Little Drop of Poison (Open. Come one come all)

He'd crawled a few bars and pubs already tonight, met dearest PC Cooper, been removed from a fair few bars, had a couple of fumbles with people in dark corners, and well it was all going well.

He found his new bar, a slightly dingy place off a side street of a an alley, tucked away, and seemingly packed. People were mainly sat by themselves or small groups clustered in the dim room, it was warm, smokey, yet another bar slyly avoiding the ban.

He sat down and arranged himself with a few drinks, he was beginning to go down the intoxicated route now, edging on. He shuffled in his pockets, pulling a well worn pack of Cards out. "Anyone fancy a game of poker?" He grinned, using his wrist strap to change the music and turn it down. "I'll play for money, drinks, clothes, or favors. All currencies accepted here." He smiled with a flourish of the cards, propping his sword and scabbard against the wall beside him to stop it banging on the ground as he moved.

Angelina walked into this bar, part of the tour she was making herself go through: different pub every night until she's seen them all.

She asked for a Red Bull - no way was she trying alcohol again, not after last time - and sat waiting. There was a man, not far from where she was standing, asking people to play poker for money, clothes and other things. She wouldn't play, she had no idea what Poker was - were they supposed to poke each other? Poke the cards, maybe? Soon, however, her curiosity got the best of her, causing Angelina to take her Red Bull and get closer to the man, to watch the game.

Lynne was giving a forced smile to the middle-aged woman who'd been in the process of telling her entire life story - the tearjerker it was supposed to be, anyhow - when she heard a commotion across the bar and looked away from the woman.

"Anyone fancy a game of poker?"

Oh, fantastic...this guy was clearly new to the bar. If Lynne's manager overheard--

The music changed and the techno blasting suddenly became something entirely different and far more enjoyable. The volume, too, had been adjusted. That was odd...

"I'll play for money, drinks, clothes, or favors. All currencies accepted here."

There was a no gambling policy in this bar. Lynne's manager had shut down the weekly poker games when they'd interferred with his income.

"Excuse me," she said to the woman and before the woman could reply, Lynne came out from behind the bar, striding purposefully toward the man. "Hey...you'll want to keep your voice down. No gambling in here. I'm not gonna rat you out, because I really don't care what you do, but...if the owner hears you shouting about it, he'll chuck you," she said to him.

He noticed the slight fuss around him and smiled. Noticing a curious woman looking over his shoulder with a red bull.

"Hey you darling, fancy a game?" He gave her his best smile, noticing the lack of people sitting down here. "Or come sit right here and be my good luck charm." He purred to her, patting the bench beside him. She didn't look like she was from around her, but was one of the more interesting people in the crowd. He smiled to her.

He watched as one of the bar keepers made her way towards him.

"Hey...you'll want to keep your voice down. No gambling in here. I'm not gonna rat you out, because I really don't care what you do, but...if the owner hears you shouting about it, he'll chuck you,"

"Sure, and I run a no drinking policy, and if you'd be so kind to bring me those two double whiskey's on the bar over." He smiled to her. "I wish him good luck with that." He gave her his best grin and waved her over. "Now pretty lady if you'd like to sit on my other side, I need all the luck I can get."

He watched the room round him, deciding to sit and wait for this lot of punters to come to him.

Angelina swallowed hard, once she understood the poker man was talking to her. He'd asked her to sit by his side, which was nice, and she did, still a bit suspicious, but smiling, anyway.

"Thank you." She said, sipping on her drink, crossing her legs; however, her boots caused her to slide a bit, as she did, and she almost fell off the chair, dropping the Red Bull on the floor. Angelina was mortified, and looked up at the bartender lady, who had just now warned the poker man against gambling there.

"Sure, and I run a no drinking policy, and if you'd be so kind to bring me those two double whiskey's on the bar over."

Lynne looked at him incredulously. "Look, buddy, I don't know what kind of pubs you're used to, but I'm a bartender, not a fucking waitress. I make the drinks, but you can come and get 'em yourself. I was just trying to help you out. By all means, keep on shouting," she said dismissively.

Another woman took a seat beside the man and less than gracefully so. Under any other circumstance, Lynne would've grinned empathetically. She, too, was clumsy. But right now, her main focus was on getting her point across to the man.

"Now pretty lady if you'd like to sit on my other side, I need all the luck I can get."

Letting out a sigh, Lynne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's no joke if you keep making all that noise," she muttered. "And thanks for the ever-so-sincere invite, but I'm working right now."

She looked back at her section of the bar where the other woman was still sitting, as if waiting for Lynne's return so she could go on with her long, boring story. Lynne frowned and looked back at the man. "Playing for anything, huh?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

He put out an arm to the clumsy lady on the left of him. "You alright there love." He looked at the drink on the floor. "No worries, I'm going that way anyway, I'll get you another." He winked at her looking at the waitress.

"Look, buddy, I don't know what kind of pubs you're used to, but I'm a bartender, not a fucking waitress. I make the drinks, but you can come and get 'em yourself. I was just trying to help you out. By all means, keep on shouting,"

He smiled, this lady was entertaining to say the least.

"'Parently I'm not used to your kind of pub. Thanks for the help, but honestly I don't need it.

"And thanks for the ever-so-sincere invite, but I'm working right now."

"I can't help but try and surround myself with beauty, and you could win twice your wages in half an hour with me beautiful." He smiled, standing to gander over to the bar and grab his whiskeys, getting a red bull and a rum and coke while he was there.

"Playing for anything, huh?"

"Anything. Except for my boots. Want a drink, I'm buying.." He winked to her as he sit himself the whiskeys down, and put the rum & coke, and red bull in front of his clumsy lucky charm.

Angelina smiled at the poker man, he was nice enough to get her another Red Bull. The bartender, however, didn't look so happy. She shrugged, and nodded thankfully at the man with a smile, sipping on her new Red Bull, as she watched the poker man and bartender exchange.

"I can't help but try and surround myself with beauty, and you could win twice your wages in half an hour with me beautiful."

Lynne laughed a little when he returned from the nearest section of the bar, drinks in hand. "Oh, is that right?" she asked, amused. This man certainly thought highly of himself... "Get rich just bit sitting beside you, huh? That I'd only believe when I saw it."

"Anything. Except for my boots. Want a drink, I'm buying.."

"Can't drink when I'm on the job. Shame you're not playing for the boots..." she said casually. "Might be tempted to play, then..."

Lynne was no expert in poker, but she wasn't half bad, either and she'd noticed that eight out of ten times, the cockier the player was, the worse their hand usually was.

She looked over at the other woman. "You know it's free drinks for the ladies before eleven, right? Don't let 'im fool ya," she said to the other woman with a wink.

"Get rich just bit sitting beside you, huh? That I'd only believe when I saw it."

"Well sitting beside me or actually playing, it's all up to you. I tip well to bartenders."

He laughed happily along with this, pushing the rum and coke towards the other lady. "Thats yours too hunny."

"Can't drink when I'm on the job. Shame you're not playing for the boots..." she said casually. "Might be tempted to play, then..."

"Live a little." He smiled to her. "Their not your size.. but I can get you a pair to fit your little toesies if you like." He winked to her again, waiting to see if anyone in this bar actually wanted to play poker.

He stood up, noting much to his annoyance the tech-no shit was back on. "Hey, folks if Poker ent your game I'm up for anything, even strip Snap." He was hoping to get a laugh and he did. He sat back down, shoving his wrist under the table and putting his music choice back on, and locking it there, he would endure anything but the tech-no tonight.

"Well sitting beside me or actually playing, it's all up to you. I tip well to bartenders."

Lynne arched an eyebrow at him. High roller. There was only one other high roller tipper who came into the bar and that was Owen. It couldn't hurt to make a little extra cash...

"Live a little." He smiled to her. "Their not your size.. but I can get you a pair to fit your little toesies if you like."

"Ahh, but who said they were for me?" Lynne asked coyly, winking at him. She looked down at her watch; she was due for a break, soon. "Tell you what, hotshot...gimme ten minutes and put the boots into play and you've got a deal," she said, smirking at him.

The music changed to the techno for a moment before flipping back again. "What the hell is wrong with the DJ booth tonight?" she snapped to no one in particular, giving a glare in the direction of the booth.

Angelina dropped her head, as she noticed the sign saying exactly what the bartender had said about free drinks for females before 11.

"Thanks for warning me." She said, humourless. As she heard the poker men mentioning something about stripping, Angelina quickly stood up, making the contents of the full can of Red Bull jump out of the can and splash, a little bit of it on her face. "Does stripping mean undressing?"

"Thanks for warning me."

"You're welcome," she replied.

The woman practically jumped out of her seat at the mention of stripping.

"Does stripping mean undressing?"

Lynne raised her eyebrows in amusement at the woman. And Lynne thought she didn't get out much. "Usually, yeah," she said gently. "You spike her RedBull, chief?" she asked the man.

He watched the pair discussing the ladies night rule. "Yeah, but the drinks are on me after eleven girls." He winked to them putting a whiskey back.

"Na da. Not me." he held his hands up in surrender. "Rum and coke is clean too. I spiked the whiskey a little though..." He said jokingly.

"Don't worry hunny, no one is getting outta there clothes right here." he smiled to the woman. "yet. I get the impression your not from around here." He grinned to her.

"10 minutes, okay. Boots are in the play, but it's possible I'll cry if I loose them you know." he frowned, he would miss these boots, but then again it was another excuse to take a trip back to 17th century Italy for another pair, maybe Gwen would like to join him..

He laughed at her mention of the DJ booth.

Angelina realized she'd been careless about keeping her true origins to herself, and looked around, nervously.

"I'm...not. From around here." She said awkwardly, sitting down again. The man grinned at her, and she did the same, nodding. Maybe he was alright.

"10 minutes, okay. Boots are in the play, but it's possible I'll cry if I loose them you know."

Lynne smiled triumphantly. "You're on, then. I always love to make a grown man cry," she said in a low voice.

"I'm...not. From around here." She said awkwardly, sitting down again.

"Yeah? Me either," Lynne said, excited at the idea of someone else from another country to talk to. "Where you from?"

Angelina's eyes opened to their max, and she bit her nails nervously. She had no idea where she was from, other than that place she really was from.

"I...Uh...London?" The most known city around those parts, from what she'd uncovered. Her tone made it sound more like a question, still, but it was the best she could do.

"Oh," Lynne said, her face falling a little. She wondered just how different the culture in London was from Cardiff. "I thought you meant you were from another country. I'm from America," she offered. "Lived here for a while and I still sometimes feel like a stupid tourist," she added with a grin.

"You're on, then. I always love to make a grown man cry,

"Oh, you sound fun." He growled lowly back at her. Well they all sound fun until he pulls out the guns and they get scared, not so fun.

He looked at the woman beside him closely, putting his right hand on the table, allowing his wrist strap to show clearly. "Well, I'm not exactly a local, hail from London myself so I do." he grinned to her, wondering if she'd understand.

He noticed he was beginning to suffer a considerable lack of liquids on his table. "Drink up." He motioned to the rum and coke, crossing the bar and getting himself some shots before returning to the table. Happily spreading them in front of him, like little soldiers. Taking two and downing one, then the other, and adding them to the collection of up turned glasses on the table.

"Oh, you sound fun."

Lynne smirked back at him. "You have no idea," she said with a quirk of her eyebrows before beginning to back away from their table. "I'll be back," she added looking over at the other woman. "Ten minutes."

Oh, damn, he was from London. Now she couldn't lie, she'd never been! Angelina looked at the man and swallowed hard again. He'd set his hand on the table, looking at her significantly, but she had no idea what he was on about, because she'd never been to London, she didn't know anyone from there, and she'd be caught in the lie soon. She began to sweat.

"Drink up."

Angelina looked at the rum & coke, smelled it, made a face, and set it back on the table, picking up the Red Bull instead.

"I don't do well with alcohol." She said, smiling nervously. She needed to get out of there, if only there weren't so many people between her and the door...

He saw her eyeing up the door. He put a hand on hers.

"Take it easy, no inter-galactic police round here." he gestured to the drink. "It's not too strong, work yourself up to stronger stuff over time."

He looked around them, finding them sutiably without company he leaned over and talked quieter.

"Where are you really from?" He looked at her face. "No worries, I'm not exactly from here, or even this time period love, your doing well..." He hoped that she really was an alien, but well he was pretty sure, and he knew how scared she must be.

The man put a hand on hers, and her heart started pounding in her ears. He was talking about inter-galactic police. He knew things.

"You don't understand, last time I had alcohol, I...made a scene." She told him, almost under her breath, as her face distorted in fear now. She tried to escape, but his hand was heavy on hers. If only she had fighting skills, but she'd failed that class over, and over, and over again, until her father asked the dean of the Iridrorich Academy to let her drop it.

He could see she was panicking, time to pull this train wreck over. "Don't worry about it, you'll get used to alchol over time, just keep on wine and stuff with mixers." He smiled to her. He lifted his hand off hers, and readjusted one of his gun holsters.

"And relax, everyone here thinks your human and I did for quite a while, I'm an ex-time agent. It's was my job to know what things were." He took another shot. This was going to be a long and entertaining night by the looks of things.

"Nobody's supposed to know. Oh, I'm in trouble now, aren't I?" She asked, sitting next to the man, deflating. She glanced at the rum&coke, considering it, but then she remembered the burning sensation.

"Will this burn? Like last time?" She asked him, a little less scared now, because he still didn't know where she was originally from, or what she was doing there, and that was good; she thought so, at least. She'd heard of time agents, but not enough, it seemed. "What's a time agent, really?" She asked.