bakerstreet | Stranded!

[ Somewhere in a seedy, half-deserted night club on some seedy space colony in some seedy corner of some seedy system, Peter Quill was enjoying a drink.

Was being the key word, here, because no sooner had he finished it did someone immediately recognize him -- and not in the good, "Hey, you're that guy who faced down Ronan on Xandar!" way. It was, in fact, in the, "Hey, you're the fucker who stole that thing!" way, and no amount of, sorry's or seriously, man, I can pay you back's were enough to satisfy the goons.

"Seriously, guys, c'mon," Peter had said, hands up in what he hoped was a placating gesture. "Can't we talk this out?"

Apparently they could not, because that's when the shooting started.

There is a universal truth about night clubs and bars and, really, any place with dim lighting and alcohol, and that is this: when a fight starts, everyone becomes involved. No matter what. You either roll with it or escape while you can. So at some point, Peter ends up back-to-back with a hot chick, and he pauses long enough to give her a wink and a quick, "Hey, how's it goin'?" before he went back to punching guys. They worked well together, and eventually they were some of the few people left standing in the shitty nightclub.

Peter thinks that's the end of it, and he's about to extend a hand to her to thank her for her help when the pounding of feet -- a lot of feet -- outside the club makes him jump. And before he can think on it, he grabs her by the wrist, bursts out of the club through the back entrance, and fucking cheeses it.

Currently they're panting in some dingy abandoned warehouse, while nearby voices shout and curse. Some of them cry, "Find that asshole!" "Kick his ass!" "Kill Space-Lord!"

Peter winces at that last one and mumbles on reflex, ] Star-Lord.

[ He glances up at her, offering a tired sort of smile. ]

Hey, uh. Sorry about all the trouble. Figured those guys were gonna fuck with you if I left you behind.

Edited 2015-04-10 03:27 (UTC)

[ Bar fighting was not exactly how Rose had planned to spend her night. Is she complaining? Absolutely not. There was something about decking a rude dude in the face that felt so gratifying, she couldn't actually be upset at the way her evening had gone. The blond is probably far too good at taking down guys practically twice her size but thankfully everyone is too wrapped up in what's happening to really notice. A little breathless huff and a small smile is all she gets out before she hears the clomping of those feet and is suddenly whisked away out the back of the bar.

Now she's hiding out with some guy she barely bumped in to and listening carefully to the voices outside. Her head tilts to the direction of the shouts but they don't seem to be coming any closer so that's good at least. The blond listens idly for another few seconds before turning to- ]

Star-Lord, right? Don't worry about! [ A dismissive wave of her hand accompanied by a bright smile. ] I actually appreciate you looking out for me. [ Not that he had to but regardless. It was the thought that counted. ]

Does this, uh. Happen to you a lot?

[ Oh, the grin she gets for using his code name. At her question, he gives a sheepish shrug. ]

Kind of? I mean, usually there's more monologuing and posturing and parading around like peacocks before everyone starts throwing down, but I guess these guys aren't into that kinda stuff.

[ He peeks out of a dusty, grimy window and darts back when he notices a few similarly uniformed guys pass a bit too close for comfort. Once he hears them tromp away, he breathes a sigh of relief. ]

Still, didn't mean to drag you into this. You could probably sneak outta here okay, actually, if you wanted to. I don't think they saw what you looked like.

[ It's a pretty cool alias, she has to admit. Her's is much more sentimental but she's fond of it all the same. ]

Apparently not. [ Aggression kind of runs in the blood here though, she's noticed. Not that that's anything new. The woman balances on her tip-toes for a moment to peer out the window as well once they're gone. ]

Well, uh. I totally would except for my ride got his lights punched out back there, so. I'm stranded here until he comes to. And the bar probably doesn't want me back after all that... [ Which is a shame because she hadn't even gotten to finish her drink. ]

[ Peter pulls a face, nose wrinkled, and sucks in a breath. ] Damn. Sorry about that. Your, uh, ride, I mean.

[ He glances over her as she peeks out the window and thinks, Damn, she's hot, but now's probably not the best time to be flirting. That, and her "ride" could very well be her boyfriend, so. ]

Designated driver?

Psht. Don't worry about it, dude. If he can't hold his own in a bar fight, he totally didn't deserve to be my chaperon.

[ Huff. Obviously, the face that she has a 'keeper' isn't one she enjoys. ]

Besides, it's not like I'm in any rush to get back.

[ Though she might not be, it is imperative that Rose return before her time limit for this little excursion is up. The woman would rather not repeat what happened when she didn't return when required to if she can. But if she can't, it's a small price to pay for a little excitement and interesting ( and admittedly handsome ) company. ]

--Chaperone?

[ Like. A designated adult, then. He starts wondering if maybe she's not exactly supposed to be out here with him -- or out here with anyone, if she has a chaperone -- and he's about to ask if she's going to find herself in some hot water for this diversion, but--

There are some muffled shouts from nearby, and Peter quickly moves to another window on the other side of the warehouse, peeking out of it from the side. He glances over at her briefly and presses a finger to his lips, and cautiously peers out; on instinct, his free hand rests against the grip of his blaster. Just a couple of guys this time, and they look far too angry to notice anything, much less their quarry right under their noses. When they pass by at last, Peter exhales sharply. ]

-- What's your name, anyway?

[ Phew. Thank goodness for that distraction since she really didn't want to get into the whole chaperone business. Of course she has a story ( or two, or three ) at the ready but not talking about it is just so much easier.

Rose immediately follows as they shift location in the warehouse; she nods her head as he wordlessly motions for silence. She hangs close to him partially because she wants to try and see for herself who is still stomping around out there and partially because, well, it's good to be close in case they do get found, right? Right. ]

Rose. Nice to meet you, Star-Lord. Even under the kind of sucky circumstances.

[ He laughs quietly at that. ]

"Sucky circumstances." Yeah, that's definitely a good way to put it.

And Peter's fine, if you want. Peter Quill. And, uh, sorry about getting you caught up with these circumstances. I doubt hidin' out in some dusty building was on your list of things you wanted to do tonight.

I think Star-Lord sounds cooler, actually.

[ It's also a bit more impersonal than a real name. Anything to make keeping at arm's length easier in the long run. Not that she's planning for a long run. After this, she doubts they'll see each other again.

Better enjoy it while it lasts. ]

Are you kidding? Bar fights, daring escapes! [ She's making this sound a lot more exciting than it actually is; whether she's being sincere or silly is hard to tell. The grin she sports is certainly endearing though. ] There were way worse ways I could have spent my night.

[ Drinking alone and not talking to anyone besides her keeper, for example. ]

What did you take from those guys to piss them off so bad anyway?

[ Sincere or not, her excitement is a little contagious, so he grins right along with her. He leans back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, and he shrugs, as if to say, It's not a big deal. ]

A while back, I used to run with the Ravagers.

[ The Ravagers didn't sport huge numbers, but their work as mercenaries was respected; their reputation often preceded them. They weren't a household name, exactly, but the group was well-known enough that most people recognized a Ravager by their appearance: a red jacket, an emblem of a flame on their upper arm, and more guns and blades on their person than an armory.

Peter kept the red jacket, if nothing else; it was a good color on him. ]

We stole a shipment from 'em, right out from under their noses. It was a good haul, but-- [ He clears his throat abruptly, wondering if maybe he shouldn't sound so proud of stealing. No telling what sort of moral compass Rose follows, after all. ]

--but that was a long time ago. Guess they still hold a grudge.

[ Rose has heard of the Ravagers. She remembers faintly some of the crew on her first trip ever across the galaxy talking about them; it wasn't out of any real concern but more a side comment on how they needed to watch out. 'Just in case.' They were carrying important cargo after all. The boss would have their heads if his up and coming prized fighter wasn't delivered promptly.

She wonders how long 'a while back' is but doesn't feel it's her place to actually ask. Obviously long enough that he doesn't completely associate with them. ]

Dude, your life sounds like it's been way exciting. [ Obviously her compass doesn't lead to the straight and narrow, at any rate. ] I mean. It kind of sucks that these guys can't get over you stealing their stuff but that seems like a minor inconvenience in comparison to how much stealing it upped your coolness factor, so.

[ That-- actually surprise a laugh out of him, more out of surprise than anything. ]

No, dude, stealing is bad. I'm pretty sure that's, like, rule number one on the social contract or whatever.

[ He says it without any heat, though -- more like reciting back something he overheard once. He flashes her a grin, head canting to one side playfully. ]

I guess that means you like the bad boys, huh?

[ Peter, that was the least convincing pitch for 'stealing is bad' she's ever heard.

The hint of sheepishness in her smile that shows up at the comment of 'bad boys' probably answers that question enough for him. Yeah, she totally has a type. ]

What can I say? I seem to be drawn to people who don't like to listen to the law. If nothing else, everything's a lot more fun with them around. [ Reckless might actually be the word she's looking for instead of fun but, eh. Technicalities! ]

Fun. Yeah, I guess that's fair--

[ There's a shouted curse, and the sound of something metallic toppling over. Someone kicked over a trashcan, probably, and he's following it up by barking more orders, telling the guys to search harder, dammit.

Yep. That's a good instruction, dude. ]

So does that mean you've been forced to hide out in a dusty old condemned buildings with bad boys before?

[ Her heard turns to the sound of the shout. It still seems like they're scrambling so that's good at least. Rose can't help but wonder how long it'll take them to search this place. ]

A lady doesn't hide out in dusty old condemned buildings with bad boys and tell. [ Okay, all silliness aside- ] Not that I do have anything to tell. This is actually a first for me.

[ She always imagined if she was to be stuck in an abandoned warehouse, it would have been for much different reasons. ]

I really wish I could say this was a first for me, too. I really, really do.

[ Because this is, like, the twentieth time, probably? How goddamn embarrassing.

But there's a screech of a door opening on old, rusted hinges at the far end of the building, and Peter's instincts take over. He grabs Rose by the wrist again, nods sharply to one side before he leads them that way. There's a large stack of metal crates and he pulls her down to hide behind them. ]

To be fair, I don't get out mu-

[ She's cut short by the squeak of the door. There's no protest as his hand encircles her wrist once more nor when she plops down next to him. Rose is careful to be quiet. She actually scoots in closer for purely strategical reasons, of course. The less space they take up the less likely they are to be found. It totally makes sense in her mind at least.

While some nervousness is understandable, Rose seems a little overly anxious despite how hard she tries to hide it with a brave face. Getting caught could mean any number of bad outcomes. The woman doesn't want to even think about what would happen if her 'boss' had to send someone else to pick her up or if she got caught by law enforcement for assault and have to be bailed or broken out; the consequences of being late would pale in comparison to what she'd get for that. ]

[ Peter gives her wrist a gentle squeeze -- he's going for reassuring rather than make sure to stay quiet, and he flashes her a smile. He's not sure if she sees it, as dark as this little corner is, but it's the thought that counts, right?

The men's muttering are audible even from across the building. There's at least two of them, based on voices alone, and they seem pissed that their night of debauchery was cut short to chase after some pointless dickwad that the boss had a grudge against. Peter would feel offended if he didn't also sort of agree. It's a damn lucky thing that the two men who search the building don't give a shit about finding Star-Lord, because they give the first floor only a perfunctory examination before stomping back out.

It's only after the squealing of protesting hinges and slamming of the door that Peter lets out a breath, relaxes his death-grip on his blaster. ]

Well. That was really fucking close.

[ With her heightened senses, she does happen to spot the smile. It helps alleviate some of her worries but there's still those nagging fears in the back of her head.

Rose listens carefully to their conversation. She catches the gist of it and is relieved to hear them finally leave. The blond pokes her head out from their hiding place, gives a quick glance around, and shimmies out into the open. ]

You can say that again. [ A beat. ] That was kind of anti-climatic though, I gotta' say. I was totally expecting like a shoot-off or something at least.

[ And by that, she means he would shoot someone since she's Ms. Completely Unarmed. ]

[ He releases her wrist to run a hand down his face, and he can't hold back his quiet laugh. ]

It's not always like the movies, man. They cut out a lot of the waiting around for someone to do something crap that usually ends up happening in situations like this.

[ He takes this moment to flop down and sit, leaning back against the crate. ]

Sides, I'd be the one doin' all the shooting while you get to sit there and look pretty.

Movies are all I have to go off, dude. Not like I'm some super cool former criminal who has people after me on the regular. [ She's actually a current criminal. Not entirely by choice, of course, but still one nonetheless.

A lot of people probably totally want her dead too. That's what physical distortion and 'time limits' on her excursions are for though. ]

Sitting there and looking pretty is what I do best. Also decking people in the face during bar fights, apparently.

[ His little hum is one of concession, and he bobs his head back and forth as he considers it. ]

Yeah, alright, fair enough. For a petite chick, you pack a pretty big punch.

[ He grins a little. ] Dude, when you decked that one dude and he fucking flipped -- like, when he literally flipped head over heels? That was fucking awesome.

Heck yeah I do!

[ It is impressive - Rose can recognize that - even if it's not necessarily something she's proud of. ]

I actually didn't mean to hit him that hard... but he kind of deserved it so I regret nothing.

Dude, no holds barred in a bar brawl. That's, like, rule number one. If a dude comes at you, you punch him -- simple as that.

You gotta teach me how you did that, though.

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