DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Jak and Daxter trilogy or other affiliated characters.
"Hello Torn,"Kiera said.
He looked up at her; barely noticed her through swirling haze of his drunken torpor. He wasn't sure if he welcomed her company or not. He thought he might have preferred to sit in his silence, mulling over things that happened far too long ago; asking himself AGAIN what in the hell he'd done with his time. 'Oh yeah,' he thought,'drinking...' He was a man of reason and logic. He had no time for his own emotions. They hindered you in the heat of battle. One second's hesitation could cost the lives of thousands. He'd learned that the hard way.
He thought he'd had himself figured out. All the wars, battles, victories,and losses had shaped him into a hardened commander the city had been proud to have. The Freedom League looked up to him, and would go where he sent them, even if it was suicidal. The Ex-Baron himself had once said Torn was the best Tactical Officer he had ever seen. But when Ashelin wormed her way into his life all of that had crumbled to dust. For the first time Torn doubted himself, even doubted what he was doing. Emotion played on his logic the way Ashelin had played on his heart. And in the one moment he'd decided to tear all the walls around himself down, she'd trampled over him. He still wasn't sure if he'd ever get over it. It's not exactly like a bullet wound.
But Kiera's sudden presence had driven it out of his mind, even if it was only temporary. In a way it kind of impressed him. He'd never thought of Kiera as being the gutsy type. And yet here she was trying to start a conversation with him when everyone else knew just how hostile he'd been lately. He figured he could give her a few minutes of his time.
"Hello,"he said. Strange, his own voice sounded harsher than usual.
"How are you?" She asked. She was really asking how he'd been since Ashelin's uncerimonius dumping of him.
"Fine,"he lied. Truth was, he'd spent the last year trying to drown himself in alcohol. He'd worked up such a large bar tab that he sometimes wondered if he'd ever live long enough to pay Daxter off.
"How's the Freedom League?" Kiera seemed to have trouble trying to find subjects to bring up.
"Fine,"he lied again. Torn really didn't know how the Freedom League was. It had been three months since he last showed up at Headquarters. He'd finally gotten fed up with watching Jak and Ashelin's constant pre-makeout sessions.
Torn felt like he'd lost everything he'd worked hard for. First the war, then Ashelin, now the League. The only attatchment he had to Haven City was that dingy little hole in the ground he called home. But even that wasn't home anymore. This booth was his home. Kiera was shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Torn wondered why she'd even come over. What did she want out of him? His whole sob story?
'Oh yeah Keira, Ashelin just up and kissed Jak and never even told me we were over. She went on her merry little way and pretended like we never were. So here I am drinking my brains out just for the hell of it while wondering what in the god's names happened,' Torn thought,'Yeah...right.' He'd rather put his own pistol to his head than tell Kiera what was on his mind. She still sat across from him in an obvious awkward silence. Did she really expect him to carry the conversation?
"Don't know why you came over here,"he said gruffly,"you ought to have known I wasn't much of a talker."
Kiera smiled. Torn could tell it wasn't real. It was as hollow as the smirks he'd planted on his own face before he'd finally stopped smiling at all.
"Well, nobody else seemed interesting enough to talk to,"Kiera said. Torn knew she only found him interesting because they shared a common problem.
"What about Jinx?"Torn asked.
"What about him?"Kiera replied,"his relentless banter about explosives MIGHT be slightly intriguing if he didn't try so hard to get in my pants every time he talked to me."
Torn tried not to laugh. It didn't work very well, coming out in the form of a snort.
"What about Tess...or Daxter?" There was a slight smile on his face.
"Are you kidding me!"She asked, taking a drink,"look at them,"she looked over her shoulder. The ottsels were so into their kissy faces that they didn't notice Onin sneaking bottles over the counter.
"I see what you mean,"Torn said,"I'd be afraid to be a part of THAT."
"No, what YOU'D be afraid of is being on the wrong end of Daxter's smoochy face,"she blurted back. Torn grimaced. He'd actually gotten the mental image of pursed ottsel lips coming at him. Kiera laughed aloud.
"Besides that,"she continued,"even if I DID manage to get a word in edgewise, all Daxter would want to talk about is his zoomer."
Torn held up a hand,"Wait...Daxter has a ZOOMER! What's the world come to?"
Kiera laughed harder,"Where have you BEEN, Torn? Daxter's been racing since the start of the season. He's even had me custom design his own-"
"-wait, wait, wait,"Torn cut in,"Daxter's RACING! Oh, gods, now I HAVE heard it all..."
"Yeah,"Kiera took another sip of her Purple Lurker,"so far he's won three competitions. Now all he has to do is beat the city's champion."
"Ha. If he does that, his ego will be bigger than ever,"Torn actually laughed this time. He was starting to think he enjoyed this conversation. It was the first time anyone had said more than a few words to him in a while. He felt himself relaxing for once.
"So,"Torn asked,"who's the city's champion now?"
Kiera instantly deflated. Torn knew he'd hit a soft spot and wondered quite uneasily for a moment if Kiera was still as touchy about her situation as he was his.
He decided to tread into turbulent waters anyway,"It's Jak, isn't it?"
Kiera nodded her head, not looking Torn in the face,"I just think it's weird, you know?"
'Oh, gods'Torn thought,'she's gonna go off into some weepy, mushy, oh-my-gods-he-dumped-me-crap and feel sorry for me cause I'm some booze hound now. Oh, well. I asked.'
"They're friends, but they're competing for the same title,"she said,"sometimes I think that Daxter pushes for this because he wants to be better than Jak in at least ONE thing,"she looked back over her shoulder at the ottsel, only to find him engaged in one of his tall tales.
Torn was surprised. He expected a sobfest. He'd also expected Daxter's motives to be shallower. 'I guess you can't know everybody,'he thought. He caught Jinx looking in thier direction. So did Kiera, and she quickly snapped her head back to face Torn.
"He's not coming over here now, is he?"Kiera asked. Torn glanced over her shoulder.
"Yeah, it looks like he is,"Torn smirked. Kiera rolled her eyes.
"Hiya Kiera,"Jinx said as he leaned over the booth. Torn made a face at the smoke that surrounded him.
Kiera took the last drink of her cup,"Hi Jinx."
"I was wondering why you didn't come talk to me,"Jinx purred,"Whatsa matter, you don't like me anymore?"
"No,"Kiera fiddled around for answers,"you just seemed so into those explosives..."
Torn laughed,"Yeah, Jinx, and even I can tell you that dynamite ain't exactly a turn-on for most ladies."
Kiera gave Torn a grateful look.
"Hey Tess,"Jinx called, comepletly ignoring Torn's remark,"how about another one of these,"he picked up Kiera's glass. Kiera glanced over at Tess, shooting her a please-don't-make-that-drink glare. Tess obviously didn't catch on, making the Purple Lurker despite Kiera's silent protests. Jinx brought Kiera the beverage from the bar. She downed half of it in a single swallow. Torn wondered what in the hell he'd gotten himself into.
"So,"Jinx cooed,"you ever heard of a place called the 'One Shot'?"
"No,"Kiera lied. She was slurring now,"izzit an ammo store?" Torn snorted again and quickly pretended he sneezed.
"No,"Jinx said,"It's a club in Spargus. I was wondering if you'd like to go sometime. We could go out, check out Spargus. I could show you a good time..."
"That's really nice of you,"Kiera sounded flattered. Torn knew she really wasn't,"but I have a lotta work to do,"she gupled more alcohol. For a moment she seemed a tad bit woozy. Torn quickly dismissed it as drunkeness. Hell, he'd been making intoxication his own art form for months now. He knew how to control himself when he wanted to. But Kiera? This was the first time he'd seen her drink more than one glass of anything.
"I see,"Jinx said,"so you have other plans?" He was eyeing Torn suspiciously. Torn got the feeling that Jinx thought they were together.
"No, not..."and with that Kiera's head dropped to her chest, the Purple Lurkers having taken thier effect. For a second, Torn thought Kiera might have been faking in order to get rid of Jinx, but the drool running down her chin proved him wrong. Funny, really. It seemed like it all happened too fast. Jinx started laughing.
"Guess I shouldn't have ordered her another,"Jinx said,"I didn't know she was such a lightweight."
"You should've asked first,"Torn growled. He was angry again. Now he was going to have to take Kiera home, because he couldn't trust Jinx with her. The guy had a tendency to get a little...fresh sometimes. Torn shuddered at the thought and moved to get out of the booth. Jinx had already pried Kiera from her seat. She was drooling down Jinx's arm.
"I'm taking her home,"Jinx said,"it's okay, you don't have to go anywhere."
Despite his own doubts, Torn considered it for a moment. He really didn't want to have to drive after drinking so much. He was nervous about leaving Jinx alone with Kiera even if he was just taking her home. But he figured this might work to his advantage.
"Okay,"Torn said,"I'll ride with you over to Kiera's and then you can drop me off back at my place."
Jinx seemed annoyed for a second, butnodded and walked out of the bar carrying Kiera. Torn sighed as he grabbed his keys. This was going to be a long ride.
This one's for my first reviewers. Thanx for your wonderful comments. I'm a review sponge!