Words!
Thank. God.
I am past that stupid block the book was giving me. The problem, as is so often the case, was not what I thought.
But now, the words, they flow.
I give you a celebratory snippet.
Konnor didn’t often frequent the lounge. Drinking, for the most part, dulled the senses and slowed one’s wits. Not to say that he didn’t indulge on occasion; he liked a good shot of Bennethan rum as much as anyone. But he preferred to do so in the privacy of his personal quarters. Less dangerous that way.
On the rare occasion when he did choose to do his drinking here, his dogs closed the place down to all but a trusted few. Konn didn’t drink with just anyone.
Given that, Valko’s surprise when he sat down at the bar was understandable. The bartender raised one black eyebrow, pierced with twin jewels that glittered in the light. His nose, too, sported a tiny jewel, as well as both ears. Even the many long braids of his hair were beaded with bits of glitter and flash. Bold colors - deep blue, red, and violet - against the dark coffee of his skin and inky black of his hair. Before Konnor could ask, he’d reached under the bar for a glass, and was deftly pouring rum into it. He set the glass down before Konn, and waggled the bottle in question, but Konnor shook his head.
“Well, that answers that question,” said Val dryly, replacing the bottle in the cooler.
“What question is that?” Konnor asked. He didn’t pick up the glass, but cast a brief look around the bar. Plenty of occupied tables, but no other Core members. Good.
“Whether Ava’s fucked you recently.”
Konn’s head whipped around at that, cold anger lashing through him. Val shrugged, unrepentant, but wary.
“I meant that in the more figurative sense. Mostly.”
“My relationship with Ava is none of your business,” Konnor said coldly. His lips felt stiff; he could feel tension knotting the muscles of his shoulders and back. His personal life was not entertainment for the masses.
“Consider me a concerned friend. The last time she fucked you over, I helped carry you back to your rooms, if you recall.”
Konnor didn’t, actually. But he wasn’t all that surprised.
“Thank you for the reminder,” he said, and his tone could have frozen a crust of ice over the glass of rum sitting between them. He started to get up; coming here had been a mistake. He would contact his cousin, and arrange a meeting elsewhere.
“Wait.” Valko didn’t touch him; he knew better than that. “Look, I’m sorry. I know we don’t always get along, Konn, but the fact is, I hate to see a man torn into shreds. You deserve better than that bitch.” When Konnor didn’t move to sit back down, he sighed, and leaned over the bar. “Look, I promise I won’t bring her up again, okay? Just sit the fuck down, so I don’t have to explain to Baez how I chased you off.”
Slowly, Konnor sat. Val let out a breath and leaned back, folding muscular arms over his chest.
“Thanks,” he said after a small, tense silence. “You’ve spared me a fight I didn’t want to have.”
Konn said nothing; as much as he disliked other people poking at his relationship, he tried to avoid doing the same to them. But he knew his cousin’s temper, and didn’t doubt Val was right. He nodded, the movement stiff.
Valko relaxed.
“If you’re not going to drink that,” he said with a nod to the rum, “how about trying something new?”
“No,” Konn said, too quickly. “Thank you. The rum is fine.” To prove it, he picked up the shot and knocked it back.
The fire burning down his throat was worth it. Whenever Val offered “something new”, it was bound to be one of his experimental liquors. Which had been known to send people to the infirmary, on occasion. Or worse.
The bartender’s handsome face fell, and he shrugged with undisguised disappointment.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll check back once Baez gets here.”
He moved down the bar to serve someone else, and Konnor lifted a hand in wordless acknowledgment, the rum having momentarily robbed him of the powers of speech.
I am past that stupid block the book was giving me. The problem, as is so often the case, was not what I thought.
But now, the words, they flow.
I give you a celebratory snippet.
Konnor didn’t often frequent the lounge. Drinking, for the most part, dulled the senses and slowed one’s wits. Not to say that he didn’t indulge on occasion; he liked a good shot of Bennethan rum as much as anyone. But he preferred to do so in the privacy of his personal quarters. Less dangerous that way.
On the rare occasion when he did choose to do his drinking here, his dogs closed the place down to all but a trusted few. Konn didn’t drink with just anyone.
Given that, Valko’s surprise when he sat down at the bar was understandable. The bartender raised one black eyebrow, pierced with twin jewels that glittered in the light. His nose, too, sported a tiny jewel, as well as both ears. Even the many long braids of his hair were beaded with bits of glitter and flash. Bold colors - deep blue, red, and violet - against the dark coffee of his skin and inky black of his hair. Before Konnor could ask, he’d reached under the bar for a glass, and was deftly pouring rum into it. He set the glass down before Konn, and waggled the bottle in question, but Konnor shook his head.
“Well, that answers that question,” said Val dryly, replacing the bottle in the cooler.
“What question is that?” Konnor asked. He didn’t pick up the glass, but cast a brief look around the bar. Plenty of occupied tables, but no other Core members. Good.
“Whether Ava’s fucked you recently.”
Konn’s head whipped around at that, cold anger lashing through him. Val shrugged, unrepentant, but wary.
“I meant that in the more figurative sense. Mostly.”
“My relationship with Ava is none of your business,” Konnor said coldly. His lips felt stiff; he could feel tension knotting the muscles of his shoulders and back. His personal life was not entertainment for the masses.
“Consider me a concerned friend. The last time she fucked you over, I helped carry you back to your rooms, if you recall.”
Konnor didn’t, actually. But he wasn’t all that surprised.
“Thank you for the reminder,” he said, and his tone could have frozen a crust of ice over the glass of rum sitting between them. He started to get up; coming here had been a mistake. He would contact his cousin, and arrange a meeting elsewhere.
“Wait.” Valko didn’t touch him; he knew better than that. “Look, I’m sorry. I know we don’t always get along, Konn, but the fact is, I hate to see a man torn into shreds. You deserve better than that bitch.” When Konnor didn’t move to sit back down, he sighed, and leaned over the bar. “Look, I promise I won’t bring her up again, okay? Just sit the fuck down, so I don’t have to explain to Baez how I chased you off.”
Slowly, Konnor sat. Val let out a breath and leaned back, folding muscular arms over his chest.
“Thanks,” he said after a small, tense silence. “You’ve spared me a fight I didn’t want to have.”
Konn said nothing; as much as he disliked other people poking at his relationship, he tried to avoid doing the same to them. But he knew his cousin’s temper, and didn’t doubt Val was right. He nodded, the movement stiff.
Valko relaxed.
“If you’re not going to drink that,” he said with a nod to the rum, “how about trying something new?”
“No,” Konn said, too quickly. “Thank you. The rum is fine.” To prove it, he picked up the shot and knocked it back.
The fire burning down his throat was worth it. Whenever Val offered “something new”, it was bound to be one of his experimental liquors. Which had been known to send people to the infirmary, on occasion. Or worse.
The bartender’s handsome face fell, and he shrugged with undisguised disappointment.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll check back once Baez gets here.”
He moved down the bar to serve someone else, and Konnor lifted a hand in wordless acknowledgment, the rum having momentarily robbed him of the powers of speech.