will wander barwards. She needs whiskey, stat, before she'll slide money over. Then she'll eye the crowd, pondering eating her sandwich. She skipped lunch earlier, working on paperwork. Hmm.
Olli just watches on amusedly, shaking his drink as questions are hit and miss and people have apparently started shouting out from across the way. heh…people are great.
Reno grinned to Danny and nodded enthusiastically, "Heeey good job man, you right. Good job!" Cuervo took a drink and opened the next envelope and held up a finger, hand still holding his beer. "Ok ok ok, this one is goin tooooo, Oh the Lady with the red plumage there." He pointed to Natalie, "Which famous poet wrote 'An Ode to a Nightingale'?" He paused and squint at the card sighing with a roll of his eyes ceiling ward. "Like Enrique now anythin about poetry." He paused and called to the back, "IT was not William Blake. He like be writin Tiger Tiger and the Poison Tree an' stuff. Scribblin on a bar napkin don't make you a poet, Enrique, it makes you a graffiti artist." He sighed and looked to Natalie so she can answer knowing a weird amount about poetry apparently. Hey they said it was for the birds right?
"Distraction happens, Thea, c'mon now," Clint retorts with a fond sounding chortle in his throat. "Like any man's going to avoid you without a good reason first." Lifting his beer bottle up for the blond lady. Muttering in Sam's direction. "Phew, didn't get that one. I know shit about shit about poetry that doesn't start with 'There once was a man from Nantucket'."
Captain Tightpants arches a brow at Clint when he starts talking about assassinations and widow sex. At least, that's what he assumes. He does still grin at him. "We run into each other now and then, huh? I ain't gonna get mah question right, I can tell already."
"I do happen to fancy poetry, I appreciate the question," Natalie says with a beaming smile, taking a moment to consider, before she eventually calls out, "John Keats," as her answer. The comments from the host of the game do make her stiffle a laugh.
Thea shakes her head, a long glance at Clint. She'll increase that heat and tingling, just a moment, as a response. Some people may disagree with your opinion on avoiding her, Barton, but she does do a damned good job of healing. Even as she drinks.
Ollie seems to give Nat a thumbs up at her answer before looking over to Thea and Clint, chuckling a moment at their exchange before he just watches on!
After awhile, Hajime doesn't even need to keep drinking to enjoy being here, being around all these people isn't becoming a chore, so much as a fun outing, relaxing in a way he hadn't thought he'd feel. Maybe he should start studying in bars.
Reno warmed a smile back to Nat, "Heeeeey see you know what's up. You wanna stick around in an hour and tell 'Rique how to read a dang book and not make up stuff we can start with Frost." That card with the wrong answer got flung over his shoulder indiscriminately and got wedged in one of the pictures on the wall. "Neeeeext one." He pulled the ball and pointed to Sam, "You're tall you got this one man. What is the land of the giants called in Gulliver's Travels? Ooooh hey I know that on! They like made a movie too. Note to all you? Go see that movie."
"Well…ah guess 8th grade did come in handy. I think it was Lilla-put?" Sam arches his brows to see if he's right on that one, a fair guess, if accented.
Reno had been drinking and really was just not too intent on teh rules where the points don't matter. "Yeah that's the one withthe lil dudes. WHere he from tho? Like land of the big dudes. An' I don't mean Jotunheim… don' ask why I know that one. Long story. Bad date." Sure that he can say. He looked to Thea and pointed, "You wanna help em out cause this one hard as hell t' pronounce."
Danny continues to enjoy the rest of his drink, but eventually he sets his glass down on the bar and begins to make his way toward the exit after covering the tab for those playing trivia around him. He gives Reno a little salute and a grin, and then slips out for the evening.
Thea looks at Reno, sipping her bourbon. "Brobdingnag." She'll just say it out right without pause, before she'll polish off her bourbon. A glance at Sam, a hint of a smile and a shrug. Then it's back to the bar for more booze, before she'll crowd watch again.
It's not that Clint doesn't recognize the warmth in his ankle. It's more like he doesn't wanna get yelled at for outing Thea. But he will try to connect a glance with the nurse and flash a quick wink at her. Yeah. He gets it. Thank you. He claps Sam on the shoulder and chuckles to himself over the quick-talking hosts's antics.
Reno pulled the next card nodding to THea with a grin, "Seee she knows what's up. Should let her explain the movie or somethin. We call this 'enabling'." He winked to Sam and fished around for another bingo ball and pointed to Ollie Queen, "Man withthe plan, ooh you got a tough one. "Okay what 1950 musical features the song Luck be a Lady?" He paused and said, "I dunno if that's proper English but is a hell of a song, man. What'chu got?"
Hajime stays a good long while, longer than his parents would likely approve of him being out especially when there was class tomorrw, he's sure he'll receive some sort of lecture the following morning about work ethic but he's having too much fun, enjoying the wildness of others.
Ollie shrugs a moment then as he looks to Reno. "Hah, not fair…I don't know musicals. Ummm….Guys and Dolls?" he answers confusedly like he was definitely not confident in this answer.
Reno looked impressed and pointed the car at Ollie, "Dude, that's troo, is totally true man. I'll tell you what, I got to break into the theater, turn out when you dress up like an usher they make you do usher stuff. Got paid though. Oh! and we got to see the thing. Those cats is way talented lemme tell you. We got a whole city of people that punch things nad stick to stuff and a few that's like non-stick but that's some far out talent on it's own. Okay like…Um" he looked through the cards and announced, "Okay so the rest of the cards is blank cards and either that means that like Enrique forgot to fill em out, or like if you wanna fill em out and give em back to me an' they don't have no bogus information about my by William Blake on there turn them back into me and thank you for playin guys." That said he started handing cards out to folks.