11-20-2025, 03:45 PM
Tatyana followed the man through the streets. It would have been easier if he hadn’t been zig zagging his way. It wasn’t far though. The building he took him to looked like a bar. He took Tatyana in through the side door. That seemed weird.
As it turned out it was a bar. That didn’t bode well. Bartenders tended to not like her. She got kicked out of bars quickly usually because she brought her own booze in and refused to give it to them. They didn’t like her bringing in her own liquor. They wanted her to buy, and they assumed (correctly) that she couldn’t pay.
Tatyana heard little of the conversation between the two men. Catching only the one man telling her “rescuer” that he owed him. Nothing was free. Tatyana still had no idea what the cost would be for this. She didn’t for a second believe what he had said about their being no catch. There always was a catch. Even Zeke had told her she owed him for getting her in the ring. At least he was up front about it.
She moved to the bar and found a seat, struggling a bit to get into the bar stool. It would have been easier if she had set down the bottle first, but she didn’t want to let go. The bartender, Hayden, would take it away if she let go. She looked around the room after she sat down, her eyes wary and suspecting. It seemed unfinished, but close to it. Maybe it wasn’t open yet. That didn’t matter though. Hayden got the hero a water with lemon and introduced himself, offering coffee. It was always coffee. They wanted to sober her up. She didn’t want to be sober. Sober meant she’d have to feel things. Thankfully she had an out for that.
”Tanya,” she offered the shortened version of her name. ”Cant pay for coffee. Don’t need coffee.” she said, completing her search for traps in the building and finding nothing. She placed her bottle on the bar, holding it with a white knuckled grip. ”Got my warm up drink here.” She couldn’t deny that she felt cold, but in the warm bar that would soon be remedied. She had her coat, well used, but functional in as well.
As it turned out it was a bar. That didn’t bode well. Bartenders tended to not like her. She got kicked out of bars quickly usually because she brought her own booze in and refused to give it to them. They didn’t like her bringing in her own liquor. They wanted her to buy, and they assumed (correctly) that she couldn’t pay.
Tatyana heard little of the conversation between the two men. Catching only the one man telling her “rescuer” that he owed him. Nothing was free. Tatyana still had no idea what the cost would be for this. She didn’t for a second believe what he had said about their being no catch. There always was a catch. Even Zeke had told her she owed him for getting her in the ring. At least he was up front about it.
She moved to the bar and found a seat, struggling a bit to get into the bar stool. It would have been easier if she had set down the bottle first, but she didn’t want to let go. The bartender, Hayden, would take it away if she let go. She looked around the room after she sat down, her eyes wary and suspecting. It seemed unfinished, but close to it. Maybe it wasn’t open yet. That didn’t matter though. Hayden got the hero a water with lemon and introduced himself, offering coffee. It was always coffee. They wanted to sober her up. She didn’t want to be sober. Sober meant she’d have to feel things. Thankfully she had an out for that.
”Tanya,” she offered the shortened version of her name. ”Cant pay for coffee. Don’t need coffee.” she said, completing her search for traps in the building and finding nothing. She placed her bottle on the bar, holding it with a white knuckled grip. ”Got my warm up drink here.” She couldn’t deny that she felt cold, but in the warm bar that would soon be remedied. She had her coat, well used, but functional in as well.