[M:0]
Post by Jack "Trigger" Briggs on Jul 26, 2012 13:55:14 GMT -5
Briggs had pulled some strings, and the doctors at St. Lucy had allowed him to finish his rehabilitation at home on Persephone. The nurse assigned to him for his physical therapy found him alternatively flirtatious and funny or impatient and uncooperative. Sometimes, he skipped out on his sessions altogether. Tonight was one of those times.
Jack's moods had been sporadic ever since he returned to Persephone. His talk with Macy had him confused and conflicted. He knew he had to do what was right by Sian, but he wasn't so sure if Macy was fully right about Sian's desire to be with him. She hadn't yet visited, though Macy had assured him she was doing her best. He hoped wherever she was in the 'Verse, Sian was making friends and finding peace.
Until he knew for sure what it was Sian wanted of him, all Jack could do was fall into his old ways. Cypher, his right-hand man, had done a fantastic job holding down the fort since he'd been gone. In fact, he'd done it so well, some of Jack's men were now more loyal to Cypher than they had been to Briggs.
Cypher, however, still had his back. He immediately went through everything he'd done with the business while Jack had been gone, and Briggs was a bit disheartened at how much better at it all he was. So much better, in fact, that Jack wondered how Cypher'd ever answered to him instead of the other way around.
This evening, Cypher and Jack had grabbed a few drinks at a smaller pub, then gravitated to O'Hanrahan's. Jack wanted to make some contacts, maybe hire a new man or two. Show Cypher the old dog still had a few tricks, really.
They moved to the bar, Cypher catching hold of Jack's arm as he stumbled. "Still a li'l weak, yeah?" Briggs muttered as he sat at a stool. Cypher laughed and held up to fingers to the tender. "Usual, please. Sure it's not the booze, Trigger?" The bartender poured a few fingers of whiskey in a couple of tumblers and slid them across the bar. Jack looked mournfully at his glass and took a deep breath. "Maybe it's a li'l bit the booze."
The two men clinked their glasses together, thumped them down on the bar, then raised them to their mouths and downed the liquid within. Cypher held his alcohol gracefully, while Jack shook his head and cursed at the burn. They set their glasses upside-down on the bar and Cypher held up two more fingers.
Jack hiccuped once, then laughed. "Y'know...nurse says I shouldn't be drinkin' too much." Cypher passed him his glass and they repeated their ritual. This time, Jack almost overbalanced in his stool and Cypher grabbed his arm, laughing. "Gorammit, I missed you Trigger." Jack grinned at his best friend, tipping his hat back a bit. "I wish I could say I missed ya too, but I was sleepin' deep the whole time, wasn't I?"
Cypher held up two more fingers, but said, "On the rocks this time." The tender passed them their iced whiskey and they both took a slow sip each. Jack sighed, leaning his arms on the bar. "You been doin' a good job 'ere, Cypher." The other man smiled a bit. "Well, thanks Trig." He looked like he was going to say something else, but Jack gripped his arm. "No, I mean it. You been doin' even better than I ever could. Ain't no ruttin' excuse fo' that. We both know I've the Devil's luck, but it's time fo' me ta stop blamin' that fo' me own shortcomings."
He sipped his whiskey deeply, then tossed his hat on the bar and ran both hands through his hair. Cypher watched him silently. "Truth of it is, I ain't never been too good at this job. I work me pee-goo off, but...you're better at this than me. I'm thinkin'..." Jack fell quiet, staring off into some middle distance. Then he downed his whiskey and ordered another. He was getting quite drunk. "I'm thinkin' maybe I don't take the bus'ness back from you. That maybe you'd like ta stay in charge an' for once I'll be answerin' to you, yeah?"
Cypher shook his head and stood up, leaning across Jack to toss some coin on the bar for their drinks. "You're not yourself, and you're very near drunk. We'll talk about it later. I'm going home. If you really want to hire someone, remember the transport job." He wrapped an arm around Briggs in a half-hug, slapped him on the back companionably, and exited.
Jack groaned and leaned his elbows on the bar, his face in his hands. The bartender set his next whiskey in front of him, but he just stared at it through the spaces in his fingers.
Finally, he loosed a deep breath in a long huff and turned around, leaning his back against the bar as he looked around the pub. He reached back with his other hand, grabbed up his hat, and clamped it down on his head in a businesslike manner. "Right. Right. Gotta get back on that 'orse." His button-up's sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, but he adjusted his fingerless red gloves, buttoned his vest over his shirt, checked to be sure his untucked shirt was covering the gun at his back, and made sure he looked a lot less drunk than he actually was.
Grabbing up his drink, he headed for the first table with a promising patron. "'ello, don't think I've seen ya around before. I'm Jack Briggs." He held out his free hand for the person to shake. "Mind if I sit for a chat?"
Jack's moods had been sporadic ever since he returned to Persephone. His talk with Macy had him confused and conflicted. He knew he had to do what was right by Sian, but he wasn't so sure if Macy was fully right about Sian's desire to be with him. She hadn't yet visited, though Macy had assured him she was doing her best. He hoped wherever she was in the 'Verse, Sian was making friends and finding peace.
Until he knew for sure what it was Sian wanted of him, all Jack could do was fall into his old ways. Cypher, his right-hand man, had done a fantastic job holding down the fort since he'd been gone. In fact, he'd done it so well, some of Jack's men were now more loyal to Cypher than they had been to Briggs.
Cypher, however, still had his back. He immediately went through everything he'd done with the business while Jack had been gone, and Briggs was a bit disheartened at how much better at it all he was. So much better, in fact, that Jack wondered how Cypher'd ever answered to him instead of the other way around.
This evening, Cypher and Jack had grabbed a few drinks at a smaller pub, then gravitated to O'Hanrahan's. Jack wanted to make some contacts, maybe hire a new man or two. Show Cypher the old dog still had a few tricks, really.
They moved to the bar, Cypher catching hold of Jack's arm as he stumbled. "Still a li'l weak, yeah?" Briggs muttered as he sat at a stool. Cypher laughed and held up to fingers to the tender. "Usual, please. Sure it's not the booze, Trigger?" The bartender poured a few fingers of whiskey in a couple of tumblers and slid them across the bar. Jack looked mournfully at his glass and took a deep breath. "Maybe it's a li'l bit the booze."
The two men clinked their glasses together, thumped them down on the bar, then raised them to their mouths and downed the liquid within. Cypher held his alcohol gracefully, while Jack shook his head and cursed at the burn. They set their glasses upside-down on the bar and Cypher held up two more fingers.
Jack hiccuped once, then laughed. "Y'know...nurse says I shouldn't be drinkin' too much." Cypher passed him his glass and they repeated their ritual. This time, Jack almost overbalanced in his stool and Cypher grabbed his arm, laughing. "Gorammit, I missed you Trigger." Jack grinned at his best friend, tipping his hat back a bit. "I wish I could say I missed ya too, but I was sleepin' deep the whole time, wasn't I?"
Cypher held up two more fingers, but said, "On the rocks this time." The tender passed them their iced whiskey and they both took a slow sip each. Jack sighed, leaning his arms on the bar. "You been doin' a good job 'ere, Cypher." The other man smiled a bit. "Well, thanks Trig." He looked like he was going to say something else, but Jack gripped his arm. "No, I mean it. You been doin' even better than I ever could. Ain't no ruttin' excuse fo' that. We both know I've the Devil's luck, but it's time fo' me ta stop blamin' that fo' me own shortcomings."
He sipped his whiskey deeply, then tossed his hat on the bar and ran both hands through his hair. Cypher watched him silently. "Truth of it is, I ain't never been too good at this job. I work me pee-goo off, but...you're better at this than me. I'm thinkin'..." Jack fell quiet, staring off into some middle distance. Then he downed his whiskey and ordered another. He was getting quite drunk. "I'm thinkin' maybe I don't take the bus'ness back from you. That maybe you'd like ta stay in charge an' for once I'll be answerin' to you, yeah?"
Cypher shook his head and stood up, leaning across Jack to toss some coin on the bar for their drinks. "You're not yourself, and you're very near drunk. We'll talk about it later. I'm going home. If you really want to hire someone, remember the transport job." He wrapped an arm around Briggs in a half-hug, slapped him on the back companionably, and exited.
Jack groaned and leaned his elbows on the bar, his face in his hands. The bartender set his next whiskey in front of him, but he just stared at it through the spaces in his fingers.
Finally, he loosed a deep breath in a long huff and turned around, leaning his back against the bar as he looked around the pub. He reached back with his other hand, grabbed up his hat, and clamped it down on his head in a businesslike manner. "Right. Right. Gotta get back on that 'orse." His button-up's sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, but he adjusted his fingerless red gloves, buttoned his vest over his shirt, checked to be sure his untucked shirt was covering the gun at his back, and made sure he looked a lot less drunk than he actually was.
Grabbing up his drink, he headed for the first table with a promising patron. "'ello, don't think I've seen ya around before. I'm Jack Briggs." He held out his free hand for the person to shake. "Mind if I sit for a chat?"
