A mix between Vodka and Car Bombs

Characters: Reese Morgan and Merlot Di'Avorissio
When: A day after the Arcane Protectors arrive at Seattle
Where: Mint Club and Bar, Seattle, WA

Summary: Ever wonder what would happen if Vodka and Car Bombs were to mix? Believe me, it's not a pleasant taste...that's how Reese sees things, especially how things are with the Shadowkind and all the troubles they bring. However, a meeting with a fellow Arcane Protector lightens things up a bit.


Reese was just having one of those nights that she needed a stiff drink and being able to check out all the available eye candy. Then again, she hadn't heard from Ethan since he left her a couple days ago. Sighing, she downed the rest of the drink that she ordered before getting a refill. Boy, was her life up in the rocks.

Reese turned her head when someone asked about her sigh. She found a woman sitting next to her, her blue eyes shone against the strobing lights. She grasped the empty glass in her hands, a celtic knit ring clanked against the glass.

"Isn't it obvious? I just met this guy a few days ago...it felt perfect to me. Then, he says that he's going away and he doesn't know when he'll be back from his duties as a soldier. (Sighs) call me a hopeless romantic, but I feel so lost right now," Reese replied as the bartender gave her a refill besides Merlot her drink order. "What about you?"

Reese smiled at the woman's sense of humor, even if it almost seem dampening on Reese's current situation. She smiled as the woman offered a cherry to Reese, who took it with a nod of her head as she bit into it before setting the stem down for later. "Reese. So...by the way you're making it seem, I'd say that you'd had a few of this situation in your life...or maybe it's the lack of companionship that makes you observe the way you have. And, you're right--so glad that the whole 'suicide by hanging' movement of the 18th century has been wiped clean," Reese laughed before she took a swig of her drink. "Judging from your choice of poison, I'd put you as Russian...but, I could be wrong by judging your nationality just by a simple drink. But, it's a force of habit with me--guessing people's nationality by their choice of drink, sometimes."

Reese, unbeknown to the woman, was carefully treading on thin ice as her stiletto knife was still in the boot sheath as it was an hour ago. Then again, being part Irish, Reese was not as mellow drunk as she appeared it to be. She was only at Mint because of a meeting she was supposedly to have with Taylor; but that fell down the drain after hearing that Taylor wasn't around. So Reese figured that since she was already at the club, she'd have a drink to think over what was running in her mind the past few days.

"Italian and Irish...and a bit of Chinese from my Dad's side. Although, it's yet been proved that he is Chinese..." Reese replied as something caught her attention.

Standing not far from behind Merlot was a succubus. Oh, did Reese hate those the most. Give her an incubus over a succubus and she was an ok gal--but this was just adding onto the pile of shit of things she had in her mind. Oh, this was going to be one hell of a night for Reese...and on that note did Reese down the rest of her drink in one gulp.

"Bartender, get me a Rum and Coke, please," Reese said as she held up her empty glass to the bartender behind the bar.

Catching what Merlot was saying, her eyes nearly bugged out for a split second before the moment was gone. Thanking the bartender for both women's refills, Reese looked around the two of then before she lowered her voice, almost as if it was a faint whisper over the loudness of the club.

"And how would you know of the history of a succubus? Not too many folks know of that unless they know firsthand or by reading in depth of their kind..." Reese said as she took a gulp of her drink. "Which, if I'm not mistaken, you've seen one before, haven't you?"

So Reese was proven right again--she really needed to lay off guessing that led to her being right in the end. Nodding her head at Merlot's question of the tattoo, she lifted her hair and on the nape of her neck was the Arcane Protector tattoo.

"Last time I dealt with a succubus, it was a couple years back just as I was getting settled into college in New Orleans," Reese said as she grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels from the other side of the bar, which the bartender looked at her with a stern look before Reese flashed a twenty to him.

Taking a swig of the bottle before hissing back the bite of the alcohol, Reese looked over at Merlot...only to find the succubus getting closer to the two women. Her hand absentmindedly reached for the stiletto in her boot.

"I hope you came prepared for anything, Merlot..." Reese said as she looked back at the woman.

Pulling the stiletto out of her boot, she laid it flat against her palm. She took another swig of the alcohol straight up as she narrowed her eyes slightly and calculated how much time before the succubus was right behind Merlot.

"Always good to know that some of the training we both learned never has gone out of practice," Reese smiled after getting her calculations done in her head. "The question is...just who will be the one that pulls it off."

Before Reese could speak again, the succubus was standing in between Reese and Merlot.

"Good evening, ladies. Fine night for drinking and pleasurable company, isn't it?" the succubus said, her voice like velvet if Reese and Merlot were of the opposite gender.

However, Reese knew better than to fall for the tactic the succubi were known for...however, this particular one seemed to go for the same sex--another thing Reese needed on her plate.

Reese spied a look over to her fellow Protector and saw that Merlot wanted to distract the Shadowkind while Reese made the kill. Not a bad idea--she was going to go the opposite, but hey; this would be better. Reese was kinda glad that Merlot was giving the young Protector a chance to de-stress from all her problems thus far. The stiletto blade was out in a second, soundless to even the most advanced hearing of the Shadowkind.

The succubus turned to face Merlot with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, a funny one, aren't you?" the succubus asked as she smirked at Merlot.

Reese cracked a smile. She was SO loving Merlot's question about how this one would be able to have sex if there was something missing in the sex department.

"Suga...you'll be in so much pleasure that you'll forget that I'm missing a certain anatomy to satisfy your sexual desires," the succubus added as she ran a finger along Merlot's cheek.

Reese then made her move as she stabbed at the succubus in the lower back region.

"Then again, my friend here prefers men over women..." Reese whispered as she twisted the knife a little bit. "But, with me...your kind doesn't take too well with silver or brass objects...pity."

The succubus let out a soundless scream before Reese pulled the blade out.

Reese just rolled her eyes as she went back to sulking. God, what was it with her and her sulking over a guy? Was Ethan worth the sulking? Was Ethan worth being all moody and wanting something--oh, there she went. After all this time, she finally admitted to herself that she, Reese Morgan: Arcane Protector and Part Time Writer/Researcher, was in love! Oh, she was going to need one HELL of a drink in order to get herself out of this gutter of a train of thought.

Glad to hear Merlot ordering a round for herself and for Reese, the young Protector nodded her head as she slid the stiletto back into her boot sheath.

"God, it's hopeless...I've gone back to sulking over a soldier who might not make it back alive from war..." Reese moaned as she placed her head on the bar.

Reese's hand automatically went for the shotglass and she downed the drink in a blink of an eye, not even wincing from the bitter taste. She raised her glass for another shot of Vodka, catching everything Merlot was telling her, but not making any movement to lift her head to acknowledge that she heard it. She knew when people wanted to keep things from others...this was something she was most good at sometimes.

Reese lifted her head as she listened to Merlot speak. Reese could tell, from the undertone of it all, that Merlot used to be in the same scenario that found the Researcher A.P. at this point.

"He's just got this aura of security whenever I'm around him--in a good way, I guess. He's funny and a killer smile that makes me go weak in the knees--yeah, you can laugh at me; a typical hopeless romantic at heart. And I can't help it at all, Merlot. How we met--funny you should ask. I tripped and hurt myself...and he helped me out. We met at the cafe near the water on the South side of Seattle. Trust me; if you were to meet him now, you can understand why I'm head over heels for him," Reese said, looking to the drinks behind the bar as she spoke with a soft smile on her face.

Reese felt like talking more about Ethan, how he really gets her hormones riled up...but that would be going WAY too much info on the guy itself. So she gladly took the shot once it was brought over and downed it in a heartbeat. Her mind felt a little bit more clearer and lighter than before...maybe she should stop drinking and start to sober up.

"And what of you? You ever found yourself pouring your heart out because of a guy?"