2020-03-04 - Bar-lympics

Bar Olympics. It was such a crazy sounding thing. Kip wasn't really sure what to expect when she walked in to TIBS but here she was. She didn't appear to have come with a team in tow so she may be flying solo. Her hair was pulled back and she was clad in a pair of jeans with a wool sweater. She can't help but grin though, at the energy already abuzz in the place. She taps out a quick text before making her way to the sign up sheet first and neatly writes down 'Kip' before moving over to the bar to order a beer for herself.

Paying the entrance fee before ducking into the bar, Everett tucks his wallet into his back pocket. While waiting for his turn to use the signup sheet, he takes a moment to look around, before picking up the pen. Since it doesn't seem like a serious event, he signs it 'Candyman' before surrendering the pen to someone else and heading further into the bar. Just in time to catch the beginning speech. With the speech over, Everett applauds, then pats the breast pockets of his leather jacket.

Roxy slips into TiBS, intent on grabbing some dinner after her last class of the night. She's in black yoga pants and a white sweatshirt with the new "Dance Evolution" logo on it, with high top converse in purple with apple green laces to match the logo. It's her 'at work but not working' gear, and a far cry from her usual vintage dresses and perfect retro makeup. She wasn't expecting a grand event to be going on, but once she hears it is for charity, she tentatively jots down her name on the list, and orders a burger, loaded tots, and a beer.

Alexander and social gatherings rarely go together, but he does follow Easton and the bar on Friendbook, and Isabella is out of the country. It only took a day or so before the lack of humans in his house started making him twitchy. So, here he is, having made his way on non-booty-shorted legs into the bar. He steps inside, and sort of stares at the crowd. Maybe he wasn't expecting so many people, or maybe it just takes a moment or two to let him acclimate.

Either way, he doesn't turn and flee, so the night is already a victory. He smiles to see Easton jump up on the bar, and starts to make his way in that direction, eyeing the short shorts and outfit. "Admit it. This was all an excuse to wear that outfit to work," he says, deadpan. Not signing up just yet, but side-eyeing that direction.

A chance to compete for a little extra to the bar when she'd normally be here anyway? That's a chance Alisha isn't going to miss out on. Even if she loses at least it goes to a charity. Dressed in her usual dark clothing with a added black leather jacket. She comes into the bar ready to pay the fee and getting in line to sign up. Drinks will come after. She gives a nod to Everett who could still be in front of her in line. But it's the thought that counts.

Tim isn't the most common sight in TIBS, but he shows up on occasion, particularly when people are going to make idiots out of themselves while he drinks and watches. He's in saunters in, snug black jeans and fiercely orange pinstripe white shirt under a brown suede jacket, which in turn has a heavy, dark blue wool coat over that, with black boots to round it all out. He gets his jacket draped over a chair, meanders over to the bar and gives Roxy an up-nod when he spots her. "Hey girl. How're you doing? Being your own boss treating you okay?" He eyes the signup sheet, expression uncertain. "Gonna get smashed for charity?"

Lyric is late to the party, like usual. Coming in, she goes to the bar and signs her name up for the event and pays the money she's supposed to pay. She's dressed in her usual weirdness. Black and white striped leggings, a pleated skirt and a shirt with a few fastenings and buckles down the front along with her mid calf combat style boots. Her white blonde hair is in twin french braids on each side of her head and she has on a black coat over it. Once she has entered herself into the contest, that's when she takes the time to have a look around.

"Timothy!" Roxy exclaims with a joyful expression. She gives the man a warm hug and chuckles. "Yes, I am very much enjoying teaching and being a business owner. It is such a nice change. I will still come pose for your art students though, if you would like. For all the help you gave me." She looks over at the sign up sheet and nods her head. "Yes, it is for charity, and I am here any way so, why not do some good for people? Would you be on my team?" she asks him, with those bright blue eyes looking at him plaintively, and lashes batting. Bat. Bat. Bat. She spots Alexander and waves to the familiar face from the Kelly Christmas party.

Taking a sip of coffee from a large mug Easton swallows and grins at Alexander. "First of all, like I need an excuse for short shorts and a mullet wig?" He has also it should be noted sacrificed his beard for a handlebar mustache. He pushes up to lean over the bar and read off, "Kip, Alisha and Candyman congratulations, you're a team! Also, I can only hope Candyman is a male stripper? Otherwise, it's a little weird." He grabs orders from people, as do most of the waitstaff many of whom are behind the bar because of the special night.

Calling out Easton yells, "Drink specials tonight are the new drink craze, the Ranger Rick which is a shot of espresso in Sam Adams winter warmer and 'Oh my fucking god, just order a beer' which is a Long Island Ice Tea and one of us flipping you off."

With some cause for celebration due to a success business venture, Byron decides to celebrate with a few drinks and, initially, he had planned to watch the festivities going on, something he'd heard Easton had put together. But once he's there and milling around with the other patrons, signing up for these games is almost tempting. Already having changed out of his suit and tie into a more casual sweater and jeans getup, he dons a black leather jacket and motorcycle boots. He definitely wasn't here for business.

With the Wraith parked outside, he's brought a date with him, escorting Lilith into the bar as they both go to greet Easton before things go down. This is when he gives Easton the once over with a curious quirk of his brow, "Trying to set a trend now are we?" He then reaches out to clap the other guy on the shoulder, before his dark eyes flicker over at Alexander, "Alexander Clayton. Not someone I'd expected to see here tonight. Thinking of competing?" When the special is announced, he turns back to Lilith, "Yeah, give me two of those. Ranger Ricks." He even reaches for his wallet.

Glancing towards the nodding goth, Everett pulls out an open red and white cigarette pack from an outside breast pocket. Brooding, the gorilla looks down to shake a cigarette into his other paw, and pulls the cancer stick into his mouth before he pauses, and pulls out the cigarette only to return it to the pack, and then pack back into the jacket pocket he took it from. One of the benefits of being so tall is you get the weather first. The other, is you can see for miles. Spying the young DJ entering, the thug smirks softly before rolling his eyes and heads in Lyric's direction before giving her an elbow nudge.

"God, I hope you need an excuse," Alexander fires back at Easton, not without a smile. "A mullet didn't look good on anyone but MacGuyver, and I hope you realize that." He also just orders a beer, before glancing back at Roxy. He recognizes her, and offers a brief, but bright smile. And then there's a Byron approaching with Lilith, and the smile widens further. "Hey, Thorne. Lilith. I...guess I was?" Another wary look at the sign-up sheet. "I'm not entirely sure what the competition entails. Are you to going to?"

Kip couldn't help but laugh at the drink names, taking another drink of her beer. She looks around for Alisha and 'Candyman'. Once she has identified them, she moves over towards Alisha as 'Candyman' is walking off. "Hello there." Flashing a bright, easy smile. "Kip. It is nice to meet you." Russian accent on the heavy side. "Have you ever done anything like this before?" She happens to catch the name 'Clayton' and searches briefly before she finds the person so-called such. Noted. Then she focused back on her teammate.

Tim returns the hug, stands back to survey the shirt and its logo with a critical eye. He leaves off that with a sudden, sly smile, like he's only teasing her about the design. (He might not be, though.) "Yeah, definitely still come pose for us if you want. Remember, we pay well."

Spying Alexander, he waves a hand in greeting. He almost misses Roxy's request, but then she's batting her eyelashes at him. "Uh." He clears his throat. "Ssssssurrrrrre," he says, adding his name to the signup sheet and eyeing Easton's attire. "Costner looked okay in a mullet too," he counters.

The nudge gets her attention and Lyric tips her head back to smile at Everett. "Hey! So glad to see you." The greeting is chipper, pretty enthusiastic for the DJ. "Are they naming teams already?" Curious, she checks to see if she'd been placed in one yet.

"Good question. Are we going to sign up or are we here to spectate?" Lilith wonders of Byron after greeting Alexander with a flash of smile and maybe a longish examination for unrelated reasons other than 'hello'. Settling onto a stool, she crosses one leg over the other in her leather skirt worn with a fuzzy white semi-crop sweater and tall black heels, shrugging off the charcoal peacoat that was belted around it. Then she suddenly points at Easton, talking loud enough to be heard, "Look, if I knew this was a booty shorts competition in winter, I would have prepared and owned that moment, which had better come with a crown." Her smile goes a bit lopsided before she makes a bit of a rowdy, tongue-out screw face at Easton talking about mullets, "Also he's come out to play in a fake mullet wig, he's getting punched later."

Then Lilith looks at Byron with a pull of breath and a tilt of her head, as if they have a couple's decision to make, "Anyway. I only like to play when I know I can win and I don't know if I can win this. But let's say the universe sucks and we're owed an excuse to be wasted. Competition instead of angst works, right?"

Roxy claps her hands gleefully when Tim signs up. "Wonderful! We will be helping veterans and their families!" She gets her beer and her food set in front of her and begins eating. Drinking or competing on an empty stomach is a bad idea. "Do you want some tots?" she asks Tim, offering the basket his way.

"It's my mother fucking business partner y'all!" Easton calls out loudly to Byron and Lilith, who get a big grin and reach over the bar to slap Byron's shoulder and try to kiss Lilith's cheek. It takes a little effort but the plus side is Easton leaning over the bar in tiny shorts. "Aw, Lil, it's always booty short season here, but I appreciate you not showing me up." Coming back down he gives Byron a look at the order, "Yea, fair warning, it's kind of a shit drink, but people order it." He shrugs and puts in the order for them. He turns to Alexander and shakes his glorious mane, "Mullets are timeless! They are pure expression of joy de vivre in hair form."

Alisha looks up at Everett as pulls out a cigarette "You got a extra one? I'm too lazy to reach for mine?" at least she tries before he is off. Giving a shrug she's going to get herself 'Oh my fucking god, just order a beer'. She's in the mood to flipped off and get a beer as well. With Kip coming up to her she looks over. "Hey there. Good to meet you Kip. I'm Alisha." to the question nods "Never here before but I've done a few. Never won as I usually get too drunk before it ends. But hey it's fun. How about you? Oh and on the subject of drunk, you want something to drink?"

"Business partner?" Alexander's head comes up. He stops contemplating the sign in sheet to turn a curious look on Easton, and then on Byron. "Have you two gone into business together?" Even when his beer arrives, he only reaches for it absently, continuing to stare at the two men with open curiosity.

There's an up nod at Lyric after the elbow nudge before Everrr, The Man of Candy bends down a little to better murmur over the bar hubbub, "Not that I know of. You're extremely difficult to find. We should talk after. You know," Everett's head cants to his left, swaying his long, silky black hair, as a smile creeps to his lips, "after my team trashes yours." Winking softly, the thug leans in to give Lyric a push, and then stands straight to look around. He's already made eye contact with one of his team members. Best find the goth, and when he does, finds Alisha already in conversation to whom he offers a big hand, "Candyman." To Alisha he offers, "Can't smoke inside of bars. I only remembered." And then to them both, "I hope you two know how to drink, I've never touched the stuff," he says, straight-faced.

"I'm always willing to help a good cause." Byron says in response to Alexander, allowing his gaze to sweep the room as if checking out the competition. Or just to see whether he recognizes anyone else in the crowd. Gray Harbor being as small a town that it is, he knows a few of these faces, mostly in Nightmarish passing. "Look," He turns to Easton, "you had me at espresso." He then turns back to Lilith, "I'll sign us up then, babe." Before his attention returns to Alexander, giving the guy a nod. "We sure did. Acquired a huge investment." His brows lift in partial amusement, "Wish us luck with that endeavor, eh?"

Easton is leaning over the bar in running shorts. Oh my. Roxy's eyes widen, she blushes, and she looks studiously down to study the label of her beer.

"I've done some back home but yeah, I never last very long either." Kip admits with a laugh. She holds up her beer bottle. "I should just stick with this for now. Save the rest of the drinking for the competition to see how far we get." She looks up as Everett arrives. "Kip." Flashing him a smile too and returning the handshake despite his hand easily dwarfing her own. Her eyes widened. "Really?" A mix of curious and dubious. "We will see how far we get. I can hold my own for a time at least."

"Yeah, tots would be great. But, hey, I'm not gonna mooch off you, you know?" Thus, Tim orders a decidedly non-alcoholic Shirley Temple for himself (briefly thanks the bartender for making a real one, with actual ginger ale and grenadine, and not some cherry Sprite bullshit), and a basket of fries. He contemplates a sandwich but opts out for the moment, settles down next to Roxy. "Okay. Obviously we're getting drunk for charity and questionable loot." He eyes the rest of the group, of whom he only recognizes Alexander. "Anyone else here we can trust to not embarrass us?"

"For the record," Alexander adds, as he contemplates this new news, "Costner did not look good in a mullet. Only MacGuyver." And that's his story and he's sticking to it. He reaches out to pencil his name in on the sign-up sheet, because why not. He's still looking at Byron and Easton, though. "Congratulations to you both. I hope it's a success. The casino." Let's face it - what other big investment opportunities ARE there in Gray Harbor?

So, it's been a while since a particular person has participated in public, period. But, now that he's 'back,' and out of the hosptial, and better recovered, there's really no reason for him NOT to go and get totally hammered while pretending to compete in bar games. And heck, who knows? Maybe he'll do alright. He can definitely put liquor away with the best of them. But, he doesn't have a team yet, so he kinda nudges his way through the crowd. "Anybody know if it's too late to sign up yet?" he asks nobody in particular.

Alisha snorts up to Everett "Of course not. But does it look like anyone here is going to give a citation or arrest anyone? I pretty much promise I'm not about to tell. Besides can always step outside. Really you don't know how to drink? I can promise I'll make up for all three of us." tilting her head back to Kip "Well tonight will be different then. I can feel it's the night to win, as a plus some extra for my tab isn't a awful thing. So where is home for you?" she shakes her hand at only one drink "Alright. Stick to what you can handle after all."

It is, in fact, always booty short season at TIBS and Bennie is dressed in kind. She comes skittering out of the back hall from the office, dressed in a white T-shirt with hand painted black strips like a referee and jean shorts that have been cut off a little too high because the pockets are sticking out the bottom framed hem with fishnet stockings underneath and her black boots. "Sorry sorry sorry..." She's muttering as she skims through the crowd and around people. "We got a call right at the end of my shift, and then I couldn't find those volleyball shorts you bought me...and...oh. There they are." On Easton. She slaps his butt. "You wear them better."

"I figure, enough to loosen up and maybe believe I can do more than I normally might be able to." Kip grinned a little. "Russia. I've only been here a few weeks. But it is an interesting place. i have met a handful of interesting people." She nodded, leaning against the bar a little. "We will get drunk and we will win! A good night indeed."

Lilith wiggles in seated position with her legs crossed and a pleased partial smile at Byron when he says he'll handle the signups. And let's be real, it's a miracle she's resisted getting totally wasted in general lately given the things life in Gray Harbor sometimes doles out, so she's glad to have the 'excuse' so she doesn't seem like a drunk Winslow genetic disaster. Competition is the best idea for this, clearly, given the brief amused delight and something like excitement on her features.

When the drinks are delivered that Byron ordered as specials on arrival, she eyeballs them and listens to the men pass around congrats on business ventures, etc. Then she squints at Easton in the mullet wig. Once she has his attention, she points at his hair and face, taps at her balled up fist, then tilts her head sweetly like it's a question or warning without words while claiming the drink, lashes batting a few times fast.

Dear Mullet-Easton, can I punch you in the face tonight?

So polite.

Easton's left leg is clearly mangled and scarred from his thigh on down, ending below the knee in a black carbon fire prosthesis that dissappears into his vintage style running shoes. It might be the first glimpse people get of his fake leg, but it does at least explain why his gate is always just a touch uneven. Taking a sip of his coffee, Easton lets out a breath and closes his eyes for a moment before forcing that big ol' smile back on. When he sees Tyrone roll up to the bar, he upnods and calls out "Sarge! Congrats on not being dead. Good to see ya. Show the Block here how to throw meaningless objects at tiny targets."

The butt slap gets an appreciative little shake before he turns to grin at Bennie. "Hey hey, oh thank God. I need cheerful happy reinforcements."

Turning back in time to Lilith he sees the pantomime and then nods solemly, and makes a two handed, 'bring it' gesture.

"Sure, I have time after," Lyric tells Everett and grins at the trash talk. "We'll see." She grins at the push and watches him as he walks back to his teammates. It's then she hears a familiar voice and turns to see Tyrone. There's surprise that registers first, having thought he left. "Oh hey. So you didn't leave? You were just avoiding me?" It's an honest question, an honest assumption.

"Well," replies the Candyman to Kip, "you're tiny, so I'm not surprised. I wish I'd known who was on my team. I could have told you to eat something too. It helps. In fact," Everett stands erect, looking around the direction of the bar and pursing his lips. Maybe it's not too late. Leaving his sentence there, Kip's further question draws down the attention of the Candyman, as he snorts, glances skyward for a moment and smiles gently, "No. Not really. I drink myself stupid every time I do something dumb, and I do a lot of dumb things."

He glances down at Alisha, his smile tempering some, "I can think of one person. Ask me after, and I'll let you have one." Looking around again, Everett returns his attention towards his team, "It looks like some of them are nerds and lightweights. She's," he jerks a thumb to Alisha, "got this in the bag."

"Bennie." Alexander's smile widens into a delighted grin when she comes out, and he lifts his bottle to her. "It's good to see you." His gaze rests on her longer than usual, looking her over with a study that is, quite frankly, a bit impolite. Although there doesn't seem to be anything lascivious about it. "You look happy," he says at last, sounding approving.

Their names scribbled down in blood, Byron returns just in time to see Bennie's arrival. "Hey, Bennie. Looking good." He's heard all about the things that Bennie Oakes had been up to as of late, but besides bumping into each other in the Apartment's elevator on occasion, they've hardly spent much time together. Leaning against the bar with his cup in hand, he goes for the initial sip, followed by a lick of lips. "This is actually decent despite your warnings, Marshall." His eyes on the other man's mullet now that Lilith is eyeing it. Back to Clayton, he inquires again, "So are you gonna sign up? It'll be fun and I'm sure after what we've been through all winter long, we could use a dose of that." This last part is murmured. At the mention of the Casino, however, Byron seems to be studying Alexander, but he eventually nods with a grin.

"You're completely entitled to your wrong opinion," Tim agrees with Alexander, sipping from his drink and chasing it with a bite of fry.

See, the first thing that Tyrone sees when Lyric turns, is boobs. Because he's in a wheelchair, and that's what's at eye level. But, he's gotten a little more used to that, so he's quick to look up and notice who's boobs they are. And then he blinks a little. "Avoiding you?" His brow furrows and he reaches up to scratch his head, looking confused. But, it doesn't take him long to figure it out. "No, I wasn't avoiding you. And yeah, I did leave. ... sort of. ... well, I tried to. But now I'm back. So ... hi?" he finishes, shrugging his shoulders up higher.

Two drinks in hand and Alisha just slams down her beer first, not looking the least bit phased. This is just her warm up drinking. Placing the empty bottle on the bar she turns back to Kip "That's the spirit. I'm sure you'll push yourself to do amazing things." she ahs "A belated welcome to Grey Harbor then. Interesting place is one way of putting, but you could home to call it home like others have. And you've meet at least two more interesting people tonight." cheering at her least statement.

Her gaze back up to Everett "Bah I know that person wouldn't. Sure after but by then I'll probably have gotten less lazy." Smirking so broadly at the point to her that she has it. And to most of the tolerances here she probably does.

If Lilith is going to bring it, in all actuality, it's not right now. She has to intoxicate and lubricate herself and her fist first, apparently, which comes with lift of drink in explanation silently to Easton. She seems absolutely charmed and appeased by the 'bring it' gesture, though, as a response and lightning bolts the guy with a bright smile. Then she looks at Bennie next to Easton and makes a whistle through the din of the room before testing an actual drink of what Byron got them, "Hey pretty girl!"

After she drinks, though, she looks at her glass, then at Byron and decides, "... I think if I drank five Ranger Ricks, I'd run around trying to steal picnic baskets like Yogi bear. Is there a real ranger named Rick on cartoons that's passing the subliminal message along?"

And Bennie is happy! She still looks a few pounds under her normal weight, but she's been making up lost ground thanks to the help of cheesecake. "Hi!" She chirps to the others, rubbing her palms a little self consciously on what little real estate her jean shorts take up on her thighs. "It's, uh. Good to be back with humanity." She gives Easton a quick kiss on the cheek. "Consider it done."

The blonde is scooping up a tray of beer pitchers and moving over to fill up the red solo cups for flip cup, Bennie's voice raising up to address the teams, "Alright, if you've never played this game, you might be too classy for me. A person for each team faces off against the opposing. First you drink." She demonstrates by chugging the contents, "Then you flip." She puts it on the edge of the table and then knocks the bottom with her fingers so it flicks up, spins in the air, and comes down with a little wobble but manages to stand. "Five in a row. Then it's the next person's turn, relay style. First team with all members to flip their five cups, wins."

Kip watches Alisha slam down her beer and laughed again. "You're right." She says to Everett. "She does got this. But," She points at him after she finishes off her own beer bottle. "I am pretty sure between the both of you we have a good chance. "

Alexander blinks a couple of times at Byron. "But. I did." He moves to check, sudden worry gripping him that maybe he didn't. No, his name is there, but after thinking about it for a moment, he picks up the pen and signs again. Just in case. Then retreats so the next person can sign and takes a swig of his bear. He glances at Lilith. "If you drink five Ranger Ricks, I think we might have to take you to the hospital for alcohol poisoning." Because Alexander hates fun, apparently. He does, however, give Tim an /eye/. "I'm not wrong. Mullets are weird."

Tim waggles his eyebrows at Alexander. "Doesn't mean Costner didn't look good in one. Some men wear weird well." He gives Easton a pointed look, which he turns back on Alexander to telegraph, 'case in point'.

As flip cup is explained, Roxy's eyes widen. "Oh my, that is going to be a lot of beer," she notes. She can probably handle the cup flipping, with her dancers reflexes, but gagging down the solo cups might be harder to manage.

There's fashionably late, and then there's de la Vega. Who strolls on in to TWIBS with his hands shoved into his jacket's pockets, and a very battered ball cap pulled low over his eyes. Like he's on some sort of stakeout. No-one'll recognise him, right? Right. He bellies up to the bar to put in a drink order, while taking stock of what's going on tonight. People signing up for things? Better steer clear.

Nodding his head, Everett points a forefinger from his paw at Alisha when she's welcoming Kip. "What she said. I'm a transplant too." And then he offers a small correction without looking away from Kip, "Well; one interesting person and me." Then he looks down at Alisha, "Less lazy, more tipsy? How are you getting home?" the last question is asked of them both. Because he's Responsible! Somehow.

Lyrics boobs are covered modestly at least! But her eyes are narrowed a little in thought. "Last time I saw you or even heard from you was at Park's party. You left there then left town. Turned your phone off and everything." For the moment she stops speaking to listen to Bennie as she gives the directions. She seeks out Roxy, a teammate, one she knows at least. "Hey!" She knows Roxy well, and gives her a brief hug. "Good luck."

"Oh there's no way they're using the good beer for this, don't worry." Tim says this with the confidence of a guy who drank a lot in college. "I'd be surprised if it's not Bud Lite." He says this not derisively, but practically; what bar would roll out good beer for flipcup? Only one run by a crazy person.

He eyes Easton. Well...

Looking between Alexander and now this Tim person who he's never met, Byron just has to say, "Are we still talking about mullets?" It's a rhetorical question really and he returns back to nursing his drink. Oh look, Bennie is giving out instructions. Well, that's enough drinking anything outside of the game, even if he does take another sip of this espresso concoction. "I drink caffeine basically all day. I'm used to a high espresso count." It's the alcohol that'll get him. Turning back to Lilith, he asks, "Ready to drink the night away so that, despite living not too far from here, we'll still need to call a cab to take us home?" There's a flash of a smile, leaning over to place a kiss at her cheek.

"I don't know if anywhere besides Kazan will ever be home, but perhaps. One day in the future if I stick around." Kip agreed and then chuckled. "I have a friend coming in a couple hours. Because I am sure after all the alcohol I will be well near passing out or some such."

"The next team is Alexander J. Clayton" No he can't remember what the J stands for but he's the only person that gets a full name. "And Tina and Terry!" Two very young and not very bright college co-eds bounce up and chirp in unison, "Ohmigod he's so old and cute!" Easton looks on with barely constrained malevolent glee. He shakes his head at Alexander if there is any pleading silent or out loud to change. But try as he might to cover it, the only actual emotional resonance coming off Easton is stress.

"Gunny." Easton gives Ruiz his normal greeting and doesn't need to get an order before he has a bottle of patron and a glass. He pours it and asks, "Someone tell you they were just meeting you out for drinks tonight?" How else would Ruiz end up here.

"Are you fuckin' implying Bud Light is not good beer?" Easton asks with a little more edge in his voice than is technically necessary or 'joking'

"Lyric!" Roxy exclaims, hugging the DJ. "This is Timothy, he is our teammate. He is a good friend of mine and very kind." She shuffles up to the table with the cups. "I can go first for our team," she offers.

"Not at all," Tim assures Easton, dipping his head, "just that I could drink a whole lot more of it than I can Arrogant Bastard." He glances between Lyric and Roxy, nods at Roxy. "Ladies first."

That look Alexander gives Easton? Heartbroken betrayal. "No...wait, I don't know them..." he tries to protest, only to be met with a shaking head. And the descent of the Tina-and-Terry begins as the two close in on him as he skitters backwards until his butt hits the bar. They begin to fire giggling questions at him, and his shoulders hunch. Seeing people start to line up for the competition he practically shouts, "I'll go first for our team!" And flees towards the tables. Beer is no longer an option.

It is a requirement.

Alisha smirks over to Kip at the laugh "Damn right he is. Don't discount yourself though." gaze back up to the huge man "Way more tipsy. At least if anyone else can offer a challenge. Eh my partner is on speed dial and the asshat owes me one or two. Failing that my sister can come get me. She'll bitch up a storm later but that is nothing compared to the taste of victory." she says before laughing.

"Well, that's not /exactly/ what happened ...," Tyrone starts to try and explain. But, then she's bouncing away to go hug her teammate. Tyrone frowns a little and shakes his head, turning to look for what team he's supposed to be on, definitely ready to start drinking.

Everett perks, "I think I heard someone say they're using Bud Lite," he takes a look around to see where the source of his misinformation came from while having missed the instructions on the game. Nodding down at Kip then Alisha, he mentions, "Friends are good, want to make sure you have plans. Also, since she's already starting," and nods his head towards Alisha, "I vote we get her in there to flip cup. Seconded?"

"Only if you promise not to team up with Alexander and take me to the hospital for being drunk. Talk about one way to start a bar brawl..." Lilith squints at Alexander before leaning in to press Byron with a kiss on the mouth while he's still leaned in to catch her on the cheek. "I may have wished for years I wasn't actually a Winslow, but I know one thing... we don't die from booze. Hank was scientific proof of that, wasn't he?"

After straightening and watching Bennie, Lilith seems to be mulling over whether she can or can't do that with the cup, then she wonders of Byron with a look all around at the others, "Okay, who all is on our team?" Then she pipes up her voice in case Byron's unsure, "Easton, which people are our team?!"

"Cap," is Ruiz's customary response to his old rank being invoked. He leans forward onto his elbows, collects the glass that's slid over, and pours himself some tequila with a murmur of thanks. Half an eye's kept on the goings-on behind him, with an ill-concealed laugh when Alexander's called cute and old. "Not this time," he murmurs to the man behind the bar, and tips his glass back for a sip. "Seriously, what the fuck's Alexander being roped into?"

"Hi Timothy," Lyric greets him before following Roxy to the table and standing nearby. "Sure, want me to go last?" Letting Tim in there if he likes. Tyrone gets another look at the beginning of the explanation before giving her attention back to the team. "Good luck guys."

"Tim," he asides to Lyric. "Tim's fine. My mom calls me Timothy." He rolls his eyes, fond and exasperated. "And good to meet you, Lyric." He hesitates, shrugs. "Yeah, sure. Gotta warn you both, I can hold my beer, but not hold my beer." And then he waits for Roxy to have at it.

Consulting the sheet Easton looks down and then calls out, "You, Thorne and Tyrone." He points out Tyrone to Byron and Lilith. Turning back to Ruiz, Easton grins and says, "Alexander is learning that I'm a petty, petty fuckin' man who might still not be over him hurting Isabella." He's pretty sure they've patched things up otherwise he wouldn't have paired Clayton with two co-eds who are bound to be the most annoying pair.

"No cheatiiiiing." Bennie singsongs on her way back to the bar, not really sticking around to ref despite her outfit because being a Rules Lawyer during Bar'lympics takes some of the fun out of it. The best thing (okay, one of the better things) about Beaston reuniting is that she gets full access to the maraschino cherry jar again, and she's homing in on that sucker, pulling it up and thunking it on the bar instead of plucking out of the drink dressing tray. "So. August is getting married, huh?"

On seeing Ruiz, Byron watches the police Captain with a wary eye, just as Lilith's returning the kiss he'd given her. Taking another sip from his cup, despite what occurred during their last interaction, he nods over in greeting, "Captain de la Vega. Good to see you out enjoying the evening." There's no smile that goes with this, but there's also no animosity seen in his eyes. Hearing Lilith's question though, he scans the crowd. It's then that Easton brings up their appointed partner, Byron's eyes flickering over towards Tyrone before he pushes off from the bar to greet the man. "Looks like we're a team for the evening." His voice warms some now. "Byron Thorne." He makes an introductions, extending a hand to Tyrone for a friendly shake if the other one will accept it, "And this is my girlfriend, Lilith. Let's kick some ass tonight."

Tim frowns slightly at the mention of Alexander 'hurting' Isabella, peers at Alexander curiously. But! oh, now we're drinking.

Let's be fair to Easton, here: for almost any other man in the bar, getting paired up with two attractive women who have already called him 'cute' would not be the worst fate in the world. Alexander's just an ungrateful bastard. Tina and Terry are even TRYING to be good teammates - they're both standing waaay too close to his back, and cheering him on with bright little squeals and chants of "Alex, Alex, Alex."

"Oh god please stop," Alexander mutters, miserably, but he's trying not to lose his composure in the middle of all of these people, so when the whistle sounds, he just reaches for the first cup and downs it mechanically, and then the next, and then the next. He's not blazing fast, but he's determined, and the alcohol doesn't hit him that quickly. Unfortunately.

Alisha really shakes her head "Using Bud lite. Yeah watered down horse piss, so very easy. Unless that's code for Ever clear then it's in the bag." she stretches a little and nods to Everett. "Sounds like a plan, so I second it."

When the go sign is given, Roxy starts in on the cups. She's not a fast drinker, but she does managed to gag down the first cup, and then she sets it on the table edge, and gives it a two-fingered flip, landing it perfectly flipped over. She moves on to the next, glug, glug, this is why she prefers cocktails, but she gets every cup properly flipped on the first try. At the end of the five, she steps back to let the next teammate go, wiping her sweatshirt sleeve across her mouth. Then burping loudly, turning bright red, and looking mortified.

Ruiz's gaze ticks up from his glass when Byron addresses him, and he finishes swallowing before grunting something that sounds vaguely like, "Hola." The taut look he gets from the younger man gains a puzzled expression from the cop, and then it seems to dawn on him. Shit. Thorne moves on though, and Ruiz gladly returns to his drink. Digs out his phone almost as an afterthought, and swipes out a quick message.

Tim is perfectly fast on the drinking--all those parties in college sure are paying off, thanks USC!--a little rockier on the cup-flipping. Hey, he lands all of them, at least. The beer seems to not even make a dent in him, he just stands aside to make room for Lyric, hands in his jacket pockets.

Reaching out and taking Byron's hand, Tyrone gives it a shake. "Tyrone Grier. And I'm all for winning, but kicking is out of my repetoire," he jokes, grinning and winking at Byron. Lilith gets a nod and a very polite, "Ma'am." He then turns and looks at the competition, cracking his knuckles. "So. Who's going first?" he asks. And then he catches Lyric's look at him, and he grimaces a little and looks down.

Maybe Lyric has had a little practice, but she does manage to get the drinks down, one after the other, probably about as quickly as Lilith does. She goes for the flipping of the glasses and closes her eyes briefly before opening them and doing it. Bamf! Flipped, landed! Done! Standing, she high fives the others in her team, if they high five back anyway. "Awesome!"

Once his last drink is down and last cup is flipped, Alexander is quick to step back and let Terry take the next relay. "Yay, Terry!" Tina squeals with enthusiasm, and Terry beams and throws the horns like she's already won. This, of course, makes her even slower to take up the first drink, and she gets caught by giggles in the middle of that one, splufling beer all over the table.

"Aaaalex," Tina says, trying to reach for his arm while Alexander tries desperately to dodge. "Alex, isn't this fun?"

"Alexander," he corrects, with a certain sort of desperation. "And no." When she looks hurt, he winces, runs a hand through his hair. "Not your fault," he mutters. "It's mine. I'm sorry." He tries a smile at her - it's all teeth and creep.

"I'll forgive your slight against an All-American beer this one time, because you're clearly drunk," offers Everett, with a flourish hand gesture towards the flipcups, to show Alisha the way, and stays back so he can lean down at murmur to Kip, "You're next." Watching the other team, he knows he's not supposed to but, Everett applauds for Lyric, tossing a 'Woo!' in there too before adding pointing at his eyes, then at her, twice and mouthing, you're going down.

Lilith walks up with Byron after uncrosses her legs and wandering toward Tyrone standing. She seems amused by being called 'ma'am' and counters with an almost British-sounding high society return of backhanded tease for it, "Good sir. Well met." Then she adapts more natural speaking and steps to the pitcher and cup that's waiting with a hint of dread on her features. But she did say she was going to play hard tonight, and she steals a look at Byron and her other teammate to lament, "Why can't we start with like... somethhing I'm good at. Like handless shots, I bet I'm good at that."

She might be nudging her heel against Byron's ankle with that comment on the sly with a little joke. Then after bucking up and straightening her posture, she puts her hand out and starts on the first cup, telling the guys, "... I'll start, but..."

She tries. The first one barely gets flipped after a hearty draining swallow, the second one is better and the third... she almost loses part of a while mouthful of beer down the front of her sweater when she overflows and doesn't want to drink anymore beer, apparently. Two and a half cups in, she starts noping. Coughing to one side, she puts her hand out, "Oh god, help, tag in."

Rolling her eyes when Everett tries to show her the direction "No Sam Adams is a American classic" she snorts and isn't anymore near drunk yet. Alisha walks over to the cups. She perhaps isn't as good as some of the others at making the shot. Still she does as the coin went around the edge for a moment. Smirking and turning back to her team taking a heathy drink from her long island. A part of her wishing she missed the shot.

Roxy high fives her teammates, blinking past the continuing urge to belch. "That wasn't so bad," she mumbles. Yes, yes it was. She is already flushed. She looks around for the next event, spots Ruiz, and gives him a little wave.

Ruiz is at the bar, of course. Where else would he be? Tequila in hand, observing the goings-on with a mixture of amusement and perplexed curiosity. Roxy's wave snags his attention, and he flashes her a quick, crinkle-eyed smile from where he sits.

Tim returns the high-five, clears his throat. "It was...uh...it sure was a thing." He leans over to grab the basket of tots, offers it to Lyric and Roxy. "Soak it up. And get some water in you." For his part, he has a few more sips of Shirley Temple. Spying the exchange between her and Ruiz, he asks, "Whossat?"

How can Easton pick that phrase out of all the noise in the crowd, it doesn't matter. He calls out, "Damn right Sam Adams is!" His voice easily carries through the crowd. He then gets a cagey look on his face and starts bouncing a little bit from foot to foot. He sees that things are moving along fairly smoothly and so he looks across the bar to Ruiz and taps two fingers to his lips and makes a motion towards the deck. Yes, Easton is dressed in a tank top with hand painted Olympic rings, shaved his beard into a handlebar mustache and tiny blue shorts.

Roxy takes some tots and munches on them, nodding to Tim's assessment of water and food. "Yes, good idea." His question has her smiling. "That is Javier. He is a police captain, and also very kind. We used to be neighbors at the murder hotel. He is my friend."

With her hand in the proverbial cookie (cherry) jar, Bennie is catcalling and smack talking from behind the bar as the competition continues. "Teams move on to Beer Pong!" She calls out when people get close to finishing the first round of games to another that includes, yes, more drinking. It's fun to get people liquored up before arming them with darts. "I got this." She assures Easton as he seems to be stealing Ruiz away for a smoke break.

When Lilith calls for backup, the ex-Marine is quick to respond. "I got you. I can finish yours then I'll do mine next. Unless you wanna go, Byron?" Tyrone offers, though he rolls forward like he's gonna take over, anyway. Because beer is like water for Tyrone. And flipping cups SHOULD just be an afterthought. But, he also hasn't really tried it in a long time, so!

Lyric beams a smile towards Everett when he cheers her on, but the challenge he offers, she laughs and gives him a thumbs up. She's down for the challenge apparently. Roxy and Tim get a smile after the high fives and she takes a few of the tots, following the direction of her teammate. Following the look to Ruiz, she also offers a brief wave to him, but doesn't keep her attention there. Instead, she watches to see how Everett and Tyrone do in their turns.

It's hard to tell which part of all that makes Tim blink at Roxy. 'Police captain'? 'Friend'? 'Murder hotel'? There's a lot there to react to. In fact he's probably reacting to all of it. "Wow, okay." He glances at Ruiz, a sort of 'she told me who you were' look, back to Roxy. He nods, turns his attention to Ye Aulde Beer Pong.

When the teams move to go towards the beer pong table, Alexander sees his chance. Tina and Terry are, well, not the sharpest knives in the drawer in the first place, and after five beers in rapid succession, they're already starting to get even sillier. So as they sling arms around each other and stagger towards the Beer Pong, he hunches his shoulders and bows his head, and hides among the crowd, slinking his way towards the door.

Unaware of Tim's inquiry into who, precisely, the fuck he is, Ruiz catches the signal from Easton that suggests he wants to.. cut something? Scissors? No, step out for a smoke. Blame his apparent confusion on the fact that he's just gotten a load of what the guy is wearing tonight, and it takes him a minute to process it. Then, "What the actual fuck are you wearing, Marshall?" as he pushes to his feet and starts patting himself down for his cigarettes.

Roxy moves to the beer pong station. "More beer?" she whispers, in horror. She'd whimper, but no one would hear it over the din of the bar anyway. The dancer is pretty sure she can do the pong part, which should keep her from having to drink the beer part, right? How does this work anyway?

"Don't make me fight you," replies Candyman when Alisha returns and before he cants his head towards the cups she'd vanquished. There's a gesture over her shoulder, and a soft smirk, "See? You're getting the bar all worked up to. Besides. I said All-American, not American classic. Them's different." Shifting his focus back to the Ref, before nodding down to Kip. "She said she'd volunteer for this one. And give you a break before you get the next event." The right corner of his mouth twitches, resisting the tug to smile.

"The clothes of a damn champion." Easton answers readily, with absolutely 0 embarrassment about the tiny shorts or ridiculous hair and mustache. He heads out to the deck, grabbing a jacket by the door, not because it's cold but there's no room for cigarettes in the tiny shorts. He pulls out a smoke and lights up. "So just checking but I can't kick all these people out of my bar after they signed up and paid for a charity event, right?"

Looks like Byron is having a conversation as Lilith is up to bat. "Grier. Well nice to meet you." Turning back to the game, from what Byron can see Lilith is doing fine enough. He knows that she can drink. Tyrone offers after Byron already steps up, because with our rolls, it would make no sense otherwise. As he has no care in the world how shitty the beer tastes, growing up a humble life in Gray Harbor, he chugs it all down easily enough. The actual flipping of the cups is something that he hadn't done in a long time. It's been a long ways since college! He gets one hapharzdly, but at that time, the phone buzzes in his pocket. Who the hell is calling at this time. Trying his hand at another cup and failing, he goes for a third before he just feels he needs to get this. "Grier, you're up." He calls out, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

Oh. His gaze looks across that way at Ruiz, but he doesn't seem as if hes about to return with a response.

Alisha lifts up her fingers into a bring it on position "You'll never convince me that Bud-Lite is anything other than trash. Like more than water really." sure she isn't taunting Everett at all. There is more drinking before beer pong, hurray! More drinking and she is starting to sway a bit, not much though. "Is it really a difference?" ready to take another for the team as she move over to the table. Ready to take the next challenge.

Lilith murmurs about getting beer all over her sweater and looks a little ill from drinking Bud Light in quick succession (nevermind she sucked at it, a little). But mostly she's worried about her sweater and holds it away from her body before making a small hand gesture of pause and then sweeping encouragement toward the beer pong.

"I need... water and paper towels and... be right back. I have beer in my bra. This is not pleasant."

After patting Byron with rub at the small of his back, she takes a maze around drinkers in her heels and bathroom trips for a spell."

Ruiz looks only too happy to escape the cramped confines of the bustling bar, and duck out into the rain with the bootyshorted bartender. Those are the recipient of a long, assessing look from the captain, but he opts not to comment further. Instead, "Charity? No, you're fucked." He lights up, takes a drag, and nods toward the blonde coordinating things inside. "How's Bennie doing?"

Beer Pong. Interesting. Lyric moves along in the beer olympics and looks over the other teams to face. Certainly she looks ready for the next challenge, but she's interested in the state of being of the competition. Namely Everett and his team, Tyrone and his team, and her own team. Roxy and Tim get a brief tentative smile. "How do we do this one?"

Bennie is bringing over more pitchers to refill the cups for beer pong, not heaping the responsibility on the already over taxed waitstaff who need to concentrate on actual service for their tips. "Same teams, each team takes turns trying to sink a ball, rotating members. You sink a ball in one of the six cups, a member from your opponent's team has to chug the beer and remove the cup. Any questions?"

Roxy shakes her head, taking up one of the ping pong balls. "So we just throw them into the cups? That's it?" she muses. That doesn't seem too hard, if she hadn't already downed 5 cups of beer. She squares up and tosses, sinking three.

What? Quitters? QUITTERS!? Well, that just doesn't sit well with Tyrone. Har har. Frowning as neither one of his teammates finishes their assigned rows, Tyrone cracks his knuckles, then his neck, and nods, solely to himself. Since Lilith was up first, he starts with her cups. The drinking is easy, as the contents of the cup are poured down an open gullet. The cup flipping proves a liiittle more difficult, but after a couple tries, he gets it. Beer, cup, beer, cup, beer, cup, and he's finished one row. Squarely in last place, now, though, there's no way in hell that he's gonna catch up for this competition. Looking around as teams are already finishing, Tyrone just shakes his head. Oh well! It's free beer! And then he moves to finish Byron's row of glasses, definitely having worked out the flipping by now.

Once he's finished with the second row of glasses, though, Tyrone stops and blinks a little. Then, he inhales sharply and belches. Having cleared out the pipes, he gets to work on his own row of cups, and while he'll definitely be the last to finish, he defintely won't be the last one to start to feel a buzz.

Resting on his laurels, as all this drinking he isn't doing is really hard work, Everett puts his hands on his head and interlaces his fingers, a position he may know intimately, while he teeter-totters from pads to heels. The position opening his leather jacket more. "Oh, sure. Tons of differences. We'll talk more when you get back." He waits until she's out of ear-shot, "Man, all this drinking is thirsty work," are his mumbled basso words. Then he realizes this is a team sport. "Nuts. I'm going to have to do some work?" Bring his arms down, he joins the rest of his team already in progress.

The cold air and the nicotine help. Easton can catch his breath and not force himself to be grinning and barking and being all social. He leans back against the outside of the bar and laughs as Ruiz tells him he's screwed. "It's a great idea.. in theory." He shakes his head not really sure how he thought this wasn't going to stress him the hell out and make him want to just drown himself in booze to get through it. At the question about Bennie he glances inside and a slow small smile creeps across his face, "She's fuckin' amazing." He then looks back at Ruiz unsure if he's asking about her detox, or if he even knows anything about it. "Clayton helped her through a rough patch." Which I rewarded by sticking him with the two most annoying airheads I could find, he doesn't say outloud. "How's Itz? You guys all good?" He should have asked the other night. He meant to.

So, apparently he managed to remain oblivious as to this whole thing until actually confronted by the charge at the door. But Joe pays his way in without protest, rolling in out of the cold winter night in his usual greatcoat and watch cap. Though the latter still sports that ridiculous patch, with a spacesuited astronaut guarding a hatch behind a cartoonish mini-gun, with the legend over it 'Space Shuttle Door Gunner'.

Not that he has any intention of doing anything other than spectating. He starts eeling his way through the press towards the bar proper.

Realizing that he didn't have to give up his place to take the call, Byron decides that there will be no more calls while the games are going on. He's constantly receiving texts and emails of all sort at all hours of the day as it is. Or that's how it feels like to him. His gaze following Lilith as she wanders off to clean his sweater top, all he can do is frown. This was not going well at all. But it looks like Tyrone is doing his best to carry the team. When the task is over, he makes sure to call out to Grier, "Thanks. My apologies for being such a pain." Taking what he assumed was business matters over, well, this was a fun charity event.

With the announcement of Beer Pong, however, he just has to shake his head, "I don't know how well Lilith's gonna fair with this. Beer's still the same make."

Wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve, Tyrone turns and rolls over to where Byron is standing. He leans and looks after where Lilith went, then shrugs. "I don't think there's any rules against us taking her drinks for her or nothin'. I mean, long as the drinks get drunk, it's not like we cheating. And I can do beer all night, long as I get some food in me. Which, I should pro'ly do," he says, supressing another burp and putting his hand on his stomach. "Jumped in a little faster than I expected," he adds with a grin.

Not really sure who the opposite team is at the moment. It's another round down as she bounces a ball over the into just barely into one of the cups. Someone is going to have to drink and it isn't her for the moment. On some level it makes her a little sad. Heading back to her group. Remembering Everett's parting words "So what is the difference? I see this will be a long talk. Either you or Kip is up next. I doubt they'll let me do it all." she glances to kip and she is probably that special giggly drunk. Alisha shakes her head "So your up next big guy." thinking a moment before trying to smack his behind.

Roxy and Tim get stuck drinking way more than they force others to drink, and after turning a little green around the gills, Roxy taps out, and asks Tim to call her an Uber. The dancer cannot walk a straight line, no siree, let alone dial her cell phone. She gets her coat on and sway-steps to the door, nearly running into Joe, and hollers, "HELLO JOSEPH! I AM DRUNK FOR THE VETERANS!" as she passes, giggling, out into the parking lot to wait for the car to arrive.

De la Vega probably wouldn't know a smile if it hit him while he was clocking 80 on the freeway. He snorts softly at Easton's comment about the great idea in theory, hitches a shoulder against the wall, and brings his smoke to his mouth again. "Glad to hear it." What that rough patch might have been, he doesn't ask. Though the tick of his eyes toward the younger man seems briefly curious. Then a glance back to watch the rain ping off the railing. "Yeah, doing all right. He's laid up at ho-" He clears his throat. "At my house. Fucked up his leg." It's mumbled quietly. Pretty clear he holds some culpability in that.

Bennie blows the whistle hanging around her neck, mainly because someone at one of the other tables is threatening to get up on the table and hit the cups in a much more lewd way, to turn it into a literal pissing match. "Unsportsmanlike conduct! Not to mention EW. Five minutes in the penalty box!" Which. Is just the bar, according to where she's pointing. She settles next to Byron, seeing how his team is fairing and dropping a casual, "So, Easton promised to buy me a Showgirl outfit."

"Oh, Lord, least it's for a good cause," replies Joe, with a mingling of ruefulness and affection at that bellowed announcement from Roxy. "You gonna be okay?" He's hastily shrugging out of coat and cap, leaving him in just t-shirt and jeans. Warm enough in here with the sheer amount of bodies. No particular shyness when it comes to either the scars or the ink.

"At ho-your house?" Easton repeats with a grin. "Well, I'll text him a pic of all this cause I'm sure he'll be a little sad he missed it." All this being the party at the bar? Or just what Easton's wearing. Why not both. Easton claps Ruiz on the shoulder before saying, "Alright, I gotta get back in there." with a a few nods of his head as if he's psyching himself up for it. Coming back into the bar he calls out, "Really? You're only drinking the beer on the tables? Grow a set and order some shots! Part of tonights bar proceeds also go to charity!" Yes, part of them. He also needs to make some damn money this winter. And next thing he knows someone is ordering shots, including one for him that he would normally not think twice about. But he hesitates and looks across the bar before shrugging, and doing a shot with them.

Roxy slurs back at Joe, "Yes! I have an Uber coming. That's a funny word. Isn't it. Oooooooh Burrrrrr. Funny!" She trundles out the door with a last wave at the sailor.

"I'll make sure that we have a train of bar food coming in then." Byron says with a laugh, already heading to the bar to make a quick order of burgers and stuff. He's paying. When it takes Lilith a while to return, of course he's worried. This was Gray Harbor. A trip to the restroom could be a trip to a restroom in the Veil! By the time he rejoins Tyrone, Bennie happens to be perching nearby. Giving her this friendly smile, he shoots a glance in the distance at Easton before his gaze resettles on the other half of Beaston. "So you heard? Well, as long as he doesn't expect you to be handing out cigars or serving drinks." He then gestures over at his teammate, "Have you met Tyrone Grier? He's carrying the whole team." With Lilith still gone and they're waiting on food, he looks between Tyrone and Bennie, "Looks like I'm up. Wish me luck."

"The difference?", he asks, the Candyman lifting his eyes to the ceiling to think what the reason might be. It makes him an easy target and a small high-pitched squeal of protest escapes from his mouth before they close quick. He turns Alisha's target away, while absentmindedly rubbing his behind twice, "Ah. I don't even remember what we were talking about anymore, Everclear." She has a new nickname. He gives a glance at Kip, and her giggilness before looking back, "You sure you don't want to sent he--" Without finishing the sentence, there's either that look he's given, or the answer he knows is forthcoming and resigns himself, arms up, "Alright, right," and compounds on his previous, supposed, lack of knowledge, "Which end do you drink from again, I'm so new at this." He heads off to do his duty.

Alas for Easton and his attempt to stay on the wagon. Because the shot he's drinking with is one of those buckets of whiskey that Joe so favors, a Four Horsemen. Apparently the Navy took out his liver and left him with a cast-iron plate, back when. Cavanaugh doesn't know, after all, and if he's gonna be a regular here, he might as well do what he can to endear the barkeep to him. "To your very good health," he intones, before knocking it back.

Spotting Joe making his way in, and Roxy headed out, de la Vega stays right fucking put. He's got a cigarette that ain't gonna smoke itself, and some fresh air to enjoy. Which is ironic, given the smoking.

It's not hard to miss the reappearance of the All-American Mullet, and Bennie flicks her gaze back that way, seeing Easton do the shot with his customers. The meat on the inside of her cheek is bitten as she looks back to Byron with a sort of vacant look to her eyes for a minute before she forces herself to replay the words he just said in her head so she can process them. "Oh, uh. Yeah. No, none of that. Though the tips might be better serving drunk gamblers than at the diner. G'Luck!" Her smile works back up to full beam as she smiles at the interaction to Tyrone. "Hi. Again. I think. We've met right? Or has Easton just talked about you, and I've forgotten if we've actually met. Sorry. I'm a bit...scatterbrained." Her sunshiny smile wobbles but remains.

With her team out, Lyric meanders through the place aimlessly until she comes to the bar. "Um." She points to the thing. The thing with all the alcohols in it. "Not the ranger. I want the long island one." Of course she does get the finger and she offers a cheesy smile for their efforts, whoever is making it. "I lost. We lost. My team I mean." The smile is more lopsided then and she giggles. So maybe she's already had a lot to drink. She pays for the drink though and leaves quite a healthy tip, unintentionally or not. "Imma go watch the others and be a cheerleader or somethin'." She takes her drink and meanders over to watch the other teams, dropping into a chair to guzzle down the alcohol before someone bans her from it. If people do that sorta thing.

It's scotch, whiskey, bourbon and tequila, Easton is fine with all that though he makes a least a small frown when downs the shot. "Joe, I really don't understand how that can be your drink." He breathes out and shakes his head a bit. Just taking the edge off, that's all. He serves more drinks and grits out plenty of smiles and friendly replies. His eyes keep roaming back to Bennie, finding her in the room like someone who's spinning and finding a focal point to stop from getting dizzy.

Lilith isn't stolen by the Veil or a Dream, it's just a complicated bathroom trip. Her fuzzy sweater is an angora sweater and needs attention, and like she said, beer in the bra probably isn't super pleasant either. When she comes back out, she looks put together, but she still smells a lot like beer. Coming up behind Byron to hug on him, she whistles encouragement at Tyrone 'cause he's doing the frat-boy style drink lifting around here between the three, all told, and she makes a confession to the pair, "... I'm better at shots than I am domestic beers. I swear, the watered down stuff kicks in PTSD or something from childhood, I think it got dumped in my cereal once because there was never milk. Who knew it'd make me a snob for premium beers on principle? Tch."

Then she bites on the side of Byron's arm playfully while leaned around from behind, "Did you order food like a big damn hero? Also, is it my turn to play with balls and choke myself on... you know what. Rephrase that. Is it my turn?"

The tequila makes him blink. "Shouldn't have tequila in it," Joe notes, but he doesn't really seem to mind it. "That's Three Hicks and a Spic, I think." Gives Easton the guileless blue eyes. "Why d'you say that?" he drawls, innocently. Maybe his sense of taste got ruined by too many years of drinking coffee tinged with jet fuel.

"Never met, officially. But yeah, Easton's talked about you. Nice to meet you," Tyrone responds. "And I ain't carryin' the team, just doing my part. Which is mostly drinking. And flippin' cups, apparently. But, I'm terrible at beer pong. Frickin' hard to see the bounces right when you at such a low angle," he says, shaking his head. When Byron turns to go take his turn, Tyrone holds up his fist and cheers, "Give 'em Hell, Thorne!" He then turns back to Bennie and crooks an eyebrow. "So ... how do we determine who wins tonight? Is it a cumulative scoring? Is it most events? Is it who can stand up at the end of the night? Because if it IS ...," he trails off, smirking. As Lilith returns, he throws up a peace sign in her direction.

There's this temptation to guzzle down a whole can before even attempting to toss that ping pong ball into one of them cups, but if the other team does well, that just meant a whole lot more drinking was going on, so Byron refrains. "This is like old times when we used to think we could conquer the world and not get alcohol poisoning." He's talking to the gathered as a whole. Probably to his team and anyone else lingering nearby. Flicking one of those small white balls, he watches as it bounces off of the rim of one of those cups to land on the floor somewhere. "That's inconvenient." Whoever is on the other team, however, makes their shot which forces him to drink. It's probably a good thing he didn't go on a binge after all. The opponent team were supplying the booze for him.

One of his shots goes wide when he finds Lilith at his side suddenly. If anything, there's relief on his features because if she took any longer, he might have had to go and check. Or at least, scan the place mentally just to get a read on her presence. Now that that's no longer needed, however, he can relax. And watch as the other team lands a ball into yet another cup. "Unbelievable." He mutters, before reaching for his final try, "I ordered burgers and onion rings. Hope you're all hungry. And yeah. After this.." Looks like he made one and he gets to stand there watching the other guy drink. "Like I said, this brings back memories. It's been a while." Handing the ping pong balls over to Lilith, he kisses the top of her head before looking to pick up some food at the counter, "I'm counting on the both of you," He says of Lil and Tyrone, "To get us through this."

Alisha just laughs "Sure you'll come up with a difference." further target denied she shrugs "You'll come up with something I'm sure. I've had worse names than Everclear." well her answer to letting Kip go is clear in her eyes. Just no. Cheering as Everett heads off "You pick the end and it's one of us that will be drinking if you miss." she calls after him, post cheering.

Taking the ping pong ball, he rolls it around in between his massive hands for a few rotations, eyeing where he wants to put the ball before there's effort into having it bounce in. On his way back towards his team, Everett casts a glance past and chortles once to himself. Holding up a finger to give him a moment, he walks past to where Lyric's seated and stops in front of her, "Hey again. Told you you were going down. Wanna know my secret? Have everyone else do the drinking." Reaching down, he takes the drink from her, and sips from it before offering it back, quickly. His head is nodded to the side, "C'mon over and meet Giggles and Everclear," the ape offers, holding out his left hand for Lyric to take. He'll return back then, with or without a Lyric. "Nothing but net. Gosh," he says down to Alisha, "this drinking thing is hard."

"Nice to meet you too!" Bennie is used to self-deprecating humor from injured Marines, and so Bennie just rolls her eyes good-naturedly at Tyrone's little quip. "I think it's more about who's sober enough to remember there actually is a prize at this point in the chaos, and most of the time it just gets donated back to charity anyways and Easton will add the monetary equivalent into the proceeds." Seeming how non-profits don't accept donations in liquid form. Spying Easton looking her way, she blows him a kiss.

"No, it's always Jose, Jim, Jack and Johnnie." Easton laughs, but admits, "I do agree that three hicks and spic is better for that combo." He tries to think of variations on the four horseman and asks, "Do you do Jaegger for the fourth J? And I say that because you ought to just drink a good whiskey by itself and not go adding anything else." Easton's not much of a drink purist, heck he's even fine with adding ice. But neither tequila nor Jager belong with whiskey. The kiss from Bennie gets a grin of approval and a wink. He holds up a finger and says, "If you'll excuse me I need to go grab a hot blond for just a second.."

He heads over to Bennie and the team she's chatting with. He says, "Sorry to do this but I need to borrow the smokin' hot referee so that we can get things setup for the final event of the night." It's not actually true, but it's good enough as excuses go. He motions for Bennie to follow him to the office. For a talk! Seriously, just talking.

It doesn't take Lyric terribly long to finish off all she is going to drink of her drink and once she does, she realizes she was sitting in a bar by herself and drinking alone. Totes boring. She could be elsewhere and find trouble! So, she appears to be getting to her feet and doing a damn good job at keeping steady enough to appear to be able to balance when Everett approaches. Tilting her head back, she looks up at him and smiles crookedly. "Why didn't you tell me that before I drank so much?" There's no stopping him from taking a drink from her glass, but she does take the offered hand and rises more steadily to her feet with his assistance, even taking the remainder of her drink with her as she walks over with him to the others. "Hi," she says with a goofy smile. "I hope you guys win."

"See, way I learned it is Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker, Jim Beam, and Jameson," Joe says, grinning. "Replacing the Jameson makes it Three Hicks. And hell no, I don't think Jaeger mixes with whiskey," he agrees. A bob of his head, as Easton peels off to snag Bennie, then he's turning to lean himself against the bar and observe the festivities.

When Bennie mentions donating the proceeds back to charity, Tyrone looks astonished. "Hell no. I /am/ a veteran, so ain't this whole thing for my benefit, anyway?" he protests. But, then his better angels poke him and he winces a little, looking back over at the beer pong goings on. "... although ... I'm pro'ly drinkin' mor'n that tonight, anyway. So I guess donating it back wouldn't be that bad." As he's watching what's going on in the bar, he notices Everett stopping by Lyric's table. There's no way he hears what's said, given the distance and clamor in the bar, but the fact that she's joining him and letting him hold her hand writes its own story in his head. He chuckles, then shakes his head, and turns back to Bennie for a second. "Whelp. We ain't go'n win no events with me over here distractin' the ref! There's beer needs drinkin', and I'm fittin'a make sure it gets drunk. Have a good night, ma'am!" And, after offering a small half-salute, he'll turn and head for Byron and Lilith's competition to see if he can help out at all.

Lilith takes turns with Tyrone at the beer pong table, but she lets him go first to sink or swim in beer because... she's got her phone out and quickly tapping in something to the web browser after a flash of smile at Byron's parting kiss. As he goes to retrieve food, she tilts her phone some while poking at the screen and reading like she's checking messages, but anyone with any view of her screen can see this how's-it-work nerd is secretly googling beer pong technique. After scanning the screen with her eyes and deciding she's NOT going to chug any more beer because she's going to MAKE this shot with SCIENCE and PHYSICS...

She sets up and does it. And she does it damn well, taking the time to aim, hold the ball right between certain fingers, etc. Just like google said. Abruptly, she bounces around to cheer because she sinks the hell out of all the pong balls and the person on the other end has to drink, not her. Yay, nerd tactics. And luck. And stubbornness. And whatever else influenced her little beer pong moment, "I'm basically a frat boy now. You're going to have to start calling me Peyton or Chet the rest of the night."

Tooootally just talking. But the staff knows well enough not to knock during those all important Beaston conferences, because they'll be bound to be scarred for life, either physically or mentally. "S'cuse me!" Bennie squeaks happily to Tyrone as she goes to latch onto Easton, making him give her a piggy back ride in penance for that shot. She is a cruel mistress.

Alisha looks up to the giant as he returns "See I don't need to do this all on my own. That was a perfect shot and really sure it's hard for you. Somehow I'm getting the impression that you have done some drinking in your time. And hey for such a good performance you desire another victory smack...so it back up." wait someone else came back with him. Through her buzzed brain she looks over Lyric as she tries to remember "Oh wow hi there. I think we were in the same class. You know class of 15. Probably don't remember me I was sort of a loner. Alisha, Alisha Williams." she offers her name. She doesn't expect others to remember her, she was always quiet and kept to herself in school. "Also thanks I think we have this."

The piggy back ride is agreed to with a laugh, because of course, of course she requires this. Maneuvering the office door and shutting it after them is a stretch, but he manages it. Easton sets her down on the couch in the office but doesn't join her. He instead drops the smile and suddenly looks exhausted. "Hey. This is not.. " He indicates out towards the bar with his head and then shakes it. "I'm not up for this. Are you? I should have thought about that." He sits down on the desk, "I'm not handling it great." It's progress. At least he's not just leaning into the downward slide that he could at least see coming.

Munching on several onion rings as he waits for Lilith and Tyrone to finish their set, Byron casually sips at the rest of his espresso concoction. As if he hadn't had enough liquor to drink already. He didn't have much of a chance to eat earlier in the day and probably already had four or more cups of espresso since morning to keep him going, so greasy food was a terrible necessity. His eyes turning to the scoreboard, assuming that there is one, he then goes back to watching his team do fairly well against the competition, but at Lilith's statement, he just has to ask, "You've never played beer pong?" That was surprising from what he knows of Lilith's time outside of Gray Harbor. As someone who attended college, himself, there were too many evenings of doing.. well, everything they are doing here tonight.

A little bit foggy brained, Lyric looks at Alisha and tries to place her. Lyric wasn't so much a loner, but the girl from the wrong side of the tracks to hang with the wealthy bunch. "Alisha, I remember your name but I think we all look a little different now. I'm Lyric." You know, just in case it was needed. "Lyric Bates." She grins and bobs her head, watching the competition. "I think ya do got it." Not that she's even aware of there's a prize or anything. Her glass is still in hand, the remains of the Long Island drink in it before she takes the last drink and slides it onto the nearest table top, occupied table or not.

Oh. They are actually. Talking. Bennie blinks for a second as she's set down on the couch and Easton steps away, but the reasoning becomes known and is sound, even if it takes her a moment longer than usual to catch on. "Oh! Oh, of course." She pops back up on her feet, and wedges between his knees as he sits on the edge of the desk. Petting the side of his face, and its sad lack of beard she promises. "Sneak out the back, and I'll help the staff finish this out and close, okay? It's okay to walk away from triggers. And tonight was probably too much too fast. I got this. On one condition: you keep the mullet and the mustache until I get home. I always wanted to make out with Joe Dirt."

Beer pong is difficult for Tyrone. Being in a wheelchair puts you at an inopportune angle for seeing ... well ... angles. It's also a lot harder to get the right kind of bounce or spin on a ping pong ball when it's launched from a lower elevation. So, while Tyrone doesn't do terrible, it's not nearly as easy for him as the cup flipping. But! They don't do terribly! So, when he turns around to find Byron with FOOD (GLORIOUS FOOD!), Tyrone is definitely eager, rolling over to the table in a few long pushes. "Oh man, that looks amazing," he tells Byron, just barely remembering his manners before diving in. "Thanks for the chow, sir." And then it's feeding time at the Marine trough.

"Is that what champions get? Victory smacks?" Alisha gets him to turn his hips and bend to show of his derriere. Her target. But she better be quick, because it's gone in a flash when he stands. Not even a single twerk, the tease. He's quiet then, looking between her and Lyric, his brows rising. "Small world," he murmurs softly. And then he hears Lyric's last name. "Bates?", he asks, eyes widening. There's a quick smile, "Oh. Wow. I'm so sorry, kids are so cruel."

Yea, it's almost just as much a surprise to him too, the talking. Easton nods and accepts her plan. He gives her a kiss and murmers, "Good plan." He pushes up and says, "Yea well I still need to take photos for Geoff and Itz so I gotta keep the whole outfit on for at least a while. Yea, I'm thinking camo speedo is more Joe Dirt than this though?" He indicates the rest of his glorious outfit before giving her another kiss and slipping out the back door.

"A long time ago. Maybe twice. Mostly watched here and there when it cropped up, but... just didn't happen a whole lot in my particular life circles, I guess. Anyway, the point is, I killed it now, love and worship me." Lilith tells Byron as she wanders with triumphant hip switch from dancing side to side on her way over to him and the food in her little leather skirt and fuzzy crop sweater combo. Once near, she loops arms around Byron to kiss at the air between them indicatively to ask for a kiss.

Over her shoulder, she tells Tyrone afterwards, "Good stuff, picking up the slack, teamie. You deserve to fill the camel hump." Lilith eyes the food herself and reaches to snag an onion ring, but she seems more interested in ordering a double vodka seltzer with lemon to drink her way during the lull between events.

The sailor doesn't seem to be interested in the food. The question is, all competition aside, just how drunk Joe intends to be when he leaves. He's within walking distance of either boat or apartment, after all. But then he's peeling his way away from the bar, heading for the deck. Apparently ignorant of who might be waiting there.

Nodding her in agreement "Yeah my style was less refined and well less developed until after. Lyric...right, right. I remember now. Sorry I'm a little out of it right now. Geez how have you been? What are you up to now?" Alisha asks it isn't often she gets a chance to catch up in her off hours. Or at least she's too out of it to try." she goes for her drink or new one? She isn't so sure. "Nope just encouragement for victory." and she is quick in delivering a harder smack "There do you feel it now Mr Crabs? Good and motivated." she laughs but he is quick enough to avoid a second surprise one. "Hpmh."

At some point during the long night of drinking and competition, the tinny growl of a mean looking, totally blacked-out BMW would hum its way toward the bar, a sound unburdened by things such as 'regulation' or 'law'. Its halogen lamps flicker blue as its suspension lifts itself by the hiss of air pressurized shocks so it can climb smoothly over the curb and into the parking lot proper. As it comes gently to rest between two white lines, the door opens and a hefty Latino gets out, the faint cloud of vapor issuing from his mouth as he exhales. Rekani waits just long enough to collect a certain ghost hunting Russian who'd called him to DD her home, then peels out in an adrenaline pumped squeal of nitrous charged fury.

"What I'm up to now?" Lyric is a happy drunk if somewhat lazy at the moment, total feel good moment. "Music. Everything music. Playing it, writing it, creating it, dancing to it. Not dancing professionally or anything. I play music though, a DJ at the strip club. And inna band. Augmented Reality. I think. I think that's our name." Another lopsided smile, watching as Everett gets up with the butt maneuver. "Tease." A giggle follows the accusation.

When Tyrone comes and joins him, Byron exclaims with a clap of his hands, "You both did great.As I expected." He's still savoring the taste of onions, having yet to touch his burger. To Lilith's boasting, he can't help but smirk, "I'm just saying that you did superbly for someone who hasn't been stuck playing silly frat games for a good portion of your early adult life." He's probably talking about himself! His own arms wrapping around Lilith's waist as she stands right next to where he's seated, he lifts his chin to give her a quiet kiss.

Seeing as they do have a teammate here, eating away, Byron asks something about what he'd noticed earlier, before the 'Games' even started, "You're a friend of Easton then, I take it? I noticed the both of you discussing something or other earlier." Nevermind that he's sort of distracted by all the noise from outside, only turning slightly to regard who he will assume is the owner of said vehicle, studying him in silence.

A big mitt is returned back down to give his freshly smacked behind another stroking to soothe the sting, mouthing, 'Ow'. All the same, his thin lips pull on the right side of his mouth, clearly not taking this police brutality seriously. "Yes, ma'am," Everett replies. "Properly, and truly motivated." Turning towards Lyric, he asks her, "Are you going to let her bruise the merchandize like that?" Bad joke time. What's Lyric been up too? Everett puts his hand to the shoulder on Lyric's side, "About this much," he offers, deadpan. "If you've been to amateur night, you know I'm not a tease," he adds to Lyric, giving her a look. "I never see you there." There's Kip's ride.

With a belly full of beer, burgers bring blessed balance to Tyrone's stomach. So he's quite content to devour food for a few minutes before the next round of games begins. Besides, it's not any of his business what Byron and his bae banter about. He'll leave them be for the moment.

"Very nice. I need to do a little more of dancing to it myself. I bet that gig pays very well." Alisha comments "And a band as well...Augmented Reality. Can't say I've heard of it or the music. Might have if it isn't a different name since you don't seem to sure. Still very cool. I've thought about trying to start a goth band, but everyone I know who would be interested wants to be the lead singer. And that's just completely my thing." she blinks "Oh I'm no tease. Not in the least...wait that was meant for the Candyman wasn't it. I probably need more to drink to process this all." she laughs even a little bit more looking at Everett "I think you like it. At least a little. Could be way off base there though. Anyway good, we need to win this so I can cover tonight." waving to Kip as she heads to her ride and at least watching to make it outside safely. Getting up to help her if it doesn't look like she can.

Taking her drink up when it's slid across the bar, Lilith spares Byron his lap space so he can eat without having to lean around a whole Lilith seated on him. Instead, she posts up in lean at his side, drinking long from her straw to take down half the double vodka drink pretty quickly once she has the lemon spritzed the way she likes it, "I'll tell you how I did it. But you have to give me a secret in return."

Leaning in after, she grins some as Tyrone is absorbed with food and imparts her super secret skill hack, "I googled the best way to hold and angle the ball throw after you turned your back. How turned on are you by my ridiculousness?"

Perhaps Tyrone is too engrossed in his food, because if we're being honest, greasy burgers and onion rings is really good food. Maybe that's why Byron gets no response regarding Easton, but this doesn't bother him overly much, nor will he push the question. Instead, it seems as if Lilith is here trying to distract him from polite conversation with the secret of how she is Queen of Frat Boy Games all of a sudden. Before he can even say that he has no interest in mastering beer pong, she leans in close to disclose the info anyway. To that, he will point out in his matter-of-fact way, "Reading something you've Googled is one thing. That doesn't help you apply those techniques in real life. Believe me, it never helped me become a better 3-point shooter by just watching videos."

He then has to laugh, "Ridiculousness? More like someone doing their homework and you know how I feel about learning and gaining knowledge." Usually about business things. "Unfortunately, I don't have any secrets to help you win... whatever else is coming up next." He's still sore about the cup flips, "I'm a little rusty since my college years."

Seeing as Tyrone is here, Byron is being the cordial teammate, turning to ask him between bites of burger now, "New to Gray Harbor?" Actually, Byron's probably seen Tyrone around, but just never had a chance to actually speak to the guy. "I'll assume you're here for work and not pleasure."

There's a pause in the feasting and Tyrone looks up at Byron. He blinks a few times, swallows the large mouthful of food he was chewing, then asks. "Were you talking to me?" The surprise on his face should prove his honesty! "Sorry! I thought you were talking to her! Um ... yeah, Easton was my CO for a second in the Marines. But nah, we ain't friends. And I been here for a minute, now. Not for business /or/ for pleasure. Matter fact, I tried ta leave, but things didn't work out that way," he says, being ambiguous.

"You can still tell me a secret, it doesn't have to be a helpful or useful one, I'm open." Lilith tells Byron with a twitch of her lips in smile on pullback to listen and look at him once she's done whispering. After a few beats, though, she looks at Tyrone with open interest and calculation behind her made up blue eyes while drinking, in response to something he's either displayed via expression or said.

Her head tilts a bit and she plays with her straw between fingers and teeth while standing leaned on Byron's side, occasionally reaching to graze at the food while her vodka is whittled down the rest of the way. And while usually she might let such a comment lie still and carry on with subject change, drink has her blurt curious for reasons, "How do you mean? Did something specific or troublesome happen or did plans just fall through naturally?"

"Hands off the merchandise?" Lyric offers playfully, but she doesn't reach out and touch it herself, either. She giggles at the bad joke and ducks down a little before straightening. "I've been to amateur night. I danced and uh.. yeah I danced on amateur night too." Her lips curve into a full smile. "Well you're welcome to come anytime I'm working and join me in the DJ booth. We could dance." A wink to Alisha, "It pays well, I love it because it involves music."

Lifting his gaze, Everett bares throat while he looks at the ceiling, "God, if you sounded like Pale Waves, I'd pin you against the wall like a beautiful butterfly and do filthy things to you." His head drops back down, "I crush hard for that woman," and a wistful sigh escapes his lips while his gaze unfocuses, probably thinking impure thoughts. His attention returns, and did he like it? His thumb and forefinger are held a space apart while he smiles behind them.

He's playfully-indignant when replying to Lyric. "I tried! I was there. I think I saw that little Asian woman more than you. But I'll try again, promise." After a pause, he picks up again with, "I might be way off base, but it sounds like you two need to catch up," offers Everett. He nods his head towards the door, "Why not just say 'Fuck it,' to the rest of this, go out somewhere," he prods a finger down in the vague direction of Alisha's tumtum, "get food in you and talk?" The same finger that pokes at the air is then jerked over his shoulder, "I'll finish up here, and pay you back for your entry later."

With this smile brightening up his features, those far too dark eyes on Lilith, Byron looks as if he's pondering a secret of his to reveal. He has a lot of them. Many that he's not willing to share, but he leans in close to whisper against her hear, "A raincheck good on that?" He's not about to conjure one up randomly out of thin air and secrets are usually meant to be kept hidden and buried. In his mind anyway.

Then to Tyrone's response, there comes out a quick 'Ahh' from Byron. "I thought your relationship had something to do with the military. When you'd come in, I think Easton called you Sarge or something along those lines. Anyway, I just want to thank you for your service. Appreciate all that you've done for us." Civilians etc. Lilith's more personal question has his gaze lowering, a hand reaching out for another onion ring to nibble on. If there was a falling out, no need to make the guy feel awkward about it. That said, he does question, "If you're not here for business or pleasure." A thoughtful pause, "Are you merely passing through?" The fact that the poor guy was having difficulty moving on from this place does grab at the entrepreneur's attention, seemingly studying the other man as if looking for something. Either way, maybe he found it, but once he's satisfied, he returns back to his drink. "That's something I can believe." He says about Tyrone's attempt to leave. "If you find a way out, take it." He could mean from obligations and things that may be keeping Tyrone in Gray Harbor.

His gaze then lifts, "Looks like darts are up next. Another game that... well, I've played it more recently than beer pong. I'll just say that much."

Looking up at Lilith's question, Tyrone lets out a mirthless chuckle. "/Yup/," he responds, and puts the rest of an onion ring into his mouth. And that appears to be all he's willing to say on that matter. To Byron's appreciation, Tyrone just nods. "Honored to serve," he responds. When the call for darts is made, he straightens up and peers around for the dart area. "Darts's a whole lot easier 'n beer pong, least I can see where I'm tryin'a throw stuff," he says, picking up a napkin to start trying to absorb some of the grease from his fingers. "... but ... how do you make darts a drinking game?" he ponders as he starts rolling for that area.

Alisha grins at Lyric's words and wink "Probably going to take you up on that then. We'll have to exchange numbers so I can know your schedule. And of course if I'm not working. Wouldn't want to scare off any of the customers there." she hmms "Though could always talk about that over breakfast. Anyway good pay and music just sounds like a win-win."

"Makes me wonder which one of us you are talking about. Or both possibly I suppose." she muses in Everett's direction. Chuckling at the gesture he gives back. At the suggestion she squints her eyes and considers "Some maybe catching up maybe. Some food probably would be a good thing. Soak up some of the booze." vaguely looking to where he was nodding "Of course you don't have to stay. Just say fuck it to all of this and come with. Because hey at least it was a fun night. Not like it was a huge prize anyway and we're one down already."

"Park. Or Mee, whatever name you want to call her she answers to, out of those two. She's in the band also, she writes a lot of.. songs." Lyric doesn't say what kind of songs. Nope! Again, she watches Everett and grins. "Well I can work on sounding like her, I guess." Returning the playful taunting or teasing. With a wry smile that turns into a giggle, she looks at Alisha, "Yeah let's do that. We're older now and can do what we want." In her case, no bossy, controlling foster parents! Yay! Because most everyone local knew she grew up in the system. "I agree, why don't you just come too? We can get some food at the all night place. Don't look at me for cooking though, I live with the whole band and I don't want to wake anyone up this late. They'd stab me with spoons or something." A slight nudge to Alisha. "Should we just kidnap him and get out of here?"

Lilith drains the rest of her glass and leans in to listen to Byron's quiet words while popping at ice cube in her mouth to suck residual vodka from, lips slanted into a subtle smile. She bobs her head a couple of times in ready agreement, then points a finger at him in silence with her eyes narrowed playfully, indicating she isn't going to forget! Then she slides her emptied vodka glass across the bar, thinking on Tyrone's answer while the other guys talk.

As for darts being a drinking game...

"I have no idea. But! I do like darts. And we can play each other with punishment or victory shots. You miss you drink. You make it, the other two drink. Play to a certain score taking turns. Ta-da. Drinking darts!"

"Over breakfast? Smooooooth," grins the jelly green giant. "I think I've used that one once or twice, now I know how Special K it sounds." He sticks out his tongue, just a tip of pink at Alisha before supplying, "Whole lot of maybe in there," but the soaking of booze gets a nod from Everett, that was his intention. "Not a huge priz-- it's a hundred dollars gift card I could add to my trophy wall. Like the gift certificate thingie I got for my Halloween costume." He touches his chest, "A man has certain things he must value. But I suppose I could be talked into conceding." Giving a glance towards Lyric when she gives her two-cents, Everett throws his hands up, like he's been out-voted, and rolls his eyes like the torture only a teen knows, "FINE! We'll go eat something and just leave money on the table. Why am I such a push over, hopefully this isn't a trend." The mention of kidnapping peeks his interest, "Oh no, whatever shall I do? Let me just go announce our forfeiture," he says, pointing towards the bar, "then have your wicked ways with me." And off he goes, to the bar to do just that. Letting Byron, Lilith and Tyrone win.

With Tyrone's answer to Lilith's bit of nosiness, Byron is curious now, but he won't be a jerk about it and push for more answers. Instead, he sates this curiosity with another sip of his drink. Licking at his lips, he decides to stretch out his limbs, especially after downing all that junk food. This time to walk it out sounds nice about now. Leaning his neck to the side for a nice pull there, he rolls his shoulders to loosen them. "Alright, let's do this." Rather than leaving his glass to be forgotten during this dart game, he downs it in one quick sip, setting the now empty glass back onto the table as he heads out to where the dartboard is situated to finish this thing.

There is another name that Alisha recognizes at least the name "Mee Park? She's in your band too? Geez small world huh? I probably need to look her up. Being a song writer as well, I wonder what her lyrics are like." thinking back to simpler times. "Completely we can do what we want to now. Nothing stopping us." smiling before some brief laughter. "All night place sounds good." giving a light nudge back to Lyric "We should just kidnap him or I can put him in cuffs."

Then looking back to Everett "Yeah I never claimed to be smooth. I'll admit not my best line. Usually they are something else." rolling her eyes at the tiny tip of the tongue "At least we came in second. And none of us are falling down drunk. So that's just like a win isn't it. Food, though food." now that he looks ready to give up "Because you have two hot women who are going with you. Pretty sure that convinces most men to give up a little pride. Sure you can withdraw us." it seems it wasn't the night to win. Surely there will be others.

Tyrone is already halfway to the darts, when he notices ... that there's nobody else coming. He gets all the way there, though, before he turns around. Byron's coming. Lilith's (probably) coming. But ... where are the rest of the teams? Where's the competition? ... where's the referee!?!?! Blinking, Tyrone looks around a little. "... did they already do the darts while we were eating?" he asks, confused. And then, the more important question: "Can we still try and get the drinks for free?"

Lyric snickers, "Breakfast? I'm not much of a cook though, but if we stay out all night we can manage food now and breakfast with the hangover if anyone has one." Speaking of prizes won. "I won a date at that auction for charity thing but I forgot about it. A date. Oh well, he got off easy." With a grin, she watches as Everett considers leaving too and finally agrees. Casting a conspiritorial look to Alisha, she bobs her head, "Cuff him, Danno." Or something. Maybe it went like that.

"Wait, you'd remember Scott and Ico too then huh? They're in the band. Itzhak too, but he's not in the same graduating class as the rest of us."

Returning from informing the intermediaries of his team's dropping out, Everett provides a sample, just a small sample of Mee Park's song styles:

"I want hugs. Doo dee doo doo.
And I'll take 'em. Doo dee doo doo.
Even if you don't. Doo dee doo doo.
These are hug-mugs. Doo dee doo doo."

Picture, if you will, someone like Everett doing that to the Baby Shark song. Mind. Blown, you're welcome. "You know just about everyone, don't you?" he asks Alisha, "I guess that's what you get for being a lifer. There's a waffle place that I haven't looked at the menu of, maybe I can eat something there. Like bacon." Musing aloud, he offers Alisha his wrists, possibly for his new bracelets. "Well," he offers, "Maybe Giggles, but her ride got here, so she's going to be getting home safe. Two of the hottest, I'd wager. Maybe except those girls with that really old guy," he murmurs, making a show of rubbernecking around, still with his wrists out. His little pretend over, Everett looks down at Lyric, "A date? Who with?" No, not jealous at all.

Lilith makes a scoff of noise at Tyrone's question and looks at Byron ahead of her preparing for some good ol' fashion darts with potential for drinking casualty in the bar. Though a lot of the patrons they know have left, it's still a bar on an event night and there's certainly some people kicking around that are just drunk and loud and inattentive enough to wander across a game of darts. But the woman stops to wave her arms and clear path in front of a guy ambling to the bathroom in their way, vodka shameless and bossy, "No. Turn around. Go that way or you're getting stabbed, we're about to get serious right now."

After detouring patrons out of their claimed dart space, she wonders of Byron, "I think the real question is... are you going to let me shoot tequila or be smart and order a different round of shots to have on hand for us? Also is Tyrone playing or is this about to be a cutthroat showdown between me and you?" She looks a little wily, standing there wondering that of Byron, maybe she's secretly good at darts. Or she googled the best way to throw like a nerd already. (She didn't.)

"The winners reap the rewards." Byron says in a flat tone, watching Lilith shoo away some drunks who are trying to interfere with the last contest in these Bar Games. "Or in our case, those with the most endurance. Or with nothing better to do." This he said with a faint smile at least to hint that it's all spoken in jest. To Lilith's question, he has to stop and ponder, looking her over for a moment. "Do you /want/ tequila? I mean, to be honest, it really should be beer." The beer that Lilith doesn't like, "But hey, I'm not going to stop you from getting totally wasted. It's what we expected coming out here, no matter how much of a bad idea that is."

Though when she asks who will be competing in this thing, he has to remind, "These games aren't over." As far as he's concerned. While some teams might be wandering off to do other things in the evening, like go to bed, there were other teams probably! So there's a lift of a brow, turning to Tyrone, "We're all here to compete to the end I figure." Though he will state to the man in the wheelchair, "As for the winnings due to these odd circumstances, you might need to speak to Bennie o'er there." He gestures to wherever she is with his chin.

Somethings are just missed. Alisha just snickers a bit "I'm a decent cook. At least for easy stuff like breakfast. I doubt I'll have a hangover, another few hours of drinking maybe. Mister lightweight maybe." a little more laughter from her. "Was it at least a entertaining date." and well she looks ready to pull out the cuffs at the encouragement. "Scott and Ico...yeah I do. All sorts of names I haven't heard in years and they are all in the same band. Cool at least some of us stayed in touch."

Listening to the lyrics just wow "Those are certainly unique. Then again maybe you are playing them up for effect or they are your own. Which just wow." before a shrug of her shoulders "Pretty much. At least know of them it's home." then he just makes it no fun for her by putting out his wrists "Another time perhaps. I'll take two of the hottest with others being a little more. So shall we head out?"

"Something like that. If you want the innocent version!" Lyric can't help but giggle at the song and the way Everett sings it, enjoying his carefree (or drunk?) demeanor. "There's some other ones too. You should ask her to sing them for you sometimes, Alisha. I bet you'd like them too. They're really interesting." Looking around at the comparison of hotties, she motions to Lilith, "She's super hot though." And so obviously taken! Lyric had missed the co-eds with Alexander. "I didn't go on the date, but it was supposed to be with the Kelly. Joey's twin Jaime. I bid on it and won it, but I forgot to go on it. My bad." She doesn't look too terribly disappointed in missing it. Or at Everett's lack of jealousy.

"Oh good," Lyric tells Alisha, "Late night dinner, breakfast at your place," grinning at her own teasing. "Anyaway, waffle place tonight? They have all sorts of good things." And she'll head out with them.

Well. It doesn't take much to convince Tyrone. He shrugs and nods, and turns around to get in position. He grabs some darts and casually flings them at the dart board. Well hey! Look at that! He doesn't totally suck at throwing darts! SO much better than beer pong. "So, y'all asked me a bunch of questions. What do y'all do?" he asks, making conversation as he gets out of the way. And drinks another beer, because that's what you do when you're at the bar. Who needs a game to tell you when?

Mister Lightweight plays his part, "Hick," and sways in his place, aware a sudden movement from him in a bar could knock a drink out of someone's hand, or onto someone's clothes. "What? Me, ham something up? I'm shocked," he says deadpanned. "Shocked and dismayed. Why, I in fact have never. Ok, maybe I have, but just a little. And naturally you're going to get the innocent version from me, it's the only version I know," says the tattooed biker. With his wrists not cuffed, Everett nods as he begins to escort the women out, "Ok, I remember him. I don't blame you then. You could always shoot him a DM and ask if the date is still open. What's the worst that can happen? He takes you on a date and shows you the best time of your life?" His last words before ducking out of the bar are, "Wait. Where'd I park?"

Testing the way this first dart feels between his fingers, Byron stands off to the side, allowing Tyrone this moment to throw his first. "I own the Bayside Apartments." He'll come out to say, taking his spot to toss out a dart of his own. "Now a co-owner of that fancy casino out on the water." And tonight Byron Thorne is dressed so casually rather than donning his normal suit and tie getup. The Rolls Royce Wraith he's got parked outside is worth a pretty penny though. "Normally, I'd just say that I was an entrepreneur or an investor, but I've dug my roots back into my hometown." Once done, he steps out of the way, looking none-too-pleased by his results.

Lilith thinks long and hard about Byron's question while Tyrone flings his round of darts, then shakes her head suddenly, "As exciting as certain hangover cures are, I'll stick to vodka, I'm good at that." Of course, when she orders the lemondrop shots to drink from instead of beer when darts start sinking into the board, she might have made an error in the game rules when including hard liquor-- it's going to add up fast. She drinks one when Tyrone scores, she drinks one when Byron scores, then has to squint before taking her own shot which... lets her skip a drink and makes them drink.

Also she plans ahead like a cheater next time Byron is lining up to aim and throw. She leans over right next to him in bend to adjust the lacing ankle strap on her heel and it might as well be a stripper pose. Jerk wiles.

Hmph. So Byron and Lilith could throw darts, too? Tyron clicks his tongue when they score and he downs the same shot that Lilith had ordered, not wanting anyone to claim he wasn't being fair. "Man. Y'all keep this up, you might actually get me a little tipsy," Tyrone teases, as he watches the other pair throw their darts. And, before that happens, a thought occurs to him and he looks around the bar. He frowns, then, and reaches down into a hip pack that's hung underneath his chair, pulling a cell phone out of it. He swipes away at the screen for a few seconds and then puts the phone back, just in time to line up for his next shot. "So do we start doubling up, now, or what?"

"Vodka." Byron says with a laugh and a shake of his head. Now, if they were still competing against other teams, he might advise her against it, but it seems like they are playing a more personal game. Either way, he quickly downs his shot of beer, setting the emptied glass down as he prepares for his next shot. Of course, it doesn't help when Lilith is trying to act all sexy in front of him, feeling as if it's some sort of distraction. This brings out another shake of his head even if he will take a long hard look at what she's got to offer. Something that anyone around them might notice as well, not including the dude (or perhaps he did see her there), who runs into her mid-pose. To this where Byron has to react, giving the guy a hard push back. "Watch where you're going, okay?" The intensity within his eyes shows that he means it. He can be merrily drinking it up at one moment, but he's also quick to react in another. This is probably why he drinks in moderation.

"You alright?" He asks Lilith, waiting by her side, before taking his place after Tyrone. Maybe it's this adrenaline fueled by the asshole who crashed into Lilith. Though it's probably also due to the fact that he keeps track of how much he drinks. Either way, his next dart hits its mark and rather than looking pleased by this fact, there's still signs of tension to be seen in his body language, even if he tries hide the fact when he steps back, offering up his spot with a gentlemanly playful bow. and a sweep of the arm gesturing to the board.

Lilith really got what she had coming, playing the dirty distraction tricks like that. It doesn't work out like she planned at all, she's either an obstacle or a target for an incoming bump from a man that's a little bit conveniently timed with her posed like that. Or a lucky charm for Byron on the flip side given the bullseye he sinks right after laying into the interloper in brief warning with intensity.

After a little caught offguard yelp, stumble, and straighten, she's watching between Byron and the man with a few guileless wide eyed bats of lashes. When he's done with the darts and stepping back with cordial sweep in turn, she grins suddenly at him and whispers 'hot' at him in passing, probably not for the chivalry.

Then she lines up to throw and hits the board, but again, eh. Not worth mentioning the score on her tally even after two rounds of almost missing entirely. Taking her punishment shots afterwards to account for the other two guys' scorings, she fans at herself, flushed with quick intake of booze, then remembers that Tyrone asked a question, "I'm a Pawn Star." Because yes, that won't be misunderstood at all.

Well, THAT didn't go as planned. Maybe all those beers on an empty stomach had done more damage than he realized? Or maybe he just wasn't used to drinking the frufru shots that Lilith presented him with. Either way, he fails to get a dart on the board this round, thus putting him out of contention. Frowning, he snaps his finger and mutters as he takes a last round of shots during Lilith's turn. After that, he /is/ forced to blink a little harder than normal to get his eyes to focus. But, they had both answered his questions about them, and since the dart game was over and no longer an excuse to prevent him from being civil and social, he chats.

"Well, shoot. Sounds like y'all make a good couple. Somebody gets evicted and leaves a bunch of stuff, he got a place he can get rid of it all through," Tyrone quips, smirking.

Lilith's whisper is enough to bring a smile to Byron's lips, letting some of that tension drain as his muscles loosen. If hitting the bullseye right there didn't swell him with pride, it's this one compliment that does the job. Hell, even Tyrone's quip makes him laugh. "I can't say that we've ever benefited that way. Not yet anyway, but anything is possible." Especially, with how some of his tenants mysterious die! Or need to get away, leaving most of their belongings behind.

He will remind Tyrone, "Make sure to speak to Bennie before you leave. See about that bar tab winnings." Byron knows that he doesn't need free drinks, himself, but hey, if his teammate is open to those winnings so be it. If they even won, it's pretty darn confusing. Draining his shot glass of beer, he sets it down onto the counter, breathing in a deep breath through his nose. "Ready for another round?"

"Actually... that's a good idea. Especially given which apartments these are! But I think... people with money generally hire professional movers, which gets it all... somewhere. Storage maybe." Lilith is actually starting to look a lot into this with planning all of a sudden now that Tyrone's mentioned it. Byron may be the money of the pair, but she's full entrepeneur and hustle too, especially if there's THINGS and STUFF to dig through and profit off of, besides!

It's also possible she knows nothing about what's actually happening with darts except for the fact that Byron made a bullseye and is the winner, probably, but she slings her next round of darts anyway after sucking in hiss with drunken overenthusiasm for what sounds like a torturous afternoon for Byron, "Baby! We should go to storage locker auctions to claim units of junk when people default the claim with nonpayment!"

And she was soooo excited about that idea (and full of vodka) she barely looks where she's throwing.

It hits a guy in the shoulder on the next board while he's retrieving his darts and he stares at it stuck and stinging him like 'wtf'. She has no clue.

Nodding to Byron, Tyrone takes one more shot as Byron makes more darts. Then, he grimaces and shakes his head to clear it. "I'm beginning to think I shouldn't have taken my pain meds before I cam out tonight. These shots are /really/ kicking in," Tyrone explains, staring at the shot glass still in his hand. With a deep breath, he sighs and puts the glass down. "Okay, I should go drain the dragon and see about what we won before I gotta get the last bus home. Thanks for being on my team, guys. It was nice meeting you," he says, holding his fist out for either or both of them to bump. He'll then take off for the aformentioned bathroom so he can do what one does in there.

The last time one of Byron's tenants died without a family, they were left to deal with that cursed ring aftermath. That's the first thing that came to mind once Tyrone brought that whole idea up. Sure, the ring wasn't something found in his possessions after his demise, but it made a lasting impression on him. More often than not, his tenants have family of some sort, so if they die, there's someone to come in and pack everything up. Probably a well-to-do family member. Eviction and a deserter is another story altogether.

"You mean like in that Storage Wars show?" Yes, Byron's seen it. While he has no interest in pawning things the way Lilith may be, he's always interested in making money. Always had been. And reality shows like that were good mindless fun. "I'd advise us driving out somewhere, like Seattle, to do that." He's quick to add, "Less of a chance of whatever we purchase being cursed." He doesn't seem opposed to the idea.

While he lingers by the shots table, his eyes catch a bit of angry movement. Seems like Lilith may have hit a guy with her dart. Man, that must hurt. The immediate concern going through his mind now is that he'll have to pay someone off so that they don't sue for injuries. Unless the guy approaches them, Byron says nothing, though he keeps vigilant watch on that section of the room. "I'd say to pretend that you don't see him." He asides quietly to Lilith, "But seeing as we're some of the few people still playing, I'm sure it's easy for him to deduce."

Still watching the man from out of the corner of his eyes, Byron steps forward to skillfully flick his dart to hit its target. Or somewhere on the target. He's had that tasty enough concoction (He doesn't care what Easton says) from earlier and then a shit ton of beers over the course of these games, so he's feeling that light buzz at least.

"Yes! Just like that show. We can bet each other on the side about what's likely to be pure useless 'bleh'! Mostly because I love our bets. And being right about things. I'm right about things a lot, but I keep it humble." So humble, Lilith. The plus side of her being vodka soaked is that she's not as rowdy as she is with tequila and more skewed toward talky, adorably unfiltered. She's also, unfortunately, hit the point of dingy and uncoordinated, so she not only doesn't catch on right away what Byron's hinting at... she makes it worse with a spill of sudden wickedly amused giggles as she follows Byron's indicative gaze and warning.

But at least she whispers while latching a sudden squeeze of hug on him like she's trying to hide away with his body, darts still in hand, "... ohmygosh, I hit a whole guy, he looks mad, don't look now, play cool, is he mad?"

He might have been fine, even if he knew, but uh. While standing there, she thinks it's a good idea to sling all her darts at the board to get rid of them like quick tossing evidence and one of those goes wide. It sticks in the buddy of the stabbed guy and avoids the arm meat, but still hooks the flannel. NOW they know who did it and one of them yells over their way.

"Control your bitch before I put her over my knee." The first guy tacks on lamely, like he's throwing weight and is less effective about it, "... yeah!"

Lilith abruptly stops giggling and lifts a foot like she's about to pull off one of her heels and throw that next. But they're strapped on at the ankles and giving her problem, so that's a win, at least.

As amused as Byron is with Lilith right now, being the competitor that he is, he'll point out, "While the side-bets are interesting, I'm hardly one to allow my opponent an unfair advantage." He's a man who likes to win! "And that's exactly the position I'd be in if we're playing your game." She probably won't even remember any of this, but it's something that needed to be said, whether he changes his wording or not if she ever brings this up while sober, that is left up to his whims at the moment.

Feeling that tight grip on him and listening to her babble, Byron already has a sense that they should be packing up and heading home. While this may all be fun and games, Lilith has a temper and that's not something that goes well with being drunk. This is exactly why Byron doesn't drink to excess. He needs the control and would never want his guard to be down in this fashion. Ever. "Alright, let me pay for this tab and..." He starts to say, but Lilith starts tossing dart after dart in random directions that if he could stop her from doing so, he would have. "Lilith!" He practically snaps, fuming quietly beneath his alarmed tone. Shit!

The angry words thrown his way does raise his ire, but he can't blame them for being pissed. /He'd/ be pissed in their situation and wouldn't be kind about it no matter how hot the chick was. Being stabbed by a dart hurts like all fuck. He's angry. At them. At Lilith. And right now before any more attention is being drawn to him and his dangerously drunk date, which isn't the best look for a man of his stature, Grabbing her arm, he leads Lilith back to the table, in the not the kindest of ways, and starts to collect all their shit to throw out. "C'mon, we're leaving."

Perhaps, he would've let this all go if those men didn't say anything in regards to Lilith and what they'd like to do with her because /HE/ can't control her. That stings and he knew he should've acted sooner, so with her arm still held tightly in his grasp and he's making his way to the bar to pay for their tab, out of his own aggravation from this situation, out of an act of revenge, he fills their minds with pure and utter irrational fear. Who knows what these men fear most of all, but they are experiencing just that. In the end, Byron has to murmur, "I can't believe that this is happening." Beneath his breath. "Let's go."

Lilith freezes and stares at Byron for a moment like she's seeing him differently as he holds at her upper arm, moving along in a bit of a daze as she notices which arm it is. For a moment she squirms, then when she catches on to him 'reacting' on another level her senses can't much help but pick up on, she looks over at the men suddenly shut down and stock still with fear. After opening her mouth and starting to say something, she stops with a little bit of a slow-to-catchup stutter, then shuts up. She knows those men are probably instilled with the kind of fear she knows... firsthand that Byron can deliver.

It's not even happening to her and it partially scares her sober on principle. She tags along with Byron guiding her out by the arm and doesn't say anything on the way to the car. Or in the car. She just puts her head to the side of the window when she's strapped in and watches the streetlights pass by on the way home with her head swimming a hundred different directions. And none of those directions are very pleasant, vodka be damned.

It takes a bit for Byron's demeanor to change, though knowing him, he's dwelling on what just happened during the short drive back to the Apartment. Still, as it /is/ Byron, the annoyance is set aside and he'll at least sound concerned when he asks whether she's alright? And he'll say things like, "Don't listen to them." Especially, when one of them had brought up bending her over their knee. That was what did it. Or, at least, what reigned his anger down on them. It wasn't just the two of them. It was whoever was in their group that felt the brunt of it, even if they had nothing to do with the situation at all.

Near half-way through the drive, Byron seems back to normal. Not overly chatty and joking, but wearing a mask to best match the situation. There's concern on his face and he'll steal glances over at Lilith during the ride. Deep inside, however, there's that tension and annoyance. Playing damage control where both of their reputations are at stake, namely his, but she's attached to him now, was difficult due to Lilith's wild side. He'd seen the signs this evening, that she had too much to drink and he did nothing to stop her. During a red light, he strokes at her cheek and hair, before leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek before continuing driving the rest of the way to the apartment.

Whatever he did back there, he easily plays it off as if nothing happened. In the end, he doesn't care what happens to those men as long as they know to not bother them ever again.

Lilith remembers the last time Byron grabbed her arm with force. Lilith remembers the last time Byron brought terror. Lilith remembers feeling like not enough when she thought she heard him wonder why he chose her at all. His flip of demeanor and agitation with her is understandable to her rationally, but the grab on the arm combined with that and his assault on the men's minds has her irrationally triggered and afraid it's going to happen to her when she gets home even though she knows it's a ridiculous thought. Home. Their home? No. His home. Why is she pretending like she fits in there? Maybe he'll take her home where she belongs, on Elm, right by the trailers. She's a fucking Winslow. She's messy Hank when she's had too much, which isn't often, but when it happens...

Lilith rouses to the touch and kiss on the cheek. She's nodding to Byron's questions before about being alright and mumbling about drinking too fast and too much, murmurs something about it making her feel icky.

"... it was an accident. I..."

The woman shrugs a little bit like she's dismissing it with a shit-happens kind of Lilith shrug and little smile for Byron before reaching over to rest her hand on his leg while he finishes the drive. But her head keeps swimming right along with dark currents she has to fight dizzily through. Since the violent Dream on Valentine's day, Lilith mostly remembers what's real. But she still fears the rest and accidentally got triggered by Byron when she wasn't expecting it and there was some lashback inside.

She's fine. She's sorry, she is. Everything is fine. And if it's not, she's going to lie about it until the drinks from TIBS help her fall asleep into thick blackness. At least vodka and a night out makes for dreamless sleep.