Match of the Millennium

Description: An old Wing Chun master, a pit bull, and a succubus walk into a bar. Drinks, nachos, and pachinko ensue. Words of wisdom are exchanged, but they fall on deaf ears.

[LEROY SMITH]
Mac's is having a fairly normal night. Which is to say it's full of scum and villainy but they all seem to be on their best behavior. Or, well, at least behavior that's not as bad as it normally would be. Could have something to do with everybody just having a good night. Could have something to do with the beer special. Or...

It could have everything to do with Leroy Smith siting at the bar.

He's been nursing the same drink since he's been in here. His cane is hanging on the bar and Sugar's curled up underneath his stool. Not everybody gets to bring their dogs inside but this is Leroy Smith we're talking about here. Don't nobody in Southtown tell him where Sugar can and can't go.

He sips from his little glass of scotch and continues to keep his one watchful eye on the fairly ruffian crowd that's in here at the moment.

[MORRIGAN]
A green-haired woman flutters around the bar in a pair of skintight leather pants and a button-up white blouse that looks like a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. How many drinks she has had remains vague considering how many different tabs they're spread across at this point. She is nursing a large, fruity drink with a crazy straw and a cherry in it when she approaches the older gentleman and the ever-vigilant Sugar.

"Oh," the green-haired woman says, leaning backward against the bar. "I like your puppy."

[LEROY SMITH]
"That's Sugar. Say hi, Sugar." Leroy raises an eyebrow at the woman with the potential wardrobe malfunction nearby. Below him, Sugar doesn't do anything so much as continue to sleep. That's all she almost ever seems to do, really. "She a bit busy right now. She'll get back to you." Another sip from his drink.

"Now, I'm sure you done heard this before but I'ma' say it anyway because that's what I do. But you realize bein' in here, dressed like that, 'round these knuckleheads? You know that's askin' for trouble, right?"

[MORRIGAN]
"She's a darling," the green-haired woman says with her pronounced Scottish accent. She raises an eyebrow, then takes a long sip through her crazy straw, the blue liquid dancing up through the straw in curls and loops.

"Oh, I like trouble sometimes," she says. "I'm Morgan, by the way," she extends a hand. "You seem like someone who knows a bit about trouble, no?"

[LEROY SMITH]
"Leroy." There's some hesitation but eventually the old man shakes Morgan's hand. Even he can't pass up a chance to meet someone new. "Ah, I had my fair share of it in my day. Now I'm just tryin' to keep out of it as much as I can. These old bones done whooped enough ass." With that said, Leroy takes another sip of his scotch. "No, these days I just do what I can to keep trouble a hop, skip, and a jump from me and mines."

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, I suppose that's fair," Morgan says, seating herself on the stool and taking another long drink through her crazy straw. "Though you were a fighter, hm? Did you compete in many tournaments?" She wiggles a little on her seat, raising one leg up and bouncing her shoe on her toes.

[LEROY SMITH]
"The streets were my stage." Leroy says with a bit of a fondness. "These streets, actually. Southtown's home." Leroy pauses for a second to shove down the potential flashback that was about to occur. He doesn't need to relive his origin story every time. "So I do whatever it takes to protect my home. Even if that means I gotta' crack a few skulls." He's got a little bit of swagger when he says that part. He can't even front. He likes cracking some skulls.

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, so a seeker of justice type?" Morgan says, crossing her legs. Those leather pants slide against each other when she does. The shoe swings back and forth on her toes again. "There seems to be a lot of trouble with that here, no? The Syndicate, that awful Black Dragon woman, Darkstalkers..."

"Do you ever get bored of it?" Morgan asks, flipping her hair back and looking at Leroy over her straw.

[LEROY SMITH]
"Southtown's a mess. Has been for a long time. But it's my home. And if a man can't fight for his home then what else is he gonna' fight for?" Leroy finishes off his drink finally and turns his glass upside down on the bar. Guess he won't be drinking another one. He likes to keep his wits all about him or something. "I don't bore easily. I've got Sugar."

[MORRIGAN]
"That's good!" Morgan says, hopping up and pacing toward the bartender. "Ah, excuse me, can I get some of those ones with the cheese sauce and the meat? Yes, those. Get me two of those."

She makes her way back toward Leroy. "And another of these, maestro," she dangles the glass.

"I'm the opposite. I get oh so bored!" she says. "But this city seems lively enough. Where do you recommend for a girl to have a good time?"

[LEROY SMITH]
"Church. The library. The community center. Lots of good, clean places for a girl like you to keep away from the wrong element." Leroy just out here dropping advice that nobody probably wants to hear. "These guys 'round here? They ain't the kinda' trouble you wanna' mess with. They always got some mess goin' and a pretty little thang like you don't need to be caught up in that world. Trust me. I've seen where that road leads. It ain't no happy ending, I can tell you that."

[MORRIGAN]
"Do I look like someone who runs with the wrong element?" Morgan sticks out her tongue. "Though I appreciate the compliment~ I do like a man with good taste. Though I could tell that from the company you keep." She gestures at Sugar.

"But hmmm. Some troublesome characters, are they? Would you say is the worse one here?"

[LEROY SMITH]
Even Leroy ain't no snitch so he just kind of shrugs that question off a bit. "Let's just say I ain't fond of nobody that don't know how to treat my people. Bullies, Darkstalkers, Gangsters... I don't care what it is. If they don't respect my city or my people then they the worse in my book. And my book ain't nowhere you wanna' be. Believe that." Leroy offers a little grin. "Sugar the best judge of character I know. When she awake, that is." Figures he'd let the dog tell him whose ass to kick. "You stickin' 'round these parts or you just passin' through?"

[MORRIGAN]
"I go where there's something to keep my attention," Morgan says, resting her elbows on the bar and leaning back. "Things have been surprisingly quiet lately, especially for Southtown. I suppose the monsters are laying low for a bit, aren't they?"

She sighs, twirling her hair around her fingers. "So you said your people...around here? Southtown, yes? You must care about them a lot. I appreciate that kind of ..." She smirks. "Passion. People should being willing to fight for what they want, if you ask me."

[LEROY SMITH]
"Suppose they are. And they better stay that way if they know what's good for 'em." Leroy sits up a bit straighter on his stool at that. He likes to think he's had a hand in keeping things a little bit more on the calm side lately. Even if it could have to do with everything else entirely.

"I just love my home. I didn't get to grow up here as much as I wanted to. Some uh... things happened when I was little. But soon as I was able, I came back." Leroy looks out over the ruffian crowd with a bit of pride on his features. "There's just something about Southtown that makes you feel alive. If that ain't worth fightin' for, I don't know what is."

[MORRIGAN]
"I like it," Morgan says suddenly, sitting upright. Her heels clack on the floor when she springs up to her feet almost weightlessly and paces around, hands crossed behind the small of her back. "Some people chase wealth, or power, or a good fight, but you have your little kingdom to protect. It's a bit old-fashioned, maybe, but sometimes what's old is new again."

"Something that makes you feel alive, though," Morrigan turns her head a melodramatic arc, almost child-like, in a way. "I really like that." The nachos slide down the bar, and she takes one layered with cheese, beans, jalapenos, and who knows what else, and pops it into her mouth.

"Want one?" she asks, mouth still full.

[LEROY SMITH]
"Uh, I'm good." Leroy's face scrunches up at the sight of that bar food. He may be slumming it in here but it's mostly so he can whoop some ass if he needs to. There's much more bougie to him than maybe he's letting show. And that involves not eating anything off Mac's menu.

"I never thought of it like that. My own little kingdom. I can dig it." Leroy grins at that thought because he does walk up and down these streets like he owns them.

[MORRIGAN]
Perhaps Morgan is used to eatings pe--things much more shady than Mac's bar food. In any case.

She rolls her shoulders and takes another nacho. "They're not as bad as I thought. Food in these places is almost an adventure. Just how bad will it be! Sometimes there's a gem though."

Whatever the case, she seems unconcerned with annoying any of the customers as she trots about.

"So you said you spent time away, did you? Surely you saw a few interesting sights along the way, then?"

[LEROY SMITH]
"I been all across the world and back again. I seen a little bit of everything." Even with his dark shades on apparently. Better than wearing a patch over his bad eye. "Traveled so much I made it business." Just a little humblebrag there in the midst of all this conversation. "I've seen some real beauty and some horribly ugly in my lifetime. Guess which one I like the best." There's probably a playful wink behind those shades with those words.

[MORRIGAN]
"Oooh, a charmer, too," Morgan sticks out her tongue. She seems to have found her way to a pachinko machine in the corner. She bends over to inspect it, reminding the bar just how tight those leather pants are for a few moments.

"What's your favorite place?" She seems to be assessing the pachinko machine carefully. One hand goes to her cheek, tapping it thoughtfully.

[LEROY SMITH]
"Hong Kong. Definitely Hong Kong. It's my home away from home, if I had to choose one." And maybe not just because Leroy learned the vicious art of Wing Chun there and brought it back home with him to Southtown so that he can kick some ganger ass all up and down these streets. "It's beautiful out there."

[MORRIGAN]
"Hong Kong," Morgan repeats. "Hmm. It does have a nice skyline...interesting people too. Nestled there, surrounded by the sea. It is amazing what men can do when they put their mind to it."

The green-haired woman turns, looking around her own backside. "Do you have..." She points toward the coin slot.

"I almost hate to ask. Almost."

"Eyyy," a man speaks up. "Don't worry lady, I gotchu," he swaggers up, a broad-shouldered brunette in a baggy suit jacket. "Of course, you'll just need to pay me back later." Morgan makes a face.

[LEROY SMITH]
"Grrrrrrrrrrrr!"

That sound is coming from down below as Sugar has managed to make her way over and plant herself in between Morgan and the Creeper. Teeth are bared and it doesn't look like she's willing to let the man get any closer.

"I think you better find another tree to bark up, boy." Leroy's off his stool and using his cane to walk himself in the direction Morgan. "She don't want no trouble." Said coin is held out for Morgan to take even though Leroy's words are all for the man trying to shoot his shot. "And you don't want none either." It's definitely a warning.

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, thank you, Sugar," Morgan seems amused. The man is already backing off when Leroy gets up. "Tch," he says, backing off two steps. "Who let a dog in here, anyway?!"

"Oh, and thank you, too, Leroy," Morgan takes the point and pops it into the pachinko machine. "The pinball ones are better," she muses. "But you don't see them as often these days."

[LEROY SMITH]
"I know what you mean. The classics are hard to find." Leroy keeps his one eye glaring through his sunglasses at the man backing off. Sugar's content with her new position and cops a squat right there to make sure nobody else makes their way over.

"Say, what you know about pinball machines? You a youngin'." Leroy narrows his eye behind those glasses.

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, I know! They used to be everywhere." Morgan pouts, watching the ball rattle down with a blaring of lights and buzzers. She frowns.

"Am I?" Morgan asks, extremely coy. "I mean, I am told I don't look my age."

[LEROY SMITH]
"Well, you look younger than me so either you got a real good plastic surgeon or my math is all wrong." Leroy shrugs almost immediately in a manner to make it very clear that he's not trying to start no mess. "Either way, ain't really none of my business."

[MORRIGAN]
"You're a smart man, Leroy. Very wise, very wise indeed." Morgan says. "Let's say I have my ways, and I'm much older than I look." She stands up and stretches, planting her hands against the small of her back. "But this place is getting a bit old without at least a good arcade machine," she says, "and other than you and Sugar the crowd is..." she sticks out her tongue. The man from before scowls when the green-haired woman says it, but she winks at him.

"And the night is still young. Do you have any recommendations of good hotspots for a girl like me?"

[LEROY SMITH]
"Yes. Home. To bed." Leroy grins and taps his cane twice. This makes Sugar rise up and trot over to his side. "Which is where I'm about to go. I've got a few uh... housecalls to make in the morning, let's say." That last bit is said in the direction of the creeper man from earlier. That's right, Leroy Smith either knows where you live or he'll figure it out, man. Ahem.

"Now you remember what I said, Morgan, y'hear?"

[MORRIGAN]
"Aww, but it's so early!" Morgan protests, looking pouty. "But we do need our beauty rest, no? Good luck with those. Perhaps we'll meet again sometime soon. I do roam." Morgan almost singsongs this last part, making her way toward the back with a steady clack clack of her heels on the floor.

She never comes out of the back, and no one ever sees her leave.

Log created on 21:24:45 03/25/2022 by Morrigan, and last modified on 00:16:33 03/27/2022.