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perfectworrytitle: Showdown at the Cactus Flower Saloon (1/?)
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shiftverse
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writerverse & originalfic100
prompt: Phase #4: Challenge #5: Weekly Quick Fic #2 & Table A - 011 Red
word count: 793
characters:Salomé Mariel, Silas (AU!Shujin), Nikos, Aya
rating: PG13
summary: In which Silas Licht walks into a bar, Mariel Delacroix gets propositioned, and Aya Scarlett has a case of mistaken identity.
notes: posting this for![[twitter.com profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico)
DrKotobuki because of reasons.
"Travelers in town," said Nikos, looking out the window of the saloon.
"Nah," drawled Mariel around her cigarette. "Really?"
There had been nothing but travelers in this town since gold had been found further out west. Still, Nikos's voice had an air of pleasant surprise.
"Really!" he exclaimed, either missing the sarcasm in Mariel's voice or choosing to ignore it. "We'll have good business tonight!"
They had good business every night. Mariel flung the dish rag at the back of his head. He frowned at her and tossed it back, and she resumed wiping the bar.
"Better in red," as Nikos liked to say, with a broad wink, often with Aya Scarlett preening coquettishly at his side. She was one of the ladies who lived upstairs, was one of the many charms of the Cactus Flower Saloon.
Soon enough, the newcomers made their way to the Cactus Flower Saloon. It wasn't the only watering hole in town, but it was the best. "Sirs," he said, tipping his hat to Mariel and Nikos. They didn't bother to correct him.
"What can I do you for?" Mariel asked the newcomer. He was a big man with dark eyes. She felt surreptitiously under the bar for the revolver. At the Cactus Flower Saloon, Mariel was the law.
"Gin," said the stranger, pushing a few coins across the bar. Mariel resisted the urge to take her knife to them and check for counterfeit. She didn't want trouble this early in the evening, and a big guy like him could easily hold up a train or a bank and disappear out into the wilderness with a mountain of the real deal, his own weight in gold and silver.
"That shit will kill you," she said amiably, pouring him a glass.
When Mariel looked up, the stranger - all tall dark and handsome - had been joined by none other than Aya Scarlett.
"Evening, miss," said Mariel, nodding.
"Hello, sailor," purred Aya, leaning across the bar. She was careful to adjust the neckline of her dress just under Mariel's nose. Mariel turned away, pulling up the collar of her own shirt; a plain, pale denim button-down like the men wore.
"We live in Utah, Scarlett. We're landlocked."
"No fun!" Aya pouted and batted her eyelashes. A certain type of man found it very appealing, but the effect was lost on Mariel.
"Save it for the paying customers, Scarlett."
"For you, sailor, it's on the house."
Mariel rolled her eyes. The black eyed man watched them with a studied disinterest. Aya was doing her best to get his attention, and his interest up.
"God give you a name with all of those good looks and charm?" Mariel asked dryly, while Aya fluttered, blushing like a bashful bride at the stranger. Her flirting wasn't having the desired effect.
You met strange people out in these parts.
"Licht," said the man. "Silas Licht. You've got a name, sailor?"
"Delacroix," said Mariel.
Neither of them said it was a pleasure to make the other's acquaintance.
"And this is Miss Aya Scarlett," added Mariel, indicating Aya, still perched beside Silas with her big dewey eyes.
"Ma'am," said Silas.
Aya pouted.
"Well," said Nikos. "I'll be damned to hell."
Right you will, thought Mariel, but she didn't have time to dwell on the future of Nikos's immortal soul as two more young men came through the swinging saloon doors. Silhouetted against the dusty red sunset, they looked almost heroic, until they stepped into the smoky sawdust of the Cactus Flower and Mariel saw that they were just a skinny kid and a sickly rich boy.
"Koji!" cried Nikos, swaggering over to the skinny kid, his dark hair pulled back in a ragged ponytail. "Come in, come in! What brings you out to these parts?"
Nikos sat Koji, if that was his name, and his white-haired companion down at the bar near Silas - and Aya, who turned her attentions from Mr Tall Dark and Handsome to Koji, but that was a lost cause. Mariel could see that Koji had eyes only for Nikos. Mariel arched an eyebrow; she knew that look.
Aya always fell for hopeless cases. Pining was so much more romantic. Her customers certainly found it quite convincing when she turned her dewey eyes to them, blinking and blushing at the charming young man who would be gone come morning light to follow the sun and find their fortunes.
Many a hopeful young buck had promised to return for Aya's hand in marriage after they struck gold and established themselves out west. If there was more gold to be found in California, there would be a mob at the Cactus Flower when Aya's would-be suitors came back to make good on their promises.
verse:
community:
writerverse & originalfic100 prompt: Phase #4: Challenge #5: Weekly Quick Fic #2 & Table A - 011 Red
word count: 793
characters:
rating: PG13
summary: In which Silas Licht walks into a bar, Mariel Delacroix gets propositioned, and Aya Scarlett has a case of mistaken identity.
notes: posting this for
"Travelers in town," said Nikos, looking out the window of the saloon.
"Nah," drawled Mariel around her cigarette. "Really?"
There had been nothing but travelers in this town since gold had been found further out west. Still, Nikos's voice had an air of pleasant surprise.
"Really!" he exclaimed, either missing the sarcasm in Mariel's voice or choosing to ignore it. "We'll have good business tonight!"
They had good business every night. Mariel flung the dish rag at the back of his head. He frowned at her and tossed it back, and she resumed wiping the bar.
"Better in red," as Nikos liked to say, with a broad wink, often with Aya Scarlett preening coquettishly at his side. She was one of the ladies who lived upstairs, was one of the many charms of the Cactus Flower Saloon.
Soon enough, the newcomers made their way to the Cactus Flower Saloon. It wasn't the only watering hole in town, but it was the best. "Sirs," he said, tipping his hat to Mariel and Nikos. They didn't bother to correct him.
"What can I do you for?" Mariel asked the newcomer. He was a big man with dark eyes. She felt surreptitiously under the bar for the revolver. At the Cactus Flower Saloon, Mariel was the law.
"Gin," said the stranger, pushing a few coins across the bar. Mariel resisted the urge to take her knife to them and check for counterfeit. She didn't want trouble this early in the evening, and a big guy like him could easily hold up a train or a bank and disappear out into the wilderness with a mountain of the real deal, his own weight in gold and silver.
"That shit will kill you," she said amiably, pouring him a glass.
When Mariel looked up, the stranger - all tall dark and handsome - had been joined by none other than Aya Scarlett.
"Evening, miss," said Mariel, nodding.
"Hello, sailor," purred Aya, leaning across the bar. She was careful to adjust the neckline of her dress just under Mariel's nose. Mariel turned away, pulling up the collar of her own shirt; a plain, pale denim button-down like the men wore.
"We live in Utah, Scarlett. We're landlocked."
"No fun!" Aya pouted and batted her eyelashes. A certain type of man found it very appealing, but the effect was lost on Mariel.
"Save it for the paying customers, Scarlett."
"For you, sailor, it's on the house."
Mariel rolled her eyes. The black eyed man watched them with a studied disinterest. Aya was doing her best to get his attention, and his interest up.
"God give you a name with all of those good looks and charm?" Mariel asked dryly, while Aya fluttered, blushing like a bashful bride at the stranger. Her flirting wasn't having the desired effect.
You met strange people out in these parts.
"Licht," said the man. "Silas Licht. You've got a name, sailor?"
"Delacroix," said Mariel.
Neither of them said it was a pleasure to make the other's acquaintance.
"And this is Miss Aya Scarlett," added Mariel, indicating Aya, still perched beside Silas with her big dewey eyes.
"Ma'am," said Silas.
Aya pouted.
"Well," said Nikos. "I'll be damned to hell."
Right you will, thought Mariel, but she didn't have time to dwell on the future of Nikos's immortal soul as two more young men came through the swinging saloon doors. Silhouetted against the dusty red sunset, they looked almost heroic, until they stepped into the smoky sawdust of the Cactus Flower and Mariel saw that they were just a skinny kid and a sickly rich boy.
"Koji!" cried Nikos, swaggering over to the skinny kid, his dark hair pulled back in a ragged ponytail. "Come in, come in! What brings you out to these parts?"
Nikos sat Koji, if that was his name, and his white-haired companion down at the bar near Silas - and Aya, who turned her attentions from Mr Tall Dark and Handsome to Koji, but that was a lost cause. Mariel could see that Koji had eyes only for Nikos. Mariel arched an eyebrow; she knew that look.
Aya always fell for hopeless cases. Pining was so much more romantic. Her customers certainly found it quite convincing when she turned her dewey eyes to them, blinking and blushing at the charming young man who would be gone come morning light to follow the sun and find their fortunes.
Many a hopeful young buck had promised to return for Aya's hand in marriage after they struck gold and established themselves out west. If there was more gold to be found in California, there would be a mob at the Cactus Flower when Aya's would-be suitors came back to make good on their promises.
