Author Topic: Smoke and mirrors. [TALLY!] [M] (Read 4123 times)

Rhi-Rhi · « **on:** February 05, 2014, 02:02:09 am »

Trigger Warning: Non-con/rape

It had been a long day on the job, and it felt good to be done and back in something more comfortable than that obnoxious red uniform. The first thing Jake had done was make a beeline to his apartment, throw on a pair of loose jeans and a fitted t-shirt, and grab his cigarettes--which he had been unfortunate enough to forget that day.

Not having them made the day much longer than it needed to be.

Mission accomplished, he headed to the business district to nab a bite to eat, lit cigarette held between his fingers and other hand stuffed in his jeans pocket. Hrm. The worst thing ever was having a craving for something and not knowing what. Noodles? Pizza? He passed by a pasta place and considered it for a moment, but it looked new, and the smells coming out were...dubious.

He was still debating taking chances when a the door opened and man hastily exited, shoving Jake out of the way as he went.

And, of course, as luck would have it he fumbled and dropped his cigarette, which the man squashed as he went by.

"Thanks, asshole!" he shouted after the guy, but he was already gone, and Jake decided the pasta place was a no.

He headed back onto the main strip and pulled out another cigarette--and realized then that he'd left behind his lighter.

Argh.

Maybe this was his sign that he needed coffee, too.

With a sigh, he turned to the nearest guy, an older gentleman, and tapped his arm to get his attention. "Hey, you got a light?"

Tally · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2014, 07:18:44 pm »

Aydan turned—and nearly did a double take. His first impulse was to look the kid up and down, really get an eyeful of him, but he resisted the urge.

"I'll do you one better," he said, and pulled out his pack of expensive, import Yoreiqis. He offered it, brows raised in question.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2014, 07:28:17 pm »

Jake stared, glanced at his own cigarette, and promptly tossed it.

"Shit, man, are those Yoreiqis? Well, alright, since you're offering!" Jake said, and slipped a cigarette from the pack. He handed it back to the man and grinned. "Thanks! Seriously, after the day I had, I needed this."

Tally · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2014, 08:59:47 pm »

"Now that you mention it, so could I," he said, with a shake of his head like he'd really been through the wringer today.

He stepped up close, butting the ends of their cigarettes together as he lit them both at the same time, hand shielding the flame from the circulating, breezy air.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:25:59 pm »

With a happy sigh, Jake took a drag on the cigarette and leaned back against the building they were standing near, one leg bent with his foot braced against the wall. He closed his eyes, held the smoke in several beats, and then exhaled slowly, lips forming an O to puff out a smoke ring.

"Ahh...that's good stuff," he said, looking at the man again as the nicotine kicked in. "Rough day too, huh? Glad it's not just me." And then, pausing, he added, "Uh, not that I'd wish a bad day on you or anything! But you know what they say, misery loves company." He took another drag. "And the assholes are out in droves today."

Tally · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2014, 12:06:01 am »

Aydan huffed. "Tell me about it."

He cocked his head just a bit to the side and peered at the kid. "It's nice to know there are still people around who can appreciate a really good cigarette though."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2014, 12:12:30 am »

Jake took another drag on the cigarette. "Ugh, yeah, and I think I'm ruined to other brands now. Thanks a lot," he said, but smiled after to show he was kidding.

Transferring his cigarette to one hand, he held out the other. "I'm Jake, by the way."

Tally · « **Reply #7 on:** February 09, 2014, 03:04:24 pm »

"Sorry," Aydan said, smiling back. He shrugged. "I meant well."

And this was going well. Well enough to maybe cancel his plans and focus on this. He took Jake's hand and gave it a firm, friendly shake. "Aydan. And I was about to go drown my stress in alcohol. Join in?"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2014, 03:06:11 pm »

"Hmm..." Jake considered the offer for a moment, head tilted. He didn't have any plans; his buddies were still at work, he didn't have to be in until tomorrow's night shift, and he'd been planning on just grabbing some food and chilling at home, anyway. Alone. Like a loser. A little social drinking did sound pretty good right now, and less pathetic. He'd just have to watch his intake so he'd function in the morning.

He shrugged. "Sure, why not? I was heading to grab a bite anyway. Know any good places?"

**************************

With perfect timing, the pedestrian sign dinged on to let them cross the street. "Yeah! I go to this little place tucked away near that huge clothing outlet. You can't hardly find the place unless you know it's there, but I've been going for years. Owner's a friend of mine. They've even got vegetarian options."

****************************

"Really? Ha, that's sick! As it just so happens, I'm vegetarian." As Jake fell into stride beside Aydan, he threw him a sidelong look. "Don't worry, I'm not one of the preachy ones. I don't give a fuck if you wanna chow down on a steak. No judgment!"

************************

"Honestly? I've never encountered a preachy vegetarian! It's always the meat eaters who seem to have too much to say."

The emerged into a sprawling mess of clothing stalls. Aydan pointed through the crowd to an inconspicuous door—real wood, too, and old.

"That's it."

********************
Jake snorted. "Tell me about it! It's always a fucking interrogation. Why did you become one? Where do you get your protein? What can you eat? And all in this age of supplements and science and shit. Uh, no offense or anything. Wait. Are you vegetarian, too?" he asked, before looking to where Aydan had pointed.

That looked awfully out of place in Cancer's jumble of steel and old, rusted metal. Pushing past the people browsing the stalls, he forged ahead toward it. "I can see what you mean about this place. Blink and you miss it. Looks neat, though."

Tally · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2014, 04:03:04 pm »

"I am! Twenty-seven years now."

The crowd was so compact and jostling that Aydan grabbed onto Jake's sleeve so they didn't get separated. Closer to the pub it thinned out.

Aydan held the door open for Jake.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2014, 11:22:45 pm »

"Shit, that's impressive," Jake said said as he slipped inside. "It's twenty-three for me, but I don't think it really counts if you were raised that way. Wasn't like I was ever giving anything up."

As he approached one of the tables, he lightly elbowed Aydan. "So why'd you do it? Ethics? Health? Just can't eat things with faces? And are you getting enough iron?"

Tally · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2014, 11:48:36 pm »

"Ethics," he said, with a laugh for Jake's joke. "I couldn't abide supporting factory farming with my money."

The owner herself, an older woman with long graying hair pulled back in a ponytail, shuffled over to take their order. "Evening, Aydan," she said, smiling. "The usual?"

Aydan gave her a warm smile back. "Yes, please."

The usual being a drugged version of whatever Jake ordered.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2014, 12:10:21 am »

When the lady turned to take his order, Jake smiled up at her and shrugged. "I'll just get whatever's on tap."

Finishing up his cigarette, he ground the butt out into the ashtray and looked back at Aydan with a sigh. "Work tomorrow," he said by way of explaining the weak drink. "God I hate being responsible."

Tally · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2014, 10:46:05 pm »

"What do you do?"

Aydan grabbed one of the menu tablets from their stand in the middle of the table. He only pretended to look at it. They wouldn't be here long.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2014, 11:12:47 pm »

"I work security," Jake said, grabbing one of the menus as well. He flipped through it until he found the vegetarian section. "It's not nearly as exciting as it sounds most of the time. Most of the actual action is just like breaking up petty fights. What about you? What do you do?"

Probably something well-paying and neat if he could blow money on Yoreiqis.

Tally · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2014, 12:20:09 am »

"Oh, I'm in investment trading. You think your job is boring—"

Mona returned with a stout ale for Jake and a bottle of some expensive imported beer for Aydan. He nodded at her and she strode off back to the bar where two of her sons lingered, one of them an off-duty Marshal.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #16 on:** February 11, 2014, 12:30:19 am »

"Thanks!" Jake told Mona when she dropped off the their drinks, and then he glanced back down at his menu. "Yeeeah, investment trading sounds...way over my head, to be honest," he said, and closed his menu.

He sat back in his chair and took a sip of his ale. "So, hey, how's their tofu in brown sauce? I'm torn between that and the egg rolls."

Tally · « **Reply #17 on:** February 11, 2014, 10:02:03 pm »

"Mmm..." Aydan pursed his lips, pretending to mull it over in his mind. He used the bottle opener on the edge of the table to pop the lid of his beer. Behind the bar, Mona had positioned herself outside of Jake's line of sight. She was slicing a lime, glancing up at him every once in awhile.

"The egg rolls," he said, taking a swig of his beer. "Definitely the egg rolls."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #18 on:** February 11, 2014, 10:31:26 pm »

"Great! Egg rolls it is!" Jake said, and took another swig of beer. "What are you gonna--" He paused on a yawn and covered his mouth, then continued. "Sorry. What are you gonna get?"

Tally · « **Reply #19 on:** February 11, 2014, 10:50:04 pm »

"I—" Aydan's phone went off.

Bard, hm? And with a picture for him! Aydan betrayed little when he saw it, only raising an eyebrow before typing a quick text back. "Sorry, work."

He blacked the phone screen again and raised his bottle. "A toast to finally ending a crappy day?"