Starting Early are we? (Streya) (Night)

Johnson walked into the Tea House, it had been a tiring day, working out in the morning, and then the encounter in the afternoon. He also did a bit of work too, but now he just wanted to drink. He couldn't sleep, and he did try to do so, but right now he wanted a drink. He wanted to feel a nice cold liquid running down his parched throat. He approached the bar, and looked at the menu, before looking at the bartender who had approached him.

"I'll take the strongest drink you have here. Or a strong whiskey on the rocks, if you have it." He said as he looked around. He made it a habit not to come around here and drink that much, he didn't like how it dulled the senses, but sometimes being drunk meant that he could get a wink of sleep. He'd take being drunk over a night where he couldn't sleep any time. When his drink arrived, he took a nice long drink of it, and then let out a sigh of relief. "Ahhhh....that's the stuff." He muttered to himself, before turning and looking around to see the other patrons here.

Click! Click! Click! Click!

The sound of high heel shoes going across the floors of the tea house would mix in with the hum of the few gathered customers in the place. As some looked up to see who had walked in, the mood in the area would shift from rather relaxed to a bit tense as eyes landed on the person those clicks belonged to. There she was dressed in a sexy pair of strappy black heels, fitting yet comfortable jeans, and a white ruffled sleeveless top that showed some of her rather busty rack.

The look was sexy without being slutty as the woman came in the tea house not seeming to be bothered that her presence had caused some of the more cowardly to abandon ship while those that attempted to hold their ground hurriedly drank down their drinks before leaving. It wasn’t long before the tea house was down to literally five people: the woman who had scared everyone away, the man at the bar, the bar tender, a passed out woman way in the back, and finally a lone male that only gave the woman a passing glance before going back to his drinks. He already had a few bottles lined up so maybe he was too drunk to be scared or care.

Regardless of the annoying clear out, the woman would take a seat at the bar about two seats down from the man already at the bar. Not even having to order, the bar keeper already had moved to get her two bottles of sake and a cup. As the items were laid before her the woman would give him a light nod of thanks before taking up one of the bottles…and taking a long swing directly from it. While the bar tender only shook his head at this, he would wander off to play watch dog for now as he at least pretended to be busy. However, the pink haired lady didn’t care as she placed down her bottle with a content smirk.

Man she loved her sake!

Picking up the bottle again, she would settle down for a night of drinking. At the moment, she didn’t seem to take much notice of the quiet folk around her.

Johnson heard the sound of high heels clicking across the floor, it was a very distinct sound, and it was one that he had not expected to hear either. He turned to see a woman wearing a very distinct outfit, and it did not take long for him to notice the change in tone the atmosphere had taken. He had never seen people run from a beautiful woman, you would have thought she was some sort of extra tough bouncer that had just walked in. Whoever she was, the woman had cleared the house out besides the few people that were here.

He watched her take a seat at the bar, and the bar keeper was already getting her whatever it was that she wanted. So, that made it clear that she visited here on a regular basis, but what was with all the people leaving the place? Johnson stood up from his seat and moved over to sit next to her, considering how she was the only one in this place that had caught his interest given the mass exodus upon her arrival.

"I've never seen so many folks run from a pretty woman here to enjoy a drink or two." He stated gesturing to the now very empty bar, he hoped that they had at the very least paid their tabs before they ran out the door. "So, can I get the name of the woman who is able to send about...twenty people running to the hills? Or perhaps what she is drinking so I can order her another round?" He asked, not trying to be sly or smooth. He was just trying to strike up a conversation with the woman that had made people leave because now he was more than a bit curious.

She would continue to drink her beverage enjoying the taste of the liquid against her tongue and the even more pleasant feeling of it filling up her belly. If the night stayed quiet like this, she was going to have a lot of fun tonight and maybe once the magical liquid really took effect, she would seek out some face to bash in. Heh. Sounded like a good plan to her and a good way to make up for a rather uneventful day. Besides did the world really expect her to allow such peaceful days to roll by without batting her eye at them? Hmph! She thought not as she lifted the bottle to her lips to take another swing; however, she would find herself pausing as the man at the bar decided to be more bold than the average Joe. Either that or he was being relatively foolish at the moment by taking a chance with a woman such as herself.

Even so his approach was interesting enough and well played both in delivery and tone. He wasn’t trying to flirt with her so that suggested he wasn’t a complete idiot like some men were. So maybe he was worth her time. Regardless, she would take her time in answering as she took a swing from her bottle again bring it down to the half point before lowering it a bit. She would keep the bottle in her hand as she leaned against the counter a bit to watch the other.

“The cowards flee or collapse before power. It’s not my fault that can’t keep their shit together and bail the moment they see me. I say good riddance. Don’t need that sort of company and air ruining my drink,” she would say with a smirk on her face as she casually moved the bottle in her hand causing the liquid within to swish a bit as she observed the other. Her smirk would only grow as the other took the intative on two fronts.

“I dunno. Maybe I’ll give it and maybe I won't. It honestly depends on how deep that pocket of yours goes and how good you are at supplying me with drinks since you offered,” she would say her voice seemingly sweet, but the sweet tone there was danger hint of danger. She was quite amused that the other had offered to pay for a drink in the first place. It wasn’t often she was given such a treat and was honestly the winning move that kept the woman from telling him to fuck off. She couldn't refuse free drinks now could she? On that note, he had asked what she drank had he not. She suppose she could give him that answer.  

“I drink sake by the way and if you are going to pay you might as well get enough for two. I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon, so I hope you can keep up, Mr...” she would pause and look at him with intense eyes as she waited to see if he would give her a name despite her holding back on hers for the moment.

Regardless if she got the name or not, she would eventually push herself from the counter so she could sit up straight enough to take another swing from her bottle. Once done, she would place it down, the bottle nearly empty as she let out a small content sigh before her eyes were moving back to the other. “So tell me why a fellow like you would bother approaching the tiger that cleared the room,” she would say her smirk never leaving as she watched the other wondering if he could keep her as entertained the kid did. Well he had better now that he had her attention...

It was a matter of strength and guts, well those were two things that Johnson liked to think he had in spades thanks to his military training and the like. He smiled at that answer, now it made more sense, she was a lion among sheep, and she was looking for someone who could match her bravery and mood. Either that or she wanted to get really drunk, and given her second response...well that seemed to be more likely. Though her voice was sweet, Johnson knew she was trying to be cute, and winning over a favor.

"Well I haven't had many high paying contracts, but my pockets are deep enough to get two bottles at the very least." He said finishing his whiskey and gesturing to the bar keeper to get them another round of sake. He turned back to see her intense stare with her two eyes, and his single eye returned the stare with the same amount of intensity. He wasn't going to back down, she'd hate it if he did. "Locke, but you can call me Johnson, all my friends call me that." He said watching the barkeeper bring over the bottles, and Johnsons would immediately pay for what he ordered, so she couldn't put any more on his tab. His generosity could only go so far as his pockets were deep.

He took the bottle and took a long drink, he'd never had sake before, and it wasn't bad...but he would prefer whiskey at this point. "Well, living dangerously just so happens to have been my job at one point. I figured that at least one more encounter with a woman as strong as you, who is capable of clearing rooms just by walking in, wouldn't hurt. A dangerously strong woman who has yet to give me her name." He said, gently reminding her that she had not yet introduced herself to him as of yet. "After all, if these didn't kill me, I doubt a conversation will do me much harm." He said jokingly gesturing to his scars, eyepatch, and the shrapnel sticking out of his forehead. He had been through a lot, and for some odd reason considering how she took to the drink so easily, it made him wonder if she had to. Perhaps they had some sort of common ground that they had yet to find and explore...regardless...this should prove to be quite interesting.

Heh. This one dare to smile at the knowledge of being in the room with a tiger or for that matter dare to meet said tiger’s gaze with an even one of his own? Oho. And her she was starting to think the men of this world were becoming quite the sorry bunch. Granted this could be a show just to make himself seem tough, so she would simply have to wait and see. After all, even those that tried to play the game with her broke one way or another, so she would see how long this one lasted.

She would smirk at his comment about his money and find herself grinning a bit when he kept his word, but immediately paid once the bartender had brought the drinks. To this, she would finish off her original bottle before reaching for the next one she had.

“You pay rather quickly. Are you afraid I am going to hurt your pocket?” she would say, her words a light taunt at that action. Yeah she should’ve been saying thank you or what not, but honestly that was not her style. Yes a drink bought was nice, but if someone wanted to be buds with her, then one little drink wasn’t gonna do the trick. A cute gesture though, but nothing more to the confident woman.

Giving him time to react, she would eventually look a way. As she begun on her second bottle, she would speak.

“Johnson, huh. Well, are we friends now since you have given me the honor of using the name?” she would ask as she watched the other amused and then hearing his next words, she would snort a bit as the smirk faded.

“Ya like to live on the edge and apparently like to see stars too. Ya know on a bad day, I might've just sock you one for all your flattering. That shit gets annoying after a while. Just like your prying,” she would begin seeming displeased at first as she gave him a scowl; however, the scowl would shortly turn into a smirk again. “But, you did buy me a drink and gave your own name, so I suppose I can return the favor,” she would say and then pause to bring the bought bottle over to the reserve position on her side of the bar.

“It’s Streya. Got it?” she would say as she raised her current bottle slightly towards the man in her own odd way of saying nice to met ya before she took another swing of her drink and sat the bottle down again. She would narrow her eyes at the other as he finished his convo on dangers.

“Heh. Well maybe those were just cake walks for ya since you’re still standing and all; however, don’t compare me to that stuff. Unlike it I just may be the very thing to take you out," she said with a grin that would could scare the weaker of heart away; however, she had a feeling this guy wouldn’t run...or rather he had better not. Not after getting her to believe he may be entertaining company. If he took off, she would crush him for sure with the power of the liquid that was currently warming up her blood....

Johnson eyed her, "Well you certainly seem to a woman who is capable of holding her liquor, and I don't like having an open tab. One of my comrades ended up putting a lot more than my share of drinks on my tab, and it took a lot of arguing and maybe a fist or two to ensure that I had the money to pay off said tab. I don't keep open tabs anymore, especially when drinking with others." He explained, before smirking at her. "Though just because I paid rather quickly doesn't mean that I can't purchase more." A drink might have been a kind gesture to start with, it did not necessarily imply that it would be the only kind gesture she would be receiving this night. If they were playing a game of wits, then perhaps Johnson could match her, but if it was a game of strength then this would be really interesting.

"I suppose we are, but normally the only time someone called me Locke is when they added my rank. They would call me Sergeant Locke or Lieutenant Locke. It's rather strange whenever I hear a civilian call me by my last name." He explained, while it might have been proper in some cases, but calling him that at a bar was hardly appropriate in his mind. They were here to be informal and have a good time, serious formalities could be left at the door for the most part. When she made a comment about his flattery and prying he would only chuckle and shake his head.

When she introduced herself as Streya, he rose his bottle and returned to the gesture, before replying, "Loud and clear, I won't forget it." He said before bringing his bottle to his lip and taking a drink of his own, before placing it back on the bar. He still wasn't sure on sake, but it was something to drink and it had gotten him this far. Maybe it was his lucky drink, if such a thing even existed. When she spoke to him again, his soft smile disappeared, but did not exactly turn into a frown. It pursed a bit as he thought about what she said.

"I wouldn't call them a cakewalk, if they were then I wouldn't be missing an eye and have a piece of shrapnel sticking out of my head!" He said before laughing a little bit, and shaking his head once more. "Aye, I got through those challenges, which is more than a lot of others can say. If you're what takes me out, then I guess all I could say that death comes in the most unexpected ways." He replied offering her a soft smile, but it turned into more of a smirk full of confidence as he straightened up a bit. "Though, I assure you that I won't be going down without putting up a fight. You better be willing to fight tooth and nail, otherwise I will turn the tables on you."

“Damn straight I can!” she would say with a proud puff of her chest. If anyone could hold their liquor better than herself, well then that would be a miracle. She couldn’t remember the last time someone actually matched her in a drinking contest or casual drinking for that matter. Most passed out or gave up way too fast for her liking. She honestly didn’t get what the big deal was or why so many had weak stomachs, but she supposed not everyone could be a pro like herself. Regardless of the cockiness the woman would find herself looking over at the other with a smirk as she heard his story. There was something there that had caught the busty woman’s attention.

“Oho? Would ya fight me if I were allowed to the same to yar tab? What if yar skills weren’t impressive enough to make me wanna to pay? What would you do then?” she would ask as a mad glint filled her eye. While she could appreciate someone learning from their mistakes, she was much more interested in the guy’s ability to fight for what he believed was owed to him. After all, it didn’t pay to be smart if you didn’t have the guts to knock a few lights out to keep order.  The fire in her eyes would remain intense as her smirk turned into a grin at the next comment.  “Hehe. So you aren’t afraid to fuel the flame, eh? Well then. Let’s see how long you can keep up.” From there, she would pause to take a drink from her bottle considering this guy with her.

He had a way of talking that definitely kept her hooked, but she wondered if shit were to go down for real and this peaceful evening were to turn rowdy would he bail, or would he stay like the kid had? Hmm…It was tempting to test the limit, but luckily for the man she hadn’t hit the point yet where she felt like beating the shit out of everything she saw. Nah. They had the whole night for that…provided he could actually stay that long around her.

“Hmph. Well ain’t that lovely?” She would say with a sneer. It wasn’t that she was hating the idea of being called a friend, but rather this one hadn’t proven himself worthy enough to be seen as such by the woman just yet. Despite this seemingly rude response, the woman remained as civil as she could be in such cases as she raised an eyebrow raised to his response to her snap. Heh. Well at least he wasn’t a whiny bitch she had to put in their place. That alone caused her light smirk to come back and remain as she nodded at the other as he returned her gesture and said he could remember her name. After this she would become quiet for a moment to drink and also listen to what the guy said. In response to his words the woman would frown as her well groomed eyebrows knitted together slightly.

“So ya got some wounds along the way, so what? Ya still here ain’t ya? So why not call them a cakewalk if ya still stand?” she would ask as her eyes turned to him with a steely stare. Yeah. She understood the price of going through war and walking away scarred in more than just the physical way. Hell, she even sported some scars of her own, the most notable one being across her eye. Even so, she wasn’t for folk trying to get her to understand their point by pointing to wounds or flaws that resulted from such things. If you wanted to talk about a war wound, she much preferred seeing people wear them proudly and speak with a head held high about how they got them. She liked the strength and confidence behind such actions, but what this guy was doing? She wasn’t so fond of it. She didn’t think he was going to turn to this into a sob story judging by his attitude, but being humble or whatever about stuff like this wasn’t going to bring any sympathy from the woman, but why this was she wouldn’t tell.

“Tell me about it,” she would say to his first comment as her eyes drifted from his face and soft smile. It seemed she could relate to that somehow, but she didn’t leave any hints as to why this may be. In any case, she would move the bottle to her lips to take a drink once more; however, just as the bottle touched her lips she would halt the action.
Lowering the bottle slightly her eyes would slid over to the other filled with that dangerous fire from earlier as she gave him a shark like grin.

“How about we see how far I shall go?” she would ask as she watched the other carefully. While she wasn’t exactly drunk if this guy thought he could get away with saying words like that to a woman like her, then he would be sadly mistaken. He wanted to fling out those words? So be it. Now he had to pay the price for it. Question was would he pay the price being asked?

"Well if you beat me in a fight then I'd have to say that I would have one helluva tab to pay at the end of night." He said with hearty laugh, at her response to his possible offer to buy more he nodded a bit. "Normally, when I get a job it is to put on the flames, but on occasion I may have fanned a few flames on a mission or two." He said, and that was all he planned on saying about that. Red tape and wetworks operations were not something to be discussed in great detail. Those were contracts he was taking to the grave, unless something else pried it out of him first.

When she made the comment about the war wounds, he could see what she was saying. He could recall a few times he spoke of the wounds proudly when he first began, it was a sense or pride. However, recent events had made him look back to what had actually happened. In the most recent case, the reason why he did not pride himself on the shrapnel was because he was the only person left standing in his squad when all the smoke cleared. He took a long drink from his bottle, and did not answer that question. She would have to take the nod, as his answer, because his lips were going to remain tightly sealed.

He watched her raise the bottle but when she looked at him with a renewed fire in her eyes, he knew he had done something to ignite a passion within her. She then asked if he was interested in seeing how far she could push him. He took a drink from his bottle, before setting it down and looking at her. "Sounds as though you are eager for a brawl, is it because I mentioned that drinking tab story? Hoping to earn yourself some free drinks? Or is it because you want to fight for the sake of sighting?" He'd ask her, this reminded him of the kid he met earlier, and it made him smirk. He was confident that it would be a good fight, and she seemed to have this fire that made her seek a fight.

Johnson was not sure if she knew who exactly she was asking to fight, but it seemed as though she had been in her own fair share of fights given that scar of hers. This might prove to be an interesting encounter after all.

Streya would raise an eyebrow at the guy quite amused at his behavior. She had to admit as much as she wanted to dismiss this guy at first the more he hung around, the more interesting he was proving to be. He had the guts to hang around her and even joke about as if she was nothing to fear. Whether this meant he was a fool or brave, she honestly didn’t care. He was entertaining and easy enough to talk, so she wouldn’t complain about the company as she smirked at the other.

“If? Heh, you speak as if you have a chance against me,” she would say with an amused chuckled as she flexed her left arm and her right hand went to smack her biceps in a gesture that would more than likely come from a male rather than a female; however, this woman wasn’t for being all frail and ladylike. Nah, she’d let the other women handled that. For her, she just kept it real. Regardless, the show wouldn’t reveal the serious muscle of a body builder, but anyone with a careful eye could tell the woman did work out or something because her arm was well toned. Observant or not, the gesture was a mostly play at this point since the grin on her face suggested it wasn’t to be taken too serious…though if this one did get ruffled and wanted to take it to heart like that she wouldn’t mind knocking him back in his place. In either case, the guy seemed to have won some sort of favor from her otherwise the woman would’ve never done such a thing.

The play would last for the amount of time it needed to before ending as the conversation came to more serious matters. To his words about the flames, she would give a silent nod seeming to understand what he meant by the words and the short answer. While their professions may have been different, she knew that sometimes the good guys became the bad guys. It was never fun, but a seemingly necessary evil in certain professions.

She would keep her silence as she went back to her drink and not saying much else until she questioned the other about the wounds issue. Hmph. It looked they had a difference of opinion. She took note the other took a rather long drink from the bottle instead of answering verbally. Huh. Must’ve been some really heavy shit going on that head of his if he was going to the bottle rather than talking. She supposed she could relate and maybe that is why she didn’t pry into the matter when she got only a nod in response. Or maybe she just respected the man had his own set of secrets he didn’t wish to share. Either way, the silence given was the sort one got from a vet of the battlefield. From someone who had been in similar situation and in turn could respect such things as privacy or varying opinions on a rather sensitive subject.

The silence would linger between them, the only sound breaking it the occasional slurp from drinking or the light thud of the bottle hitting the counter. The only time it was broken was when Streya issued her challenged. To the response back the woman grinned as she stayed quiet to drain the bottle. Once it was empty she’d place it on the counter before pushing it to the side as she pulled the third one to her, but didn’t drink it just yet.

“ You aren’t getting cold feet are you?” she would ask her smirk still in play as she gave him a chance to answer. Regardless of what was said, she would answer his questions that followed.

“I gotta admit, I love free drinks, but I love a good brawl even more. Besides sometimes a hands-on approach is the best way to test if someone is just bullshitting me with their talk or actually can do something,” she would say that fire in her eyes never going out as she turned on her stool to face the other a bit better as her left leg folded easily over her right. Her posture was straight as she cracked her knuckles a bit. “You seem like an interesting fellow that knows his game pretty well. Though I wonder how well you can play in a different arena. What say you? Want to play a game or two?” she would say as she watched him with those intense eyes of hers.

Whether she knew his strength or not, one thing this woman did not do was back down from a fight without reason.

Johnson watched her flex as she asked if he thought that he could take her. She was confident, not terribly arrogant, but it would not take much to get her there. That was good to know when they or if they fought. He didn't return the gesture, he just chuckled and noted that she did have muscle. She wasn't some drunk who picked fights, she likely had an idea of what she was doing. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. I know of one way to find out." He said smirking a bit. He was all for play, this was just banter until someone decided to take it too seriously. At which point he imagined the bartender would throw them both out and tell them not to come back.

At least she didn't ask anymore about the fires, that meant that they could talk about more fun things, which didn't quite seem to occur for a few moments. Maybe, she realized that something you just don't pry into, and that was very kind of her. It seemed she wasn't all beer and fighting, rather she seemed to have a sort of respect that there was some heavy stuff going through his head when he didn't respond. This was the stuff that he still had nightmares about, and it was the same stuff that brought him here. He would find his respect towards her growing rapidly as the silence went on, she obviously understood what he was thinking about. Perhaps, that was the reason why she came here too, in order to get away and drink the sorrows away when you couldn't face them.

When she asked if he was getting cold feet, he had just finished off his bottle, ending it with a sigh of satisfaction. "Of course not, otherwise I would have fled when you first walked in. I've gone this far, I might as well hang in for the rest of way, otherwise it would have been pointless. I never leave a job half finished." There was a reason why he was still here, he had gotten this far, and he didn't plan to stop any time soon.

He noted her love for a good brawl, and noted her fire seeming to grow as now she turned to face him a bit better. That meant that he was interesting her, and he returned the gesture as he faced her a bit more as well. He grinned at her, she was right, he did know his game pretty well, and he had been slowly piecing her game together or her mentality together too. "I have to agree about the hands-on approach, as a bouncer I've thrown out a lot of idiots whose mouth was bigger than any game they could claim to have." He smirked and rolled his neck around, making a pop sound as he did so. "I can't help but think that this will be one of the most physical games I've ever played, but..." He said rising from his stool a bit so he could stand over her and meet her intense stare. "We could go a round or two, but I think we take it out of the bar. Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to buy you your sake from here should you end up kicking my ass." He said smiling at her, if she wanted to test him and see how he stacked up to other competition that was fine. She had better be prepared though, Johnson had both strength and experience on her by a long shot. He was likely fighting while she was going to middle school and focusing on boys and homework.

He pointed towards the door, "Shall we then?" he asked her not breaking eye contact with her, letting her that he had no intentions in backing down either.

What a pleasing guy.

That was the thought that ran through Streya’s mind as the man played easily along with her. Unlike the kid who was amusing for different reasons, this guy’s maturity and calmness was something else. On one hand, it could’ve bored the hell outta of her, but thankfully this guy knew how to play a bit and not go jumping the gun when she made taunts or gestures. He knew how to take the play, timing just right when he reacted and when he did not to keep the conversation entertaining. He was clever guy with a personality she could respect. However, only her eyes would show the appreciation as she gave him nod, agreeing with the statement.

“Indeed,” was all she said as she looked away to something else for a bit. She could appreciate the man not backing down from a challenge that made those that bluffed submit, but not this guy. Nah. He seemed to put up a good game at least, so she wasn’t complaining.

She would let the play linger for a bit longer before the silence came when fires of the past were brought up. She spent the time lost in her own memories while respecting the privacy of the other next to her as she drank. She remain mellow enough until the topic shifted back to buying drinks and fighting.

Not exactly drunk just yet, but having just enough of a rosey tint to her cheeks to let anyone know she had a few drinks in her system, the woman would give the other a lopsided grin as she heard his response.

“Well I be damned. I had begun to think the world was lacking in the department of brave folk, but you coming here just might change mind on that. At least you ain’t a flake like some that run off at the mouth, yet have such quick feet” the woman would say with a nod of respect to the other. She really meant what she said. With as many folk that ran away or just flapped off at their mouth it was nice to see someone that actually stuck to something they started all the way to the end even when in the presence of someone like her. That said a lot for the guy next to her and only made him more interesting to the warrior like woman.

As for his next words and actions. Well. Hehe.

“A bouncer, huh? Well then I expect you to keep me entertained,” she said as her eyes followed the other as he stood up and despite being towered over she was not intimidated by the other as she heard the rest of what the other had to say.

“Those words are music to my ears,” she would say with a grin and then sliding of her stool and balancing quite easily on her heels, she would nod at the taller gentleman’s gesture towards the door before taking her leave much to the bar tender’s relief.

Once outside, she would go to the back of the tea shop where a sizeable patch of grass rested. It was a perfect spot for a brawl and ironically the same spot she had laid the kid out flat the night before. Maybe this guy could prove a bit more of a challenge and actually make her work for her drinks he promised to buy if she beat him.

Stretching out a bit as she walked, the woman would eventually come to a halt on the grass turning to face the man, a ever confident smirk on her face as she watched the other.

“Let’s see, who ends up on the ground first. Loser pays for the drinks, fair?” she would say and then after giving a moment for the other to respond, she would become quiet as her body relaxed.


She would issue the challenge allowing him to take the first strike.

Johnson noted the cheeks of her lips were a bit rosy, so she was a bit tipsy, not that he was one to talk, but he had been a lot worse when he had to put his friend in his place. The world was full of brave people, they just needed the right motivation sometimes. He had fought with a lot of brave people in his time, and they were brave in the face of danger. Keyword there is were as their bravery would often lead them to make the ultimate sacrifice for the squad or mission. The reason why the world seemed to lack brave people is because they often died before people could meet them or really get to know them.

"This world tends to chew up the brave as they are the only ones willing to do or give what is necessary in order to preserve the world they live in or their friends' lives. The reason why there aren't many brave people around is because a lot of them are out there sacrificing themselves." Who did they give their lives for? The weak and cowardly? Sometimes, yes, but they did it mostly for those they cared about and those who could not protect themselves. At least, that was the reason why all the brave people he knew gave their lives.

When she said a bouncer, he nodded his head, "Yep, I'm working on a small time contract, which involves me throwing out drunk losers and people who break the rules. Often times, that involves me throwing them out on their asses. And then them turning around and cursing at me, but then they walk off either angry or drunk." he said smiling as he recalled a rather amusing man who got really drunk and started to..well he pissed off a lot of women and Johnson had to drag him out. He then started to complain how it was a gay bar, and drunkenly wandered off to go and do something else.

He grinned as she stood up and took her leave to go outside and start the fight between the two of them, he followed her to a grassy patch where he presumed they would be fighting. He watched her relax, and cracked his knuckles a bit and rolls his neck. He loosened up his body a bit, "Fair." He said hearing her taunt him to come on, and he watched how relaxed she was.

The man got into his fighting stance raising both fists and spreading his feet shoulder length apart, his body was a well oiled machine when it came to fighting. However, he noted that she was waiting for him to make the first move, which was often a mistake, you never attacked an opponent who knew you were coming unless you were positive that you could take them. If he went in for a punch she could duck and put him in a bad spot, granted he had a counter for that...however he did not know he experienced she was.

"No, ladies, first. I insist." He said offering a mock bow before stepping back into his fighting stance, he was not eager to take the first strike until he knew what sort of style she fought with, was she more graceful or was she pure force?

The woman would turn her eyes to the man. Despite the rosey tint to her cheeks her eyes were clear as she listened to what he said about bravery.

“Hmm. Maybe or maybe the world just dunno how to stand on its own two feet anymore,” she would say her voice serious despite the smirk on her lips. There were many shades of brave just as there were many shade of evil. Sometimes the ones destroying themselves for the cause were seen as the good guys while those that choose a rather different sort of path were seen as evil. Death glorified the deed, but sometimes even that wasn’t enough to make one brave. Bravery…it wasn’t just about the blood spent on a field…no it was something more. Something deeper that sometimes made one a devil instead of a saint. Bravery was having the ability to shoulder the weight that came from being the one to survive and facing the sins committed to do what it took to do the right thing. Regardless the bravery talk had her going quiet for her bit as she reflected on the past and the things there.

She would eventually pull herself out of that dark spot and become more lively again as the conversation turned to being a bouncer. To this chat, the woman would smirk amused. “That’s a pretty interesting choice of work. Although I don’t think cursing and walking away is what you’d get from me if I was escorted out. I’d think you’d regret trying to remove me,” she would chuckle kind of amused at the thought of a bouncer even daring to try such a task with her. Sure said bouncer could probably succeed, but she’d make sure to leave a more permanent mark than words on the one removing her. It was only fair payment for ruining her fun.

Speaking of fun, it looked like the fellow before her was actually going to humor her and partake in her version of hands-on social interaction. She was quite pleased he had taken the offer and even more pleased to see him come out to the back area to actually fight. Giving a grin of approval, she’d lay the rules out before falling into her relaxed stance. Staying calm despite the slight sway she had, she would watch the stance the other fell into taking note the action was smooth suggesting she was not dealing with a novice. Good maybe today she would have a challenge tonight.

When she heard his decline to strike first, she would smirk at the other as her positioning shifted, her knees bending slightly before she pushed off the ground to come at him.

“As you wish!” she would say as she moved forward before coming to a stop within striking range. She would plant her left foot on the ground as her right hand cocked back and balled into a fist. Her body would lean back with the wind up before lashing forward like a snake bringing the right hook right at the man’s jaw line. The blow was a hefty one that would leave a lot of pain behind it should it strike, but one had to wonder…with something so straight forward was she looking to be wiped out easily?

Had the world forgotten to stand on its own two feet, that was entirely possible as there certainly seemed to be more cowards who were willing to spend the blood of others to ensure that their agenda was advanced. It was a bit sickening, and then lives were lost to ensure that the right thing was done in the end. He noted that she got quiet when this topic was brought up....it seems she had her own darkness to bear. Well if she wanted to talk about it, she would, but that would have to be brought up when she was ready to discuss it.

He would find that out, if she could take him out or put up a good fight then she might leave a mark or two. It was clear that she was confident in her abilities, granted a question remained was it because she could take a hit or because she was actually a skilled fighter. Minutes later, he would find out as she decided that she was going to be on the offensive. His eye watched her carefully as her knees bent, indicating momentum and she stopped just as she got into striking range. Left foot planted firmly, leading the punch with her right hand, and it was all easy for his trained eyes to see. She telegraphed everything that she was doing so clearly that the solider didn't even blink as he reacted.

He quickly stepped to the side to avoid the hook, before counterattacking with his own right hook, he aimed right at her face, aiming to strike her square on the nose. The counter attack would be sudden, and devastating if the blow hit. His training taught him not to take time with a blow, you had to be fast, controlled, but not lacking in power. Which is why he poured a lot of his strength and training into the blow, to ensure that she was properly punished for her attack. He held back a little bit though, as he didn't want to knock her out in one hit. However, if the blow connected, it should made her stumble back or knocked her flat on her back. If so, then that would allow him to continue the offensive. He should teach her the lesson that a fight can be over in a single punch if you know what you're doing, but for now....this would suffice. Furthermore, she would have to learn that such a wild and crazy attack take a long time to recover from and leave you wide open to being punished by your opponent.

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