whatever poor bastard she goes home to when the sun comes up ain't gonna know what hit her. she'd worry about a target on her back for leaving the marks she has on her, but there's something unspoken between the two of them. a mutual respect, communicated in growls and snarls and petal blossoms of pain on each other's skin. 

she sits up with a grimace and spits her own glob of blood. her pants are ripped and a fuckin' chunk of her is missing. fucking christ. 

with a groan, one arm wrapped around her stomach, she pushes herself up, weight balanced on her good leg. vertigo almost has her toppling over. but she blinks hard and finds her center. 

she harks a laugh. 

and the crowd around her is crowing at them to finish it, to stop their pussy-footing around and go for the throat. they want the climax that parker and skyler have been dangling in front of them this entire fight. but parker's a feminist, if nothing else, and flips them off as she shuffles towards skyler. 

she extends a hand, brow cocked. 

"i would," she says, "but i oughta buy ya a drink first."

skyler dross

☉

skyler takes her hand, like she knew she would, and parker settles her heels in, leans her weight away from the woman to help drag her upright. the girl's built and muscle's fuckin' heavy. parker's imagination does a couple of complimentary things to skyler's figure, but she looks away from her. respects her too much now. 

gaze finds her way back to her regardless, but then she looks past her, slips her arm under her waist, and gives her ass a good smack in front of the booing men. "enjoy your fuckin' blue balls, boys. this one's mine." 

show officially over and with the excitement thoroughly disinterested in any man's advances, they leave the pair alone to the bar. 

parker lets up when skyler proves she can walk. and as soon as her liquor of choice comes out of her mouth, parker waggles two fingers at the barkeep. 

he brings them four instead. 

"bottoms up, sweetheart." she takes both of hers quickly and grimaces at the aftertaste. tequila is, in fact, not her liquor of choice. 

"so, you taken or do i actually have a fuckin' shot?"

skyler dross

☉

SPOILER: Click to show

hope's gathered and then dashed all at once, but parker doesn't glower like some of the men still around them. she bottoms up instead, grimacing at the taste as it goes down. it's rotgut shit, to boot, 'cause she doesn't know shit about tequila to order anything else. (and maybe, down the road, if someone showed her the nuances of it, she might get a deeper appreciation.)

but she doesn't have to, 'cause skyler goes and orders the one thing she does enjoy. what? she likes things a little sweet. 

"always the bridesmaid, never the bride," parker says sarcastically. she matches the captain with her own sort of fervor, though she's fairly certain this is the one fight she's going to lose against her. parker has a tolerance, but not one hardened by the sea. 

"keep the rum coming," she says and props her elbow on the bar. 

"so, a taken woman, out here lookin' to kick the shit out of some low-lives. i'n't that what your partner's for? professin' your love and 'talking' 'bout shit so you don't gotta do -" she waves one hand to the surrounding area, "this?"

skyler dross

☉

shit. she's throwing them back like it's fuckin' apple juice. parker's already fighting the bile trying to claw its way up her throat. she fancies sugar rims and egg white drinks, slow sips and slow burns, and the world not tottering on its axis. she likes to know which way is up. and hates how fucking vulnerable she is, peeled apart, layers burned away with chemical reactions.

"must be in some fucked up shit," she comments, turning in her bar seat and leaning her back against the bar, if only to steady herself. her eyes narrow and she reaches for the glass of water that has accompanied their next round. 

"nah," she says. "you's a catch, sweetheart, but a no's a no." she licks her lips, tilts her head. "but i better be the first ya come to when ya filin' divorce."

she deigns to risk another shot and grimaces. "but i'll beat the shit outta yas any time ya want." she holds another shot in her hands and looks down at it with a frown, raises it up to skyler as if to toast. 

"never h've i ever kissed a guy an' liked it."

skyler dross

☉

marriage doesn't suit the blonde, parker decides. she's cold as the sea, wild and untamable. but there's that thing about it, a quote from fuck - the sea, once it casts its spell, holds on in its net of wonder forever. some naval explorer. it's a thing of beauty, but most beautiful things are untouchable. 

is she quieted, made mute, away from places like this? or do they call to her, a siren's song, even when she's away. 

parker snubs her nose and makes a face. "nah 's us'ally the tongue gets 'em weak in the knees," she says, swiping said tongue out to lick her lips. she winks. 

"hrmm, is your turn. ain'ya play ne'e'r h've e'ver?" she narrows her eyes to try to focus on skyler's wavering visage. never have i ever is a game for those looking to get wasted, not for two gals already two fucking sheets to the wind.

she laughs at skyler's face after her latest shot. parker holds up another round, raises her glass, and then looks at her expectantly. 

skyler dross

☉

parker hits her with the fuck me eyes, though she doesn't mean to. hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and parker's done testing those waters. 'cept maybe she's not, with the way skyler's looking at her. and it's all through a drunken haze now as she trips into the pit, as the rushed shots come catching up to her. 

she finds herself mimicking skyler's movements - grabbing the bar like a lifeline, for all that's worth. she puffs out her cheeks, feels like she's run five fucking miles, and then swallows the bile that threatens to rise in her throat. 

and then skyler hits her with an obvious duh and she's forced to drink another shot. but all she can do is blame herself for starting the damn game in the first place. 

"at this rate, 'e'll be keeeeeeled over 'n upsideown. fuhuck. mmmm. ne'er i e'er fucked a sea witch."

skyler dross

☉

now that they're up close and personal and the world is spinning and skyler's really the only damn beacon of light in front of her - blonde and muscular and beautiful and glowing like a lighthouse (still ain't gonna stop parker from crashing against rock and crag and tipping overboard, falling headfirst down the side and drowning - )

she pitches to the side, wooziness coming over her, bile backing up in her throat. it takes everything and i mean everything in her, god and heaven above, not to spew everything onto the dame's lap. she gives a colossal sigh instead, scrunches her face up real tight, and counts down the seconds until the waves stop battering her. 

"nnnnyous boat?" her tongue swells in her mouth and her brain says i wanna fuck her right now and her body says just close your eyes and slide right onto that welcoming floor, slick with beer and blood and who knows what else. 

"m'place," she starts and then gasps again. "place 's afew'uck.....doors down. c'mon, bl-hicc-blondie."

skyler dross

☉