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Post by hal on Aug 6, 2010 20:21:10 GMT -5
Hal needed to relax...unwind...and possibly get smashed. He had gotten a wicked steam burn on his right forearm and it stung like a mother. Hal had gotten the chance of the lifetime to restore a Model-T's engine. Of course, in his excitement, Hal had knocked the cap off a coupe's radiator and the fury of a hot compact car caught his arm.
It burned and Hal cursed like a sailor with a stubbed toe.
He needed to get rid of the pain and the usual pain relief options failed. That's how Hal ended up turning to booze at a bar/club/something hip that Hal didn't really understand. He didn't get fads or trends. He liked his stuff old school and simple, not changing every other day at the slightest whim of somebody with an opinion.
So, Hector hopped onto his favorite bike and powered on over the club in question. He parked the bike, threatened some nearby punks who were eying his baby, and made his way inside the club with the thumping bass and too many scrawny, sweaty bodies moving together. Once inside, Hal made a beeline through the crowd to the open stool in the middle of the bar. He hunched over the bar and ordered a White Cadillac.
The bartender didn't know what a White Cadillac was so Hal had to talk him through then was very careful not to drink too fast. He didn't want any liquid courage making him want to battle gravity in an epic, one legged dance off.
He already did that once.
Gravity won.
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Post by KATHERINE MINOLA on Aug 11, 2010 19:39:11 GMT -5
(Note from admin: Please remember to use colour when godmodding.)
Katherine had no idea how Dina hadnmanaged to convince her to do something so idiotic. She was huddled at the bar of the noisy club nursing her vodka cooler while her friend was busy drinking herself silly and rubbing her ass against some tanned pretty boy. Poor Dina was always trying to get her to "have fun" as she put it. She didn't seem to realize that her idea of fun differed drastically from Katherine's.
"It'll be great!" Dina'd said as she tugged her into the club. Katherine had immediately disliked the loud, pounding music and the sweaty people grinding up against each other. She knew she stuck out like a soar thumb in her black skirt and jacket and her hair up in a tight bun. This was the most casual thing she'd had in her wardrobe and needless to say she looked like she was ready for a corporate meeting. She huddled her tiny frame further into her corner in a failed attempt to make herself invisible. She pressed her large stiletto heels into the ground as she turned to observe the dancers behind her. She immediately noticed a tall hulk of a man next her. She smirked to herself. He didn't fit in the with the young, opulent crowd either and stuck out almost as much as she did. She debated trying to strike up a conversation with him, but reminded herself that her conversations with men never ended well...
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Post by hal on Aug 13, 2010 22:40:03 GMT -5
Hal had been amusing himself with watching the drunk teens and young adults making fools of themselves in the mirror behind the bartender when he saw another proverbial sore thumb, like himself. It was a woman wearing a strict looking suit and an equally strict looking bun who had seemed to roll in with one of the drunks. Hal glanced away from the mirror to look at her straight on. She looked like a woman who didn't know how to have fun.
Which meant that she needed to learn.
Hal took his drink in hand and carefully, so he didn't slip on sweat and glitter, Hal made his way over to the stool next to her. Hal plopped down on the stool and grinned at the woman.
"You look about as out of place here as I do," Hal said with a shrug. He raised his glass in a mock toast. "Here's to not fitting in. Here, or anywhere else, because really, who gives a damn?"
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Post by KATHERINE MINOLA on Aug 14, 2010 7:00:57 GMT -5
Katherine stared for a moment at the man, debated whether or not to tell him to piss off. Instead her eyes wandered over his heavily tattooed body until they settled on his legs, and she realized that he had a prosthetic. She was mildly surprised, never having met someone like that before.
She looked back up to his face as he spoke. "Who gives a damn?"
Katherine's voice was serious as she spoke, but the little smirk was on her face again. "I give a damn. We should all give a damn. If we don't fit in, we aren't liked. Any high school loser or politician will tell you that. How do you think Columbine happened? No, fitting in is important. I learned that young. I bet even you belong to some motorcycle loving, beer swilling group who are missing you right now at whatever biker bar you usually go to. Am I right, Long John?"...
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Post by hal on Aug 15, 2010 14:52:37 GMT -5
Hal's smile quickly turned into a scowl at the woman's harsh words. He was trying to gain a comrade in the battle against popularity and she went right for statistics and the leg.
"First off, the name's Hal. Long John had a wooden leg," Hal tapped his prosthetic with his finger. "This isn't wood. Second of all, you only have to fit in when you need someone else to say that you're okay. I don't belong to a "bear swilling group", they have two leg requirements," Hal did the finger quotes. "The kids at Columbine weren't right in the head and them not fitting in was an excuse so that argument is out the window.
"Besides, with a mug like mine and only one leg, do you really think that I fit in during high school? Being butt ugly and crippled doesn't make you a ton of friends. And, what do ya know, I didn't go postal and pop my classmates. Now, are you going to remove that stick from you ass or are you just going to sit there, be miserable, and make everyone else miserable too? I've already burnt the shit outta my arm today, I don't need some stranger trying their damn best to make my life worse right now," Hal raised an eyebrow.
He didn't need this. If she wasn't willing to compromise, even a little, he was going to hobble back to his stool and wallow in pain.
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Post by KATHERINE MINOLA on Aug 15, 2010 15:44:59 GMT -5
Katherine was taken aback at the man's anger. She'd unleashed the popularity argument before, but never to such vehement anger. She thought for a moment on how best to reply. She debated using more sarcasm, but it would probably only make things worse. She winced to herself as she realized that her only real option was to tell the truth.
"My younger sister has always been the darling of the family...of the community really. She's loved everywhere she goes. I'm not pretty, nor am I sweet and bubbly, like she is. Ppeople put up with me. I had to survive by my brains, get myself to where I am. All she had to do was smile, and everyone liked her and did everything for her. In my experience, being liked by the masses gets you anything and everything. I really envy you being able to still be as optomistic as you are about the human race, to trust them to put value in the right things." Katherine took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She wasn't used to saying so much about herself to a complete stranger. She hoped she didn't come off as a bitchy bleeding heart...
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Post by hal on Aug 15, 2010 16:04:32 GMT -5
"I can't say that I understand, because I don't, but I can say that I'm not all that optimistic. I got a reality check 33 years ago and I haven't forgot the lesson. People don't rag on me because of how I look. They either feel sorry for me, or they're scared shitless. There's no optimism in that," Hal nodded and turned to face the bar. He decided that he didn't have to leave the woman alone.
"I'm gonna take your response as a 'Yes, I will remove the stick and act like a normal human being'," Hal took a sip of his drink. "And as far as your sister is concerned, some day, she'll wake up and not be pretty enough for the masses and will be left with nothing. Consider your brains a blessing,"
Hal surveyed the woman coolly for half a moment before thrusting a hand in her direction. "Like I said, the name's Hal. Cooper. Hal Cooper, I'm a mechanic. I'm going to go ahead and guess that you're a lawyer or corporate executive or something like that. They're the only bunch that wear clothes like that," Hal tilted his head in the direction of her suit.
She had to be a business broad through and through.
"Let's leave that nasty little intro behind us and try again, hmm?"
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Post by KATHERINE MINOLA on Aug 16, 2010 19:11:42 GMT -5
Katherine looked curiously at the man. Most men - people in general really - would've gotten angry and left at her cynical, sarcastic remarks, but this one hadn't. He had forgiven her her abrasiveness. He seemed to have his own experiences of isolation and loneliness. She had even blushed a little when he'd complimented her intelligence. No one had ever paid that much attention to her academic successes passed a quick congratulations. This man could prove to be an interesting friend. It was about time she had some fun in her life. She took his extended hand, noticing how odd her little hand looke din his large, rogh one. "My name is Katerine. Katherine Monola. I do banking on Wall Street. And occassionally accounting."...
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Post by hal on Aug 16, 2010 19:33:20 GMT -5
"Banking and sometimes accounting? Sounds fun," Hal kept his tone even, flat, but even then the sarcasm practically dripped off of his words. Hal had never been very good at math stuff, he had barely scrapped by in high school and hated the little bit he had to do with his business. Sure, book-keeping wasn't all that hard, but for someone like Hal...it was an exercise in self-control. Self-control in the sense that he had to try to not throw the book out the window. He was more of an action man.
Hal could rebuild a '76 Volkswagen bus from the ground up in less than a week.
Balancing a check book on the other hand was like trying telling the French to stop putting so much sauce on their food.
Not happening. Ever.
"Can I buy you...another of whatever you're drinking?" Hal asked casually. It wasn't a come on. He didn't "come on" to women like this Katherine Minola. She was a little too strict, harsh around the edges for him at the moment. Maybe, in two weeks, if she managed to loosen up, Hal would ask her to dinner.
But until then, he had the android could be bottom of the bottle booze buddies.
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Post by KATHERINE MINOLA on Aug 17, 2010 18:54:42 GMT -5
Katherine looked down at her nearly empty bottle, considering the refill, smiling at Hal's sarcasm. "Sure, I'll just have a Corona. I'm done with the fruity alcohol at the moment" She said as she considered Hal's comment about her job.
"It can get excruciatingly boring sometimes. Often actually. There are times when I question my sanity at the time I chose that career path. That said, I ma a number person. I always enjoyed creating and solving numerous equations. It's like solving a riddle or crossword, but with numbers. I enjoyed the challenge. I also enjoyed the challenge that came with playing the stocks. I thought financial advising, accounting and banking for corporations and the extremely wealthy would serve both my interests. Turns out it can be mind-numbingly dull. The reputation one gets from being successful is worth it. It feels good to appreciated and sought after because you're good at something. You know? I guess you have to build a good reputation in your business too. You do what you're good at and enjoy, and get recognized for it, like me..."
Katherine's thoughts trailed off as she observed the dancers behind her. She remembered how much her business suit stuck out in this place. She also realized that she was getting hot. A little self-conscious, she unbuttoned her jacket and took it off, placing it next to her. She looked down at her now exposed silk blouse. It was a rose-coloured affair, light and almost sheer against her skin, with small little sleeves puffing out over her shoulders. Katherine took a small breathe as she reached for the elastic in her hair. She rarely had her hair down in public, and didn't want Hal to think she was trying to impress him or anything. She didn't really know why she was undoing her hair, perhaps because her scalp was starting to ache from having her hair twisted back so tight, or maybe subconsciously she was trying to impress him. She ran her fingers through the long strands, combing out the tangles with her fingers. It was very dark, almost black, making her skin seem even paler than it already was.
"Sorry about that," Katherine said with a smile as she pulled her hair over her shoulder, "I was getting hot...so, how did you end up here of all places?"...
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Post by hal on Aug 17, 2010 22:43:05 GMT -5
Hal listened to Katherina talk in silence, and watched her let her hair down and take off her coat in silence as well. He thought it was interesting that she was such a numbers person but still sitting in a bar, drinking by herself. Hell, she was a pretty girl, she should be dating during her time off, not spending the time by herself. Not that Hal was interested in dating her, she was still just another woman at the moment.
A pretty woman, but just a woman.
At Katherine's question about how he ended up in the club, Hal just held out his arm and pulled up the sleeve. Beneath the tattoos the skin was an angry red flash of skin. "Like I said, I burnt the crap outta my arm and I needed a drink. This was the first place I found," Hal shrugged and motioned to the bartender. He ordered two Corona's and turned back to her.
"What about you? Did a friend need a wingman only to dump you at the bar?" Hal was straight forward with his thoughts. Women like Katherina Minola only ended up in a club slash bar when they were dragged into one.
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Post by KATHERINE MINOLA on Aug 18, 2010 18:51:37 GMT -5
(I'm sorry it's so short. I'm low on time today XD)
Katherine winced at the nasty burn on Hal's arm. Then she smiled as she heard his question. "Yeah. I know Dina from work. We're the only people we know who can put up with each other, so we're pretty much friends even though we're exact opposites. She dragged me along because she thought I should 'get out more'. I'd hate to ruin her day and tell her I'd much prefer to stay home and watch Law and Order re-reuns with my cat, said as it may seem. It doesn't really matter anyway. She's out doing her thing, and I'm here with you." She said smiling and air toasted him with her bottle. Maybe tonight would be interesting after all...
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Post by hal on Aug 19, 2010 8:32:30 GMT -5
"See? Who gives a damn?" Hal shot Katherine a crooked grin and toasted his bottle. Hal swivled around on his stool to look at the dancers and, after a moment of deep concentration, decided that he couldn't see her friend. Everyone on the dance floor looked exactly like each other. All drunk. All glittered. All stupid.
"I never understood that. It's not really dancing. And not to sound girly or anything, kinda gross. Too much sweat," Hal wrinkled his nose at the thought. Of course, he was more worried about the sweat screwing up him ability to walk.
False leg + wet floor = Ouchie.
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Post by KATHERINE MINOLA on Aug 20, 2010 17:44:47 GMT -5
Katherine chuckled at Hal's comment about the sweaty dancers.
"I always wondered when dry humping became dancing. I have no sense of rhythm myself, so I've only ever been able to observe. It's like watching some sort of bizzare mating ritual. And blasting the music to break everyone's ear drums doesn't seem to me the best way to get people to dance. But then, what do I know? I'm just an uptight business lady with a stick up my ass." Katherine shrugged and took a swig of her Corona. She liked that Hal seemed have the sense of beffuddlement at places like this as she did. Subconsiously, she began twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, something she hadn't done in years and would've blushed badly at had she noticed...
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Post by hal on Aug 22, 2010 23:28:37 GMT -5
"My coming of age was in the seventies where disco reigned supreme. This...dry humping is a little better than polyester leisure suits and afros," Hal made a face at the memory. He had worn the typical, curled and fluffy hairdo of many a young man and even owned bellbottoms. Then, after the accident, he wore sweat pants mostly so he didn't fall prey to the fashion of the eighties. Instead he skipped ahead to the nineties which was when he got back into decent jeans again.
He agreed though, on the other comment. A bizarre mating ritual...like cracked out monkeys. Hal shook his head at the spectacle and made a point to look the opposite direction. And, at that moment, the opposite direction was at Katherine who was twirling her hair like a twelve year old girl. It shot him back forty some odd years to Mrs. Smolkavich's classroom. There was a girl, Jennifer Petes, who twirled her hair like Katherine was. The only difference was that Jennifer was very blonde and Katherine was very not.
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