Step up to the Microphone {Maelea}

[Maelea Mareaux]

"Aww, you got some girl friends? What does your bou think bout tha?" She might've noticed flirting but she honestly didn't think it was real. In her mind he was just being a sweet good old boy and it had absolutely nothing to do with her. Some guys also flirted by reflex part of their personality and all that, so yet another reason not to take him seriously.

Swirling the liquid in the glass again she was glad that he didn't notice the past tense in her talk about her parents. She did not need to get into some sap story sharing with some random guy she met at the bar. Mae took another sip of the drink wishing she had some ability to make it alcoholic. In good ole Louisiana one could find boot leg stuff everywhere. But in this hole in the side of the US of A one was lucky to find a guy who didn't card at the door.

"I play when I'm homesick." Though homesick happened less and less these days. This place felt more like home than home did considering she hadn't gone home in...wow she couldn't remember. No one there waiting for her anyway, not anymore. Blinking she laughed sadly shoving away at the very maudlin thoughts. Mae raised her glass to him with a grin. "Oh yes, interestin' is da werd ta use. I've made some riffs off his lyrics that wou'd make him roll in his tomb."

Again she blew off any and all compliments he might have paid her. "When you strummin' the cat guts next? I wanna hear the voice that goes wit' that there pretty face o' yers." Downing the rest of her drink she slid it across the bar with a tap of her finger signaling for another.

[Beau LaRoux]

"Got plenty o' girlfriends," drawled Beau, not quite getting the hint that Maelea was laying down. He tried another charming smile, though inwardly he was bemoaning the fact that he'd met another girl who seemed immune to his charms. He supposed she could be one of those lesbian types, but he'd been told off for assuming something like that before. Some girls just weren't interested, and they had their own reasons.

She did explain when she played that stuff, and Beau nodded. He had a few songs that he brought out whenever he was missing home. Beau was lucky in that he occasionally got to return to Louisiana, at least during one Christmas if nothing else. Still, he missed them horribly most of the rest of the year; not like any of them could afford to uproot and get this far north. So yeah, if it was one thing that Beau understood all too well, it was singing to your homesickness.

"Usually play on the weekends," said Beau, lowering his glass. "Still tryin' to keep up with school, least enough to graduate in a few months. Got some work to do with stuff, mostly involvin' powers," he wiggled his fingers,  chuckling at that. He could get used to Maelea's powers, at least in situations like this. She didn't manifest any of the critters, and they weren't about to sneak out of the bar and glomp them. "Though I wouldn't mind singin' a ditty or two with ya if ya wanted," he offered, shrugging. "I usually end up playin' or singin' with most of the folks 'round here. Only so many of us musical types 'round the town, an' it ain't gonna do us no good if we're at each other's throats," he took another deep swig of Pepsi, ending by smacking his lips. "'course, I ain't gonna force ya if ya don't want to. Might ruin yer image if you had a good ole boy like me seen playin' with ya,' he winked at her, ending with another of those oh so charming smiles.

[Maelea Mareaux]

She couldn't help it she burst out laughing shaking her head for a second before bowing it over her drink. He was adorable and Southern if she wasn't careful she might actually crush on him a little. Mae grinned up at him glad he'd come running up to her about the spiders afte rall. Not many guys that looked like him tended to talk to her because of how she dressed and all. Certain types just tended to stay away from each other.

"School? Where do you go?" If he went to her school she was going to do a cartwheel. Maybe not here amongst all these people, but definitely on the way home. Wait, he had to go to the same school as her seeing as they both had powers. Well, she was a genius for that to take so long to click. Then another thing popped into her head. "Um, did you say yer name? Cuz iffin ya did I missed it somewheres. My names, Maelea by the by."

Turning back to the bar she rested her forearms on the bar grabbing her new drink. She knew she'd have to get back up on stage for her last set for the night. Didn't play very long just yet couldn't stay out that late not yet anyways. "Sure we can play sometime. Though I think I'm the wrong sort of coon dog to be barking up your tree. You sure you wanna be seen wit the likes of me?" Her tone played it off as nothing, but she was very focused on her untouched drink.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau chuckled a bit at the school comment, tapping his glass with his fingers for a bit. "Clearly ah'm from th' French school, can't ya tell?" he grinned over at Maelea, then winked. "Nah, I got to Bellefonte, jus' up the road. Reckon you do too, unless you aged real good."

He took another sip, then lightly hit himself on the head. "Darn, I must've forgot about that, what with all the singin' an' spiders an' pretty girl an' stuff. Name's Beau," he nodded, "short for Beauregard, cuz apparently my parents watched entirely too much Dukes of Hazzard," Beau sighed, running his hand through his head. His older brother had all been named after books of the Bible: John, Mark, Andrew (at least Beau thought that was a book). Then, it was like they suddenly decided to switch to names of characters from old shows they liked: Opie, Beau, MaryAnne. Truly, the LaRoux family had a mean streak when it came to naming.

Beau looked at Maelea at her comment. He leaned back in his chair, then scanned her up and down completely. "Looks like yer pretty enough. An' I heard ya singing, so I know yer good, so yeah, I'm thinkin' we'll work out alright, more or less. 'course," he paused for a moment, then smiled, "you'll have to dress in a pretty skirt. I'm thinkin' we could give ya a nice little bonnet too, then you'll fit right in," he gestured, then paused, picturing her in a bonnet. It was, needless to say, a hilarious image.

[Maelea Mareaux]

She wanted to bang her head against a wall, but she settled for lightly banging it against the bar counter. Then she thought of how incredibly unsanitary it probably was and lifted it back up. "Yeah, French. Gotcha." Mae gave him a glare then shook her head with a small smile. "Yeah, I go there. Have been fer awhile now. Fer some reason walkin' down the halls with spiders trailin' behind ya like the pied piper gets ya noticed righ' quick." Maybe not as quick as someone setting fire to their school, or suddenly sprouting wings, but it was still a quick grab.

This time Mae couldn't just blow off the pretty remark and she turned to him straight on face set in fierce seriousness. "Stop callin' me pretty. Beau. I don' play yer game got it?" He'd been nice to her so far but if he was the type of guy to flirt aimlessly, then he'd be nice until he wasn't. She was sure the game would stop as soon as his buddies showed up or until he saw some cutsey bimbo. Even if he was a good ole boy boys like him just didn't not go for girls like her cliche or not.

Though it was hard to stay mad at him when he laid out lines like her wearing a bonnet. She bit her lip to keep from laughing but she couldn't help it and a small snort escaped. "Bonnet? Just for that I'm goin' ta go buy one, and make sure to cling to ya while I wear it. Make sure all yer buds are round ya too." Hands on her hips she let herself grin again not believing this guy for a second.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau nodded; he understood how easy it was to miss someone in this school. Sometimes it felt like there were people who'd been here for years that Beau had somehow managed not to meet in all that time. It just sort of happened; call it Fate or whatever.

Maelea's defensiveness about the pretty thing made Beau's eyebrows raise. He looked to the stage for a moment, then back to Maelea. "Reckon you were playin' the same game as me a bit ago, assumin' you're talkin' 'bout music, which is my main game. If ya were talkin' about the fact that yer a pretty girl under all that strange," he gestured, indicating, well, all of Maelea, "then I reckon I'm sorry if I made ya uncomfortable like. Ain't got no worries though: I got a girl I got my sights on right now, an' I ain't lookin' to fool 'round no more. Jus' like lettin' girls know when they're pretty; yer all right purdy creatures in God's eyes an' mine," he finished with a wink and a good solid swig of his Pepsi.

Which he then followed up with a burp, soon followed with a bit of a goofy grin. The grin turned into a laugh at Maelea's suggestion, and he shook his head. "Knowin' my friends, they'll be makin' me wear the bonnet 'fore too long," which was definitely true. Liz would most certainly make him wear it, as would Matt. Others might be a little gentler about it, but somehow Beau doubted it. No, if he got Maelea to wear a bonnet, he'd end up wearing it before the night was through; that was a certainty.

[Maelea Mareaux]

For most of the small rant about games and girls she had no idea what he was talking about. The one thing she caught was that he thought her outfit was strange, he had a girl, and that he had a relationship with the big man upstairs. Looks like he was just being polite after all, and now she felt like a complete fool. "I wanna crawl un'er a rock."

Turning away from him for a bit she stared at the ground spotting a spider crawling onto her foot. It was like a dog trying to rub up against her to comfort her. They always came close to her when her emotions wabbled. "Sorry bout tha'. Um, I'll jus' ignore any more pretty comments." Course he didn't mean it what guy would look at her and actually think pretty.

Mae shoved aside that line of conversation and jumped onto the bonnet comment. Anything to make things not so awkward between them. "Well, then I jus' gotta make sure tha' happens." She gave him a grin then glanced back over to the stage. It wouldn't be too much longer before she'd have to get back up on stage and sing her last set for the night.

[Beau LaRoux]

"Probly find some more o' yer buddies down there," offered Beau in response to Maelea's declared location alteration. He could understand the overreaction, and he had to admit to being kinda impressed with how Maelea handled it. Clearly there was a Southern girl under all that makeup and scary. Though, now that Beau stopped and thought about it, Maelea hadn't exactly been scary since he'd started talking to her. Funny how that worked out sometimes.

Beau likely would've kept flirting with Maelea if he didn't realize how uncomfortable it made her. He might have even gone out with her under different circumstances. His mind was pretty well fixed on one girl though, and there just wasn't a whole lot of room for anyone else in there. He still considered it for a moment, before just sort of dismissing the idea out of hand.

Back to bonnets though, and back to Beau groaning and wiping at his face. He had a feeling that he was going to end up wearing one very soon. "Well, here's hopin' i can pull the bonnet look off," he said, saluting Maelea with the glass before taking another swig. After he set it down, Beau gestured for the bartender to come and give him a refill. as he did, he took a quick look at the clock. "Ah, bettin' you got another set still, right? They usually make us play for as long as they can. Gotta get their money's worth," he chuckled at that, taking the already refilled Pepsi and pulling it a little closer.

[Maelea Mareaux]

She gave a half heart snot then glanced up at him with a look that was a mix between a glare and a 'really?' but she was smiling a little. If only she wasn't so incredibly awkward around guys if she could actually just take a compliment when paid to her. Sighing she lifted her head making a tally in her head for yet another guy that she'd never have a chance with. Oh, well it probably wouldn't have worked out with him anyway. Just meant that she was still on the hunt for that combat boot wearing, eye-lined hottie that would steal her heart. Or whatever guy happened to steal her heart.

"Oh I'm sure you'll look stunnin' in a bonnet. I'll make sure it has lil' blue flowers on it an' ev'ry thang." Grinning she finished up her drink edging toward the stage. "Wi'h some lace round the edges." She traced around her head then noticing his glance at the clock she grimaced.

"Yeah, best git on up there. Maybe we can do sumit afta the show?" Mae rocked on her heels hooking her thumbs into her back pockets as she looked up at him a bit hesitantly. He probably had plans for the rest of the night waiting here for his friends or something. Like it mattered she usually made her last set of the night last as long as possible. Mostly because it was the place where she felt best, and not like anyone was ever waiting for her.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau was used to those mixed looks, and met it with that ever-present charming smile of his. the smile turned into a chuckle as Maelea described the bonnet, shaking his head. "I'm already picturin' it. I think I got a granny or two that mighta worn somethin' like that once upon a time." He watched as she finished off her drink, making sure to reach for it, nodding as Maelea noticed the clock.

"Yeah, we can definitely plan somethin' out. I'm at least hangin' out till the night's over," he said, pulling her glass over and setting it so the bartender could scoop it up. The gesture was familiar to Beau, and he gestured for the guy, adding a nod of thanks. "The plan was to scope out the new talent. Gotta know who my competition is an' all," he said, adding a wink. "'course, I don't think we're gonna be gunnin' for the same audiences or nothin', like I said. an' I don't stand a chance 'gainst a pretty girl with a voice like yours."

He finished by waving as Maelea headed to the stage. He'd definitely have to keep an eye out for her, if only 'cuz he'd found another Southern musician. Weren't enough of those types around. Shame that she didn't play something he could keep up with better; he'd have loved to try a duet with her or something. Though thinking that did give him a slight pang; he shoved the thought aside for later. He certainly didn't need to dissect that, not when he had a show to watch.