Realistic or Modern Strong Wills (Razor ×April)

[Homer]

It was the first day of the new job. Most people would have been nervous, even if the job was bartending. That wasn't April though, this was nothing compared to her time in the military. Dealing with a bunch of rich drunks was going to be like cutting through butter with a hot knife. Honestly, she was going to miss the action, but she might as well try and enjoy the freedom she spent ten years fighting for. Freedom though, it seemed was still costing her, her time.

The brunette looked herself over in the mirror, a black button up long sleeved shirt, black slacks, with some black dress shoes made up the new uniform she would wear when reporting for duty. She let out a sigh as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Her grey eyes quickly looked over her reflection mostly just making sure she looked professional, and that there weren't any hairs that avoided the elastic band. She didn't really bother with make up, just some mascara so her eyelashes weren't totally invisible. Once April was satisfied that she could pass off being a happy, people person she headed out of her tiny one bedroom apartment.

One thing she did enjoy was the city it was constantly moving no matter where you found yourself so at least not everything in her life was going to be quiet and peaceful. The taxi ride to the bar was quiet, the driver gave up when she continued to only give one word answers. Was she going out with friends, no. Was she new to the city, no. What were her plans for the night, work. Definitely not the friendly outgoing person she would need to be behind the bar but, she figured as long as she made drinks she didn't need to play pretend anymore. She was who she was and, if her new boss didn't like it well then she'd get a new job doing something else, or better yet the same job just in a shity bar.

The brunette left the taxi, and made her way into the upscale bar that she never would've drank at herself. But she needed to do something and this was the first place that offered her a job, which was why she was currently stuck following around a some pretty blonde named Kate who was showing her ropes. Once April knew where to get the different cups, spoons and all the other mundane things Kate let her take a few orders and make some drinks.

"If you smile more and flirt a little with the guys you'll get better tips." Kate said sweetly.

"I don't like guys who are prettier than me." April said casually as she poured a shot of whiskey. She then took the glass and set it down in front of the man wearing suit that probably cost more than she made in three months while she was in the marines. Any guy who cared that much about his appearance wasn't worth the trouble. Once the shot glass was out of her hands she wiped down the bar and got started on making some fruity cocktail for a woman in black dress looking like something from a fashion magazine. She definitely didn't fit in with the other bartenders, she didn't smile as she shook the drink no she was busy scanning the crowd for anything out of place. Old habits it seemed died hard and, she hadn't exactly been out of the military long, only a month, everyone told her it was normal for her to still be adapting. April just thought it was a pain in the ass, but it did give her something to do while serving these supposedly successful people their drinks.
BeautifulLoser

 

[BeautifulLoser]

The night had been like most. He woke up around 4PM, smoked nearly a half pack of cigarettes, and got dressed. He wore a pair of black jeans that had holes in them, exposing some of the tattoos that lined his legs. A black V-neck shielded the tattoos and colors that lined the entirety of his torso, and the black leather jacket covered the tattoos on his arms. By the time he was dressed, a few tattoos peaked out from his neck, and the only ink visible resided on his hands. His short hair was slicked back and freshly cut on the sides. He brushed through his hair once more before he moved downstairs into the warehouse he shared with all of his men. The party taking place in the warehouse was lively and thudding with his men who were nearly out of their minds on drugs and alcohol.

People were nearly everywhere and pushing against him. He grabbed one of his men by the arm. "I'm going out to Rileys for the night, wanna come?" he asked him through the loud thudding of music and conversation. Once he gathered his somewhat large group of five men, he wandered out into the empty streets. It was nearing 9PM and he had every intention on getting just slightly drunk, but looking for recruitment. The club was high end and had its traces of money and men that were arrogant. The bar fights were his favorite as it really helped him see if any men there were worth his time and if they could back up what they were throwing down. He had found a small handful of his men at places like this. Especially at Rileys, where the men in suits figured they owned the world.

They entered into the high end club and made their way into the VIP section of the club. Razor had been treated like royalty here in the past few months. Most people were smart enough to look the other way and mind their own business when it came to him. He didn't get pat searched like most patrons of the club and he got to walk past the large line waiting to get in. He took his normal seat towards the edge of the bar, some of his tattooed covered men in leather joining him. His tattooed fingers tapped on the bar top as he waited for someone to give him attention. He lit up a cigarette and held it to his lips as he waited. Normally someone would've come to him by now and his patience was running thin.

 

[Homer]

Maybe she should have taken her brother's suggestion and been a cop. At least then she would still get some action, as opposed to watching people ruin good liquor. She would have to have a drink after shift to help forget this dull evening. No drinking on the job, unfortunately. She continued to do her best at staying on top of things and be a team player. April took a deep breath she could do this, she could go back to being someone who didn't wear combat boots and who talked with people about things like the weather. It was more of a hope than a statement, as right now she found she would rather be roasting in the heat of some damned desert than standing in this air conditioned club with no real worries.

When she looked back up from restocking the lemons she found that some new customers, if she could call them that, had taken seats and the end of the bar. They certainly didn't fit the vibe of the Riley's, leather jackets and tattoos peeking out. What was it like six guys who shouldn't have been let in? Damn doorman couldn't do his job and the three other bartenders she was working with seemed busy. Whether they really were or just wanted to avoid the rougher looking guys she couldn't say. All she knew was that she was smiling this was going to be fun.

The brunette made her way over to the group of tattooed men. It wasn't to hard ro identify the leader of the group and she watched as his inked fingers moved up and down almost with some annoyance. She stood in front of the mant with the slicked back hair and smiled, "You and your friends are going to have to leave." She said gesturing to the group of tattooed men.

No sooner had the words left her mouth did Kate squeak, "April!" She gasp.

The brunette looked at Kate only to see she and the two men she was working with, whose names she had forgotten were looking rather horrified. "Don't worry, I've got this." She said confidently then turned her attention back to the men who had infiltrated the club, "I think you boys should go, now." She added with a bit of authority.

Sure they had numbers and size but she was sure when they looked at her they didn't seen a marine. Besides she was bored and an argument was at least going to be entertaining. Really she probably should have just been hoping they would just leave but that was boring and she needed a bit of excitement. If she got it great if not well then she and her bottle of Jack would hopefully be able to find something entertaining on the television to watch.

 

[BeautifulLoser]

He was still waiting, patience running to a slim line, whenever he was approached by a woman. He opened his mouth to give her his drink order - a usual, Johnnie Walker Ice. That was whenever she spoke the words that she did and he felt the blood boil under his leather in an instant. He felt his blood go warm and almost instantly felt the veins bulge open in his forehead. He was supposed to be the VIP here. He treated the women well - probably better than the man in the suit sitting a few people down from him. He tipped pretty close to $200 a night if he was treated well and kept a close eye on - but now this is how they treat him? It was Brett to speak up first out of the whole group. He let out a loud an obnoxious chuckle before he spoke to her. "Yikes," Brett said to the woman before he walked away, lighting up his own cigarette.

The blood boiled under his skin and he felt the steady pulse of his heart decrease. He chose to ignore the fresh face and look at one he knew from prior experiences here. A nice woman and one that always treated him well, but nothing more to him than a bimbo. He sucked in a long breath, not expecting his evening to go like this. all he wanted was to drink his expensive whiskey and be front row to any bar fights. He wasn't here to make drops and he wasn't here to keep tabs on the guy that did manage to escape the gang a few days ago. He was purely minding his own business.

"Kate?" he squeezed out of his voice, looking right past the new girl. He figured so long as he treated her as though she wasn't here, his anger would subside greatly. "I'll have my regular please," he said lowly as he kept a cigarette in between his pointer and ring finger. "And I want you to get this girl away from me," he said as he waved a dismissive hand at the woman that was trying to kick him out. He hated to pull the entitlement card, but clearly she did not know who he was. He knew that he could take her down in an instant if needed - but she was nothing more to him than a bartender.

"And maybe school her a bit on who me and my 'friends' are." he said as he continued to look directly at Kate - nobody else.

 

[Homer]

One of the problems with men didn't matter what kind, the ones in the fancy suits or the ones dawning leather jackets and piercings, when you got a group of them together and a woman told them something they typically turned into jerks. Like the idiot who felt it was appropriate to say yikes, light up his cigarette and walk away like he had nothing to do with this. "Take it outside." She said keeping track of him in her peripheral vision. That wasn't near as bad as the guy who was acting like he owned the place.

Acting like she wasn't even there that was just plain rude and she didn't have to put up with that. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when he snapped at Kate, who jumped slightly hearing her name.

"Sure, Razor." Kate said as cheerfully as she could putting on a smile. April scoffed hearing the name Razor, that was great dome had issuesother than her it seemed. "Sorry about April, its it's her first night. She's still learning. " The blonde explained and grabbing the glass she began to pour the man his Johnnie Walker. "I'll take care of these guys April why don't you help someone else?" Kate suggested sweetly almost pleading as she headed over to the group of men.

The brunette refused to move from her place, she was right there and that bastard was going to make at the very least acknowledge her to her face, not dismissively while staring at the wall behind her. "Sorry Kate, but they aren't wearing suit jackets they need to in order to be served. Besides this is between me and Mister Entitled, and his jackass friends who need to learn some manners and respect." She said calmly, years of being screamed at by her commanding officers and well getting shot at helped her keep her cool on the outside even though on the inside she wanted nothing more than light this Razor guy's cigarette and put it out in his eye.

"This is the second time, I'm telling you to leave." She said adamantly, "Don't make me throw you out of here in front of your friends." She added smiling confidently, just loving the tension more than she should.

"April they're V.I.P.s!" Kate said louder than she meant to. She unlike her new coworker was not enjoying this at all.

"Don't care." She said and leaned in closer to the man, a risky move she knew but, she was making a point, "She's scared of you so are those idiots, I'm not. You're dealing with me. And if you can't handle a woman with a backbone than you and your friends and bigger wusses than I thought." Was it stupid to say that yes, but it was what she thought, and she wasn't a marine anymore she didn't have to hold back. Besides he was either going to leave or stand his ground. She was his idiots would egg him on and she'd have to escort him from the property.

 

[BeautifulLoser]

At the comment, Brett chuckled and held his cigarette up towards his mouth, taking a dramatic drag from it as he moved into the crowds of some of the dancing people. He didn't care to listen to what the new bartender said to him and he knew Razor wasn't going to have it either. At the thought, he disappeared amongst the groups of dancing people, keeping his cigarette in hand. He managed to get himself a bottle of beer from the other side of the bar. Figuring that Razor could handle himself and the situation, he stayed hidden amongst the groups of people - even though he was easy to find.

Once Razor was handed his drink, he swirled the beverage around in the glass and he took a long drink of it. He nodded his head towards Kate and he smiled softly over at her. It wasn't a genuine one by any means, but one to ease the nerves of the anxious bartender. He could tell his presence made her uncomfortable, but she was at least doing the job she was getting paid to do. "It's not your fault, Kate." He managed to say to her. This new girl, however, was really starting to piss him off and he wasn't going to hide the fact from her. His face hardened as he looked over at the new girl and chuckled. "You're making my very kind bartender upset," he said as he gestured the glass over towards Kate. "Kate at least does her job, yeah? Why don't you let her?" he tested.

He knew damn well he wasn't going to move his ass from his seat. It was the new girl that was making a fool out of herself, not him. The owner of the place would have his back as he knew what Razor knew. The guy had been involved in sketchy business to get his feet on the ground and to get the business started. Since then the two have had a certain back and forth. They weren't best friends by any means, but as long as Razor didn't start a ruckus, and as long as he treated the girls well - they wouldn't have issues. If it came down to it, Razor would hope that the owner would have his back before he had this random girls.

"I have plenty of manners and I treat these girls well. My attire has never been an issue before," he stated flatly to the woman. He set his glass down and swirled his tattooed fingers around the rim of the glass. "I figure you're new here... so maybe you should pick up on the ropes a little quicker. You seem like a smart girl so I don't need to tell you not to test me, yeah?" he asked again. He wasn't moving and the sooner she understood, the better.

At her next words, he laughed out loud and leaned back into her as well, meeting the distance halfway. "I'm glad to hear that they are scared of me." he said to her. "I basically run this town so I'd watch your back and stay out of my way." he growled towards her. "You can be a strong independent woman all you want, just stay out of my way. I'm not moving from here." He said to her. The woman was strong and truly pushing his buttons in a way he didn't know how to handle. Being a dick was the knee jerk response, but maybe putting some fear out there would help.

 

[Homer]

April felt her nostrils flare at the man's actions, but technically he retreated and wasn't the one she needed to make the point with. It seemed like it wasn't just her getting rubbed the wrong way either and that just made her dig her heels in deeper. Misery loved company, besides she was just following protocol. The brunette raised an eyebrow when he mentioned Kate and her discomfort, as if that would get her to back off. "Kate isn't your anything and she isn't my problem. You are." She said shrugging off his comment. It wasn't like he actually cared about Kate, he just wanted someone who would roll over and pour him his booze.

The next words from the man's mouth just seemed like utter bullshit, he treated them well huh? She would have loved to have had his definition of well, considering he certainly hadn't treated her well. April nodded her head she was new and honestly she shouldn't be causing problems on her first day but rules were rules. Not to mention one second he's calling her new and slow the next she smart, followed up by what she would call a thinly veiled threat. "No sir." She said out of habit, mentally cursing herself out for using sir, "I'm just a bitch with a bone, simple as that." She added, to help drive home the simple fact that she wasn't about to back down.

April couldn't help but smirk as he leaned in as well. Someone really didn't like her asserting any sort of authority, which was too bad for him. "Well, Razor was it? If you really run this town then why are you so fucking threatened by me insisting you just put on a suit jacket? Also you ever threaten me again and, I'll make damned sure you have to eat your meals through a straw." She said straightforwardly despite feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, she was sure she was blushing, out of anger and she hated that but unfortunately couldn't help that reaction. She sure as hell wasn't about to let him threaten her without at the very least giving him her two cents.

At this state Kate spoke up once more, "April you can't threaten the customers, I think you should go home for the night." She said her voice waivering.

April let out a sigh, "He started it, but fine I'll clock out." She said looking at Kate then looked back at the man who was a thorn in her side, "I'm guessing you'd rather stay here and deal with Kate than join me for a drink huh?" She asked stepping away from the bar. After all as much fun as this was she couldn't drag Kate into her mess, she was training her and it wouldn't look good for her if her trainee got into any sort of altercation with a customer. But, she was definitely going to remember this fellow and his friends and if she ran into any of them again well she'd make sure they remembered her too.