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zookeeperAs one would expect in a town this size, there were a lot of local teen haunts that offered a variety of opportunities for the local population to get up to trouble without things ever turning serious. Parks, rec centers, movie theaters, plenty of open public spaces. Occasional a few traveling faires would pass through for a couple of weeks during the warmer months.
This place was not one of them.
It was in a part of town that used to be considered the nice part, but time had marched on and as the happier, shinier businesses had moved away, the place had become rougher, taking on a reputation of being less safe for the typical suburban family. Gone were the little mom’n’pop shops, the tailor’s and local corner grocers but the mechanic shops, the steel mill, a few warehouses and the dive bars had survived and even thrived in some cases. Add to it the proximity to the interstate and it saw all kinds just passing through for the night.
Lucky’s used to be a shoe repair shop, until that tanked. Then it was a coffee shop, until that also tanked. Finally someone had enough sense to strip the place down to the bare bones and turned it into what it should have always been, a dimly lit dive bar with brick walls and bare steel beams. Throw some random pictures of famous dead people on the walls with no rhyme or reason, maybe a few local street signs that may or may not have been stolen, a jukebox in the corner that hadn’t been updated in 20 years and a couple of pool tables in the back and that was basically the vibe of the joint. There were a few tables, a couple of booths for those that didn’t much care for company and an old wooden bar that had that ‘older than your grandpa but will outlive you’ feel to it. During the week, Lucky’s was pretty slow but come Friday night and the crowd got interesting. Not what someone would call a pleasant crowd or a well-to-do one but the kind that would be described as “having character” and “a rough charm”. Definitely the kind that parents warned their children about for fear that they might get mugged or worse, become one of them.
In other words, Lucky’s was the second stop in Yazoo’s typical Friday night, maybe a later one if he skipped class in the first half of his day, because there were usually a few new faces passing through that were good for a shake down. Dim lights and a fake ID meant that most people thought he was a few years older than he actually was but still young enough that they always thought he was an easy mark for a game or two of pool with a friendly side bet. Twenty bucks here, thirty there and a couple of fifty dollar rounds on a Friday night would set him up for a good take come Saturday and Sunday. And when he and his brothers combined their less than above board takings, it kept them fed and people from asking too many questions.
And it was always the out of towners at Lucky’s that he targeted. In most places for that matter. It didn’t pay to piss off the locals since they would warn people away from the table if they didn’t like you. Buying a ground of cheap beer for the bar did help though and he’d taken care of that shortly after he got there. Made sure the bartender had seen the large tip he’d dropped as well. That should have bought him some good graces for the night, let him work without anyone trying to steer away whomever walked in with a new face on them and his first two marks had been gracious enough about their losses. One had even laughed about it when he figured out he was being taken but this guy? This guy was taking it hard. Probably didn’t help that he still thought he could somehow turn this game around in his favour even as Yazoo’s last shot had curved the cue ball around the corner pocket to knock the one he wanted into a center pocket instead. That got him cursed at and a demand for double or nothing.
Who was he to refuse an easy payday? He let the brick of a man slap his cash down on the railing and stood back for the stranger to take his shot, only to watch him totally scratch it. “Maybe you should have stuck to darts, man.” He suggested as he tried not to smirk too noticeably but even with a blank face this guy was ready to go off. There was a promise of violence in his glare; the stalk you home and jump you at the door kind too. So Yazoo calculated the risks in his head; Would giving this clown his money back get rid of him? Or was he the kind of asshole that wasn’t happy even when he got his shit back?
Given the shade of red he was, the teen was betting on the latter so why give up the winnings if that was the case? Maybe if he snapped before that though, he’d get tossed out with a threat of the cops being called? Bigger risk to Yazoo but chances were good that a guy like this had a record and he’d piss off out of town instead of risking a run in with the local cop shop. Hell, maybe Loz was close by. He’d be street racing tonight, he’d probably be able to get here before this guy completely flipped his circuits. And Loz did love a good fist fight. He was only a text away too, in theory.
So instead of worrying about not pissing the burly trucker off any further or giving up the small pile of cash at stake, Yazoo finished the game by sinking his last shot. It hadn’t been hard. The guy might have talked big but he wasn’t half as skilled as his ego made him think he was and when he made to grab the bills on the pool table, the young man proved to be more agile and quick there too as he snatched his prize up and right into the back of his jeans with one hand, cell phone out and in the other with an SOS ready to go. “Walk it off, Chuckles.” Probably not the smartest thing to say to a guy three times your size with a pool cue in his hands but Yazoo’s mouth sometimes had a mind of its own. He couldn’t afford to lose face here though so he was just going to have to duck and really damn hope that Loz was nearby when he got a chance to send that message. After all, it wasn’t like anyone else in this joint was going to risk their necks for someone else, friend or stranger alike.
This place was not one of them.
It was in a part of town that used to be considered the nice part, but time had marched on and as the happier, shinier businesses had moved away, the place had become rougher, taking on a reputation of being less safe for the typical suburban family. Gone were the little mom’n’pop shops, the tailor’s and local corner grocers but the mechanic shops, the steel mill, a few warehouses and the dive bars had survived and even thrived in some cases. Add to it the proximity to the interstate and it saw all kinds just passing through for the night.
Lucky’s used to be a shoe repair shop, until that tanked. Then it was a coffee shop, until that also tanked. Finally someone had enough sense to strip the place down to the bare bones and turned it into what it should have always been, a dimly lit dive bar with brick walls and bare steel beams. Throw some random pictures of famous dead people on the walls with no rhyme or reason, maybe a few local street signs that may or may not have been stolen, a jukebox in the corner that hadn’t been updated in 20 years and a couple of pool tables in the back and that was basically the vibe of the joint. There were a few tables, a couple of booths for those that didn’t much care for company and an old wooden bar that had that ‘older than your grandpa but will outlive you’ feel to it. During the week, Lucky’s was pretty slow but come Friday night and the crowd got interesting. Not what someone would call a pleasant crowd or a well-to-do one but the kind that would be described as “having character” and “a rough charm”. Definitely the kind that parents warned their children about for fear that they might get mugged or worse, become one of them.
In other words, Lucky’s was the second stop in Yazoo’s typical Friday night, maybe a later one if he skipped class in the first half of his day, because there were usually a few new faces passing through that were good for a shake down. Dim lights and a fake ID meant that most people thought he was a few years older than he actually was but still young enough that they always thought he was an easy mark for a game or two of pool with a friendly side bet. Twenty bucks here, thirty there and a couple of fifty dollar rounds on a Friday night would set him up for a good take come Saturday and Sunday. And when he and his brothers combined their less than above board takings, it kept them fed and people from asking too many questions.
And it was always the out of towners at Lucky’s that he targeted. In most places for that matter. It didn’t pay to piss off the locals since they would warn people away from the table if they didn’t like you. Buying a ground of cheap beer for the bar did help though and he’d taken care of that shortly after he got there. Made sure the bartender had seen the large tip he’d dropped as well. That should have bought him some good graces for the night, let him work without anyone trying to steer away whomever walked in with a new face on them and his first two marks had been gracious enough about their losses. One had even laughed about it when he figured out he was being taken but this guy? This guy was taking it hard. Probably didn’t help that he still thought he could somehow turn this game around in his favour even as Yazoo’s last shot had curved the cue ball around the corner pocket to knock the one he wanted into a center pocket instead. That got him cursed at and a demand for double or nothing.
Who was he to refuse an easy payday? He let the brick of a man slap his cash down on the railing and stood back for the stranger to take his shot, only to watch him totally scratch it. “Maybe you should have stuck to darts, man.” He suggested as he tried not to smirk too noticeably but even with a blank face this guy was ready to go off. There was a promise of violence in his glare; the stalk you home and jump you at the door kind too. So Yazoo calculated the risks in his head; Would giving this clown his money back get rid of him? Or was he the kind of asshole that wasn’t happy even when he got his shit back?
Given the shade of red he was, the teen was betting on the latter so why give up the winnings if that was the case? Maybe if he snapped before that though, he’d get tossed out with a threat of the cops being called? Bigger risk to Yazoo but chances were good that a guy like this had a record and he’d piss off out of town instead of risking a run in with the local cop shop. Hell, maybe Loz was close by. He’d be street racing tonight, he’d probably be able to get here before this guy completely flipped his circuits. And Loz did love a good fist fight. He was only a text away too, in theory.
So instead of worrying about not pissing the burly trucker off any further or giving up the small pile of cash at stake, Yazoo finished the game by sinking his last shot. It hadn’t been hard. The guy might have talked big but he wasn’t half as skilled as his ego made him think he was and when he made to grab the bills on the pool table, the young man proved to be more agile and quick there too as he snatched his prize up and right into the back of his jeans with one hand, cell phone out and in the other with an SOS ready to go. “Walk it off, Chuckles.” Probably not the smartest thing to say to a guy three times your size with a pool cue in his hands but Yazoo’s mouth sometimes had a mind of its own. He couldn’t afford to lose face here though so he was just going to have to duck and really damn hope that Loz was nearby when he got a chance to send that message. After all, it wasn’t like anyone else in this joint was going to risk their necks for someone else, friend or stranger alike.
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Date: 2024-03-05 12:33 pm (UTC)And Yazoo. The damn hooligan's been on his mind a lot more than he'd care to admit. For all that he's a sneaky little brat and a half, there's no denying that he's pretty and intelligent. He's been having too many wet dreams this past week alone... So he came down here to Lucky's to play pool and hopefully forget about the lad.
Only to find said lad being a pool hustler, and clearly here under a fake ID no less. By all rights, Cor should make his student leave as soon as he spotted him. But after seeing him hustle his second victim, he decided to wait until he's finished his drink to address Yazoo's apparent thrill to be hustling outsiders. That, of course, was not his better decisions upon seeing the lad then trying to hustle money out of a hot-tempered truck driver.
Naturally, Cor stepped in and caught that punch with his bare hand. "Knock it off," He growls at the stranger. "The kid's not worth spending a night in jail over, nor a ban from this place." The aura he's giving off is far different from the stoic yet calm one he normally has about him. Instead, it's fierce and overwhelming - like facing down an angry tiger. Yazoo may be reminded of the day where Cor actually spanked him - hard - after getting the teacher riled up...except not directed at the lad this time.
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Date: 2024-03-05 07:26 pm (UTC)Wisely, Yazoo backed slowly away from both men and kept his backside to the wall as he very much remembered that heat coming off of his teacher as it had left quite a strong impression with him. He still didn't know what to make of it even as he felt a small shiver course through with the growl in Cor's voice. No, this was definitely not part of his plans for how the night was supposed to play out. It was like he was being haunted but instead of a ghost it was a man that kept turning up no matter where he was. School, work, his own damn head whenever he let his mind wander. He'd thought that if there was at least an uneasy truce for the time being, that it would help ease that issue but his fitful sleep at night for the last several days had proven that wasn't going to be the case.
One problem at a time though and the first problem was the burly man that had decided, rather unreasonably, that he wasn't about to listen to some prick sticking his nose where it didn't belong as he torn his fist free and took a swing at the interloper as if he thought that taking direct aim would change the results. It would probably have been more surprising though if Chuckles here had actually shown some kind of actual thought turning around in that hot head of his, Yazoo thought to himself. At least then if would have shown he was something more than meat bound rage and ego but alas sometime people just didn't have any dimension that way to them.
Instead he looked over to the bar tender and signaled for two beers as if he wasn't about to witness the same massacre that everyone else in the bar had stopped dead to watch. Just the sound of an old rock classic droning from the far corner could be heard playing away in the back ground as the trucker bellowed an insulting curse as he made his strike.
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Date: 2024-03-11 12:38 pm (UTC)But that can wait. First, he focuses on the trucker who's swinging that punch towards him. He moves his arm so that the fist connects with that first - almost as if he's trained for that to happen. Then, he growls loudly as he returns the blow with an hard right hook of his own, quickly followed up with a gut punch that seems to hit quite close to the solar plexus, making the other man kneel in pain as he gasps for breath.
"Seriously, it's not worth continuing this shit, so get the fuck out of here, and forget about the k--young man!" He's not going to blow Yazoo's cover...not yet, at least.
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Date: 2024-03-11 11:35 pm (UTC)The bottle of beer froze just before it touched Yazoo's lips though as he caught Cor nearly say something that might have gotten him tossed out of the place for life though. They might not care about a little squabbling and the occasional rough scrap, but letting a minor drink? That could get a joint shut down for days if not weeks. Violence was one thing, but lost revenue? Now that was something that Lucky's didn't tolerate.
Thankfully, his teacher caught himself and keep that little tidbit to himself, so Yazoo had a sip of his bottle of beer and waited for the shit storm that was probably coming his way. Back firmly against the wall as he did so, a second bottle waiting at the bar next to him as a thank you or possibly light bribe, depending on one's outlook.
He braced for impact while keeping a very at ease posture about him, but his mind was as sharp as ever and it showed in his eyes as he kept a keen watch on the older man to try and gauge just how angry he was by his voice and tension in his muscular form.
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Date: 2024-03-11 11:46 pm (UTC)He then turns and walks over to Yazoo, eying that drink for a moment. He won't bring it up now - he doesn't want Lucky's to get into a lot of hot water if someone squeals to the authorities. But he does fully intend to talk to Yazoo about underage drinking after they leave. Eventually. There's still some irritation on his face, but nowhere near any levels of true fury that he shown just a few moments before.
"...you okay?" he quietly asks, genuine concern in his voice. "He didn't touch you, did he?"
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Date: 2024-03-12 12:52 am (UTC)...Only to be addressed in the completely opposite fashion than that. There's a slow frown from the teenager as he continues to sip at his beer, as if he's trying to figure out what exactly the hidden angle is. Obviously, it can't be as straight forward and honest as actual concern over his safety and well being. That's just ridiculous.
"I'm fine." And on his guard if the hint of caution in his tone is anything to judge by. One would think that he was suspicious of something but that's just silly. Why would the underage teen be at all suspicious or concerned about the only other person in the bar that knows exactly that? "Thanks but I would have been okay too."
Wouldn't be the first time he'd gotten himself into a scrap with someone twice his size, and was unlikely to be the last either but he wasn't ungrateful either. Just highly aware of the situation so why not test the waters a bit first? There's a slight incline of his head towards the bar to let Cor know that the drink there was for him. What he chose to do with it was really none of Yazoo's concern though it would tell him a lot about how he should be acting and reacting about the man.
Ally or enforcer? Or was this going to turn into enemy territory pretty quickly on the wily and wilful young man?
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Date: 2024-03-12 12:58 am (UTC)He sees that offered beer, and he mulls over it for a moment. By all rights, he should be trying to wrangle the lad out of the bar and towards home. That's what a responsible adult is supposed to do. But...this is not one of those reputable places that expects you to act 'responsible' for anything beyond leaving other folks who aren't interested alone.
So, after a few thoughtful moments...he takes the beer and twists the cap off, taking a long pull before speaking again. "Thank you...but now I'm wondering just how long you've been good at playing pool." Aka, 'how long had you felt the need to hustle?'
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Date: 2024-03-12 01:18 am (UTC)Really, the trio should never be allowed to roam unsupervised but that was a problem for a different day.
But the drink being accepted was probably a good sigh and a bit of that subtle tension in his shoulders eases every so slightly as Yazoo takes that to mean he isn't about to have his night blown up in just that moment. A silver brow arches as the teenager tilts his head quizzically at the question then gives an amused scoff as he figures out that meant that the other man must have been around long enough to at least see him playing the game with his angry buddy there before things turned potentially violent.
"I'm alright." There's a slight shrug from him with a shoulder as he under sells himself, "Plenty of people out there better than me." Though if they were in this town, he hadn't found them yet but then again, he didn't play the locals for money; just plain bad for business. "Why? Want a game?" Yazoo asked with just a hint of a teasing glint in his eyes. After all, he had a hint of the kind of game his teacher might prefer though he wasn't completely certain about that yet, just an inkling.
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Date: 2024-03-12 01:28 am (UTC)A dark eyebrow rises up in return. Not at Yazoo underselling his skills, no. Rather, it was at that question. "I hope you don't intend upon fleecing me," He teases in a dry remark. "Unless, of course, you wanna bet on something other than money..." The teacher is no stranger to pool - it's half the reason why he comes to Lucky's, after all. But his games tend to be more friendly, just to relax and shoot the breeze with the regulars.
Though by uttering those words at Cor, he is unknowingly signing himself up for a far more memorable night than he's bargaining for...
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Date: 2024-03-12 01:59 am (UTC)He sipped at his beer as he studied the older man in front of him, his delinquent mind turning over what would be the most interesting or entertaining gamble to take as a slow smile crept across his lips. A wise men would recognize a look like that as a sign of nothing but trouble brewing.
"Alright. How about this, I'll bet you the rest of the night. You win and I'll be a good boy and do what you say. I win and it's your turn to be a good sport." Was the ambiguous phrasing provocative and intentional? Most definitely but it gave some wiggle room out if Cor thought he needed to tap out. Especially since Yazoo had no intentions of losing to his own game. Of course, if he did tap out, he was just handing ammunition over to the young man that would most definitely be used later one when the opportunity arose.
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Date: 2024-03-12 02:06 am (UTC)Still, he wasn't expecting that kind of alternative, and it made his eyes widen to the full implications of what could mean. "...anything? Truly? I hope you realize the kind of fire you're playing with here with that kind of bet." He suspects that the lad does, for his blood is running much warmer at the thought of being able to make Yazoo do anything he asks of him to...
But there's also the risk of him losing to his own student, and that seems to only thrill him as much as it worries him. The challenge seems too good to just outright refuse. "Before I give my answer...I want to know that you're fully aware of what you want us to possibly get ourselves into."
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Date: 2024-03-12 02:27 am (UTC)Fires were meant to burn after all, or what was even the point of them?
"I'm not the one that has to make the hard choice here. But if you're scare someone's going to tattle...I haven't yet, have I?" He replied with an easy shrug then added, "And no one is keeping us hostage here as far as I can tell. Unless you're expecting good company?" Implying that the young man was exactly what he was, bad company to keep.
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Date: 2024-03-12 02:36 am (UTC)"...Hah. You can stop selling yourself short there on that last bit." Not entirely a lie to cover both of them, really. Cor finishes the rest of his beer bottle in one long pull. "Fine. I accept your challenge...but you'd better not be complaining too much if I win." Curse his endless desire for challenges mingling with this terrible-yet-enticing allure he's getting with the lad. But the man is making the mistake that he could best someone who's already a skilled pool hustler.
Blame it on the beer...even if Cor's heart (and groin) can't.
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Date: 2024-03-12 02:56 am (UTC)"Two again." Yazoo said as he dropped a tenner into the tip jar while the bartender watched and had no reason at all to cut off that stream of cash. Was it a cheap tactic to use? Probably but it wasn't like Yazoo was worried he would lose either, it was more of a way to get Cor to relax a little more instead of getting a case of the Better Judgements ™.
He held out the new bottle as he passed by the larger man and headed for the pool table. "Are you saying you don't enjoy a little sound? Could have fooled me." He teased as he retrieved the dropped pool cue from the spot Chuckles had left it on his way out, "You seemed pretty damn determined to get something out of me before. Or is it just those words you really like to hear?"
He doesn't really wait for answer so much as just gives a little sass for Cor to stew upon while he racks the pool balls for their game. "Solids or stripes...Sir?" Yeah, get ready for those buttons to be pushed. There's a game to be won, after all.