Participants:
Scene Title | Irish Charm? |
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Synopsis | Lexi and Seamus find a little fun in a local pub. |
Date | October 08, 2010 |
Among the crowd at the Irish pub, the atmosphere is heady and full of energy. There's loud conversation, a few boisterous punches being thrown in a back corner, and plenty of dancing out by the jukebox.
Seamus' bulky form has no problem pushing through the crowd, shouldering a few hefty guys aside, who turn and glare. "Sorry, gents!" he calls back with a disarming smile, juggling the four mugs of Guinness in his hands. The group of men size Seamus up and slowly go back to their one chatter, and Seamus continues on to slide into a chair beside Lexi at one of the tables, placing the huge mugs before them both. "Here y' are, m'lady! A little Vitamin G t' keep y' healthy."
Lexi is more than happy to let him get the drinks while she holds down the table. She is, after all, taking a moment to relax and celebrate after their very big sale earlier. Bwahahaa. Legal or not, she does enjoy landing the big fish, so to speak.
When he comes back to the table, she reaches over to take one of those mugs for a drink. "Vitamin G, that's what we're callin' it now? Ya know, freedom has done things t' your mind, Seamus."
"Y'mean it's made me happy? Y've been away from th' Emerald Isles for too long, if y're forgettin' your roots. Drink up, Lexi." Seamus turns towards his "sister", grinning at her as he throws one arm over the back of his chair, raising his mug to his lips with his other hand. "Let's recharge you with a bit o' Irish charm. Cheers!" He raises his drink. "To another passle o' money gettin' into th' right hands. Ours."
"I'm the one with the Irish Charm, brother, you're the scrappy one. Remember?" Lexi lifts her drink, too, though, because that toast is one she can get behind. And when she drinks, it's hardly a ladylike sip, no, it's a long, chugging drink. It is a celebration, after all.
Seamus snorts into his mug, making the foam on his beer jump. "Is that how it works? Well, I guess I'll have to bury m' own plethora of charm way deep down, won't I? Have t' stop smilin' at th' ladies. Wouldn't want 'em t' think I'm more charmin' than my foul mouthed charge," he says, nudging her leg with his foot under the table.
"Foul mouthed, I like that," Lexi says in protest as her mug hits the table again. "I am as dainty and demure as they come, Seamus Lane. I lift my skirts out of the mud and cough into my hanky and never speak above a whisper. Foul mouthed. Your head's a marley. Addled from too many knocks."
"Filthy as a sow's sewer, s'what your mouth is like, no matter what y' may like to pretend," Seamus smirks, leaning back and looking mighty pleased with himself. "Can't imagine a man ever wanting that tongue of yours anywhere near him, let alone in his mouth. If'n y'r a lady, those biker boys back there should be wearing skirts!"
Lexington looks at him for a moment after that one, and then the inch or two of beer left in her mug gets tossed right into his face. "Look what ya did, clumsy fool. Now ya owe me another drink. One with whiskey in it think time. Somethin' t' make your company closer t' bearable," she says, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Got nothin' t' say t' that? Well, that's a f—" Seamus' grin of triumph is wiped off his face as he's showered in the dregs of her beer. Jerking back at first, he splutters and wipes his eyes on his sleeve, giving her a dirty look. And the other half of the beer in his mug gets tossed right onto her shirt, soaking it through. "Well, look at us clumsy types? Isn't this a bloody shame? Guess it runs in the family, eh?" Grinning, he starts to get up, snagging one of the two extra beers on the table to take with him. "Whiskey sour, y' spoiled brat?"
Of course, he's not really allowed to get farther than standing before Lexi reacts. And this time with a fist to his gut. Because that's how this family bonds. "Are ya daft, boy?! This shirt is older than you are and look what ya did. Oh, I have a mind t' knock your teeth in, Seamus."
Seamus oofs as Lexi's fist hits his stomach, and he doubles over, a hand on the table as he groans dramatically. There's silence from around them, and some bubbling laughter from a few people to see a big, brawny guy like Seamus getting a gutpunch from the girl he's sitting with. Still, even doubled over, Seamus smiles at Lexi, rubbing at his stomach. "An' this lovely mug o' mine has been in the family for generations. It'll wash out, luv, it's just beer. Or do you wanna throw that punch o' yours, an' get it outta your system?"
Now, Seamus has never thrown a serious punch at Lexi before, and Lexi has learned long ago that he just can't bring himself to leave a mark on her. But there have been wrestling matches in the past, when the two of them had gotten a little excited. And those are just fun, aren't they?
"Well, ya haven't been takin' very good care of it," Lexi says with a smirk before she reaches over to give him a shake. There's not another punch thrown, because she can't just keep hitting him when he's not fighting back, it just isn't fun that way. "Now, are ya gonna give me your jacket 'r are ya gonna make me sit here gettin' cold?"
Seamus won't throw a punch, but he does take Lexi's wrist tightly in his own, pushing it down onto the table beside them. Oh, he'll fight back when there's room to tussle. "Nothin' wrong with a little chill," he says, glancing down to her shirt and how it clings to her chest, "Builds character." Yet, looking up and around, there seem to be a few eyes lingering on Lexi, and a few lecherous grins enjoying the sight. Straightening up, he glares at a few of those bikers from before, until they look away. His hold on Lexi's wrist releases and he starts to slip quietly out of his jacket. "Need t' go to the bathroom an' clean up? I can get us more drinks."
"There's a lot wrong with a little chill, Seamus." Lexi is, of course, not ignorant of those stares. And they seem to be annoying her. But she seems to default to letting Seamus get them to find something else to ogle. She straightens as her wrist is let go, and she takes the jacket with a smile. "Yeah, I'll only be a sec…" And tucking herself into the oversized coat, she turns to head for the ladies room.
Seamus slips the coat around Lexi's shoulders before she takes off, turning slowly to catch the eyes of anyone watching her go. The harsh glare in his eyes is a clear signal: Back off. As she heads off to the bathroom, he takes a long drink of his own beer before turning off to the bar. Time to get some drinks to warm them both up.
Once Lexi makes her way out of the bathroom, though, there are a few guys waiting for her, grinning and watching her head back to her table. They remember what they saw, and they want to see more.
Lexi at least gets most of the beer out of her clothes, and gets herself a little dryer. Those automatic blow dryers are nice. But when she comes out, all the same, that jacket of Seamus' is zipped up most of the way. No more shows here. It's not just clear in her dress, but in her closed off expression and purposeful gait as she makes her way back toward their table. Not Interested is practically a neon sign over her head.
Which does a good job fending off most of the guys, as they go back to their drinks and their own conversations, seeing that they're not going to get any more of a show.
However, alcohol gives people this great tunnel-vision, and as Lexi makes her way back to the table, a sizeable man from that biker table staggers in her way, blocking the petite redhead. He has a grin on his face that's all too familiar and all too dangerous.
"Hey little lady, t'were puttin' on a mighty fine show earlier." He licks his lips, brushing his goatee with his tongue as he looks down over her body. "Shame to be puttin' that away. You are wantin' t' pretty up this place, arentcha?"
"Not in the slightest, actually," Lexington replies, unamused, "Unless it's with a few bruises on some prick's ugly mug." Yeah, she's not scared to piss this guy off. But she does try to duck under his arm to get passed him.
The dark bruiser turns too slow to stop Lexi slipping by him, and he grabs for her, just barely managing to get a good hold around her upper arm. "Now hold on!" he bellows, getting the nearby barflies to hush and look over in surprise, "Is that a p'lite way t' greet somebody? I'll buy y' a drink, an' y' can brighten m' day a little bit, y' dandy lily…."
Lexington closes her eyes as she's caught, but she tries to yank her arm free before she turns to look at the man. "I. Am not. Interested," she says, her own voice low and dangerous sounding. Nevermind that she's completely dwarfed by this guy. Her glance shifts from the man to the rest of the bar, trying to find Seamus in the crowd.
"Y'say that now, but how about…" Drunk And Ugly pushes Lexi back as she yanks, and she finds the back of her thighs bumping up against the edge of the table. And he moves in closer, getting ready to push his body up against hers. "Y' take some time t' get t' know me, huh? I promise, I'm charmin'." Grinning toothily, he goes to grab the zipper on her jacket, starting to pull it open.
As Lexi looks around, she sees a number of reactions to the man's advances. Amusement from his buddies. Curiousity from most bystanders, anger from a few. There's even one guy rising from his table. No sign of Seamus, though it's hard to see past her assaulter's form.
That is, until Seamus' face appears over the man's shoulder, anger lining his brow and setting his jaw tight. His eyes are down somewhere out of sight, and he gives a quick, dangerous blow to the biker's kidney that makes him cry out in pain, letting go of Lexi and slumping against her briefly.
Lexi doesn't get pinned however, as the biker pushes off her and swings around, growling at Seamus. "The hell is wrong with—" His complaint is cut off as Seamus grabs the man by the lapels and pulls him out to the center. Though the biker is wider around than Seamus, especially around the midsection, the Irishman is taller and at least has some good muscle on the man. Which lets him haul him around, nose-to-nose, and he growls dangerously.
"Th' Lady said 'hands off', bub." The last time Lexi saw that look in Seamus' eyes, someone ended up dead. Though that was back in West Africa, so maybe things are different now?
Of course, when she starts getting manhandled around, Lexi gets into a bit of a panic. Lord knows they've dealt with this situation enough times, including while being out at sea, but it never fails to actually frighten the female of the pair. Her hands try to push at him, her legs kick, just trying to get herself away. It's only when Seamus makes his appearance that she seems to relax. Whew.
And, of course, when the danger to her honor and person has passed, that's when she gets a little more confidence. She grabs the chair nearest to her, and makes her way up behind the biker to crack it over the back of his head.
There's a cracking of wood when the chair hits the back of the man's head, and he gives just a brief gurgle as his legs fall out from under him, leaving Seamus blinking in surprise as he's suddenly holding a limp, unconscious biker. He looks up at Lexi, giving her a proud smile. "Go Team Lane!" he says, letting go of his opponent to let him crumple to the floor, and he wipes his hand off on his shirt. Stepping over the body, he comes up closer to Lexi, reaching out for her arm. "You okay, Lex?"
Before he actually manages to touch her, there's the scooting of chairs and a bark of anger. "Th' fuck did you do to Bill, you saucy cunt??" Aaaand here comes the rest of the biker gang, burly and angry and advancing through the crowd towards Seamus and Lexi. Wuh oh.
And she was just about to relax, too. Lexington whips her head over toward the voices, a hand going to her hip. "Watch your mouth, ya dickless fuck," yeah, that makes good sense, "Seems t' me if your man can get laid out with one girl swingin' a damn chair, he ain't much t' get upset about."
"Lexi…" Seamus warns, though her words do get him grinning as he sizes up the men. Three…wait, no four. All of them standing up and looking ready for a fight. And…oh shit, there's a knife. Slowly, he raises his hands, turning to fully face the group. "Best we not put up too much a fight here, Lex. Let's treat 'em right an' apologize, like we did back at Port Townsend."
"Well, ya know how I hate t' play nice…" Lexi lifts her hands, though, as he does, taking a step back as if frightened. "Jus' a little bar tussle, fellas, nothin' t' get so… upset over." She does give Seamus a sly wink, though, to make sure he knows she got it.
Seamus steps back with Lexi as well, the two of them moving between two tables, making the bikers come together, so they can't surround them. Still, with their hands up, that one biker slips his knife back in its sheathe, as the front two approach, chests puffed up.
"Y'broke a chair over our friend. I think you owe us an apology," the leader says, coming right up to Seamus, butting his chest up against the Irishman. Not many men are taller than Seamus, and this guy looks like he has a few pounds on him. The one that approaches Lexi has his hands shoved in his pocket, chewing slowly on some tobacco as he looks her over with disdain.
"Y'know? I think you're right." Looking down, at the man on the floor. "Sorry, mate." His eyes turn up under his thick eyebrows at the man before him. "And sorry to you, too."
"For what?"
"For this." The heel of Seamus' hand flies forwards, jamming against his opponent's nose with a crunch, and the biker leader stumbles back with a cry of pain, his eyes immediately welling up with tears.
As soon as Seamus moves, so does Lexi. But she doesn't use fists, she grabs a beer bottle off the table nearby, with a 'hey!' of protest from its owner just before she swings it to shatter it against her guy's face. Glass, beer, it doesn't go well against a face, but she knows her punches aren't gonna cut it as well as Seamus' do. But she turns then, grabbing her brother's wrist while the two men are trying to recover and also blocking the way for the others to follow, running them toward the back door.
The smashed bottle makes the smaller biker's head snap back, and he joins his leader in crying in pain, trying to rub the beer and smashed glass out of his eyes.
Seamus' fist rears back and he lunges towards the leader again, ready to finish what's been started. But Lexi's hand on his arm makes him stop, and he's beating a hasty retreat, giving a longing look to the beers still on their table. Whimper!
The remaining bikers are running forward, knocking chairs over and shouting and trying to catch their leader. "Get'em!" he bellows, hands still over his bloody nose, watching the two Micks beat a hasty retreat through the parting crowd towards the back door.
Lexington is the first to reach the back door, although she does climb over someone's table to get there, but she pushes it open and turns back to make sure Seamus is right behind her before she slips out. "Come on, ya slow beast," she calls to him, a chuckle on her voice. Ahh, night's out.
Lumbering along behind her, Seamus ducks his head and gives Lexi a grimacing grin. "Git out of the way, you dandelion! 'Fore I run you ove—shit!" As Seamus slips through the door, a bottle smashes on the doorjam near his head.
Breaking out into the open air of the alley outside, Seamus puts on the juice and sprints with Lexi towards the parking lot. "Your Irish charm is something magical, Lexi!" he notes, laughing almost maniacally, feeling the adrenaline coursing through him.
Running she can do. Lexington even manages to keep up with the longer-legged Seamus. Pure adrenaline. "I know. I wish I knew how t' turn it down! It's my blessing and my curse," she says with mock dramatics. "This is all your fault, thought, ya know. If ya could've jus' let my shirt be."
"At least it never makes out lives boring!" Seamus says, skidding sideways around a corner towards the parking lot…and he skids to a stop. "Wuh oh."
The front door of the bar bursts open and people pour out, the bikers in the lead. The leader has a his bandana pressed to his face, gathering up the blood, and he's looking around frantically, like he'll kill the first thing he sees.
"There they are!" All heads turn towards the pair, and Seamus swallows loudly. "Up for running, Lexi? We'll have to come back for the car later."
"Ya know, the Irish are supposed t' be lucky," Lexi says before she turns to look at Seamus. "Let's book it. I'm pretty sure we can out leg these pricks." And she glances around a moment before nodding in a direction and turning to run that way. Alleys and back ways, of course, with lots of twists and turns.
"Well, we're not dead, yet. And you read my mind. Race you?" Grinning at Lexi, he takes off after her towards an alleyway. As they head off, there's the sound of motorcycles starting and revving up behind them, tires skidding on asphalt.
Seamus chances a glance over his shoulder and he puts on an extra burst of speed. "Shiiiiiiiiite!"
"Not yet!" Lexi glances back at the sound of motorcycles and she zips herself along down the alley. They could fit in here, but she picks a few turns here and there to try to keep them from guessing where they've gone. But the real burst of luck is when their alley ends in a stone wall. "Up and over?" She suggests to the man running with her. "Give me a lift!"
Seamus lags behind Lexi, close enough to hear the whirring of chains as they start to spin through the air. His feet skid, trying to keep up with Lexi. As they take turn after turn, the sounds of motorcycle engine quiets, but the sound of angry yelling increases.
Coming up on that stone wall, Seamus nods. "I'm right behind you!" As Lexi starts to climb, Seamus comes up with two hands on her rear end and boosts her quickly up onto the top of the wall. Leaving him on the ground below, and he glances back behind him, worriedly. "We've got about 30 seconds, I think…"
"Plenty of time," Lexi says, although her hurried movement speak otherwise. When she gets up to the top, she turns to reach a hand down toward Seamus. "But get that chunk o' lard ya call a butt moving, Seamus," she says with a wiggle of her fingers.
"Y'say that like I'm the only one who needs to lay off th' twinkies!" Seamus growls up at her through grinning teeth. He takes one of her hands in his, and leaps, grabbing the top of the wall with his other hand. Hauling himself up, Seamus manages to get his top half onto the top of the wall. "Whoo! Maybe it's time to hit the REI."
"Later!" Because there's the roar of motorcycles that motivates Lexi to jump down on the other side of that wall and hit the ground running. "Ya know, we're really good at making friends."
Seamus just rolls himself right down off the other side of the wall, landing with a roll and a grunt of pain. "That'll need some medicine in the morning," he groans, rubbing his shoulder as he jumps up to his feet, taking off after her. "See, we just know where the good parties are. Too bad we're never invited back, huh?"
"Well, can't say we don't make an impression," Lexi says back to him with a grin. Adventure! Bikers! This is the life! "Although, if we don't get home soon, I think I'm gonna freeze, even in this jacket." Wet shirt, not at all pleasant in the New York autumn. At night.
"Think we'll be able to go back, ever? They made a good whiskey sour." Seamus looks back over his shoulder, flashing that land of Irish paradise a mild look of sadness. Someday, he'll move on. Someday…
Actually, he starts to slow his run, still looking over his shoulder, ear perked. "No bikes. C'mon, let's make a run for the nearest taxi. We can get home quicker that way." Seamus pulls off to a side of the alley, peeking between two buildings and the street just barely beyond. Looking over to Lexi, he jerks his head that way. "Things are getting boring again. Let's risk it?"
"Of course we will, don't be ridiculous. A little fight's not going t' be keepin' me from an Irish pub." Lexi nods to his question, though, "Lead the way. Just be on the lookout, alright?"
"Yes, but will we get the same deal on pints? That is the important question, innit?" Seamus snorts at Lexi's warning, and he gives her a "bitch please" look. "Lexi, what was my job back in Dublin? You just get out there with your sexy legs and flag us down a taxi. I'll keep an eye out."
"We'll flirt with the bartenders," Lexi says as if this were the obvious solution, duuuh. "I'm jus' sayin', this isn't Dublin." When he volunteers her legs for the job of finding a cab, she lets out an over dramatic sigh and slips out of his jacket, because it just doesn't add to her allure. And when she gets out to the street, her elaborate act of straightening a garter belt gets them a cab pulling over fairly quickly.
"I love the way you think, Lex. Speaking of flirting with bartenders, I should drag you buy Tartarus. There's a DJ there who's just dying to hit on you, and one of the bartenders is fun as hell." Seamus takes the coat from Lexi, shaking it out and inspecting it for any beer stains. It's vintage leather! He doesn't want it to…woah. Looking up, there's Lexi bending over before him, hiking her skirt up… And Seamus briefly forgets all about actually playing look out. His expression relaxes, and he lets out a slow sigh, his coat starting to slip out of his hand.
The screech of the taxi's brakes pulls him back to reality with a jerk upright of his head, and he blinks away those unbidden thoughts. Coming out into the streetlights, he drapes the coat back over Lexi's shoulder. "Good work, 'sis'…well, listen to that." As they climb into the cab, there's the sound of motorcycles growing a few blocks away. "Time to go. Upper West Side, cabbie! On the double!"
There's even a hair flip. It would go in slow motion if she could manage it. And her lips spread into a slow smile as the taxi pulls up next to her. Works every time. And she slips her arms back into that jacket when Seamus brings it over, and slides into the cab before the driver can get too grumpy about there being a man with her. There is a glance spared for those approaching motorcycles, but she nods to Seamus' words to the cabbie. "Thanks," is the only word she offers to him, too, although it is nice and husky.
In Seamus' mind, it was all in slow motion. He'll be going over that replay all night
As the taxi pulls away, Seamus locks the door, sinking into the back seat with a low sigh. He can still feel the adrenaline pumping through him, his body is hot from the energy, and his forehead is damp. At the thanks from Lexi, he slips an arm around her shoulders, hugging her up against his side. "'Course. What do you say to some delivery pizza when we get home?"