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Tales of the Meridian Society! (TheCorsair, Madame Mim)

"Madame Giry!" Ioseb laughed. "I do not know this word 'upbeat'! I am ]i]Russian[/i]!" He grinned, concentrating on his steps for a moment.

"I thought you were Georgian, Batoni," Anne Marie replied with a pleasant if somewhat smirkish smile. "Unlike many foreigners, I make sure to tell the difference. My father was a man of the world and he taught me well to respect the differences of others."

"I am complex, Madame Giry. Some days I am Russian, others I am Georgian. And still others? Why, I am a citizen of the world." The smile faded, just a little. "But no, you are right. I had dreamed that this industrial slaughter would be the fertilizer of something better. But my hopes, it seems, were vain."

Dancing along, he listened to her question. "I have, yes. Monseiur Eiffel's tower is... interesting. And the Arch magnificent." A smile. "And, just this evening, I have seen that which is most beautiful among a city filled with beauty."

The delicate blush showed was reward enough. "Clearly you have not seen enough of Paris, Monsieur," she insisted. "Once I show you the beauties of the streets of my city you would look on me as you would a dirty rag."

A sly look flickered through his eyes. "A dirty rag? Perhaps. But I grew up poor, Madame Giry. When I look upon a dirty rag, I think to myself... Ioseb, you should take that rag home and clean it. Spend some time determining the value of that rag, for many a treasure is found behind an unassuming facade." He met her eyes as they moved around the floor. "And if I should do that for a mere rag, Madame Giry, how much more should I do for one of the great treasures of Paris?"

With that, he spun her away and half-stepped out and back. As he did, he spotted two men in dark brown suits entering the club. Turning and stepping forward, he caught her hands again. Without trying to display any undue haste, he began dancing towards the opposite side of the floor.

"Do you see friends of yours, Monsieur?" Madame Giry asked lightly.

"I fear not," Ioseb answered, keeping his voice light. "I should have known they would come looking for me, and not placed you in such danger." Off-rhythm he spun them both about gracefully. "They are the Okhrana, and they have come hunting me."


"The two of us? Oh, Captain Drake and I? I'm sure he wasted no time in telling you he was a captain."

"He never actually mentioned that," Yasmine said, darting a teasingly speculative look at Drake. "I should have been a little more reluctant to give him up, had I known. I've always liked a man in uniform..."

Kieran added as an afterthought. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Well," she said, turning her attention back to her current partner and trailing a teasing finger down his cheek, "that depends entirely on the secret..."

He leaned in conspiratorially as they danced and half-whispered, "Top secret missions, matter of state."

"Really?" she asked, voice half-impressed and half-skeptical. "Tell me more - a spy is even more delicious than a soldier."

"We are here on business, but that's a dull thing to talk about. What about you, Mademoiselle? What brings you to the city of lights?"

She sighed a little. "Politics as well, I'm afraid. My brother..."

Her words were lost in a shout as two men in brown suits began to shove through the dancers, drawing firearms as they did. "Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin! Po prikazu Okhrannoye Otdelenie, vy sdat'sya srazu!"


Colin Drake looked up sharply at the shout, his companion giving a small cry of surprise as she smacked into his chest. "Russians?" he asked in surprise, then gasped as the men drew weapons. One had a Nagant M1985, standard issue for officers of the Russian Imperial Army, with a peculiar cylinder strapped below the barrel. The other held a brass and crystal weapon that faintly resembled an old flintlock. And both were aiming at Madame LaMonte and her partner.


"Chort vozmi!" Iosef swore, catching Anne Marie by the wrist and racing towards the kitchen doors. "My apologies, Madame Giry!" he added. "i would not have dragged you into this for anything, but the Okhrana believe in guilt by association!"

Forearming the door, he drew a revolver of his own. "I shall do my best to see you safely home. But please, follow my lead."
 
Anne Marie smiled as her partner called her a treasure of Paris. "Well then as a citizen of the world, I suppose the logical thing would be to take that rag home, wouldn't it?" She smiled flirtatiously but kept an eye on the men in brown. It was clear they were here for "Ioseb."

Still, she had expected them to be more subtle than that. The men drew their weapons while they were still across the room, giving her and Joseph Stalin a heads up. She followed his lead as he grabbed her wrist and led her towards the kitchens, trying not to scoff as he treated her like one would a helpless damsel. It had been quite a while since she had met anyone who hadn't known better. By the time they were in the kitchen, Anne Marie was holding a revolver of her own, though where she had kept it was anybody's guess.

~*~

Kieran smirked when Yasmine stated quite bluntly that she wished she had known Colin was a military officer simply because she loved a man in uniform. "I'm a captain too, you know," he pointed out. "Just...not quite of the uniform-wearing type. Can you keep a secret?" He winked as he teased her about being here on a top secret mission before feeding her the lie. "What about you, Mademoiselle? What brings you to the city of lights?"

Yasmine sighed. "Politics as well, I'm afraid. My brother--"

But Kieran never found out what it was Yasmine's brother did in politics. There was a shout of some Slavic language he couldn't begin to understand, then the flash of weapons. Quickly, used to spur-of-the-moment violence, Kieran dropped his partner's hand and drew his own weapon as he saw the brown suits take aim at Anne Marie. What the Hell did she do when she wasn't working for the Society??

"Er sorry...business," he mumbled to Yasmine, catching Colin's eye before pushing his way through the crowd to where he'd seen Anne Marie move with her dance partner. It was difficult to tell who was leading whom. "Got it under control, so shove off mate," Kieran informed the small man who had claimed Anne Marie for several dances. He had taken her arm before noticing she had a gun as well.

"The hell'd ya stick that thing?"

"Never mind that, move," Anne Marie answered, pulling the Fenian pirate and the exiled Communist toward the exit. "Where is Colin?"
 
"And if I should do that for a mere rag, Madame Giry, how much more should I do for one of the great treasures of Paris?"

Her answer was a flirtatious smile. "Well then as a citizen of the world, I suppose the logical thing would be to take that rag home, wouldn't it?"

"Ah, Madame Giry, a man may only dream of such great good fortune." He returned the smile. "But then, I am a man who dreams grand dreams..."

Sadly, the sight of the Ohkrana wrecked all of the flirateous fun. He siezed her wrist, fully intending to try and keep her safe, only to discover that she was also armed (and with a perfectly sensible weapon). Oddly, the fact just made her seem even more desirable. "Ah," he said, cooly. "I see that you are, no doubt, capable of seeing yourself safely home. But, perhaps, you will permit me the honor of..."

His words were cut off by an unexpected shove, which sent him stumbling two or three steps past Madame Giry, and the words "Got it under control, so shove off mate." Spinning, pistol raised, he saw a dark-haired man catch hold of her arm.

"The hell'd ya stick that thing?"

"Never mind that, move," Anne Marie answered, pulling the Fenian pirate and the exiled Communist toward the exit. "Where is Colin?"

"This one... he is a friend of yours, yes?" Ioseb asked, examining the newcomer as he found himself following - rather bemusedly - in her wake. "I do not know this 'Colin', though. Still, as long as he does not attract attention to himself, he should be safe enough."


Kieran was already pushing through the crowd in Anne Marie's wake, clearly moving to make sure she was safe. Not that Colin had any doubts she could take care of herself, mind, but there was no need to leave her alone with a stranger while she was pursued by two armed Russians. "Pardonnez-moi, se il vous plaît," he told his dance partner, bowing slightly. "I dois me empresser d'aider un ami..."

As she stared at him in shock, he turned and pushed through the dance floor towards the two Russians, desperately wracking his brains for any Russian phrases he could remember. "Dos vidanya?" he muttered to himself. "Tovarisch?"

A sigh.

"Ah, the hell with it." He stepped in front of the two men. "Gentlemen!" he cried, throwing his arms around them both like a drunk man. "Welcome to Paris!"
 
"Oui," Madame LaMonte confirmed as she pulled her companions through the kitchen and out of a back door that led to an alleyway. "This is my friend, and so is Colin. Knowing him, he will get himself into some sort of trouble with his bravery. I am honestly surprised it was not you," she added to Kieran over her shoulder as they picked through the damp, dim alley.

"Oi, that's unkind," the pirate protested. "So why're we having to run? Friends of yours Madame?"

"No," Anne Marie answered truthfully. "Of Mr. Stalin here. You remember that attempt at revolution in Russia a few years ago with the Bolsheviks?"

"What, the Communists?"

"Oui."

"Aye."

"This man was their leader. I imagine these men have come to try to kill him so there is no risk of another attempt at dispatching the royal family. Is this not correct, Monsieur Stalin?" she added over her other shoulder, no longer bothering to play at not knowing who he was.

"Thought I recognized you!" Kieran said with a snap of his fingers, pointing to Stalin as they ran, following Anne Marie without really knowing where they were going. "Rough luck that, mate. I mean I really was routing for you. I'm the last person'd love a monarchy believe you me."

"Butoni Stalin, where are you staying?" Anne Marie asked, interrupting Kieran.
 
"This man was their leader. I imagine these men have come to try to kill him so there is no risk of another attempt at dispatching the royal family. Is this not correct, Monsieur Stalin?" she added over her other shoulder, no longer bothering to play at not knowing who he was.

If the small man seemed embarrassed at having been caught out in his deceptions, he didn't show it. "I believe you are correct, Madame Giry."

"Thought I recognized you!" Kieran said with a snap of his fingers, pointing to Stalin as they ran, following Anne Marie without really knowing where they were going. "Rough luck that, mate. I mean I really was routing for you. I'm the last person'd love a monarchy believe you me."

"And I appreciate that, comrade. More than you may realize." He glanced over his shoulder. "But, for now..? Perhaps we should concentrate on an escape?"

"Butoni Stalin, where are you staying?" Anne Marie asked, interrupting Kieran.

Ioseb pushed ahead and opened the door onto the alley. Glancing outside, he gestured for the others to follow. "Rue Daru, number 27." He chuckled briefly. "Just a block or so from A La Ville de Petrograd, if you are familiar with the establishment." Padding lightly to the mouth of the alley, he peered outside. "Pizdéts! Ah, forgive me Madame Giry. But my automobile is there..." He pointed at a newer model Buick parked across the road and about halfway down the block. "And there is the Ohkrana." His hand moved a few degrees, pointing now at a war-surplus truck which sat, idling, in front of the club.

Grimly, he checked his revolver. "I will not permit them to take me. Not alive. But I must still attempt to escape. So, druz'ya, I fear this is farewell." Clicking his heels, he kissed Anne Marie's hand. "Perhaps we shall meet again, ma belle drap jeté?"


"Get off of us, you drunken fool!" one of the men cried, shoving at Colin.

He just grinned and hung on tighter, glad that he'd had a drink - the scent of alcohol on his breath would make this ridiculous farce more believable. "No, no!" he cried. "This is Paris! Come... let, uh, let... lemme innorduce you two to to to..."

A violent push sent him sprawling to the ground and, as the world spun, he thought for a moment that one of the Russians was about to kick him in the stomach. His impression proved correct, when the other checked the kick with a grab to the shoulders. "Net, vy durak. My zdes' dlya Stalin!" He glanced down at Colin. "Ne etot p'yanyy durak."

They stepped over him. Rolling, Colin grabbed one of them by the ankle. He squawked in surprise and hit the ground, his heater spinning off into the crowd. "That," Colin told him, "wasn' verr... verr... wasn't nice!" Then, bracing himself, he got ready to fight.

He'd done a lot for the Society. But getting the crap kicked out of him by two angry Russian secret policeman would be a new experience.
 
"Yes, I know the place." She refrained from wrinkling her nose at the idea, though. The restaurant was terrible, especially by Parisian standards, and if that was what living in Russia was like she never wanted to visit. Anne Marie smiled slightly, though, as Joseph Stalin kissed her hand and called her his beautiful rag. "Perhaps the fates will be kind to us, Monsieur. I wish you luck in your endeavors." She pulled back the hammer on her own weapon and glanced around the corner. "Keep your back to them and walk calmly, as though you are on your way to the store. It is dark, so if you do not draw attention to yourself then perhaps they will not notice you getting into your car. We will cover you as you go."

"Well that's a bit...unsportsmanlike, isn't it Madame?" Kieran had noticed this Stalin fellow calling her by some other name and chose not to blow her cover for now. Anne Marie turned with eyebrows raised mildly.

"What? I have no problem with shooting a man in the back. Do you?" she asked calmly.

Kieran shrugged. "Not particularly. I just thought, y'know..."

"Colin is the noble one, dear Captain, not I," she corrected gently with a smile before turning back to Stalin. "Go now, Monsieur, before your friends find out where we've gone."
 
Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin bowed to Kieran and then pressed Anne Marie's hands to his lips. "Ya skoro uvizhu tebya, moi druz'ya," he murmured, voice thick with emotion. "Byt' bezopasnym." And with that, he tucked his revolver into his coat and stepped onto the sidewalk, affecting the casual air of a man leaving a club with no greater worries than arriving safely at his home. As he walked, he whistled the tune to There's a Long Long Trail A-Winding, and he did not obviously stare at the reflections in the windows he passed.

After a moment, one of the Ohkrana men glanced up, then turned to look at him. "Hey, buddy!" he shouted in Russian-accented French. Iosef kept walking, acting as if he hadn't heard. The Ohkrana man clambered out of the driver's seat, tossing a cigarette aside as he did. "Buddy! Hey! You have the time, yes?"


Colin rabbit punched the man he'd knocked to the ground. "Shuldna... hit me!" he slurred, maintaining the pretence of being drunk. "Jus'... jus bein' friendly..."

A shadow fell across him, and something hard and heavy smashed into the back of his skull. He wasn't rendered unconscious, precisely, but the shock and pain sent the world reeling as he sagged left and crashed to the dance floor. Reflexively he reached up to feel the back of his head, and got kicked for his trouble. "Fool," growled a Russian accent in English as the foot crashed into his ribs again, rolling him onto his back. Sick and disoriented, he looked up at the man with the revolver and tried to make himself move again.

Then there was the barest flicker of a pinkish-red ray, and the man shrieked and hurled the revolver aside as it softened and began to melt. Yasmine stood, feet braced and the Russian heat pistol gripped in both hands, sighting down the barrel. "Prikosnut'sya k nemu snova," she growled, "I ya budu zapisyvat' khuy vyklyuchen." Then she glanced around the room. "Que quelqu'un appelle la police!"


Another Ohkrana man leaned out of the truck, watching as the first man strode after Stalin. "Hey, buddy?" he called again, reaching into his coat. "Skol'ko vremeni?"
 
Anne Marie smiled. "Poka my ne vstretimsya snova," she returned cordially. She didn't care to entangle herself with the politics of a country with which she had not been hired to entangle herself, but still Joseph Stalin had been a charming conversationalist and a graceful dance partner. She had to give him points for charisma.

The Communist walked out of the alley and down the street. She closed her eyes slowly in exasperation as he started whistling. He was one of those who, like Kieran, so often straddled the fine line between charm and hubris. It was a destructive line to cross, as evidenced by the Ohkrana stepping out of the truck. As Stalin ignored him, another leaned out of the truck as the first strode after him, reaching into his coat. Anne Marie pulled back the hammer on her revolver before turning to Kieran.

"Stay here," she whispered. "If this works I'll have him drive around the block to drop me off before he goes home."

"If? What're you--"

"Never mind, just stay here. Or go back inside to help Colin."

Kieran raised his eyebrows before shaking his head and sighing. "Fine. But if you get shot don't say I didn't warn you."

"Your concern is touching, Captain." Anne Marie smiled slightly as she was answered with a grumble before the Fenian pirate stepped back inside. Tucking her gun into her pocket, she jogged out of the alleyway to catch up to Stalin, hooking her arm with his.

"There you are, John!" she called out in English before turning to the large man walking after him. "I'm sorry, Monsieur," she apologized in French with an embarrassed smile. "We just moved here from New York and my husband doesn't speak French. It's..." she checked her watch, keeping her fingers firmly around her weapon, "ten twenty-seven. Good evening, Monsieur." Anne Marie turned with her arm still hooked in Stalin's before guiding him back to the car.

~*~

Kieran burst back through the kitchen doors with his heat gun raised...just in time to see Yasmine take out the large Russian's weapon with her own. He raised his eyebrows as she sounded like she was threatening Captain Drake's attackers. Impressive. Normally he would take a girl like that straight to bed, but tonight...well, something was different tonight. He patted her on the shoulder as he pushed his way through the crowd while she called for the police.

"C'mon, mate, up you get," he grunted, pulling Colin to his feet and supporting him with the military captain's arm around his shoulder and his own arm around Colin's waist. "What happened?"
 
"Wha' haffen?" Colin slurred out, oddly grateful for Kieran's solid presence. "Ga' pissle-whiffed." He considered that as best he could with a splitting headache and double vision, then tried again. "Ot pithle-whivved."

Yasmine drew up alongside them, eying the two Russians as they backed away. "They hit him from behind, Captain Too." A quick smile. "Smacked him a good one with a revolver. If he doesn't have a skull fracture, he'll be lucky. And what the hell made them think he was Joseph Stalin?"

"Dunno," Colin slurred out, staring as the two Russians turned and pushed towards the door. "'M naht efen Ruzz... Ruff... Ruzzan."


The Ohkrana man looked startled, and then embarrassed, as Anne Marie jumped in. "Ah... thank you. Ma'am. Have a good evening?"

Iosef made it several yards away before he said anything. When he finally spoke, it was a single hissed word. "John?" Then he chuckled a little, and patted her hand where it rested on his arm. "And what a pity, that such a story should be just that. But, I thank you. It is a fine thing, to not be shot down like a dog in Paris."

He opened the door for her, then walked around the car and climbed in. "But where may I take you, Madame Giry? Surely not back to the club?"
 
"Pistol-whipped, got it," Kieran confirmed, staggering a little as Colin lost his footing. "Stay down, mate, you'll just hurt yer brain more." He looked up at Yasmine as she drew level with them. "Captain Too? Why isn't he Captain Too?" Kieran asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. He frowned, however, when she mentioned a skull fracture.

"Well, once Anne Marie gets back we'll take 'im home and call a doctor," he promised, suddenly entirely concerned for the health and safety of a man with whom he'd always had a strained relationship at best. "As for Stalin, dunno; he looks nothin' like 'im. Stalin's that tiny fella Madame LaMonte was dancing with. We know yer not Russian, mate."

Kieran patted Captain Drake's arm as he guided him carefully into a chair. With a grunt he let Colin fall the inch or so between his rear and the chair before taking his own chair next to him. He all but ignored Yasmine unless she said something, and even then his answers were short and concise. Mostly he was Concerned about Colin, or rather Captain Drake. After pulling his eyelids open wider to watch his pupils, Kieran shook his head and leaned his elbow on the table.

"Alright mate, honest answers here," he sighed before holding up four fingers. "How many fingers?" He waited for each answer before moving to the next question. "Who's the Prime Minister of England? What day of the week is it? Who's our boss?" The last one was a bit confusing, since the Meridian Society was much larger than just their team, but their direct "boss", it seemed, had always been Professor Swift.

~*~

"You too, Monsieur. Thank you," Anne Marie returned with a smile.

When Joseph questioned her over his assumed name she chuckled a little. "Well, can you think of a more generic Englishman's name?" she challenged with a smile. She thanked him for opening the door and slid into the passenger's seat while he walked around to the driver's side. Madame LaMonte arched an eyebrow delicately at the implication that he wished they were actually married, but said nothing, dismissing it as nothing more than simple flirtation.

"It is a fine thing to not have to watch a man shot down like a dog in Paris," Anne Marie returned evenly. "These streets have seen enough bloodshed in their lifetime. One more would be a pity indeed."

But where may I take you, Madame Giry? Surely not back to the club?" Stalin asked.

"I am afraid that is exactly where," she replied with a shrug. "My friends are still there and I promised I would return. Just drive around the block and I'll sneak back in through the back."
 
Yasmine smiled at Kieran. "You're 'Captain Too'," she said, running a finger down his chest, "because you're the second captain I've met tonight." With that, she followed the Irish pirate as he half-carried Colin to a chair, roughly seated him, and checked his eyes. "How does he look?"

The pirate didn't answer. Instead, he crouched in front of the Englishman. "Alright mate, honest answers here," he sighed before holding up four fingers. "How many fingers?"

Colin concentrated, peering at Kieran with blurry vision. "...four. Four fingers."

"Who's the Prime Minister of England?"

He thought a moment. "David George."

"What day of the week is it?"

"Uhm..." he wracked his brain. "Thursday?"

"Who's our boss?"

"Anne Marie, to listen to her." Colin laughed a little, then winced and held his head. "But... Professor Swift." He looked from Kieran to Yasmine and back. "So... will I live?"



The engine of the car rumbled as Iosef slowed to a stop behind the club. "And here you are, Madame Giry," he said. "Take care. It would grieve me to learn that you came to harm because you were associated with me."
 
Kieran pursed his lips at how long it took Colin to answer the questions. It was actually Friday night, but given the time differences he supposed that could be forgiven. The pirate frowned in concern when Colin answered that Anne Marie was their boss, but the joke put him a bit at ease when he gave a real answer. He shook his head and rolled his eyes when the good captain asked whether he would live.

"'Course ya will," Kieran scoffed, as though he had never been concerned for his companion's safety. "Bell's a bit rung, but other than that you're fine. Might not even need a doctor after all." He straightened in his chair and looked over at Yasmine. "He'll be fine," he added for her benefit, though he really didn't like the way she looked at Colin. "And I'll have you know that I play second to no one."

~*~

Anne Marie shook her head. "Monsieur I promise you if I ever come to harm it would be through my own associations; not yours," she said with a smile. Leaning over, she kissed his cheek lightly before slipping out of the passenger's side. "Drive safely, my friend. It would not do to go through all that only for you to get caught."

With a final smile and a small wave she slipped back inside and quietly through the kitchen doors. The men in brown were in the process of being arrested and her associates were at the far side of the dance floor. She crossed the floor swiftly, greeted Yasmine briefly, then frowned down at the two captains.

"Look at this, I leave for two minutes and you get yourself into trouble," she scolded playfully before looking at Colin. "Are you alright? What happened?" She looked to Kieran for an explanation.

"Got konked over the head with the heavy end of a pistol, apparently," he explained with a shrug. Anne Marie sighed and shook her head before looking back to Captain Drake. "Are you alright to stay out or shall we call it a night?"
 
"'Course ya will," Kieran scoffed, as though he had never been concerned for his companion's safety. "Bell's a bit rung, but other than that you're fine. Might not even need a doctor after all."

"Maybe not," Colin said, wincing. "But I'll certainly be looking for some asprin, at bare minimum. I feel like they took a sledgehammer to me."

He straightened in his chair and looked over at Yasmine. "He'll be fine," he added for her benefit, though he really didn't like the way she looked at Colin. "And I'll have you know that I play second to no one."

Yamine smiled at that. "Then, my dear Dara Captaen, you should have asked me to dance first." She glanced over her shoulder, observing the gendarmes arresting the two Russians. "But, if you really wish to raise your status with me..." She handed over the heat ray. "Hold this for me, would you? I'm afraid I'm not really dressed to conceal weapons."

"Look at this," Anne Marie said, scolding them with good humor. "I leave for two minutes and you get yourself into trouble." Her expression grew more serious. "Are you alright? What happened?" She looked to Kieran for an explanation.

"Got konked over the head with the heavy end of a pistol, apparently," he explained with a shrug. Anne Marie sighed and shook her head before looking back to Captain Drake. "Are you alright to stay out or shall we call it a night?"

Colin thought hard about that, wincing a little as the act of furrowing his brow made his skull throb. "I think," he said, carefully, "I'll be all right. Assuming I can get a cocktail of asprin, with spring water as a chaser, and then an ice pack for my head." He wobbled a little, and grabbed Kieran's arm for support. "I fear I'll need to sit out the next dance, though."

"Oh, I'll be happy to sit it out with you," Yasmine purred, then smiled as she glanced at Kieran. "Unless our wild Irish rogue here would rather..?"
 
Kieran gripped Colin's arm as he reached out for support. He looked up as Yasmine mentioned him and frowned briefly. "Hmm? Oh yeah uh sure. You go have fun lass." The pirate was quite aware he had missed the point, but for whatever reason he rathered he sit with his coworker than this attractive minx. Once the woman had gone and found their new partners Kieran patted Captain Drake on the shoulder.

"I'll go find you that aspirin and ice pack, mate." Within a few minutes he was back with everything Colin had requested. Still, the night was young and it had been a while since Kieran had been dancing, and they still didn't know anything about the Wings of Silence. Three songs later he looked over at his comrade. He didn't want to leave him...but... "Since you look to be doin' well I'm gonna go see if Anne Marie'd care for a dance."

The Fenian didn't wait for an answer before rising and finding Anne Marie. "Any luck?" he asked, glancing down at her before his eyes flicked back to Colin.

"A little," Madame LaMonte answered. "Here is not the place to talk about it, however. Captain, you seem...distracted."

"Hm? Me?" He returned his attention to his partner. "Why would I be distracted?"

"Oh, no reason. Just a question." Despite her words, Anne Marie was unable to hide a small, mysterious smile. Not much else passed between the two until the song came to an end, at which point Kieran glanced over to make sure Colin wasn't watching before he danced Madame LaMonte toward the kitchen doors and led the way back out the back. "I thought you said that had been the last--"

"Shut up." Kieran made sure her head didn't hit the wall too hard as he pinned her roughly against it, crushing a bruising kiss against her lips.

Anne Marie had always found Kieran's style refreshing after spending months at a time working with clients like Sam who were nervous or inexperienced. Slow and sensual was nice, but she often craved a client who would have an issue which would necessitate switching it up. Still, it was always months between sessions where the pirate would break down and admit that he needed her. The brick left light scrapes against her back as he pulled her legs up over his hips.

"Bloody...fucking..." She had started making him actually undo her garters after going through several expensive pairs of hosiery and Anne Marie's slim fingers joined his as he struggled with the tiny clips. With the silk finally bunched at her knees Kieran all but ripped off her panties as she quickly worked on his belt and trousers.

"Oh God!" Anne Marie gasped as he entered her all at once, filling her completely and moving inside her with exquisite pain.

"I said shut up," Kieran growled, grabbing a fistful of hair and yanking her head to the side to expose her neck.

"Mmm yes, Captain," she whispered, wincing slightly at his teeth on her neck. She couldn't help but gasp in pleasure, however, when she felt his fingers on her clitoris.

For a while the only sound between them were grunts and moans and the slick sound of skin on skin. Anne Marie ran her fingers through Kieran's hair as he buried his face in her neck before tightening her legs around his waist. With her free hand she gripped his shoulder tightly as her back arched slightly, her mouth dropping open as she leaned her head back.

"Oh God Kieran I--"

Captain Shane gasped as he felt Anne Marie's walls close around his cock, milking him for all she could. Or at least trying. Her orgasm only served to drive him harder. His eyes closed tightly as he grabbed her hips with both hands, slamming into her harder and harder. Anne Marie cradled his face against her neck, wincing each time he drove into her until finally she could take it no longer.

"Captain Shane. Kieran! You're hurting me." She didn't rebuke him--she never had--but still she had to keep in mind her own safety and comfort.

"Huh?" He pulled his face out of her shoulder to look at her. "Oh, sorry." Kieran slowed his pace before finally stopping, bending his knees slightly so Madame LaMonte could put her feet down before pulling out. "Fuck..."

"My dear Captain, I do believe you have a crush," Anne Marie said with a small smile. "It's only natural--"

"Shut up, whore!" He shoved her against the wall as his temper flared, causing her to grunt as her sore back hit the brick.

"Captain." She folded her arms and pursed her lips, fixing him with a hard look. Instantly he felt awful.

"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately, running a hand through his hair and hanging his head. "I know. You're only trying to help. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," she replied tacitly before her expression softened. She put her hands gently on his shoulders and bent her neck to look up into his eyes. "Kieran we have been doing this for years now. Why don't you--"

"No!" Kieran raised his head to look at her, lips pursed into a thin line. "I can't do that. Won't."

Anne Marie sighed, trying very hard not to show her frustration. "Then perhaps we should have a proper session later tonight, oui?" she suggested as she bent to reattach her garter straps to her stockings, panties abandoned on the ground of the dirty alley. "If you come to my room, we can talk. Or your room. Any room, really; it is a large house. But for now I think if we take much longer Colin will notice we are not on the dance floor."

"Aye," Kieran agreed with a sigh. "Yeah, we'll do that. Just er...give me a few moments, eh?" He motioned briefly down to his erect cock, still throbbing and needy. The woman smiled briefly.

"Well, since we do have to go back inside, I am afraid this is the best I can do for now. So just close your eyes and pretend," she said gently, switching their positions to push him against the wall before sinking to her knees.

~*~

"You know, you should really consider cutting your hair," Kieran suggested as he led Anne Marie over the dance floor. "You'd look good."

Madame LaMonte smirked. "My dear Captain, I highly doubt the way I cut my hair would be to your satisfaction," she quipped. "Particularly if you mean this new modern look. Besides, you would need to give me a heads-up on our next session if I were to do so."

"Wigs?" he suggested after a moment's thought.

"So you are open to roleplay. This is good! This is progress!" Anne Marie ignored her partner's scowl as she smiled over his shoulder and gave Colin over at his table a small wave.
 
Colin dry-swallowed the asprin, washing it down with the water as he clasped the ice pack to his throbbing head. The pressure of the pack made him wince at first contact, but the cold rapidly numbed the ache. Breathing a sigh of relief, he sank back in his chair, free hand spider-crawling across the table to catch Kieran's. "Thank you," he said. "I appreciate it."

Shortly thereafter the pirate rose and went dancing, leaving him at the table with Yasmine. "So," she said, moving into the abandoned seat, "work colleagues, hmmm?" A smile. "You could have just told me, you know. I'm quite liberal."

Colin cracked an eyelid and peered at her. "What?"

"You and your Irishman," she expanded. "The two of you are a cute couple..."

Her comment brought a sharp laugh, something he immediately regretted as his head throbbed. "Wait, wait," he managed. "You think... Kieran... and me?"

Her grin widened. "It's kind of obvious..."

He snorted. "Nuh-uh. It's not. First off, Kieran's full of that posturing machismo..."

"Aggressively so, yes," she observed. "Desperately even."

"And I like women," he added.

"I could tell," she countered, "even though you paid him as much attention as you paid me."

"And..." his hand groped the air, as if searching for something. And then he stopped. "And we're not an... a... we're not a couple."

"Pity that," she murmured. "The evening might have been more fun, with both of you. But at least I don't have to..."

"You," Colin interrupted, shifting the ice pack a little, "are extremely forward."

"I know," Yasmine winked. "It's part of my charm." She glanced around. "Speaking of which, where'd your charming gentleman get off to?"

"No idea," Colin answered, looking around as well. "And I don't see any sign of Kieran, either."
 
At the end of the song Anne Marie led Kieran by the hand over to the table and sat between Colin and Yasmine, leaving the only open seat between her self and Colin for the pirate to sit. She smiled at Yasmine and stuck out her hand. It always helped to make new acquaintances, just in case.

"I am so sorry, Mademoiselle, but I am afraid the boys have forgotten their manners," she said with a charming smile. "My name is Antoinette Giry and I am very pleased to make your acquaintance." Madame LaMonte shook Yasmine's hand before leaning back and looking at Colin.

"My dear Captain Drake, you don't look like you are having very much fun at all," she mentioned, stopping a passing waiter and taking a flute of champagne. "If you are unable to dance anymore we shall retire and have fun in other ways." Anne Marie through the quickest of looks over at Kieran before taking a sip.
 
"I am so sorry, Mademoiselle, but I am afraid the boys have forgotten their manners," she said with a charming smile. "My name is Antoinette Giry and I am very pleased to make your acquaintance." Madame LaMonte shook Yasmine's hand before leaning back and looking at Colin.

Yasmine shook 'Madame Giry's' hand. "Pleased to meet you as well," she said. "And I forgive them. Captain Drake is somewhat distracted, after his chivalrous efforts to defend your dance partner." She glanced sidelong at Kieran. "And Captain Shane has far too much of a sensual smoulder. Wouldn't you agree, Colin?"

"Huh?" Colin managed, blinking a little.

"Nothing," Yasmine said, rising and coincidentally freeing up the seat next to the Englishman. "Just sit there and look all dignified."

"My dear Captain Drake, you don't look like you are having very much fun at all," she mentioned, stopping a passing waiter and taking a flute of champagne. "If you are unable to dance anymore we shall retire and have fun in other ways." Anne Marie through the quickest of looks over at Kieran before taking a sip.

Shifting his ice pack, Colin considered that. "Honestly, I think I want to go have a bit of a lie down. I can call a taxi, though. No sense to spoil everyone's evening, right?"
 
Anne Marie gave Yasmine a look as she commented on the men accompanying them. She liked this girl. "His smoulder can sometimes be the best part, oui?" she teased with a smile, enjoying having an ally in her efforts.

"Honestly, I think I want to go have a bit of a lie down. I can call a taxi, though. No sense to spoil everyone's evening, right?" Colin answered after a few moments of consideration.

"Nonsense, Captain. I wouldn't have you return alone!" Anne Marie insisted. "Besides, I was just beginning to get tired myself. Forgive us, Mademoiselle, but we have all had a very trying night and I think it would be best for all of us to get some rest. I do look forward to meeting you again though." Madame LaMonte's smile was genuine, though she had noticed that the girl hadn't actually introduced herself and didn't trust that in the least.

Nearly two hours later, Madame LaMonte found herself in her lingerie, straddling Kieran's hips as she rubbed his back with oiled hands. "Do you want to try it from--"

"No."

"Then I do not know what you want me to do, dear," she said plainly with a shrug, beginning to grow aggravated with him. "You ask me to help, I try, then you refuse to work with me to help you."

"Well if you'd stop focusing on the wrong damn thing and thinking that's what's wrong with me--"

"One, I am a professional and that is my professional opinion," she snapped, interrupting the pirate testily. "Two, there is nothing 'wrong' with you. Being different is not wrong."

"It's sick!"

"It's you." She sighed and shook her head. "And the more quickly you learn that the happier you'll be." Anne Marie dismounted his hips and slid off the bed. "Once you decide to accept yourself, you know where I am if you have any questions on how to do it, Kieran. Stop wasting my time and yours."

Those words echoed for a very long time after the door had snapped shut. Kieran laid on his stomach, thinking very very hard. Anne Marie had been insisting on this for years and now he had a way to test it. Maybe. A very big maybe. If this was who he was she clearly accepted him regardless...but she was a woman. It really only mattered if one person felt the same way.

Kieran felt detached as he knocked on the door in nothing but his boxers, not entirely certain as to when he'd gotten there. "Colin?" he called through the door, knocking again. "Just eh...just checkin' on ya mate, see how yer doin'. Makin' sure you're not dead er anything."
 
Returning to Anne Marie's home, Colin allowed himself to be subjected to the attentions of a physician. That worthy poked and prodded his abused skull, and ruled out the possibility of a fracture. He did indicate that, from the symptoms, it was likely that he had suffered a concussion. But any danger was in the past, so unless he had any symptoms return the best thing to do was rest, and apply cold compresses., and take a painkiller. And so, four aspirin later, Colin poured himself into bed.

Sleep didn't come. Partly because of his headache, and partly because he'd been struck on the part of the head that came into direct contact with the pillow, and partly because of... well... of...

Because fo Yasmine, and her comments about how he and Kieran were a cute couple.

They weren't obviously. As far as he could remember, today was the first time since they'd met through the Society that they'd managed to go more than ten minutes without picking a verbal fight with one another. And... he did like women. Quite a bit. Surely that meant he couldn't be... well... couldn't...

There was a knock at the door. And then another knock. "Colin?" Kieran called. "Just eh...just checkin' on ya mate, see how yer doin'. Makin' sure you're not dead er anything."

Blinking, Colin sat up and considered. He was, he supposed, decently dressed for the time of night. His striped pajamas covered as much of his body as his normal street clothes, after all. "No, not dead," he called back, then added "Come on in. I'm wide awake anyway."
 
Kieran pushed the door open easily, not what Colin might consider decently dressed, but it was better than showing up naked and seeing what happened. Though that had, very briefly, been a consideration. He sat on the edge of the bed, awkwardly searching for something to say. He was here. Now what?

"Just checkin', like I said," he repeated after a few moments awkward silence. "Had a mate once, got banged up like you. Went to bed, never woke up. Wouldn't do ta have that. Then I'd haveta deal with Anne Marie on my own." Kieran chuckled somewhat nervously.

"I...look, ya shouldna done that, Drake," the pirate said after a few more moments of thinking. He didn't know what to say so he fell back on the only way he knew how of talking to the English captain; picking a fight. "It was stupid and reckless. What if they'd shot ya?"
 
Kieran was... ah... well...

Colin struggled to find an appropriate description as the Irish pirate sat on the edge of his bed and looked at him. Possessed of the body of a dark Adonis, his classical education suggested, but he wasn't sure he was quite ready to articulate that. But Yasmine was certainly right about one thing. Even looking awkward and uncomfortable, the man smouldered.

"Just checkin', like I said," he repeated after a few moments awkward silence. "Had a mate once, got banged up like you. Went to bed, never woke up. Wouldn't do ta have that. Then I'd haveta deal with Anne Marie on my own." Kieran chuckled somewhat nervously.

"Oh, perish the thought," Colin laughed, sounding awkward as well. "She's quite authoritarian, with two of us to direct. I shudder to think what she'd be like if one was alone with her." He looked around, unsure what to say. "But, no. I've seen that as well. But Anne Marie's physician comes highly recommended. If I can't trust him, who could I trust?"

"I...look, ya shouldna done that, Drake," the pirate said after a few more moments of thinking. He didn't know what to say so he fell back on the only way he knew how of talking to the English captain; picking a fight. "It was stupid and reckless. What if they'd shot ya?"

"Then..." Colin shrugged. "Then I'd have been shot. But what if I hadn't? Then they might have opened fire on Anne Marie's companion, and she could have been shot." He shook his head. "Call me old fashioned, if you wish. But I'll not permit a lady to be insulted, injured, or killed. Not when I have the power to prevent it." A laugh, followed by a wince. "Noblesse oblige, I suppose. Or are you simply incensed that I didn't let you intervene, as part of your grand strategy to win Madame LaMonte?"
 
"Win Madame LaMonte?" Kieran laughed aloud. "You're takin' the mick, right mate? I mean you couldn't possibly be serious!" He put his hands on the bed and leaned back on them. "Look, Captain Drake, I got a feeling Madame LaMonte isn't won unless she wants to be won, and even then she's the one as does the winning, I think. Nah mate. She's a handsome woman...not my type." The Fenian glanced over at the other man, raising an eyebrow. "What? Trying to suss out the competition?"

Kieran smirked, but anxiety clutched at his chest. Was Colin trying to win Anne Marie? There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him sick to his stomach. Had she half-convinced him to try this for nothing?

"Still, don't do that shit again," he scolded lightly. "You had us worried."
 
"Win Madame LaMonte?" Kieran laughed aloud. "You're takin' the mick, right mate? I mean you couldn't possibly be serious!"

Pressing pack full of half-melted ice to the back of his head, Colin still tried to fold his arms in front of him and look serious. With only one arm available for folding, it wasn't as impressive as he might have liked. "You've been sniffing around after her ever since I joined the Society," he observed.

Kieran put his hands on the bed and leaned back on them. "Look, Captain Drake, I got a feeling Madame LaMonte isn't won unless she wants to be won, and even then she's the one as does the winning, I think."

"Oh, I agree with your assessment," Colin allowed with a negligent gesture. "But it's an open secret that the two of you are lovers. The rest of us have never commented, since you both have maintained your professionalism about it, but it's obvious."

"Nah mate. She's a handsome woman...not my type." The Fenian glanced over at the other man, raising an eyebrow. "What? Trying to suss out the competition?"

Colin lifted an eyebrow at the statement and the smirk. "Oh, she's lovely enough," he agreed. "Wealthy, charming, educated, and beautiful. She'd make anyone an excellent match." A shrug. "But, although it would distress my family no end to hear me say this, she's really not my type either. There's just... just something about her that I find slightly... offputting. And, to tell the truth, I've never really settled on just what my type really is."

"Still, don't do that shit again," Kieran scolded lightly. "You had us worried."

Colin laughed, then winced. "I assure you," he replied dryly, leaning back against the headboard, "I'll think at least once before I allow myself to get a kicking from two Russian secret policeman." He fell silent, watching the half-dressed Irishman. After an oddly uncomfortable minute, he spoke up again. "What about you? If Anne Marie isn't your type, who is?" A little smirk. "Sam?"
 
"Off-putting?" Kieran raised an eyebrow. "Oh probably because she could kill you just as well as she can paint her lips," he speculated. "And then there's the fact she's never mentioned just how Mr. LaMonte died... Or what she and Professor Swift did before the Society. Obvious they knew each other, yeah?"

Still, it was a relief that Colin wasn't pursuing Anne Marie either. During their uncomfortable silence, Kieran shifted on the bed and leaned against the headboard next to Colin, carefully avoiding his gaze.

"Sam?" He chuckled and shook his head. "No. Besides, I'm sure Erik would actually grow a spine and try to hit me. No, my tastes are a bit more... Rare." He tilted his head to look over his shoulder at Captain Drake. He was cute when he was vulnerable, all cozied up under the covers as he was. It was adorable, really.
 
Colin lifted an eyebrow at the statement and the smirk. "Oh, she's lovely enough," he agreed. "Wealthy, charming, educated, and beautiful. She'd make anyone an excellent match." A shrug. "But, although it would distress my family no end to hear me say this, she's really not my type either. There's just... just something about her that I find slightly... offputting. And, to tell the truth, I've never really settled on just what my type really is."

"Off-putting?" Kieran raised an eyebrow. "Oh probably because she could kill you just as well as she can paint her lips."

"There is that, yes," was Colin's deadpan agreement.

"And then there's the fact she's never mentioned just how Mr. LaMonte died... Or what she and Professor Swift did before the Society. Obvious they knew each other, yeah?"

He nodded. "Extremely obvious. And if there's anyone in the Society I'd like to know more about, it's him. He seems pleasant enough, but... have you ever really looked at his eyes?" Colin shuddered. "Like a cobra."

"Still, don't do that shit again," Kieran scolded lightly. "You had us worried."

Colin laughed, then winced. "I assure you," he replied dryly, leaning back against the headboard, "I'll think at least once before I allow myself to get a kicking from two Russian secret policeman." He fell silent, watching the half-dressed Irishman. After an oddly uncomfortable minute, he spoke up again. "What about you? If Anne Marie isn't your type, who is?" A little smirk. "Sam?"

"Sam?" He chuckled and shook his head. "No. Besides, I'm sure Erik would actually grow a spine and try to hit me."

"God forbid that should happen!" Colin sniggered. "Because you'd probably deck him, and then Sam would kick your ass up and down Trafalgar Square." Carefully shaking his head, he pointed at the pirate. "And don't try to claim she wouldn't. I've seen her fight." A pause. "So, not Sam?"

"No, my tastes are a bit more... Rare." He tilted his head to look over his shoulder at Captain Drake.

Colin considered the comment, and the expression on Kieran's face. "Rare, hm?" Could the man really be saying...? No, that was ridiculous. "More like Yasmine, then? Or do your tastes run more towards the exotic far East?"
 
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