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Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby Mousen » 10/09/2017 6:23 PM

They were graduating. Asa sat at the back of the bar, half-drunk gin and tonic on the table in front of him. He did not look like someone who had finished the last exam of their university career. Less still, someone who knew that it had gone well. He was tired, of course, burnt-out after weeks of late nights spent cramming for tests, but that wasn't it. The good thing about cramming for tests was that it made you forget about everything else, you didn't have time to think about the obvious.

They were graduating.

He'd been... happy for Russ, when he'd found Finnian. Yes, he'd been happy. But, he and Russ had still lived together, still gone to the same university. There was an old friendship there. Asa had known Russ longer than anyone, save Lapin. They'd gone to boarding school together, for Christ sake's. Asa had been Russ's first crush, first kiss, first ex. Even after they broke up, they'd been a constant in each other's lives. Change had been unthinkable.

He hadn't dreamed that Russ would end up happy. Not that he wasn't... not that he didn't deserve-- just-- why couldn't they have stayed unhappy together?

Asa took another sip of his drink, the ice cubes clinking as he did so. He could always party tonight. There were a lot of other law students done today, so there was bound to be celebrations going on. He definitely couldn't face packing. He'd need to double-check with the firm that wanted him, too. There was so much to sort out. He needed to talk to Russ about all the joint stuff that they'd bought over the two years of living together. He presumed things like the broken accordion they'd dug out of the rubbish and the ugly stuffed cat they'd bought on a whim could probably just be thrown out, but, perhaps Lapin or Russ would turn out to be more sentimental than he thought.

Shit. They were graduating.


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby zapdragon555 » 11/12/2017 3:07 PM

Hopping a fence with a hand clamped hard on the brim of his fedora to keep it from flying off, Stacy hit the pavement on the other side and kept running a few blocks at a brisk jog. He was positive that they hadn't given up the chase yet, and while the idea of being shot at was less frightening than some other alternatives, he still would prefer things stay quiet for the sake of the Family's good graces towards him. When no sign of the Collerico goons that had been tailing him showed, he slowed to a walk, his hands sliding into the pockets of his dress pants. Oddly enough, the man didn't seem sweaty at all, despite the evening sun and the suit jacket on him.

He tugged at his collar for appearances sake, loosening the tie around his neck, and slipped into the nearest bar he could find.

The change in light made him blink, and slowly take off his fedora to card a hand through his wild black hair. He took a seat at the bar beside a rather sullen looking young man and whistled for the bartender with as polite a smirk as a smirk could be. He ordered the first thing he saw and sat back, letting himself rest for a moment before glancing over at the man sitting beside him. "You look rough," he mused aloud, tilting his head with that same smirk. Why throw away a good expression when it had multiple uses? "What's your demon of the day, friend?"



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby Mousen » 12/20/2017 8:08 PM

Asa glanced up at the man at the bar, letting out a small huff. "Gee, thanks," he said, too preoccupied to take any real notice of him. Then, when it became clear that he wasn't going to have any peace, Asa finally turned to the man. He was dark-haired, a little shorter than him and what Asa would have described as "really quite nice" if he hadn't been busy stewing in his own misery, which he was. Take that, animal instincts. Next time Russ had anything to say about him only ever thinking about his-- oh. In two weeks time Russ was moving out. There was no time for pithy jokes, all the half-finished stories and conversations were going to stay that way. How many things was he going to remember that he had to say to him only to realise that it'd take a phone call, a letter, an intrusion into his life, as opposed to just yelling it up the stairs? How much of a stranger was he going to become to the only person that had ever cared enough to hang around?

He realised he'd been silent a moment too long. "Oh. It's a nice cocktail of sleep deprivation, exam stress and existential ennui. Otherwise known as a double gin and tonic. What about yourself?" Asa's tone was sardonic, his gaze now firmly fixed on the stranger. He certainly hadn't seen him around the university, so what was he doing here, drinking at this hour?


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby zapdragon555 » 12/29/2017 2:20 PM

Stacy's eyes squinted with amusement, shining slightly at the man's woeful muttering. Sleep deprivation seemed likely, with how long it took the man to respond--or perhaps he was just a slow thinker. Stacy had met those types before. Fine people. Not Stacy's type, but fine people indeed. His drink arrived before Asa's did, and he took it leisurely, swirling the liquid around inside the glass until a kind of shallow, rounded vortex formed in the center of the glass.

"Can't complain," he answered, flashing a grin and taking a sip of the drink, which he still didn't really know or remember the name of. "I'm feeling something like... the rush of a good afternoon run... a touch of bitterness for my tattered cuffs--" he said this after a pause, catching sight of a few tears on his sleeve, most likely from where he'd hopped one of those many fences and bushes in his run from a potential shower of bullets-- "and a nice dash of 'met a dashing, half-drunken stranger at the bar.'" He took one more sip of his drink and frowned slightly at the red liquid, before turning to give Asa a kind of lopsided, lidded smirk. "Otherwise known as a Bacardi Cocktail, apparently."

He set the glass down and hummed, tugging his tattered sleeves under his outer suit jacket so that they wouldn't show quite so badly. "Found me a college boy, then. How many exams left? As I said before, you look rough, so it can't be very many. But gin and tonic is hardly celebration faire."



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby Mousen » 12/29/2017 7:26 PM

Asa had good instincts, he'd always had the ability to land on his feet. Trouble wasn't an issue when he was so gifted at talking his way out of it, of course, he got cocky sometimes. He'd overstep the mark, but that was part of the fun too. His instincts told him two things, firstly, that the man in front of him was nothing but trouble, and secondly, he knew a kindred spirit when he saw one. Albeit, one that was in a much better mood than he was currently. Things were looking up, though. He'd always been too damn lucky.

"Dashing I'll grant you, but I'll quibble the half drunk. Quarter-drunk, surely?" He matched the smirk with one of his own, a more precise, cat-like affair. There was a touch of mischief in his eyes. It was difficult to say whether that was the harmless type, or else, like Asa had spotted something interesting to hunt. "But, what kind of fellow does an afternoon run in shirtsleeves? If you don't mind my asking." And what kind of afternoon run ended in torn clothes? Hm.

Well, Asa wasn't complaining at being found, although he was sure there were some further discoveries to be m- Ah, that was bad, even for him. "I'm a free man, just graduation left." He sipped his drink, the ice in the glass rattling. "As for the celebrations, well, I can't say I'll miss the essays, an entry-level position at a law firm doesn't promise much in the way of entertainment. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I suppose."


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby zapdragon555 » 02/08/2018 2:17 AM

Stacy's expression went through a few changes during Asa's counter-quip--a bit of knowing snideness at the 'quarter-drunk' comment, and then something quite a bit more open. Startled. Then it was gone in a flash, painted over with a wide smirk and a long shrug. "The kind of fellow who sits next to handsome strangers in bars and heckles them for both amusement, and pleasure."

Close one, he had to admit. His charms only went so far when it came to covering up oddities. Perhaps the man wouldn't press him. The change in subject set him more at ease, rigid spine melting against the barstool beneath him as he relaxed his posture just so. "Law firm, hm?" Stacy's eyes flickered with a new interest, as though what he'd been previously considering to be a piece of meat was now an opportunity for some grand meal. Or something like that. Perhaps Stacy was just a bit hungry, anyhow. "I'm sure you're plenty qualified," he mused aloud, fingers drumming on the countertop, before they friskily flicked over to brush the rim of Asa's glass. "Mind if I have a taste? Bacardi isn't my favorite. I'd love to get the taste out of my mouth." The phrase was laced with something--a touch of seduction to an otherwise casual statement.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby Mousen » 02/11/2018 5:23 AM

"Oh, an eccentric, I see." Asa wasn't a fool. Running in shirt sleeves in broad daylight, cuffs torn, the man in front of him was running away from something, his general air suggested that he'd managed it, too. Well, it wasn't really any of his business, and besides, what was there to complain about while he was being complimented? "What do you get up to when not fulfilling your twin passions? Perhaps you could combine them, and run in shirtsleeves whilst flirting?"

Asa was slightly taken off-guard by the man's sudden interest. "Hm? Yes. I'm looking to be a defence lawyer, but I can't imagine they'll give me any real responsibility for a few years. Just, all the hard work," he sighed. "As for being qualified, I'll find out at the end of the term. But, I should say so."

He was a little forward, wasn't he? Not that Asa minded-- quite the contrary, actually. As much as he adored dissecting everything men said to him, finding the line between nice and nice, and whether nice was directed at him or just in general, well, it was refreshing. "Of course," he said. "Be my guest."


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/10/2018 2:52 AM

Stacy caught a smile as Asa teased him, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "You would not believe how difficult it is to find a decent man who also likes running in shirtsleeves, which is the only kind of man you'd find out jogging who's worth the time," he quipped back, a joking little smile on his face.

He listened to the boy talk, quietly, the smile fading into something more interested. Maybe... just maybe... "Mm. Do you have your heart set on a particular law firm yet? Or are you... still in the market, perhaps?" his voice was open, even a little inviting. He hoped the look he was giving wasn't too hopeful, despite that vulpine smile that looked anything but.

Asa was distracting. Despite his sharp hearing, as he reached for the offered glass, he didn't catch the sound of light footsteps appearing in the doorway of the bar. The bartender let out a startled scream of terror the very second the first bullet flew and shattered the glass of gin and tonic between their hands.

Stacy moved fast. He grabbed Asa by the back of the shirt collar with startling strength and leapt onto the counter, a spray of bullets ricocheting off the framed pictures on the wall as he yanked the both of them behind the counter, with the cowering bartender. A few bullets had hit Stacy in the shoulder, red pooling where they did, but he looked largely unbothered. "Ahh, they found my foxhole," he mused, pressing a hand to the wounds. They'd heal quickly, but to any unknowing human, it looked like a pretty serious injury. "Pity." Overhead, bullets rang out again, shattering glass from the photograph frames on top of them. Eventually they'd have to stop to reload, and Stacy was more than ready to reach for his gun.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby Mousen » 05/20/2018 2:32 PM

Asa was about to make some quip, something about not refusing offers if they were good enough to tempt him, when the first shot rang out. Asa clearly had a healthy sense of self preservation because he was most of the way to throwing himself behind the counter when the man tossed him the rest of the way there. He pressed himself against the old wood of the bar, flinching when more shots rang out.

Now at least, he knew what the man had been running from, he just couldn't believe he'd gotten caught up in it. Asa hadn't had the time to get a look at the assailants, but it sounded like there was more than one. Good Grief. Something to do with gangs, perhaps? There wasn't much violent crime in the city that didn't trace back to them in one way or another. In his future career as a defence lawyer, was more than ready to meet (possible) criminals and work for them. This, however, was not his preferred way of getting acquainted. He really didn't want to die.

It took a good few seconds, but when he finally looked over towards the man who'd dragged into this mess he noticed the blood. "You've been shot!" his voice was a tense whisper, eyes darting between the blood and the unconcerned expression the man wore. It didn't make sense. None of this made sense. Asa wondered if he was panicking, or if he wasn't, why he panic hadn't set in yet. He tried to think. He tried to think, and his mind was chittering white noise. Right now he had a bunch of people shooting at him to get at the man in front of him, who was apparently unconcerned about the fact he was kneeling in a pool of his own blood.

He glanced around and there was no way of exiting the building that wouldn't earn them a new set of breathing holes. He was stuck.

"For the love of god tell me you're armed. And a good shot," he said.


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby zapdragon555 » 06/16/2018 11:16 PM

Stacy's eyes darted from the shattered glass picture frames overhead to Asa's face as the boy spoke to him in hushed tones. His brows raised, and he looked down at his hand, red with blood, and cocked a smile. "So I have," he whispered back, audible between rounds of gunfire. His smile showed teeth then--for the first time, now, pointed fangs visible as little gleams of white behind lips--and his eyes lit up as the gunfire began to wane.

His hand slipped quick as a blink into his jacket, pulling out a handsome garnet inlay flintlock-styled pistol. To say the thing looked old would be an understatement, but Stacy twirled it confidently around a finger before gripping it tight. The gunfire ended, the sound of rapid reloading on its heels, and Stacy twisted around on his knees to aim the gun and fire off three rounds. Agonized groans and shouts of surprise filled the following silence, before the gunfire returned, obviously lessened in numbers. Stacy ducked back down and blew off the end of the pistol. He reached into his pocket, humming almost cheerfully to himself, and pulled out a pair of crimson gloves. He then reached into a different, inner pocket, and produced several bullets from a little black pouch to begin reloading. "And so I am," he mused aloud, cocking the gun and smiling as it clicked properly into place, ready for another few shots. "Lucky for us. I think there's only two left, of the five-some-odd that were there. Having fun, darling?" he asked, smooth, looking back up at Asa with an arched brow and a lidded smile.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby Mousen » 06/29/2018 6:45 PM

Asa's mind was doing some pretty complicated gymnastics as it tried to keep up with all of the developments that were unfolding in front of him. He really hoped he wasn't going to die, not after the last of his exams. He'd survived through the worst of the suffering, if he'd been going to die it should have been beforehand. Now, he was being shot at in a bar next to a man who didn't seem to feel pain and had very sharp teeth and a very old fashioned pistol. What a way to go.

He counted three shouts of pain for three rounds fired. Damn. He was a good shot. "You should try to stop the bleeding," he hissed. While the man beside him reloaded, Asa could hear the last two reload. An idea came to him, and he gestured for Stacey to look.  Without making a sound he picked up a portion of what had formally been a wooden bar stool. He gestured towards the back door, making a small throwing motion. The sound would make them turn, giving him an opening to shoot. He angled himself accordingly, still sheltered behind the bar and counted down on his fingers. 3... 2... 1...


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby zapdragon555 » 07/13/2018 3:43 AM

Stacy didn't say much other than a short, monosyllabic laugh at the notion of stopping the bleeding--in reality, it had almost already stopped, though the amount of red staining his front would certainly give the appearance otherwise. He clicked the gun's hold, ready to fire once more, and looked up in mild surprise as Asa gestured to him.

Ah. Quick thinking. Sharp... Stacy's mouth split into a small grin, fangs bared, and he nodded his head. Pistol at his hip and ready, he adjusted his position in order to help lift the wooden hunk that was once a functioning bar stool, and watched Asa's fingers. Pretty ones, they were. His grin softened to a smile, and in the brief half of a second prior to throwing, he steeled himself and jerked his head back to where he knew the attackers would be.

The stool hit the door with a crash, and Stacy's sensitive ears picked up on a gasp from the front doorway. He leapt to his feet and pointed the pistol, firing off two shots. One hit its mark square in the chest, and felled him. The other missed by a hairsbreadth the other man's throat, instead shattering the wooden doorframe in a shower of chips. A shot rang out and Stacy's shoulder exploded in pain--brief, but nonetheless staggering. No matter how fast the healing was, and no matter how ineffective bullets with no blessing on them were, hot metal through skin and flesh was still an ordeal. He tossed the gun to his other hand and pointed, shooting twice more--the second one hit, and with a very dead thump, the last attacker hit the floor.

Stacy's hand--non dominant, certainly--shook slightly, and he slowly sank back down to the floor behind the bar, his expression tight despite the grin still on his face. "There," he breathed out, setting the pistol down on the floor and bringing a hand to press the wound at his shoulder. "That should do it. But it's best we get out of here, regardless."

He glanced at the bartender, who looked white as a sheet and just about to pass out, uncomprehending of the situation (and sporting a few cuts on his balding head from the shattered glass that fell from above). Not too bad, they would heal. Most of the collateral was material. Stacy offered a bit of a tired smirk to the man, tucking the gun back into his jacket. "The Sanguineum family will pay for any damages, my good man, I assure you."



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: Bitter Water [P, Zap - M]

Postby Mousen » 08/31/2018 7:14 PM

Asa was almost trying not to look at Stacy by this point, although, it was difficult not to. His eye was drawn to the blood, the flash of red at the corner of his vision. He lifted his eyes to meet Stacy's, just before he lifted the stool to throw it, there was something not unlike a flash of excitement in them.

He flinched as the gunshots rang out, pressing himself further into the wood of the bar and praying to god that he would survive this. It also struck him then, in that moment, that he'd exposed Stacy to a great amount of danger with his plan. He opened his eyes and found Stacy not far away, injured but alive.

A shudder ran through him, guilt or adrenaline maybe. "We need to get you to a hospital. Or a back-alley quack or something." He stood up and found he was shaking pretty badly. "How-- how are you so calm? You'll bleed out."

Using the counter top to steady himself Asa pushed himself towards the back door, checking briefly through the shattered glass to see if there was anyone else waiting for them outside.


We’re all hysterical & going nowhere together.

C’mon rapture. Let’s go bedazzling.

Nothing gets futured without its own spitshine
& I’m already not not not not not not miraculous.


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