[grimli] twice as nice

"Nope, not yet. Don't take it off. We're almost there," Torr said, almost in a sing-song voice as he guided his cousin around a corner. He was entirely too cheerful, which really should have tipped her off, but he was glad he had gotten this far because he couldn't wait to reveal his secret.

Torrence Regan had breezed into his cousin Ruari's shop yesterday evening, plopping down at her kitchen table and asking for a cup of tea (and adding a little something from a flask he kept in his pocket) and demanded she get out of her shop. She was entirely too much of a worker and you know what they say about all work and no play. So he had begged and prodded and threatened to set her up on another blind date (because the last one had gone so well) until she agreed to go out with him the following evening. He had even kind of vaguely remembered agreeing to take her to a nice dinner spot, a place that had 'ambiance' as she said.

Well. This place sure had something, but he wasn't exactly sure if it qualified as 'ambiance.'

Grimli was a down-and-dirty, in your face kind of place where brash and bare knuckles won over everything else. And Torr couldn't wait for her to see it. He was dressed in his usual white tshirt, black jeans, and a black leather jacket, but what she was wearing might not exactly fit into what Grimli's usual patrons wore. Nevertheless, he put a hand on her shoulder and said, "surprise!" just before untying the blindfold he had goaded her into wearing.

The place was alive with some of the seediest people Torr had ever known. It was loud and there was a fight going on in the ring and Torr's laugh rolled deep from his belly as he looked between his sweet cousin and the place he had brought her to. "So you like?" he asked her with a grin.

@Ruari Regan

"You do know I'm dating someone, right?"

The muffled voice came from a tall girl who was clumsily tripping in her heels. Her slim fingers took hold of Torrence's arm as she took slow, unsure steps, trying her hardest not to trip. She didn't want to come, not really. But he was insistent and annoying and she had far too much work on to take nights out. Then again, if she did this, then he might leave her alone. Not that she didn't love him, of course she did, it was just he was far too eager for her chilled out persona.

She really couldn't afford to take time out but she knew her cousin. He was persistent to a fault and that was why so many girls fell at his feet. Everyone looked to be wooed, after all. It was a warm summer night and Ruari wore clothes to reflect the season; a short but intricate flowy baby pink dress with heels and a cream coloured blazer. She always dressed like she was attending a leisurely summer picnic.

"I don't like this," she complained, not expecting him to listen or to care. She should have realised that Torrence wasn't exactly the type of guy to go out to dinner. She assumed he filled up on energy bars and then headed into town to conquer women but Ruari being Ruari always gave the benefit of the doubt.

Ruari could hear curious noises as she shuffled forward. It sounded like some sort of bar or club. There were cheers and some muffled voices, sounding like over some sort of stereo or had been magically magnified. The air felt hot and sticky, laced with tobacco and beer and sweat. Instantly, she became nervous. Torrence hadn't exactly ditched her before but she was well aware that she was pretty low down on his list of priorities for the evening.

Surprise!

The blindfold was removed and her sunny smile faltered and then slipped off her face as her eyes reacted to the dim light. Her head sank and then she became annoyed at herself because she should have known better. In shock, she slipped as someone rudely shoulder-barged her out of the way. "Ow," she complained with a frown as she rubbed her arm gingerly. There was a fight. The sudden roar of the crowd made her wince as she covered her ears, attempting to curl herself up into a ball as the nearby crowd surged, money in their hands as they complained and jubilated over the landed punch.

His laugh nettled her. Ruari turned and frowned at him, like a petulant child as she heaved a sigh. "Oh Torrence," she said gently as she looked around. There was a lot of leather jackets and tattoos and heavy smokers. It was loud, it was hot, it was uncomfortable. There were a lot of people, all boisterous, some downright violent and she swallowed nervously. In the corner of her eye, she saw a punch and then she saw blood. Letting out a squawk of terror, she covered her eyes and tensed. Taking a breath, she sighed. "I'll get some drinks," she said grumpily as she made her way to the bar before pausing, turning back to face him. "You're not going in there, are you?" She asked, pointing to the ring.

"I'm not going to send you in to a sex dungeon. Calm down, Ru," Torr told her crudely with a smirk. "I just want to surprise you," he told her.

He could barely contain his laughter as his prim and proper and kind of naive cousin came with him into one of the rudest, brashest places he hung out in. It was like taking a porcelain doll to a mud pit. It was hilarious. "You'll like it, I promise," he told her. As if his promises held any weight. As if he could be trusted. But too late for any second thoughts on her part. He already had her in his reach.

As soon as the blindfold was off, he made sure to watch her face. He didn't want to miss this reaction. And as much as he had been looking forward to it, the real thing was even better. He threw his head back beside her and laughed and laughed. It was all shoulder shaking, flashes of white teeth, and deep rumbling in his throat. But then someone was pushing her out of their way and Torr flipped like a switch. His eyes were dark, his hands reaching out to the asshole who had pushed by her, and with a two-hand hard shove, he pushed the jerkwad so hard the guy stumbled to the floor. "Watch it, asshole," he told the guy as he stood over him before turning back to Ruari and moving her with a hand at her back away from that prick.

It was like another switch and he was back to grinning at her. Ever the mercurial guy Torr was. "C'mon, it's fun, right?" he asked her, his brows popped. "Just stay for a little while. I swear you'll enjoy it," he told her even though he was probably lying to both of them right now. She offered to get some drinks and he made to follow along. It wasn't like he was going to completely leave her to the wolves. Torr knew what the guys here would think of someone new who was dressed like Ruari. He knew because he was usually one of those guys. Except he wouldn't let his cousin be treated like that. When she spun around to face him, he tilted his head and said, "No." But then paused, grinned, and then added, "Not yet."

That part was the truth. He wasn't scheduled to fight tonight. He was just out to have a little fun with his cousin. But if she requested it, he wouldn't have a problem acquiescing. It would probably do him good to get in a few punches and probably do her a little good opening her up to a world other than sewing machines and floral fabrics. Once they were at the bar, Torr nodded to the bartender and gave a hello to Reg, ordered two beers for him and Ruari, and then glanced over at his cousin. "You want to bet on the next fight? You could win some pocket money. Look," he said, pointing to the board with the line up. "Sterling vs Goodwin. What do you think?"

Sex dungeon? Ruari visibly paled. She really didn't want to know what Torrence got up to in his free time and with whom. She sighed softly as she frowned, her rain cloud grey eyes flicking around the dark interior with disappointment. Ruari liked bright places, like vintage tearooms and bridal salons. This place, however, looked like it had been hand-carved out of lava. It was hot and damp and sweaty and she didn't feel at all comfortable.

"Torrence, don't," she was quick to say, reaching out for her cousin as he shoved someone but her fingers only gently brushed the back of his shirt. Chewing on her lower lip, she felt like she wanted to cry. Clamping her lips shut, she offered him a brief shake of her head, as though to tell him it was fine. It wasn't, clearly, but at least they were spending time together. However, she was glad to be scooted along. Ruari looked over her shoulder as the man stirred, on his knees and getting to his feet with effort and for a second, she thought he might just attack them both.

"I know this is difficult for you," she said in a low voice, "but keep your hands to yourself. You just might lose a finger. And then how are you going to make the girls happy?" Ruari asked as she anxiously reached up and began to thread a lock of hair through her long fingers.

She looked at Torrence with trepidation. She was stuck here. The place was packed, twenty people deep, obscuring the exit. Quick as a flash, she turned her head to face him with wide eyes. "Are you joking?" The tall blonde asked sharply, her eyes boggling. As if to prove her point, the sickening crunch of bone on bone extracted a reaction from the crowd. Someone had gone down. She'd heard them hit the blood soaked mat and her stomach churned. "I don't like it," she told Torrence weakly as she felt a bit light-headed and sick.


Ruari placed her hands on the bar and soon retracted them with a grimace. The old wood was dirty and sticky and she reached out for the bottle of beer before taking a swift sip. The fact that Torrence knew the barman well enough should really have been enough to ring alarm bells. The women here didn't know they were related and she could feel a dozen sets of eyes on her as she stood close to him. She imagined it was unsurprising to see him with someone new; he changed girls more often than she changed her underwear.

"Why?" She asked, appalled. "It's a bit…grim, don't you think?" She asked, looking around and shifting awkwardly. "Why does she keep looking at me?" Ruari asked, nodding at a tall brunette with long glossy dark hair. "Someone you didn't hang out with after?" She quipped. Ruari was in a great, settled relationship with Hal. Were they moving as fast as she would have liked? No. But after screwing things up in school, she was more than happy to take it easy. That girl, though, was fixated on her cousin. She had dark eyes and wore lipstick that was too bright for her skin, dressed in leather and tattoos. To say she was scared was a bit of an understatement.

Sterling vs. Goodwin. The names meant absolutely nothing to her. "I don't think I want to," she told him, genuinely uncomfortable with the idea. This was against everything she stood for. She was very much a love-and-peace kind of girl but this dark place seemed to he zapping her. She looked as though she was fighting an internal battle but the idea of pocket money sounded nice. Ruari wasn't exactly flush at the moment. The shop was doing really well but there was the fabric and her assistant and the rent and everything --

"Two galleons on Goodwin," she told Torrence, dropping the coins into his open palm.

Damn, it was kind of funny that she turned as white as a sheet when he mentioned the sex dungeon jokingly. He had half a mind to surprise her next time with that, but he doubted she would voluntarily leave the house after this little excursion. Well, at least not without a little convincing. He grinned even as she frowned, this little [rinn]fragile flower floating[/rinn] in a sea of brutish men and women with filthy mouths. He fit in here, she didn't. That was enough to make him smile.

[rinn]His eyes were cold iron[/rinn] as they looked at her, only a tiny glimmer of amusement pushing through. "Believe it or not, I can take care of myself. And in here, you have to use your hands," he told her, his cobalt blue eyes watching as she twisted her hair around her fingers. Typically he saw that in girls trying to get in his pants, obviously not the case with Ruari, but it made him wonder if she was actually nervous. The idea made him smile all over again. That something so familiar and at ease for him could cause someone else so much apprehension. It was kind of the story of his life, but for some reason, he had wanted to share a little slice of this, whatever it was, with his favorite cousin tonight.

The two beers were slid across the bar and Torr took his and put the other in Ruari's hand, [rinn]clanking[/rinn] the bottles together before taking a deep swill. He just laughed off her assessment of the place and shrugged. It's not like he was going to deny that little statement, but every dirty and grim thing in life had some sort of shine to it, right? He didn't give a fuck. He glanced over his shoulder at her question, picking up on Mandi.. Michelle?... Monique...? Torr smirked and gave a subtle wink at her, after she stopped glaring at his cousin that is and the Regan turned back to his cousin with another careless shrug. "Just a friend," he explained without explaining. He and MGirl were fuck buddies when it was convenient. It wasn't convenient for him tonight though.

He saw the indecision warring on her face. He wasn't sure which would win. The safety of her comfort zone or taking a chance on the unknown. If he really thought about it, Torr was pretty sure she would have walked out of here by now. He was happy to know that she was made of tougher stuff, but that, of course, shouldn't have been a surprise. She was a Regan after all. "Good girl," he murmured as he closed his fingers on the coins, kissed his fist, and then brought out three of his own shiny galleons. "I'm going to put three on Goodwin as well." He turned to Reg the bartender who signaled for one of the wandering bet girls to come over. Torr dropped their five coins in her bag, wrote up their transaction and then leaned against the bar, his eyes on his cousin, measuring her.

"Are you gonna faint at the sight of blood when they start fighting?" he asked with a grin.