View source for 2020-04-11 - Bar Politics, A Reunion Story

{{Logsummary|
Title    = Sex, Guns, and Violence Part 2
|Summary = Rocket Raccoon and Urus meet again after much time has passed and alcohol is involved with what follows.
|Who     = [[Urus]], [[Rocket Raccoon]]
|Date    = April 11th, 2020
|Where   = The Usual Restaurant
|Log=
Urus is in the usual, he's armed as per usual as the usual is unusually quiet for this time of evening. The hybrid hyena is drinking, which is not his usual but what is neccesary to calm his senses down tonight. The hyena has a small stack of about 6 shot glasses, upside down and emptied his tail deathly still as he stares out at the other side of the bar. He gives a decent sigh to himself, not looking rowdy or even dangerous at this point as if the world has disapointed him today.

The door to the men's toilet opens with a bang against a wall and a tall figure stumbles out backwards.  The man, human, looks very physically capable.  His shirt is barely a shirt at all; it lacks sleeves, too, which displays muscularly-thick tattooed arms.  The man does not fall from his stagger, though, as he manages to regain his balance.  During this recovery a smaller figure follows, quickly, which bounds twice out the door before springing into the air almost effortlessly as high as the man's chest.  The musclebound fellow throws a wide swing -- it's a fight! -- but the blow misses.  Instead, the small furry critter grasps that swung arm, kicks off of it, and lands the smallest left hook ever on the man's jaw.  How cute!  What a laugh!  Look how the cute fuzzy thing ''sends the man sideways to crash against the side of a table six feet away before hitting the floor. 
 
"Hey!  No fighting!" yells a member of staff as a few other customers make unhappy sounds in response to the violence.  The fuzzy animal, now on the floor and ready to brawl, points a finger in threat at the man on the floor that slowly tries to get up. 
 
"You 'ear vat, you krutacking flarknard.  No figh'ing!  You touch me tail one more time and you'll be paying in teef."  Well, that's an accent with a voice not easy to forget.

Urus raises his head and looks to watch and goes wide eyed at seeing an old aquaintance. that furry boastful raccon has made his way here too. impressive to say the least though he is more impressed by the hook that sends a guy reeling. it has to be him. "Hey, its the guardian with the three hundred pound gun!" the hyena smiles, his sharp teeth showing. "It has been too long smallfry, get up here and I'll buy you a drink, and I'll finish what you started if he comes back." the hyena says with a chuckle patting the bar stool next to him as the hyena looks a bit more worn down than the last time they met.

The man on the floor aims to pretest to some degree, but a stomping step forward sends the man scrambling to just leave.  It's already embarrassing as it is.  The raccoon spits after him, which earns a sigh from staff because that's just disgusting, but what else can they do aside from kick the small guy out?  Scrunch-muzzled, Rocky turns and stalks over to the bar because 'I'll buy you a drink' is a universal attention-getter.  Hopping up onto a stool, the critter doesn't sit there upon it.  Instead, as before so long ago, he sits on the countertop.  "I fink I know you from somewhere -- wait.  Wait!" 
 
Rocket leans back away rom Urus and squints a bit.  "Were you vat bloke wot needed a good lay?  Tell me you found somefing in alla vis time, mate."  Squiiiiiint.

Urus chuckles after the guy runs. "good to see you again. supprised you made the jump." he says. The hybrid having been many places recently and only a month or so ago was just re-ariving in twisted for the second time. "Back in neo- tokyo, and... well, no, no I have not." he admits. "Lucky in many ways but that one." he admits. "Get him whatever he wants" the hyena nods to indicate Rocket to the bartender who nods. Rocket would recognize the old beat up SMG is still with him as well, was a good number of years but yeah, same guy.

Now, the Usual Restaurant is one of the only places you can get free food and drinks, but that's beside the point.  The offer to buy a drink, even if you don't have to pay for it, can be what matters more...so long as there is actual drink to be had.  Rocket isn't picky.  He orders some flavor of gutrot before throwing his hands up.  "Va flark, mate!  Am I going t'af to get you a date?"  This is one hell of a conversation for such a small and now carefully watched figure to have so ''loudly'' in a public place.  Keeping it classy.  He's also keeping focus on one aspect of the conversation while holding off on the whole 'Welcome to Twisted' part.

Urus shakes his head. "if its human it wouldnt be for long and if you have not noticed theres not a hell of a lot of non human women in our feild of work willing to deal with us. I know one but she's the damned police cheif." he chuckles. him with rayne is a deffinate no but he's entertained the thought once. The hyena pats Rocket on the back firmly. "how about you, plundered anything 'special' lately?" If Rocket is gonna entertain himself on urus' love life, what goes around comes around.

"Police Chief?  Oi..."  that last word comes out in a shudder, voice shaky, while the coon makes a face.  "Vat gets dangerously close t'politics."  Rocket knows of Rayne, but has never actually met her.  Not yet.  Knowing Rocky, though, he's bound to bump into the authorities eventually.  Sure, he does bounty hunter work, but he also has a passion for overkill and collateral damage that Rayne and TASK won't much care for in execution.  "As for me?  Mate."  He levels his gaze and flattens his voice to show that he's being direct and serious.  "Women adore me."  Rocky scrunches his face briefly and quickly adds, "And so do some blokes."  He shakes his head and offers a shrug.  "Va point being," he interrupts himself, "I keep sa'isfied.  Often."  This very restaurant has seen many of those 'nights' begin.  Or, well, end before they get going far. 
 
This conversation probably happened in part before.  Something about plush animals.  "Honestly, it only takes asking.  Sssssso you can't bang 'umans.  So wot?  Vey are way overra'ed."  And Rocket?  He has a string of broken hearts in his wake and a lot of his exes are very bitter about it.  Such is the life of a love 'em and leave 'em type.  "If you could choose, like, men'ally construct an ideal, wot would it be?"  The ringtail is trying to flip the conversation again.

Urus shakes his head. "you do realize you are speaking to an ex human. right?" he asks. "honestly it would almost feel weird if I did find some girl like me." he admits not being as progressive as he might lead others to beleive with his live and let live lifestyle. which is broken as soon as the money hits the table. "what, not willing to embarass the men too?" he chuckles. "regardless. you're not tricking me into saying that. beleive me, I know what is the ideal and its never going to happen." he admits.

Rocket crosses his arms and willfully ignores the teasing question to instead quip, "Well, you'uh a bloody tough nut a'bust open.  If'ats any indication, vat fits your profile so far.  Funny fing, innit."  The raccoon seems to find this funny, but his attention is turned to the delivery of drinks and the sound of money being put on the counter.  Rocky's eyes move from the drinks to the money to the hyena-hybrid back to the drinks and then to the money again before slowly settling on Urus fully. 
 
"Wot, you don't know?"

Urus cackles his own hyena like way. "hehe I would hope so after all the time I spent turning into this." he says. "30 days of nonstop internal torture." he smirks. "not fun." the hyena gets his own drink and knocks back whatever the clear fluid is. "sorry, what? don't know what?" he asks with a tilt of his head. "what are you thinking of?"

The ringtail reaches over to place a hand on the money on the counter and slides it in Urus' direction just a couple inches.  "Anywhere else, yeah, but money's no good in 'ere.  You could tip va workuhs if you wan'ed, but it's not necessary."  There's a pause.  "Probably best if you 'old on to wot you 'ave, mate, until you find some reguluh work."  Rocket speaks from experience -- he's been here quite a while and he's assuming that Urus hasn't been?  It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that only a new arrival wouldn't know that. 

Rocky's tone changes.  Sure, while sex is important, there are other important needs, too.  "You doin' all right, mate?  You 'ave a place t' stay?  ...steady work?"

Urus shrugs. "hey I'm just trying to pay out for whats there, Yeah, I have a place to stay though work is a bit rough, took an odd bounty or two. thats it." he admits. "not sure what I'm good at that is marketable other than, well you know. making many holes in people without holes." he says raising his gun for half a second. the hyena looks a little uneasy at that even as if its that fact that brought him here in the first place. he takes back the payment. "what about you, you got somthing stable?"

"Salvage.  Invention.  Boun'ies.  I do wot I always 'ave, excepting va 'ole piloting frough space and figh'ing cosmic monstuhs wot freaten va Galaxy."  Rocket pauses for a moment to shotgun the booze awaiting his interaction.  He grunts and shakes his head.  That's a burn.  "Somefing tells me you still don't believe I can use an Ion Cannon."  That would be his three hundred pound gun he mentioned working on a while back, in the other place.  "Well...va d'ast fing got left be'ind.  Working on somefing else now, but it's taking some tweaking wif photoacoustic phonons.  Touchy fing, innit.  Not ready for testing yet.  Soon."  And maybe a special occasion for it, if danger rears its ugly head with Rocky around.

Urus nods "maybe I can learn a bit more from Johann, I patched myself up enough times I might as well learn the rest of it I guess." he shrugs. "besides he's probably swamped having to take care of all of twisted by himself." he says. Urus rubs his head before it traces around to the back of his neck. "best case senario I guess because I don't know if I'm civil enough for law enforcement." he admits. he looks to the raccon and chuckles. "If you can lift a 300 pound gun I dare you to take me off the ground." he says standing up and looking smug. the hyena is a little under 200 himself, which makes him a little more dense than he looks even at 6'1. the rest of the technobabble goes right over his head, hearing not much more than 'touchy weapon tech thats not yet perfected'. "well, not as many monsters as of late. usually I would have had at least three brawls with some zombie but..."

Rocky eyes Urus.  He just made a meathead eat the floor.  "You know as well as I do it's not just lifting somefing.  You need balance and stabili'y.  Me Ion Cannon were about a metre and a 'alf long, but dense; compact and made from 'eavy materials, yeah?"  He pauses a couple seconds so the math can sink in.  "If I picked you up you'd just fall right ovuh or somefing and risk me breaking your leg."  The raccoon raps his knuckles on the countertop upon which he sits perched.  He wants another round or two.  "You realize I didn't 'it vat bloke in va face with full strengf, yeah?  Didn't want a'murder 'im; just teach 'im a lesson."  Boy can the little guy brag.

Urus rolls his eyes and sits back down. surrrre balance. at this point he feels like Rocket is full of shit even though it shouldnt be supprising that the raccoon is not as it seems. "I'm sure you could absolutely do so, and while you're at it your workout regiment consists of squatting park benches and bench pressing cars..." he says with the tone to tell he does not beleive a word of it. "got a special diet too hercules?" he jokes.

"Rocket fuel," says he in namesake as he thumbs at the shots refills incoming.  Not the most high brow humor, but there's something to be said for simplicity and timing, complete with a toothy laugh that accompanies it.  "Why are you so adamant about me picking you up?  Ain't you best worried about trying t' pick up somebody yourself?"  More humor from the short and fuzzy.  "Flarking 'ell," he comments before draining a shot of ethanol-based throat-lubricant.  "People are going a'talk.  Ha ha ha ha!"

Urus chuckles, that was decent he'll give the little fuzzball that. "I am not, I'm just figuring that your words might not match your actions is all. no offense but until I see you in action I don't beleive half of what you said about your prowess with your 'ion cannon' he says. he shoots a small glare at Rocket for briging them full circle. "so now that you've had a drink why don't we have dinner." he says. he's willing to bat for both teams and if it flusters the 'coon then its all worth it.

"Ain't vey one in va same?" asks Rocket as he holds a shotglass in one hand and points at it with the other.  His gaze then passes over to the stack of shot glasses before the hyena guy and competitive nature kicks in.  "One, two, free, four, five.  Bring me five more!"  A pointed glare is given Urus.  "You might fink me teef are dull, but you've got anuhvuh fing coming, mate.  You sop up vat liquor in you if you need to, but I'm going to do some catching up.  Maybe pass you once or twice around va track."  The notion about dinner meaning anything close to a date goes over Rocky's head at the moment.

Urus chuckles. "you sure you can hold that many? youre more than half the size, dont you need half the alcohol?" he asks "No need to pass out on me."  the hyena sighs at the fact his half hearted attempt going wide, he can't even pick up the guy who is rooting for him to get a date. figures thats his luck. "So, I'm a bit partial to long walks on the beach, how about you." he says with attempt two, If the steryotype were not obvious he'll probably try the more blunt approach. because why the hell not, what does he have to loose, well his dignity but that probably went half when he was naked and watched as he transformed into the hyena he is now... "you ever contemplated somthing more long term than one night stands?"

"Trust me, mate.  I can outdrink you.  Solid fact.  Period.  End o' sentence."  Yes, it's true.  Rocket Raccoon is one cocky sonavabitch and it's usually justified.  That's how he gets away with it.  "But seeing as 'ow vis is only va second time you've evuh 'ad a drink wif me I can forgive you for not knowing va trufe o'vit."  Staff so serving might seem a little dubious at the order.  It's not because Rocket -can't- drink that much.  It's just a matter of the things he's more likely to do when drunk.  One more shot goes down. 
 
"As for a beach, I fink vere's one near 'ere...  I've been wif women wif similar interests.  Some planets 'ave beh'uh beaches van uhvuhs.  And nuffing -- nuffing! -- beats Beaches.  Va's a movie.  The Movie.  And I'll shoot anybody wot disagrees wif me."  This is why staff get worried.  Two more shots.  
 
"As for your uhvuh uhvuh conversational topic, I actually 'ave been in rahvuh cemen'ed relationships before, but vey just don't sit wif me lifestyle.  Knowha'amean?"  And the last two more.  He sniffs the air and blinks a couple times.  Visual focus is a good thing.

Urus shrugs "hey I just want to know how much I've had." he says honestly, those 6, now 7 were over the period of a few hours, so that much in a few minutes is the disparity between Urus' rather level head and the raccoon's less so demeanor. "I see so who you need, is someone who likes you, That loves beaches, doesnt mind if you go missing from time to time... and is well versed in having violence and explosions around them..." annnd here comes the wind up...

"I'unno.  I suppose.  You even evuh seen Beaches?"  Rocket shifts his weight a bit where he sits on the counter and his attention is pulled downward.  "Oi, what's got me bum all sticky?  I sit in somefing?"  That's what you get for sitting on the countertop, even if sitting on a stool would be too low.  "Flark.  Ech."  The raccoon picks up his tail and some of the fur near the base sticks to the counter, as well.  "I'm listening, you d'ast poor bloke."  No matter how careful he is, some of the fur winds up pulling out to stick to the countertop but the rapid shots have him a bit too buzzed to be all that dexterous in the process, but it's not like he'd let anybody else do it after that display earlier.  "...but I know wot you want t'ask me."  He does?

Urus nods the affirmative "I lived on one for near a year and worked near one for three so yeah I've seen plenty. always captures the imagination." he says. the hyena brings his one half filled water glass, learned how to keep from getting hangovers. and hands it off, the water should help loosten whatever it happens to be. until of course he goes the hard way and the hyena sighs. "Then I know you have an awnser in mind, Do you want to go out on a date some time smallfry?"

"Sure, we could to'ally go work a boun'y togevuh sometime."  There's a pause, a silence, as Rocky works to get his tail and butt unstuck from whatever syrupy confection that wound up puddled on the counter.  He finally manages, more or less, although the act nearly fully upsets his position to have him fall off the bartop.  He doesn't, but for a moment it sure seems like he might.  The beyond-tipsy coon then hops up to his feet and tries look back at the dirty spot on his backside-covering clothing -- also a dangerous game when you wobble a bit -- before suddenly laughing.  Not a giggle, not a chuckle, but a full on bellow that ends in a snort. 

"I dunno wot vey served me, but it really went t'me 'ead.  For a moment, I fought you asked me for a date."  Thing is, it's not derisive laughter.  It's drunken amusement, plain and simple.  "Wait.  You DID ask me on a date.  Va's it!  See?!"  Rocky hops over before the hyena, standing on the bartop, and offers what must pass as a high-five.  "Just like vat.  Flarking 'ell, well done, mate.  You'uh learning!  Next fing I know you'll be needing date re'earsal." 

Rocket shakes his head.  "I'm not va best one t'elp wif vat kinda practice, mate, but I can at least try.  What else are mates-in-arms for, right?"  There's a bit of misunderstanding, question mark?

Urus sighs he stands up.  the high five goes unawnsered there's a good way to knock sence into someone super drunk and Urus is done playing games. "rocket." he reaches out and gives a few firm but not full on taps to the raccoon's face. "Your drunk as a skunk but I'm going to try this one more time. I'm not practicing, I'm not playing games. Date, Yes or no damnit." he says outright. there is no denying it even by the firmness of the hyena's eye contact. "So what's it going to be. by your definition I should be right what your looking for.. except maybe if I had tits..."

"Ha ha ha.  Wot."  The raccoon reaches up to grab that hand after a tap or two.  He has impressive grip strength.  "I'm not drunk."  He might be a little, but he has the capacity to get far far worse before he reaches a passing-out point.  "Okay.  Let me get vis straight," mentally puzzles the small mammal a bit more sluggishly than normal.  "You."  Rocky points to Urus.  "Want me."  He points to himself.  "On a -date- date."  He flounders a bit.  "Togevuh."  At this point he motions back and forth between the two.  "On a date," he repeats. 

Drunken or not, the ringtail turns to gesture around the culinary establishment with arms held extended.  "Wot precisely is your definition of a date, mate, because we are already vere.  A coffee in a cafe?  A lengfy chat atop a pile o' salvage in va junkyard?  Listening in on police communications on a rooftop waiting for a new boun'y?"  After turning full circle twice, the dizzy and wobbly 'smallfry' peers at Urus with a soft smile. 
 
"Isn't all just a mah'uh o'semantics and situation or am I really missing somefing 'ere?"

Urus smirks. "well if you want to consider this our first one sure. as long as you can wrap your brain around the concept of getting back in the saddle with a legitimate relationship." he says egging the competitive raccoon on. "of course though you couldnt possibly understand how to have a real relationship like I had once. your farrrrr to shallow to even give it a chance." its a little exadurated but its all in the hopes that he'll treat this like he treated the drinks, a challenge for him to prove it. and fall straight into where the hyena now wants him. "The last one didnt sound half bad if I'm honest." he admits. "been a long time since I went on a legitimate hunt."

Many many exes have tried to get the raccoon to fall into line and not a single one has been successful.  Some could consider it a challenge, but...  There's something to be said for setting up for disappointment, too.  There's a reason many of those exes actively seek to deal harm to Rocket.  They've even teamed up in the past!  Rocket inhales deeply before letting it slowly out.  He raises his hands before himself in gesture.  "Look, mate.  By loose definition I'm date material, yeah?  But relationship material is a different fing, innit.  I live one day at a time with ulterior plans for potential futures, but I don't plan for va future aside from basic survival.  I 'ave murdered many hundred faces -- all justified!  I've fought freats to galaxy and universe alike.  I've stepped onto va edge of known space and time in a place called Knowhere.  I've slept wif countless women from across all galactic quadrants.  If I've been wif any blokes, mate, I was likely too drunk at va time t' remembuh.  Probably on purpose." 
 
"But!  If you want a drinking mate, a 'unting mate, or a mate wot knows 'ow t' build really dangerous weapons; va's me!  I can't call it a date and I can't say I'm attracted t'va idea of sex wif a bloke.  I dunno wot I can comprehend va mechanics.  But I'm two-parts 'edonist when I'm one-'alf efanol, so, take a pint o' beer and call it a magic 8-ball.  I'll tip it boh'oms-up and we'll see if it reads 'ask again latuh'.  Ven you 'af a try again, I figure."  Yes, everybody can hear this drunken conversation that is nearby.  Nothing is sacred. 
 
"I could use a top up."  More?  "But we should defini'ly go shoot fings sometime.  Like, a lot.  Bet you me gun's bigguh."  What an arse.

Urus sighs, he half expected this, he's been here before so, hey not as bad as a first time rejection but.. still doesnt feel good. "you know, I am very good freinds with the police cheif, I would be careful what bounties you hunt..." he says. he was willing to give the benifit of not being that way were they to hook up and if it didnt work out he probably would have considered friends and all that. but now, he's got a side and an aleigance. "or if you do, make sure I'm not there. ok smallfry?" he says. the hyena turning a bit on the raccoon, then again, according to rocket this has happened many times to him so... "We can be freinds sure but hey, if you do go off the grid, I will have plenty of work to do hunting you down next." he says. wait, is he finally considering law enforcement? or is it just another bounty? maybe its the drinks. "hey.' he says to the bartender who listens. "strong one this time, bigger glass. just got rejected."

The bartender nods, slightly annoyed.  "We all heard."

With a tip of his head to one side, Rocky watches Urus with curiosity.  He said he was human once, right?  Rocket can't ever seem to understand humans.  Even admitting he might get drunk enough to do something he normally never would is going out of a limb of honesty, but Rocket's not going to take the backing down and turning around as offensive.  That's just not how Rocket operates.  "Don't 'ave t'worry, mate.  I'm one a'va good guys.  I might be one o'va only Guardians around 'ere, but I'll do me best t' figure fings out and keep people safe.  It's wot I do.  Nice t'get paid and all, but...  Eh.  I'm flexible.  More van I might want t'admit." 
 
With a hesitant hop, the raccoon jumps from the counter onto the stool.  "You can take wot I said at your own definition, o'course.  Wotevuh is safest for you.  If it's one fing I'm really good at, it's testing boundaries.  I'm not va safest choice, maybe, so vat makes you smartuh van me when it comes t'vis kinda stuff.  I'll give you some space and step out.  I know 'ow vis works.  I've been frough it before." 
 
The small fellow hops from the stool to the floor with a thud.  "Just remember, mate.  A closed door isn't a rejection.  A locked door is.  And va's about all va metaphor I can come up wif while va room spins.  Pretty cool a'see you again.  You got a great laugh, mate.  Don't get murdered."

Urus cracks his long neck. "Good, I'd hate to have to kill you." he says. guardian or no he knows how easily someone can turn, hell he's one of them. "You are right about one thing, I should find someone, and its obvious you've saved me a hell of a lot of effort, its obvious you are a one man operation in every way possible." he says now slightly bitter. "oh beleive me, many things have tried to kill me, havent found a creature yet that could."

With eyes wide, pupils dilated, and rounded ears dipping backward, Rocket stuffs his hands into his jumpsuit pockets and slowly heads toward the exit.  He's not embarrassed.  He's not offended.  He's a bit confused, though.  He's not sure he can possibly extend friendly invitation any clearer than he has.  "I'll see you around, mate," he offers.  "I'll pay for va next round."

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