16538/At least it's better than being at a Cop Bar

At least it's better than being at a Cop Bar
Date of Scene:	18 September 2024
Location:	Harry's Hideaway (Bar), Salem Centre
Synopsis:	Getting stood up turns into an accord.
Cast of Characters:	Wolverine, Quake

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Wolverine has posed:
Logan sits at a booth alone. It's been a long night. It's been a slow night. Sadly, through no real fault of his own. He checks his phone and shakes his head before setting it down. The long neck bottle sitting on the table with him, he grabs and takes a slow pull. Shaking his head again, Logan just lets out a noise that hsows he liked the drink. The rest of the night is questionable. Still, it's better than being some places.

Quake has posed:
Skye wasn't sure why she had agreed to the date. Usually she didn't really date. Even before Clint she acted in two ways: A homebody; or she picked up a man who didn't appear to be a settling down type, screwed her brains up, and showed him the front door when she was down. ?It was safer that way. Nobody could get close to her that way.

Until Clint.

And what she had learned? Was.. it was better to not get involved. Period.

So how come she agreed to take this date? Damned if she knew.

Still, she had sat at the agreed upon booth and waited.

And waited..

And..

You know the rest.

Skye was so out of sorts that she didn't notice when Logan came in. Her beer was warm and half gone. A check of her watch(ish) showed that her date was an hour late. In reality? She knew what that meant: He wasn't coming. And Skye wasn't sure if she was glad or pissed off at this mythical man for dumping her before she could dump him.

Wolverine has posed:
Logan eventually spots Skye and see how she doesn't move. He'll eventually signal for someone to at least bring her a cold drink. Even encourages them to point him out. Then he'll simply wait to see what could happen. Logan has a few questions, but he holds them at bay for now. Right now, he's just making sure the drink is cold. He'll avoid jumping to conclusions.

Quake has posed:
When Logan's drink is brought to Skye, she blinks. And for a moment she is cross with herself. What kind of spy was she that she missed everything around her moping? Then she was embarrassed.

It would have to be Logan who caught her out.

Lifting the drink - a draught stout - she thanked him. And then in a move she wouldn't be able to explain, she picked up her drink and approached Logan's table. "I figure if you aren't meeting someone, it's easier for you to hear my cuss words."

She smirks. Afterall, Skye could ramp her hearing to catch the merest whisper if she wanted.

Wolverine has posed:
Then he looks at her for a moment, "Yep. They're just two hours late n' countin'. What brings you out here?" he asks just trying not to glower a little bit. His gaze goes to her and he'll nod across from him if she woanted to sit. "I ain't expectin' anyone I think," he admits and shrugs takes a drink of his beer.

Quake has posed:
"A date." Skye shrugs, and sighs, taking the seat across from Logan at the table. "I really mean, I would normally be put out, seeing as I did not date, but dammit, I should be the one kissing off the date, not him. Whoever he was. John something? Peter? Simon? Someone."

No. Skye didn't pay attention. Hell she really didn't mean to show up.

"I promised a friend to go on a date." Gemma. "Why do friends always feel that if they are in a relationship, you have to be as well? I mean it's not like I go on dates with them, moaning about a lack of love life. And besides, if sex were all that was required, I could find a plaything easily."

Now she takes a drink of her own beer.

Wolverine has posed:
"A date? Ya mean wit' Clint." Logan hasn't heard the news. Then he pauses when Skye says more. It's easy for him to put two and two together.

"I think they're makin's ure yer not lonely n' let's face it, people like us ain't always the most sociable," he looks at her for a moment. Then he shakes his head. "Sometimes play things ain't all that great," and then he sips his beer.

"Wanna talk 'bout it?" he thinks there might be something bigger brewing. This is the only attempt Logan will make to press against it for now. He knows some people just don't want to talk about it.

Quake has posed:
Slowly Skye swirls her beer, staring at the depths.

"Clint..You know sometimes it's the right guy at the wrong time. We thought.. he thought.. that he could pretend his problems had disappeared when he was out of time. Except he was wrong. They were worse. I mean to him they were only a week or two since he attended to them. But it was over two years and they had exploded logarithmically. I can't even be mad at him."

"I'm mad at me for falling into the same space that I had. We weren't the same anymore, and I should have known that. But because I was still mourning what we had.. You know? I never felt in love like him before. I don't know yet if I am angry with myself for breaking my rules, or if he was worth it."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan's quiet for a bit just listening to Skye talk about Clint. Right guy, wrong time, all the combos that come. Someone a person didn't want to let go, but knew it is better if they do. And he'll nod here, there, wherever it's appropriate. Taking a sip of beer when she stops, Logan just thinks a moment.

"They're worth it. I ain't the most positive person in the world, but I know that much. Just the pain they can leave sucks. Find someone worth yer time. Someone ya maybe wanna break a rule for, or someone that's worth breakin' the rules fer," there is a subtle difference between the last two.

Quake has posed:
"That's it though. He was worth breaking the rules for."

Skye swirls her beer, before taking a long swallow. "I'll be fine. It's just easier to deal with the pain if he wasn't such a great guy. What about you, though? Surely experience comes with your own heartache?"

Wolverine has posed:
"The wrong one might be, the right one ya know is at the end," he looks at her for a moment. Then he chuckles.

"I'm here ain't I?" Logan syas honestly and take a drink from his beer. "I had a good thing. She wanted somethin' else. N' here I am," he says just showing that he's single and roughing it, too.

"I can be pissed 'bout somethings. I wouldn't change what I did," he admits, that doesn't mean there's not part of him trying to figure out what to do next. "What do ya wanna know? I mean, I get why yer not mad, because I can't get mad either. Well, sorta. I can get pissed at the end," he admits trying not to sound a little bitter. Still, that stings.

Quake has posed:
Oh, Skye laughs a bitter sounding laugh. "We are pathetic, you know? At least you aren't quite as morose as I am. Thing is, I really thought I was over him. So where does this.." And she waves her hand in the direction of her. "..come from? Is it just because I liked being in a relationship?"

The second laugh sounds more normal.

"Tell me to pull up my bootstraps and get on with life. Only.. What? My job doesn't need interaction with people. I love my job. So much so I tend to do it on the off hours for free. Don't tell Fury." As if he doesn't know that already.

She settles back. "What was she like? Your girl, I mean."

Wolverine has posed:
"We are...soemthin'," he says honestly. He doesn't want to say that. To him it isn't pathetic, but they have been kicked down. "Ya can pull yerself up. This comes from somethin' he made ya feel. I can't tell ya wait. I don't live in yer head or heart," he says, just his way of saying she would have to figure out some o fhte finer points.

"Get on wit' yer life, but find someone better," he says knowing tha tmay be easier said than done right now.

"She was a pain in my ass," he smirks and shakes his head. "She was worth it. I thought she understood me, but that's what makes the endin' sad. She wanted somethin' else n' got it," he shrugs and takes a swig from the bottle. "N' I ain't gonna hold someone to me if they don't wanna be there."

Quake has posed:
"Damn. Clint was screwed up with his past. As much as he thought he could share with me, he was unable to, seeing as he wasn't sure what to do himself. But, damn.."

Skye shakes her head.

"I could have kept him, but what good would that have been? In the end we would both hate one another. And where would we both be then? No, this time I let him go, with love. And don't go spreading that about me." She makes a pretend scowl, before winking.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm sorry?" Skye tilts her head. "What did you think she got, anyways?"

Wolverine has posed:
"Gotta find the right one," he looks toward Skye, listening to everything. Then he listens to how everything would sour between them. Logan chuckles as she winks.

"She got a teammate of ours," Logan's face just kind of reads "Well" for a few moments before he takes another pull from the bottle. "Like I said, I ain't gonna make someone stay wit' me that don't wanna be," he says honestly.

Quake has posed:
Skye can't help but laugh wryly. "I'm the third person that Clint has hooked up with from SHIELD. He even married one.. or is it two? Like I said, I'm not angry. Most of the time these days I'm not even sad. He was exactly what I needed then."

She shrugs. "Hell, with him gone for so long? I am now a consultant, sort of. I go where Fury sends me. Or work on the DarkNet. Need a new sparring partner though.. Hey, you wouldn't be available?"

Wolverine has posed:
"So, find out what you need now," Logan says honestly. Those ocen blue eyes looking at Skye for a moment. He's curious what that would be needed.

"What are ya thinkin'? I ain't exactly busy," Logan admits honestly. He gestures to the booth, "Like I said, I was stood up," they both got stood up. "Yer better company than my date, fer what it's worth."

Quake has posed:
"Yeah, yeah. I need for people - my friends - to stop worrying about me. I don't need another man. And if the right one comes along? Hopefully it won't take me as long as it did to admit I loved him the first time."

Skye downs her beer. "See, I wasn't sure if you actually were stood up. And, of course. duh. I'm much better company!"

Of course, she sobers up. "Actually, I really am not. I'm a homebody these days."

She thinks, head cocked to one side. "Depends. I need hand-to-hand, of course. But what I really need as well is to keep up my skills. You know, trying to break through my defenses. Me trying to beat down yours. It's harder even with SHIELD. They don't have many mutants about, and to be fair, I wouldn't be comfortable with anyone."

Wolverine has posed:
"I hope ya do, too," Logan's a little concerned that she may not have caught that lesson. Still, he hopes for her sake that Skye did.

"Ya are. Yer loyal," he says and that means a bit to him, too. It's an honest opinion there.

"I can keep ya on yer toes. Hell, make ya better than a lotta SHIELD personal. But it's gonna be hell gettin' there," he knows the lessons will be long. Skye might be stubborn enough to survive them.

Quake has posed:
Skye sits back, and considers.

The way Logan says 'keep you on your toes' may mean several things. Including some stuff that SHIELD wouldn't teach her because it wouldn't be fair. Sure, SHIELD leaned to the left of playing not fair. Moreso than your average cop. But let's be honest, HYDRA wouldn't be upset if they weren't fair in fights.

And who says that just because SHIELD are the good guys that they have to play by the book all the time.

Skye was first and foremost a hacker, and to perform her skills in that she has to play dirty. No one even questions that.

She figured with her mutant abilities she would be equal, or at least very close. But hand-to-hand?

Ah, heck. You only lived once.

She leaned over, across the table and held out her hand. "It's a deal."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan just watches those gears turn. People that would rush to take the offer have a chip on their shoulder or they're desperate to prove themselves. Those that think are the ones that consider. They understand the weight of what could be. They don't rush into the offer for they have a few ideas of how it'll go.

Those that think on it and say, "No" are those that he respects. At least they thought about it. Even those that are quick to say "No" have a good idea.

And so he waits for her to weigh everything. He suspects she'll at least think on it. Hackers like her bend the rules, she would have a similar sense to training. Logan reaches out to take the hand when it comes up.