Considering The Options

Participants:

cassius_icon.gif zachery_icon.gif

Scene Title Considering The Options
Synopsis Cassius pretends to be someone he's not to try and reel in a fish. Zachery bites, struggles, and eventually succumbs and accepts his fate.
Date October 26, 2009

Old Lucy's

Old Lucy's has a vibrant and lively feel to it, from the dark wooden floors to the shady crimson walls lit up by neon lights and many times, the flashing of cameras from the oft-crowded floor. The mirror behind the bar reflects prices of various drinks, bottles lined up, as well as the entire saloon as seen from the bartenders; bolted-down stools line the other side, and there are loose tables and chairs placed all around, though many times they find themselves pushed back for more space within the center of the saloon. A few speakers are placed at strategic places and around a raised stage to the far corner from the bar. Above the counter, an obviously well-used bar is hung; it is this that the girls working will use should there be dancing, which is one reason many patrons choose to come aside from the drinks. Across the bar and near the back, there is a door that leads to the owner's office and just inside a stairwell that leads a apartment on the floor above the bar.


Old Lucy's is a wonderful place, considering Cassius entered at around 7PM in the midst of a song, but he promptly found that 1. The girls do not strip, and 2. They only dance to one song every hour. Still, it's an interesting place to check out, so while wearing his black suit, fairly sloppily with only one side of his buttoned up white shirt tucked in and rolled up, an unbuttoned black suit jacket, with his shirt sleeves rolled up over the jacket's, he takes a seat at the bar. "I'll take a Black Velvet, no ice. And chilly fries! You got that, right?" he asks, mostly pretty casual, but keeping his wits about him as he occasionally scopes the room. This is one of the only places he's heard of Zachery sightings… well there's the book store, but there's certainly no dancing women there.

A bookstore like that would probably draw a lot more customers. Though Zachery wouldn't be working there. He'd be too anxious to properly function, even if said customers actually intended on buying anything. So why, when the door of the bar next opens, is it precisely him who enters? Zachery's looking for someone. His life's taken a definite turn for the weird (even for an ex-coroner), and it seems that lately only women have been able to give him any sort of shove in the right direction. And though it's not quite clear what in the world would make him think Abby might be of use in his particular predictament, there he is. Dressed in a dark coat that he does not intend to take off, hands in his pockets and shoulders jutting up. He fails to make eye contact with anyone, and his expression is one of… sheer discomfort. He seems reluctant to even keep walking toward the bar. No Abby in sight yet. Now that he's here, he may as well get a drink, right? Though… turning around and getting out of here again seems like an equally good idea at the moment. Decisions, decisions.

"Zach! My man!" Cassius calls over, enthusiastically waving him over as if he's an old friend. "I haven't seen you since college. Remember Courtney? Wild chick. Come on, drinks and food are on me." He holds a hand up for the bartender. "Get my man whatever he wants! This guy, you should've seen this guy!"

With a start, Zachery backs away a step. The greeting is unexpected, and the friendliness behind it even less so. His eyes scan the area for the familiar face that belongs to this voice, but instead find one that doesn't ring any bells. Though, to be fair, he's not surprised. College. He made few friends there, and stayed in touch with none of them. "C-Courtney?" Zachery stammers before - one step first, then two - starting to approach the bar again. He forces a grin, but it's weak and anything but genuine. "I don't— ah. I'm sorry, I don't… recognize you."

"There's some vintage Zach." Cassius adds, laughing as if he's heard Zachery forget people a thousand times, then pats the stool next to him. "So what're you doing these days? Brain surgeon, heart specialist? And yeah, Courtney, remember that thing with the shots? Hey, get my body a few shots of vodka, maybe we can jerk that memory of his!"

Zachery's mouth opens as if it was going to actually be useful and maybe help him protest, but it seems to be having trouble finding the words to. "I don't think I—" He manages a few words, then fails again. For a moment, it looks like he might still turn and leave. Then, after a quick look at the bar, he just… shrugs, and gives a humorless chuckle. Must have been a night preceding some horrible hangover. "Not much, actually. Sort of… between… jobs." It's only half a lie. "Sorry, uh, I really- I really don't remember your name." Here, have an apologetic look.

"Don't sweat it, you can call me Cass, but you, always the formal dude, called me Potts." Cassius laughs, raising a hand for a rough pat on the back. "Go ahead, have some shots, order whatever. The medical field hasn't done much for me, believe it or not I've got this bodyguarding gig, rich guy I knew in high school. He's got his fingers in all sorts of businesses, loves hiring smart guys, but I guess he didn't need a full time psychologist."

Pats on the back. Zachery will never unstand these, and they will likely forever be followed by an eyetwitch, as is the case right this moment. Cass. Potts. Potts? Hmm. There's not much time to contemplate the name before his alleged old friend moves on to another subject. "A bodyguarding gig. Really." He takes place next to Cass, though slowly and still looking slightly hesitant, and quietly orders a Guinness. "I suppose I was lucky, then, rolling from surgeon into a coroner job." After a beat, he adds, "— I mean, not without effort, but you know."

"Coroner? No thanks, buddy." Cassius laughs, taking a few of the ordered shots himself while neglecting his main drink. "You were always a pretty smart dude, I might be able to hook you up with a part time gig, putting that medical degree to work. I got in good with the boss, he listens to me, hell, the guy needs me." he confidently announces, smiling quite slyly.

Maybe it's exactly that slyness, but Zachery seems… less than thrilled. He wants to be, but certain factors are visibly dampening his spirit. "That's… that sounds like a pretty important job you're doing, then." The generic response is mumbled with a feigned tone of enthusiasm, but the offer is put on hold for now. He pulls his drink close and, as though kind of shielding himself for no readily apparent reason, mumbles against the glass, "What does your boss do, exactly, that he needs a bodyguard?"

"President of Maxwell Development Corporation. All sorts of nasty people could be gunning for him, y'know? But I'm the perfect bodyguard." Cassius reaches into his pocket, pulls out a spoon- yes, there's inexplicably a spoon in his pocket, then holds it low inbetween their benches, motioning for Zachery to look down. "Check it out." There's a subtle neon blue wave of energy that briefly flashes over the spoon, then it quickly bends and twists, before uncurling and getting slid back into his pocket.

A spoon. Right. A look of exasperation briefly flashes over Zachery's face as he peers downward, before it changes to confusion, and finally intrigue. "… Huh." It's the only thing he can think to say while it happens. Afterward, however, he looks back up and wastes little time before asking, "So are you, ah, registered?" Genuine curiosity, there, for sure.

"'Course I am, Maxwell wouldn't hire me unless I was. If some dude has a gun or whatever, I know it before he gets anywhere near. But Maxwell needs all sorts of people for all sorts of things, and I think he'd have a place for you if I put in a good word." Cassius offers, rather quickly returning to casually nursing his drink, still grinning a bit. "It's the least I could do for an old friend."

Oh, temptation. Seems to be a lot of it about in Zachery's life lately, and you'd almost think he would know better than to indulge. "Hmn." Eye contact is still sparse, and he seems to favor peering down to his Guinness over looking up at Cassius. "Well…" He clears his throat, lifting a hand to fidget uncertainly with a coaster. "I suppose there'd be no harm in an introduction." Not in and of itself, at least.

"I think he'd appreciate it. You were into surgery, right?" Cassius asks, as if to confirm what Zachery might be hired to do, and what he'll be going back and telling Leonardo. "You'll be living the high life in no time, with your skills you shouldn't be poking around dead tits, there's plenty of stiff fake ones to go around, y'know, that're still breathing."

Judging by the confused look on Zachery's face, that last comment probably doesn't quite make it to the landing strip. Something about a high life and skills and possibly something about women. "Y-, uh. Yes. Surgery." His brow creases as he looks up again, rubbing his neck with one hand. "I can't promise anything. I've got an appointment with another… possible employee, soon. But it can't hurt to consider the options, right?" He seems doubtful, either way.

"Never hurts to consider the options, my man." Then, scanning various tables, Cassius looks for the tell-tale signs that someone is indeed a designated driver, and… five women having a night out. He holds up a thousand dollar bill, waving it above his head, "Hey, designated chick, ditch the ladies and come give my high-roller bud here a ride home!" The woman psshes and waves her hand dismissively, but a woman from another table quickly starts to make her way over.

Cass stands, then slides the bill and Leonardo's business card in front of Zachery, grinning. "You have fun, I've gotta get going, all sorts of business to take care of." he whispers, then heads for the door, though calls back one last time, "Oh, and he just got totally crushed by this ice queen lawyer babe, so take it easy on 'em!"

Zachery looks vaguely pleased about how this chance encounter (or so it would appear) seems to have worked out! Then, suddenly, money. He blinks at the bill, and stays perfectly still while Cass does his extrovert, crazy thing. And, in fact, all the way up to the point where Cass has left the bar entirely. Then, in a quick and twitchy movement, Zachery swipes the business card and shoves it in his pocket, but leaves the bill. A farewell is completely forgotten about in the scuffle, and the ex-coroner eventually just ends up mumbling, "Uh— actually— nevermind. That's, that's alright." He'll take a bus.


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License