Rock Bottom - Gio

[Deleted]

The only god damned hotel in Brookings and it didn't take dogs.

Katalin set the shot glass down on the bar with exaggerated care, the glass hardly making a sound.  Then she waved a couple of fingers at the bartender who eyed her warily but came over and poured her another shot of vodka.  It was cheap and it burned when she downed it like she was drinking gasoline.  But hell, the ache in her abdomen had lessened to a foggy throb.  Her dogs were in her room, regardless of policy, but it had cost her an hundred dollars to get people to look the other way.  She didn't care that much normally, but right now she was miserable so everything bothered her.

She had at least managed a shower (a couple of them actually) and a good night's sleep.  It had helped her feel more human and she doubted she would attract any attention in the seedy, almost empty bar.  She had her only clean outfit on, rugged black cargo pants and a black tshirt.  They covered the gauze around her middle and the gun at the small of her back so they worked.  And she'd even managed to get an email out to Vox's support email so they would know where she was and where to send her 'care package'.  It was just a duffel bag that had been readied for just such a contingency as this.  She had known she would be out in the desert for a while and she hadn't been sure where she would be or in what shape when she got out.

Thankfully, the medical staples had held through the long trudge back to civilization.  Everything still hurt but she was pretty sure it wasn't infected.  A good pour of rubbing alcohol had helped see to that.  Her boots rested heavily on the bottom rung of the stool as she leaned over the bar, staring down into the empty shot glass and trying to decide if she wanted more.  She did, but at the same time it wouldn't due for her to be completely trashed.  She still had to keep a reasonable head on her shoulders.

She should have just ordered a bottle sent to her room.  She wondered why she hadn't thought of it earlier, then recalled the nagging restlessness that had driven her out.  She didn't really like being confined by four walls, no matter the luxury.  And this place was a far cry from luxury.  

BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO

[BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO]

Grumpy was an understatement. Gio huffed as he walked along the streets of Brookings not really knowing where he was going. His eyes were glazed over in annoyance and anger and he didn't care if he fell off a cliff and tumbled to his death. Well, he did a little. He was terrified that the afterlife wouldn't have booze. And that was the one thing in this world that he could count on.

A growl escaped his lips as he turned a corner. His phone beeped three times signalling he received a text, and then another, and another. Gio reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone, it wasn't pretty or high tech, it was a flip phone, he could call and he could text and that's all he needed. He wasn't like the rest of them, he didn't need internet or the ability to listen to music on his phone. He had a laptop for porn and a MP3 player for music. Okay, he was a little behind the times, but that didn't bother him in the least.

Another corner turned and he was smack dab in the middle of nowhere. He honestly didn't know what street he was on, and if Caje or Selby were here they'd say:

Check the map on your phone.
I don't have one.
Lol, loser.

Gio rolled his eyes, okay, they wouldn't call him a loser, but he knew that they thought about it occasionally. His phone beeped in his hand again but he ignored it as he tried to guage where he was. It wasn't the nice part of town, he was still by some run down buildings and some graffitied trash cans. It felt like... home. He was used to these kinds of sights and it helped calm him down.

Take a breath and just keep walking. Yes, walking, it would do him some good to get some exercise. The air wasn't deathly hot anymore, as it was nearly sundown, and there was a nice breeze that brushed through his hair and tickled his forehead. Another beep on his phone and Gio clenched it in his fist. Deep breaths Gio.

He flipped it open, the top message read:

If you're not back in ten minutes I'll shoot you in the ass.

From Dick, of course. Gio couldn't help buy roll his eyes again. He silenced his phone and closed it, shoving it deep into his pocket where it wouldn't bother him anymore. Looking up he noticed the dilapidated old sign of a hotel. It didn't look like much, but it probably had a bar. And that's all he needed at the moment. Breaking into a jog Gio crossed the street and made it into the cool air of the hotel in a matter of seconds.

The inside didn't look like much either, but he didn't need something fancy. He just needed a drink, or two, or ten. Walking around for a few moments he finally found what he was looking for. The bar was smaller than he expected but big enough to suit his needs. Not that he needed much room, but Gio was known to start dancing when he got trashed.

There wasn't much for decor, and the people already in there looked like they were a miserable sort. The kind of people that Gio liked. Sitting at the bar he ordered a beer, something light to start him off, and glanced to his side. There was a woman there, looking like she had seen much better days and staring into an empty shot glass.

Gio resisted the urge to reach over and poke her to make sure she was still alive. Instead he waited for his beer, took a swig and then cocked his head down so that he was eye level with her. "You alright, love? You need some help?" He wasn't going to help her if she did, but he had been raised to... Well, he was raised to treat people like shit. Dick had taught him to be courteous to others. Which was weird, coming from him.

TAG @kat WORDS 681

[Deleted]

Even on a normal day, Katalin didn't have patience for people who hit on her. On a normal day, she brushed the off with a glare (she was really good at those). It wasn't entirely uncommon because she wasn't ugly looking but her lack of cosmetics and penchant for plain dress made her less of a target than most she thought. Mostly she just didn't get why men did stupid things over women. Or why women did stupid things over men. Or whatever combination of genitals was involved. Not like she cared. She signalled the bartender for another shot.

On a normal day, she didn't drink this much.

"Nyasgem," she snarled, the slang slipping from her tongue easily in her throaty voice. She made sure it sounded like the insult it was, because she doubted he spoke her tongue. She downed the shot the bartender gave her and turned her gaze to the man who decided to infringe on her misery. She started to bring her shoulders up square and straighten her posture but she winces as it stretches the muscles in her belly. She sags back towards the bar, leaning her forearms on the scarred wooden top.

She eyes the an up and down in a scathing, appraising look that finds him wanting. Even though she knows right now she probablly couldn't take him, if she wasn't injured she wouldn't give him the win. Even now she bet she could hurt him badly in a melee. Luckily, she was armed for more than a melee so long as she could draw.

"I don't need anything from the likes of you," she finally draws upon her English skills, fluent enough but heavily accented by her native tongue. Her voice, if her tone had been more pleasant, might have even been sexy in a throaty, lounge singer sort of way. As it was, it just sounded harsh. It matched her scowl and glare.

BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO

[BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO]

Right.

It seemed someone was having a worse day than he was. Which was a miracle considering his day started in the dumpster, literally. He wasn't entirely sure how he had ended up with the garbage, but nevertheless that's where he woke up. Scrunched between what smelled like rotten Thai food and hair products. Gio still didn't know how those two ended up in the same place. And when he managed to crawl out he was outside of a movie theater. Needless to say he had started his day with garbage and confusion.

Her word didn't phase Gio, mostly because he didn't even understand it. "Nya-gasm? Nyag-esmeeg...?" He tried the word out under his breath, he figured it wasn't a friendly word from whatever language it had to be, but he was interested to know what it meant. However the scowl on her face made him reconsider bugging her. Then again, he wouldn't be Gio if he didn't pester and prod everyone he met.

"What's that mean, then? Nya-gasm? Is that some sort of root rubbish?" Gio wasn't leaning towards her anymore. His interest was peaked, but his beer was what really held his attention. It felt wonderful as it poured down his throat and settled in his empty stomach. It had taken him nearly three hours to get home, smelling like shit and looking like some deranged homeless man. And once he got there he couldn't even use the damn shower because the water wasn't working. Dick wouldn't let him come over and use his, so Gio had to wander around for another hour or so to find some water to splash around in.

He was clean now, but could still remember the smell. His eyes moved over to her again. She was pretty, in a rugged sort of way. She was obviously in pain, but didn't want to show it. Her voice had been deep, but intriguing, and he wondered if she was putting on a show or was just that aggressive to everyone she met.

I don't need anything from the likes of you.

Gio laughed heartily. "I wouldn't need anything from the likes of me either, love. Wasn't offering any help, just wanted to make sure you weren't going to fall over on me and ruin me coldie." His chuckles followed him as he stretched his arms above his head and removed his jacket. His shirt was black underneath, the only color aside from his tanned skin were the few tattoos that ran the length of his arm.

"Where's that accent from anyways?" He finished off his beer and motioned towards the bar tender for another. "You one of them... Uh... What you call it..." He lost his concentration for a moment, forgetting he was mid sentence and returning to his fresh beer.

TAG @kat WORDS 467

[Deleted]

To be fair, Katalin couldn't say that she had never been in a dumpster. She had never woken up in one not knowing why she was there, but she had absolutely buried herself in garbage as cover before. She lifted her hands from the bar, moving carefully as she scraped her still damp hair back from her face. Pulling the dark brown strands over her shoulder so she didn't have to move as much, she began to braid it.

"What's it matter to you if I did? You should mind your own damned business." She wasn't entirely sure what he meant by 'coldie'. She suspected it was slang she wasn't familiar with for either his beer or his dick. And of course, he was the kind who couldn't just fuck off and leave her to her misery. Realizing somewhere that she was had probably been drinking much more quickly than she realized, she shook her head slightly. She twisted a hair tie from her pocket around the end of her hair and flipped it back over her shoulder. The bartender sidled closer and she flipped her shot glass upside down so that he couldn't refill it.

"Water." Her mother would've been horrified by her manners. The corner of her lips twitched into a brief smirk at the thought- when she was home, she occasionally suffered a smack upside the head until she remembered her manners. She had to be careful to break her habit of cursing- she'd gotten one stern talking to about how she had to set an example for her younger sisters and that was all it took to make her watch her language.

"Foreigners?" She offered the word dryly to finish his sentence, the only thing she could think of. She completely passed over the question of where her accent was from. Not from here was all she wanted to say, the sarcasm dripping from every word. Instead she picked up the glass of water the bartender put in front of her and chugged it down.

"What do you want?" She asked as she set the now empty glass down with a sharp clack.

BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO

[BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO]

Gio eyes were sparkling with amusement. Needless to say he had never met anyone quite like this girl before. She had more sass in her little finger then he or anyone he knew had it their entire body. He bit at his cheek, trying to keep himself from smiling because he figured that might make her more upset. Not that he cared about how upset she was, but he really wasn't looking to get stabbed in a bar in the middle of nowhere. He'd save that for a more special occasion. Like, Vegas... Or anywhere but here.

"My mother warned me about sheila's like you." That wasn't really true. His mother hadn't warned him about anything, aside from staying out of his father's way. And really, that was a given from the moment of Gio's birth. But really he knew that this girl could be a problem if he kept poking her. But where was the fun in not poking the bear?

Gio lifted his beer to his mouth and finished it off in a few swallows. It rushed through him, a faint lightheaded-ness grew in his mind. He started swaying back and forth on the stool, lightly, a smile curving itself on to his face. He could always trust in alcohol to make him feel better. "Another!" He shouted suddenly, slapping his hand on the counter. "And two shots of whiskey!" He heard a sound to his left and noticed that she had set her glass on the counter and was probably glaring at him.

"What do I want? Hmmm." He chuckled to himself, smiling even wider when his shots were presented to him. "What I want, love, is to get absolutely rotten. To the point of no return!" He lifted his arm in the air and clasped his hand into a fist. "My name's Gio, by the way, but you can call me Gio." He downed one shot, waited a moment and then downed the other.

"I'm a Hunter!" He puffed out his chest. "You ever heard of one of them?" He wasn't sure what he was saying anymore. Though Gio spent most of his time drinking, he was still a light weight. The two shots had gone straight to his head. And suddenly he was craving hot dogs.

TAG @kat WORDS 381

[Deleted]

And with that, Katalin decided it was beyond time for an exit. He was quickly falling to the point of stupid drunk, a point which Katalin had no interest in interacting with. She waved the bartender over for one more glass of water and checked her watch- it was about time for her to take the dogs out anyway.

"You're an idiot, with an idiot's desires." She said sharply, then downed the water. Ever so carefully, she began to slide off the stool. Her hand automatically went to her side as the wound pulsed angrily and she froze with her feet on the floor, partially bent over. Then, carefully, she straightened. Her vision swam and she kept one hand clutching the edge of the bar to hold her steady. His pronouncement of being a hunter only made her roll her eyes.

"I doubt you could hit anything, if you spend most of your days like this." Her voice hissed between clenched teeth as she carefully straightened, tossing her head proudly. It wasn't much of a toss, but the motion was there. "Leave the hunting to the professionals- children like you just get in the way." Then, slowly, she started to walk towards the door so she could head up to her room.

BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO

[BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO]

please don't make

ANY SUDDEN MOVES; YOU DON'T KNOW THE HALF OF THE ABUSE

Aside from the fact that Gio was letting the alcohol take over, he was rather aware of his surroundings. For example he could see the horrible painting of a group of dogs running through a park reflected in the mirror behind the bar tender. He also knew that the woman sitting next to him was in a hell of a lot of pain and was doing a decent job of hiding it. Aside from the winces. And he could almost understand her bitchy behavior, but Gio had never been one to act like a dick to others for no reason, regardless of what kind of mood he was in. And really, this lady took the cake for bitchy attitudes.

Gio watched from the corner of his eyes as she downed another glass of water. Another thing that Gio didn't do and probably should of. Water would help the giant hangovers he always had to deal with the day after binge drinking. Water might even clear his head enough to where he wouldn't go around falling asleep in dumpster. He chuckled lightly, taking another swallow of beer and wondering how often his bar friend ever smiled. Gio was the kind of person who liked to have fun when he drank, and liked it even more when the people around him were having fun too.

All his bar mate managed to do was suck the fun and life out of everything around them. He sighed when she stood up, ignoring what she had said to him. He had spent many years listening to his father berate him and he did enough self-loathing mantras on his own that hearing someone else speak badly about him didn't really phase him anymore. He could tell she was struggling to move though, and while part of him didn't care, another part, the part that actually wanted to be normal and to be social, felt the urge to get up and help her.

He sat there as she started to walk away. His body fighting with itself as he debated what he should do and what he wanted to do. Finally, his need to be normal won out and he hopped off the stool. His head was swimming a bit, but it wasn't something he couldn't handle. He walked up beside her, offering her an arm and trying to act as sober as possible. "You could be a bitch, or you could accept help from someone who's been there before." He didn't expect her to accept his help, but maybe she would surprise him. At least he could follow her to her room to make sure she made it without bleeding out in a hallway. Thankfully there was a hospital in town.

"Promise I won't try anything. Not drunk enough yet." He offered her a brilliant smile.

470

@kat

Nice guy Gio

deltra of gangnam style

[Deleted]

The Kutya did not need help. She worked alone, except for the hounds that were her namesake. She was precise, clean, successful, and competent. She was invincible, unknowable, and above all, impeccable.

Katalin felt like none of those grand things at the moment. She had just about made it to the door into the lobby (a triumph) when his voice came from near her shoulder and she shot him a withering look. Oh yes, here it came- then she registered what he was saying and her look briefly changed to one of confusion before shutting down into her normal closed off, vaguely bitchy resting face. She looked him over critically and wondered what made him offer to help. What did he get out of this? She glanced through the lobby to the hallway where the elevators were, practically a lifetime away.

Grudgingly, she took his arm.

"I think I could take you if you did." She was tired. She didn't really intend to rely on him much but by the time they crossed the lobby she had let him take more of her weight, fingers digging into his arm partly in response to pain and partly to keep her balance. It seemed atrociously slow, but she knew if she tried to move faster she risked ripping staples, which she did not want to do. The less paperwork she had to lie on, the better. She had no desire to explain her wounds to a nosy doctor, nor her attempts at self-help. Finally, they reached the sanctuary of the elevator. She jabbed the button for the second floor and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. She hadn't let go of his arm.

"Thank you." She managed to ungrit her teeth enough to remember some semblance of manners and surprisingly there wasn't any sarcasm to the words. God, now she remembered why she never took elevators. She hated the slow mechanical lurch of the old ones and the feeling of the world dropping away beneath her feet. But then, she hated flying too. Anything that put her in a small box with no way out was a shitty day in her world.

"My room is at the far end of the hall, near the stairs. I... would appreciate it if you would help me that far." Her eyes cracked open as the elevator lurched to a stop with a robotic 'ding'. It took another few seconds before the doors actually slid open.

BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO
He's adorable <3

[BIAGGIO BEATAN BACCO]

please don't make

ANY SUDDEN MOVES; YOU DON'T KNOW THE HALF OF THE ABUSE

At first he hadn't expected her to accept his help. He honestly expected her to completely ignore him and make her back to her room alone. He would have let her, he wasn't one to force his company upon people, but he also would have probably watched her until he was sure she made it there alone. He also wasn't someone to let women wander around alone until they were preyed upon by guys who thought they were owed something. It came from his years living partly on the streets. The things he saw and the things he couldn't prevent sometimes haunted him in the wee hours of the morning. Another reason why he drank. He had so many he lost count.

"I'm sure you could, beautiful." He grinned, letting her put as much weight as she needed against him. "How about for now we just focus on getting to your room in one piece." He chuckled softly, forcing himself to focus past the swimming in his head. He had downed too much in a short amount of time as was starting to feel the effects. But he wasn't going to let that get in the way of helping the damsel currently in distress. His footsteps followed her, walking at her pace regardless of how slow it was and how much he wanted to just pick her up and carry her. But she was a warrior and he didn't feel like fending off her wild swings and bitchings of protest. He'd just suffer through and get her to where she needed to be in one piece.

"You never told me your name." He stood outside the elevator with her, his arm still in her grasp as they waited. And waited. And waited. "I mean, I have no problem just calling you beautiful if want." He winked at her, a smile planted on his lips as the doors finally slide open. He helped her in, pushing the button for the second floor and then waiting patiently for the damn contraption to get moving again. He glanced over at her, seeing her fully for the first time since he met her at the bar and assessed her. She was actually quite pretty, even though she was scowling and in pain. He'd definitely seen worse in his travels. But she was a trooper and was willing to bear through the pain without any help. He could admire that.

He on the other hand was a big baby when it came to pain.

419

@kat

ding ding!

deltra of gangnam style