An unlikely friendship is born
Who: Ben and Lucy. Then, of all people... David and Lucy. Where: Avarice When: Sunday
Ohhh, what a day. First Ash, then Chloe, then she'd visited Kevin to see how he was enjoying The Hoff. How much more could one girl accomplish in twenty-four hours? She'd ended up at Avarice to blow off some steam, though she realized a fifteen year old girl might look out of place. However, she figured on a Sunday night, there probably wouldn't be TOO many people around and, really, she just wanted to get a Coke and listen to some good music. With Kevin in the hospital, she didn't much feel like jammin' on her own. She'd borrowed some of Chloe's clothes, an extra short, extra tight black D&G number with a pair of classy black and silver Manolo stiletto slingbacks. Classy because she wanted to look OLDER, not like a PROSTITUTE. Her long blonde hair hung down around her shoulders and her makeup, while emphasizing her pretty features, looked mostly natural. It was a talent she had. Sitting at the bar, long legs crossed, sipping a Coke (with a couple of cherries in it), she swung her foot to the beat and tried to blend in. Come on. Young or not (ok, maybe BECAUSE of it), a hot blonde alone at the bar? In a place BEN owned? May as well be bleeding in shark infested waters, really. Same difference. Within minutes, Ben was walking up behind her, snarky grin firmly in place. He'd only met her once, and she was too dreamy over Ash at the time to even process that he'd been flirting with her. "Well... if it isn't the most gorgeous little guitarist I ever did see..." Oddly enough, some of her thoughts weren't too far from Ash this evening either, although there was a whole host of things on her mind. She jumped at the sound of the voice behind her and giggled nervously as she turned on her barstool to find out who it was. Oh, yeah. She vaguely remembered him as the owner, someone Chloe had talked to the time they'd all been here before. Back before Prom, but after Ash had asked her and.... "You scared me," she said with a grin, relaxing somewhat, though she wasn't quite sure what to make of his smile. 'Why, Grandma, what big teeth you have....' Why that line from Little Red Riding Hood popped to mind, Lucy couldn't say. "I didn't think many places would be open on a Sunday. I could have gone to Chloe's, but...." But she'd been afraid of spotting Ash again. "Do you serve anything sweet here???" "Yeah, we do." He laughed, reaching over the bar to grab a can of Cherry Coke. Being an all-ages club meant always having plenty of soda around. "Got other stuff in the back somewhere if that doesn't meet your standards." He smiled, honestly unable to help himself. "So... back in town, hm? What's a young, single girl do when she's just getting back?" Lucy frowned and liftedn the drink she already had, mostly gone, with just a hint of red from the cherries coloring the ice before she reached in and popped one into her mouth. "Visit her young, injured brother," she answered once she swallowed. "Crash with her young, not-so-single sister. You know. The usual. So what else do you have in back?" "Well... you could always come back with me, see for yourself..." Jesus H. Christ. Ben had no shame. At all. And apparently he also saw jailbait as no big deal. As far as Lucy was concerned, she didn't see any red flags. The guy knew her sister and her sister knew him. 'Nuff said. "Okay." She shrugged and slipped down off the barstool, careful not to twist an ankle landing on those heels. It was probably a good thing she WASN'T drinking anything harder than Coke. "Lead on...but this so better be worth it. I'm talking, the good stuff." "Oh.. sweetheart? We're talking the best stuff you've ever ha...URK..." he was cut off then as a large, tattooed hand literally lifted him by the scruff of the neck. "Ben. The girl's a KID. Do I gotta get the goddamn hose?" Ben, normally not intimidated by ANYONE, just nodded quickly. David set him down. "Now... apologize for being a douchebag." Rather than argue, Ben actually looked a bit surprised, and stammered a bit to Lucy. "Hey. S-Sorry, ok? No hard feelings?" Confusion flashed across the girl's face as Ben seemed to stop mid stride and just hover there for a second. She couldn't even say she understood what was going on between him and the...really big...really...REALLY...tattoed man who seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere. She had visions of sugarplums - or at least chocolates and gallons of ice cream - dancing in her head, and all at once, they were snatched from her. A pout marred her pretty face, but it turned comical when Ben actually apologized to her. "Um...okay. But..." She looked between the two. "For what?" Ben, knowing better, took discretion as the better part of valor, and ran for the fucking hills. David loomed over her, turning on his most soothing, almost sweetly nice voice. Which wasn't much different from his normally gruff voice. "Ben was trying to seduce you. Don't take it personally... he seems to think any girl that walks in here is fair game. You just looked too young and too sweet to let him take advantage of." The teenager looked skeptical. "He was trying to...WHAT me? No way." She scoffed at the idea, laughing it off. "That wasn't very seductive. Isn't that kinda stuff supposed to be...I dunno...like...sexy? I just thought maybe he had a milkshake machine in the back." In fact, at the idea of it, she started to look hopeful again. Oh man. That meant the infamous Ben Charm had ZERO effect on this kid. David found that funnier than anything he's heard or seen in years. "Believe me, kid... whatever he's got? YOU DON'T WANT." He offered a large hand to her, smiling (what he hoped was) sweetly. "I'm David." Lucy still wasn't sold on the idea that Ben had been trying to get into her pants. But, then again, he HAD apologized. Well, she probably would have too, if this man had pulled her back by the neck. She probably would have done anything he said. Given up her wallet, her keys to The Sugar Shack, anything. (And those keys were SACRED.) Her hand was tiny in his and she figured it was a lot like shaking the hand of a really big, really colorful bear. "I'm Lucy. How do you know Ben?" "I'm his uncle. And... how do YOU know him?" David was partly afraid to ask. It was apparent that they'd met before... he just hoed this sweet little thing hadn't already been a conquest. Ben's uncle?!? The girl giggled. For one, they looked ABSOLUTELY nothing alike. Ben was so...well-dressed and this guy looked like he belonged on the back of a Harley. "My sister knows him. Or he knows my sister. She's in a band. A band I was going to be in, but then all this stuff came up and I had to go back home, but then my brother got attacked by a vam - " She stopped, frowned, and then smiled again. "By a really vicious bitch. And he's in the hospital. So I came back to check on him and now I'm here and Ben is kind of just an acquaintance." David's eyes went wide as thast all clicked, and made him realize exactly who the girl was. "You're Chloe's kid sister? Sorry to hear about your brother, kiddo. Don't worry... we're gonna get Paige. I promise." "You know Chloe too?" What a freakin' small world after all! "Thanks," she said when he said he was sorry about her brother. But then her brows furrowed again, a cute little wrinkle forming between her eyes. "Wait. You know about...you're..." Oh, this was classic. "Gee-whiz. Is EVERYONE around here into the whole 'underground' scene?" David couldn't help it now. He just grinned. The girl was completely adorable, and reminded him a little of his own sister, god bless her soul. "My... whole family is a bunch of 'dogs', if that's what you're asking." "I..." She really had no idea what to say. She was surrounded by people who weren't...just people. It boggled the mind, but at least this time she wasn't freaking out. She was just...sort of...stunned. "Okay. I have a dog. Back home. Her name is Peaches. I don't think she turns into a human when I'm not looking, but I'm pretty sure anything's possible." He placed one large hand on her shoulder, oddly comforting, given his appearance. "If it helps... you have every right to be freaked out. You're new to this stuff. But I promise... I ain't gonna hurt you. In fact... if anyone around here scares you? You come to me. I got your back, ok?" "You got my back?" Lucy echoed, a grin curving her lips. She even had to laugh again. "Well. I don't think anyone'll be messing with me then. You're not really scary at all, though." Big? Yes. Scary? No. "But then...I didn't think Ben was very...you know...'HEY, BABY'...either. So what do I know?" "I'm glad I don't scare you." He felt a lump in his throat form, not that he'd ever admit it. Other than the fact that this girl was far more... fashionable, she was so much like Willa, his long-gone little sister. "If anyone, even Ben, gives you any trouble, you come find me, you hear? Enjoy living here, kid. Don't let the supernatural crap scare you, becuse sometimes? It can protect you, not just hurt you." "Yeah," Lucy nodded, her smile turning somewhat sad. Seemed to be happening an awful lot today. "I know." And she did. There were people out there looking out for her and her family and the other people she cared about. People a lot more capable than she was. "Thanks, David. For the whole Ben thing. Even if I DO think you were so wrong on that one." She rolled her eyes, but perked up. "Hey, do you like ice cream?" He laughed, half tempted to let her go off with Ben for a few moments just to see how right he was... but hey. If she wanted to see the best in people, was that such a bad thing? "You know what..." He smiled, giving her a glimpse into the sweeter side of him that nary a soul had ever seen. "I happen to LOVE ice cream." Her smile grew brighter exponentially. "You know, my sister owns The Sugar Shack and I have pretty much unlimited access to anything I want there." She was already turning to head back in the direction she'd come from. "If you want, you could stop by. Any time. It'll be my treat. You know. For havin' my back and all." She tried to sound all tough when she said it, but it didn't quite come out that way. Especially when she was already buzzing with energy now.
David felt like just taking this kid home and adopting her at this point. In the most innocent, and almost parental of ways, he was just melting for her. "If you don't think the sight of me will make people go screaming for the hills, I'd be glad to." "Why would they?" The look she shot him suggested he might be crazy. It was as if she didn't see the imposing warrior in him, but just some nice man who...while, yeah, maybe he was a werewolf (which she really had no concept of anyway, outside of movies and things), just seemed like a big, loveable bear of a man who, for some reason, was willing to protect her. Much like she hadn't thought anything of Ben, it never dawned on her that he might have ulterior motives. She really did see only the best in people. Or...she TRIED. "We can even go now, if you want. I mean, if you're not busy doing...you know...'grrrrr' things." He almost turned her down, until he saw that almost anxious look on her face. Hey, she might be a kid, but unlike most, she actually WANTED to spend time with him. Sometimes... fate manages to pick your friends for you. "Hey... you ever ride on a motorcycle before, kiddo?" Her jaw went slack and her eyes got round. "Really? No friggin' way! I mean, no, I haven't. But. Could I? I mean, could WE? That would be so awesome!" She rocked back on her heels - or started to, before she realized THAT could end badly - and then bounced on balls of her feet. Her gaze practically begged. Please, please, please, please, pretty please?!? "C'mon...." He laughed, shaking his head as he motioned toward the door. "S'like nothin' you've ever experienced." And with that... the most unlikely friends in probably all of LA were off. To get friggin' ice cream.