Finding Strength (CLOSED)

"Hey, Kat! Grab the absinthe!" Katherine let out a sigh, and set a green bottle on the counter. Ivy poured herself a glass, and raised it before downing it. Meekara felt Michael's arm as she looked at the bar.
"You're a tin man" she asked as she looked into his eyes, her own cloudy. Selena sat at the bar, swirling a milky drink, staring into the abyss.

Michael raised an eyebrow, and said, "Absinthe, huh? Haven't had it in a while, but...". He poured himself a bottle, gulping it down smoothly after. He smiled slyly, and continued, "Ah sure as 'ell can take it."
"Out of necessity, not choice." Calum gravely said to Meekara. "Got in a... Incident... With my friends and a bomb. Suffered the worst of it myself. All my limbs, spare half a leg and half a arm, gone at that moment.". He looked down at his hands before shaking of his feeling, and downed the rest of his drink.

"Heh, not bad. But let's see how far you can go." Ivy poured herself another glass, downing it with a smile. She set her empty glass down, wanting to see just how much Michael could take.
"I'm so sorry, Calum. You are alive, and that's what matters most." She seemed a genuine person, someone that cared.
Katherine had set up a row of shots, each one a different colour, following a rainbow sequence. She stared at the shots, as if trying to figure something out.

Michael smirked and poured another, downing it in a similar fashion as earlier.
Calum smiled lightly, and said, "Thanks, Meeks, and please - call me Cal. Everyone does.". He looked over at Katherine, smiling as he finished the last of his drink. Once done, he asked, "You good there, or something troubling you about the drinks?"

"Ok, you're good..." Selena watched as Ivy poured another drink, and knocked it back, the burn sending a shiver down her spine.
"Keep her going, and she'll get real good" she said with a laugh before turning to Julian. "How you doing, sugar?"
Katherine looked up at Calum, a somewhat confused look on her face. She gestured to the shots she had lined up.
"We call this the Doctor Light special, not just because of its colours, but because it's supposed to knock your lights out. How much have I had to drink tonight, Cal" she asked as she looked up at him.

Michael followed up with a drink of his own, rapidly blinking after drinking it. He shook it off, still going strong. Julian waved lightly at Selena, and said, "Alright. Kinda had to come to terms with the fact that out of Mikey, Kat, Cal, and Jack,
I'm kinda the Krillin of the group. But still - doing good in general.".
Calum raised an eyebrow at Katherine, and said shrugging, "Dunno. Drink or two, I think? Dunno what it was, but it's been a couple."

Ivy poured one more glass of absinthe, and downed it, her eyes watering slightly. She really didn't look like she could take much more.
"Hey, Batman is human, and he's the most badass member of the Justice League. We don't all have to be super humans" Selena said with a smile before taking a sip of her drink. Katherine downed each of her shots in quick succession, and waited a few seconds. Nothing.
"Well, this sucks... it's not working like it should. Maybe I can't get drunk anymore?"

Michael dowmed another as well, exhaling after the fact. Physically, he was alright, but felt extremely out of it at that moment.
Julian smiled and nodded, and said, "Yea - Cal's got me beat for Batman though. Got a batsuit and all. I can totally hold my own still."
Calum winced at her, and said, "Your healing factor could be treating it as a threat. Like a poison. Could possibly also mean you aren't poisonable?"

"Ok, I can't drink anymore. It'll get ugly if I do." Ivy pushed her empty glass aside, feeling her skin tingling. "But you? You're really good at this. I like that."
"It's the principle. I mean, there's Green Arrow, Nightwing, and a few others. You be you. Work to your strengths, honey." She took another sip of her drink, savouring its creamy sweet flavour. Katherine looked at the empty shot glasses, and let out a sigh.
"I suppose you're right. On the bright side, I can win every drinking competition" Katherine said with a chuckle. She didn't look entirely happy, but she had come to terms with some negative effects.

Calum laughed at that, and said, "Not wrong, not wrong! Don't tell Mikey that, he'll-"
"I'll wha'?" Michael slurred in, promptly deciding it was a good idea to have another drink. He shuddered a bit, and said, "Ah don' kno wha' yer shayin but yesh!
Ah prolly will!". He looked at the empty glass, and said, "Oi Kat, 'ow much ish dis stuff? Ah think is get... go... Great! Thas' the wor'.". He giggled a bit, pouring another as he did so and downing it with all his effort. He shook his head a bit after it went down, earning Calum a sigh.
"...he'd probably die of alcohol poisoning if you said you could drink more."
Julian chuckled at the interaction, then said, "I see what yer sayin. Can't agree more. After all, got this far on my own, yea?"

Katherine gave Calum a smile that seemed to say she wouldn't tell Michael. She turned to Calum, smiling.
"Twenty bucks a bottle. We've got you covered for the night" Katherine said with a chuckle. Ivy snuck up behind Michael, and tried to stifle a laugh before grabbing Michael's ass, giving it a squeeze causing her to giggle like a schoolgirl.
"Yeah you did, you've earned everything you have, and you did it on your own, as a human. More rewarding, wouldn't you say. Oh my..." Selena paused when she saw what Ivy had done, and chuckled slightly.

Michael was saying "Twenty a bottle?
Thash fair... Havn' ha' thish good a buzz since-". until his ass was squeezed. He was understandably startled, and leaped a bit in respobse, nearly getting out of his chair. He turned and pointed what would have been a stern finger to her face if he hadn't been pointing it a bit to the right of her. "Now, don' go roun' an' do tha! Bu' if tha's wha tha loser got, ah woulda lost now.". He chuckled a bit, eventually getting lost in his laughter. Calum sighed.
"Hadn't seen him this bad since the time he joined a search party to look for himself. He started the search party and was the only participant. Before that, he just... He just ate an entire lemon. An entire fucking lemon. He didn't peel it. He just shoved it in his entire mouth whole. I'm still haunted.". He got a distance look, before getting another drink and downing it instantly.

"An entire lemon?! Holy shit. Yeah, that's stuck in my head now." Katherine had a good giggle at the thought of Michael eating a whole lemon, her mind wandering to videos of babies eating lemon for the first time. "But yeah, I heard of a woman that joined a search party looking for her" Katherine said as she poured another drink for Calum.
"Heeey... yoooou have a nice butt... I like yooou. Wanna-"
"Ivy, NO! Bad Ivy!"
"Yes, Selena." Katherine looked like she knew what was going to happen, and turned her attention to her drink, not wanting to get involved in what was about to happen. Ivy launched herself at Michael, attempting to kiss him.
"Jesus Christ..." Selena covered her face, slightly embarrassed by her friend's actions.

Michael was just finishing pouring another glass as she flung heeself at him, and responsded the best way his drunken mind could - kissing her back. He smirked, and said, "Ahhhh-ha! Ah win! I geeet.. The prize...", promptly downing the drink he just poured. He shook his head a bit, eyes closed and eventually stopped, re-opening his eyes and having an idiotic smile on his face. "Howsh bout ahhhh return yer favor..." he managed to say, going to squeeze her ass in return.
Calum looked away, focusing a bit on Katherine. "I am so sorry," he began, "he's... Odd, whenever he gets that drunk.". Julian was merely watching the scene unfold, quite amused as he took another little drink himself.

"Now that... that was niiiiiiice" Ivy giggled excitedly, before leaning closer, and whispered. "That's n-not the only thing I'll let squeeze." She took off her coat, leaving her very revealing green dress, her breasts almost spilling out.
Katherine looked at Ivy before turning to Calum again.
"Sorry about Ivy. She tends to get like this when she hits the green fairy. At least she's not trying to make out with a pot plant"
"What's going on? I can't see."
"Ivy and Michael are... Just take off your shoes, Meeks, I'd rather not explain it." Meekara took off her shoes, and carefully stood up.
"Oh my God. This is classic." Selena downed her drink, and poured herself another one.

Calum sighed and looked down at his drink, lightly swirling it. "Yea... Knowing how the Templar Order is, Michael is... Well, to put it in a quote, 'All work and no play makes Michael a very dull boy'." He smirked, quickly looking at the two and looked away with a slight blush. Julian pulled slightly at the neck of his shirt, looking away a bit sheepishly.
Michael on the other hand was quite the opposite. He chuckled in glee, and said, "Now,
ah may no' have mah real hands anymore, buuuut ahhh...sure as 'ell can still feel naow.". Near every word he said was slurred and barely comprehensible. He squeezed her breasts, pleased with himself. "They're liiiike... Fuggiiin... Uhm... Pillows! Yeaaa... pillows....."

"Well, it looks like he's gonna be all play no work. I'm not judging, we've all had a rough time lately, and we all need to unwind. So I don't mind." Katherine took a sip of her drink while watching Jack joke with his friends, and smiled. It was good to have things somewhat back to normal.
"So, honey, anyone special in your life" Selena asked in an attempt to take her mind off of what was going on. Meekara had put her shoes back on, and sat drinking alone, happily.
"Well, I really hope you aren't all metal" Ivy said with a chuckle as she looked him over, biting her lip.

Calum nodded. "I understand myself. I camped out on some mountains... Eh... A bit over half a year. No contact. Only me in the wilderness. The first burger I had when I got back - holy shit. It was so great."
Julian shook his head in response to Selena, and said, "Nah. I've been alone for a while, some odd years now. I say alone because I was living alone, had no real friends, nothin. Glad I met everyone here.". He looked around at everybody, smiling, avoiding Ivy and Michael. "Forgot how it was. Having people for more than the money.". He raised a glass in Katherine's direction, acknowledging she sparked it all for him, and took a hearty drink.
Michael shook his head in response to Ivy. "Nah... There was ah brief bit wif tha Order or sumfin... But ahm good now ah reckon...." . He sized her up as well, more than just his central focus, and said, "Havn' hooked up wif anyone iiin ahhhh... Dunnoooo... Months least..."

Katherine raised her glass to Julian, smiling warmly. It felt like it hadn't really been that long since they met in that alley.


"Camping, huh. God, I miss that. We used to head up to this little clearing in the pines, and just chill. Good times..." The actual bartender finally arrived, much to Katherine's relief. Katherine was finally able to take a seat, and let out a happy sigh before lighting what looked like a cigarette, but definitely didn't smell like one.
Selena looked a bit sad when she heard how he used to be alone. She got a refill, and one for Julian too.
"Well, you couldn't have found a better group of weirdos and outcasts to call friends. These guys, they'll look out for you, like family." Selena gestured to Bane, who now had Jack on his shoulders, of course, Jack was having the time of his life.
Ivy had a sly look on her face as she pressed herself against Michael, not really caring if anyone was watching.
"I think weee can shange that" she said with a chuckle; she didn't sound as drunk as Michael. She gently ran a hand along the inside of his thigh, stopping just short of his groin.

Calum idly thought of a few things, staring off in the distance, as Julian said, "Boy am I glad I did. It'll take a while for me to get used to it all,
but man. I so love it - you know how it is to share a pipe with people when you've been doing it alone for years?". He smiled as he looked off to Jack. His eyes wandered to Ivy and Michael, nudging Selina lightly and pointed at them a bit. Michael had raised an eyebrow at her, a tent growing steadily.
"Ah, yer thaaaa bold, in' ye?". He chuckled a bit, essentially mirroring her actions. "Twoooo can play ah tha game,
lassss... Heh... L-ass..." he laughed a bit at his 'hilarious' combination of words.

"Yeah, I know what it's like. I was like you up until about a year ago. I always used to try fill the void with cats, but they aren't exactly good for conversation. Then I met Jack, and now I'm here." Selena looked at Julian, and rested a hand on his shoulder. She looked like an innocent and friendly woman, like she could do no wrong. Not to mention, her cat eye makeup was perfect. She looked over at Michael and Ivy, just as Julian had, before quickly turning away, blushing violently. Ivy seemed really into Michael's action, and pushed herself firmly against him, her hand moving a little bit further up, gently brushing against the tent.
"No, that bold"she said with a sultry smile.

Julian was blushing a bit as well, but said to Selina, "Yea... Same here but with so much weed. Over half my expenses I'm talking. Katherine confronted the guy holding me against a wall with his buddies in an alley, and I got them thanks to her distraction. Without her, wouldn't be here, probably none of this happening...". He glanced at the other two again, quickly looking down and blushing harder. "...wouldn't be too bad considering what is currently happening though.". As he said that, Michael glanced down at her hand, noticing himself grow considerably. He chuckled, and said, "Now tha's...
Pretty damn bold...". He smirked devilishly, essentially copying the action on her, yet going a bit further than she did. "Ahhh... Can do thish all nigh' long. Ish... Butcher priiiiide...". He giggled a bit at the word 'pride' finding it a bit hilarious for seeningly no reason.

"If you like weed, I can tell you Kat grows amazing Afghan Kush" Selena said with a chuckle. She looked over to Michael and Ivy, almost turning a bright pink as she looked away. She couldn't help but notice Julian blushing, and looked down. She was a bit jealous of Ivy, although she probably wouldn't admit it. A shiver ran down Ivy's back at his touch, and she arched her body, clearly wanting more. If Michael's hands were real, he likely would've felt how ready she was.
"Wanna take this shumwhere m-more private" Ivy asked with a sly smile, her hand making a few gentle motions on the tent.

Julian nodded, and said, "I remember Jack told me back when I was back at their place. Can't remember if I had any actually -
don't think I did...". He took a quick drink from his cup, hands slightly shaking. Michael lightly grunted, and said, "Aye... Leaaaad th' wayyyyy then...". He had a slightly victorious smile on his face, primarily since he saw her arch back. As he said that, Julian sighed in relief, easing up. He whispered to Selina, "If I woulda gambled on that, honestly would've bet they'd go further before going somewhere private."

(Imma change my name to Guil in a bit, since I feel TheGuillotine is a tad bit lengthy. I also kinda like the ring more.)

"To be honest, I'm thankful they went somewhere more private. That was starting to, umm... yeah." She was still blushing somewhat, and quickly took a sip of her drink, trying to calm herself. She pulled a joint from an elegant case, and lit it before offering it to Julian.
Ivy grabbed Michael by the wrist and led him through a door at the back of the bar. The door led into a long hallway, doors lining each side of the hallway. There was a poster on each door, showing a different DC villain, seemingly done by the same artist. As soon as they reached Ivy's door, she flung it open, and bolted inside.

(That's cool. Yeah, it has a better ring to it.)