Who: Grog & Murphy What: Knocking Heads Where: some back alley bar When: Late night Warnings: Violence, drinking, swearing Status: Completed GDoc
Grog was just drinking, understand, when it started. Sure, he was talking also, and telling a tale of killing a dragon with his friends, and gesturing widely, but just because he did so, and some idiot swung his beer mug into Grog’s hand, causing the beer to get splashed around, didn’t mean that the man should get angry at Grog.
And it definitely didn’t mean he should have grabbed a chair and hit Grog with it.
He’d gotten splinters in Grog’s beer and knocked the man sitting next to Grog off his stool!
Grog had stood up, right about then, simultaneously helping up the man next to him(Who had kindly bought him a drink earlier), and then had hit the man.
So what if he had reeled back, tumbled over a table, and knocked over a lot of drinks? Did that mean a bar fight had to happen?
Apparently it did. Grog smirked at the men advancing on him.
“Bring it, little boys. I came to drink, and to fight, and my drink is ruined.”
***
Murphy had been enjoying his whiskey.
Then a fight broke out nearby. He was planning to stay out of it until someone knocked his whiskey over.
He triple checked that he wasn't at Lou's. Noting he was at some dive bar not Lou's, he jumped in the fray. Murphy was a helluva fighter, not some bar brawler. He had real training and it showed as he deftly avoided getting hit.
****
Grog could pretty much fight in any style, but he enjoyed showing off sometimes. Thus it was that he lifted the large man who had been swinging at him, and swung him, in turn, and hurled him at the man behind Murphy, sending them both skidding down the taproom floor into some tables.
Then he was taking a hit, laughing and punching the man who had hit him… gently. Which in his case amounted to hard enough to break the man’s nose.
Oops.
Grog stepped sideways, caught a hurled chair, and hurled it back the same way it came.
***
Murphy sort of reveled in a good brawl. He hadn't been in one in awhile. Which meant he got his hands dirty, grinning like a fool as he ducked the man Grog threw.
And punched another in the short ribs, moving on before he took the legs out from under another. It wasn't as fun as beating up the Russians in the bar on saint Patrick's day but it would do.
Until he took one to the jaw and he spat blood on the floor. He got way more serious after that until he leaned on the bar, everyone avoiding him, laughing up a storm. Happy as a pig in shit.
***
It was about then that Grog sat down, the bartender having handed him a large keg. Grog grinned at the man next to him, tapped the keg and poured them both drinks. “I love a good fight!” He was grinning, a little blood on one cheek where it had been split open, some split knuckles, but otherwise, he wasn’t even breathing hard.
He dumped a handful of gold coins on the bar and nodded.
It was worth the coin.
*** Murphy looked over at him and nodded. “Aye a good fight is always worth the effort.” He flagged down the tender for a new whiskey. He leaned on the bar.
“Good fight, sir” he lifted his drink the man’s way.
Murphy smirked. “I'm Murphy”
***
Grog raised his glass to the man in turn. “It was, it was. “
He downed a portion, then smirked. “I’m Grog Strongjaw. This dive is good for this. Getting to stretch and throw things.”
He chuckled.
*** “Oh aye?” He asked with a grin that was growing by the minute. He'd have to tell Connor about it.
“Mind if I tell my brother bout it then?” He asked, because he'd never steal someone’s spot. That was rude and he had manners.
“Ain't much fer throwing things, but a few bloody knuckles is a good evenin’”
***
Grog nodded, “Yeah. These things happen every few days, so far.” Grog chuckled. “And sure. The more the merrier. And tell him to introduce himself if he sees me. I’d rather not brain someone who doesn’t deserve it.”
Well… that was mostly true. Grog felt combat was good for friends as well as enemies.
*** He nodded a bit. “Well, he looks a bit like me. We’re twins, not identical but you can tell.” he said with another nod as he took a drink from his glass. “But I’ll make sure he introduces himself properly.”
Which could mean many things with the boys - from a pool cue upside the head to a handshake. It really depended on the day.
***
“Perfect.” Grog grinned. A pool cue upside the head would be acceptable as an intro to him. He would think it tickled. He liked fighting, a lot. As much as women and ale, really.
“More beers, Bartender!” He slapped another ten dollar bill down and took his beer and let it ride, knowing he would want more. He passed the other to Murphy.
“To fighting, and to brothers.”
*** He took the offered beer - because really who would argue that - and lifted it up. “To fighting and brothers.” because that was a toast he could really get behind.
He was wondering where his brother actually was, in all honesty. They were rarely this far apart for long, but he only grinned and tipped back the beer.
“You’re a good man.” he said.
***
After drinking, the man said that, and Grog laughed. Because, really, he was not. “Thanks. I don’t think I am, but thanks.” He shook his head.
“I’m just Grog. And that will have to do.” He grinned and drank down more beer.
*** Murphy smirked - his definition of a good man wasn’t exactly the normal one. He was not exactly a good man himself after all. “Oh I ain’t talking the usual definition.” he laughed and nodded.
“All anyone can ask.” he said before he finished off his beer and got to his feet. “I should go find that wayward brother of mine, thank you for the fight and the drink.” he nodded once more before disappearing into the crowd and then out into the nightg.