2019-12-03 - Vegas II: The Vegasing

At some point in the day Easton wakes up in his office at the Two if by Sea. It was rough night passing out in the bar and mildly embarassing having his employees have to carry him into the office. Or it would have been embarassing if he were aware of it. But waking up in his clothes from last night, smelling a half empty bottle of whiskey full of cigarettes left out in the sun. He manages to stumble his way home and take a good long shower. The shower is good. It washes away the smell, it wakes him up fully, it gives him the realization of exactly what needs to happen.

He grabs his phone and considers who he needs to contact in a time such as this. One is a given. One has a condition to check first.

(TXT to Geoff) Easton : I need a fishing trip. Now. Tonight. But flying this time.

(TXT to Byron) Easton : Do you own a hawaiian shirt? Vegas is happening. Tonight. I know you can keep up.

(TXT to Easton) Byron : I can pack a few Hawaiian shirts. What's the occasion? Might need to stop by at the Venetian. Have an investor staying there. Won't be long.

Though this probably means that Byron Thorne is packing a suit too.

(TXT to Byron) Easton : Bennie's gone. We're done. SO. Vegas.

(TXT to Easton) Geoff : Damn straight, I'll miss the drive but this leaves more time. How long are we going for? Give me forty and I'll swing by your place.

(TXT to Lilith) Byron : Hey, Easton asked if I wanted to head off to Las Vegas. A guy's out thing. Again. Not sure what the reason is this time, but I'll probably be making a business trip out of this, though we're heading back tomorrow some time. We're flying out rather than driving. Anything that you want in particular from Sin City? Otherwise, I'll surprise you.

(TXT to Geoff) Easton : Two days? Three? Once we land, I'm taking off my responsible pants.

(TXT to Harper) Geoff : Hey babe, going to vegas with Easton. Guessing something happened. I'll be back in three days, I promise I'll do my best to not get married again.

(TXT to Byron) Lilith : Well. Okay. Don't fuck a stripper or bar escort. And I can't think of anything, so you should surprise me.

(TXT to Byron) Lilith : We need to finish decorating when you get back, or I can do it while you're gone, I guess, and take a drive to get some actual decent shopping in.

(TXT to Lilith) Byron : Yes, Mistress. You know that you're the hottest stripper around right? And yeah. I'll try not to be long. Be back soon.

(TXT to Easton) Byron : Wow. That's. Wow. Sorry to hear that man. I'll just get a few things packed, then ready when you are.

The packing for the trip is light. Easton stuffs a bunch of reasonable things into a duffel bag and slips on a hawaiian shirt under a hoodie. It might be warm in Vegas, but it's still Christmas time in Washington. The only other thing to take care of is the necessary pharmaceuticals put into legitimate looking bottles. He continues to text updates and flight choices to the other two men and finally needs to ask Byron if he can drive to the airport. Probably because one shot of whiskey turned into five and then ten. He pulls out his phone and laughs as he realizes he was about to text Bennie that he was going to be gone for a few days. He shakes his head and shoves his phone back into his pocket and takes another shot.

(TXT to Byron) Easton : I'll meet you downstairs. I'm not driving. I don't plan on being sober for the next three days or so. Maybe longer haven't decide.d

(TXT to Byron) Lilith : I do know that. And you forget it, just remember how scary I am instead, it'll kill your boner. If I'm out of town when you get back, you know why. But I shouldn't be making an overnight out of it. So it's fine. I'll be careful.

(TXT to Byron) Lilith : Real talk, though-- love you. Be safe too.

Thorne is used to packing for business trips. He's an expert at it. He may be packing for just a few days, but in goes an assortment of three different Hawaiian shirts, a variety of shorts and long pants and of course, a business suit in dark gray. When told to bring his car because he's the designated for now, one corner of his lips tugs into a grin. He was still driving around in that rented Benz until Rosencrantz could get all the parts for his Wraith, which is still in the shop after some.. mishap with a mechanical minotaur.

Sending a few messages back and forth with Lilith, something that he says has him concerned and he hesitates to send her a text regarding it. Thinking further on this, he just adds a closure, before heading downstairs to meet up with Easton.

(TXT to Lilith) Byron : I know that you'll be. Careful. Love you too.

Geoff makes his way to Easton's apartment because if there is a last minute fishing trip then there is no chance in hell that his husband is going to fit to drive. Pulling up in his pickup truck he only has a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and makes his way to the lobby to meet up, a broad grin resting on his features. There's a lightness to his step as he walks and he hums a tune beneath his breath.

While there may have been no mention of Geoff made in the text messages and if there was, Byron may have missed it with having to send out a few messages out regarding this trip, once he sees his childhood pal waiting in the lobby, he has a feeling he knows why he's here. "G. Heading over to Vegas too huh?" Byron made sure to pack everything into a carry on, despite the array of clothing he may have brought. He's a seasoned traveler.

Byron, himself, is dressed in more comfortable attire, a dark grey sweater with a black leather jacket thrown over it a pair of dark jeans and black boots.

(TXT to Harper) Geoff : I'll make sure he gets out okay, love ya babe.

Geoff upnods Byron "Damn straight I'm going on this little fishing trip." Geoff is definitely dressed for the desert, wearing a floppy beige fishing hat, a red hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts "Been a while man, how've you been holding up?" his eyebrow arching at this as he digs out a little travel sized container of jack daniels from his shorts pocket and cracks it open to down.

"Fishing trip?" Easton didn't tell Byron that, but he has something for most any occasion, including swim wear. The weather might be getting chilly, but he has nothing against sitting on a lake in a boat with a cooler of beer. "Now that Gohl's put to rest and some of the peskier tenants having either moved out or threatened law suits-- which I have a new lawyer working on, by the way, mostly good." There's a pause now, eyes drifting to the elevators where Easton should be popping out of at any moment. "Do I think it's smooth sailing from here though? Hell no."

A look is given Goeff's way, "Yourself?" He then adds, "Gotta admit, the lot of us have been breaking up relationships one after the other recently."

"Vegas!" Easton's voice booms through the lobby of the apartments as he exits the elevator with his duffle slung over his shoulder. He has a coffee mug of dubious contents in his hand and a huge drunken grin on his face. He realizes he may not have informed either of the others of the roster for this away game but oh well, they've figured it out.

"But G, seriously no Russian poker games this time. I need my kneecaps."

Geoff leans against the wall as he listens to Byron "Man I gotta admit, your adventures are a lot more deadly and exciting then mine. Mine typically just involve sad ghosts, families of deer or vegas trips." with a click of his tongue he thinks "Let's see, my life's been going pretty steady. Harper and I started dating, and I've mainly been tending to business around the shop."

When Easton makes his arrival, Geoff pushes away from the wall and strides for the man to take him in a bro hug and clap him on the back "Man this time I got the responsibility. You just go fucking crazy. Also I can't promise we won't be dealing with the Russians but you know you don't step up to the table without at /least/ a kilo." Geoff says this as much as if it is common sense or a live experience "So you're not driving and I'm not sure we all want to crowd into my pickup." Turning his easy going grin on Byron he asks "Mind if we carpool with you?"

"Deadly, sure. Exciting? I could take them or leave them-- Though I'd rather just leave them." Byron mutters wryly. "Harper? I think I heard a little something about that. I don't know man, you tend to end up with the most unlikely ladies." He flashes over a grin. "Harper's always been sweet. Just keep her safe from the crazy." Then Easton shows up and he says as an aside to Geoff, "One day, I'm gonna have to ask you about the families of deer.."

"Marshall!" He steps forward to give Easton some assistance with his things, already seeing that the other guy has had a bit much to drink. "And I don't know, Geoff. Crowding around in your pickup just reminds me of old times, but sure. I'll pull out the Benz. The... Wraith is still in the shop. Mechanical Minotaur. That's a story for another time."

Rather than shuffle everyone into the elevator, he takes the elevator down himself to drive the black Mercedes out from the building's underground parking to wait for them outside of the lobby. He honks his horn for them, briefly. Don't need to bother the tenants...

(Time Jump!)

The flight was uneventful besides Easton trying to convince the stewardess that beverages service on the two hour flight was a life saving necessity that needed to happen before he literally died. And Easton has already taken care of their accommodations, a reasonably swanky suite at a casino on the strip. But now the time has come to actually enjoy what this city has to offer..

Coming out of the bathroom, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, gray shorts and drunken smile, Easton says "If I remember this night then I have failed in my mission. I'm thinking craps to start and then we need to remember how to get to that jungle themed strip club Turner." He doesn't bother hiding the fact that he's wiping something off his nose.

Geoff did his best on the flight he really did, that his patient Easton had a rare genetic disorder and the alcohol would help stabilize them till they landed. When Easton emergest from the bathroom he's cracking his knuckles "Man I got this /feeling/ that I can lead us back there. After all after you make eye contact with a caged leopard in a strip club, it's imprinted on your soul." Downing his own pills with a hand full of water he claps his hands together "I can promise you that I'm going to do my best to make sure you don't remember anything over the next few days."

This was a relatively short flight and something Byron's done many times before. When they drop their things off at the hotel chosen, despite his posh lifestyle, he doesn't seem to be judging it any. Easton can afford the best, if he wanted. Byron does't even wait for the bathroom to be free, changing from warm casual wear and into his own swank Hawaiian shirt, green with white palm-leaf patterns and a pair of tan knee length shorts. He still has that slick city-boy style no matter where he goes (or where he was born...)

There's this amused look that he gives the pair, "A jungle themed strip club? Sounds 'wild'." That last part is said in an exaggerated way. "What are we all waiting for, gentlemen, the night is young." Vegas is a 24/7 city.

The craps tables are hopping when the men make their way downstairs to the gaming floor. The windowless room has that purposefully timeless quality that makes the hours blur together and the flowing drinks and loud cheers all combine to convince the patrons that they are having the time of their lives. Easton apparently came loaded to bear and is setting down a hefty chip rack on the table to get down to business. And he does okay for himself. Craps isn't the most complicated or strategic of games which helps someone with as much flowing in their bloodstream as Mr. Marshall. But just as his luck starts to warm up the other players at the table suddenly step away as a series of burly suited men file around. They clearly are pushing out the other players, and most take the hint.

Except Easton.

The not so friendly table chatter devolves rather quickly when Easton gets cold clocked by one of them, sending him sprawling backwards across the floor. But one of the good things about his much diluted blood is that he's not really feeling much just now, so he's up on his fight and coming back swinging.

Craps should have been simple, Easton was beginning to get somewhere and the alcohol service was top notch. Things were looking up or at least that is what Geoff thought as he looked down at his drink, but as he looks up he catches that cold clock connecting against Easton's face and then it is on. Launching himself up from where he was sitting he flies at the dude who just threw the punch to throw one of his own, and Geoff is playing for keeps this go round.

Despite having a couple of drinks on the plane, Byron is usually a moderate drinker, needing to keep his senses sharp to set him ten steps ahead of everyone else. He'll let loose and relax every so often, though rarely in Gray Harbor where mentalists abound. Here, however, being this far from town, his concerns with such things have already started to wane. Powers don't really exist right? Nor does any of that weirdness.

Craps are not Byron's favorite type of game. Poker, sure? Black Jack is alright. But he's here to help the poor break-up boy ease his pain and whatnot, so craps it is. Thorne is one of those guys wearing expensive sunglasses in places like this. Look, some of those bright lights are blinding, alright! And yes, there's no need to hide any tells at a craps table.

Either way, he's about to have his next go at the dice, you win some, you lose some, when from out of the corner of his eyes there's some kind of commotion. He'd noticed the suits a while back, thought nothing of it, or acted like he did. This wasn't Gray Harbor, guys, but trouble seems to follow them everywhere. He's quick to rise from his stool as well, having it topple over behind him. "Shit.." This wouldn't be the first time that he found himself in a fist fight and it probably won't be the last. He'll hop into the fray, taking point on any of the other goons trying to crowd around, prepared to defend himself. "We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way." He has the feeling he knows just how they want to do this.

Geoff launches himself at one of the goons with a haymaker that makes a solid connection to the jaw of one of the goons. The cheap sunglasses that he was wearing indoors, which are obviously a knock off of the real deal that Byron is sporting, go flying off as the man spins and falls.

Byron's question of the easy or hard way is answered by one of them taking a swing at him. But it's clumsy and obvious that these goons are not an actual threat to someone with even a little fighting ability. Byron has plenty of juice to knock the man around and shove him to the ground.

Easton manages to grab one of the goons by the neck tie but his headbutt is off target and connects only with a doughy shoulder and hurts Easton's nose more than anything. The goon then lifts him and throws him but Easton manages to just fall backwards over a chair and laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

And in almost no time flat security is sweeping in, though they seem far more interested in the men in suits than in the three wearing bright floral print shirts. Easton takes advantage of any confusion to make a grab for his chips and boogie. He does at least glance over his shoulder to make sure that his two able bodied compatriots are right behind him.

Geoff Miracle of Miracles it seems that Geoff's leopard soul bond had actually been a thing and with only minimal wrong turns he managed to get them to the jungle themed strip club. After what must have been only thirty minutes three men in not so cheap suits emerge from the champagne rooms and with a clap to each of the men's shoulders and a flashing of firearms beneath their suit jackets they insist they follow them back to their lair.

On arriving in the back a man in a track suit and a leopard laying it's head in his lap is spreading his arms wide in greeting, a broad smile on his features as he calls to them "COMRADES, I did not think I would be seeing you again so soon. Had you told me we would have partied, da?" The man would be vaguely familiar to Geoff and Easton, it is Sergei.

No, Byron had no doubts that Geoff would get them to their destination. For as often as he might fly out to these parts, he has never been to a jungle themed strip club. He's been to other strip clubs, so this is new. Eventually, they find their way there. More drinks are had along with jungle bunnies, one can assume. Byron made a promise to Lilith about NO STRIPPERS, but even now he can't imagine her getting anything more than just spiteful and angry, perhaps murderously so, but any memories that he might have had of just how deadly she can be is far from his mind.

Still, while he might smile up at them, he's acting a perfect gentleman--looking but not touching.

Not that he has to put this up for long, because the next thing they know three suited men (again) emerge from one of the VIP rooms, something which makes him lower his sunglasses momentarily to get a better view of these new faces. Russians... Geoff mentioned Russians. That's when he shoots a glance over in Turner's direction, giving him this 'So what exactly is this about?' look.

"It was really a place? I couldn't remember if that was just you dancing with a potted plant and singing The Lion Sleeps Tonight man.." Easton comments as he follows after Geoff to wherever they are headed next. The best thing about Vegas, at least in the mind of a very drunk Easton right this very moment, as it changes every few minutes, is that he can smoke anywhere. So he's lighting up as they leave and still smoking as they enter the strip club.

"Oh no. This is real. And I need to find that brunette with the belly ring.." Easton manages to find his preferred dancer and is fully engaged in tucking a variety of small bills and chips in her various strings. He looks up from over her bent over ass when the men come out and call them COMRADES. That's good right? Easton's fuzzy brain that is never any good with languages decides that it's good.

His drunk brain also decides that doing a fake russian accent is the right way to play this situation. And for those that don't know, his fake Russian accent sounds like a Texan attempting an Australian accent in French. It's not good. "COM-RAIDS! We should be drinking! Where is ye Wodka?!"

Geoff lets out a deep booming laugh "Sergei you bastard I was wondering if we were going to run into you again." Walking over with an easy stride he leans in to faux whisper to the man "My friend, it is Easton who has the problem he drinks to forget this time. The night is still young if you wish to party with us." Sergei frowns deeply at this, his hand stroking over the leopards head as he thinks "This. This simply cannot due. Not for customers as good as yourselves." He gestures out towards the seats in the room "Sit my friends and any woman you want tonight you can have, I promise on Sasha here."

Drinking and merriment is had, with Sergei being the very picture of a gracious gopnik host. That is at least until when feeding Sasha egg rolls she lunges forward and over shoots, biting down on the man's crotch. Blood. Everywhere. Amidst the confusion, the gunfire, blood and light fire, two things are known. 1. Sasha is somewhere on the loose in Vegas and 2. It is probably a good time to leave. With these in mind Geoff sort of waves and offers a dip of his head to the screaming and writhing Russian "Sergei, it was great to see you but I believe we should be going now. We'll get in touch before we leave, da?" And with that he is motioning to the other two to beat a hasty retreat with him.

Leaning back against his seat, Byron's eyes flicker between Geoff and this Sergei as they converse behind a veiled gaze. There's tension in every muscle in his body just in case these talks go wrong, but hearing the good laughter coming from both men, it takes a minute or two before he finally lets his guard down. There's a quirk of his brow once everything is said and done. Though who is Sasha?

Either way, during the course of the evening, they are all in good enough spirits once more with even more drink in their bellies, surrounded by Russian... jungle beauties. He doesn't know what's about, but Russians are known for having wild animals as pets, so who'd know better right? Either way, the festivities are had until one little mishap raises the bar of fun and excitement just a little bit higher than normal and shots are fired and there's a leopard loose in Las Vegas somewhere. There's this wince behind his sunglasses. "That's gotta hurt." He looks from bloodied crotch to owner of said bloodied crotch before diverting his eyes away easily enough.

Ducking for cover, with a hand over his head, he calls out to the others, "This happen often here?" It just had to be asked. Geoff doesn't have to tell them twice as Byron's ready to follow suit and get the hell out of dodge.

At some point during the private party Easton slipped away to go relieve himself and ended up finding a comfortable table to sleep on for a little nap. But then his sleepy respite is broken by the sounds of screaming and a leopard bounding past him, it's face smeared with blood. And for a brief moment he's sure that he's been sucked into a Dream. He raises his fists and is ready to try and Glimmer when ... nothing happens. There's no sense of where all the objects in the room are. He can barely stand up straight himself, let alone lift up another object with his mind.

He stumbles back into the crowd and stares wide-eyed at the man with the bleeding crotch as others rush to help him or call an ambulance. He has to be physically grabbed and dragged to get a move on, he's pretty far down the hole at this point.

It's difficult to say how they got here from the strip club, but after having a few drinks along the way, they find themselves on a boozy gondola. Yes, it's the Venetian. Yes, drinks were served. Yes, there's a guy singing songs while paddling them down the waterway. This was going to be a relaxing time and they could still get plastered. Nevermind that there's three guys in suits seated at the back of the gondola. But there is a cute couple seated towards the front, so close, so loving. You just /know/ that the guy is going to screw this up for the both of them, right?

Leaning back, slightly outstretched with a glass of wine in hand, Byron says, staring up at the ceiling, "This is the life isn't it? Out on a boat, drifting along.." He peers over the edge of his sunglasses at the gondolier, "Some guy crooning to us like we're those lovebirds over there. This is the life."

It would be a wonderful time if the girl's other boyfriend didn't spot them from atop the bridge that they are about to sail under. "Tiffany?" Racing to the other side, he pulls himself over the rail to land with a heavy THUD right in the middle of the gondola. "Tiffany? Who the fuck is this guy?" As what you would expect from a night on out with the guys, this, too, turns into a fist fight with the gondola swaying and tilting off to the side and the poor gondolier trying to calm things down, though he has an urge to whack them all with his paddle.

The fight hits closer to home as one of the guys falls up against the trio from Gray Harbor, making Byron just need to shake his head, "Here we go again. Does this always happen to you guys when you visit Sin City?" He works to push the guy back into the fray.

"I'm on a boat!"

Easton occasionally bellows this, somehow loud enough to break the calming atmosphere that the Venetian is trying very hard to make happen. He looks at Byron and says, "Well Geoff and I are married. So, I don't know what that makes you?" He thinks about it for a moment before drunkenly deciding. "I think throuple is a stupid word, and people need to get nose punched for using it."

But the talk of lovers and Geoff and he's quickie marriage before Elvis on their last trip does manage to bubble up something through the fog of inebriation. He turns to Geoff, his head resting on the edge of the boat as he likewise reclines. "Oh. And I think I owe you and the King an apology too. I broke our sacred vows. I didn't cheat on Bennie with a chick. Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that part. I fucked a dude." He thinks that sounds weird and tries to explain, very poorly, "Like not one, one time. That happens. But it happened now. One time." He seems to be getting lost in his 'explanation' and is thankfully saved by the guy jumping into the boat.

When someone shoves up against him Easton just moves a little out of the way and 'helps' him into the water.

Geoff is relaxing there, occasionally throwing in a 'mother fucker' whenever Easton bellows about them being on the boat. Attention turning to Byron he wobble his hand "I don't know, it's kind of tame so far. So I guess things get a bit more rowdy usually, and I promised Harper I wouldn't go marrying anyone this time."

Then comes Easton's explanation of what happened and a frown pulls at his lips. Shaking his head slowly he says "Man...Remember that nice family from Oklahoma that acted as our witnesses at the chapel, the Garveys? We're going to have to explain this to them in our christmas letter this year. Mr.Preston is going to be so disappointed." If anything he only seems bummed at how he is going to have have to break this to the Garvey family. When the first combative boyfriend comes over and is shoved into the water, Geoff barely bats an eye "But we'll get through this man, we're strong. I got your back bro." Clapping Easton the shoulder, they have a little moment there. A moment which is ruined by the other combative passenger coming over to laugh at the man in the water. So with a sweep of the leg and a firm push he shoves the man off into water to join his rival, "Man can't you see we're hashing things out." with a frown to Byron he says "People these days, right?"

"I'd say, 'Wait til you buy me a drink first'," Byron starts about where he fits in this... odd threesome, adding in, "But we've already bought each other enough drinks, I think." Yeah, he may have heard something about Geoff and Easton getting married here through some grapevine or other, but what he didn't know was that he and Bennie broke up because he cheated on her with a guy. See, this Geoff and Easton thing, he figured was just your typical bro-mance, so this comes as some surprise, "Huh." Is what he musters first. "And you told Bennie that then?" His brow lifts above his sunglasses, "I mean, at least /you/ told her that you cheated." Apparently, Vivian had to corner him to get that out.

Then the brawl ensues one of the of the guys gets shoved into the water. Byron's careful to rise to stand, not wanting to rock the boat further. When the other guy gets shoved to join his nemesis, Thorne already has an idea that security was going to get called.

Then the woman in the relationship starts shouting at the three of them, "What did you do!" Looking over to one side, she extends a hand, "Alejandro!" Then to the other, she looks fearful for, "Edward!" She then shrieks, "Stop this boat right now! And you. And you." She's pointing to both Easton and Geoff, "Go down there and help them!" They were the ones who knocked her beloved into the drink!

It's... conveniently at that time where Sasha shows up, jumping from the bridge above to land heavily atop the woman, crumbling her down. More panic ensues and the three suited men struggle to stand and try to get off of the boat. "This is our cue, gentlemen..." Byron murmurs to the others. Luckily for them, the gondola is nearing the embankment on the side, smashing into Edward as it draws close. "This is our ticket out of here..." He holds onto his glass of wine as he steadies himself to make the short leap off, expecting the other two to follow suit.

"Yea, well just my luck that I married a straight guy." Easton grins as he explains that part to Byron. It's a non-conventional marriage in just about every sense of the word. But it's beautiful. Easton gives Geoff a look of gratitude at the slap on the shoulder. After all it took over twenty three drinks and an uncounted amount of other substances to bring him to the point of actually saying that out loud. He nods at Byron, "Yea, I told her. We were almost past the Gohl thing.. or maybe?" He's not sure now. But it seemed like they were so close and he just had to get over that last hurdle. But it was kind of a large hurdle. And an unnecessary one. And one he put there.

Go down there and help them!

Easton looks at the woman yelling at him and then down at the men and back up at her. "Why are you still talking?!" He yells back at her. Not in anger, but in genuine confusion. He really can't figure out why she's yelling at them but then suddenly: Sasha. Easton blinks and just stares in shock for a moment before Byron sensibly decides that it's time for all passengers to vacate the gondola. He slips getting out of the boat but at least manages to sprawl out on to the walkway and not end up in the drink. He rolls over and offers a hand up for someone to help him to his feet .

Geoff sniffs emotion beginning to come over him, just on the cusp of saying something deep and profound to Easton, and then Sash descends from the sky like a ravenous feline angel, "Sasha!" pulling out his phone and standing he takes a quick picture of the leopard gnawing on the woman's shoulder before shoving it back in his pocket. From the cargo pocket he pulls one final egg roll and tosses it beside the mauling and says "You take care of yourself Sasha." Then in a lower voice, thick with drunken emotion "I'll miss you." from there he's following after his friends and away from the mayhem.