So April hadn't taken long to get back on top of this flirting thing. She'd occasionally get reprimanded at the base for it but here there was nobody to stop her going crazy. She'd gotten this pretty cute guys number and was supposed to be meeting him at this bar. He'd only vaguely described the bar to her, and told her that he'd show her around after she got there and they'd had a few drinks. She doubted he'd be showing her much of the city, probably show her something though.

She wandered down into the bar out from the cold, absolutely shivering despite having 3 layers on and immediately scooted next to the radiator at the bottom of the stairs. It was pretty quiet, mostly wooden interior, she glanced around and after leaning against the radiator practically purring for a minute or two she made her way over to the bar, stripping down a couple of layers so she didn't look like an arctic adventurer.

As she reached the bar she noticed one other patron, a women was also coming to the bar. April glanced around and huffed, gently placing her folded clothes onto one of the bar stools. Was he running late? If she got stood up she'd be super annoyed! She eyed the other woman curiously before ordering a drink.

"Uhm. 'Scuse me hun" She called the bartender. "What's the name of this fine establishment of yours?"

Shelby... was miserable.

It was cold. This city was more crowded than her home had been, and the bed in her hotel room had a mystery lump that her back disagreed with.

IT had been two whole days since she had woken up in an entirely different city, in a different year and in different @$%#in' clothes than she had remembered. She had run into dead end after dead end. Her Mom's phone number was answered by a stranger, and her dad's was disconnected.

She was no closer to finding an answer that she wanted to hear, even if there was an inkling of truth burning a hole right through the unfamiliar purse on the bar counter beside her.

Oh, yeah... she was in a bar. She was 18, or... she thought she was? @#$%. Whatever. The ID in the purse said she was old enough to drink and had her picture on it, so forgive her for abusing the situation to try and calm her nerves.

She was nursing a Bloody Mary like she was nursing a hangover, which she wasn't. Might as well have been though with the headache she was dealing with. The picture she had found in the wallet, of her lookalike and some dude in what looked like a Las Vegas wedding, and another of a baby. Who's baby? Hell if she knew. She didn't tend to like kids a whole lot herself.

Oh, right, she nearly forgot about that one other thing was totally caught her off guard.

Apparently she wasn't human anymore too.

"... The hell is going on?..."

She vaguely recalled hearing another patron as the bartender what the place was called.

... Huh, she hadn't even looked at the name when she had wandered in to sit down.

"Fat Pint Tavern, love." The woman quipped back, using a rag to dry a newly cleaned beer mug.

Huh. Sounded like a Portland pub name to her.

"S'cuse me, may I have another please?" Shelby lifted her mostly empty cup as proof.

Where was Olivia when she was needed?

[blockqoute]

April absolutely had not bothered to look for a sign on during her hurried descent down the staircase, she just wanted to get out of the cold. It was so lame, the last thing she remembered before the alley was being on a base and basking in the sunlight in her free time. Now she was having to walk around in 4 layers with thermals. She'd heard people she'd met already say she was doing overkill, but when they needed to replace as much body heat as her, then they could judge her. 

"Wha-" she was not in the right place. April almost face planted onto the bar when it dawned on her that it was probably not hygienic, and she might have a challenging time de-sticking her face from it. She muttered to herself incoherently and resolved to sit here at least until she'd regained some warmth. "D-don't suppose you've got something hot behind there do ya?" She asked the bartender just after the pink haired girl next to her requested another. Was she 21? She wasn't actually sure, age was normally hard for her to judge even not considering her current confusing circumstances, but the stranger did look young. 

The bartender brought her something that smelled sickly sweet, alcholic and was definitely steaming. She held it in both currently pale looking hands and practically snuggled it after paying. "Y-You're an angel." she stammered through not quite-chattering teeth. "This city huh? Impossible to find anything." She made small talk, trying to thaw. 

She started doodling on a napkin while she waited for her next drink to arrive.

When the new spicy red tomato drink was plopped down in front of her she pushed the little doodle off to the side where she could continue drawing, but also drown herself in her drink.

"That's an understatement."

The comment was soft, but directed at the woman only a few seats from her.

Understatement of the century, really.

Her little drawing was unfolding into a patchwork of swirling flowers and leaves, with small eyes filling in the empty space. A full jungle. Mystery. Yeah.

Shelby popped one of the olives from her drink into her mouth with a sigh.

A TV behind the bar was broadcasting the news. Current weather, breaking stories. Something about another robot glitching out and going on a mutant hunting spree.

Robots!

"This is all nuts." She muttered softly.

April took a big gulp of the hot drink. Honestly it might've been a little too sweet, even for her, but it was hot. And it was alcoholic. Which meant she would at least not be bothered by the cold quite so much. The blonde gave a very unlady like snort in response to the comment from the pink haired woman sitting next to her. "Yea huh, you're right about that one honey." She resumed cuddling the drink and trying to leech warmth through the mug to no real avail.

April leaned over a little to see what she was doing and immediately picked up on the talent. "Ooooh, that's lovely~" she chirped, taking another sip of her drink. It was nice to find people with artistic talent in unexpected places, April definitely had appreciation for beauty on many levels meaning that not only could she enjoy people and arts, arts enhanced the attractiveness of some people to her.

April shuddered softly. "I heard about those things the other day, but I didn't believe the dude that told me, what the hell are they doing around??" she was very much perturbed by these things, why did new york have killer robots hanging around period.

"As if this week wasn't weird enough already, ya got killer robots roaming around now!" She took another sip of her drink and drained it. Oooh. That was a nice feeling, warm in her stomach.

The artist glanced up at the compliment for her doodle. "Thanks." She smiled a little. She supposed chatting was better than stewing in her own depressing thoughts. "I doodle when stressed." A little chuckle, and she set the pen down.

Then the gal said something that caught her attention more than fleeting art compliments. She thought the robots were weird too!

"I know, right?! Like... I do not remember those being a thing. I can't even-" She sat up a little straighter, turning in her chair to face the woman more. "Like what kinda dystopian nightmare is this where they have robots who can specifically find and track mutants? How did an idea like that make it out of the preliminary stage?"

She fidgeted with her drink some more, glancing at the bartender who was more of less ignoring them. She probably heard a lot of shit on a daily basis.

"This @#$% would't fly in Seattle, let me tell ya."

April grinned at the girl, starting to feel more like herself she began taking an interest, she leaned forwards a little on the bar, glancing across as the napkin she was currently doodling on. It was definitely unique, April was becoming progressively more intrigued by the striking young woman. "You do this when you're stressed" She asked quirking an eyebrow. "My stress relief methods are generally a little different." She admitted shamelessly. Find a random stranger, get laid.

April nodded quickly, turning to engage the woman more directly. "Like how.. WHO thought they were a good idea??" This was something that had been driving her mad. "Are these things in other cities? I've never seen one! I think..." She muttered. They might both be in other cities, and she might have seen them before damned missing 8 years.

"It's not even just that the idea is evil either! They are so totally creepy! Have you seen them?" April gave off a visible shudder and put down a note on the counter. "Er. Could I get something cold now please?" The bartender shrugged, took the money and began fetching another drink, doing their best to otherwise just ignore Shelby and April ranting about murderbots.

"I don't think I've ever been to seattle." and she meant think, this was so confusing and awkward and arghhh.

"Your hair is beautiful, by the way." She complimented with a grin. Change subject. Murderbots creepy.

"I haven't, thankfully.." She fiddled with her pen nervously. "Just discovered that I am part of the group they are supposed to keep an eye on, apparently. Been avoiding practically everyone for three days since..." She paused again, her throat going a little dry.

"Since getting here."

"I tend to doodle for stress relief, yeah... planning on selling art for a living some day, so it fits in with the whole... dynamic." She pulled a face at herself, "And drinking helps, ans if I knew where my sorta-girlfriend was that would probably help out too but." She flipped her hands in the air and shrugged to end her statement.

"It's nice..." She started, thinking back to her home city. "Or, it was. I don't know what it looks like there anymore, it's apparently been a few years. Could be a lot more like this hell hole now I suppose."

She complimented her hair. Shelby blushed and took a moment to really look at the gal.

She was gorgeous. Lacking bright colorful plumage, yes... but the artist knew beauty when she saw it. Her blush deepened a little and she flipped her napkin over as inspiration hit.

"You are gorgeous. Can I draw you?"

Oh. She was a recently manifested mutant? That made her tension and general aura of anxiety seem more understandable. April supposed that she could see a person freaking out being in the city and then having their world turned upside down. She changed the smile from the 'get into your pants' smile to the 'hey it's not so bad smile' in her opinion they had equal practice, one was for keeping people from going into shock while you pulled shrapnel out of them, one was for getting laid. She thought she was pretty good at both.

"I'm sorry, it can be rough. I nearly burned the house down when it happened to me." she admitted. Recalling her and Danny's practically joint manifestation. His power was so much more simple and easy to control than hers. Though, hers was much prettier. "Oh really? apparently I help people for a living." She blurted without really thinking. It was odd to think that she was an EMT now. Well, she was in the future? Ugh. Headache.

The fresh cold drink was placed in front of her, it was some kind of vibrant pink cocktail. April eyed the other girl as she spoke and took a long gulp. Kinda sorta girlfriend? That didn't sound super certain. April would happily take that. And if she decided she wasn't comfortable hanging and flirting with her, that was fine too. There were plenty of fish in this new, terrifying sea.

"Wonder how portland's changed." 8 years. Holy crap.

Ah, there was the blush. Ooooh she was a cutie. April smiled at the girl knowingly as she was studied. That kind of 'Oh I should check out the other person too' studying. So she was probably bi, or gay, judging by the conversation and her reaction to the compliment. And that suited April, just fine.

The grin turned into a cheeky smirk. "Can't say I've heard that one before. I've been around paint an' college students before." She grinned, letting that hang for a moment before letting up on the teasing a little. "'Course you can sweetie, especially when you're tossing around words like gorgeous." She replied with a quirked eyebrow.

Permission granted. Shelby was off in an art inspired haze immediately, eyes flicking back and forth from the woman and the napkin she was working on.

"I'm sure you've heard it before, but I'm also sure that 99% of those times it was just used as a common phrase to try and get in your pants." She locked eyes with the woman, stoic and certain. "I mean it. Your angles and color scheme. The shape of your lips. The curls in your hair. They all combine to make something otherworldly beautiful."

She had a rough sketch drawn as a base, so she dove into filling the rest of it out with undivided focus. The condensed beauty of the woman before her that was lodged in her skull would be fleshed out on the thin paper. Her curls framing the curves of her face, head tilted back ever so and lips slightly parted. A delicately shaded nose, eyes framed with pretty lashes and eyebrows that perfectly accentuated them.

She sat back after she as done and gave the little drawing a once over, before setting her pen down and sliding the napkin across the counter to it's owner.

"I have a weird fixation on beautiful things. Do you know how many impossibly beautiful people are in this city? It's weird... like there are models running around everywhere."

She dove back into her drink with a gusto, chewing on another olive as she clapped it back down.

"I have no idea what I am doing here..." She felt a little lost, even with alcohol and a beautiful girl beside her.

"Just the other day I was kissing this wonderful, beautiful girl in Seattle and then... i'm here. Woke up in a grocery store of all places."

It was almost like a switch had gone off in the other girl's head, she was just completely and totally absorbed into the drawing. April gazed back into her eyes when she did and found herself suddenly halted and curious, what was going on behind those eyes? She'd been all tense and stressed out one moment and then the next completely absorbed into what she was doing. It was different.

She grinned playfully. "Usually I'm the one getting into other people's pants honey." She teased with a bit of bluster. "Are you telling me it wasn't?" She teased further before abruptly stopping and gazing at the pink haired girl sitting infront of her. She was a mystery. She'd heard the line a million times to be sure, but the other girl seemed to give it a different meaning. And this wasn't just another petty amusement or attraction either. It was different.

April grinned somewhat dreamily. "Yeah there are~" She agreed happily. So many pretty people. And a surprising number of at least bi-sexual girls. Really it would be a wonderland if it wasn't for the terminator kill bots in the background.

April took another long pull of her drink and blinked a few times. She'd actually had a fetching blush on her cheeks for most of this conversation, the pink haired artist had really caught her off guard. "Maybe if you kiss another beautiful girl you'll end up somewhere more wonderful? Or at least a bedroom?" She winked.

Wait. Hold on. "Uhm. Hang on, did you- Wait." April blinked, gathering her thoughts into something cohesive. "I er. Well hun, I sort of woke up in an Alley with no memory of coming here the other day." She admitted.

The pinkette tucked her pen away, listening to the woman (why the hell hadn't she asked her name yet?!) talk. When she looked back, she was smiling slightly with a rosy blush dusting her cheeks. "I mean, are you volunteering?"

Holy @#$% she was flirting. Olivia would probably be pissed. Or proud? Maybe a mix of both.

Also, Olivia was like... ten years ago. It was inevitable that she had moved on during whatever had happened to Shelby.

The Artist leaned in with her elbows crossed on the counter.

"Uhm. Hang on, did you- Wait. I er. Well hun, I sort of woke up in an Alley with no memory of coming here the other day."

....wat.

Shelby reeled back like she had been struck. With a mystery maybe, but like it had been physically thrown in her face. Her thoughts swirled, growing attraction screeching to a halt as she temporarily moved onto more important things.

"...Y-you did?" Her racing thoughts were almost visible on her face. "So... I'm not the only one? Other people are going through the same thing? What... what the @#$%..."

What the @#$%!

She looked back to the woman with a bit of a desperate look on her face. "Did.. did you find out what happened to you?"

"Offering to help you outta your pants?" She replied, letting it hang with a smile. "Lets see how the evening goes, I'm hopeful though~" She teased before taking another gulp of her drink. Why were there so many adorable people everywhere she went? April just couldn't help herself. Obviously she did occasionally run into a jerk or two, but getting to know people in bars was so much fun, as long as she kept pretty aware of her surroundings.

There was a very visible shake in her new pretty artist friend. Had what April had brought up shocked her? It sort of shocked April but- Wait. What?

She'd meant that literally??? "Wait wait, you too??" She leaned further forwards, flirting momentarily forgotten. "Wait are you missing time too?" She'd only worked out she was missing time through proxy to be fair. "Uhm. No. I did not. I uh-" She blinked. This was too weird.

"God, I was just sitting here thinking about how gorgeous you were, I wasn't expecting this when I sat down." She shook her head half in amusement. "I don't know what happened. Apparently I'm missing 8 years. And I'm younger?" She admitted, very very confused. Well it could be worse, there was a cute girl with her at least.

Shelby nodded about the missing time bit. "Yes!" A little hopeful flutter kicked up in her chest. "Like, 10 years!"

Quickly, she glanced over to where the bartender was setting up someone else's drink. She shifted herself and her drink closer to her conversation partner and lowered her voice.

"My ID says i'm supposed to be 28.... but the last thing I remember is being 18, in Seattle Washington, and being at a mutant's rights protest with the girl I liked." She paused to take a shaky breath. "I've been wandering this god forsaken city for three days now trying to figure out how and why, and finding nothing but dead ends."

The Pinkette laughed suddenly, lifting her drink to take a couple of gulps.

"I thought I was the only one!"

It was a relief, in a way. If there were others, didn't that mean there would be more people to put their heads together and figure out what had happened?

"I'm Shelby, by the way." She held a hand out to shake.

10 years? Well that was slightly more time than April, not that it helped much with working out what was going on. April at least had been able to piece some of the last few years of her life together from her phone and her brother. Not that it'd helped much. She guessed this is what those poor amnesiacs had to deal with all the time. It was super lame.

April smiled wrly as she leaned in and mentioned her age. April wasn't really a stickler, and hey, she was still legal so she'd take it. When she'd said 10 years April did admittedly have a moment of self horror at the notion of hitting on a teenager.

She nodded, considering Shelby's words before replying. "I woke up in an alley but I guess I had my current phone, recognised my brother's name in the phone and got a hold of him. Apparently I've lived here for like 5 years, so apparently we didn't just turn up here out of nowhere." She paused before adding. "The last thing I remember was working on a naval base, I've learned about what my life's been like for a few years but it's surreal."

She didn't say it, but she'd thought it was something weird that was just happening to her. She was glad that it wasn't. She shook the hand with another grin. Shelby, cute. "April."