[Oct. 13-20] full stops and exclamation marks

[girlsolo]

Kate's back to drinking tequila again. That's never a good sign. Tonight it's a sign she's bouncing between sexy check-in notes with Declan that make this island seem all right and people like Coraline screaming and crying over how much it fucking sucks.

The smart thing to do would be find Will or Magnus, talk some of this out. Even finding someone to spar with, that would work. Thing is, Kate's not that kind of smart. When it comes to helping Coraline? Sure. Yeah. She's been listening to Will do his shrink thing for years now. But when it comes to herself?

Fuck that noise. She'd still rather fuck and forget.

Kate leans her back against a post to watch the room, drinks another shot (hot wheels only, no training), and flirts at whatever makes eye contact. Whether she's Go or just Show, she hasn't decided yet. Mostly, she's trying not to look for anyone in particular. She's trying not to wish he'd come in and just...

Take her home.

[OOC: Find her at the Hub or the Winchester (let me know) any evening between now and the 20th. Available for all of your Freelander needs. If you need a specific date, email me, otherwise I'll work them out. For the record, Kate's very bi but a lot less available than she thinks she is.]

Comments

[misanthrope_md]

On nights when House's leg really hurt, he could be found in the bar. Somewhere between "normal hurt" and "excruciating" - since the latter usually meant he couldn't leave his bed. But if it hurt and he could walk, then numbing it with alcohol usually seemed like a good plan (especially since the Winchester was so close to his hut). It was the kind of thing he'd used to numb with sex.

He sat at the bar, on the end, because sitting at a table could imply you wanted company.

He wasn't picky about his liquor, he just drank it. Nothing particularly unusual about the ritual until he made eye contact with short, dark, and gorgeous over there. When he thought he saw her catch his eye too, he raised his glass, but he had no intention of getting up. Not for a rejection, and not when it meant picking up his cane.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Oh look. If it isn't Dr. Wis I Could Make it With Magnus. He's a dick, but she's a bitch, and she probably doesn't hate him as much as she should. It's like Tesla light, only he's a doctor. In theory, he might even care if she lives or dies.

For a jackass with a temper, he's hot enough. And she's in need of distraction enough that it's worth playing the game. Plus, nailing the men on the island who want Magnus can maybe be her thing. She's already bagged Tesla.

She cocks her head and purses her lips, then shrugs and hops off her stool to prowl his way. "Get bored of stalking Magnus?" she asks, light smirk and playful light in her eyes.

[misanthrope_md]

The brief time they'd met before, when she'd smoldered at him it had had little effect - one more hot person on the island who wasn't sleeping with him barely made a drop in the bucket. The alcohol, however, seemed to be helping in that regard. He found himself wishing she'd turn around so he could see her ass.

"Your definition of stalking could use some work," he said. "I haven't seen her in weeks. But it probably would be pretty boring, yes. Any suggestions for someone more interesting I could stalk?"

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Huh. Not hopelessly hung up on Magnus and hitting on her. Two points in his favor. Kate can do subtle, but she's not seeing the point. Her gaze flicks down his body - he's tall - and back up. He's kind of easy on the eyes in a gruff, older guy way.

"I might." She grabs the stool next to his and catches the bartender's eye, giving a quick lift of her chin for another round. "But if tall, stacked and British is your type..." There's just a tiny hint of something there on top of the obvious invitation to look a little closer. A suggestion that Kate's not immune to Magnus either. She's not, but she's just layering it for him.

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

It was fortunate, or unfortunate, for Kate that she and Trip had the same cooping mechanism. He was used to being the one to help people through their problems but when it came to himself, he kept it bottled up until it made him sick, as the Expanse had proved. He'd fought Malcolm tooth and nail for only trying to get him to talk about Lizzie and he knew he'd made it difficult on T'Pol during their doctored ordered nueropressure even though her help was the only way he could sleep.

Thankfully, the island hadn't yet reduced him to that level of depression but he'd had a steady appetite for alcohol since that first drink with Kate. It kept the lingering feeling of selfishness away, that he should be trying harder to find a way back to Enterprise, instead of taking advantage of the situation to rest his weary soul.

When he caught sight of Kate upon entering the Winchester, he hesitated in approaching her. She had the look about her, a searching but not. But in the end, drinking was always more fun when not done alone so he walked up to her. "Are we drinkin' to the alligators again?" He asked with a cheerful grin.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Now there's a smile worth smiling back at. Kate doesn't though. She winks instead, eyes bright and playful and not too glazed yet from alcohol.

Biting her lip, she slides off her jacket and puts her feet on the stool next to hers, stretching a bit. If he's drinking, she's staying awhile. "Might be." Now Kate drops her eyelashes and smirks. "Unless you want to drink to the tits."

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

The absence of a smile was worrisome but Trip knew better then to ask. He just takes a stool near hers and sits down, ordering whatever it was she's drinking. "Now, tits are a fine thing to drink to." He conceded as the shot of tequila was poured. "Heck knows I made a few such toasts myself in the middle of the 602 packed with Starfleet flyboys." Trip couldn't hold back a chuckle, as those had been good nights, celebrating getting one step closer to warp 5.

When the shot was poured, he turned to Kate. "Any particular pair we're drinkin' to?" He asked as he lifted the glass.

[likesthestooges.livejournal.com]

Saturday night was his first night out in a while. It was odd how quickly he had gone from being hesitant about being involved with Martha to spending more and more time with her and Alfie. Although, that was partially why he had been hesitant to start with. Aidan loved children, and being around Alfie and Martha was the best thing to happen to him in a while.

But sometimes you needed a break from even the best of things, so he had come to the Hub for a drink and some conversation. When he spotted Kate across the bar he fought down a surge of... something that he wasn't going to deal with now. What they had was great, but the entire point of it was to be uncomplicated. So if it was uncomplicated, then they could talk like grown-ass adults.

He slid up next to her at the bar and gave her a smile.

"So did I miss the part of the evening where you end up topless and singing, or are you still working toward that?"

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate spots Aidan before he spots her. She just sits back and watches him walk toward her, waiting, waiting for that smile to hit her low in the gut. Waiting for the want to get out of here? from one of them. Never comes.

Kate growls to herself. He's still fucking fine. She knows damned well he can fuck her the way she needs it. So, what's her damage?

If you've got some bloke who gives it to you hard and fast the way you like then why in the world would you come back to me, yeah? I couldn't ever hurt you like that.

Her smile's a little off, friendly, but there's no invitation in it. "Hate to break your heart, my friend, but that was one show only. I've moved on to bigger and better methods of forgetting this island sucks."

[likesthestooges.livejournal.com]

Aidan noticed right away that something was different about her expression, it lacked the hunger it normally had when she saw him. He was slightly amused by the idea that suddenly he radiated some sort of old-dad vibe now or something.

"Well it's a great loss for those of us who enjoy a good show now and then," he said, indicating to the bartender he wanted a beer.

"What have you been up to then?"

[dogbitesman]

It wasn't the largest of stories, but if William were honest¹ this one probably would have found its way into the Times back in Ankh-Morpork, had one of his reporters gotten their hands on it. It was just a touch strange, because it was unusual. Which made it new, and if you put an s on the end of that, you got William de Worde tracking you down in the Winchester, notebook in hand.

He had a device which recorded voices, but he still kept the notebook around. He liked writing things down.

"Excuse me, you're Miss Freelander, do I have that right?"

¹Which he was. Compulsively. Well... he told the truth, which was very nearly the same thing, except for the part where it wasn't at all.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Notebook, pen, do I have that right? Reporter. Kate rolls her eyes into her drink. The Island of the Misfit Toys is such a small town. Prank ten people and it's news. She really should have been expecting this. Decision time.

She turns her head to face him, dark eyes predatory over a little smirk. He's not hot. Not not hot. Just bland. That's what decides it. Kate slides into her sexiest smile and gives him an obvious once over. "That depends on who's asking," she answers, a light purr in her voice. "For you, for example, I'm just Kate."

[dogbitesman]

William blinked a couple of times, slightly taken aback. He tried to think of the last time a person he was interviewing about wrongdoings had seemed to respond positively, and found that he couldn't.

He decided she probably hadn't realized, yet. "Er... all right, then. Kate. My name's William de Worde, from the Tabula Rasa Times. I'm here to talk to you about a certain series of thefts."

Oct 20

[duerespectguv]

Winchester is Magnus's place and for some reason, Declan feels like Kate would go to the Hub instead. He's not wrong, not really, and he snags gin from the bar before going to sit across from her. She's been busy all week, yeah, but he's sent her notes and seen her here and there.

"What's your poison, love?"

Re: Oct 20

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

She sees him when he comes in. Her reaction's so strong, she doesn't wave or draw his attention. She needs a minute, needs to deal with the wave of guilt for the other people she's done stuff with. The hot flash of anger because it's supposed to be allowed. The overpowering relief is what gets her the most.

Fuck, Kate. What the hell have you done to yourself?

It only gets worse at the sound of his voice. Knots in her spine unkinking and her body going loose. She tells herself the lie it's because she knows where she'll be tonight, believes it, then realizes it's not a lie at all.

"Hey," she says, softer than usual and smiles when he sits, immediately stretches her feet under the table to tangle with his. "Been drinking tequila, but I think I'm gonna quit that now." Crap, it even sounds metaphorical.

Re: Oct 20

[duerespectguv]

That's new, tangling her feet with his, and Declan can't help but grin like a fool at her.

"Well, you know what they say about tequila," he quips but it's a little lost because he's busy staring at her. He's gone on her and it's ridiculous, considering the mess they're in with their relationship...thing.

Fuck, MacRae, pull yourself together.

[trytobegood.livejournal.com]

There was an establishment on the island I'd heard of, called The Winchester. I'd been told it was a good place to go, if one was of a mind to have something a bit different from standard kitchen fare. I'd been told there was alcohol, as well, and after a few weeks on the island, getting blind stinking drunk sounded appealing.

I did not think on how Eamonn would not be there to keep me from doing somewhat foolish, nor to join me as we drank to friends remembered.

I went to the bar, where I found myself beside a rather lovely woman. She looked Bhodistani, and I thought of the women I had known in the zenana, with their quiet dignity. I flashed her a polite but fleeting smile as I waited for the barkeep to hear my order.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Well, hel-lo, gorgeous. Kate dips her chin and her lashes to smile back at him.

He's one of the most beautiful men she's ever seen. Even on an island full of beautiful men, he stands out. He's beautiful enough that it doesn't matter that young and pretty isn't her type. She shifts on her stool and stretches a leg downward, opening up her not here for conversation posture into something more like but I could be, for you.

[trytobegood.livejournal.com]

She seemed to be inviting further interaction, and I was not opposed to such a thing, as bereft of friends as I was here. I was as cautious as ever, even in a place that seemed so far from conspiracies and from plots to kill me as payment for my mother's deeds. Still, I was mindful of my tendency toward isolation, and did not wish to hide myself away for whatever length I might be kept in such a place.

"This is my first visit to this establishment," I said to her in Cruithne, which seemed the prevailing language of the island. I glanced at her drink, though I could not venture a guess as to its contents. "Are you by chance familiar with the fare here?"

[newkindofcop]

Steve doesn't typically make it around to the Winchester aside from the occasional dinner date with Danny or dropping off his latest catch. Tonight, it's the latter as he hauls in a bag of oysters from an earlier dive that morning, but as he chances a glance at the watch on his wrist, he realizes he's still got some time to kill before heading home. Danny's taking the late shift at IPD tonight, which means the hut will be empty if he heads back now, and he hasn't eaten dinner yet, so he decides to snag a bite and a drink while he's here and then maybe surprise Danny with food at his desk later on.

He takes a seat at the bar to eat, shoulders rolling forward slightly as he settles in with a pint of island-brewed and some of the pub food that always seems to be on the menu regardless of who's in charge of dinner that evening. It's good stuff, no matter which way you spin it, and as he sits back to take a sip of his beer, his eyes find Kate's face across the room, catching her leaning against a post. Whether or not she's seen him yet, he can't say.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Steve's a hard guy to miss. Kate's well aware he can be stealthy, move through shadows like a ghost, be perfectly still for hours if he needs. But he's still a hard man to miss with those eyes and that body and the presence. At least, he's hard for her to miss.

She still thinks its a crying damned shame he into Danny, or that they're not into threesomes. Kate tells herself she thinks that, but she's had too much tequila tonight to believe it.

When she arches off her post, she polishes off her beer too and sets it on the bar counter. Her sobriety's measured in small things: the glass not clanking on the counter, her steps not feeling unsteady, her mind not running in depressive circles. She hasn't climbed on a table or into anyone's lap yet.

"Hey," she says to him quietly, leaning really close up at the bar.

[newkindofcop]

He'd offered her a polite smile at seeing her from a distance, when her eyes finally meet his, but he doesn't dwell for very long, digging back into his food and leaning forward over the plate slightly. If she's in the mood to talk - and right now, it looks as though she might be on the prowl for something - he gets the feeling she'll be making the rounds eventually.

He feels a nudging up along his side and turns, moving his head without moving his body to observe. "Hey, Kate," he greets, his tone nothing more than casual.

[notsocommon]

Helen didn't normally go out during the week but she hadn't seen Kate in a while and when Wednesday rolled around, she found she was missing Juliet and their occasional dinners a lot more than she'd expected to and she wound up in the Winchester on Wednesday evenings to remedy both those things. It wasn't the same without Juliet, no, but Kate was pleasant company in and of herself.

"May I sit with you, Kate?"

Helen had some sort of fruity rum drink, mango perhaps, and it was just enough alcohol to make herself feel warm instead of drunk.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Magnus always comes first. That's what she'd told Steve and if she meant in terms of working loyalty, it still holds true here. Whatever the fuck Kate's doing tonight, it's just not important if the boss needs her.

So she finger-waves off the tequila shot headed her way and taps her beer glass instead with a smile for the server. She smiles brighter at Magnus. "Yeah, of course."

Maybe it's not just for Magnus. Kate's always glad for the time with her.

[notsocommon]

"I was feeling a bit lonely. Will's preparing for one of his classes tomorrow, grading tests or something," Helen said. She babbled a little which was unlike her but the real reason why she was at the Winchester was far more complex.

"And you? What brings you out tonight?"