Young Writers Society

Lordy looked up at Kaz, "Yes... I have- IGOR!" He shouted inside the hideout.

A stout man scrambled up from a table near the bar and ran up to the pair, "Yes sir!"

"Stand outside and keep watch for me will you?" Lordy asked him.

Igor nodded furiously, "You got it!"

Lordy pat him on his back and looked back over to Kaz, "After you."

Kazimir laughed, and walked further inside as he watched Igor scramble out and close the door behind them. The bar was full of a few fellows, but none that Kazimir knew the names of.

"So... you gonna introduce me to your friends?" Kazimir asked.

"Introduce?" Lordy gazed around the room full of half drunk people who paying them little mind, "Once someone important enough shows up I'll let you know."

He took a few steps and motioned for Kaz to follow him to the bar. The bartender smiled up at them, "Back so soon, Lordy?"

Lordy held up the bag of limes, "Told you I wouldn't leave you hanging."

He set it down on the table and the bartender took one out to begin cutting it into slices, "So what'll it be then, the usual?"

Lordy looked over at Kaz and raised his eyebrows.

Kazimir followed Lordy through the bar, taking in the general crowd that Lordy hung around. He'd been quick to assume that Lordshire had some kind of organized hideout, but as it turned out, he was just shacking up in a bar with a bunch of regular folks. Kazimir wondered if any of them were really Lordy's friends, and it seemed kind of sad, but not sad enough to dwell on for more than a second, because it wasn't like Lordy cared that much. Or at least, he didn't seem to. Was this why Lordy seemed so upset by his sudden disappearance?

Nah, Lordy was just dramatic.

The bar had dirty wooden floorboards that looked a little stained and worn down in the footpaths between the tables. The lighting was dim and came from some hanging lamps with lit candles on the ceiling, shedding the whole room in a warm, orange light. The square tables were all a little scuffed about but they had nice greenish tablecloths that seemed just the right color and pattern to disguise stains or water rings from glasses and mugs set on them repeatedly.

The people in the room didn't look like they cared much about Lordy or Kazimir's entrance, and that might've been why Lordy was hiding here in the first place. The best place to hide was in a group of people who didn't care who you were -- because if they never cared to ask or find out, how could they rat you out? And if they were drunk, their word could hardly be trusted anyway.

That was a good move. Yes. Kazimir didn't know why he was thinking so much about Lordy's strategy when Lordy probably didn't put that much thought into it, but when he realized that the guy Lordy sent out to keep watch was probably just as sleepy-looking as most of the folks in the bar, he suddenly felt like he had to step up his game.

He didn't want his friend getting [i]caught,[i] now, did he?

He found himself on high alert as he slid up next to Lordy, leaning on the bar between them and the barkeep. He glanced down at the bag of limes, realizing they must've been some kind of bartering tool. Or maybe just a favor? Meh.

"I'll have what he's having," Kaz said with a toothy smile as he brought his arm around Lordy's shoulders and gave him a hearty pat.

He then turned to Lordy as he pulled his arm away, still leaning on the bar.

"...What are you having?"

"That my friend, is a surprise." Lordy told Kaz.

They watched as the bartender mixed a glass half full of tequila, a splash of orange juice, a pinch of salt, a shot of wine, a little spritz of water, and finally garnished it with slice of lime. As he slid them over to Lordy and Kaz, he made sure to light the top of the drink on fire for dramatic effect.

Lordy removed the lime from his and clinked his glass with Kaz's, "Bottoms up!"

He gulped down the entire thing, flame still ablaze and all, and slammed his glass down on the table. "Ahhhh, that's the good stuff."

Before he could ask for another round, a couple of his goons walked up to him, "Hey boss! Whacha up to? Who's the big fella over here?" They got uncomfortably close to Kaz, trying to size him up.

"Oh go away you baffoons, can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Lordy waved his hand at them.

"Th- this guys lookin (hiccup)- lookin' at me funny." Said the other, clearly intoxicated hooligan.

Lordy sighed and looked at them, "Listen, he can and will break your necks, so if you know what's good for you, go back to whatever you were doing."

"Sorry boss we don't like no pusicious characters in here." The first one said as they each latched on to one of Kaz's arms.

Kazimir was about to chug his drink, but then he was being cornered by a few lanky guys who looked like they were too drunk to throw a punch without teetering. He snorted at first at their taunts and suspicion, but when one of the guys grabbed his arm, he set his drink down, and turned to him.

"If you're so worried about suspicious characters," Kazimir said cooly. "Then maybe you should be sitting outside making sure they don't make it into the building in the first place."

It was a miracle he came up with a comeback so smart, but he was channeling his father, so that made it easier.

He looked the man up and down. His hair was short and greasy, and his clothes were simple. He was average in build -- nothing too impressive to look at, and Kazimir assumed the only thing giving him the courage to take Kazimir on was whatever he'd had to drink.

He laughed deep in the back of his throat, and it resonated throughout his chest. With a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes he pried the man's arm away and held the man's wrist tightly while he met his eyes.

"But go ahead," he said with a growing smile. "Try me."