Mina hadn't expected to be pinned so easily. Normally though out the night she was able to make sure that the men inside the bar got moved towards more watered down beer, or not put into a position that if things went violent she wouldn't be able to fight back. She had always been aware of who was behind her, who was beside her, and who was in-front of her. Her regulars were good natured, and the few times that someone had gone too far in their teasing, she had settled it with a knife in someone's hand, or taking an eyeball as warning that while she may be "owned" as an elf, and a whore at that, she was more than capable of taking care of herself, and deciding if and when someone was able to purchase her time and body for the night.
So when Cole came through with his team, all high on a successful job, she had been happy to earn a little extra coin by keeping the drinks coming easily, and not watered down. After all, those that had accompanied him before had been well behaved and held their liquor well enough. But it had taken her by surprise, while she let herself be man handled by some -- something that had it's own risks, but this was her domain, the Old Man was there, and Colt was there-- no one would dare try anything.
But they had. A set of hands had pinned her wrists to a table top, while another set had her feet off the floor, far faster than she had seen it coming, far faster than she had been able to pull her needle like stiletto to dole out her own brand of reminder that her job came about with consent on her part. So as she tried to eye her way free of the situation, the situation very rapidly turning to the realm of non-consensual, she was remembering every pint she had brought to the table, knowing they were all more drunk than she should have ever allowed them to become. Mina jumped when the door slammed open and that set of hands on her wrists vanished quick leaving her free enough to plant a foot to Frank's gut to send him back from where she had been bent back over the table.
It was a moment later while she was trying to pull her clothing back into some semblance of order that she heard the crack of cartilage and then Colt's words, having missed that he had found his way into the middle of the little group that had circled her. She'd never heard him so angry before, and he was angry; and suddenly a lot taller than she normally knew him as, all slumped shoulders and all. Mina was reeling still as she looked up to his face, studying the way his jaw set. His eyes burned, and there was something else there in that look of his.
Realization took her suddenly. It didn't matter to him that these were his men, and that she was just a whore. He had called her a lady, and was here about to fight for her should things turn not so great in the next few seconds. Normally this would be the point where she would be cursing up a storm, or stabbing someone to keep the not-as-good-as-a-regular's fear of her fresh on their minds, but she thought better of it at the moment, her throwing a quip in could cause the entire room to suddenly turn on them both, and she wasn't going to have Colt having to fight his entire gang because one of them got a little more than gropey..
"[color=#2ecc40]I don't think anyone else has a death wish tonight, hmm? Not when you look so serious.[/color]" She teased as she slipped under one of his arms, storm grey eyes looking up, trying to catch his attention from starting a fight that she wasn't sure would end well as her self preservation kicked in full gear. She could be dumb sometimes, but she did like staying alive. "[color=#2ecc40]I think you need something more to drink, maybe you'd let me talk you into parting with some of that coin I hear jingling in your pockets..[/color]"
She exaggeratedly took his hand in hers and started to try and pull him along with her, giving the room a glance over. "[color=#2ecc40]What do you all say? Another round of beer, another song, who had the next song, we'll get those tankards, pick the next song for me boys![/color]" If she could get him back into the kitchen for a few minutes, let them get back into their cups and then be back up on her guard for the evening, she'd get things back under control in the room and have everyone back to happy and happy to be parted with some coin. As for now, she'd keep trying to pull Colt along with her, acting the foolish bar maid, a wide smile and laugh about her as if she hadn't realized just what it was he had just saved her from.
She was more than aware of what would have happened had he not come in the door that moment, but her mind kept going back to his face in that moment. He had been ready to fight, and perhaps even kill had they not backed off, not backed down from what had been about to occur. She'd had her fair share of having to stab hands and cut faces before, but this had been different -- he had been different. He'd always been so quiet before, so timid almost, around her. This was a side of him she'd never seen, never would recognize. It scared her as much as it had little butterflies turning flips in her chest, how her heart was racing but not because she had just been held down or that he had done violence in her defense, but because in all the time she had known him, it was the most intense she had seen him, focused, with all his being thrown into it. If she didn't know any better, she might mistake that for some sort of devotion, some sort of love, but she knew better.
She liked to think she could read people pretty well, and that was just who he was. It could have been anyone and he'd have done the same thing, stepped in for any woman who was in the same situation. It wasn't her, it was the principle. And she adored him for that, she realized. A principled man. She liked those.
"[color=#2ecc40]What you say Young, come help me with those drinks?[/color]"
So when Cole came through with his team, all high on a successful job, she had been happy to earn a little extra coin by keeping the drinks coming easily, and not watered down. After all, those that had accompanied him before had been well behaved and held their liquor well enough. But it had taken her by surprise, while she let herself be man handled by some -- something that had it's own risks, but this was her domain, the Old Man was there, and Colt was there-- no one would dare try anything.
But they had. A set of hands had pinned her wrists to a table top, while another set had her feet off the floor, far faster than she had seen it coming, far faster than she had been able to pull her needle like stiletto to dole out her own brand of reminder that her job came about with consent on her part. So as she tried to eye her way free of the situation, the situation very rapidly turning to the realm of non-consensual, she was remembering every pint she had brought to the table, knowing they were all more drunk than she should have ever allowed them to become. Mina jumped when the door slammed open and that set of hands on her wrists vanished quick leaving her free enough to plant a foot to Frank's gut to send him back from where she had been bent back over the table.
It was a moment later while she was trying to pull her clothing back into some semblance of order that she heard the crack of cartilage and then Colt's words, having missed that he had found his way into the middle of the little group that had circled her. She'd never heard him so angry before, and he was angry; and suddenly a lot taller than she normally knew him as, all slumped shoulders and all. Mina was reeling still as she looked up to his face, studying the way his jaw set. His eyes burned, and there was something else there in that look of his.
Realization took her suddenly. It didn't matter to him that these were his men, and that she was just a whore. He had called her a lady, and was here about to fight for her should things turn not so great in the next few seconds. Normally this would be the point where she would be cursing up a storm, or stabbing someone to keep the not-as-good-as-a-regular's fear of her fresh on their minds, but she thought better of it at the moment, her throwing a quip in could cause the entire room to suddenly turn on them both, and she wasn't going to have Colt having to fight his entire gang because one of them got a little more than gropey..
"[color=#2ecc40]I don't think anyone else has a death wish tonight, hmm? Not when you look so serious.[/color]" She teased as she slipped under one of his arms, storm grey eyes looking up, trying to catch his attention from starting a fight that she wasn't sure would end well as her self preservation kicked in full gear. She could be dumb sometimes, but she did like staying alive. "[color=#2ecc40]I think you need something more to drink, maybe you'd let me talk you into parting with some of that coin I hear jingling in your pockets..[/color]"
She exaggeratedly took his hand in hers and started to try and pull him along with her, giving the room a glance over. "[color=#2ecc40]What do you all say? Another round of beer, another song, who had the next song, we'll get those tankards, pick the next song for me boys![/color]" If she could get him back into the kitchen for a few minutes, let them get back into their cups and then be back up on her guard for the evening, she'd get things back under control in the room and have everyone back to happy and happy to be parted with some coin. As for now, she'd keep trying to pull Colt along with her, acting the foolish bar maid, a wide smile and laugh about her as if she hadn't realized just what it was he had just saved her from.
She was more than aware of what would have happened had he not come in the door that moment, but her mind kept going back to his face in that moment. He had been ready to fight, and perhaps even kill had they not backed off, not backed down from what had been about to occur. She'd had her fair share of having to stab hands and cut faces before, but this had been different -- he had been different. He'd always been so quiet before, so timid almost, around her. This was a side of him she'd never seen, never would recognize. It scared her as much as it had little butterflies turning flips in her chest, how her heart was racing but not because she had just been held down or that he had done violence in her defense, but because in all the time she had known him, it was the most intense she had seen him, focused, with all his being thrown into it. If she didn't know any better, she might mistake that for some sort of devotion, some sort of love, but she knew better.
She liked to think she could read people pretty well, and that was just who he was. It could have been anyone and he'd have done the same thing, stepped in for any woman who was in the same situation. It wasn't her, it was the principle. And she adored him for that, she realized. A principled man. She liked those.
"[color=#2ecc40]What you say Young, come help me with those drinks?[/color]"
01-31-2024, 08:24 PM