Dragon's Gate Block Party
1 A.M.
For someone coming off back to back defeats, Grey was in a surprisingly good mood. Bruised from Jewell's scepter and cut from Aki's blades, yet he was still sporting that crooked grin as he slipped between the ropes and dropped down to the cobbles. Eibhlin was still sitting on the table where he'd left his beer, his shirt hanging around her neck like a scarf; she gave him a comical "boo' and a thumbs down, celebrating his loss.
"I need a drink," he told her conversationally. Fortunately, he had one coming; the stoic samurai had ordered the loser a hit of saki, and while the rice wine had never been Grey's drink of choice anything will do in a pinch. He dug his cigarettes and lighter out of his shirt pocket and ducked his head to light up, reflecting that he hadn't actually managed to finish one that evening. The movement draws out a wince, and he touched his ribs; the cuts were shallow and would heal cleanly enough, but his tanktop - declaring STRAIGHT OUTTA WEST END with pride - is pretty fragged. "Maybe I oughtta switch to Fists," he mused.
"You fought good," Eibhlin shifted her shoulders a little. "Fists is without weapons, right?"
"Yeah, just like it sounds. Good ol" fashioned brawlin"." He glanced over at the purple-haired girl with the great gams as she passed by again, showing what she had with that unaffected strut. Short shorts and tall boots and about a mile of thigh between them; he liked what he saw, and he was seeing plenty. "Hey, Legs! I actually win one of these things, think I can getcha number?"
"It's been a while," Eibhlin said with a smile.
"Since you hit someone wit' ya fist' You should keep ya hand in." Grey held up his one, displaying the scars on his knuckles. "Always keep your pimp hand strong, little fear. Ya never know when ya might need it."
"Win one and we'll see," Legs gave him an amused smirk and a shrug as she kept on strolling, her mismatched eyes already glancing past him to look at someone in the distance. Probably someone winning their matches.
"Not much of a promise, but I'll take it." Grey grinned. "Yo, who wants a dance?"
"I do." She appeared like a ghost out of mist, all blond dreadlocks and attitude. Hazel eyes locked on his emerald, Roach prowled forward like a black cat. He'd been aware of her all evening - how could he not be? - but he'd lost track of her sometime between entering the ring and getting his arse kicked by Aki.
?"Pimp hand" is such a strange expression," Eibhlin mused.
"And totally inappropriate for this occasion," Grey said, somehow managing to get the words out through a mouth suddenly gone dry. "Heya, seksual"naya. Lookin" good." Like she always did. Tonight she'd gone to the nines, wearing some sort of long skirt and short, tight top combination that was covered in skulls. Chunky black angel wings in her ears, and hot pink combat boots. It should have looked ridiculous. It didn't.
She tipped her bottle of beer towards him. "Yo."
He couldn't help but chuckle, just a little. "Yo." He tilted his head towards the ring he'd just vacated, still sitting empty, with Eden - the teenager looking mildly the worse for wear with all the hard lemonade she'd been putting away - still sitting in the tall lifeguard chair next to it, fiddling with the silver coach's whistle around her neck. "So, you an' me?""
She smirked, the merest curve of her lips, and jutted her chin towards the ring in agreement. She dropped her bag next where he'd leaned his bat and placed her bottle next to it. "Let's go."
Up in her lifeguard chair, Eden threw her arms in the air as though in celebration, and nearly pitched headfirst out of it. Grey winced inwardly, but the girl managed to regain her balance without anything too disastrous happening. He downed the saki hastily, feeling the hot liquor try to peel all of the skin off his tongue, and followed it up with a last drag on his cigarette before passing it - not even halfway burned - over to Eibhlin with a shrug and a smile. She accepted without hesitation, immediately raising it for a drag. Grey glanced at his bat, then at Roach. "You, uh, you mind if we go to Fists" I'm not havin" much luck tonight with Swords?" Unspoken, that the thought of taking that piece of wood to Roach made him damned near sick to his stomach. Raising fists to her was likely to be tricky enough, although Moonie had just about beaten all hesitation out of him when it came to sparring. Girl was merciless if she thought you were takin" it easy on her.
Roach jerked her head towards the ring again, hands on her hip. "I'm down." She grinned, taking the sting out of her apparent eagerness to kick his ass, and gave Eibhlin a wink as she turned to sashay towards the duelist's circle.
"Khorosho," Grey murmured. Good. He pulled a pair of fingerless gloves out of his back pocket - always good to have if you thought you were going to be punchin" things - and then, as though against his conscious will, found himself walkin" next to her, hip bumping hers with unspoken affection. I missed you.
Eden had been talked into sitting down on her chair instead of jumping up and down on it, and she looked down at their approach with a dimpled smile. "Hi! Grey and" what is your name?" He was a little surprised she didn't know Roach; sometimes, it seemed everyone did.
"Roach," she said - and jabbed her elbow into Grey's side, right into one of the cuts Aki had left along his ribs. He barely managed to restrain a yelp. They separated to their corners, and Grey flexed his legs to check the weight on his ankle. It had barely healed up from his adventures in sewer diving, and the hits Jewell had given it earlier certainly weren't helping matters. Between her scepter and Aki's swords, he was feeling pretty rough; but anticipation was driving adrenaline into his system, and he could feel his hurts becoming fewer and further away. Back in the ring again. He licked his lips and tapped his fists together before taking up an old school boxer's stance, holding them out in front of him like a good fighting Irishman. "Not how I was hopin" to get reacquainted with that sexy arse of yours," he said.
Roach barked a laugh in that harsh, cigarette and whiskey caw of hers and jumped up and down a few times, loosening up her muscles. She scooped her hair back into a messy bun with a tie off her wrist and smirked. "Bring it on, gangster." She bit her lower lip and graced him with a fiendish smile. Because he couldn't reach her from where he was standing, and because trying would admit far more than he was willing to confess - even to himself - he just kissed one of his fists and held it out to her with a smirk.
"Okay, whenever you're ready!" Eden called out. She'd climbed down from her tall chair, so at least Grey didn't have to worry about her breaking her neck during the fight"
"Love you too," Roach scoffed.
Grey froze up. You're not supposed to say that, he thought. Music started in his head, a fast beat as his system dumped adrenaline and the world seemed to freeze in amber. As though in slow motion, he watched her cover the distance between them and her leg come up" You hit me once, I hit you back You gave a kick, I gave a slap
First rule of fightin" - don't get hit. If he hadn't been watching her legs in that skirt, she might have caught him unawares, especially with the sucker punch of those three words driving straight between his bruised ribs. Instead, he managed to duck out of the way. Running away again? Belatedly, he reached out to try and snag hold of it to pull her off balance, but she'd already twirled away, back and out of reach.
"Come closer, baby," she grinned.
Grey rolled his eyes. "She says, as she flies away again?" A not so veiled reference to the fact that she'd walked away from him twice already, angry and fuming. At least the second time had been his fault; he'd been trying to push her away. It was for her own good, but he'd spent the days since staring at his phone, wishing he could send that text, regretting it and trying to kill the emotion with booze and violence. Burying himself in work. Business was good.
"Didn't you miss me?" She came at him suddenly, her fist coming up from the cellar in an uppercut that probably would have broken his jaw if it had connected. He'd dropped like a thunderbolt, though, catching himself on his hands and spinning his legs like a gymnast on the pommel horse to cut hers out from under her. "Every second, lady." Let her think it's just flirting. Let her miss the honesty. "But not this time."
Her hair came loose of its tenuous ties as she hit the floor, and her swearing was both loud and varied as she pushed herself back up and took her time dusting herself off. Grey rolled himself upright again and grinned. "C"mon, babe. I just wanna get low with you." You smashed a plate over my head Then I set fire to our bed Maybe it was the comment, maybe she had other reasons to wanna bash his pretty face in, but he caught her arm as it came at his head and used her own momentum to take her off her feet and down to the ground again. It wasn't something you'd expect from a boxer; but then, Grey was a brawler. Dirty tricks were just his game.
"Goddamnit!" She was laughing, and when her hands shot out at him he raised an arm to block. His turn to be suckered; what he'd thought was a strike was instead a grab, and she yanked him off balance and sent him sprawling. "How's that, baby boy?"
Rolling with it took away some of the sting, but his ankle was reminding him of its abuse as he forced himself upright again. "Well, yanno what they say - a kiss with a fist?"
She blew him a kiss as she leaned back, hands on her hips. He mimed catching it with a smirk.
My black eye casts no shadow Your red eye sees no blame In almost the same motion, he crossed the distance between them with a quick spring from his powerful legs, moving like a cat - a lightning strike for her, reaching out to chuck her chin affectionately - but she brings an arm around into him as he moves, and he's pretty sure he feels a rib crack. What he'd intended to be a playful touch strikes a bit sharper, and Roach's yelp leaves a bruise deeper than her elbow.
"How do you do that?" Grey's voice was a bit muzzy as he shook his head, trying to clear the ringing.
"Just a knack," she said with a wide grin, shifting her weight from foot to foot and then coming at him again.
Your slaps don't stick Your kicks don't hit So we remain the same
Their legs met in midair as they lashed out at each other, twin kicks that were almost mirror images. Grey managed not to yelp as her knee caused pain to explode in his shin, but it was a near thing. At least it wasn't the ankle this time! They leapt back from each other, grabbing their injured legs and hopping for a moment.
"Chert, seksual"naya!" Damn, sexy! Not the first time he'd had occasion to say that, although the other times had been" far more pleasant. He can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing as she takes a moment to rub the sting out.
"Hoo, boy. Getting me right fired up, yo."
You don't play fair, lady. "Yanno, when I said "let's dance?" I didn't mean it quite this literally." He gave her that boyish grin.
"Shut up," she said with a scowl, tossing her hair out of her face. He leaned back and put his hands on his hips, letting her stretch her leg out with her eyes shut.
"Take your time, pretty thing. I could watch you all night." He'd been watching her all night, actually, except when he was trying to keep Jewell from beating his head in. Mostly unsuccessfully, at that.
Blood sticks Sweat drips Break the lock if it don't fit He launched himself across the ring at her when he saw her twitch, sensing her about to move. It's more of a push than a punch, but it doesn't matter much - she's not there to receive it, twirling away lightly again as though the boxing ring were a dance floor, and she in the spotlight. He continued on to the far side of the ring rather than trying to check his rush and leave himself vulnerable in the middle, and somewhere out in the square he heard Eibhlin cheer, "Come on, Grey! Win!"
Kinda nice to have someone cheering for you, actually.
"Have a nice stroll?" Roach smirked at him from over her shoulder. He took a moment to admire her posterior.
"Likin" the view from over here." He tilted his head to one side. It was the opening she'd been waiting for" A kick in the teeth is good for some A kiss with a fist is better than none.
He moved when she did, and they flew together in a flurry of arms and legs. When the motion stopped, he had her dipped like a ballroom dancer, his arms around her and one of her legs wrapped around his. "Hey, pretty thing." His voice was a low murmur, his face close to hers. She snapped her teeth at him, and then a wide smile broke across her face like the sun peering through a thunderhead.
"Hey," she replied softly.
"Sooo?" His eyes shifted from one side to the other, as though checking for eavesdroppers, and then locked back on hers. That crooked smile crossed his lips. "Is this the part when I pick you up" Or let ya down easy?"
"Well, before you do?" She leaned up, and he barely had time to say "No bitin"!" before their lips meet. It wasn't like his sayin" anything would stop her, if she was of a mind, but' And then there was no more thought, just the bliss of her mouth against his, and the world went away for a little while.
Far too soon, she pulled away and with a jerk of her head indicated he should let her go. "Let's do that again sometime," she said, voice throaty. He straightened up, pulling her with him, and only turned loose once she was steady on her feet. It's like trying to part two opposite magnetic poles, moving away from her; but eventually, he managed it, giving her some space. Reflexively, he glanced around the venue again now that his laser like focus could lapse. No sign of Legs, but that was prolly just as well. Didn't feel right, using a victory over Roachie to get another woman's number.
Noise from across the way drew his attention, and he looked over to see that Eibhlin was engaged in a match of her own, sparring with another woman.
"Kick her ass, Eibhlin!" he shouted automatically, cheering for her as she'd cheered for him. And then, slightly nervous- "No eating!" Not that he'd seen Eibhlin eat anyone alive, starting from their toes and crunching merrily on the bones as she went. Not outside of his nightmares, anyway' Still, at this point, asking her not to eat anyone had become almost a habit' and the panic it engendered in her opponent and Eden both was well worth the price of entrance.
Roach had already slipped out of the ring, so he followed, ankle protesting once again as he dropped to the cobbles. He grabbed his shirt off the table where Eibhlin had left it, and limped over to her ring to continue cheering her on.
"Good fighting tonight," Eden said with a grin as she glanced over from the match.
"Thanks," he smiled back. "Appreciate your callin"." He paused, remembering some of the raucous music she'd subjected them all to in earlier duels. "Not so much the singin". Callin" was good, though." His peripheral vision told him Roach was joining them, lighting a cigarette as she strutted up.
"Thanks, Eden," she nodded to the younger girl, the cherry end of her smoke glowing as she took a drag. She dropped her lighter back into her purse and squinted down at her leg. Grey took off his bandanna and ran a hand through his hair, sweat helping its natural spikiness give him the appearance of a nearly six foot tall hedgehog. He wiped his brow and tucked the cloth into a pocket, then started rummaging in his work shirt for his smokes and lighter. He could hear Roach crooning a song as she dropped into a chair next to the ring, something about love and battlefields, but the tune didn't ring a bell for him.
"Nothing wrong with my singing," Eden huffed at him.
Grey nodded at the ring. "Nemnogo strakha's got some moves," he said conversationally. He lit up with a duck of his head and a puff of his smoke before returning to teasing Eden. "Sure, nothin" at all. I've heard lots of seagulls singin" that same tune down the docks of a mornin". Or maybe crows out by the Cemetery?" He grinned around the cigarette. Flirting with the pretty girl was nearly a habit, but his eyes hadn't really left where Roach was sprawled out, watching the fight through heavy lidded eyes. She looked very similar to how she did in the afterglow of sex, he noticed, an observation that did absolutely nothing to discourage the fire that had lit up in him roughly the moment she'd first said "yo."
He almost missed it when Eibhlin twisted and flipped the other woman, slamming her into the ring with a bone rattling thud. Eden blew her whistle, announcing the winning blow, and then scowled at Grey. "I see what you did there, Mister."
"That's good," he grinned at her. "I like when you're watchin" me." He took the cigarette out of his mouth to whistle shrilly, and then put it back to applaud. "Way to go, Eibhlin!" He punched the sky in celebration of her victory. Roach applauded as well, and then stood up and sauntered off with a wave over her shoulder. Grey watched her go from behind the ember of his cigarette, just for a moment before shaking it off and giving Eibhlin a grin in congratulations. "Well done, little one. That was a helluva brawl."
The fey dropped down next to him and stole the cigarette from between his lips, taking a couple celebratory drags. "That felt good," she said. A few more drags, and she returned it to him. "Saw you won."
He couldn't help but glance to where Roach had wandered off, as though hoping to see her in the crowd and the night. "Held my own. Wouldn't necessarily say I won."
Text from Roach: I've missed you. Text from Grey:Missed you too, lady. You know where to find me anytime you want a rematch.
((Adapted from live play. Many thanks to the players of Roach Lee, Eibhlin, Eden Parker, and Saila. Special thanks to Hope, who didn't get anywhere near as much time or credit in this as she probably should have.
((Lyrics from Florence + The Machine's "Kiss With A Fist."))
((C&C welcome. Please PM author.))
For someone coming off back to back defeats, Grey was in a surprisingly good mood. Bruised from Jewell's scepter and cut from Aki's blades, yet he was still sporting that crooked grin as he slipped between the ropes and dropped down to the cobbles. Eibhlin was still sitting on the table where he'd left his beer, his shirt hanging around her neck like a scarf; she gave him a comical "boo' and a thumbs down, celebrating his loss.
"I need a drink," he told her conversationally. Fortunately, he had one coming; the stoic samurai had ordered the loser a hit of saki, and while the rice wine had never been Grey's drink of choice anything will do in a pinch. He dug his cigarettes and lighter out of his shirt pocket and ducked his head to light up, reflecting that he hadn't actually managed to finish one that evening. The movement draws out a wince, and he touched his ribs; the cuts were shallow and would heal cleanly enough, but his tanktop - declaring STRAIGHT OUTTA WEST END with pride - is pretty fragged. "Maybe I oughtta switch to Fists," he mused.
"You fought good," Eibhlin shifted her shoulders a little. "Fists is without weapons, right?"
"Yeah, just like it sounds. Good ol" fashioned brawlin"." He glanced over at the purple-haired girl with the great gams as she passed by again, showing what she had with that unaffected strut. Short shorts and tall boots and about a mile of thigh between them; he liked what he saw, and he was seeing plenty. "Hey, Legs! I actually win one of these things, think I can getcha number?"
"It's been a while," Eibhlin said with a smile.
"Since you hit someone wit' ya fist' You should keep ya hand in." Grey held up his one, displaying the scars on his knuckles. "Always keep your pimp hand strong, little fear. Ya never know when ya might need it."
"Win one and we'll see," Legs gave him an amused smirk and a shrug as she kept on strolling, her mismatched eyes already glancing past him to look at someone in the distance. Probably someone winning their matches.
"Not much of a promise, but I'll take it." Grey grinned. "Yo, who wants a dance?"
"I do." She appeared like a ghost out of mist, all blond dreadlocks and attitude. Hazel eyes locked on his emerald, Roach prowled forward like a black cat. He'd been aware of her all evening - how could he not be? - but he'd lost track of her sometime between entering the ring and getting his arse kicked by Aki.
?"Pimp hand" is such a strange expression," Eibhlin mused.
"And totally inappropriate for this occasion," Grey said, somehow managing to get the words out through a mouth suddenly gone dry. "Heya, seksual"naya. Lookin" good." Like she always did. Tonight she'd gone to the nines, wearing some sort of long skirt and short, tight top combination that was covered in skulls. Chunky black angel wings in her ears, and hot pink combat boots. It should have looked ridiculous. It didn't.
She tipped her bottle of beer towards him. "Yo."
He couldn't help but chuckle, just a little. "Yo." He tilted his head towards the ring he'd just vacated, still sitting empty, with Eden - the teenager looking mildly the worse for wear with all the hard lemonade she'd been putting away - still sitting in the tall lifeguard chair next to it, fiddling with the silver coach's whistle around her neck. "So, you an' me?""
She smirked, the merest curve of her lips, and jutted her chin towards the ring in agreement. She dropped her bag next where he'd leaned his bat and placed her bottle next to it. "Let's go."
Up in her lifeguard chair, Eden threw her arms in the air as though in celebration, and nearly pitched headfirst out of it. Grey winced inwardly, but the girl managed to regain her balance without anything too disastrous happening. He downed the saki hastily, feeling the hot liquor try to peel all of the skin off his tongue, and followed it up with a last drag on his cigarette before passing it - not even halfway burned - over to Eibhlin with a shrug and a smile. She accepted without hesitation, immediately raising it for a drag. Grey glanced at his bat, then at Roach. "You, uh, you mind if we go to Fists" I'm not havin" much luck tonight with Swords?" Unspoken, that the thought of taking that piece of wood to Roach made him damned near sick to his stomach. Raising fists to her was likely to be tricky enough, although Moonie had just about beaten all hesitation out of him when it came to sparring. Girl was merciless if she thought you were takin" it easy on her.
Roach jerked her head towards the ring again, hands on her hip. "I'm down." She grinned, taking the sting out of her apparent eagerness to kick his ass, and gave Eibhlin a wink as she turned to sashay towards the duelist's circle.
"Khorosho," Grey murmured. Good. He pulled a pair of fingerless gloves out of his back pocket - always good to have if you thought you were going to be punchin" things - and then, as though against his conscious will, found himself walkin" next to her, hip bumping hers with unspoken affection. I missed you.
Eden had been talked into sitting down on her chair instead of jumping up and down on it, and she looked down at their approach with a dimpled smile. "Hi! Grey and" what is your name?" He was a little surprised she didn't know Roach; sometimes, it seemed everyone did.
"Roach," she said - and jabbed her elbow into Grey's side, right into one of the cuts Aki had left along his ribs. He barely managed to restrain a yelp. They separated to their corners, and Grey flexed his legs to check the weight on his ankle. It had barely healed up from his adventures in sewer diving, and the hits Jewell had given it earlier certainly weren't helping matters. Between her scepter and Aki's swords, he was feeling pretty rough; but anticipation was driving adrenaline into his system, and he could feel his hurts becoming fewer and further away. Back in the ring again. He licked his lips and tapped his fists together before taking up an old school boxer's stance, holding them out in front of him like a good fighting Irishman. "Not how I was hopin" to get reacquainted with that sexy arse of yours," he said.
Roach barked a laugh in that harsh, cigarette and whiskey caw of hers and jumped up and down a few times, loosening up her muscles. She scooped her hair back into a messy bun with a tie off her wrist and smirked. "Bring it on, gangster." She bit her lower lip and graced him with a fiendish smile. Because he couldn't reach her from where he was standing, and because trying would admit far more than he was willing to confess - even to himself - he just kissed one of his fists and held it out to her with a smirk.
"Okay, whenever you're ready!" Eden called out. She'd climbed down from her tall chair, so at least Grey didn't have to worry about her breaking her neck during the fight"
"Love you too," Roach scoffed.
Grey froze up. You're not supposed to say that, he thought. Music started in his head, a fast beat as his system dumped adrenaline and the world seemed to freeze in amber. As though in slow motion, he watched her cover the distance between them and her leg come up" You hit me once, I hit you back You gave a kick, I gave a slap
First rule of fightin" - don't get hit. If he hadn't been watching her legs in that skirt, she might have caught him unawares, especially with the sucker punch of those three words driving straight between his bruised ribs. Instead, he managed to duck out of the way. Running away again? Belatedly, he reached out to try and snag hold of it to pull her off balance, but she'd already twirled away, back and out of reach.
"Come closer, baby," she grinned.
Grey rolled his eyes. "She says, as she flies away again?" A not so veiled reference to the fact that she'd walked away from him twice already, angry and fuming. At least the second time had been his fault; he'd been trying to push her away. It was for her own good, but he'd spent the days since staring at his phone, wishing he could send that text, regretting it and trying to kill the emotion with booze and violence. Burying himself in work. Business was good.
"Didn't you miss me?" She came at him suddenly, her fist coming up from the cellar in an uppercut that probably would have broken his jaw if it had connected. He'd dropped like a thunderbolt, though, catching himself on his hands and spinning his legs like a gymnast on the pommel horse to cut hers out from under her. "Every second, lady." Let her think it's just flirting. Let her miss the honesty. "But not this time."
Her hair came loose of its tenuous ties as she hit the floor, and her swearing was both loud and varied as she pushed herself back up and took her time dusting herself off. Grey rolled himself upright again and grinned. "C"mon, babe. I just wanna get low with you." You smashed a plate over my head Then I set fire to our bed Maybe it was the comment, maybe she had other reasons to wanna bash his pretty face in, but he caught her arm as it came at his head and used her own momentum to take her off her feet and down to the ground again. It wasn't something you'd expect from a boxer; but then, Grey was a brawler. Dirty tricks were just his game.
"Goddamnit!" She was laughing, and when her hands shot out at him he raised an arm to block. His turn to be suckered; what he'd thought was a strike was instead a grab, and she yanked him off balance and sent him sprawling. "How's that, baby boy?"
Rolling with it took away some of the sting, but his ankle was reminding him of its abuse as he forced himself upright again. "Well, yanno what they say - a kiss with a fist?"
She blew him a kiss as she leaned back, hands on her hips. He mimed catching it with a smirk.
My black eye casts no shadow Your red eye sees no blame In almost the same motion, he crossed the distance between them with a quick spring from his powerful legs, moving like a cat - a lightning strike for her, reaching out to chuck her chin affectionately - but she brings an arm around into him as he moves, and he's pretty sure he feels a rib crack. What he'd intended to be a playful touch strikes a bit sharper, and Roach's yelp leaves a bruise deeper than her elbow.
"How do you do that?" Grey's voice was a bit muzzy as he shook his head, trying to clear the ringing.
"Just a knack," she said with a wide grin, shifting her weight from foot to foot and then coming at him again.
Your slaps don't stick Your kicks don't hit So we remain the same
Their legs met in midair as they lashed out at each other, twin kicks that were almost mirror images. Grey managed not to yelp as her knee caused pain to explode in his shin, but it was a near thing. At least it wasn't the ankle this time! They leapt back from each other, grabbing their injured legs and hopping for a moment.
"Chert, seksual"naya!" Damn, sexy! Not the first time he'd had occasion to say that, although the other times had been" far more pleasant. He can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing as she takes a moment to rub the sting out.
"Hoo, boy. Getting me right fired up, yo."
You don't play fair, lady. "Yanno, when I said "let's dance?" I didn't mean it quite this literally." He gave her that boyish grin.
"Shut up," she said with a scowl, tossing her hair out of her face. He leaned back and put his hands on his hips, letting her stretch her leg out with her eyes shut.
"Take your time, pretty thing. I could watch you all night." He'd been watching her all night, actually, except when he was trying to keep Jewell from beating his head in. Mostly unsuccessfully, at that.
Blood sticks Sweat drips Break the lock if it don't fit He launched himself across the ring at her when he saw her twitch, sensing her about to move. It's more of a push than a punch, but it doesn't matter much - she's not there to receive it, twirling away lightly again as though the boxing ring were a dance floor, and she in the spotlight. He continued on to the far side of the ring rather than trying to check his rush and leave himself vulnerable in the middle, and somewhere out in the square he heard Eibhlin cheer, "Come on, Grey! Win!"
Kinda nice to have someone cheering for you, actually.
"Have a nice stroll?" Roach smirked at him from over her shoulder. He took a moment to admire her posterior.
"Likin" the view from over here." He tilted his head to one side. It was the opening she'd been waiting for" A kick in the teeth is good for some A kiss with a fist is better than none.
He moved when she did, and they flew together in a flurry of arms and legs. When the motion stopped, he had her dipped like a ballroom dancer, his arms around her and one of her legs wrapped around his. "Hey, pretty thing." His voice was a low murmur, his face close to hers. She snapped her teeth at him, and then a wide smile broke across her face like the sun peering through a thunderhead.
"Hey," she replied softly.
"Sooo?" His eyes shifted from one side to the other, as though checking for eavesdroppers, and then locked back on hers. That crooked smile crossed his lips. "Is this the part when I pick you up" Or let ya down easy?"
"Well, before you do?" She leaned up, and he barely had time to say "No bitin"!" before their lips meet. It wasn't like his sayin" anything would stop her, if she was of a mind, but' And then there was no more thought, just the bliss of her mouth against his, and the world went away for a little while.
Far too soon, she pulled away and with a jerk of her head indicated he should let her go. "Let's do that again sometime," she said, voice throaty. He straightened up, pulling her with him, and only turned loose once she was steady on her feet. It's like trying to part two opposite magnetic poles, moving away from her; but eventually, he managed it, giving her some space. Reflexively, he glanced around the venue again now that his laser like focus could lapse. No sign of Legs, but that was prolly just as well. Didn't feel right, using a victory over Roachie to get another woman's number.
Noise from across the way drew his attention, and he looked over to see that Eibhlin was engaged in a match of her own, sparring with another woman.
"Kick her ass, Eibhlin!" he shouted automatically, cheering for her as she'd cheered for him. And then, slightly nervous- "No eating!" Not that he'd seen Eibhlin eat anyone alive, starting from their toes and crunching merrily on the bones as she went. Not outside of his nightmares, anyway' Still, at this point, asking her not to eat anyone had become almost a habit' and the panic it engendered in her opponent and Eden both was well worth the price of entrance.
Roach had already slipped out of the ring, so he followed, ankle protesting once again as he dropped to the cobbles. He grabbed his shirt off the table where Eibhlin had left it, and limped over to her ring to continue cheering her on.
"Good fighting tonight," Eden said with a grin as she glanced over from the match.
"Thanks," he smiled back. "Appreciate your callin"." He paused, remembering some of the raucous music she'd subjected them all to in earlier duels. "Not so much the singin". Callin" was good, though." His peripheral vision told him Roach was joining them, lighting a cigarette as she strutted up.
"Thanks, Eden," she nodded to the younger girl, the cherry end of her smoke glowing as she took a drag. She dropped her lighter back into her purse and squinted down at her leg. Grey took off his bandanna and ran a hand through his hair, sweat helping its natural spikiness give him the appearance of a nearly six foot tall hedgehog. He wiped his brow and tucked the cloth into a pocket, then started rummaging in his work shirt for his smokes and lighter. He could hear Roach crooning a song as she dropped into a chair next to the ring, something about love and battlefields, but the tune didn't ring a bell for him.
"Nothing wrong with my singing," Eden huffed at him.
Grey nodded at the ring. "Nemnogo strakha's got some moves," he said conversationally. He lit up with a duck of his head and a puff of his smoke before returning to teasing Eden. "Sure, nothin" at all. I've heard lots of seagulls singin" that same tune down the docks of a mornin". Or maybe crows out by the Cemetery?" He grinned around the cigarette. Flirting with the pretty girl was nearly a habit, but his eyes hadn't really left where Roach was sprawled out, watching the fight through heavy lidded eyes. She looked very similar to how she did in the afterglow of sex, he noticed, an observation that did absolutely nothing to discourage the fire that had lit up in him roughly the moment she'd first said "yo."
He almost missed it when Eibhlin twisted and flipped the other woman, slamming her into the ring with a bone rattling thud. Eden blew her whistle, announcing the winning blow, and then scowled at Grey. "I see what you did there, Mister."
"That's good," he grinned at her. "I like when you're watchin" me." He took the cigarette out of his mouth to whistle shrilly, and then put it back to applaud. "Way to go, Eibhlin!" He punched the sky in celebration of her victory. Roach applauded as well, and then stood up and sauntered off with a wave over her shoulder. Grey watched her go from behind the ember of his cigarette, just for a moment before shaking it off and giving Eibhlin a grin in congratulations. "Well done, little one. That was a helluva brawl."
The fey dropped down next to him and stole the cigarette from between his lips, taking a couple celebratory drags. "That felt good," she said. A few more drags, and she returned it to him. "Saw you won."
He couldn't help but glance to where Roach had wandered off, as though hoping to see her in the crowd and the night. "Held my own. Wouldn't necessarily say I won."
Text from Roach: I've missed you. Text from Grey:Missed you too, lady. You know where to find me anytime you want a rematch.
((Adapted from live play. Many thanks to the players of Roach Lee, Eibhlin, Eden Parker, and Saila. Special thanks to Hope, who didn't get anywhere near as much time or credit in this as she probably should have.
((Lyrics from Florence + The Machine's "Kiss With A Fist."))
((C&C welcome. Please PM author.))