#( * interactions | ft. ella cooper. )

[abrilmoreno]

who: @ella-cooper where: the scarlet lounge when: days following the fire & ice gala

It wasn't often Abril offered patronage to businesses that fell outside the ownership of Los Santos affiliates, as she was the poster child for 'bringing work home with you', and quite honestly, found work to be her home. But ever since the dramatics at the gala only nights prior, Abril found herself feeling suffocated rather than swaddled by the presence of Los Santos everywhere. She was sure some psychotherapist would hit her with babble of manifesting guilt. So the Scarlet Lounge was a welcomed reprieve, and despite knowing Ella had their ties to Los Santos as well, Abril knew she wouldn't feel the same pressure here as other places.

Not to mention, the vibe and the company, the owner themselves, were impeccable. "Coops," Abril called out, "Does the 20's aesthetic carry over to the hooch? I would love some of that mind bending absinthe right now." She finished, rubbing at her temples.

[huntercassidy]

"I mean I know southern heat and desert heat are two different beasts, but c'mon, heat ain't no excuse for shit barbecue. That's just lazy." he shook his head somewhat dramatically, as if it was a damn shame. It was, really, but it wasn't that deep. He just missed home sometimes, which was a crazy concept when one grew up the way Hunter had. "Nah, don't think I am, but I don't know you like that, so I'll concede for now." It was rare for horrible people to dispute against the accusation that they were good, it was normally the other way around in his experience; bigots trying to convince themselves they were understanding, dictators arguing that they're doing it for the good of their people. "I grew up right in the middle of all of it, so I'll take it dry, I'll take it wet, don't matter as long as it's good.---But personally, if I drank and was good n' wasted, i'd want somethin' sloppy, so I'd go with wet. S'more forgiving in taste I feel like, too. I ain't gotta clue what tapits are, but brisket sliders sound real good right about now."

"Yeah probably. We aren't really known for our barbecue. Not really everyone's go to when you're sweating your ass off out here." Ella let out a laugh that was louder than it should be. "And you're a terrible judge of character. But for today yeah, I'm a saint for willingly giving you that half. But it also enables me to have an excuse to get ice cream later so win-win, really." Still, maybe Ella just wanted to do something helpful or good for once instead of feeling so fucking helpless. "Well...it varies. And you give me the impression of someone who'd be willing to try something just to try it so I think you're just who I'm looking for. Bar Barbecue. I mean I gotta talk to my chef or maybe find a guy who's really enthusiastic about barbecue. Are you a saucy or dry rub kind of guy? I got a lot of questions and i've watched way too much of the cooking channel," they admitted before going for their drink. "I own a lounge up in Glenn Estates. We're always trying to do new shit and I guess I'm a business owner so I gotta be creative. We have some pretty decent stuff now though. Tapas style shit. But some ribs? A brisket slider? Now, that could be something creative."

[brunoxalbertelli]

Follow @thebrunoalbertelli on Instagram

(ft. interactions with @ella--cooper, @beccareynolds, @madisonharrow)

[abrilmoreno]

"How do you think I got this far?" she sent back with a wink. While it was said in jest, it wasn't that far from the truth. Abril wasn't known for her warm and fuzzy attitude. But her loyalty, hard work and knowing when to turn it on had all been instrumental in getting her to where she was today. "I'm a bit lacking on my knowledge of what makes a good DJ, so I'll take your word for it." Abril's eyes scanned the crowd, and from what she was seeing, she certainly wasn't the only one dancing, most seemed to be moving in someway, even if it was just vibing slightly at the bar. "Ah, yes, aging like a fine wine I see. Or whiskey, whichever you prefer. Get me a glass of whatever your favorite is and we'll toast to getting better with age."

"Oof, I knew I was fucking with a real charmer here," Ella replied with a grin. "This dress is definitely made for dancing and of course, it's not a hard thing to do. Plus this DJ is literally one of the best in the world. He actually knows how to mix a vibe together." Despite the crowd around them, Ella focused only on Abril in that moment, grateful that they hadn't gotten totally blackout by this time. "Honestly feeling a lot like 33 except my hair is cooler and I just keep getting hotter somehow. Wiser? Maybe. Ask me tomorrow. And no, no I have no desire to rule the world, I simply want to just make sure the world is a really fucking fun place to be in." They winked at he before slowly turning around and taking a hold of the boa before backing up against Abril to keep dancing. "You want a drink? I have some good shit out for tonight."

[abrilmoreno]

"Oh no, I know better than to try that. I just want to see if you'll put your money where your mouth is." Abril responded with a raised brow, a hand movement as if gesturing that the floor was all theirs. --- She didn't mind the attention, but it was never fun to dance alone. Taking their hand with a sway of her hips, she nodded "I feel as if I'm about to be whisked away, would you consider this a whisking?"

"I kind of think that you think I'm gonna be embarrassed but that is very hard to do." Ella smirked as they moved along to the music, clearly comfortable and in their zone. "Well lucky for you this little shindig is filtering out and my club is holding the after party so you can catch a ride with me if you want." They sang out he lyrics before holding out their hand for Abril. "What do you say? I know a darker room with a lot more space is your vibe and I am nothing if not a people pleaser."

[abrilmoreno]

"They've been in my dreams every night," Abril batted back, draping the boa around Ella's neck just as it had been draped around hers. "Well I wasn't wearing a dress made for dancing then, but I did tonight, just for you. --- Not to mention you have much better taste in music than that festival did." Abril's hips swayed with the music, hands closing in around the ends of the boa and playing with it. "So, how does 34 feel? Feeling any wiser? Ready to rule the world yet?"

"All I'm hearing is that you've been thinking about my dance moves for weeks." Ella's smile was easy as they held Abril close, not hesitating to start to move their body along to the music. They had booked their favorite DJ for tonight so every song had a vibe. And it was clear that all of their favorite people were going to come through tonight. "Does this mean you're actually going to dance with me? I'll pull the birthday card if I have to."

[huntercassidy]

"Hey now, anythin' with bacon is sexy, don't be hatin' on it just 'cause it's simple. 'Cause then you'd be hatin' on me too," he responded deadpan, before finally breaking out in a smile. "Honestly my first mistake was expectin' decent barbecue out in the middle of the fuckin' desert." he sighed, mimicking their actions and wiping his hands off, before eventually pushing his plate away altogether, his disgust that strong. As they offered up their own food, he gave a raise of a brow, not realizing southern hospitality apparently also applied to southern Nevada. But he wasn't one to pussyfoot around, and took people at their word, so he wasn't about to be caught throwing a 'oh, are you sure? I could never!' back at 'em, and instead with a shrug, reached out for the sandwich. It was gone in a bite and a half. "You're a goddamned saint, I hope you know that." he once again mumbled around a bite full of food, this one much better than the last. He made a mental note to get to the waiter first and pay off their tab. It was the least he could do. "I know I would, but I think we've established I ain't the brightest. So depends if the rest of your clientele is like me."

"Oh man this is the uh BLT with turkey and avocado. Very sexy. I could've told you getting brisket at 3pm was a bad move, big guy. That's basically like yesterdays pork, you know what I'm saying?" Ella set their food down and reached for a napkin to wipe their mouth and fingers. They had just left the lounge a couple of minutes ago and were desperate for a full meal. The night before had been long and since Mikki's article came out they felt like they had spent every day looking over their shoulder. "You want good barbecue, you're gonna have to go a little further out. Go somewhere that it seems like someone's grandma's back there in the kitchen, you know?" They looked at their plate and then back at his, then back at the untouched half of their sandwich. "Here, knock yourself out," they told him, grabbing their half before sliding the plate towards him. "You try the fries? They're pretty solid. You gave me an idea though. You think people would eat barbecue at a bar? Or do they have to be drunk to do that?"

[abrilmoreno]

As soon as she walked into the lounge, a boa was unceremoniously draped around her shoulders by someone leaving, obviously not wanting to take their party favor with them. While Abril wasn't a camp sort of girl and it certainly didn't go with her outfit, she couldn't help but revel in the whimsy of it all for a moment. And as she set her eyes on the Person of Honor for the night, she knew exactly how she could put it to use. "We can take a picture, but first you have to finish showing me your dance moves that the sand storm so rudely interrupted."

"If you're looking for the best party of the year, you've made it." Ella was practically on cloud 9 as they greeted the next person who walked into the Lounge for their birthday party. Their edible had hit, their best friends were having a great time and there were many woman who were vying to be by Ella's side at the end of the night. A true dream come true. "We just refreshed the food bar so your timing is great but we've actually got to take a picture with each other first. I need to have a record of everyone who's here cause I sure as hell won't remember most of this tomorrow."

[abrilmoreno]

"At least one of us feels like it. All this--" A pointed finger circled their surroundings, "Has 30 feeling like it might as well be 300." Perhaps it was because Abril had been 13 going on 30, so now as he finally hit her third decade, she felt like she had lived lifetimes. Years ago, she would've loved the atmosphere. But now, she'd much rather a night at Ella's Scarlet Lounge, sipping drinks, interacting with anyone she deigned to speak to, before heading home, perhaps with company. "Oh no, I think I need to see you do it first. Just to make sure I'm doing it right, of course."

"How could I not see it? You are doing it superbly, I have to agree. But I mean, it's a music festival, you gotta at least do a little shimmy, a little shake." They shook their shoulders a bit. "Pleb? Wow, very hot," Ella said with a dreamy sigh before laughing. "I love that I'm your guide for what's current, keeps me young. Well to start, right now we're listening to Charli XCX play some club classics. Literally. She's the party girl of the century I suppose you could say. Makes some bangers, I'm a little touch and go with her as a person overall but, she brings good vibes," Ella admitted as they stood next to Abril and nodded their head along to the song. "So, you know, just enjoy it," they encouraged her and danced a little more.

[abrilmoreno]

"Do you see this dress?" She asked them, motioning to her body, "This is not a dancing dress. This is a 'stand here and look pretty' dress. Which I think I'm doing fantastically, thank you." Not to mention, Abril's music tastes were stuck firmly in the 2010s, and as everyone danced and swayed to songs they clearly knew and loved, she was at a bit of a loss. "Well, when I saw my favorite pleb in the crowd, I just knew I had to do something about it. And I figured you could explain to me who all these--" she motioned to the stage, a look that was a mix of confusion and slight disgust on her face "--People are to me."

"You're over here in this easy breezy tent, looking this good and not dancing? I think that might actually be a true crime," Ella told Abril after she had gotten them into the VIP tent. "But damn, you called me out from the regulars into the tent, I'm kind of feeling special," they told her with a laugh and pretended to flip their hair over their shoulder. "Come on, we need another drink and to get those hips moving. My dude Pauly D isn't giving us this goodness for nothing." @abrilmoreno

[abrilmoreno]

"Hooch, hooch, hooch," Abril slammed her eyes shut and crossed her fingers, as if it all helped the completion of the 'spell'. "I feel as if the folks from the 20's were freaks, all that post-war liberation, I think fucking one could be an experience," she explained herself, already glad for the distraction, more than happy to focus on random semantics of fucking someone from the previous century rather than what had been plaguing her mind recently.

"If this is you're way of flirting with me, you're doing a great job and the answer is yes," the brunette laughed as she eyed the intricately decorated bottle. "But you really are a mystery, Ella Cooper. A life long Tonopah native yet you have friends in Switzerland?" she questioned, more out of curiosity than anything else, although she understood how, Ella seemed to have a natural way about themselves, their easy-going nature must make friends where ever they go.

Despite her specific request for absinthe, Abril had never indulged in it before, and found herself following Ella's lead, taking sips rather than shooting it like she had considered. "--You're providing me with alcohol, I really should be the one offering you all of the above."

"I mean it does if you call it hooch. Say hooch three times and a guy from the 1920s will pop up right in front of you." Ella laughed as they moved behind the bar to stand in front of Abril. "You having a rough day? Just for you though, I've got exactly what you need." Ella knew that people were tense since the ball, especially with all of the uncertainty of who was behind it. Being merely an associate of the Enteprise, Ella really had no insight. But they imagined that within the meeting rooms of Los Santos or the Sons, conversations were being had that were less than pleasant. They had basically put everyone on notice but Ella felt like most of their secrets weren't even that juicy. So they would keep running their business the way they always had until there was a problem that actually needed to be addressed.

They set a glass in front of Abril and reached underneath the bar to grab a bottle of absinthe that had been special delivery. "My friend from Switzerland bought this directly to me. I only pull it out on special occasions, this one hasn't even been open. But for you?" They easily popped the top off and poured Abril a glass before taking out a glass for themselves and pouring a bit. They weren't trying to get too drunk at the moment with how much of the night was left but they weren't going to let Abril drink alone. "Salud." They drank a few sips before leaning their arms on the bar. "What else can I get you, beautiful? You hungry? You wanna dance? You need a pep talk? A little smooch? I am at your service."