Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Ghost of Demon Past (Soul &+&+ Alvis)

ShatteredSoul

ShatteredSoul

Super-Earth
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Location
US - CST
”Remember me?” A dark, soulless voice echoed, distinctively male. I’m sure you do. After all, I’d hate it if you forgot... But it’s alright now. I’m here to make sure that you never do, that my face will be one you see everywhere.” In the darkness, it was clear that a malicious smirk had pulled across the male’s shadowed features, and without any further warning, he lunged…

The hour had just turned past midnight as the DJ turned up the music to pump out a new dance beat. For a Friday night, Gold wing, an up-scale night club’s, dance floor was oddly lacking in participants and customers alike. The clear glass bar was relatively populated though, with only a few seats left open for new customers to take up, and that was good enough.

“Jai? Jai. Hey!”

A young man dressed in a simple white oxford shirt and black slacks had approached a woman leaning upon one elbow against the back half of the bar-counter. Long golden blonde hair, streaked with bouts of soft brown highlights had created a curtain over her face, shielding her ocean-blue, almond shaped eyes. A black, airy halter-top adorned the upper half of her body, draping down just below the hips of dark, slim fitting jeans. She had dozed off during a lull, and the sudden voice that had hit her ears caused her to physically lurch, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she was immediately ripped awake, and she whipped around to face the man who had approached her, black pumps clicking softly against the tiled floor.

“Don’t!” She squeaked reflexively, though when her eyes landed on the man, she blinked, her cheeks instantly flushing as she tried to regain her composure. “Oh, Pratt. H-Hi. What’s up?” Her words left her mouth quickly, with only a slight stammer of nerves.

His eyebrows furrowed gently as he cocked his head curiously, searching her eyes with slight concern. “Uh… Hey… You uh… You alright Jam?” Jam: a pet-name that people who were familiar with her had picked up due to her initials.

“Yup.” She didn’t miss a beat, responding quickly and flatly. “What’s up? What do you need? Everything okay? ”

Pratt didn’t seem very convinced, but he let it go for the time being, instead relaxing in his stance as he glanced around the bar and then back at her. “I’m taking off. Mel cut me so that I could go home and be more… productive.” The smug little smirk that spread across his face made it all too obvious.
She nodded in response, fighting the urge to roll her eyes as she straightened and looked at him., her eyes shifting in the direction he’d pointed for a split second before returning to him. “Yeah, sure, no problem.”

“My side of the bar’s all set; all customers ordered, refilled, and tabbed out. And Mel’s gonna send someone up from the cage to cover me.” He quickly added, clearly cutting her off from something she’d been about to say. ‘The cage’ was what upstairs employees typically referred to as the basement level floor of the club, where league approved MMA fighting ring was set up. On weekends, they held their most promising fights starting at midnight, and when that time came around, the upstairs was usually all but barren for customers and cliental.

“Ok, ok, go.” Jai spoke with a slight smile. “Drive safe, ok? And try not to have too much fun. You’ve gotta work tomorrow night too and I expect you to be on your game.”

“Yeah, like you are? Miss dozing off over here?”

Her eyes diverted from his gaze, and she remained quiet for a split second of hesitation. “Just get your ass outta here before I get a bouncer to throw you out.” She teased with a slight grin.
Pratt grinned, offering her a wink and playful salute as he leaned to grab a jacket from below the counter, then turned and dashed out from behind the bar without another word.
She watched him leave, waiting until he disappeared out the club’s front doors before she heaved a long, heavy sigh. The night will be over before you know it, she told herself as her gaze swept over her side bar counter, making a note of the customers that had already been served and which ones were going to need to be tended to for refills, and then she tilted her head as she watched someone new take up a seat at the far corner. The club was relatively popular, yes, but even on Fridays, Jai knew just about every person that sat at her side of the bar, even if only by their faces, and this guy… This guy was new, and he sure as hell didn’t look like he quite belonged there.

He sat down slowly, lazily, and folded his arms across the surface of the counter, keeping his head down. Only his mussed black hair, about an inch or two in length, she guessed, was visible, aside from the black, hooded sweatshirt that he wore. She couldn’t quite place her finger on it, but something about the way he had carried himself, the way he sat so lazily, or perhaps tiredly, the way he looked… it screamed of familiarity. And worse than that, what made her tuck her lower lip between her teeth, was the fact that something about this man, this new customer, sent icy chills crawling up Jai’s spine.

She shook her head to try to dismiss her thoughts, her right hand lifting to tuck her hair back from the side of her face and over the back of her shoulder as she straightened and started for the end of the bar, black, strappy pumps clicking softly against the tile floor. She stopped short when another young man, a regular by the name of Henry, held up his hand and offered her a warm, tipsy, toothy smile, and she couldn’t help but to smirk back at him.

“Jaime! Jai!” He called out over the music, using the hand he’d flagged her attention with to hold up an emptied rock glass, ice chinking against the walls of it. “I need a refill!” He slurred as he grinned happily.

Jai shook her head and laughed softly under her breath before she nodded and held up one finger, using her free hand to reach behind herself and grab a new bottle of bourbon from the display counter, having memorized the location of every bottle set up there. “Alright Henry,” she replied. “Just gimme one second okay?”

She didn’t wait before she returned her attention to the new guy and approached him, leaning over just slightly against the inner edge of the counter. “Hey there,” her voice spoke out just loud enough over the music for the man to hear. “Welcome to Gold-Wing, my name’s Jaime. What can I get to start you off for the night?” Straight and to the point. Any other day she may have been more animated with her approach, but she was exhausted and far from in a mood to try and be flirtatiously cute.

The man’s head lifted slowly, eyes about as dark as granite lifting slowly over her body to meet her eyes, and Jai felt the air hitch in her lungs, her heart nearly stopping. “Yeah actually,” his voice was low, deep, gruff, and a slight smirk pulled across his lips. “You can start me off… with a rum and coke, add lime.” He’d paused just long enough to let the slight, far from smooth comment sink in, his eyes bearing deep into Jai’s.

She just stood there, frozen in her place, unaware of the fact that she had pressed her palm down atop the bar-counter to keep herself balanced. Her eyes were glued to his, unable to look away no matter how desperately she needed to, and it was as if everything in her world had suddenly slammed on the breaks and shattered out of existence. It’s not… It can’t be… There’s no way… Breathe…

“S-sure.” Her voice betrayed her composure, stuttering over the first consonant of her acknowledgement to his order. “One moment…” With a grinding effort, she turned her back to him and strode back over to where Henry sat, all life seemingly having escaped her, leaving her body in a pale, trembling state. With trembling hands, she fought to unscrew the cork from the bottle of bourbon in her hands, feeling eyes on her back and ice in her veins, and she bit down on her bottom lip to try to maintain some semblance of composure. Thoughts were raging through her mind, making it near impossible for her to consciously focus on the bottle she was working so anxiously to open, and just as she was sure she’d gotten a good enough grip on the cork to jerk her hand back in an attempt to tug it off, her fingers felt nothing but air, cold air. The bottle slid from her shaking hands as if in slow motion, and conveniently, or rather, inconveniently, the song that had been playing on the speakers ended just as the bottle connected with the tile below and shattered against the floor.

All eyes were on her, she could feel it, and it unnerved her even further than she already had been. Her emotions doubled, overwhelming every ounce of her senses to a point where she was on the brink of either complete mental shut-down, or tears, and her gaze fell blankly to the floor beneath her feet as her hands moved to grasp the edge of the counter, desperately clinging onto it to keep herself standing upright. Never, never once, had she ever had trouble here at the club, her sanctuary, and never once had she broken a single thing here, not a glass nor bottle of beer or plate of food, nothing. She’d also never been so tired and anxious during a shift. Of all the days for a hundred firsts to pile up, today was just… well, no. There was no day that she ever would have welcomed a hundred first experiences, especially if the vast majority of them were negative and mentally unnerving.

Fuck…
 
Life just wasn't the same. It was an adjustment, that much was clear. But the record he had made it that legitimate groups wouldn't take him, and everyone knew that boxing was dead. That was what Carl kept getting told by everyone around him. Carl was by no means a small man. He was a lean person, not much in the way of excess weight anywhere on him, but he towered over most people. well over six feet tall, he carried himself well, the kind of confidence that could only be earned by testing yourself, and finding out what your limits were. And Carl had been sorely tested in the past. His hair was kept short, maybe a few inches longer than he used to keep it, giving him a somewhat shaggy appearance. His arms hung loose at his sides, longer even than someone of his height would suggest. His hands were always half clenched when at rest, as though the fingers had long ago forgotten how to fully relax, and were most easily at home when making a fist. His hands spoke of a lifetime of use and abuse, hard knotted muscle showing in those hands, repeated scars layered along the knuckles, showing that he'd put them to use as blunt instruments more than a few times. His eyes, a dark grey, like the sky before a thunderstorm, seemed to take in most of everything going on around him. He sighed, and made his way up the steps to get to work.

Gold Wing had been a good find for him. Work had been scarce lately, and he couldn't get back to his old profession, not without a few angry and disgruntled cops showing up to read him the riot act, and who the hell needed that kind of aggravation? In another life he'd tended bar and bounced. Going back to that had seemed like the best option. Besides, all of his savings was tied up in investments he couldn't touch for another few years. And that left him scraping by. Still, the work was good, even if it was taunting him to watch people step into the ring, fight it out, knowing in his heart he could probably destroy most of them in a fair fight. Or even an unfair fight. When the request came to him to move upstairs, away from the tease of the ring, he took it easily, before anyone else could beat him to the punch. He made his way up the stairs, smiling thinly all the way. This would be better.

The crash of a breaking bottle caught his attention instantly, moments away from making his way behind the bar. His size did have the benefit of people being willing to get the hell out of his way when he wanted them to. The girl tending the bar...Jaime he thought...had dropped a brand new bottle, and that in itself was not a usual thing. He didn't think her the type to really get showy with her pouring. She'd seemed practical. So something was off. And he moved closer to her, a hand touching her shoulder gently. He'd seen her around, they'd had a brief introduction when he'd started, which wasn't that long ago really if he was being perfectly fair. But they'd never spoken since, so it was up in the air if she recognized him at all.
"Uh...Jaime? You all right there?" He asked her. His eyes tracked across the patrons, some of which looked amused, some of them looked concerned, which he assumed were the real veterans of the place, and one...one looked...off putting to say the least. Carl had run with some tough crowds in the past, and had met a few people he felt were legitimately off their rock, and this guy screamed that there was likely something off in his head. He put his attention on Jaime for now though.

She didn't really remember him. Not completely. But there was certainly something there. Some trace of her called her back to that night, that moment of perfect surprise, perfect terror, and perfect violation that she would never fully shake. It wasn't possible. And he had known it then, just as much as he knew it now. His luck was strong this night, seeing her like this. He'd never dreamed of seeing her again, so many years in between, so many years and a lifetime it felt sometimes. And now, his voice had done it's work, had sent her mind racing down paths she'd rather bury, and showing him that no matter what...she still remembered him. That she might wish with all her being that she could forget him, but that was a feat beyond her. He might have been tempted to offer her another taunt, another comment, but it seemed like she was in a place that people knew her. Respected her. Liked her even. And that had him in a dangerous position. Best to get a few drinks, maybe from this new comer that had arrived. Pay his tab, and go for now. But he sure as hell knew that he'd be back. Her very existence demanded that he be back.
 
"P-p-please..." Her raw, choked voice all but gurgled. "S-s-st-op..." An agonized gurgle left her lips, drowned by the sound of an annoyed, guttural male growl, as she stumbled back a step, her knees buckling when a blunt knife dug deep into her abdomen.
“I said shut the fuck up.” The male voice growled; the heat of his breath sliding down her ear canal as his lips just barely touched the side of her face...
"You'll never forget."

The pupils in Jai's eyes had shrunken to the sizes of pinpricks, every muscle in her body tense and clenched as her parted lips starved for air. The memories playing over and over again in her mind's eye had blinded her from seeing when Carl arrived to start his shift and slipped behind the bar counter, approached her even.

A haze had settled over her normally enriching blue hues, and it could easily have appeared as if the very life had left her body, her skin pale and cool, and form visibly trembling as she struggled to keep herself on her feet, instead of allowing her knees to give out and leave her sprawled out on the tile floor. Betraying curiosity had her gaze flicking every so often to glance in the direction of the man seated all alone at the far corner of the bar, sheets of ice settling over her blood stream each time she did. This wasn't real... it couldn't possibly have been... She was dreaming... imagining things...

"Uh...Jaime? You all right there?"

His words floated past the barrier of her mind, penetrating deep into her subconscious and dragging Jai back into reality. She jerked with a sharp gasp of air with the recognition of a large hand upon her shoulder, eyes widening some as her attention immediately shifted to look up into the steely gray gaze of the man towering over her.

"I-I..." She stammered, her voice choked and soft. A chill oozed down her spine, her teeth pinching down against her lower lip as she felt her stomach perform an uncomfortable flip-flop and twist. She swallowed hard, a shallow breath sliding in through her nose as she took a shaky step towards him. "I think I'm gonna be sick..."
 
To say that Jaime looked like she was being put through the ringer was to put it mildly. She looked like something was crawling up inside of her, and tearing her apart. Carl didn't know nearly enough about her past to make a good judgement call on that. But what he did have was a good experience on running damage control. And the bartender throwing up behind the bar? Bad idea. Very very bad idea. Granted, they needed a mop as it was to take care of the booze, but it would be bad for business to say the least. He looked out over the patrons, and waved a boucer over.
"Don't do that here Jaime. Come on girl, keep it together, and we'll get you out of here." He said to her faintly. He gave a warning look to the other patrons to sit down and shut up if they knew what was good for them. They seemed to get the message rather aptly. The bouncer was close when Carl spoke to him.

"Can you handle the bar for a few minutes?" He asked.
"Uh..." The bouncer looked at the bar a moment before Carl cut into his introspection.
"Yes or no. Now."
"Yeah, yeah. I can. For...a little while."
"Good, do it." He said calmly, and looked back at Jaime, guiding her with him. "Come on Jaime. Let's get you some air, okay? Looks like you could use some right now." He led her from the bar proper, into the back room, where they stored excess bottles of booze, before reaching hte loading doors that they would do transfers at. And it was the fastest way to get Jaime out of the sight and hopefully where she could get herself into better order. Carl pushed the back door open, adnt he cool night air rushed over both of them.

THe bouncer stepped over the broken glass quickly, getting drinks served where they needed to be, serving the regulars before geting to the man at the end.
"What'll it be?" He asked.
"Whiskey. Surprise me. But a rye." He said calmly. The bouncer nodded, and grabbed the first rye he saw, pouring it into a glass, and handing it to the man. The bouncer saw a hand going up for a refill, and moved to take care of it. This was why they had two tenders.

The rye was not his first choice, but it would do. She'd known him, known him well, he hadn't lied to her that night. SHe would never forget him. Not his voice, not the feel of his hands, and not what he'd taken. Never that. If she lived to be a hundred, he had no doubt she'd never forget that part of him. He drained his glass as the new tender came into view, and he pushed the glass forward. It was refilled promptly. That was good. He'd make sure that this was nothing to raise a suspicion, after all. He still wanted to play a game or two with the lady. And having her too much on guard would wreck the whole thing for him. And then what was the point? He smiled at the thought. He wondered what she might have been doing in the time since he'd seen her last. Had she been so deeply scarred by his actions that she'd never gotten close with another man? A part of him hoped so. Another part of him hoped the opposite, wondering what it might be like with her being more experienced. But then, it didn't really matter. She would always remember the first time. He did hope that the second could be as memorable.
 
A sense of numb automation took over Jai's body, allowing her to move, albeit unsteadily, alongside of Carl as they made their way outside of the building. The words he spoke were gentle, concerned, encouraging, and they would have been a sincere comfort to her if proper functionality were in place. But that had that dissipated from the moment that she had recognized the patron at the bar, all but gone into extinction in fact. This is Gold Wing, the statement whispered across her mind. This is supposed to be the goo in freeze-tag, where no one can touch me and I am unarguably safe. My friends are here and Mel is downstairs running the fight club and there are bouncers and security everywhere... almost everyone here is associated with the Eagles... how...

Her thoughts trailed off into silence, nothingness, when she felt a stroke of cool, crisp air settle over her face and body, eliciting a cool shiver to travel over the length of her nerves. Subconscious need for warmth caused her to push just the slightest bit closer to Carl, and she reminded herself over and over how to breathe, that she needed to breathe, that she needed to calm down at least a little bit if she wanted anything to get resolved.

Seconds passed by like minutes, like hours, and finally after a long silence from her part, Jaime felt stable enough to lower herself down into a crouched position on the pavement beneath their feet. "I live alone..." She found herself admitting in the quietest of tones, her voice having stabilized some. "I live alone and I walked to work today... I..." Her throat closed around a lump, and she hesitated, swallowing dryly. "He's here... he's in there at the bar... I don't... how did he get in... why... He's here and he can't be here. He can't be. It's not... I-I..."

Her eyes were burning with salty liquid otherwise known as tears, desperate to let just one escape to slide down the smooth skin of her cheek. But her resolve held firm, and the tears, for the moment, were kept at bay. "I can't do this... I can't be here... He can't know... It's over... It's all over..." By the time she finished speaking her words were a near whimper, and every bit of resolve to keep herself from breaking down into tears had completely evaporated, leaving the girl short of breath in soft weeps.
 
Carl sighed, seeing that she was coming around. That was good. Some air, a little bit of time and she'd be right as rain. This had been a good, smart move on his part. he was about to mentally give himself a pat on the back when she started to crouch. Oh Gods, was she about to be sick? He hoped not, that was never a pleasant experience for anyone, but then she started to talk. Faintly. She was crouched, adn he was tall, SO he leaned down some to close up the gap between them. She was...just talking. It was like she needed to get words out, but what he saw in her face was not what he expected. She'd always shown a good face to the bar, a strong front, walls and walls of armour and protection from everything. But at this moment, that wasn't quite true. There was a lot less armour on her, and the more she spoke, it looked like it was cracking through. This...this was not what he'd been bargaining for.

He'd been taking a co-worker out for some air, but it looked like Jaime was in the process of having a complete breakdown, a total collapse of her mind. And that was not something he'd bee banking on seeing. He'd heard the rumours, something about a number of years back, that Jaime was still putting the pieces of herself back together, that she might never find them all again, let alone remember where they all went. A more poetic soul than he might have a clever analogy for that, but right then, he was content with just knowing that she was not going to be fine out here. That she was going to need someone to lean on, and frankly he was more than big enough to take the weight. It was what you did for people in a tight spot. that had been drilled into him gorwing up, and it had never failed to land him in trouble. But that didn't mean he was willing to stop doing it yet either.

"Okay Jaime. Okay." Carl said as soothingly as he could, and crouched beside her. He still dwarfed her, but he was closer to her. "So. Someone is in there that needs to go away. That seems like the first part of the problem and that, Jaime, is easy enough to fix to be honest. Did you want me to wait here with you, or go get him gone?" He asked her, keeping his voice low, but enough to travel to her ears pretty capably.

It was getting a little crowded. People around him he didn't know, didn't want to know. And none of them were her. She'd been taken out back by the large newcomer, and despite wanting to see her again, see what had become of her, see if she was recovering, but there was no way to do it subtly, no way without tipping his hand. And besides, he had a hunch that he knew the man she'd been with, and no confrontation with him was going to end well without a gun. A large one with a good rate of fire preferably. He drained his glass, and waved the tender over. Someone had been by to mop the floor, clearing away the broken glass. He put some cash on the counter, more than enough, and waved away the attempt at change. He left the bar.

Outside was cool, and crisp, just the way he liked it. He slid into his car, flicking the switch inside, and settling into the seat. It started with a purr, and he lifted his radio.
"12 is in." He said calmly. He heard an answer, and pulled away from the bar. Things to do. Always. Things to do, adn places to go. He'd keep busy. But he had so much more to think about now. o many more things to do. It would be a wonder if he found the time. But when it was important, one made the time. And there was little more important than this.
 
Her eyes slid closed slowly as she concentrated on calming herself down, regaining her composure, shutting down all emotions and returning to her stony, numb, immune state. Although she wasn't particularly close to Carl- hell, she barely knew him at all- it was comforting being in the presence of someone else, especially considering how big and bruiting he could come off based upon his appearance. He was safe, at least for the time being, and that was all that mattered. Not to mention the fact that he was being genuine and kind enough to account for most men as a whole. "I... don't know if it'd be a good idea to cause a scene by having him thrown out," she said softly after a long silence. "And Mel would definitely make an even bigger scene out of it."

"You mean bigger than the scene that already went on?" Another voice filled the air from behind them, distinctly female, and caused Jai to jump slightly. It belonged to Melanie Singer. the woman that owned the place and kept it running smoothly and efficiently. A tall, slender woman with straight black hair, clear green eyes, and tanned skin signature of her Native descent, it was undeniable that she was a pure beauty, but her looks were equally accompanied by smarts. She was a highly respected member of the Eagles- by whom the club was publicly.

The Eagles. The under-classed, mob-like version of a gang, of which held a strong presence in the city of Flora. Unlike common stereotypes of gangs or mobs though, the Eagles were highly respected members of society by both the law and citizens alike. Not out of fear, and not out of under-handed wads of cash, but by the fact that the Eagles were a sanction of nothing but heart-filled individuals. They were a family of misfits, outcasts, and down-trodden alike, all working together to help keep the city a bearable place, and offer those in need a place that they knew they belonged, and arms of protection and true, unconditional love.

Mel, who had decided to dress a bit more simply than her usual attire in but a fitting white collared button-up blouse, tucked neatly into a pair of black slacks, moved to step around from behind the two. The sound of her heels clicked against the pavement, and she sighed softly as she squatted down and clasped her hands together over her knees, looking between the pair. "Don't suppose someone would like to fill me in on what's going on?" She asked expectantly.

Jai swallowe, biting the inside of her lower lip gently as she lifted her gaze to meet with Melanie's. "Desmond."
 
Carl was about to speak, ready to assure her that he was good at getting people to go places, and not making a big scene out of it. And then what he felt was potentially the worst possible thing that could happen came to pass. He knew the voice. Great. Not his boss. Or even his boss's boss. But his boss's boss's boss. The boss of bosses in this place. And Carl realized he might want to stop thinking about the word boss. It was starting to run a little bit on repeat it felt. He let out a sigh, and opted to take the quiet route for now. He was more than a little adrift here, running on little to no information.

Carl had known that the place was owened by the Eagles, and that most of the people that worked here were a member of the group, but thus far he'd opted out of that. He wasn't really looking to rise in position here. He was in it to pay the bills. And he'd never been much of a joiner. It didn't really matter that he could probably get a lot done by joining them, maybe get some resources at his disposal to get things cleared up, get himself liscenced to fight again, get that back on track. But he'd fought for a lot of years before they shut him down. Tending bar like this was supposed to be a kind of retirement for him. And he was enjoying it on some level if he was being honest. No more wounds, a lot less aches and pains caused by the beatings that he had weathered. His hands were still in the shape they were because he hadn't stopped his training, still kept himself in fighting fit condition. But that was out of habit these days.

When Melanie crouched, Carl had the moment of feeling mildly silly for the way three people were now crouched outside the loading dock of the place. It would look mightily strange to a passerby. Frankly, it was odd to him too. But Melanie seemed more concerned about why Jaime had done what she did, rather than teh fact she'd dropped the bottle, or needed to leave her post. Her post. Which was in the hands of a bouncer. Carl wondered if he was going to be hitting the job search tomorrow out of neccesity. He kept quiet, wishing he was a smaller person for once so he could sneak away from all of this. But someone his size didn't just wander off, or leave unnoticed. Jaime said a name. Just a single name. But it seemed to register with Melanie. But at this point, he was going to have to speak up.
"Um. I'm sorry, but the new guy? He is lost. ANd...if you like, I can fuck off, and make sure the bar is still in good shape if you'd like me to leave." He offerd quietly. He didn't want to insult anyone, but he also didn't want to overstay his welcome now that someone seemingly much more qualified had shown up.
 
"Desmond." Melanie repeated Jai's admission in a tone that sounded confused and yet questioning. Her attention shifted to Carl, however, as he'd managed to speak up before Jai had really seemed to even attempt to try to respond. Raising a brow slightly, Mel offered Carl a slight smile and shook her head, raising one palm in her lap neutrally. "I took a peak to see what the commotion was about before I came out here," she explained calmly. "All was fine there so it's the least of my concerns. But it seems that all is not fine out here, and since the two of you are here, then surely someone can fill me in a little?"

Jai sighed then, shaking her head slowly as she shifted in her stance, her gaze diverting from Mel's. "When Pratt clocked out, he said there a new customer on his side of the bar and asked me to take it until his filler- Carl- could come up from the pit. I approached, made my introduction, and then he..." She paused, hesitating uncomfortably.

Mel perched forward a little. "He what?"

"He looked at me. Made eye contact, placed his order.... I had a feeling from the second I saw him that something was off; he didn't look like he even..."

"Jaime." Melanie heaved a sigh, trying to keep some level of empathy in her expression. "Honey it's been years. I understand that seeing someone that reminds you of him can be a bit unnerving, but Desmond Croft is long in the past and he's going to stay there, alright?"

Jai was shaking her head, denial evident in every ounce of her composure. "I'm telling you Mel, it was him. It was him I know it. I know his voice anywhere... He's here."

Mel looked unconvinced, her gaze reflecting concern and disbelief as she gazed at Jaime for a moment longer before she pushed off her knees and rose to her feet. "Well come on then, show me." She said simply, expectantly. "Walk and talk- what's your side of the story, Carl?" She added as she stepped around them to hold the door open.
 
Carl listened. Okay, so apparently this Desmond was bad news. SOmeone from Jaime's past, and not a good part of it from the sounds of it. It was probably tied to the limited rumours about bad shit in her past. But that didn't fill him in anymore than than he had been previously. And that...was okay honestly. He didn't know Jaime that well, and didn't want to dig into her past without a damned good reason. That would be invasive and irritating. Two things he'd punched people for in the past. And while Jamie might not be too big of a person, she had a mean left hook if the stories were to be believed. People were tanding up, so he followed suit, restoring himself to his normal towering stance. They were going back inside it seemed, adn that was...good?

Carl was a bit jolted when he was tossed into the spotlight, called on the carpet as it was. And frankly, he wasn't sure how to answer. He had the voice in the back of his mind, telling him exactly what he should be saying. When in doubt, just tell the truth Carl. The voice that always prodded him like that was always the same one, and it was always his grandmother. Strong morals on that woman, adn she'd tried hard to get Carl to see the world int he same light. She'd half succeeded. He'd stayed something of a good man, but he'd skipped the part of her teaching that said violence was not a good solution. It had been a fine solution for him time and time again.

"Well ma'am. I'm...really just a bystander. Came on a co-worker looking like she was in distress, and figured I should try and run a little damage control for her. Be a good...co-worker?" He started, not at all sure how he should be telling this. Aside from honestly. And how did he address the top boss? "There...was a guy at teh bar. Looked...kinda creepy. Skeevy really. Was staring at Jaime. But after that I got her out of there, adn out here." He explained. It wasn't longwinded, but it told what needed to be said. The way a conversation should be.
 
Mel nearly cringed when he addressed her as 'ma'am', giving a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes as she tilted her head back to look up at him. "Ma'am is my mother," she stated plainly. "Please, just call me Mel okay? Or Melanie- but I really prefer Mel." She paused a moment, turning a corner slowly. "Anyway, sounds to me like you did the best thing possible, so definitely thank you for that. We don't get many people who look a bit... under-par, but they do slip in once in a while- and Jai's a looker, hell even I can't deny that. But, we'll just have to see. Now then," she paused as they finally made their way around the bar, her eyes darting across the customers seated there before she settled her attention back on Jaime. "Which one is he?"

Jai's eyes had settled on the empty seat at the corner, her heart having dropped so low into her stomach that she was certain it wasn't even beating anymore. Gone? Gone. How could he be gone? No, no no no, that wasn't right. That didn't add up. He couldn't be gone- he just couldn't be. She blinked, once, swallowing hard, but the seat was still empty, and there was no sign at all that anyone was planning on returning to it either.

"He..." Her throat was closing all over again and words were once again a thing that she couldn't remember how to form. If he was gone, then there was no telling where he was now, what he knew, what he didn't, or even when he planned on returning. Planning for bad things to happen was always a beneficial thing to help damage control, sure, but in order to do that it was necessary to know what exactly to be planning for. Now? Now there was no way to make heads or tails, no way to plan, no way to be on the best defensive side. It would have made sense that he had turned up, that he was back for her to finally finish what he'd started. But this? This didn't make sense at all, and that was what scared her the most.

"I... he... gone..."
 
Carl smiled as Mel corrected him. He knew he should just take it at face value, but a part of him just had to make a comment.
"Ma'am has been my boss for a while. I'll try to remember the right term this time around." He said dryly. He waved off her thanks. "Just doin' my job. Or at least doin' what anyone worth a shit should be doin' for a co-worker." Carl didn't comment on the fact that Jaime was alooker. He wasn't blind, castrate, or dead, so it was pretty damned clear to him that Mel was spot on with that declaration. But he highly doubted that Jaime was really looking for a compliment from her co-worker in the midst of her emotional trauma.

The return to the main room had Carl tracking his eyes along the bar. Sure enough there was an empty spot where the offending man had been sitting. That was...good? Wasn't it? He was gone after all. Though it did leave Jaime without concrete proof that he'd been there. Unless...Carl advanced on the current tender.
"Hey. Thanks for covering. Guy in the corner, he cash out?" He asked. The other man nodded.
"Yeah. Paid in cash, good tipper too." Carl cursed. He'd been hoping for a credit card. That would have put a name to him for sure. He moved back over to Mel and Jaime.

"Mel...I know this doesn't look great. I hope you're able to believe us on this. I mean, I don't think Jaime would have...moment like this if it was a false alarm." He said as calmly as he could. Oh, this could go badly, depending on what kind of boss Mel was. He hoped she favoured the more calm, logical one, adn not the annoyed one.
 
With a heavy sigh, Mel nodded her head gently in response to the two, pursing her lips as she did so. "It isn't that I don't believe you, it's just... It's been years and the guy hasn't turned a single hair up anywhere on anyone's radar. Not with the Eagles or any affiliates or even the police." She paused a moment, looking back at Jaime. "Jai honey I just honestly think you're being a little over paranoid right now. I know that we're coming up here pretty soon on the anniversary of it all. I mean, you definitely do look exhausted as hell, and I know late nights here probably doesn't help much either. Look, how about you take the rest of the night off and the next few days too, paid of course. Get yourself some rest and relaxation, catch a movie, go for a walk, just, get yourself out of that lonely apartment, relax, and live a little. Ok Jai?"

For a long moment, Jaime was silent, her attention still locked onto the empty seat at the bar, all sense of remote life having left her eyes. It wasn't until she realized that Mel had been seeking a confirmation from her that she shifted her attention instead to look up at Carl, her lower lip quivering slightly as she hesitated. "I live about ten minutes away by car, and I really am not up for walking or calling a cab tonight... I'll pay you for the gas and double Mel's rate for a ride if you're willing?"

Mel blinked at that, surprised that Jai was actually willing to ask someone she hardly knew for a ride home. Sure, he was definitely more trustworthy than any skeezy cab driver, but still. That was something she never did. It wasn't a Jai move. A slight smile turned up at the corner of her mouth though, and she glanced back at Carl with a tilt of her head. "The ball is in your court on that one buddy. I won't say no."
 
Carl sighed as Mel spoke. Frankly, it was a better answer than he'd hoped. Paid days off. It was a good way to keep herself stable, away from triggers. It was a good move. He nodded to himself, and then had to do a double take when Jaime asked him for a ride. Him? The guy she'd met for all of 20 minutes? Well that was unexpected. He half turned his head to look at Mel. Surely she was going to tell him to get his ass back behind the bar, and get to work? Nope, no help in that corner. Just a sense of smug amusement. Well damn it. What was he going to do, say no? Turn her down and let her freak out through a cab ride, or work herself into a panic on the walk? Yeah, that sounded like a good plan! Backed into a corner. Damn it.

He sighed, but nodded.
"Sure, no problem Jaime. C'mon, let's get you home, okay?" He said with a smile. He turned to look at Mel. "So I assume I'm off for the night then?" He said with a faint smile. Gods, he hoped he wasn't going to get his hours docked. He was not exactly flush with money, and the payroll would be good. But here was a task that needed doing. He led Jaime out of the building, and down the street, half a block until they came to his car. Oold, beaten, and big as a boat. The old Diplomat was a true land yacht, but he needed a car with some size just to carry him. He unlocked the passenger door, adn then moved around to his own. "Hop in. Point me where I'm taking you." He said lightly. And this was going to be a simple day at work. He started the car, and put it in gear.
 
In silence, Jai had followed along with Carl, sticking close to him, eyes ever alert in darting every which way she could possibly look. Even when they finally arrived at his car and climbed inside, she remained relatively silent, her gaze shifting out the windshield and window cautiously as she pulled her seatbelt across her chest. "It's the Golden View apartment complex." She told him in a soft voice after a long while of silence, save for the purr of the car's engine. "Only about ten minutes away by car. Follow this road to the stop sign at the end, take a left, drive a little ways to a stop light, bear right, keep going, and then it's right there on the right hand side." Her gaze traveled over to look at him for a moment, waiting for his acknowledgement. From what little she knew about him, he was newer to the city of Flora, but she'd decided to give him the benefit of the doubt in terms of the directions, being as she explained it using all main roads, and she was, after all, sitting right there in the seat beside him, ready to give directions whenever necessary en-route.

She was quiet for the drive, not having to utter even a single word, and he followed her initial set of directions perfectly. Before she knew it he had pulled into the parking lot and killed the engine, and her gaze was set blankly on the building in front of the windshield. With numb subconscious, she felt her hands moving to unlock her seatbelt and pull it off, reaching afterwards to grasp for the door-handle and push it open. In still silence, she gazed across at him as she slid out of the car, finding her footing unsteadily. "Come with me?" She asked in a quiet, soft voice. She didn't want to admit it, and hated the fact that she had made it almost obvious, but she was scared; scared that he would be in the building, waiting for her in the darkness behind the front door of her apartment, ready to sneak in after her and put an end to all the mystery and fears and nightmares and worries. Put an end to a life that she had only just begun to start enjoying.

It was nearing the end of August, and thus the end of the summer season in the run-down city of Flora in which they resided, so the nights were starting to get cooler while the days were as warm and humid as ever, but the maintenance guys that managed the central air systems hadn't changed the settings of the building yet, so the moment that they walked through the front door, they were met with icy cold air. Any other night Jai would have been fine with it, indifferent, but she'd felt as if the warmth and life in her body had completely vanished from existence the moment she had seen that guy's eyes and heard his voice. The memory caused her to shudder, and subconsciously she quickened her pace as they started up the stairs and towards the third floor where her apartment was.

Her apartment wasn't overly fancy or expensive, but it was tasteful and comfortable. The color scheme consisted of soft browns and baby blues, those being two of her favorite colors. The living room furniture was leather and anything with wood grain was cherry-wood. In her bedroom, she had a full sized oak dresser with matching vanity and bed-frame, and the bed itself was queen sized with a tempurpedic memory foam mattress, extra soft. The kitchen had been something she'd had no control over the design of or time to redesign, but the granite counter-tops and beech-wood cabinets with stainless steel appliances was nice enough that she couldn't complain, especially not with the island bar counter roomy enough to seat up to five people on stools.

The light fragrance of honey and vanilla that floated into her nose when she unlocked a variety of mechanisms and pushed the door open caused her nerves to all but turn to jell-o with the amount of calm it brought out in her. Oh to be home, where she knew that she was safe and no one could get to her that wasn't expressly invited. Home, the one place she knew she could be entirely herself, with no fronts and no barriers and no walls, and not a single person to ruin that for her. Home... where she was often alone, and incredibly lonely, secretly longing for the company of a single person that had some mystical way of making a bad day turn around with nothing more than a simple smile.

Leaning down in the darkness, Jaime unfastened the straps of her pumps and slid them off, allowing her bare feet to sink into the soft white carpet on the floor beneath her. Normally she wouldn't have bothered flicking on the lights, as she knew the layout of her apartment like the lines of her palms and there was just enough light entering through the window of the sliding glass door in the back of the room, that led to a small balcony overlooking the city, for her to make out the interior of the living room. But given the fact she had a guest over that had never been there before, she turned on the lights anyway.

Any other time, she'd have shrugged out of her work clothes and been clad in none but her underwear and bra by the time she got to the couch, but with the company of Carl, she knew better; that, and given the night and day she'd had, having clothes on or off wasn't really going to affect her ability to relax. So instead, she heaved a soft sigh and turned to look up at him, waiting for him to step inside before she closed the front door, taking the time to fasten a set of eight different locks. "You can have a seat anywhere you like, the couch is the most comfortable though." she told him softly, "Can I get you something to drink? Eat?"
 
Carl did have a decent head for directions, he'd had to get good at them. Underground fightsdidn't get maps drawn up for their location. And when you don't have a manager to hunt things down, you tended to have to get good at things on your own. Besides, it wasn't like this city was terribly complicated to get around. Especially sticking to the main roads like this. Besides, the streets were well li, and that helped him keep an eye out for the creeper that she was worried about. The guy had looked pretty well built, but Carl was still convinced he'd be able to take him in a fight if he had to. Besides, Jaime was pretty well known as being able to throw a pretty mean hit when she had to.

Carl parked the car, adn followed her out, nodding at ehr request to come with her. He'd have done it anyway to be honest. As rattled as she'd been, he wasn't really a hundred percent sure that she was in any shape to make it anywhere on her own. The entrance to the building made Carl shiver. Gods it was kept like a meat locker in this place! When they reached the apartment, at least it was a good deal warmer. Carl rubbed his arms faintly with his hands as he stepped inside.

The place was...nice. Actually a bit better than nice if he was being perfectly honest. The scent in the air made his nose crinkle slighlty, never being one who really enjoyed the idea of scenting a living space, but he knew that a lot of people found the idea comforting, another way of getting a mind to reasily identify a place as home. He stepped over teh threshold, and looked around the place more thoroughly. She'd done pretty well for herself to get a place like this set up as quickly and nicely as she had. A lot of work went into the place. It was actually a little odd. He'd gotten the impression from her that she probably didn't really entertain guests that often. But this place was easily set up to accomadate a fairly good sized number of people. So she didn't entertain, but maybe she wanted to entertain? This was complicated. But the place looked clean, so he popped off his shoes, setting them out of the way.

His instincts about her having some issues were made much more apparent when he noted the number of locks on the door. Any one or two of them would have been enough really, but here she'd stacked them high and strong. The only thing missing was to swap the way the door swung, and mount it in a frame a bit smaller than the door to make it impossible to kick in. But he wasn't about to point that out. She looked like she had enough on her mind. He nodded as she spoke to him about having a seat. And then it was all starting to dawn on him. What exactly was he doing here? What did he expect to accomplish by being here? She was safe now. He could go. Leave her to this. And...then what? She might be safe in here, but he did have the thought that maybe someone being around to provide a certain sense of comfort, or at least stability for her might not be a bad idea. And that left him.

He sank onto the couch, and he did admit that it was comfortable as hell. It was the kind of couch that took a mild effort to not fall asleep on. He focused on her, keeping himself sharp enough to not be a snoring lump on her sofa. That would have made such a sonderful first impression.
"Um...sure. I'll get..just a water for now?" Carl answered to her question. He needed to get his bearings a little, see what was going on with her, and how he could help.
 
Without moving, Jaime watched him move across her apartment to the couch she'd mentioned, observing him carefully until he took a seat. A breath that she didn't even realize she'd been holding slowly escaped her lips, and with a slight nod, she acknowledged his request with a polite, halfhearted smile. "One ice water coming right up." She replied with a cool, professional tone, as if she was serving a patron at the bar instead of hosting a guest in her home. Without waiting for any further response, she then strode quietly from the living room and into the kitchen, where the sound of cabinets opening and closing and chinking of ice against glass could be heard before the soft shuffling of feet against the carpeted living room floor. She offered him a polite, professional smile as she held out a glass of iced water for him, her other hand occupying an iced drink with a dark colored liquid, bourbon in fact. She didn't utter a single word as she made the hand-off to him, instead letting out a soft sigh as she turned around and sank slowly into the cushion of the seat next to him, leaving just enough space between their bodies to not be considered too close for comfort or invasive of his personal space.

A long, slow sip of the crisp, bitter liquid filled her mouth and throat as she leaned back and got comfortable, tucking her legs up alongside her with her free arm neatly resting across her knees, and she sighed a soft hum of comfort and relaxation as she removed the glass from her lips, her gaze shifting to focus dully somewhere on the carpet. "That man at the bar," she said slowly, her voice trailing off as she tried to carefully piece her words together, nibbling at the inside of her lower lip. "He's a monster, a cold-hearted monster. When I was a kid, ten years ago today in fact, he killed my dad right in front of me, after he and a bunch of his groupies beat the hell out of him first." She paused, swallowing hard, chewing at the inside of her lip with a sense of uncertainty and discomfort at the memory. In truth, she was really just trying her hardest not to well up with tears and break down and cry. "Five years later, five years ago, to the day, he came back for me, after having disappeared and never being able to receive justice... He raped and stabbed and cut me too many times to keep track of, but according to the doctors I was stabbed six times and the rest of the slices and cuts were all defensive wounds - I don't care to remember the tally. When he was finished he dumped me into a river and somehow I managed to wash up on the other side and drag myself a couple miles to someone's front doorstep - Mel." A shiver ran over her spine and blood stream, and she cut herself off for a long moment, swallowing hard as she pushed back the memories and tried to maintain her composure. Tears didn't show strength and survival after all, and she didn't want to show a sign of weakness to anyone, not given the night she'd had.

The silence held for a long moment, and finally she rolled her shoulders to bring some life back into her body, drawing a long sip from her glass of bourbon. "He's really good at hiding, to say the least. The police tracked down a couple of the men that were there when my father was killed, but they weren't the ones that killed him; and when I was attacked, they hardly believed me when I said it was the same man, and for the second time he disappeared like a thief in the night. And now he's back... and I can only imagine what for."
 
Carl had to admit that he was getting a very great deal more of a history here than he wxpected. But then, maybe he should be altering those expectations. After all, Jaime had been...well, traumatized seemed too harsh a word, but it was also accurate the more he thought about it. And he had been the one who was...on hand to help her deal with the fallout. And now here he was, with a woman who was ni a rather vulnerable state of mind, in her apartment. A lesser man might be tempted. Well, not tempted, for Carl was only human and the thought of taking advantage of the situation was certainly there on his mind. But that lesser man might be taking steps, adn making plans to act on it. Jaime had always seemed a good person, good to work with, and ready with a smile more often than not. She was in excellent shape, and it made her very easy on the eyes.

But anything that happened between them tonight would have a slightly off kilter feel to it. Carl shook his head. He was exploring the possibility more than he shoud. When she started talking about what had transpired before, he felt his gut lock up a little, like there was a stone expanding within it. Killed her father, went after her. The most pervasive question that came to Carl's mind was why? What did this guy have to gain by doing this? And why single Jaime out so much? So many questions, and he knew for a fact that Jaime wouldn't know these answers. If she had, there was a high likely-hood that she'd have been able to get the cops down on him, since she'd be better able to explain him.

He took a drink. Bitingly cold, the water was enough to partly numb his throat. Better than he'd expected. What did someone say to an explanation like that? What could he say that didn't make him sound like an idiot or jerk? Well, he could start with some honest observations.
"Well, if he is back for what you're afraid of...he's already made a huge mistake. He let you see him. Now you know he's there, that he might try something. And since you know it, the rest of us that have your back know it too. And if Mel knows, you can bet the rest of the satff will know to keep an eye out for this guy. He shows his face again, I think me and the bouncers will take turns beatin' this guy down until he doesn't bother you or anyone else ever again." He realized as he spoke that he had just essentially offered to murder someone for her. Granted, it sounded like the guy had it coming, and was in desperate need of a good being killed, but still! He'd just really met Jaime tonight! He hoped that she took the statement in the spirit it had been meant for.
 
After that night, Jaime had found a new sense of respect and trust for Carl, something that even she herself didn't fully understand. In a span of just a few weeks, she had grown close enough with him to be sharing a bed each night after work, and feel safe as she slept, and even give him the spare key she had to her apartment. Most nights she'd slept fine, though on some occasions she woke with a start, trembling and crying out of fear from a nightmare that would feel all too real. Thankfully though, those nights she wasn't alone anymore; she had Carl, and the way he was able to cradle her so snugly in his arms, assure her, comfort her, it was all she had ever needed without realizing that she had wanted it.

At the present moment, it was early on a Saturday night, and she and Carl were in the pit of the club, waiting for the hour to turn so that they could clock in to begin their bar shift together. In the meantime, their attention was focused on the competitors for the night as they were training, and one in particular kept eyeing Carl up. It was making her nervous, to a degree, and most certainly uncomfortable, but she wasn't about to say or do anything. It was Gold Wing, after all, and even Desmond hadn't shown back up since that night she first saw him. Nothing was going to get them, not there, not with Carl at her side. She found herself looking up at him at that thought, her eyes scanning his stony expression, and subconsciously she wrapped her arms around one of his, holding him comfortably as she pressed herself into his side. It seemed that just as protective as he felt over her, she felt a very similar way, no matter how silly and unnecessary it seemed.

"Carl?" Her voice was soft, meager, a quiet and gentle nudge for his attention to return to her.
 
Things were moving fast. Carl hadn't been really completely ready for Jaime. But there was a lot to her that resonated with him. Strength and vulnerability, the two chasing one another within her in a way that made him stay not only interested, but attached. Staying at her place had seemed like a good idea really. The more time around her he spent, the more it just seemed like a good idea really. Mel had given them both a few knowing smirks, and Carl had just grinned at her. He sincerely didn't care what anyone really thought of him, and Jaime seemed to be a bit more...steady with someone around to latch onto. And Carl was a good deal more at peace with himself. Having someone that he cared about around gave him a far more motivated outlook to his life. Jaime was a piece of his life that he was only now finding out had been missing.

Looking down at the training area of the club, Carl was looking at the fighters at practice. There was an odd tilt to his head, a look in his eyes. Each punch, kick, sweep, it was all familiar and yet alien to him. The whoel display was like old music, half remembered, but never really forgotten.

He looked out over the ring. There was some light sparring going on, the padding keeping each person safe. Mostly. After all, a kick in the head had an effect no matter what happened. He smiled as he watched them go. It had been so long. Years even. He hadn't been in an honest to Gods fight in so long he wasn't even sure if he still remembered how any more. Besides, it had been long enough he wasn't sure he still had the edge that he needed. He shook his head, and turned to go when he heard a voice.
"Hey Carl! Hey!" The voice came from one of the newer fighters in the club. Alex was his name, Karl was pretty sure.
"Yeah? What?" He called back.
"Come on down! Step in the ring! Didn't you used to be hot shit in one of these places?" Carl closed his eyes, smiling thinly.
"Not a place like this kid." Carl announced, coming a little closer. "We didn't have much of a ring. Or padding. Or gloves." The club was going a little quiet, eyes turning to this little show. Carl's reputation was not a secret really. And anyone who'd been fighting with any seriousness for any length of time could see that Carl had the build of a fighting man. The wear on his knuckles showed a lifetime of scraps and brawls.

"So how about it then Carl? Think you can still throw a punch?" Alex challenged. Carl shook his head.
"Probably not kid. It's been too long. And I'm legally banned from this kind of thing." Carl explained.
"Come on. It's a sparring match. And no here gives a shit. Right?" Alex wqaved his hands at the fighters and staff. There was some encouraging applause for Carl. he sighed, but after a moment, nodded.
"Alright. Alright!" He raised his hands in mock surrender. "But ditch that sissy faggot ass padding. We'll do this like men." There was a lot of laughing at that, and Alex gleefully stripped the padding off, and tossed the gloves. Carl climbed into the ring with a slow deliberation. As he drew himself up to his full, impressive height, he looked at his opponent, and at the ring.

The place was immaculately kept up, with ropes surrounding the ring, and a good solid surface to stand on. He stepped forward, his hands clenching into fists. He brought them up into a classic boxer's stance, his weight shifting. Alex wasn't a slouch, he knew what he was doing. He shifted, his stance moving to a move aggressive muay tai stance.
"You ready old man?" Alex asked with a smile.
"Let's see if I still know how to do this then." Carl said calmly. Alex moved.

The kick was fast, hard and accurate, heading right for Carl's head. And it would have worked great if Carl hadn't read Alex's move well before the movement had started. An elbow hammered into the advancing leg, batting it away. Alex staggered, the move interrupted, and pain flaring from the hard block. He dodged a pair of jabs from Carl. Each punch was fast and quick, and after blocking one directly, he knew that Carl was stronger than he looked. This was getting interesting.
 
He hadn't heard her vie for his attention, not over the sudden commotion coming from just down the stairs they'd been posted on, and it wasn't so much that she minded the fact he hadn't heard her as it was the sudden talk going on. Jai had never been much one for gossip, but she had heard the occasional rumor or whisper about what Carl's past had entailed, and curious and plausible as it was, he'd never mentioned anything about it, and so she'd simply let it flow in one ear and out the other. Now though, as she watched him, it became very clear just how true those rumors had been. It was astonishing really, to say the very least, though, at the same time, she was just floored.

Others in her position might have felt anger, or as if they'd been lied to, but for Jaime it was just a simple matter of curiosity and a bit of confusion. She watched with wide eyes, transfixed on him, and she was so engulfed that she hadn't even noticed Mel had stepped up beside her and was offering her a sideways look with a tiny smile. "You alright there blondie?" Mel remarked playfully, and Jai jumped, spinning to face her friend immediately.

"Mel! Gods, make some noise or something next time would you?"

Mel laughed quietly, slipping one arm around Jai's shoulders. "Bit jumpy are we? Everything okay?"

With a sigh, she leaned into her friend, shaking her head gently. "I'm fine. Everything's fine. Really, it is. What's up? Do you need something?"

Mel looked at her with a raised brow, but she let it slide for the moment, shaking her head with a shrug of her shoulders. "Just making some rounds, decided to see what the commotion was all about. I didn't know he was a fighter. I knew he had a past but that was about it really. Pretty interesting."

Jai nodded slowly, returning her attention to Carl. His back was to her. "Yeah, I know what you mean..."
 
Alex was tougher, fast and knew his business. He avoided the jabs, giving a little ground. He darted in, going for a grapple, to take away some of Carl's advantages. The ploy failed when Carl hammered into Alex's ribs with a left hook that sent the shorter man staggering away. Carl bobbed on his feet, feinting a low punch. Alex instinctively ducked to block, and caught a fist to the top of his head. Teh blow rang bells in his head, and he stepped back, getting some distance, and bringing his arms up to block. He caught sight of his mistake then. Carl was a tall man, with arms longer than normal, giving him fantastic reach. Alex could see the fist coming in, a long straight. It passed between his arms, the block missing cleanly. He knew it was going to hurt, but he didn't expect what happened.

Carl rolled his shoulder, putting his body into the punch. He felt the familiar tone of a soldi punch connect. The shock rode up his arm as he saw Alex snap back from it. It was the way nearly every bout he'd ever fought ended. They'd called him the Piledriver for a reason. If one of his long punch landed it had enough for to take the gummption out of anyone. And Alex was no exception. The shorter man flew a full three feet back before skidding to a halt on the floor of the ring. There were a few teeth on the ground, and there was a moment of dead silence that left eh sound of Alex hitting the floor echo. Carl blew otu a long sigh, adn looked at his fist. Some blood, none of it his, but otherwise unmarked. A moment later, there was a clapping from a few of the fighters. Now that the shock had worn off, they had to acknowledge a well fought match. Carl gave a half mocking bow, before climbing out of the ring, adn head back to Jaime. He smiled as he approached.
"Sorry about that." He offered, but there was a look in his eyes that was normally only there when he'd been with Jaime alone for awhile. The look of being both pleased and happy at the same time.
 
Both women were staring across with widened eyes and parted lips, though Mel looked a hint more impressed and contemplative than Jai did for sure. Jai was just floored, shocked beyond all ability to fully comprehend or understand or even process. Clearing her throat softly, Mel nudged Jai as she slowly smirked up at Carl, and she cocked her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You know Carl, I had a hint that you were once in the business of fighting, but I didn't know you were so... skilled. I'd be very inclined to make you a new job offer if you would perhaps like to hear it, hmm?"

Jai squeaked softly when Mel nudged her, blinking and immediately turning her attention to look at her friend before looking back up at him, and then back at Mel once more in surprise. "Um... I'm just going to go ahead and uh... let you two discuss this in private, professionally. I'll just clock in and set up. See you soon." She offered Mel a fleeting smile, and Carl a shy little glance with that same fleeting smile, and then she turned and quickly started back up the stairs for the bar, leaving Mel and presumably Carl in a bit of shock themselves.

"Uh..." Mel countered quietly, looking to the back of Jai's disappearing figure before she looked back up at Carl.
 
Carl found that his smile came a bit more readily than it used to. Sure he wasn't as young as he used to be, adn his elbow was burning from where he'd blocked that kick, his knees didn't feel quite right anymore, and there was every chance that he could be hit with some stiff charges if an unsypathetic cop saw him standing in a ring like that. But he had done an honest fight bewteen people. And shown that even after some years that lacked practice, the instincts of all the fighting he'd done still lurked in him. They'd just been sleeping, waiting for the right time to be kcked into motion, to awaken to need once more. And he still had a long straight that could physically throw a man from his feet.

He cocked his head as Jai made a hasty exit from the area. What was with that? Things had moved fast between them, and he had to admit that he didn't know how she thought quite yet. Was she intimidated? Scared? Impressed? Embarrassed for some reason? He wanted to go after her, but one didn't turn down his boss when she wanted to talk business. He watched Jai vanish, before looking Mel in the eye.
"Well...I don't advertise much these days. But I was the all city underground bare-knuckle champion for about six years running. Piledriver they used to call me. Alex can vouch for why they gave me that particular name." He said with a fleeting smile. He seemed a lot looser than he had been. SInce spending a lot of time around Jai, he'd been lighter and easier going, but now after a fight, it seemed doubly. so. Like there had been something in his system that needed to get worked out, and it had been now.
 
Grinning slowly, Mel scoffed and shook her head, reaching up to pat his shoulder and curl her fingers gently around his bicep. It was a friendly gesture, not in any way seductive or flirtatious, and if anything it was that sort of pat on the arm one gave a friend when they were being absolutely ridiculous. "Well it is very obvious that you don't advertise, Carl ol' boy. But I do know that you have a particular law enforcement track record too, and I can assure you that if you wanted to fight again for me in my club, law enforcement would be a thing of the past. As you well know by now, the Eagles are very friendly with just about everyone in power in the city, especially since we are the power of the city. No one would bat an eyelash."

Pausing, she let it sink in for a moment as she grinned knowingly up at him, tilting her head. "That being said. I'd be willing to pay you handsomely for a title here, Mister Piledriver sir. What do you say?"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom