2023.07.18 Not Always What They Seem

Not Always What They Seem
Amy gets to meet some of the stranger crowd from Prospect and ends up with date for her troubles!
IC Date	July 18, 2023
IC Time	Daytime
Players	Sark, Amy, Caressa, Sakina
Location	Caught In Amber
Spheres	Bygone, Mage, Changeling, Mortal

Caressa is currently seated at the end of the bar nearest the door talking to Aidan in between him mixing and serving drinks. There's a notebook open in front of her along with a mug of a steaming of tea.

Being a Tuesday night, the after-dinner crowd is pretty light. The crowd is far from the roudy sort, more sophisticated and better mannered than other sorts of bars. <re for sark>

A redhead walks in, casually dressed, and looks about the place, even taking the time to look at the menu before she decides, "Yeah, I think this can be pretty good." She moves to sit at the bar a couple of spots away from Caressa, since it's just her dining tonight. Amy takes a look at the list of the drinks, order a top-shelf Margarita. 2 parts Reposado Tequila, 1 part Cointreau, half a part lime juice, barspoon of agave syrup. Amy gives the Bartender the exact measurements she wants. She's that picky. Amy looks over to Caressa and smiles in way of greeting.

Sark ducks in from outside, looking more like a lost tourist's kid than an actual customer. Tshirt, jeans, sandals, hair braided down his back in a loooong tail, Sark practically bounces inside and stops to crane his head around to see who might be present. Amy gets a good appreciative looking over, then a smile is directed at Caressa, along with one hand being lifted to wave at her (Was she looking his way? He didnt seem to care) before he started for the bar. Mushrooms must be had!

Caressa glances up from her notebook, a rather nicely bound one at that, hearing the patron recite the recipe. "You certainly know what you want. Don't see people who know their favorite recipe too often." She casts her violet-silver eyes over to the movement, "Hey there!" She waves Sark over to the bar, "Come join us." Then looks to Aidan, "The usual, mushrooms. Two orders, and a refill on my tea please."

"I went to school at UW Madison. Undergrad and medschool. You might not know this, but Wisconsin has the highest number of bars per capita in the whole country. I'm done, finished with shitty margaritas made with Jose Cuervo and a sweet and sour mix." Amy smiles. "Hi!" She says to Caressa and then Sark. "I'm Amy. New in town."

Sark grins as Caressa pre-emptively orders the mushrooms, chirping softly, "Sometimes it helps to be predictable. Thank you, gorgeous." To Aidan he asks in a lower voice, "Could I also have a large glass of iced tea with strawberries? Thank you." With that said, he eyes the seating at the bar and finds a spot that isnt going to crowd either woman in, though he leans a little closer to Amy and confides, "The mushrooms are fair game when they get here. If you try one, you might want an order of your own. I mean, unless you're allergic or dont like mushrooms....in that case, well, understandable." He pauses, and bobs his head, "I'm Sark. Nicetameetcha."

Caressa oohs softly to Amy, "Even through college I wasn't much for the bar scene. Always had my nose in the books. When to Stanford, myself, for undergrad and medschool. What is your area of practice?" There's a brief pause to sip her tea. "I'm Caressa, by the way." She looks back to Sark, leaning over to kiss his cheek in a friendly manner. "Hello, handsome." She smirks at the playfulness.

Amy giggles, a high-pitched melodic laughter. "There's a saying in Wisconsin. It's too cold to be sober. Nice to meet you Caressa, and Sark. I'm not allergic to mushrooms. Though I have never really fancied them. Something about the texture makes it feel off to me." She shrugs. "And I'm a surgeon. I'm doing some on-call General Surgery at the hospital until I can get my practice set up here. Cosmetic surgery. Mostly GAS. And boob jobs. Got to pay the bills. Oh, and I am teaching a selective for the med school. Treating LGBT+ patients."

Sark leans into the cheekkiss a little with a smile, then thanks Aidan for his tea, taking a moment to drain just a bit of it, before setting the glass back down. At Amy's mentioning of being new, he tilts his head in curiosity, "Ooo. You are a doctor? That is a very long time to be in classes." He pauses though at something Amy said, "What is...GAS?"

Caressa thinks about is a moment, but nods in agreement with Sark's question, "I'm a psychiatrist. Can't say I'm up on all the surgical shorthand."

Aidan finishes up making Amy's drink and sets it in front of her on a napkin, then Sark's tea, really. "Mushrooms will be out shortly. Anything to eat, Miss?"

Amy was about to explain, but looks up at Aidan. "I would like to try the duck, please. Med-rare if you can prepare it that way." Amy smiles to the man and looks back to Caressa and Sark. "Gender Affirming Surgery. They keep changing the name on me." Amy chuckles. "But I think that is the latest terminology."

Sark bobs his head at Aidan when he says the shrooms are coming soon, "Thank you!" before turning his attention back to Amy. A slow 'ohhhhhhhhhh' escapes him before a faint smile spreads across his face again, "I guess I am a little behind on such things, too. I havent had to go to a clinic in a while, so not as familiar..." WIth that said, he straightens up a little and gives Caressa questioning look, "Things are okay, yes? Steele is doing well?"

Aidan nods, "The duck is cooked to the same done-ness as chicken, Miss." Then he puts in the order ot the kitchen.

That same sort of 'oooh' resides on Caressa's features for a moment, "Ah, yes. That. I did reach something the other day about new terminology for things. Not one of my areas of practice, I'm afraid. But I have some collegues that are marvelous in that area." She gives Sark a smile and nods, "Yeah, things are going alright. He's fine, inventory at the office."

Amy blinks that they would cook duck like chicken but shrugs before turning back to the other two"Oddly, you're the second doctor that I've met outside of work since I have been here. And both were psychiatrists. This town crazy or something?" Amy grins again, to show she's joking. "What is your focus then?"

Sark fails to stifle a small snicker when Amy asks if the city is crazy. He really cant help himself, but smile, "You don't know the half of it, my friend." Instead he just grins brightly and toothily, remaining otherwise quiet so he can hear Caressa's answer.

Caressa chuckles, "Oh, this city is certifiable! Mostly I'm known for my work with PTSD. But I also work with phobias, anxiety and depression, mostly." She replies and sips her tea, making an excited little sound when the two sizzling bowls of stuffed mushrooms are brought out.

"Oh, PTSD. The UW Hospital and med school are basically attached to the VA Hospital in Madison. So, during my rotations, ER and Psych, saw a lot of PTSD. It's a horrible thing. Experiences so bad that people wanted to kill themselves to get away from it." Amy looks down in a bit of somber reflection before looking up. "Keep up the good work, doctor."

Whatever Sark might have been about to contribute to the conversation is IMMEDIATELY discarded when the fried mushrooms arrive. They have to be waaaaaay too hot (cause, you know, the sizzling) and yet Sark snags one out of one of the bowls and pops it into his mouth with an almost obscene groan of satisfaction as he bites into stuffed, molten, fried goodness, while muffling, "Sofuckingood...." The first step is admitting you have a problem...did he catch what Amy said? He might have.

Caressa just sort of stares at Sark a moment. "Dude! At least let them stop sizzling!" She smirks at him but doesn't seem overly concerned. "Yeah, they have it rough. But so do a lot of others. I wouldn't want to minimize the other diagnosies. They can be tricky, that's for sure."

"Oh, for sure. I know there are lots others. But, you know, the only psych rotations were in med school. So, I can't say that I have a lot of experience with other mental disorders. I mean, I could no more diagnose someone with the DSM than you could remove a gall bladder. It's why medicine works best when we are a team." Amy finishes with a nod. Though, Sark is certainly noted for his . . . lack of manners. But hungry is hungry.

Sark rumbles a little longer as he works to finish chewing and actually SWALLOW the pilfered mushroom, and only then finally murmuring at Caressa, "But they're GOOD fresh out of the fryer! I still dont know what you put in these things, but..." He falls quiet at that to take in a deep breath and let it go, finally murmuring a low 'sorry' to Amy for the interruption.

Caressa shakes her head at Sark, "Oven. They are baked." Then looks back to Amy, "I don't know. I've read more text than was required. I could probably do a descent job. Though it is the thought of.." she looks at her hands, "..well, it doesn't matter. I love what I do."

Amy takes a moment, "With respect, doctor, I doubt texts are a substitute for a surgical residency and a fellowship." She has her professional pride. "If everything goes right, you might be able to do a decent job, agreed. But you know, it is when things go wrong where our training comes in."

Sark's attention shifts between the two as they discuss their professions, but either most of this is going over his head or he doesn't feel like he SHOULD interrupt. Instead, the young man picks up another mushroom and pops it into his mouth, satisfied with chomping on that goodness while he listens.

Caressa mms, "If everything goes right." She nods, taking that as a win. "Just because I'm a psychiatrist doesn't mean I don't know my biology and anatomy. Psychiatrist is just where I choose to land."

"Of course," Amy says graciously. "So, Sark, was it? What do you do?"

Sark considers for a moment longer then flags Aidan down for just a moment to ask him for a small little togo carton for about four of the mushrooms, before scarfing a large portion of his remaining strawberry tea. When Amy asks her next question of him, he blinks and turns his attention back to her, "Me? I own a boarding and breeding ranch off the coast north of Prospect. Maybe you have seen some of our Friesians? Big, pretty horses."

Sakina has arrived.

Caressa turns her attention to her phone for a moment when it chirps. "I should be getting going soon."

Sakina walks in alone, dark eyes looking over the room, a smile curls the corners of her lips as she approaches the bar.

"Oh, horses. I love horses. But I am not sure if I have seen any of yours, Sark. But I would love to come to your ranch one day and see them. If time permits," Amy says before looking to Caressa. "Have a pleasant evening, Doctor. I am sure we will run into each other again. And look forward to it."

Sark smiles and offers a nod of his head to Amy's comment, "I'm sure we can arrange a tour sometime. My groundskeeper Martin is usually happy to show people around, even when Im not there. I'll make sure you have my number before I leave, and when you decide you have a few hours, you can let me know?" And then Caressa says she has to go soon, causing Sark to lean over and return the kiss to her cheek, murmuring, "Tell Steele and the little ones I asked about them?"

Caressa nods to Amy, "I'm in the book..well, my clinic number is. You can leave a message with Becca, my receptionist." She smiles to Sark, rising to give him a friendly hug, "I will, I always do. I don't want to miss bedtime. I better run."

Caressa has left.

Sakina claims a stool near Sark. "We meet again, your missing the angry duo. This a friend of yours," her eyes indicate Amy?

"Hi!" the redhead says with a warm expression. "I'm Amy. New in town." She assumes the angry duo is some kind of inside joke and doesn't press it.

Sark grins when Sakina appears and slides onto a stool close by, looking amused at the comment about the angry duo, "They were...not getting along well, were they? I always have to watch my step when people with positions start getting mad at each other, so I dotn get caught in the crossfire, you know?" But with that said, he guestures to Amy, "Actually just met her, this is Amy, she's a newly minted surgeon that just moved here from...Wisconsin, right? I know I got distracted by the mushrooms, so I might have misheard."

Sakina raises both brows. "Wow beauty and brains, what a package." Her dark eyes run over Amy without shame. "I am Sakina."

Sakina says, "I think they were about to punch eachother last time I spoke to them."

"Pleased to meet you, Sakina. And a slight correction, sir. I am not exactly newly minted. I've been practicing for about 3 years now. I even had my own practice. I am, however new to the state. I don't know if you follow politics, Sark, but since my work is mostly with trans people, I came here because the Republican Party is dedicated to anti-LGBTplus actions. Wisconsin is . . . in danger."

Sark mmms softly at Sakina, "Offense seems to be taken very quickly, though I understand that respect and protocol are important things. I just perhaps have not been so...up close and personal, before. It is enlightening. ENchanting, if you will excuse my humor?" He even waggles his brows at Sakina." With that said, he straightens up and tilts his head to listen to Amy, scrunching his nose a bit at her information about how the GOp seems to be going after folks, "I do not think I....no, saying I do not understand is not correct. I UNDERSTAND why they vilify people like they do. But it does not make it excusable. Like I said before, I will give you my number before I leave. Should you find yourself in a situation where you could use a little extra help, or you have someone in need of assistance, call me."

Sakina waves to Sark. "Nice seeing you, we'll talk seeds next time." Her attention goes back to Amy. "Your trans? I dont think Ive met anyone like you before. Well you look absolutely gorgeous so you must be getting it right. Im not familiar with American politics."

The redhead freezes. "I, uh . . . " Amy has a deer in the headlights look. "How could you tell?" The woman looks like she deflates. "I mean, I am. Yes." Amy's smile is gone, her mood more gloomy.

Sark bobs his head at Sakina, "Sure. Just send me a text sometime and I can even invite you out to the island to look around if you would like." He pauses when Sakina kinda calls Amy out a bit, looking for a moment like he might not be sure how best to handle it. He lowers his voice, "My friend is very good about picking up small details most people don't notice. Please dont be upset? You are in good company, I promise."

Sakina smiles brightly. "Thankyou darling," she tells Sark. "That would be lovely." She looks to Amy. "It was just a lucky guess dear but you have nothing to be ashamed of. I find it a bit intriguing. Have you got the operation and everything? Ive heard bad things about it."

"I, uh, I know it's not . . . shameful. I just. I mean. Usually people don't, not anymore." Amy stares at her empty glass of margarita.

Sark mmmms softl, shooting a vaguely confused look at Sakina at her question (SOMEONE is slow on the pickup here, for reasons he probably cant explain), but looks back at Amy and offers her a warm smile, "Would you like another drink, my friend?

Sakina nods, "Well good, because its ghastly and most end up unable to enjoy themselves anymore. I can change the subject. Awww dont pout. What if I offer you a date instead of moping. It would be more entertaining. Im not a fan of moping, honestly."

Amy nods and signals the bartender for another drink. "Sorry. I just . . . how could you tell? Honestly. I started hormones when I was 15. It's been a long time since someone clocked me in the first few minutes."

Sark opens his mouth to say something to Amy's concern, but apparently changes his mind and closes it. Instead, when she orders another drink, he pipes up to Aidan, "Add that one to my mushrooms, please," before popping one of the remaining fried mushrooms into his mouth. Sakina gets a raised eyebrow and possibly a touch of amusement as a date is offered rapidly, but he says nothing to it.

Sakina shrugs. "You were so upset about the victimization of trans people I thought, to be that angry about it she would have to be one. No one else would be so incensed." She winks at Sark. "What? I dont play by rules you know this."

"I guess that's . . . fair." She smiles a little bit. "I wear my heart on my sleeve, as you can see. But I am one of the lucky ones. I can afford to move to a place that is safe. Of course, it's the whole LGBTplus community that is at risk. The fascists are focusing on transpeople, because that's their easiest avenue to attack us all." After taking a long sip of her drink and pulls a business card out of her purse before writing her cell number on the back. "Here. Just know my schedule is sometimes hectic, so think of a couple of days to have a date. I can't just leave the OR. Surgery takes as long as it takes."

Sark finally cant help it and allows a snicker to escape him at Sakina's last comment, just grinning at them both, "I just havent seen a conversation to so fast from 'uh oh, akward', to 'yer hot, wanna date'? I think I had some whiplash...." He just shakes his head and upends his tea glass, draining the rest of it.

Sakina nods. "We have to fight the fascists." She gets out a green sticky and scrawls her number on it. "I heard a televangelist say that tornadoes happen because gay people are having sex. Maybe theres something to that. If we try hard enough we might be able to take the entire GOP and woosh them off to Oz. If your serious about fighting fascists, give me a call. We will hit them with the biggest storm they ever seen. Category 6!" She chuckles. "You in or out?"

"I am still a surgeon, sworn to do no harm. I don't want to kill them. I want them to see the error of their ways," Amy explains. "To see Trans people as people. But I'll still go on that date." The redhead slides her business card to Sakina and accepts her note.

Sark pops the last mushroom into his mouth and munches away, clearly amused at this turn of events. He finally winks at you both, "Okay, I have to head back to the island. YOU...*pointing at Sakina* Text me when you have time to talk, and YOU...*nods at Amy* Let me know when you have an afternoon to meet the ponies. I'll make sure I have extra carrots for bribes."

Sakina pockets Amy's card. "Thankyou Doctor. I knew we could count on you," she says with a twinkle in those dark eyes." She answers Sark. "This weekend surely."