Peter got a call a few hours later from Gamora on their comlink.
"What is it?" he asked answering.
"Meet us at the Corandella Club in about a half hour" she told him.
"You guys aren't coming back to the ship?" he asked in surprise.
"We decided to get ready while we were out" she said casually, he could hear Evelina giggling in the background. They were certainly in for something that night, what, he wasn't exactly sure but it wouldn't be a night soon forgot he knew that much.
He rounded up the other guys, Kraglin being reluctant to set out until he got his hair styled just right. They tracked their way to the club. The entrance looked like the perfect mix of gaudy neon and upscale fun. Peter caught his reflection in the glass in a shop window and fixed a rogue curl of hair. With a grin to himself and at the endless prospects the evening offered he and the others went in.
The music was head-splittingly loud just like Pete liked it and there was a throng of people ambling around. Some on the way to the bar, some to the dance floor but once his eyes locked on Gamora everything, including the music, disappeared for a moment.
She stood there at the bar in a gold dress that slinked over her curves but flared just a tad around her hips and shimmered with the slightest movement. Rocket shook his head, Quill was a goner. He chuckled as he looked from Peter to Kraglin. He snickered to himself at how the Ravager's eyes reminded him of those dramatic Earth cartoons that Peter would watch with the character's eyes popping out and their jaw on the floor.
"It's about time" Evelina said the same way she would have had she been in her boots and blood-stained pants. She walked over to them.
The spell Peter was under broke as he looked to his baby sis. His eyes narrowed.
"Just what are you trying to do? start another fight" he asked.
"Can't a girl get dressed up?" she asked innocently.
"Not like this baby sis" he shook his head. She was far too satisfied with all the heads she and Gamora were turning and the glint in her eyes of satisfaction at how she had seemingly disabled Kraglin's capability of articulate speech. He had started to speak about three times now before losing the sentence before it started.
"Give her a break Peter" Gamora interceded, an amused expression on her own face.
"I still think that slit is way too high" he muttered.
"One, you sound like an old man" Evelina laughed. "And two, what about Gamora's dress?" she challenged "It's only a couple inches longer than the stopping point on the slit in mine, but I don't see you complaining about that" she made a sassy victory face and took Kraglin's arm.
He looked down at her in her dark hunter green dress, the sleeves hanging off her shoulders and the controversial slit going up most her leg. Everyone but Drax and Rocket went for the dance floor, Mantis tried to dance but opted for keeping Drax company and in line.
If Kraglin had been smitten at the sight of her, he was on cloud nine with pride at the fact that she refused the many offers others gave her. Gamora was trying to talk Peter out of forcing her to dance in front of everyone.
"I'm a deadly assassin okay" she argued "we don't dance!"
"I'm a lethal bounty hunter and I do, what's the difference?" Evelina said coming over.
"But I was raised by a Titan" she countered "I was hated and feared most of my life" she persisted.
"Your point?" Peter asked.
"I don't dance" she responded "not in public for sure."
"I think you're overthinking this a bit. You may have been an assassin and the daughter of a crazed Titan, but you're also a Guardian of the Galaxy now, and that other life is part of your past" Evelina said "so get off your ass and dance with my brother before I find a way to make you" she said seriously, but with a grin in her eyes.
"Fine" Gamora said with a huff and grabbed a stunned but delighted Peter's hand and dragged him onto the dance floor. He couldn't wipe the big idiot grin off of his face. If Evelina could pull that off, well maybe she could wear whatever the heck she wanted to. He owed her big time. He looked down and saw that Gamora was smiling in spite of herself. A triumphant grin spread across his face.
"Shut up" she muttered and he simply pulled her closer in the dance.
Evelina went over to the bar to get another drink and check on the others. Rocket was in a drinking competition with some burly alien with olive green skin. Drax was explaining to Mantis what an arm wrestle was as they observed two men go into one. Evelina walked over. She watched as the two guys contended against each other. She smiled to herself as the victor drunkenly shouted his exultation.
"I'll take you on?" she said with a smug smile.
"You?" he said looking her over. She looked like a fashion piece not a fighter. "You must have had too many" he roared in laughter.
"Someone has, but it's not me" she said "not yet anyways."
"Fine, what's the bet love?" he asked. "You buy me a drink and give me a kiss if I win?"
She cringed. "And if I win you leave for the night" she said.
They locked arms and proceeded to compete. Drax and Mantis cheering for her. She waited for him to waiver and then pushed with extra muscle. His hand began to decline towards the table, panic flooded his eyes and it was then that she felt pain hit her leg. She lost focus and he gained the advantage and pinned her arm down.
"Cheat" some of the spectators murmured.
"I won" he gloated in a yell. "Now give me my prize" he gave her a grin that made her skin crawl and held his arms open. She would give him a kiss. "So how about that kiss?" he said smugly as she stood up. She went up to him, faking a look of placid disinterest to cover her complete loathing and then she swung her head back and plowed it into his face.
"He said kiss" she said looking down at the man unconscious at her feet, her dainty black high heeled shoe resting on his chest "he didn't specify what kind."
"What kind of kiss is that?" Drax asked confused.
"Liverpool, apparently, Peter told me about them" she smiled and walked to the bar, buying two drinks and putting the second on the unconscious man's chest.
She found Kraglin at the bar, watching Rocket's drinking competition.
"So you can hold your own in an arm wrestle, what about your stomach, can it hold up?" a man who had watched the arm wrestle challenged.
"You wanna go?" she said gesturing to the variety of alcohol on display behind the bar.
"It's on" he responded.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kraglin asked.
"I'll be fine" she said dismissively. And with no further ceremony, her and her challenger ordered the bartender to line up some shots. Kraglin stood by in case she needed to be checked from doing injury to herself in the name of competition.
A half hour passed and she swaggered away, a little less stable than she had been when they had arrived. She leaned on Kraglin and undid her shoes. She'd risk bare feet before she risked running amock in high heels. She wondered how the other girls around her managed to do it.
"There you are" Peter said. He had been planning on asking Evelina for a dance when a nice fast and fancy dancing kind of number came on but she hadn't been there.
"Hey!" she shouted like she hadn't seen him in six months.
Peter looked dubious, his eyes demanding an answer from Kraglin.
"Don't look at me, I tried to talk her out of it" he said raising his hands.
"Out of what?" Gamora asked coming over.
"The drinking competition" he answered.
"Did she win?" Peter asked eagerly, receiving a glare from Gamora.
"I did!" she said gleefully. Peter took her into his arms to dance with her as a faster number came on. He couldn't help but be proud of her, even if Gamora thought drinking games were stupid.
They danced and she told him over great victories so far that evening.
"I'll have the next" said a stranger on the dance floor as the song ended.
"I'm sure Peter would be flattered" she said gesturing to him with an outrageous grin on her face "but you're just not his kind of guy."
The man looked befuddled and after the first moment of confusion Peter's face became one of irritated indulgence. She was even more of a minx when she got drunk apparently. She moved to go find Gamora when the man grabbed her arm "I meant with you little lady."
She stood unsteadily on her feet, rounding on him. "I am Darsca Xandahlia, I'm no little lady, and if you don't let go of my arm you'll find out just how big of a badass this 'little lady' is."
"You couldn't see straight to punch me if you wanted to" he sneered.
"Maybe not, but I can" Peter said and plowed his fist into the guys face. Kraglin came over while the man's friends joined in and backed him up. The brawl began to spread, people who didn't even know the cause joined in. At last the ruckus roused Drax and with his arrival all opposition dispersed pretty quickly.
The bar vanquished and Evelina and Rocket soundly plowed they decided it was time to head back to the ship. Peter flopped his sister over his shoulder while Drax carried Rocket similarly; the raccoon muttering an unintelligible monologue to himself.
"I'll take her from here" Kraglin said as Peter moved her off his shoulder, the bounty hunter soundly asleep already.
"Well that was certainly a night for the books" he said with a smile. "Rocket and Evelina won drinking competitions, we started a brawl, and apparently she did a Liverpool kiss on some guy" Peter said.
"What?" Kraglin asked suddenly concerned.
"It's where you headbutt someone in the face" he explained.
"Oh" he said with a sigh of relief as he took her and carried her to her room. Gamora was walking out towards the living area. "I think I'll stay and you know, look over her, in case she gets sick" Kraglin said, settling his back against the edge of Evelina's bed.
Gamora nodded. After checking on Rocket and talking with Peter she went back to her room. Kraglin was still there, dozing slightly, but still ready to be on bucket duty should the need arise.