Red lips black cape (red_lips) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-12-19 23:29:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !partner thread, kate kane (batwoman), lorcan scamander |
But we can grab a bite to eat first. I’ll pay.
Who: Lorcan Scamander and Kate Kane
Where: A sidewalk portion of a cafe
What: An accident makes for an odd meeting...
When: The 14th of December, evening
Warnings/Rating: PG-13 warnings for violence
Status complete
There were days when it didn’t pay to get up in the evening, and as Lorcan glanced over from the cafe toward the street and witnessed the crash, he was pretty sure this was one of them. It was maybe 8 in the evening, and quite a few people were sitting at the cafe. Lorcan had noticed a beautiful redhead in a sexy but classy dress sitting alone a table away who was reading, and a man in a police officer’s uniform, probably off-duty, eating and talking on his phone, in particular. But the place was busy, if not crowded, and when the accident happened, Lorcan had a sense of doom. Too many people were already crowding him and he felt utterly jittery, and freaked out, and was considering abandoning his breakfast despite how tasty it was.
A sports car, driven by someone either drunk or seriously careless, darted through traffic, trying to make a light before it turned.
It failed, and was hit by a large SUV coming out of the light cross ways from the cafe at speed.
The SUV hit the car with such force that the car was flung into a spinning roll, right at the cafe. Lorcan was up and moving before he even knew what was happening, his mind spinning all the possibilities and coming up with nil chance of survival.
And rejecting it.
Out of that rejection in a millisecond, he saw one… one chance. And not for him. With every ounce of speed, he raced for where the red-headed woman was sitting and yelled.
“Get up! Get up now!” And with the last part of his courage and strength,. kicked her table up and against a large nearly support pillar. And shoved the woman down behind the double support, and prayed to whatever gods were listening that she would survive, because he had no time to join her,. his kick and shove having robbed him of all momentum.
All he could see .was the car coming closer, and all he could think of was that he shouldn’t have gotten up tonight at all . . .
Kate had been minding her own business, really. She was ridiculously pale, but her lipstick was as red as her hair and she favored darker eyeshadow and eyeliner. She had just about decided she should go home and change into something a little less femme and see if she could pick up a lady at a bar when things started to get bad and quickly.
She was fast and agile, but you could only be so fast and you couldn't outrun an oncoming car and not when there was only a moment's warning.
Lorcan shifted, flinching, and felt himself slip and fell next to her, and the car slammed into the support and crashed to the table and those two things… held. Glass shattered and went everywhere and Lorcan stared as he looked into the cabin of the car, and the people hung there.
“Holy crap...” Sirens were already running in the distance. and he felt tired and shocked. And unable to move. “Holy… crap.”
He glanced aside at the sexy red haired lady, and swallowed, finally finding his voice. “Are you okay?”
"Fuck," she exclaimed. The strap of her dress had fallen down her arm, revealing a green tattoo there. Some kind of military symbol. Kate could feel herself shaking. That was insane, this was insane. She hadn't done anything more dangerous than pop wheelies on her motorcycle since she got kicked out of the army.
"Holy fuck!"
That was the word of the day, and Kate ran her fingers through her hair, then got a determined look. “Okay we need to see if anyone needs help.” She looked at him finally. “And thank you.”
“Right. Okay. Yes.” Lorcan nodded, glancing around woozily, and a little queasily. “That makes sense, and ah, you’re welcome.” He glanced toward where the car lay upside down against the pillar and swallowed. “I think we should start there.” The people hung like dolls from their seat belts, but might be alive, right?
She nodded and hiked up the hem of her dress. It was probably ruined but that’s what the credit card is for right? Kate followed him towards the car and knelt down on one side. Her voice was a little shakey but some of her training came back to her. “We should be careful about moving them until paramedics arrive. We could aggravate spinal injuries.”
Lorcan carefully examined the door, and the bodies inside, and then nodded. “NOne of them are against the door. I’m going to try to knock on it to wake them.” He hesitated, then glanced at her. “That should be okay, yeah?”
He glanced around at people mostly staring in shock, a few people on the ground and the growing sound of sirens. The hiking of her hem got a glance, but in the state he was in right now, that was all.
She nodded at him, then peered in the back to make sure there wasn’t anyone back there. No kids or other passengers which was a huge relief. Just the two up front, dangling from their seatbelts. Hopefully they don’t panic!
Lorcan carefully opened the side door and the driver stirred to wakefulness. “What--- Aghh!” He cried out, waking the passenger, who took one look at her upside down and screamed.”No! Wait. You’re going to be okay!” Lorcan waved his hands, frowning. Why were people so annoying? Under the assault of their voices, he retreated. He flailed a hand at Kate., “Can you, ah, please?” And he moved to check on the people on the ground.
She gave the man a look, then leaned into the car to try to calm the passengers within. “Easy. Easy. Where does it hurt? Can you move?” She thought she heard sirens, but she wasn’t ready to start panicking yet. It wasn’t like she smelled gas. Yet.
The driver gasped and nodded his head, reaching for the buckle of the seatbelt. She tried to stop him but he unbuckled it and it was all she could to to keep him from slamming his head into the ground.
Luckily the two people on the ground Lorcan found first were okay, though one had an aching head and Lorcan did his best to keep them still as the sirens came closer. He glanced back at the car, he noticed a trickle of something from underneath, and a small sputtering, almost a sparking somewhere in the undercarriage.
Oh damn it.
He hurried back to the woman and gently leaned in, his voice very low. “There’s something leaking from the car, and sparks.” And forcing his fear away, he moved to help the other person out of the car. He was shaking as he reached for her. “I-I’m going to get you out of here, okay? Just… just hold on.”
Kate said a word that was very unladylike. She pulled the driver out, as gently as she could, considering the circumstances. “Someone clear the area!”
Lorcan got the woman who was crying now, down and half carried her away, stumbling over a chair back as he looked around. Someone had started screaming and now there was running. So at least… he and Kate and their living weights were the only ones in danger. A police car rolled up, an ambulance close behind it. Lorcan managed breath to cry out. “The gas line is leaking, and the engine is sparking a lot! “
Kate pulled the man out of the car and threw him over her shoulder. She’d done this back in boot camp, and on multiple occasions while she’d been a rising star at West Point, but that was six years ago. Even with keeping up a fairly active exercise regime, it was hard and the man was dead weight which made him all the heavier. She stumbled forward and decided she had to exercise harder and drink less. Maybe.
Lorcan stumbled after her, and carried his passenger much less gracefully, which, really, meant they were weaving and almost falling a lot. Driven by fear and worry, he almost caught up with her, though as the policemen and ambulance people hurried to them and took the two wounded, and then, just as Lorcan looked back, the car caught, and it blew. A force caught them all, and hurled them forward and away from the wreck as the car went sky high. Thankfully, a bunch of gas had drained out and the explosion was not nearly as bad as it could be. Mostly heat and force exploded from it.
Lorcan cried out as he crashed to the ground, tumbling into the street. The police were flattened, though the ambulance people and their charges were shielded some by the ambulance.Ow.
Kate groaned, then rolled instinctively as she felt something hot on her body. The sensation passed after a few rotations, and she picked herself up. She checked her charge first, then crawled over to Lorcan. “Oh don’t you die after all of this…”
Lorcan groaned as he cracked an eyelid at her. “Not…” He coughed, then tried again. “Not going to die… I hope. But I think going out to night cafes might be on the list of things I don’t actually want to do again.” He breathed out, closing his eyes for a moment, before opening them more firmly. “Think I broke a rib in that last little fun, though.” He then grinned, eyes dancing. “Wanna do it again?”
“It could be worse,” Kate assured him, a wicked grin crossing her crimson lips. “I think I broke a nail.”
Lorcan laughed, then gasped at a shot of pain. “Stop that.” He chuckled, even so. “Help me up anyway? I hate lying on my back on a first date.”
She smiled at him, then took his hand to help him up to his feet. “Second most exciting date I’ve ever had, and the first with a man. Are you really okay?”
“Pretty damn exciting for me, too.” He smiled at her and nodded, slowly rising. He followed her reference and nodded, filing it away. “I think so. Maybe a broken rib, not sure, but otherwise. yeah.” He stretched carefully wincing.
“So, I never did get my coffee, want to find another place that has real coffee?”
“You should get that looked at,” Kate replied, tilting her head at him. “But coffee first. After this, I could use something a little Irish.” At least she’d have a story to seduce some unsuspecting lady with.
“Yes, probably.” He nodded at her. “Sounds good to me. KNow any other good cafes in the area? This was my first foray this way.” He waved a hand as if to include the neighborhoods around them. “I am definitely calling out of work tonight.”
“There’s one down the street, it’ll probably have some lines now.” But that was okay, she didn’t work, and she had no where else to be. “Come on, I’ll pay.”
“Sounds good. I’m Lorcan Scamander, by the way. ” He would deal with them. He was hurting and tired, and rather ready to hit things, and he could deal with people, likely, more than normal. He walked with her, slowly, toward the street, chuckling. “So, what do you do? Now that we’ve met so formally and all.” With some effort, his voice took on some of the smooth edge he put into it when on the radio, making it almost sing song-ey.
“Kate Kane,” She replied. “You may or may not have heard of me, and I really hope you haven’t, anyway.” She winked at him. “I don’t do anything except break hearts and put on a pretty face. And fundraisers, sometimes.”
“I don’t recall having heard your name? Ah, well, there you go. I’ve never been anything remotely like famous or rich, so I have no knowledge of those things. Maybe I might have mentioned a fundraiser you’ve done on my show, but that’s about it.” He nodded. Lorcan knew he mentioned a lot of things, mostly in a mix of wildness and fun. There was some news, sometimes.
“Mostly I make the tabloids for assorted exploits, attached at the hip to assorted beautiful women,” Kate replied, her grin bright and sassy.
“Sounds like fun, but like it involves way too many people way too close for my taste. I’m more of a quiet, night moves, one on one sort of person.” His grin was warm, and he was enjoying himself bantering with her lightly. “I bet you’re always the center of attention, though.”
“Not as much as you think. When I want to be? Yeah, I can be.” Her smile softened. “But I know how to back off and blend in and observe. The hair kind of makes that hard.” She fingered one of her shoulder-length red strands.
Lorcan nodded. “It’s gorgeous hair. Makes a person want to touch it… erm in a non-creepy way, sorry.” He facepalmed as he walked with her. “I like just watching the world pass by and choosing who and when and where I interact, not ever quite completely being part of the world.”
“I suppose that’s one way to look at life. I prefer to get my hands dirty. Or I’d like to, if people will let me.” Kate smiled cryptically.
“Why wouldn’t they?” He raised an eyebrow. “Smart, beautiful, witty, strong, not a fainting flower, and with good taste… why wouldn’t someone let you do what you wanted?” He was curious now.
Kate shrugged her shoulder. “Part of that is my fault. I’m not really happy with the way my life turned out, but I suppose that’ll change eventually.”
“I’m sorry. What do you want to do with you life?” He was curious now.
Kate’s mouth turned up into a smile. “Become the person I was meant to be.”
“How do you know who you were meant to be?” Lorcan was confused and curious now. What did that even mean? Walking with her, slowly, he was sure he was missing something.
“I don’t yet, but I’m sure I’ll find out. I saw it in a dream, and they say that dreams are a reflection of your inner self. I like what I see.”
Lorcan kept his own counsel about that. “I hope it works out well for you. You hardly seem the like to let anything stop you from doing what you want to do.”
"Thanks. Maybe it’ll work out or maybe it won’t, but the only thing I can do is try.” She rolled her shoulders, then rubbed a hand on her shoulder. She wondered if she should get her green beret tattoo there.
Loran glanced at her then smiled as he walked next to her. She was probably crazy, but that was no bad thing. So was he. “So, what brought you out to the cafe this evening?”
“I was hungry and there’s a couple of clubs nearby. I guess I was looking for a hook-up. I’d decided to go home and change into something more appropriate for a club when all of that happened.”
“Well, are you sure you don’t want to just head there from here. I don’t want to slow you down. I wont be much good as a wingman for your hunt.” He had pieced together enough to know that.
“Probably not. But we can grab a bite to eat first. I’ll pay. Least I can do for the man that saved my life.” She clapped him carefully on the shoulder.
“Thanks. I’d be honored to lift a mug with you.” He nodded, smiling and ambled along at her side. Maybe this was the start of a new friendship. Why not?