Oeil Poché (Simplicity)

[Adrian]

((This takes place in France before Adrian or Simplicity get to the Academy. It can be moved to the French board if it ever reopens or just stay here.))

Adrian lined up the shot. His fingers were just lightly pressed against the green felt of the old pool table and the well worn stick rested easily between his fingers. His chin was almost touching the surface of the table as his eye looked down the length of the pool stick to the cue ball and the balls beyond it.

"Are you gonna shoot or what?" An Irishmen asked in drunken, Irish-English. Adrian could hardly understand him but he wasn't all that interested in what the bloak had to say anyway. He was concentrating.

Adrian smoothly pushed the pool stick forward, lightly tapping the cue ball. It slowly crossed the green felt and hit the number two ball straight into the corner pocket without going in itself. Behind him his opponent grunted. Adrian just smiled and walked around the table to line up his next shot.

It was an average night in Oeil Poché, a little bar located in the country side of France. It was one of the few human establishments left in the country and, as such, was frequented by the free humans lucky enough to know about it. Adrian spent just about every night here, collecting money from the poor sops who called themselves pool players. It wasn't worth all that much but it kept him in cigarettes and beer, something he appreciated.

He leaned over the pool table and began to set up his next shot.

[Simplicity]

Simplicity grasped the bottle of beer lightly in her hand as she watched the people around her. She wasn’t sure what she was drinking, just thankful it was alcoholic. In Ireland it seemed that every family that a stock of beer and whiskey in case of emergencies, or so the ERA made it seem. The journey to France resulted in a dry spell and all were thankful it was now over. Some more than others granted, but it was nice to be in an actual bar and pretend the world was fine.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before glancing away from the mirror over the bar. One of the group she came with was starting to fume near the pool tables. Douglas was nice enough guy, but he could be a mean drunk when he wanted to be. While she couldn’t tell what he planned on doing, Sim really didn’t want to get kicked out.

“Dougie,” she said with a smile, “you give away your money again?”

Douglas pulled his arms across his chest and refused to look at her, “No.”

Sim glanced at the man lining up his next shot and snorted. The odds did not appear in favor of the Irishman, and no power on the earth or from elsewhere would get him to admit it. Made him a good fighter but terrible at just about everything else.

“Why don’t you grab me another beer,” she said handing him her half empty bottle, “If you’re not back by your turn, I’ll sub in for you, okay?”

After eyeing the bottle for a minute, Douglas took it and muttered toward the bar. He didn’t ask for help but he would allow himself to be saved by an indirect offer. Simplicity smiled and leaned against the edge of the table. She twisted toward the other player and innocently said, “You mind?”

[Adrian]

Adrian glanced up at the exchange but went back to concentrating on the shot. He lined it up and carefully sent the cue ball across the table. His skill didn't serve him well this time however and the four ball did not go into the pocket as he hoped.

"Not at all," Adrian said as he stood up and took hold of the beer he'd put down on the side of the table. "Who could say no to such lovely company," he continued, his Persian accent falling just a little thicker due to the amount of alcohol he'd consumed. Not enough to make him drunk but enough to make him loose. "Looks like it's your turn."

[Simplicity]

The corner of her mouth twitched up when the man spoke. Either he was very kind or thought he was a charmer, maybe both. She picked up the pool stick Douglas had left and checked the weight of it before turning back to him.

“What we playin’? Solids and stripes or something more exotic?” Simplicity asked. If it was what she guessed first she had major catching up to do.

“By the way,” Sim continued as she waited for a reply, “That is an interesting voice you got. Where are you from?” She crouched down so she was eye level with the table to check the angle. There were a few shots she could take, it was finding ones that lead to another that concerned her. Finding out what game she had to play of course would help her decide.

[Adrian]

"Solids and stripes," Adrian said with a grin. He had quite a lead but that didn't mean much if this woman was a better player than her friend. She seemed like she was behind him by a few beers so her coordination should be better than his.

"And I'm from Persia or Iran. I always liked Persia better but you can't argue with the mullahs," Adrian said with a shrug. Not that any of it mattered now. The yeerks were the new mullahs and they sure as hell didn't care who was Persian or Aryan. "What about you? Ireland like your friend?" he asked, motioning towards the large man who was still at the bar.

[Simplicity]

Simplicity frowned down at the table before letting out a breath. This could be difficult, yet it wasn’t impossible. She’d been in worse spots, most involved gunshots and fear for one’s life. The lack of that threat helped her confidence when she lined up for her first shot.

“Persia,” she nodded, “sounds nice, makes me think of the video games, or the empire. Did you like it?”

She leaned across table and slid the pool stick between her fingers. Sim pulled the cue back and forth to get a feel for it. Then she hit the cue ball and stood up to get out of the way. She grinned as the 14 ball rolled across the table into the side pocket. It was nice to be playing a familiar game.

“I’m only Irish by blood, or Scottish. My family always got confused about the details. Either way I was born stateside. Southern California for most of what I remember. Guess we all have done some traveling,” Simplicity said as she walked around the table for her next shot.

"Got a name, or shall I refer to you as my Persian friend?"

[Adrian]

"Which question should I answer first?" he asked with a laugh. She'd managed to fit in two while he was busy watching her make the shot. He scanned the table, wondering where she'd go next. "Well, to answer your first question, growing up there was much like growing up anywhere I suppose." Adrian didn't have much faith in cultural differences. At the end of the day they were all human and he'd found that counted for more than the piece of ground you were born on, especially now.

"To answer your second," he said, moving around the pool table opposite of her to remain in her eye line. She wasn't looking at him, she was concentrating on the table, but he'd found it was an effective enough technique in the past. It made it easier for people to glance at you and it almost always led to them checking you out at least a little. It certainly made it easier for him to do so. " my name is Adrian Nikahd and it's a pleasure to meet you," he said, nodding his head in her direction.

[Simplicity]

“If you say so,” She muttered down at the felt. There was only about one shot to take, but she took the time to walk around the table again. “Personally,” she continued, “the places I grew up were pretty different. One side left and one side right.” Simplicity pointed across her chest to the different sides of the room.

She stopped in front of the end of the table and set up the shot. Humming to herself she took another few practice moves. Simplicity took the shot and looked up at Adrian as the ball made it’s way across the table.

“Simplicity Kennedy,” she said holding out her hand, “and the pleasure is mine.”

[Adrian]

Adrian walked around the table and took her hand. He didn't hold on longer than would have been polite but he smiled and made sure to look her in the eye when he shook her hand. "Well I'm glad I'm not the only sober one in this bar," he said after he let go. "Though maybe you want to slow down," he teased as he watched her shot go awry. "Looks like it's my turn."

He walked around the table and began to bend down when his nose picked up something odd. He'd learned to listen to his nose throughout his life. He didn't know why, but he had an acute sense of smell and it had never led him wrong. He stood up and stood still for a second, trying to figure out what had set him off. All the usual bar smells were here including the smell of unwashed human bodies that had become the norm over the past few years. But there was something under it...

"Shit," he said as he recognized the smell. He looked around for an exit but he had a feeling it was already too late. "Hork Bajir."

[Simplicity]

Simplicity shrugged when the ball missed it’s intended pocket. For once she could blame someone else for the set up. Besides Douglas wasn’t there to defend himself or his honor. In fact he hadn’t returned at all. She looked back at the bar only seeing a crowd in one corner. If Douglas had a bet down, no way she was going to pay it.

She tensed when she saw a change in Adrian behavior. Whenever someone started acting differently , they pretty much always had a reason. Sometimes it was a result of an overactive imagination. Every once in awhile though it saved lives, and for that it was not something to be ignored. Sim set the pool cue down quietly and waited for what he did next.

“Shit, Hork Bajir.”

Once those words left his lips the entire tone of the room changed. Most of the people around them went from merry to sober in a matter of seconds. Sim herself had a gun drawn and turned her back to a wall. The rest of the ERA had taken similar positions and were glancing at Adrian, wondering what tipped him off.

“This place got a way out or do we have to start turning over tables,” Simplicity asked with an eyebrow raised.

[Adrian]

"As if that would help," Adrian said looking around. He'd only been in town for a few weeks and, while he was a frequenter of this bar, he certainly wasn't it's architect. He didn't know if it had an exit they could get out of. He looked over at the bar keep for the answer and saw him take out a shot gun.

"Down the stairs and out the back," she said before leading the way herself. The entire room started to head in that direction but Adrian caught Sim's arm before she could go. He pulled her closer to him so that his mouth was next to her ear.

"They're all gonna bust out from one direction and they'll sure as hell be chased," he said quietly. A few people Adrian assumed were Sim's friends had stopped when they saw he'd grabbed her. One or two of them looked pretty threatening. "I say we hide until the shooting starts, then make a run for it in the confusion." He shrugged and motioned towards the bathrooms.

[Simplicity]

Simplicity frowned at Adrian before checking her weapon. The safety was off, the gun was loaded and she knew where her spare ammunition was. She held the gun in front of her and away from the people running around the Oeil Poché. A number of them were sort of organized, that still didn’t help with the panicking few. All that did was make everyone else more nervous.

She moved to follow the bartender when a hand grabbed her shoulder. Simplicity turned quickly and stared at the hand before looking at it’s owner. As Adrian made his point her expression softened. Mick and Georgie were still glaring at him probably for touching her, James for having the gall to speak but James was like that with everyone.

“He’s got a point,” she said carefully.

“I don’t like hiding,” James growled, “it ain’t a man’s way to go.”

Simplicity rolled her eyes as Mick said, “Go if you want to, we ain’t keeping you here.”

As James ran off the remaining numbers moved closer together. She glanced around at the small number of mostly ERA as they all looked at each other for ideas. Sim cleared her throat and leaned it, “At worst we could use it as a choke point.”

Mick smiled and squeezed her shoulder. She gave him a quick smile back before turning to Adrian, “Do you know if the bathrooms have windows or air ducts?”

[Adrian]

"I don't know but there is only one way to find out," Adrian said, heading towards the bathrooms. He didn't carry a gun and he didn't bother asking for one. He had nothing against them but he figured they wouldn't help increase his survival rate all that much. If he ever got into a situation where he needed to shoot his way out he was probably already fucked. Like this little situation they found themselves in now.

He opened the door to men's room out of habit and walked inside. He was greeted by the expected line of stalls, urinals and sinks. He waited until everyone was inside the bathroom before using the handle of a mop to bar the door shut. It was a cheap piece of wood and wouldn't stop Hork Bajir from coming once they knew they were here but it made him feel slightly better.

"We should start checking for those windows."

[Simplicity]

Sim moved with the group as they followed Adrian. She knew at least a few that remained wondered what had tipped him off. Before anyone began assuming the worst she quickened her pace to catch up to them.

“Hey,” she said quietly, “how’d you figure there are Hork Bajir running around?”

She stepped into the bathroom and her nose crinkled on impulse. There seemed to be a few small windows above some of the stalls. It was a tight fit, but it looked like most of them could get out. Simplicity braced one hand one hand against the side of the stall and carefully stepped onto the toilet to get a better look at the window. It was dirty and rain streaked, forcing her to press her face against the glass to get a better look at the street.

“It looks clear for now,” she whispered after getting down, “But I didn’t see a lack on the thing. We may have to break it if we want to get out that way. Or block it so nothing tries to get in.”

[Adrian]

Adrian tapped his nose before helping Simplicity up onto the pot so she could look out the window. "They don't smell quite like anything else do they," he said grimly. He looked up at the window and then looked around the bathroom. He was glad it was Hork Bajir and not Taxxons. Taxxons would smell them out but with the Hork Bajir they just had to be quiet. Very quiet. Damn things had ears like hawks to go along with those talons they called feet.

"Going through them is probably our best bet. Who should go fir-" he was cut off by the sounds of broken glass back inside the bar. He shut up immediately but it was almost unnecessary because they began to hear screams and shots fired towards the back of the bar where everyone else had disappeared off into.

Adrian had only gotten caught in one of these raids so far but the yeerks had certainly been smart enough to surround the building before they had come in. When he'd first smelled the Hork Bajir he'd assumed the same was true now. That meant they were smart enough to search the bar room by room but he hoped that would be on the bottom of their priority list when they had so many obvious targets to go after out back.

"We should go now," Adrian said quietly as he helped Sim down before hopping up on the toilet himself and checking the window one more time to make sure there wasn't a quiet way to open it. If they had to break it or shoot it out their chances of slipping away went down dramatically.

There were no locks on this side but there was a crack and some hinges so he assumed the window had to open. He pulled out a knife from his pocket and flicked it open by pressing the trigger. He stuck the blade in the crack and began working his way down it. Crusty grime and dirt fell out but he felt some give. He jammed the knife in a bit further and began to pry the window open.

It came slowly but it came. At the first protesting squeak he stopped and waited to see if anyone had heard it. He looked down at the group surrounding him and then motioned towards the soap dispensers. He wanted to grease the hinges a little and hope they wouldn't be too noisy.