Caravanserai [Whitesand Moonrock Observatory]

[LocusVonErich]

Name: Joseph Edwards
Date | Time: 7 June 2020, 9 pm or so 
Wearing: As pictured
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Becky, Rafaela, Open

"Whatever they needed of me, Miss Rafaela. I'm a session man, a Swiss Army Knife, a gun for hire. As Bo Diddley once said, "Have guitar, will travel"." Seeing her light a cigarette gave him the permission he felt he needed to light one of his own. The sweet smokiness of Caravanserai's cigarettes evoked luxury, he wondered if they grew tobacco on sight. "Nothing a high class lady of opera would necessarily enjoy, but quite a bit on the American Top 40 Charts." Whether it had been Alt, Pop, or Country, Joseph Edwards had definitely been behind a number of big hit songs for other artists, he had yet to compose his own major work.

[RedPhoenix]

Name: Becky Washington
Date | Time: June 7th, 8pm
Wearing: As pictured plus flowery maxi skirt and sandals.
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Open


Becky gave the two a wave and wandered off on her own, looking to enjoy the stars somewhere a bit more relaxing. She found a nice cup of warm tea, or gave one of the staff a big enough tip to get her one, and settled into one of the comfy seats she could find and stared up at the stars.

[Strega]

Name: Rafaela Camerino
Date | Time: June 7th, 9pm
Wearing: Simple Black Dress
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Becky, Joseph, Open

Rafaela waved back at Becky with a small smile and followed her with her eyes as she sat a little further from them at one of the comfortable chairs the observatory offered. She respected the need for solitude as it was her primary need as well and did not try to follow her or bring her back into the conversation with Joseph.

"I have less ties with opera right now than you probably have, signore Joseph. And it pains me to be treated like an opera deity. Music is music, regardless how many octaves fit into your vocal range."

She waved at an attendant nearby and asked for an ashtray.

"If someone would like to hear you playing, where would they find you?"

[Peripherie]

Name: Brielle "Breezy" Garin
Date | Time: June 7th, 8-9pm
Wearing: gray middriff sweater, plaid skirt, ankle boots, and always a hat
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Becky, Open

Taking a long relaxing hiatus in her room after the fun shenanigans of the ball, Breezy found her way up to the observation deck to ogle at the stars for a while. The desert weather at night turned much cooler as expected so she opted to cover up a tad more than her bikini or ball gown. She traded in her floppy beach hat for a knit beanie though it did little to contain the volume of her fiery hair. She had found the bar on her way up and was clutching a mug of spiked and spiced apple cider.

Stepping onto the roof she had to sigh - a dark sky full of stars expanded in all directions to the edges of her vision. Without clouds and so very little light pollution beyond the resort itself, the night glittered and sparkled. Breezy had enjoyed the drama and the stolen kisses of the party but this was really more her speed. She found a familiar face in a nearby seating area that looked mighty cozy. She headed Becky's way and found something of a lounge chair of her own. "Hey there. May I join you?" She might have thought twice to interrupt someone's else moment of solitude but the cider was already warming her tongue and banishing all her normal silly worries.

[LocusVonErich]

Name: Joseph Edwards
Date | Time: 7 June 2020, 9 pm or so 
Wearing: As pictured
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Rafaela, Open


"These days, not much of anywhere. Stole a moment at last night's Masquerade, but otherwise, I'm pretty well retired. No need to be the journeyman anymore. I'm sitting on more wealth than I should be admitting to, and my passion is gone." He looked up to the stars. "I'm not usually so tragic, you know." He would stub his cigarette and light another.

[RedPhoenix]

Name: Becky Washington
Date | Time: June 7th, Evening
Wearing: As pictured plus flowery maxi skirt and sandals.
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Breezy


Becky got lost in the stars for a moment. They were so beautiful, so quiet and yet so powerful. She envied their ability to be both. She sipped her tea happily, relaxing into the couch, and was caught off guard when another approached her.

"Hmmm?" She glanced up at the redhead. "Oh hi." She smiled a friendly smile. "Please do."

She glanced at her again, doing almost a double take, just slower, as she realized she was familiar. "I know that hair." She said with a smile. "You were at the masked ball! I voted you for best dressed you know." She smiled. "I feel like we may have met but..." she shook her head at herself, "I drank just the right amount and I don't remember much." She laughed. "I'm Becky again just in case." She extended a hand.

[Peripherie]

Name: Brielle "Breezy" Garin
Date | Time: June 7th, 8-9pm
Wearing: gray middriff sweater, plaid skirt, ankle boots, and always a hat
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Becky

"Best dressed?" Typical redhead, she couldn't hide even the tiniest of blushes. "I remember dancing with a very handsome man. But me?" She sat down in the chair and stretched her leggin covered legs out. "That was very nice of you Becky." She extended her mug out to click with the one the pretty lady was holding. "I'm Breezy, again. Lot was going on when we first met." She took a long sip. "I remember that stunning blue dress you were wearing though. You must have scored pretty well yourself."

Breezy settled back and let her eyes adjust to the night. It was a spectacular sight. "This is nice."

[RedPhoenix]

Name: Becky Washington
Date | Time: June 7th, Evening
Wearing: As pictured plus flowery maxi skirt and sandals.
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Breezy


"Yeah there was a lot going on, plus I got smashed right after." She laughed. "That bartender made an amazing drink." She sighed happily at the memory. "It really gave me a lot of confidence, maybe too much." She smiled ruefully.

She cheers'd her teacup merrily and took a nice sip of the warm liquid, then sighed in contentment afterwards. "This place is just a dream isn't it?" She smiled up at the stars again. "All this luxury and still somewhere out here enough we can actually see the stars." She grinned, almost childish in how much she enjoyed it.

She shook her head. "How are you liking your time here so far?" She asked idly, enjoying the view, the tea, and the company.

[Strega]

Name: Rafaela Camerino
Date | Time: June 7th, 9pm
Wearing: Simple Black Dress
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Joseph, Open

"So a man driven by passion, with no passion left?", she said, with a subtle smile on her lips.

"Seems to me like so much talent is going to waste, just because it is sitting on a golden pillow. I welcomed wealth in my life as well, I will not pretend that I did not deserve it either. But it was never my driver to keep singing."

She looked up at the stars, which seemed to turn brighter by the minute.

"Now I am the one being dramatic, aren't I?", she said chuckling softly.

[LocusVonErich]

Name: Joseph Edwards
Date | Time: 7 June 2020, 9 pm or so 
Wearing: As pictured
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Rafaela, Open


"The wealth didn't come from the music, miss. It came from living like a pauper and having my money managed by a man who was like family to me. He's been gone for about six months now. I went from 80 hours a week between studios and bar crawls across Nashville week in and week out to having too much time on my hands."

[Strega]

Name: Rafaela Camerino
Date | Time: June 7th, 9pm
Wearing: Simple Black Dress
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Joseph, Open

"Pardon me, signore Joseph. Offending you was the last thing I would do."

She looked at the man with a serious expression, ashamed even. She must have sounded too insensitive. The cigarette had almost burnt out completely and would soon burn her finger as well without noticing.

[LocusVonErich]

Name: Joseph Edwards
Date | Time: 7 June 2020, 9 pm or so 
Wearing: As pictured
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Rafaela, Open


"No offense taken, Miss Rafaela." Joseph replied. "You know what they say of the nouveau riche...can't talk money without making it about themselves." He would chuckle self-depreciatively as he stubbed his cigarette. "Caravanserai has the most luxurious cigarettes. Never thought I'd taste something like them." He would reach and stub the cigarette she had lost attention of and offered a new one, along with a light.

[Strega]

Name: Rafaela Camerino
Date | Time: June 7th, 9pm
Wearing: Simple Black Dress
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Joseph, Open

Rafaela had a rather cynical man in front of her, with a quite a story behind him, she was sure about it. She snapped out of her thoughts and the momentary feeling of awkwardness when he offered her a cigarette. She then realized that her previous one burned her a little and she stub it in the little ash tray naturally, without exposing her absent mindedness.

She accepted his cigarette and leaned a bit forward to let him light it up. It was indeed unique.

"What a unique taste! It makes the ones I am smoking feel like dry weed. You know, sometimes I don't know if I am smoking because I was never allowed to and I can finally indulge in it now, or if I am just trying to kill what's left inside my throat."

This was rather a monologue but she felt like being heard. She sensed that Joseph knew of loss quite well.

[Peripherie]

Name: Brielle "Breezy" Garin
Date | Time: June 7th, 8-9pm
Wearing: gray middriff sweater, plaid skirt, ankle boots, and always a hat
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Becky

Breezy was equally grounded by the warm mug of liquid in her hands. The heat of the cider and the prick of the alcohol seemed to anchor her comfortably in her lounge chair. The sky above them and the sweet night breeze only added to how content she was. "It is magical here, you're right about that." She took another long sip and pulled her legs up under her thighs like she might do as she cozied up on a couch at home.

"I've had a blast so far. The staff is great and the accommodations are heaven. I took a nap in my room... omg, that bed is soft." She giggled a little at her use of that silly phrase. "But I think I like the people the most - the mix of the other guests, yeah? Everyone is so different, but it's like we are all searching for something in the same direction and made it here."

"Or maybe that is just the rum." Becky was gifted with another Breezy giggle.

[LocusVonErich]

Name: Joseph Edwards
Date | Time: 7 June 2020, 9 pm or so 
Wearing: As pictured
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Rafaela, Open


"I started smoking during my early days on the bar circuits. Alcohol truly tastes better with a cigarette and vice versa." Joseph was enjoying the company of the bella donna, but he was growing disconcerted. He felt as if he were running out of things to say and as if the weight of the world was bearing down on him. The walls were closing in and they shouldn't have been. Just like with Becky the night before, he wanted her to himself and he wanted her out in the world where she belonged all at once.

[Strega]

Name: Rafaela Camerino
Date | Time: June 7th, 9pm
Wearing: Simple Black Dress
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Joseph, Open

"Then what would you say if we asked from the lovely attendants for two glasses of something of your preference? I would love to share a drink with you before I retire for the night."

She exhaled another cloud of rich smoke, clearly enjoying the Caravanserai cigarettes. It was getting late and the temperature had dropped significantly, something that did not occur to her when she almost obliviously got dressed for a walk outside the luxurious hotel walls and she did not regard the blankets provided as an elegant solution either.

[LocusVonErich]

Name: Joseph Edwards
Date | Time: 7 June 2020, 9 pm or so 
Wearing: As pictured
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Rafaela, Open


"A nightcap sounds quite nice. Let me see who I can find in order to get a drink around these parts." Joseph would momentarily walk off to find someone to get drinks, but wouldn't stay gone long. Coming back, he had two glasses. "A simple cocktail. They call it the Old Fashioned for a reason." He would light a new cigarette and sip his drink.

[Strega]

Name: Rafaela Camerino
Date | Time: June 7th, 9pm
Wearing: Simple Black Dress
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Joseph, Open

"Grazie."

Rafaela accepted one of the glasses Joseph had been kind enough to bring, with a graceful and languid move. She raised her glass a bit, smiling softly at Joseph, the cigarette still burning on her other hand, her wrist elegantly craned back.

"I drink to you, signore Joseph. May you find again your lost passion in music."

[RedPhoenix]

Name: Becky Washington
Date | Time: June 7th, Evening
Wearing: As pictured plus flowery maxi skirt and sandals.
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Breezy


"Oooh yeah. I slept all day." Becky admitted with a grin. "Those beds. Oh my god." She made as if she was sprawling out on one of them with a happy laugh. "They have so many nice things here and I might miss it all with all the time I spend there." She grinned. "I'm glad I came out for this though. I didn't realize how much I missed the stars."

"No, I think you're right." She smiled. "What else would bring a bunch of people out somewhere like this in the middle of nowhere? We're all just looking to get away." She smiled sweetly. "Or find ourselves or...whatever it is people do out here. You'd think I would know that before showing up but ..." she trailed off as if to say apparently not.

She smiled over to Breezy. "So what happened to the guy you were dancing with? I didn't see either of you after we met near the sign up table. I was gonna try to find you and get you to tell me your secret." She grinned at her. "I was offering a kiss and a date for each one. It was a very popular deal." She giggled a bit, no shame, just joy at the memory.

[LocusVonErich]

Name: Joseph Edwards
Date | Time: 7 June 2020, 9 pm or so 
Wearing: As pictured
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Rafaela, Open


"May your journey be blessed with grand travels and good winds. To you." He would raise a drink to her and not say much more, comfortable with the silence between the two of them.

[Peripherie]

Name: Brielle "Breezy" Garin
Date | Time: June 7th, evening
Wearing: gray midriff sweater, plaid skirt, ankle boots, and always a hat
Location: Observatory
Tagging: Becky


"Oooh... my secret was quite silly. I could talk to nearby objects or something like that." She let her eyes wander as she thought about her other question - about the masked man. She stared up at a sky so clear she thought she could make out a dozen constellations, if only she knew the ones on this hemisphere by heart. "As for the man. I didn't even get his full name but we did share a very nice moment." A blush was hidden under the heat stained cheeks already gracing her face from the spicy cider she had almost finished.

Actually, she wasn't sure she actually grabbed the potentially risque pictures from the photo booth. Her eyes got a bit bigger, even if they couldn't be seen in the dark. She took the last swig of her drink and stood. "Becky, it was so good to see you again. I think I, uh, left something back in the event hall. So hopefully one day I'll stick around so we can finish our conversation." She stood up but took a step towards what she hoped was a new friend and lightly kissed the pretty lady on the cheek. "Maybe I can take a raincheck on that date sometime."

She set her mug down on the nearby bar and headed back into the hotel stairwell.

[Dominique]

Name: Chloe Foster
Date | Time: June 11th | 7:30 PM
Wearing: Tan coloured Spa uniform with brown sash and white loafers
Location: Moonrock Observatory
Tagging: William


She hadn't had much of a chance to enjoy the amenities of Caravanserai until now, but her first trip up here assured Chloe that this was going to be one of her favourite places to hide for sure. The narrow stairwell was slightly claustrophobic, but the upper room was simply gorgeous. It felt cozy, and with the sun having already set, the stars were showing themselves in the twilight sky, twinkling more beautifully than they ever had done back in England. Chloe had never seen the darkness with this intensity, had never known there were so many stars and she sure as hell had never seen the Milky Way until she had left the Great British island.

"You know," she confessed as she settled on one of the couches, craning her head back to look up at the night sky, "I always thought that those pictures of the sky like this were photoshopped. I had no idea how much light pollution we have back in London." A dreamy smile littered her face and she simply sat there, savouring the moment. It wasn't cold yet, and she left the folded blankets lying next to her for now. Maybe it had something to do with the little box of food she had in her lap; neither of the restaurants were typically made for takeout, but the staff of Caravanserai couldn't very well all sit in the Oasis or the Mirage, taking up all the seats every night. The smell of the food was lovely; Chloe found that tasting the local dishes had been one of her favourite aspects of travelling so many new countries. And while the hotel's restaurants were hardly comparable to, say, a Vietnamese foodstall, it had the taste of Africa in every single item on the menu.

"Sometimes it barely feels like working," she commented, tearing her gaze from the spectacle overhead with some difficulty. Opening the box, she grabbed the cutlery and looked over the lid at William. "Two years ago I was storming headfirst into a premature heartattack, and now even my job is making me relax. It's impossible to feel stressed when you've got the sound of waves in the background, all those lovely scented oils and your clients are all there to unwind." Chloe took a content sigh. "This is the life, you know. I just might stay here forever."

[Gannameade]

 

Name: William B Fine
Date | Time: June 11th | 7:30 PM
Wearing: White pants blue uniform top just open with t-shirt showing
Location: Moonrock Observatory
Tagging: Chloe




William followed her up the staircase realizing this probably was not the best place or angle for him to be in order to be more platonic or brotherly.  Thinking about his co-worker in this particular vein right now, but he closed his eyes and focused mentally plowing through the fact that she was just as beautiful as the women he had worked on today and he could very well be fighting against making his ‘sister’ the object of his affection.   He was going to make sure to focus and be himself and if anything happened it wouldn’t be, because he was forcing it to occur.  Once they came up through the walkway to the open air he was glad to see the sky for so many reasons not that her backside wasn’t a heavenly body to behold as well.  It was then that he reflected being at the pool and another smile came to his face also.

“Light pollution is everywhere  save Colorado, but living in Texas unless you have a lot of lands out in the middle of nowhere you won’t see nights like this either.”  He said stating where he was from as well.  “You have dinner down there in the restaurants yet?”  He asked as he was more than eager to brag on his brother’s wares.  As he would more than like have some leftovers to devour later as everything wasn’t always eaten that was prepared and Will let nothing go to waste given his metabolism right now.

He looked at her as he started to open his own box, he was listening to her.  She was looking at him and he had given her his attention.  “So you needed a change in scenery and lifestyle or you were going to die early.”  He smirked as he looked at her with a wink.  “I am glad you came here…and you didn’t die…or I wouldn’t have met you and I truly would have missed having this experience…with you Chloe.”

He chuckled.  “Forever is a long time you know that right?”  He said with a smile as he left out the fact he thought the same thing a while back.  “So what did you do that was going to killed you back home?”  He knew they were getting into personal territory but considering how personal they generally were with one another…this was just the tip of the iceberg for them.

[RedPhoenix]

Name: Becky Washington
Date | Time: June 13th, 2020 | Early Night
Wearing: (as pictured)
Location: Stargazing Level
Tagging: Tori!

Becky led Tori out of the bar, knowing that the bartender would charge it all to her room, and led the girl up the winding stairs and through the tight, ringed passageways up to the top of the observatory. The tight passageways required them to walk one behind the other, so Becky led the way, almost feeling like she should have a torch for parts of it as the old brick of the structure had a very Indiana Jones vibe to it. Still it was a modern hotel after all, just one that did a great job of looking like something else when it wanted to.

Finally they were up at the viewing floor, and as Becky had predicted it was indeed empty.

"Sometimes they have events up here. Guess nobody wanted to look at the stars tonight." Becky smiled and walked over to one of the very comfy couches that lined the area. Despite being outside the desert air at night was actually surprisingly chill, and Becky was grateful some of the blankets were still out, she suspected they always were - cleaned and changed daily of course, and she picked one up and pulled it to her side as it was clear she would need it soon.

"Sit down." She patted the sofa next to her, pulling her legs up onto the couch and to her side as she leaned against the backrest and stared up at the night sky. "It's really lovely up here. Don't you think?"

[LadyKatherine]

Name: Victoria "Tori"  Valentine
Date | Time: 13 June 2020 | Early Night
Wearing: Small black slightly frilly dress with a pink outline of a heart above the left breast. And black silk gloves that go up to the elbows
Location: Stargazing Level
Tagging: Becky


Victoria nervously sat down next to Becky "Thank you" She smiled then looked up at the sky. The stars were beautiful, Victoria never really got to enjoy the stars. The pollution in the big cities she usually traveled to always hid the stars. But tonight they where out in full force.

"They really are beautiful..."