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01-30-2024, 01:22 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-31-2024, 01:02 AM by
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There was a certain freedom in the crisp air about Melite's head as she hurried down the busy sidewalk in the heart of downtown, hands buried into the fleece-lined pockets of her two-sizes-too-large bomber jacket. She hadn't had a night out to herself like this in months and tonight had only been made possible by weeks of picking apart every little weakness in the entourage that her father placed around her in the wake of the ambush, slipping away like some wayward teenager in the night out of her bedroom window and disappearing into the forest to wait until night gave her enough cover to slip into town. Melite felt foolish sneaking about as if she were not a grown woman capable of making her own choices but the reality was that despite how much she wished to the contrary... her father had taken away that last little bit of agency from her the moment the hunters murdered her brother. The memory was enough to make her wince, taking a sharp breath inward and feeling her nostrils fill with the scent of petrichor as she tried to stave off the tide of unpleasant emotion that usually followed, feeling her bear stir in the back of her mind as if she were still on the ground in the middle of that ambush.
"Not here," Melite whispered underneath her breath as she stopped at a crosswalk, squeezing her eyes closed as she tried to calm her restless beast. "Just let me enjoy this and I'll give you the rest of the night... until sunup. Promise."
She could feel the bear retreat into the dark recesses of her mind, sulking as if she had taken something away from the creature before falling silent. Melite sighed with relief as the signal changed from the red hand to the white figure, hurrying across the street towards the tavern that waited for her in the distance. She'd made this same walk a thousand times when she had had more freedom to roam, come to this same bar for a burger & a drink while watching a game or two but tonight? Tonight was different. Melite pressed her palms against the door and looked up as she waited for the familiar ring of the bell colliding with the door, her golden brown eyes lighting up and her olive skin wrinkling with a smile as she made eye contact with her favorite barkeep.
"Long time no see, Bob," She called across the bar as she stepped inside, the tall, stocky werebear woman elbowing her way through the crowd to take a stool at the opposite end of the bar from the customer the barkeep was currently with, a man who seemed to hunch over the counter and try to hide from the rest of the bar. "Jack and Coke as usual to start me off... just like old times."
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"What are you doing?"
Jesse didn't look towards the voice at the door and continued to pull things from drawers. He tossed a backpack onto his bed beside scattered pieces of clothing, a toothbrush and a half-used bottle of aspirin.
"Jess?"
"I'm leaving." He filled the bag haphazardly without rhyme or reason. He didn't care. All he wanted was to be out of this place. The room was small and spartan with two beds, two dressers, and two heavy trunks--a barracks od sorts. There were no photos or pictures on the walls. Everything was simple and useful. It was a temporary space, just like all the others, although they hard stayed here longer than most.
"You're overreacting."
Jesse clenched is his fist, finally turnning to his bunkmate. "Overreacting? You think I'm overreacting."
"I think your uncle got under your skin," The tall red-head crossed his arms.
"Under my..." Jesse shook his head and sneered. "They were kids, Caine! They were just kids!" He pulled on his denim jacket
"And you let them go."
"They didn't do anything."
"It was against protocol."
"Fuck protocol!" He slung the bag over his shoulder. "And fuck my uncle for making it."
Caine snickered. "So what are you going to do? Leave? This is your life Jesse. Where the hell will you go?"
"Right now? To get a damn drink." Jesse pushed passed him and without looking back made his way to exit. The heavy doors of the compound clicked and locked behind him. The taxi was already waiting. "A bar. Any bar." He mumbled as the car sped away.
The cab dropped him in front of a dingy place that looked just like any other bar in any other town he'd been to. A bell rang as he walked through the door. Patrons watched a game on the tv while drinking generic brews and hard liquor. He took a seat at the bar and dropped his bag on the ground by his feet.
"What'll it be?" The barkeep leaned in.
"Whatever's on tap." He grunted, placing a 20 on the counter, "and a double shot of Bourbon. As much as this'll get me to start. Just keep'em coming."
He barkeep chuckled but nodded and handed him a beer. "First one's on me."
Jesse nodded back and took a sip. It wasn't great but it was cold. Good enough. He could spend the night here without being bothered. After that he had no idea what he was going to do...and didn't much care.
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02-07-2024, 03:57 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-07-2024, 03:59 AM by
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Melite's focus was absorbed by the game going on the television on the wall above her head, thankful that Bob had had the presence of mind to put on closed captioning given how loud the jukebox tended to run in this dive. Not that it mattered much when the barstool a few seats down from her squealed against the already scuffed to hell hardwood flooring beneath their feet, nearly jumping out of her skin when something heavy dropped against the floor and made her turn her head away when the athlete on the television was so damnably close to scoring a goal. Melite could feel the dirty look she angled at the man who took the stool before she could stop the expression from crossing her face, shaking her head before turning away and sneering into her Jack and Coke before taking a sip.
"I don't care what your problem is, dude," The werebear woman cut her amber eyes at the guy before exchanging glances with Bob as the barkeep wiped down glasses with a rag. "But the game is on and I'm trying to watch."
Melite finished off her Jack and Coke with a gulp before sitting the glass down, waving Bob over as she asked for a beer.
"Bob, I'll take a burger if the kitchen's got them tonight, too," She called as the barkeep disappeared into the back after dropping a pint in front of her. Melite savored the ambiance of that dingy bar for the next several moments while Bob remained in the back, turning her head back to the guy who had interrupted her focus and her gaze catching on a bag that had clearly seen better days sitting in a heap at his feet. There was something about this guy that was making the bear in the back of her mind uneasy- perhaps it was stress, perhaps it was just the alcohol- but against her better judgement... she decided that it was something worth looking into.
"Double shot of bourbon and a beer to start off... sounds like you don't much care what your problems are, either," She called above the noise. "That's starting the night off awful strong, don't you think?"
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Jesse shook his head with a scowl and downed his shot. A bag. He dropped a fucking bag. That was enough to piss off this woman? It isn't like he meant to be an asshole. Fuckin' hell. He just wanted to drink in peace. He pulled his jacket around himself tighter and turned his back. Ignoring her was his best bet. Don't take the bait. Don't start that fight. Not tonight.
But she had to continue.
He rubbed his neck and gritted his teeth. "Not strong enough if you ask me." He motioned to the bartender for a refill. He could feel the woman's eyes burning into the back of his head. Don't respond, Jesse. Just don't do it. "And you're not making it any better." Why would you fucking do that, Jesse? He took a sip of his beer and looked up. Her eyes were still on him. They were gorgeous eyes, he admitted. On a different day he might have offered to buy her a drink.
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The audacity. Melite would have been angry had it been anyone else to speak to her like that but something about the way bar felt tonight, something about this stranger- things were different. A ripple of incredulous laughter contorted her lips for an instant before the stranger fixed her in his stare, reading the tension in his jaw and the anger he frankly wasn't doing a good job of hiding in the square of his shoulders but something in his eyes hurt so much that it wiped the look right off her face.
"I seem to have that effect on people, thank you for noticing," Melite deftly changed the subject with just a hint of snark. "Though if I were you..." She looked up as Bob appeared from the back of house with her burger, the food steaming on the plate before her as she rolled up the sleeves of her bomber jacket and tested the feel of the burger as she held it in her hand. "I might start off with a little something on my stomach before I really got shit faced."
Melite took a big bite of her burger, closing her eyes to savor the flavor as she began to chew. The bar was enveloped in silence again before she flagged the barkeep down with a motion of her hand, pointing at a brown bottle on the wall before she asked for a shotglass. "Might want to start with something that packed a little bit more a punch once you do, though," She spoke before pouring a shot of the Grenadian rum and passing it down. "140 proof... take a shot and thank me later."
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He ran his tongue across his mouth. He hadn't actually believed she'd agree. Maybe the night would make up for the rest of the fucking day. "You think I'm chicken, do ya?" He put the strong liquid to his lips. With a quick flick of the wrist he emptied the glass, swallowed, and grinned. "Babe, I can handle my..." He words caught in his throat as the burn too hold. He cough, wheezed, sputtered, and reached for his beer as a chaser. "Holy Jesus, fuck. Ugh." He coughed again and shook his head. "Never mind. Uncle. That shit is vile." He wiped his mouth and watched her pick up her shot. "Ugh...Don't fucking do it"
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"You win. You win." He laughed, feigning a bow. "Fuck practice. You should geta medal for doing that with a straight face." He took another swig of his beer, still trying to rid himself of the taste. "Why would you willingly do that to yourself? There's gotta be nicer ways to forget your day." He could already feel the heat in his freckled cheeks. He wasn't a light-weight by any means, but he never could hide the effects booze had on him. It was probably the booze that allowed the next words to be said aloud.
"Oh I can definitely think of a better way to pass the evening." He tapped his shot glass on the counter--stunned that he'd actually said it, and 100% waiting to be punched directly in the face. "But bourbon works too."
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"Fucking roommates. Got those too." He mumbled taking the shot from Bob with what he hoped was a thankful grin and not a drunken glare. "Or did have roommates. Not really sure about that anymore." He head was spinning already. Mostly from the booze but he was certain this woman was just as intoxicating. "Inn sounds...well...probably rat infested...but I'm sure perfect after another two of these." And any bed was better than going back to the barracks. He raised his glass . "To tonight," he announced, clinking his shot to hers, "That's going better than I could ever imagine."
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Jesse downed his shot with a grin. "And here I thought nothing could make you flinch." He grazed her thigh with his knee. "And you as a roommate is a hell-of-a trade up." He motioned for two more shots for each of them. He didn't need them. He didn't even really want them, but if he was going to make some mistakes tonight he was going to go all in. He inched himself closer--so close he could see the mesmerizing flecks of amber in her golden eyes--so close his lips tickled her ear as he whispered. "So...how close are we to that room?"
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He opened his legs wide, teasing, wondering just how far this girl would go. "Damn you're pretty when you blush. Makes me wonder if the rest of you turns just a stunning shade of pink." It was the alcohol talking now. Jesse didn't even recognize the bravado coming out of his mouth. Sure, he was a confident man, you had to be in his line of work. Second guessing could mean your life. Second guess made things difficult.
He took his final shots back to back and wiped his mouth. He'd never had the same confidence talking to women. With the ones in his circle he didnt need to. They new him and he knew them. Most of them had grown up together, fought together and killed together. A good fuck was almost inevitable. It never meant much but it passed the time. There was never any use trying in the town either. They were usually just passing through. A pro, or a nod at bar usually got the job done. This could have been the same old thing but something felt different. Jesse was intrigued by her. He wanted to impress her. And yeah, he desperately wanted to fuck her.
"Careful." He cooed into her ear. "You might start something that don't wanna be stopped. He danced his fingers up her hip and stroked longingly, and brought his mouth just inches from hers. "If you're teasing me, you gotta tell me now." He licked his lips slowly. "Otherwise I dont think I could take it."
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He couldn't help the moan deep in his throat as she pressed her lips to his. God yes...he wanted more of those strong nimble fingers on his body. He flicked his tongue against hers as she pulled away, staring deep into her eyes with the most lust he had ever felt. Getting a room was music to his ears. He stood, swaying from the booze and adrenaline, and pulled to her feet. He grabbed her waist and held her against him, not caring who else in the dingy bar noticed. Her breath was just as fast and needy and his, as he ground his hips against hers and drank her in. The kiss was raw and ravenous and did so much less to satisfy him than he wanted. His whole body ached for her. He nipped at her lip as he pulled way. "We better leave soon, or I'm liable to have you here and now on this bar top."