JD and Red Smoke with Phury

My blood is still boiling as we leave Beth’s so much so I’m still walking away from her house instead of dematting. Phury is stuck to me like glue and for once he keeps his damn mouth shut. We are a good distance away when his large warrior hand lands on my shoulder halting me from moving any further. I whirl on him wanting to vent my frustrations on him, but the compassion and understanding in his eyes halt me from doing so. “I need to make a stop at ZeroSum then we’ll go back to the manse. Maybe once we get back there we could shoot some pool or something.” =Raising my hands I sign= Yeah whatever. I figured it was the least that I could do even if he was the resident boy scout he did get my ass out tonight and it did not come with a lecture. Having calmed down enough we dematted into downtown Caldie. Our senses on the alert for the enemy as we emerge from the ally a few blocks up from ZeroSum. As we approach the club we never drop our guard our senses scenting the crisp Caldie air. Our sharp eyes scanning even the darkest crevices. Making it to ZeroSum without any threat we get inside and go straight to the Brotherhoods booth in the VIP section. A blonde comes to our booth to take our order. As Phury orders a Martini for him and a Jack for me the blonde is leaning over the back of our booth her chest on display for both of us. When neither of us pay her no mind she gives up and goes to retrieve our drinks. While she is gone Phury says, “You know if you want I could make this take a little longer.” =signs= What her no I have no interest in her just get what you need and let’s get out of here. He nods as our drinks arrive the blonde practically shoving her goods in my face as she does. She asks me if I need anything else in what she thinks is her best seductive voice. Phury tells her that I’m not interested and that she may go. She turns to him and tells him that if I am old enough to drink I am old enough to answer for myself. She then taunts Phury and makes a glancing comment about me not being able to speak. I tap her on her arm, raise my hands and start signing. She look over at Phury and asks him what the hell I’m doing. He looks at her and says, “He is telling you to get lost sweetheart he is not interested.” She asks him then why don’t he just say so why all the hand gestures. Phury leaned forward and almost sneered as he said, “The hand gestures are the way he speaks you twit, my friend here is a mute. Now we have asked you kindly to please leave us to enjoy or drinks.” I was leaning back in the booth a big grin on my face as the blonde took off a stunned look on her face. As we were nursing our drinks Phury gave the Moors a slight nod and a few minutes later he disappeared into the Reverend’s Office. By the time Phury had returned I had finished my drink and was ready to get out of this place. Stepping out into the ally we demat once again this time taking our molecules back to the manse. We materialize in the courtyard and as we approach the manse the only sound is the pebbles under our heavy foot steps. In the foyer I’m about to make my escape when Phury stops me, “John Matthew the pool table is free care to see if you can beat me at a game or two?” Still a little perturbed with him for his involvement with Beth =I raise my hands and sign= Look your babysitting duties are done congratulations you got me back here safe and sound. Now I’ll be going to my chambers with my bottle of Jack. He just shook his head as he said, “Your sister is right you are a stubborn jackass, I’m not your babysitter nor do I think you need one. You could use a good ass kicking, but I don’t think that would even help you right now. So what I’m offering is just a friendly game of pool and a few drinks, you feel me?” All I really wanted to do was go to my chambers, get comfortable and settle in bed with my bottle of Jack. As I stood there and really thought about it a though  had occurred to me that if I did that then I would be no better than the one person I was pissed off the most at this very moment. =signs= Okay fine maybe a game or two, but don’t you even think about taking it easy on me. You play this like you would if you were playing against Cop, True? He laughed as we made our way into the pool room. He assured me that I would have to earn any of my wins tonight. We ditched our coats and as I racked the balls Phury got us our first round of drinks. I took my JD as Phury took his cue stick on his hand. Leaning way over the table he lined up his shot. As he glided the cue stick in his warrior hands he broke in one swift blow. The crack of the cue ball hitting the perfect triangle of balls echoing throughout the room. His citrine eyes gleamed as he sunk two of the solid balls. He took a drink of his Martini before repositioning himself along side the pool table lining up his next shot. He drew back his cue stick and delivered another precise blow to the cue ball sending it crashing into the correct solid ball. As the ball rolled across the felt covered slate and bounced off of the bumper before rolling back across the felt covered slate and into the desired pocket. I refilled my JD as Phury gloated over his latest score and it was as times like these I wished that I had a voice so I could make a snide comment like Hollywood. Sure I could sign it, but for some reason I just don’t think it would come off just the same. Phury polished off his Martini before taking his next shot, which he scratched. It was my turn and I traded my squat glass for a pool cue. As with everything in my life I sucked at this game when I first started playing it. I was uncoordinated and just could not seem to get it right. Then when we figured out, in my training, that I was left-handed, Cop told me to try shooting with my left hand and as with everything else it has improved. With my first shot I sink two of my balls and on the bank one of Phury’s. Shaking my head I switch my pool cue for my squat glass. Phury is grinning as he steps up to the table. “Thanks John,” as he readied himself for his next shot he said, “So why weren’t you interested in that female at the club? She sure was into you. I would have given you the time you needed. Hell maybe it would improve your attitude some.” I drain my squat glass before signing to him, “When was the last time you got laid?” Yes it was a pot shot at his celibacy, but who was he to tell me I needed to get laid to improve my god damn attitude. “To answer your question I don’t do blondes. I do not care how into me they are it is my rule NO blondes ever.” Truth be told I did not do any females at all. My one and only attempt was an epic fail right after my transition and she was a blonde as well. My one and only sexual encounter was before my transition and I was raped by an unknown male in a stairwell of an old apartment building. Phury sank his shot then questioned, “Why no blondes?” While he cleared the table and won the game I refilled my empty squat glass. Phury abandoned his cue stick and refilled his drink as he waited for the answer to his last question. I take a drink then sit down my glass before signing, “It is a personal choice because they remind me of Sarelle.” At the mention of her name Phury pales slightly and he downs the rest of his drink. He sets his glass down on the bar and I think it is the first time I have seen a chink in his otherwise unfailing armor. “Grab your Jack, John we’ll continue this talk in my room I need a smoke.” Picking up the already open bottle of Jack and my glass I follow Phury who has procured our coats. As we trudge to the second floor of the manse, I actually look at the warrior next to me and my anger towards him dwindles some. He, nor do I think any of the others know, that after my transition as I was doing work in the training center office I had stumbled across the information on what transpired out in the field the night Wellie and Sarelle died. I know exactly why we were going to his room and why he needed his Red Smoke. Phury and Zsadist were the one who found the females that dreadful night. As if in some kind of vortex I’m drawn back to that night. I was still a pretrans when I lost the only mother I ever had. Wellsie, along with her unborn young, did not die alone that night. No, my sweet Sarelle died with her, at the hands of our enemy. I will never forget that night in the office with Tohr as Wrath and the Brotherhood as a whole came to deliver us the news. Even though he had to be reeling from what he and Z had found, then to be apart of delivering the news he held me as I lost just about everything that night. I was pulled back to the present when Phury handed me his Red Smoke for a hit. As I take the smoke Phury questions me about Sarelle. I pass the smoke back to him and begin to explain to him about her. Now I do not know if it is because of the JD and Red Smoke or if I just needed someone to talk to, but I find myself telling Phury everything. As the JD flowed and the Red Smoke blazed the ease of the conversation in the room continued. I could not believe it I actually had John Matthew open up to me and as he did I was beginning to understand where all his anger was coming from. Shit my heart went out to this kid and I wanted even more to watch over him. I really do not know how much more he can take before he snaps and becomes just  like Z. (I hear the menacing laughter echoing before The Wizard sneers. What makes you think you can save him? Look at the bang up job you did saving your twin. You still have yourself convinced that you are a male of worth and yet here you are drowning all of your failures in Red Smoke bringing the kid right with you.) I knew I had overindulged in my habit when the Wizard made his presence known. I needed to drown him out, I needed my music. I searched for the remote to my Bose. Spying a small corner of it peeking out from under my semi-rumpled sheets. I reach over to retrieve it and as I do my hand accidentally  brushed John’s thigh. With my opera cranked I toss the remote on my nightstand among the now dead blunts. Resting my head against my headboard, I close my eyes and absorb the soothing music. The brush of Phury’s hand along my thigh brought my bleary eyes to the warrior before me. Shifting my weight till I am on all fours, I sloppily crawl my way up the length of his warrior frame. His citrine eyes pop open and meet my dazed and confused ones. He watches in stunned silence as I advance. Tentatively I reach out and run my fingers through the soft, silky strands of  his multicolored mane. As I leaned in closer the heady scent of gin, Jack, and red smoke assailed me. I close my eyes and lick my lips, but before my lips can find there purchase I am stopped by Phury’s hands on my shoulders. “John? What the hell? Okay the party is over I think you should go now.” Talk about your embarrassing moments, this one ranks right up there right next to not being able to service a chosen after she feeds you. I can’t even look at him as I remove myself from his bed, stumbling a little as I do. Staggering to his chamber door I fumble with the handle till I have it open. Using the hallway wall as my guide I dragged my sorry ass to my chambers where I dropped on my bed as is and passed out. #JD/RedSmoke #StayTuned