Pizza Pilfering

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VIPER'S PIZZA
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--Duke
@Patty It's another night at Viper's Pizza, with Duke basking in the warmth of the A/C and the crackling brick oven that was breathing life and deliciousness into his dinner. He hasn't really bothered making himself much of anything, so he just chucked one of the medium sized pizzas in for himself. Tonight was chilly as hell anyways, so he sure as fucking wasn't setting foot outside of the store. He *did* start putting up some little Christmas decorations here and there, he even got a tree all lit up near the arcade room. Life was pretty swell for the moment, and he was more than content to sit back behind the counter, and jam out to some tunes on his head phones.

--Red
Life *wasn't* pretty swell for Red, in no small part due to her being dead. It was easy to slip into being a gloomy little shit when things didn't go her way, and the city was making sure she wouldn't get her hopes up.
Hidden in her raccoon form, she was hoping she'd be able to test her luck and get anything, just *something* worth her time. She'd take a good fiver at this point.

Crawling around the restaurant, she sniffed around the back, peeking through the windows with her shiny, beady eyes. She could see a man working as her teeth chattered in the cold. *Fucker looks cozy.*

--Patty
The big hazel eyes peering in the window were filled with need. The pizza, it smelled so good. She hadn't had a proper meal in days, and she was not prepared for the chill. Wrapped in a threadbare flannel, the half-pint was starting to lean toward the waifish side at this point. She shivered as she watched the fire, mouth watered as she watched the pizza. To herself she kept humming the same little tune, familiar but repetitive. Her eyes were in a permanent knit of worry.

"S-h...sh...shut up now..." She hums the rest softly to herself, forehead pressed against  the glass.

--Duke
Duke air guitared to himself, closing his eyes as relieved the once-was and long-pasts, the sound of his brother's voice echoing faintly off of the walls of this old place. He slows down as the memories trickle back in and...it takes the energy out of him.

...He pushes himself up to pull that edible circle of bread, cheese, tomato sauce and meat out of the flaming maw of the brick oven, turning around-

And freezing as his eyes *lock* with the woman's outside.

--Patty
She didn't flinch, or startle. She wasn't even looking at him, those big doe-like eyes flitting to him for a second before falling back on the pizza. Quietly, to herself she still hummed, her face full of desire for that starchy, cheesy goodness. She can't remember how long it'd been since she'd had a real New York slice, straight from the source. She can't remember the last time she didn't wake up shivering. A hand was pressed against the glass.

"..shhh.. keep it down, now..."

--Red
While the two kine started at eachother, Red made good work of fiddling with the back door. Having opposable thumbs was a huge advantage when you were an animal.

Now, if this dude hasn't locked in the door, then...

--Duke
The door rattled decidedly as she tried to pry it open. Oh dear. That door was definitely locked. Seems Duke wasn't the type to leave his guard down, which made sense considering this place doubled as his home. Looks like the raccoon would need to sneak in through the front!

Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Pizza, Duke was having a deer in the headlights moment as this poor, deranged individual stared down his food like a hungry puppy. At least she wasn't *Bren*, judging by the fact that she was in fact female. His eyes narrowed a touch, and he waves he in reluctantly. He was probably going to regret this, but she looked cold and hungry, and his business needed some better rep.

--Patty
The wave-in made her confused, then ashamed as she dodged his gaze and made sure not to look in his direction. She couldn't leave though, the smell was too enticing. They'd already ejected her from standing outside of Jimmy John's. 'Free Smells' my ass.

Patty suddenly snorted as she thought this, "Ha... smells my ass.." Of course it was only to herself, and without a preface it seemed a little off. It was funny to her, at least. When she saw he was still looking her way, she made a motion to beg off, as if she were fine. Slowly she turned and leaned her back against the window, fighting the chill running down her back as she tugged the flannel around herself.

--Red
Front? Nah, Red wasn't that green. She had decades worth of experience mugging suckers, and the knowledge helped in a pinch as she slid her claw between the door. It was a shittier version of the ol' card trick, but it still proved useful when you had nothing in your pocket.

Carefully, she snuck around on the back, making sure to close the door as her body clung tightly to the shadows along the walls. She sniffed the air around her, hoping she'd catch the scent of something more useful than pies.

--Duke
Duke snapped his head to the side, hearing the clatter of pizza pans being knocked to the side as Red entered. *Someone was here*. He dipped down into a crouch as the innocent pizza boy expression was replaced with a trained wariness. The young man drew a Glock from his jacket, keeping his finger off the trigger. Identify, evaluate, and eliminate if need be. Not that he'd actually ever gotten to step three, it helped to keep that mantra in his head, echoing with his brother's voice.

He began creeping towards the back, controlling his breath as he kept the business end of the Glock pointed out in front of him.

--Patty
She hadn't seen the Glock, thank God, or she'd have bolted. Instead she looked back and saw him gone. Perfect! Sliding in as silently as she could as to not ring the bell if there were any, Patty crawled on her hands and knees across the floor, slinking around the counter and peering into the oven to see if she could snag a slice. Was it done? Who the fuck cares, she'd eat it frozen.

In the full light, it was obvious she was malnourished, pale and looking a little sick. She had a chronic runny nose and puffy eyes, but hunger trumped everything in her mind right now. She peered around and hummed very very quietly, trying to not alert him, "...Oh hush..."

--Red
Red flinched as she felt the pans fall with her step, though she made the dumb mistake of remaining focused on the task at hand. She didn't see the guy coming at her with a gun, otherwise she may have had something to say about it...

--Duke
The angels would begin to sing in Latin tongues to Patty as the bare scent of a scantily cooked pizza awaited her. Cheese. Home-made tomato sauce. Bacon and beef...and what's this? No! A garlic lathered crust! The pizza awaited her, steaming fresh on a metal tray, waiting for her to steal a slice and satisfy her Hunger with a slice of the good stuff.

Keeping to the shadows and the corners of the dishwashing tray in the middle of the back room, Duke did a thorough sweep of the place, and that's when his eyes caught is target...!

...A racoon. Oh. Didn't *exactly* explain how it got it when he locked the door, but at least the pizza pan by the door trick worked. He slipped the Glock quietly back into his holster. He wasn't about to shoot a poor animal looking for food and warmth, but...he couldn't really let the little fella stay here either. Otherwise Duke would get attached, give it a name, and people would ask why he has a trash panda named Mittens in his Pizza Parlor.

...*Fuck.*

Regardless of his endearment toward animals he needed to get rid of it. Shifting himself into position, he reaches out to grap the racoon by the neck! Just gotta make this as quick as possible!

--Patty
And then she would overextend. Oh, Patty, always acting before thinking, She says to herself, "Fuck it, it's not that hot," before reaching in and snatching at the pizza with her bare arm.

It was that hot.

She didn't get very far before her arm hair was singed off, and she let out a shriek of unadulterated pain, "OOOOOH FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK.. fuuuUUUUCK!" She fell to the ground, clutching her arm and moaning in agony as all thoughts other than hot hot hot left her mind. "Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!"

--Red
Red didn't see those pizza hands comin' as she was grabbed by the scruff of the neck, FREAKING OUT the second she was nabbed.

*"WHAT THE FUCK! LET ME DOWN, LET ME DOWN! I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T DROP ME THIS SECOND, MORTAL!"*

Of course, all that angry shouting was meaningless in mortal ears, as none of them posessed the **animalism** needed to understand beast speech. To their ears, all their would hear was a myriad of raccoon noises, best described as somewhere between a hissing cat a nd a whiny dog.

"Grrr...hhhhsssshh! Grrrruf!"

Try as she might with her writhing and kicking, Duke wasn't letting go of this smelly critter.

--Duke
All hell was breaking loose in Viper's. Duke turns away for one *fucking* second and there's screaming, tears, gnashing of teeth, and a GOD DAMN RACCOON. "Okay, Mittens, can I call you Mittens? *Mittens.*" Duke started as he casually lifted the vampire racoon by its neck, already far too attached to this poor creature who probably just wanted a loving family like in those Disney movies.

"You caught me at a bad time buddy, okay? This isn't your home, and I can't have you here, okay?" He quickly opened up the back door, and gently threw the racoon out. "But do find another pizza joint to bring the inspector's wrath down upon! And don't die I LOVE YOU MITTENS!" Duke quickly slammed the door shut, locking it with a shaking breath.

It was for the best.

...What was that screaming? OH FUCK THAT'S RIGHT. He raced over to the front, trying to find out who the hell was dying in his pizzeria!

--Red
If Duke was hoping Red was the kind to forget and forgive then he'd be in for a rude awakening. *Mittens will remember this.*
Landing ass first into the cold ground, she thrashed about in anger as her plans were foiled. She should have stayed in the trails, far away from the city and all the hell in it.

Brushing herself off, she shifted back into her human form while she was still sitting on the ground, looking back like her usual, leather jacketed self.

--Patty
Patty had pulled herself up and was running cold water over her arm, muttering angrily to herself, "Toldja just to shut the fuck up, Pat, What's yer problem? You're a fuckin' goof, that's your problem. Jeez. What the Hell, burn yer goddamn arm off? Great idea. Fuckin hell, now you're goin to jail when Shaggy gets back. Fuck, Pat. You're a mess. A real piece of work."

She contined to berate herself, her round bottom in the air as she did, the last part of her that wasn't wasting away from hunger. Looks like even if she starved herself to death, she still can't shed that butt.

".....just wanted a goddamn pizza."

--Duke
Ass. That was a lot of ass. Duke stared for a while and turned to look at his dinner, which was thankfully still on the counter, if a bit mangled at this point. He wasn't sure what was winning at this point, his arousal, or his disappointment.

"...'Shaggy'? *Really?*" Duke's eyes narrowed at his new little nickname. "I guess that makes you fem Oliver Twist?"

He wasn't even sure if he was trying to inject humor or just jab back at the lady trying to pilfer his pizza.

"...Just...wait for it to cool off and you can eat it. *Honestly*."

--Red
Red got up, walking around the locale with her tail between her legs, though not literally this time around.
She stood near the front entrance, lingering as she stared through the windows to look at the asshole who'd just kicked her out. If looks could kill, Duke would be a dead man right now.
For now though, all she could do was shoot angry glares and growl at the window pane like a forlorn pup. Grr.

--Patty
She tried to turn around to look at him, but wasn't budging until her arm was numb. Instead she shouted over sound of running water, "I'm leavin', I'm leavin! you don't have to tell me twice. My fuckin' fault for getting greedy, serves me right." She removed her flannel and wrapped it around her arm, and she was indeed bottom-heavy, as there wasn't much up top even before she started starving. Her eyes are on her arm, but Patty still addresses him while looking down, "Oliver Twit, more like. I'm a shitty thief.. and a shitty person for trying to steal your pizza. I'm s-"  She pinched her eyes shut, forcing herself to say it, "S..S-sorry, alright?"

--Duke
"Stay!" He shouts over the running water, huffing a little. "...Just...get something to eat, man. You look fit to collapse, and I'm not sending you back out there unless I'm certain you have a place to be. And besides that, I'm not letting you outta my sight for the stunt you tried to pull."

The young man seemed finished chiding her, reaching up to grab a medkit off of the wall and slide it over to her. "...There should be some burn cream in there."

He turned to grab some badages from underneath the counter, when his gaze locked with *another* weird lady outside. Fuck sake, this one didn't even look like she was starving, she just looked pissed, like she was locked or something. Duke's face crinkled in confusion, his hand lifting up...

...And pointing to the flickering 'Open' sign. Blue and pink neon glory.

--Red
She had to resist the urge to give him the middle finger right then and there, her pupils slowly rolling over to look at the sign. Ain't that nice to know. She had no intentions of going back in that night, not until she noticed who was whining inside. *That girl." She thought, remembering the unfortunate encounter they had at the diner.

She blinked a few moments as she thought about what she'd do next, pondering to herself.

--Red
...She left the window pane, dissapearing into the night for the moment.

--Patty
She laughs a bit, mirthlessly, "Yeah, I come in, injure myself and try to snatch the food out my mouth. Of course you want me to stay." She gave that little sideways smile, "Look really, just caught me off guard is all. I'm fiiiine I'm not even hurt, it's.." and her voice caught in her throat, eyes darting to the woman outside. "I..I I...." She couldn't make her brain work with her lips, and she unconsciously began to cup her hands over her ears.

"On second thought, I better stay. You're right, just gotta keep quiet. Keep em quiet, that's all." Patty nods her head vigorously as if it were obvious to him, then slid into a chair still muttering to herself softly, "Yeah, tough night. Gotta be careful out there. Hearing things. Y'know.. just things."

--Red
Red returned, this time carrying something heavy in tow. It was hard to make out in the night, but it appeared to be  a guitar case of some sort.
She walked inside the store with her head low, letting her bangs cover her face as she stepped in, the door jingling to announce her arrival.

--Patty
Patty started, but did not move, just muttering.

--Duke
Duke's eyes peeled back to the window, but the girl was- inside! Apparently. "Welcome." He spoke with a subdued voice of concern, unsure of what else was about to happen in his store. seemed like there was history between the two of them. That or Patty was just traumatized to hell and back by something else.

He pulled a cooled off slide of pizza, plated it, and put the plate in front of Patty. "Eat. Get your strength up. It'll keep you mind off of things."

Duke's gaze went back to the...guitarist, by the looks of it. Was she about the serenade them? Or the girl, specifically? What was going *on* with this night?

--Patty
Patty didn't bother waiting, she folded that motherfucker and downed it like it held the antidote. She didn't say please, she didn't say thank you, she didn't close her mouth. She just inhaled it. In between smacks, she muttered, "Yeah.. hearin' things. That's what it is. I like this. This is good. You're a good chef. Hey Red, you oughta try this." She was speaking to the woman amiably enough, but her speech was still pressured, as if nervous. Just a little cracked. Her cheeks were already smeared with grease and sauce, which didn't bother her one bit.

--Red
Red's eyes looked over to the menu as she  ignored Patty at first, her dirty fingertips tapping over the counter while her other hand held onto a suitcase of some sort. Putting it down, she pointed randomly at the pizzas scribbled on the menu, mumbling "Give me one of those" as she walked over to one of the seats.

Pulling the suitcase over the table, any sneaky onlookers would see that the bag was mostly half-empty, carrying only a small amp, a mangle of cables, and what looked to be a guitar that wasn't worth the empty space it occupied. Well loved or well trashed, it was all up for debate.

Surprised to hear her talking to her, she blinked as she was offered a slice. Kine probably wouldn't notice, but she made a *stupid* decision in deciding to show off by taking a bite, chewing on what to her only tasted like a spattle of sticky ashes. "...Pretty good, huh? Hey, can you carry this for me?" She asked as she handed her the beaten acoustic guitar, *swallowing* the slice of pizza.

--Duke
Duke quietly nodded to Red, pulling out another medium sized one (he could probably get away with one more freebie if she was going to play them a song).  Italian sausage and meatballs on this bad boy. He puts it into the brick oven with the pizza spatula, hanging up the spatula on the hook next to the oven. Duke turned his attention back to the pair, taking a slice of the bacon-beef pizza, and biting into it, scarfing it down pretty quick. All the nonsensical junk going down tonight was starting to work up an appetite.

--Patty
Patty froze, eyes scanning over Red for a long, awkward moment before she nods in assent and takes the guitar, smacking her pizza loudly. It's not that she was wrong, per se. Something about her just triggered Patty, just set her on edge.

Satisfied she was not about to sprout spikes or fangs, Patty made an effort to wipe her hands on her jeans, leaving long pizza sauce streaks before she grabs Duke's apron, wiping off the rest of the grease off her hands. Daintily, she flipped the latches and opened the case, without permission of course. She seemed to help herself to a lot of things. One would assume it was a guitar, but you never know.

--Red
Bending over as she held in the urge to vomit, Red cried out to Patty. "Hey! Don't- That's my guitar!"
Inside was a Gibson Melody Maker, signed by none other than Joan Jett.

Weird thing for a scrappy gangrel to be holding onto, huh?

--Duke
"Hey, no, fingers off." He swatted those Patty hands away from his apron, especially when there was a napkin dispenser right off to her side...and then away from the guITAR!! "Okay, yeah, no, bad. No getting pizza grease on the guitar, man."

Duke scooched Patty off to the side, and put the plate back in her hands, tossing another slice onto the slice. He looked back to the guitar, tilting his head and using the ceiling light to check for greasy prints...and
that's when his eyes caught the signature. "...Oh *shit*." He'd remembered coming across a track or two from that name, reminded him of Def Leopard with the hairspray and the rock n' roll. "Good tastes." Duke remarked, nodding his head to Red, who was starting to look a lot worse for wear.

"...You alright, dude? You're not lookin' too hot."

--Patty
Patty's face turned into a scowl at being admonished, and she hissed angrily in her scratchy voice, "I wasn't gonna break the fuckin' thing! Jesus. You think I'm some kinda cave-woman or somethin'. You guys talk it out, I'm gonna wash my hands." She said talk, but it sounded more like 'to-wack' in her accent. She didn't seem too concerned about Red's predicament, as she had been aching to get her hands on a set of strings since pawning her old Rickenbacker. She hummed to herself, and it seemed she already had the idea of what she wanted to play. Suddenly she was peppier, more energetic. It was always the brightest spots in her life.

She returned and held her hands up. Still had grease forever caked under her nails, but short of a manicure, that wasn't coming out. She made a show of her hands, first the front, then the back. Rough, skin cracked from the cold, knuckles invariably scraped. Small, though, and clean as could be expected.

"Mother may I?"

--Red
Red looked deadly sick. Sure, she was dead *and* sick, but ticked the same boxes you'd expect from someone about to have a heart attack. That pizza felt no different from having an object lodged in her gut right now, and the longer she delayed the inevitable the more the discomfort grew into pain.

She snatched the case as soon as Patty left to wash her hands, immediately rushing into the men's bathroom as she haphazardly excused herself- "gottawashmyhandstoobye"
She hunched over, throwing up the undigested pizza in the nearest bin she came upon in the bathroom, muttering to herself to *"never again do something this fucking stupid"*

The relief was immediate, but she was a bit worse for wear after the scare. Like a dog kicked in the gut, her ego was turned down a notch while she mentally recovered. It was just the bit of weakness that was needed to make her cave in, handing over one of her guitars to Patty. She wore her melody maker around her neck, looking at her under her bangs as she asked.

"Only if you play with me."


Duke was probably gonna have to reconsider his late opening hours.

--Duke
Duke opened his mouth...and closed it. She threw up. She *definitely* threw up. You don't get that ill and only stick around for five minutes in the John if it's as number 2 emergency. What on Earth was up with this night? He just sighed, shaking his head and he grabbed the spatula from the wall, stabbed it into the oven's flaming mouth, and hauled the other pizza, setting it off to the side to cool off. Red sure as hell wasn't eating it, that's for certain.

"Plenty of outlets underneath the tables." He hopped up on a stool, leaning back. Might as well just roll with it, at this point.

--Patty
Patty beamed, and though her eyes were puffy and nose runny, she looked like a million dollars with that sparkle in her hazel eyes. While definitely a bull in a china shop, she was delicate with the neck of the guitar, picking a little and making sure it was in tune before she started to hum*, then her fingers began to dance over the frets.

She was no slouch. She was also sloppy as hell, a lot of sour notes and not-quite-there chords but she picked at it anyway. Patty closed her eyes as she danced a little tune around A minor, and it started to come together into something familiar, half spanish, have bluesey.

--Red
You'd be hard pressed to find an 80's tune this rock-tortured vampire wasn't at least familiar with. She knew the song well enough to follow, though she made sure her playing didn't overshadow the girl's performance. She loved it, she hated it, something about her face made her want to punch a hole through it. It was like looking in a mirror that focused on the parts of herself she usually ignored.

"...You're not bad."

--Duke
Duke nodded his head along to the song. It reminded him of his youth, when he listened to his brother's vinyls. Back when everything was a bit more tolerable. Less fighting, less hurt. Just him talking about his recent finish on the track, over the pour of music from another generation. His eyes fluttered, undeterred by missed chords or strings that weren't plucked quite right. The smell of motor oil crept into the back of his mind as they played on, as a lump began to form in his throat.

--Patty
She didn't respond for a moment as she hit the last little lick, then began strumming that rhythmic intro, finally murmuring as she split her concentration, "Dude shut the fuck up and sing.." Her eyes were on her fingering. She must have spent night after endless night trying to get them down, but she still had trouble doing two things at once.

She tapped her foot in time with the song, like it was the beating of her heart. Every once in a while she would glance out the side of her eye toward Duke, and give a sideways little smirk. She wasn't trying to show off to impress the guy, was she? No way, that little flourish was for a bit of color and not to impress anybody at all, obviously.

When it came to the chorus, her eyes were on Red, impatiently waiting for her to pick up the heavy-lifting of the singing. She wasn't about to butcher an Ann Wilson song, not with her pipes. She's cocky, not stupid.

--Red
Red grit her teeth, picking up her slouch as she took over the performance for a hot minute. She had already self-declared this girl as her rhythm rival, and she wasn't about to make herself a fool while she was playing a piece that used to be Joan's. Her acting was hard to put under a particular note, the intensity too high for it to be discernible as to who and why she was trying to sing for. Maybe there was no one in the end, as ultimately the song was not hers to take.

--Duke
The motor oil scent vanished as Duke realized...Patty was tossing a few little smirks here and then, sliding them his way with those endearing plucks of the guitar. A bit of heat rose to his cheeks, but he was pretty sure it was just the pizza forge. Yes. Just the flames. He smiled awkwardly back at her, thoroughly envious of her ability to just get up and play in front of strangers to begin with. He could twang away at a ukulele all day long and not know how to pluck a chord. The young pizza boy wasn't sure if the lady was playing solely for Red anymore and frankly...he was plenty flattered by the thought alone.

--Patty
Pinching her eyes shut, she wailed out as she hit the chorus, "Craaaazy on you..." She was more Janis than anything else, contralto in pitch and raspy as Hell. Still when she felt it, she felt it. Hopping out of her seat, she pressed her back to Red's and raised the guitar in a triumphant strumming, stance wide as she rocks out. "YEEEEAAAAAH!!!" Her eyes locked with Red and you could see the imaginary microphone between them, "Lemmi go craaazy, crazy on yooooooou!"

--Red
Red snickered as they finished the song, straightening her back against Patty's. "...You can keep it. I don't need that guitar anymore."

She put away her melody maker, grabbing her suitcase with her amp as she pulled her guitarcase over her back.
Her face was... difficult to read. She seemed sad, but it was hard to tell when her expressions tended to lean towards the angry end of the emotional spectrum.

--Duke
"Hey." Duke called over to her, nodding his head upwards with a warm smile. "...Come on back if you need to warm up again. I'll only charge ya' another tune. And you..." He'd point over to Patty. "Stick around. You and I got business to discuss." His tone wasn't harsh in the slightest, despite the fact that the woman seem pretty drawn to just taking things. What was this young man plotting...?

--Patty
Patty shook her head, "Where would I put it, in my mansion along with my fifteen cars? I ain't taking your baby, just keep it warm for me and if you see me again, lemmi break it out once in a while... I kinda miss it a lot." She shoved her hands in her pockets, kicking at the floor before she looks at her, smiling, "..but man. If we did that shit on stage, imagine it. We'd be dripping in pussy!" She snorts and punches Red in the arm, cackling.

Duke's offer came out of nowhere to her. Patty? What could he want with a two-time loser like me? She gave a look of astonishment to Red, then winked, "Oh yeah, yeah. I bet I can clear my busy schedule. Make some room." No, of course she wasn't blushing. Idiot.

"Hey, I'm sorry I flipped out at you the other night, dude." She patted Red on the shoulder, "You just kinda.. I.. I dunno, you just reminded me of somethin' I didn't wanna.. believe?" She seems to be struggling to make her intent known, so instead she simply shrugs, "Just bad memories, that's all. Sorry. Anyways."

--Red
Red wasn't taking a no for an answer, shrugging widely as she left one of of the guitars on a seat nearby. "I don't have a home either. That guitar has been hauled around for longer than you've been alive." Refusing to explain any further, she waved her hand in the air, accepting her apology with nothing more than that and a nod.

To Duke, she seemed a bit more apologetic, though that was only because the memory of eating was still too fresh in her mind. Once old woes set in, the little raccoon may not be so forgiving. Regardless of what may come, the diner wasn't a place she wanted to linger around any longer. Quickly as she'd walked in she left, leaving behind something that to her was a bit more than an instrument, even if it didn't seem as valuable as what she took with her.

--Duke
"...Huh." He remarked, watching her leave. Mm, foreboding! "Alright, well, now that *that's* done and over with, let's discuss the terms of your penance."

A grin trickled across his cheeks as he spoke, leaning in on the couch. "I don't feel like working the morning shift, so you're gonna cover that, every day until the weekends, just to make it simple. I'll get you a 'W-'...whatever number it is, but you start tomorrow. I teach you the basics, and what you need to know."

He stretched out his back, popping it with a sigh. "You'll be staying up in my room until you can get to your feet, financially. I'm pretty sure you won't mind a couch and some blankets. In return, I trust you won't jack any of my stuff, right?"

--Patty
Woops. Something about that didn't sit well with her. Those hazels narrowed at him and she balled up her fist, storming up to him with her finger thrust forward, "Oh, is that is what I'm doing, am I?" That finger was thrust into his chest, hard, and the she shoved his shoulder. For being a small chick, she had some push to her.

"You think just because you got a nice smile and a nice ass, I'm gonna just be happy earning my keep on my back, is that what you're getting at? I don't care how pretty your eyes are, I'm not a fuckin' whore!" She crosses her arms, glaring at him angrily, "I'm a tramp, but I'm not a whore! Fuck.. and who said I should be your charity case, huh?? Think I can't get a job? I had a job! I just.. can't keep a job. That's all." She threw her nose in the air, chin jutting with anger. "I'm not gonna give up my dream for some nine-to-five shit-show throwing pepperonis at asshole tourists. I'm /going/ places!"

--Duke
...He was getting so many mixed messages right now, his poor brain was hurting. Duke did his best to remain level headed as she both accused and complimented him, waiting until he could finally get a word in. "I mean, yes, jail is in fact a place, but not the kind of place I want you ending up in for trying to scrape by." He retorted with a huff, thoroughly unamused by the attitude he was getting from her.

"Look, I'm not trying to make any insinuations by being so forward so, let's cut the bullshit, alright? I'm offering you a job and a place to keep warm. I had to toss out a racoon while you were busy scorching the skin off your arm, and if...if I did that with you, even if I was just leaving you to your own devices..." A frown, edged with misery, tugs at his lips.

"I'd feel pretty shitty, alright? Fuck just...accept it, please. I need another pair of hands." He huffed quietly, his expression shifting to genuine concern.

--Patty
Finally she blows all the air out of her lungs, causing her hair to flutter upward. "....Alright, look. I'm sorry. You're probably a nice guy and all, it's just.." She rubbed her arm, "You wouldn't be the first guy to offer me a place to stay and be all nice, then get.." Her face tries to emote the complicated feeling she had at the moment, "..it's not easy to trust people is all I'm sayin'." For a moment she couldn't look at him, then finally she added, "Besides... I probably smell like like ass right now. I'm not at my.." She pulled a stray curl of that mousy-brown hair behind her ear, "..not lookin' my best."

She walked over to the guitar case, picked it up, and shrugged. "Fuck it. Not much left to lose."

--Duke
"..." He looked over to the wall, some of the photos hanging from the wall. Pointedly, his eyes fall on a picture of two children, a younger and older brother on either side of their mother, the three of them smiling. "...Yeah, I getcha. About not being able to trust people so easily."

Duke turns back to Patty with a smile...well, more of a smirk. "And yet I get people like you waltzing in here, stealing my food, playing all nice-like and making it impossible to stay angry." He points a thumb up to the set of stairs behind the counter, leading up to his room. "...Shall we?"

--Patty
Her eyebrows raise at that, and then she adds, "Eh... I need a shower. If you got a shower, and don't mind me washing a load of my dirty drawers, then yeah. I'll be right up." She smiled at him, then walked outside to gather her duffel bag that had almost everything she owned. Before she left she paused, looking over the picture he was looking at, then gave it a very sweet sort of smile before heading out and returning, the duffel bag stuffed with her garments and possessions. She looked like a sailor coming home on shore leave, the bag was half her size. Despite this, she hefted it with aplomb. Strong girl.

To herself she hummed, a tuneless little ditty to allay her ill feelings about giving somebody another chance. It wasn't like she mistrusted him, it just didn't come easy. Even before she left for LA, it didn't come easy, with good reason.

--Duke
Duke nodded his head over to the staircase, and began his ascent. Making it to the door at the top of the winding steps, he pressed his thumb into the much high quality lock, punching in a few numbers and slotting in the house key into the lock. He turned the key to the side, and opened the door. The living space was arguably more spacious, though that likely had to do with the face that the space of the 2nd floor wasn't being taken up by large appliances or counters.

Straight around was Duke's private room (as if the place wasn't already private), with it's own door, with mahogany floors spilling outside of his room and into the well-furnished kitchen that took up the middle of the 2nd floor. Towards the back was the living room, which seemed to have plush carpeting, a sofa, and a modest entertainment center with a flatscreen sitting on top. A computer sat next to it, with a wireless keyboard and mouse sitting on the coffee table. Red brick, flush with crimson, adorned the walls except for the small black and white tiling near the stove in the kitchen area.

"Welcome home. Shower's in my room, washer and dryer are just down the hall from it." He pointed to the fairly old looking appliances, creme color with a touch of retro in design, but still in working order.

--Patty
Patty boggled at the digs, her eyes going over it's appointments with an appreciative whistle. "Jeez Louise. So much for fuckin' rent control. LA is a trip. In New York, this would be a family of ten." She was already wadding up her flannel shirt and stuffing it in her duffel bag, pulling off her sneakers and kicking them to the door. It seemed like a little path of chaos followed her, things smudged, moved or cluttered as she made her way.

She sniffed her pits and groaned, "Ugh. You kinda forget about BO when you're out there too long. You got somethin' I can slip into? I'm not picky." She slipped into the laundry room and began dumping her clothes into the washing machine. A couple of video tapes are tossed toward the couch, sailing over and landing on a cushion. Her raised voice comes from inside the room, "So you like, live with roommates? Your girl or guy clean the place up, or you got maids? Place is like a shrine."

--Duke
"Thanks ah, yeah, I'll find you something to wear." He nodded heading over to the grab himself a sweet tasting, tropical 'beer'. Seagram's Calypso Colada. Pretty much the only thing he could enjoy that was mildly alcoholic. He turned to the door way for the laundry room with a snicker, closing the fridge with a little thump. "Nope. Just me here. Broke my ass trying to make this place look nice, but I had some help along the way. Nah, I just clean the place myself. I live here, after all. It'd be a damn shame if I left all messy and shit."

--Patty
The lid slams and the water begins to fill up, followed by a bare rear end walking down the hall toward the bathroom, Patty pulling her hair tie out and fluffing her curls before tossing it aside. Apple-bottomed would be a good description as she shouts over her shoulder, "Hey, grab me one of those if you're being so damn charitable," before entering the bathroom and starting up the shower.

A few minutes later a loud, angry and rhythmic rumbling starts from the laundry room. Looks like she dumped all her clothes in at once, overloading and imbalancing it.

--Duke
Duke turns to make a witty retort as he *reluctantly* grabs another with a playful huff, his jaw dropping a little at the sight of- oh *holy* **SHIT** that is so much *bare* **ass** that's more than he's ever seen in his life in person hooooo boy that's wow okay.

He clear his throat, trying to ignore how uncomfortable his jeans had gotten all of a sudden. "U-uh, yeah, you got it." The young man clears his throat, setting the second one on the coffee table after a brisk walk, right next to his.

The tumbling causes himself to bolt back to the laundry machine, pausing the cycle and *desperately* trying to pull out a sizeable chunk of clothes to set on the dryer. "Ah man, not all at *once*! I'm trying to keep these both running for a bit longer!"

--Patty
"WHAT??" She shouts over the running water, but Patty is too busy getting weeks of gunk out of her skin, her hair, her everywhere. After a while her scratchy voice can be heard above the din of the shower, "Oh lord, woncha buy me a Mercedes Benz. My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends..."

The tapes were visible on the couch, looks like the Three Stooges marathons, taped on a long-play cassette and viewed to Hell and back. The shower stops, and after a moment a large towel turban pokes out from the doorway, "You're just gonna have to let me go without shavin' my legs, I can't stand razor burn on top of arm burn. Hey, you got me some PJs or somethin'?" There is a scrubbing sound from the bathroom, the sounds of teeth being brushed. Sadly, this was most likely Duke's toothbrush. Guess he'll have to buy another.

--Duke
Dukes shuts the washer and gets it up and running again. There we go. No threats of the machine being destroyed from the inside out. He sighs as he laments the loss of a good tooth brush, running over to his room to grab his own PJ's. He pokes his head in, holding out a fluffy pair of Pac-Man loungers, and a pretty large Mickey Mouse t-shirt. "Here you go."

--Patty
She beams at the shirt, then looks to him, "I'm not gonna lie. Minnie was always my favorite. I mean, mom always said I was more like Donald, but I liked Minnie." She pulled her turban off, spitting in the sink* and giving the toothbrush a cursory clean before leaving it on the side of the sink. Long brown hair was gathered in a clump by the drain.

With a whip of her neck her hair is freed, fluffing into a mass of wavy curls that fall around her neck. She gives it a quick pat before fluffing them a bit more by hand and gathering it into a big puffy ponytail. Her eyes are on him right now, trying to decide something. Somehow, some way, despite what looks like vigorous scrubbing, her fingernails still have oil under them. Her smell, at least, was no longer overpowering cigarette and engine grease. If nothing else, she smelled like him. Sort of.

Finally she says, "If you're waitin' for me to drop the towel, well.." She did her very best not to smirk, but then added, "..you're just gonna have to wait."

--Duke
Her last little quip knocked him free of his little space-out session, forcing a huff from him as he smirked at her. "Just take the clothes, *Goofy*." Duke let her take the shirt and pj's from him as he rolls his eyes at her. Admittedly, he did like her hair way better now that it had been hit with the one-two coconut shampoo and conditioner. So much *floof*.

...Duke grinned a little as he leaned back a little, being a little bit cheeky. "...I'm waiting~..." Oh yeah, he was being completely cheeky right back at her, gauging her reaction with those emerald eyes of his that seemed to flick away with a mixture of curiosity and...no, *definitely* not any form of desire. That'd be inconceivable.

--Patty
She raised her eyebrow at him, "I've been on the street for weeks. I got hairy legs, hairy pits, nasty nails, dirt in my skin and now I smell like a pina colada. I'm full of pizza, and I'm about to put on a Mickey Mouse shirt. You wanna see my fat, hairy ass? Pfft, be my guest. I guess dudes in LA ain't picky."

The towel was dropped unceremoniously, and she wasn't kidding about the lack of grooming. She still had a bit of curve to her, all except up top where she had practically nothing to speak of. Still, she couldn't help but turn around to put on her PJs, and show off. Just a little. The shirt was slipped on over her head, and she gave him a matter-of-fact look. "There. Happy? Spend five years boxing, I was fit as a goddamn fiddle, and you wanna see my pancake tits and rib cage? I like you.. but you could do so much better than me."

She brushes past him, bumping into him with her shoulder and leaving a pile of wet towels and a train wreck of a bathroom behind her. A ring of dirt, oil and who-knows-what circled the tub, and bits of water flecked the mirror.

--Duke
Strangely enough, he didn't seem to react much to the lack of care, not as much as he even though he'd react even as she brought it back up. His eyes were firmly planted on her form though, especially as she teased a bit of a show.

Something changed as she tried to pass through. His arm shot to the side, barring the doorway from her. Just as she was pushing him with that finger of hers, he was now towering over her, his bangs drawing a curtain over her as he casually cornered her against the wall. "Maybe. Maybe I could...but *you*...you could..." The words trailed off in whispers as his...remarkably lean frame surrounded her. This was the physique of someone who didn't stop their training, even though he likely wasn't as good in a fist fight. Clear muscle definition in his shirt, and, if she looked close enough, his jeans even held faint traces of thigh muscles.

He raised his hand, almost as if to cup her cheek...but points a thumb to the dirty pile. "...at least *hang* them back up to try, or toss them in the wash. I'm letting you stay here, but I'm not letting you dirty up the place." He leaned back with a satisfied grin, bopping his hips into hers on his way out. Eye for an eye, Patty.

--Patty
Oh those eyebrows shot up when he blocked her way, and those eyes flashed with defiance. "Don't get fresh with me, I'll drop you like a habit. See if I don't." Her face flushed, breath coming in short pants. For a moment, a brief moment, she was on the ropes. It had been a long time, a real long time, when she'd been in this kind of position, and was in a place she wanted to be.

Her eyes followed the line of his shoulders, the color of his eyes, and then to the thumb toward the towels, and a girlish grin broke across her face, a grin she quickly stifled. With a half-salute, she nodded.. "You're boss."

She watched him go with that smile on her face still, then she looked in the mirror and her face fell. "...oh fuck. Pat, you dumb bimbo. Don't you do it." She spoke to herself in the mirror, but it was too late. She rolled her eyes. "God... you're so stupid sometimes."

--Duke
He went into his room to change out for the night...and it wasn't long before he had his own set of jammies, Muppets proudly displayed on those fuzzy pants he was working, the image of a rabid Furbee likewise being the highlight of his loose sleeping shirt.

The young man strolled across the room to his couch, plopping down and powering up the TV with the remote. For now? He was just channel surfing, taking a brief pause to pop the caps on their drinks before he takes a swig of his own.

...Wow this now was a lot weirder now that he thought about it. He was living with someone now. Didn't he kinda dislike being around other people? The *fuck* happened to that? He took another swig, shaking his head. Too many colorful personalities winning over his pure heart.

--Patty
Duke would feel a hand on his shoulder, a gentle squeeze. Yeah, she was checking out the goods before buying, but it was something else. Her face was solemn, eyes on his and nothing else as she circled around the couch, finally sitting next to him, facing the TV. For moment she's silent, looking at the show on screen but not watching it.

Finally she turned, and a hand came to his cheek. Her breath was close, she could feel the heat of his skin, and he hers. Her eyes, though, had something else in them. It wasn't excitement, it was more a worry. Her lips were cracked, dry from days on the street. They were the softest thing he'd ever felt. It was just a gentle kiss, a test almost, but as she pulled away her eyes were closed, and she looked so happy.

Those hazel orbs blinked open once more, and she said quietly, "..I'm sorry." Patty swallows hard, her voice even as she can make it. "...I want you." Her hand was still on his cheek, gentle. "Help me get there, alright? Just.. just give me a night." She presses her head into his chest, lying against him for his arm to wrap around her. "Just gimme time. Alright?" Her tone is apologetic, hesitant, as if she knew that was that, and she'd be gone.

--Duke
For the longest time there was little but the silence between them, and the rush of Duke's pounding heart. The jolt that'd sent his brain into a tailspin, and yet he'd barely gotten around to pushing back into the embrace before she'd broken the kiss. She'd said something, and his answer would almost certainly forge a new destiny for him to tread. With a breath, he drew the words that would seal their bond...

--Duke
"Sorry, what'd you just say?" Duke just flat out asked, blinking a little. "Yeah, like, you...tossed words at my ears, but I'm gonna be completely honest with you I just kinda, blanked out after that-...kiss? That was a kiss right? That was a good kiss, you're a good kisser." The dude was fucking rambling at this point, his whole face lit up with red.

"And in case you asked a question...yes. I have no idea what it was, but yes."

--Patty
Somehow she got younger when she smiled, and she couldn't stop that girlish grin from breaking out all over. "Shut up, you're makin' me blush. Jeez." She covered up her face, but added, "..but yeah, I been told I'm a good kisser. I'll prove it to you, some time." She craned her neck, and a soft kiss was placed on his nape, with a little bite for good measure, "..I won't make you wait long. Promise. Just lemmi get back to feeling... civilized again." She removed her hair tie, and the fluff of curls fell down her neck once more. The softness of the couch. The warmth of another person, someone else's touch, and the feeling of being safe in someone's arms. It took her all at once, and with that her eyes fluttered. A blissful little smile stayed on her lips as she felt sleep take her. She hadn't felt like this since New York.

--Duke
He hissed gently at the little nip to his nape, seizing up in...something. It was hard to tell with his expression, but it didn't look  *entirely* painful. Well now he was left shivering with adrenaline and sexual tension. "Yeah, nah. I getcha." Duke nodded on, just soaking in this surreal moment. His own eyes began to droop, as the weight and warmth of her form drew a comfort he'd rarely felt in recent. He leaned into her back, knowing perfectly well...

The morning after was going to be really god damn awkward.

--Patty
Patty was nowhere to be seen in the morning. Her clothes, of course, were still in the washing machine, soaking, and the guitar was still sitting on the couch. Her keys were gone, however, and a piece of a paper bag is stuck to the fridge with a magnet. For Duke's eyes only.

Her knife was gone as well.

--Duke
Duke fluttered his eyes open as dawn spilled through, and he slowly shifted himself onto his feet, shaking his hair out. He blinked a few times, turning back to the couch. She was gone. Huh.

Looking around, it seemed some of her stuff was here, namely her 'new' guitar. Duke chewed on his bottom lip, resigning himself to the morning wake-up slog before he gets into a twist about this. As fate would have it, his eyes catch the note after a quick walk to the fridge, reaching out to it and reading the contents.

He snorts a little.

"Groupie, huh? Could say the same thing about you...wouldn't kill you to make the note sound a little less dire though."

He grabs a bowl, chucks a bit of cereal into it with some milk, and seats himself the the round table, staring at it as the gears clicked in his head.

"...Shit, she was supposed to work the morning shift..." Duke huffed quietly to himself, spooning breakfast into his mouth.

Such is Duke's lot in life.