Participants:
| Scene Title | Grifter |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Learning to lie is one half believability and one half confidence. |
| Date | December 23, 2010 |
The Chinatown dive bar is particularly dive-y complete with flickering fluorescent lights, cheesy bright coloured fluorescent signs, and that perma-beer smell thanks to numerous spills that were never quite cleaned up enough along the wooden floor. The clink of pool in the corner and the sound of some guy breaking the balls echoes across the wooden floor and cement walls— something the entire motif has altogether misrepresented.
It's relatively quiet this time of day save for a few particularly determined bar hounds who nearly live here. Several others hang around at various tables, although most linger along the bar to save time between getting drinks and downing them.
One thing about this particular dive bar: it's decidedly male. Save for one woman who'd only just entered. Black jeans, a black lacy blouse complete with pink skulls, and a heavy black leather jacket line her form along with a ridiculously high pair of pleather boots. She'd sat at the bar, and attempted to look like she owned the place, but even in her position something isn't quite confident or comfortable as of yet.
She crosses her legs and tosses her hair over her shoulders with a too-bright-to-match-what-she's-wearing smile, garnering more attention than she intends. The bartender actually narrows his eyes at her while he polishes a particular class. "What'll it be honey?"
Her lips move, but the words get stuck in her throat. Owning this entire gettup has been more difficult than she'd like to admit, but she likes to win bets. IN fact, she was so sure she could pull this off. The question tinges her cheeks a pale pink as she rests her hands on the table. "Hi," she smiles. This is likely one of those things she should've figured out beforehand; she doesn't know her liquor except "Tequila. A shot." Beat. "And I think I need a lime and salt to go with that?" the last bit is hesitant like a question although she doesn't intend it that way…
"«If you think so. Try it.»" It may be an afternoon at a bar, but a few immaculately dressed men are a part of the hangarounds at this particular dive. And by few I mean two. The bu xiu twins hang by the pool table. Dong-tian looms over the far pool table, his hand gripping a cue idly. Wearing a pinstripe suit, and a deep burguny shirt under it, the man glances over at the bar. Sunglasses sit on the brim of his nose, eyes following the cue ball roll around aimlessly. He's not really playing but he insisted on holding a pool cue if he was going to be in this bar.
Xue on the other hand is dressed similarly, though a light ice blue shirt is under his suit. Tilting his glasses down he smirks at the new arrival of the woman at the bar. Looking over his shoulder at the other Chinese men who hang there he lets out a little chuckle. "«Guilao woman will not go for you. Hundred says she shoots you down…"
Dong-tian smirks icily at the man who seems to be contesting he and his twin. "And if she doesn't…" The sudden switch to English is almost jarring. "I will."
The man standing on the other side of the stable stares agape at Dong-tian for a long moment. "«I will show you two. One hundred it is. She gives me her number. »"
But the 'older' of the twins shakes his head subtly, giving J.J Chen a bored look. "Three hundred. And she leaves the bar with you." Dong-tian smiles challengingly at the other man, flicking his chin at Samara. "«Go make it happen Doctor Love.»"
J.J meets the challenging look, flicking his jacket. Chen brushes his cheek before turning on heel. Chen is a young, fairly handsome man, who probably spends more on his clothes than anything else. With overly styled hair, the young triad makes his way… casually to the bar. Taking a seat next to Samara, Chen gives her a little bob of his chin. "Tequila. A shot." He nearly mimics.
Eyebrows are arched incredulously at Chen's approach. The young woman hmmms quietly as her eyes flick to him and then back to the bartender who pours them each a shot of tequila, setting the tiny glasses in front of them both.
Her mouth opens to address him, only to close into a sly smile as her gaze flits over to the pool players momentarily. The smile becomes particularly rueful while her thoughs are allowed to roll over her mind again and again. She turns her head to face Chen, craning her graceful dancer's neck, "Responsible for getting the drinks?" the question is intended as teasing, but the words are more hesitant than they ought to be. While she may be the sole woman in the bar, she's not a particularly gifted flirt. "A little fruity to all share one shot, don't you think?" now she actually grins as she lifts her tequila into the air and then downs the shot in one gulp.
"Nah. I'm done with them." He waves his hand dismissively at the rest of his crew, taking his own shot in hand. Chen peers at Samara downing her shot. "You're not going to chase that?" He gives her a little nod, a bit impressed at this. Not about to be outdone by a girl, he lifts his own shot up and downs it just as soundly. Placing the shot back down his shoulders shake slightly as if getting rid of the burn in his throat.
He smirks a little bit. "I'm not fruity." He quickly retorts. He is not fruity. "And don't let those guys hear you saying anything like that." He motions with his head over at Dong-tian and the rest of the Ghost Shadows. "Don't have a good sense of humor. Those brothers in the suits." Giving her a winning smile, one hand goes over to her. "J.J."
The gulp of tequila has a similar effect on the woman, but her shudder is accented by a soured expression along with the motion. Clearing her throat around the burn she asks, "Did you win, at least?" Her gaze flits to the pool players again, but only for a moment. She blinks several times as her fingertips grasp the top of her shot glass which she rolls in a small circle. "Or did you drink too many of these before?"
"I'll try to remember that," she quips too-brightly about the Ghost Shadows. The smile becomes smug as she extends his hand to her. "Sam," she says. "What's J.J. short for?"
"Of course I did." J.J lies charmingly, "Do you play?" He asks motioning to the tables. He shakes his head, "Not my normal drink." Chen admits, waving his hand at the shot glass. "But those guys in the suits. They get these fruity tequila drinks. They look like gangster killers, but their drinks are pink. Doesn't make sense to me." He brings one hand up to rest on her shoulder softly. "You alright, want some coke or something? Hey. One coke. On me." A snap of his finger to the man.
"It's short for nothing. Just liked the name. My real name is Chinese.. And most white people can't pronounce it. No offense. What's Sam short for?"
"Not well," she admits quietly. "But I try." She hmmms, recalling something she seen in a movie once although it didn't quite meet its message. "You could teach me," she muses while she pushes the shot glass away from her. No more of that. Thank you. The smile fades some at the notion of fruity tequila drinks, why did she not know about these earlier? With a twitch of a smile she turns her head to examine the hand on her shoulder. Underneath the stranger's touch, she actually visibly stiffens, try as she might to let it go.
"Samantha. It's a mouthful and no one wants to say the whole thing anyways." She pauses, "And there's something," another vague glance is cast towards the pool players, "kind of badass about it."
"You from around here Samantha?" J.J. asks, his had rubbing her shoulder gently before sliding off his stool. "I can teach you." He offers with a light smile. "I can get you another drink. Something not so.. Heavy. Kamikaze maybe?" Maybe that's not the most friendly name. "There is. And you look pretty badass. But you know, this place.. It kind of sucks. There's a bar across the street. Better pool tables. Better drinks." He places his elbow on the bar, smiling at her sweetly. "Would you like to go over there?"
The woman in black twists around on her stool. "Nah. I'm from Chicago. Grew up downtown. New York would've been a great place to be a kid though." She tucks several stray hairs behind her ear. "A Kamikaze," she repeats. "Tempting but, anything that sounds like strategic suicide probably won't be my— " what do thug people call it "— poison." Okay, so she's fake thug. Her eyes move from J.J. to the bartender and back again. "Now you're insulting my new friend. His drinks are perfectly alright… although… a better pool table might be easier to learn on…"
In the back, Dong-tian steps forward placing the pool cue on the floor. Holding it with both hands he leans over to whisper something softly to his twin brother. Pushing his sunglasses onto his gaze fully, his lips pull down slightly. The bet was if J.J got her out of the bar. There was never any stipulation that Dong-tian couldn't step in and try to cock-block the other man. If J.J. really does have the game he proffesses he'll be able to get her out anyway…
"I think you're going to value my friendship more." J.J. insures, offering his hand up to the woman, giving his charming smile to her. "It's right across the street.."
"Excuse me." Dong-tian says coldly, delivering a scowl to Samara. "Play with me." He instructs. Holding his pool cue loosely, his eyes behind the glasses level on her easily. It's not a question, it's an instruction.
The offered hand is almost taken, but with the interruption, the woman draws it back to her lap. Sam blinks at the newcomer and then back to J.J. And then back to the newcomer. "Hi," she greets quietly while her eyes narrow at him slightly, "I'm not just playing, I'm learning." She watches the scowling man and she rotates on the stool away from the both momentarily, allowing herself to slide off it, taking care not to roll an ankle in the boots with which she's still not quite comfortable.
Even in her boots she's not his height, implying that's she's relatively short without heels. She tilts her head at Dong-Tian, and then glances at J.J., "He says he's a better pool player— " beat "— well that he won, anyways." Her eyebrows arch. "I like learning from the best…"
J.J. looks suddenly very nervous, his hand almost snatching at the air that Samara's hand hovered just a few moments ago. His eyes going to Dong-tian. "We were just leaving.." He murmurs softly. Looking over at Samara expectantly…
Dong-tian watches J.J. impatiently before looking back to Samara. "Come to the table. Learn from me." He further instructs. He narrows his eyes slightly as if to cement the point, he motions with his head over to the table. Making his way to the pool table, Xue watches Samara softly, folding his arms over his chest.
The instructions actually have Sam shoving her hands her pockets with a small shrug and a narrowing of her eyes. Maybe the girl just likes being bossed around? Sam shoots J.J. an apologetic smile as her precise well balanced, and effortless looking steps take her to the table (she's been practicing in heels for the last couple of weeks).
Once there, she tilts her head at Dong-Tian, "Well?" The question is to the point, precise, and perhaps a little nervous herself.