Sharp humor [Mature. Private, Jhonen]

Lorne would walk with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Annoyingly he had to wear a shirt in public, and his pants clung to his form tightly. Thankfully, he was able to hide the tails for now, and he kept his head low to avoid too much eye contact with others around him. He would continue down his way, a hum coming from him as he casually looked up at the store signs. A few managers beckoned him forward, to come in and have a hair cut. Ew. Barbers.

Lorne turned his head away in a huff, slumping his shoulders a little as his longer white hair flicked behind him. Signs passed overhead, and his sensitive nose picked up the faint scent of food as the smells would waft slowly towards him, bending in the winds. He grumbled to himself as his stomach growled. He’d need to get something to eat later. However, that wasn’t the most pressing thing which was on his mind.

A slightly damaged sign with the picture of an anvil and hammer swung above a particular alley way. With a smirk, Lorne gave a shrug. What’s the worst that would happen if he went down there? He was in dire need of a very specifically made knife, as his already had been broken. It served him a long time, around a hundred years. Countless lives were claimed by the unique steel and silver mix, and Lorne needed a replacement as it had been damaged on too many times.

Unsalvageable.

Destroyed and broken.

Lorne put his hand up against the door, swinging it open and stepped into the place where he hoped skilled craftsman lay.

And lay there, Jhonen did. The metal worker was currently on an automotive creeper, using it to keep himself off of the oil-stained concrete beneath himself. Grunting in acknowledgement that someone had arrived, the mechanic pushed himself out from under the vehicle. Holding his crescent wrench on his knee to avoid setting it down, Jhonen nodded slightly in greeting.

"Hi. What'cha need?"

The red head's hair was pulled back into a very small ponytail-mainly to avoid the jaw-length hair getting stuck in any moving parts. His face had splotches of black oil on his cheek, as he had wiped it away out of annoyance. The engine had sludge in it, and Jhonen hated when people didn't change their oil. It was irritating to deal with.

(Lex?)

( Sorry Jhonen! I promise I was gonna post! )

Lorne looked around the rather messy area, a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes. For the first few moments, he didn't spot the mechanic until he heard a small scraping sound across the ground from under... Lorne couldn't remember just exactly what the machine was that he was working on, all he knew is that people were lazy and used it for transportation. The man had small marks of black scattered across his features, and Lorne tried not to wrinkle his nose. It didn't exactly have a nice smell to it.

He lowered his head in a greeting to the man, waiting for him to clear his cheek of oil before he would speak. "I need to know, are you good with metal works? Or are you just as amazing with it as... As your mechanic skills?" Lorne caught himself, about to compliment the strange man on his rather unique looks. His red hair was pulled back into a ponytail, keeping it away from his work and ensuring that it didn't get caught in anything.

Lorne's gaze would quickly deviate to try and see if he could find any sorts of daggers, blades, shield-like devices, anything at all. Lorne needed to see if he was a master of the trade, or just a false one. "Do you have anything which you have made that I may look at?"

Crossing his arms, Jhonen took a good look at his guest. The man, if that's what you could call him, gave off an aura much like that of the Fae he knew from his youth. He had a pretty damn good crescent wrench in his right hand. It was one of his favorites, but he had to be careful about iron. Especially at night.

"Well, sure. But I have to know who you are first. I may not seem it, but I'm very particular about my consumer base."

With that, Jhonen held out the wrench towards the visitor- quickly making a rapier out of the purer metals. As it was a basic rapier, it didn't take long before he could even work on the sharpness of the blade. Jhonen made sure to make it fine, sharp enough to split a hair that fell on it. However, it was made harder when he noticed the muscles the man had bunched beneath his shirt. What exactly was this being doing in his shop? After the years of attempting to keep himself humble, thoughts of older lore taught from nan burst into mind- and he knew the immediate nature of the being before him. A trickster.

The threat was incredibly obvious to Lorne the moment that the man had said it. In the next few moments, the spanner? No, a wrench of some sort, would suddenly warp and shoot out to be an incredibly sharp weapon. A rather large smile light up his face at the sudden creation of the weapon, but Lorne's nose would pick up a rather odd scent which was slightly growing the more that they stayed still.

"All you needed to do was ask." He stated, a smirk on his face at the mechanic. "My name is Lorne, a Kitsune." Lorne waited for the name to sink in, hopefully allowing it the time it needed stir up memories and superstitions about them. He smiled at him.

"That being said, would it help you to make a decision if you knew that I was a rather good assassin, and have been for several hundred years? Mind you, I'm at the point where some people would also decide to even say I'm a master assassin. And I need a very VERY particular blade made, but I only want the best of the best to make them.

So tell me, are you that master? And what is your name?"

Shrugging, Jhonen made the rapier return to its original form. Tapping the crescent wrench to the side of his knee, the bluey decided to take the Kitsune's commission.

Jerking his head in a sign for the customer to follow, Jhonen walked to a metal wall before putting his hand against it. Almost instantly it bent inward, leading to a room that had walls covered in weaponry. A smithy was there, coals waiting to be lit for a piece worthy of working on. Without waiting for Lorne to follow, the store owner went to several bars of ore.

"Jhonen. A few of my customers call me Jho, some call me Spot."

Setting aside the tools he needed, a thought passed through Jhonen's mind. If this Kitsune was what he said he was, it was possible that a few people from the Olde Country had sent him here for his head. Keeping that thought in mind, he decided to wait out and see what he was supposed to do for the Yokai. Curiosity was always a soft spot for the mechanic, and this fellow had more than a few curious plots about him. Where did he come from? Why was he an assassin? Was he here for Jhonen's head?

Lorne allowed a smirk to appear on his face as the smithy would return the rapier back to its original form. The kitsune recognised the gesture, and would nod his head in a sign of acknowledgement. His hand went into his pocket as he followed the figure, who was apparently known as Jhonen, or Jho or spot. Spot, to Lorne, was a rather random and weird name. However, so was Lorne, so he accepted it.

"Jhonen, never heard a name like that before. Pleasure to meet with ya." Lorne would say, following him into the half magically appearing room. Although the Kitsune wouldn't admit it, he was very impressed with Jhonens sheer ability to be able to manipulate metals around him just by what seemed to be touch. Lorne took out the sheet of paper from his pocket, a gentle smile on his face.

"Here's a diagram of what I need done. It's a unique combination of silvers and steels. But I'm sure someone as talented with metals can make it work." Lorne commented, before offering the sheet to Jhonen.

"Ya see, my last one broke after many uses, but no one's been able to make a perfect replica. Tried many times, many different people, but I think ya might be able to do it." Lorne said with a wink, his eyes trailing across Jhonen's muscular arms, a smirk on his face. He had to admit, the blacksmith in front of him was rather... Handsome. Attractive. Whatever you wanted to say. Lorne shifted slightly, turning his back to the metalworker, his eyes taking in the details for some of his other weapons.

He had to admit it, Lorne was impressed by more than just his skills with metal.

"I see."

Jhonen took the diagram in hand before looking over it carefully. The dagger seemed to be very ornamental, and needed a strong base for it to function as well as Lorne wished for it to. Moving to the pile of metal bars, Jho carefully weighed a half-silver, deciding that the metal would make a fine mix with the iron he had planned. Using a pair of tongs, he grabbed the last two iron bars he had left- putting them into the large smithy pot that he would use to melt them. He never had bothered to learn the true names of all his tools, but something about calling a large bin of liquid metal a pot both amused and bothered him.

Reaching over for his butane torch, Jho lit the coals alight while slowly working the bellows, The heat was astounding, but nothing that the smithy was unused to. He had to be careful, though, as he pulled out the long bar mould he'd be using. If he let it get too cold, the metals wouldn't mix. Too hot, and they'd melt too quickly and become brittle during set.

"Staying?"

Moving his amber eyes to Lorne, Jhonen wondered if the strange customer would stay. Not that he'd complain, he just usually enjoyed his solitude. It was while he wasn't paying attention that an ember caught on his shirt- burning a large hole in the thin material. It was an old shirt, anyway, so it didn't bother the man much when he just shucked it off and dropped it into one of the water barrels.

Lorne heard the soft tinkering of the tongs and iron bars while he investigated some of the fine crafts that Jhonen had made. If he was this skilled... Lorne wondered just what else he would be skilled with. His thoughts were interrupted as Jhonen asked if he would be staying. He turned and gave him a shrug, a smile on his face. "If ya don't mind me watching ya work, I need to make sure it's done correctly. I don't question your work, ya've made some fine crafts, but... just need to make sure this is basically perfect." Lorne gave an apologetic shrug, not wanting to offend him, but also not wanting the weapon to be made faulty.

After all, he was going to pay a rather large price for it.

While Jhonen had turned, the ember managed to land across his shirt, burning a deep hole into it. Acting quickly and before Lorne was able to try and help the man out, Jhonen basically ripped off his shirt and threw it into a water bin.

Oh.

Damn.

"Damn son, how do ya not have girls swooning over ya...? Damn..." Lorne marvelled, giving Jhonen a sly wink. The light from the embers danced across his muscular frame, and Lorne had no shame in staring at such a magnificent body. Jhonen's muscles almost rivaled Lorne's own, and that was something that was hard to find. "Don't suppose you'd let me test those bad boys out and see what they can really do?" He said, smirking.

Unaccustomed to flirting, Jhonen could only stare in slight shock at Lorne. It was rare for the man to get a compliment, much less one so draped in fragrant words. It took a moment for his brain to work again, and Jhonen was immediately thankful to the centuries he'd spent working metal. His body was pumping the bellows through the distraction, and he could take time to formulate a response to this man's... Coming ons.

"Truth?"

Thoughts crossed the Fae's mind. Memories of the NeverNever and the Faeries that resided in the parallel came up, and how all of them were made to be predatorily beautiful. Like a Venus Fly Trap, they'd lure their prey in with promises of coitus and love. Only to kill them to watch the blood flow. Was this man like those of his home? Or was he genuine in his interests.

"I don't get out often."

The metal was liquid now, slowly bubbling. The silver was mixed as well as it could, leaving veins of the precious ore across the surface and deeper in. Donning his work gloves, Jhonen grabbed the pot by its handle- lifting it over the mould to slowly pour the metal into the bar divet. A few minutes passed, the silence almost deafening.

"Where I'm from, girls are lions." Jho gave a small smile at the analogy. "They'll rip you apart for food and fun."

The metal had cooled enough for him to begin his work. Picking up the still cherry-red metal, the smithy hammered it flat- only for the sake of ease when the final workings would be done. After a good three minutes of working the metal, Jhonen dumped it into the shirtless water barrel- a hiss of steam clouding the room. Closing his eyes, he began his work in the water- using the minerals left from his other projects to strengthen the metal, coating it in a fine layer. Though he'd have to hand carve the handle, the blade was now finished.

Lorne smirked at the shocked expression on his face, his working stopping for a fraction of a second. The man didn't seem to be able to accept the compliment too well, that or he never really had them. Maybe girls these days weren't really interested in men who would be deemed 'smelly' for working all day. Sure, that may be true, but damn, those abs...

Lorne's eyes snapped back up to Jhonen as the man continued to work, obviously frazzled by his comments. He clicked his tongue when Jhonen mentioned that he didn't get out too often. "Well, that's a shame." Lorne lied, "Means that you haven't been taken just yet." Lorne laughed lightly.

The metals bubbled, and the kitsune decided to take a step back as the rather hot man worked, his muscles flexing as he did so. Lorne would have grabbed him there and then, but that would have been rather sudden - and somewhat dangerous considering what was around them. As Jhonen finished the blade off, Lorne took out an already partially carved and created hilt, all that was missing was the blade from it.

"Where I'm from, ya gotta be careful. Girls can be guys, and guys can be girls. Rather amusing actually when someone thinks they are straight, and end up with another guy. But I seldom looked into those sorts of things, none were as sexy as ya." Lorne complimented, before giving a smile. For a few moments, the trickster wondered if Jhonen thought he was being serious or not. If Jhonen wanted to complete the dagger, Lorne would pass him the hilt to do so.

"So, are you busy tonight?" Lorne asked as he worked, but, rather deliberately, didn't give Jhonen the chance to react. "Ya aren't? You're free? That's grand! Would ya like to come out for some drinks later?"

The reaction to Lorne clicking his tongue was Jho blushing slightly. Even if he had chosen isolation for himself, he went out every now and then. Maybe not often, but karaoke night at the bars were enough to get him through the work week.

"No, I haven't."

Shrugging, Jhonen took the handle that Lorne had gestured with, sliding it onto the metal with ease before expanding the blade's hilt to match it perfectly. There would be no give with the work the smithy had done, damn it. It took a moment to get the metal properly embedded into the wood- the smith had to be careful so as not to fracture the wood.

"The Fae liked to play such tricks as well. Most mortals don't care."

Another blush crept up Jhonen's cheeks, the other male's compliments were finally getting to him. They wouldn't bother him as much, he'd been flirted with by more than a few customers. But this one was so.. Fascinating. It didn't hurt his appeal that he was handsome as well as interesting... Jho had to take a deep breath to clear his head, he was becoming too distracted to think properly. It was too late that he realized that the male had taken up what was supposed to be a quiet night in front of the TV, setting a date up for the two.

"I-what?"

Dumbfounded, Jhonen stood with his mouth slightly agape whilst holding the finished blade.

The kitsune would nod slowly to what Jhonen said about the Fae. Although Lorne never really dealt with their kind personally, he had heard enough from folklore and other sources to know that they weren't something that you should go near or mess with. Besides, he didn't show much of an interest in them anyway - aside from when he was hired to murder one or two creatures that he assumed to be a type of... unusual creature like that, then he had to do a little research for his target.

However, that was shoved at the back of his mind as Lorne gave a giant grin at Jhonens, once again, stunned reaction. It was if he really didn't know how to deal with him, and Lorne found it thoroughly amusing. But the stunned blush that rose up against Jhonen's features only served to further entwine Lorne's affection for him. Sure, they had only just met, but was there a downside to being polite and forward with those who he had an attraction to? He didn't really consider it to be a problem, and Lorne grinned to him.

"So I'll see you tonight then? The bar at the corner?" Lorne asked, taking his wallet out from his back pocket. He would take out a more than reasonable amount for what he asked-plus some as he was entertained by a very attractive man, and got a date out of it too. He would offer it to Jhonen, in exchange for the dagger.

"It'll be a great night~ I promise. After all, it's not often I get to take a rather handsome and incredibly sexy man out for a few drinks."

Clearing his throat, Jhonen moved over to a computer- typing up the costs for the ores and labor before turning the screen to the Kitsune. He wasn't going to tell him that he'd made the labor free, but the total cost had come up to be 1,200. Silver was expensive, and working with it to blend it right was a trial in and of itself.

"The bar on the corner knows me. Just say you're waiting for Spot, they'll lead you to my booth in front of the stage."

Eyeing the male, Jhonen couldn't help himself.

"Must say that you're not bad yourself."

The blush was worth the wordplay. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, he was glad that Lorne had come in. It was a bit too late that he realized the stipulation of the date- night time.

"Though uh.. I do have a bit of a curfew."

Hopefully Lorne wouldn't be immediately turned off by that fact. Jho couldn't help but worry that it could dampen what would possibly bud into a very interesting friendship- and the thought left him a tad surprised. He'd been alone for hundreds of years, what was changing now to make him want a friend? No, that wasn't this feeling. He had butterflies in his stomach.

Lorne's smile slightly faltered at the price. In his mind, he would quickly compare it to the amount which he had paid for everything else. No, the price was too low, it would only just be covering the materials... And with the amazing show that Jhonen put on, there was no way that Lorne would refuse to pay anything lower than what the skilled man deserved.

He nodded to Jhonen, taking out 1,600 in cash and presenting it to Jhonen. "Ya deserve the money for your work. Keep the extra. Besides, ya put on one hell of a show, Jhonen." Lorne winked to him, leaving the money with him. Carefully, the kitsune would take the blade away from him, inspecting the blades tip and the perfect width of the item. His eyes narrowed a little, it was made almost too well, as if someone had had more than half a century looking after the blades and making them...

However, he shrugged and sheathed the knife in a rather old cover, but it was his turn to be surprised as Jhonen gave him a rather rare compliment. Although Lorne did receive a fair few compliments on his gorgeous looks, it was incredibly rare for it to be from someone that he fancied. Mind you, how could someone IGNORE this handsome figure in front of him, damn he was hot...

Lorne lowered his head in a nod, "I hear that a lot, but never from handsome people." He winked, "And curfews don't bother me, every minute I can spend with ya, it's a minute worth it! And besides, who says we can't have additional rounds?"

Lorne was a little surprised by what he was saying, but he did his best to reason for it. To him, it was quite simple. The blacksmith was incredibly handsome, and his muscular frame made Lorne shiver at the site of it. Damn, the experienced blacksmith really was a sexy beast, and Lorne couldn't budge or move from that simple fact.

"So, around 7 seem like a good time to ya? Or would ya prefer something a little later?"

Counting the bills, Lorne had paid him exactly what labor would've accounted to. It took a moment for him to calm himself- rarely did he have someone with the honor to pay what was due when a shortcut was offered.

Keeping his mind on track, he snapped his eyes up to Lorne's face when he complimented him yet again. This feeling of butterflies kept coming any time he mentioned how Jhonen looked, and it confused the smithy.

"I appreciate your kindness. Rarely do I go hand in hand with murderers, but I doubt you deal in cold blood."

He really need to cut the crap. He wasn't a flagger, and he needed to chill with that. Assassins he could deal with. He could name a few who carefully researched the target they were sent for before accepting any mission... Why Jho didn't ask about this stranger's job bothered him. Normally the metal worker was more careful than this.

"Seven's perfect."

Walking past the Kitsune, Jho grabbed a towel from the side rack that was just before the exit of the room. It was stained with oil and a few flecks of slag, but it was a good one damn it. He'd had it since he was younger, and the wool had done him well so far. Reaching for a drawer under the rack, he picked out his normal black shirt, taking care to wipe the sweat from the heat and hammering away before putting it on. It was another old one- not what he'd be wearing to the... Date. His heart was beating as though it were another piece of metal he was working on. Christ almighty, was he really this out of touch to be affected so?

"I'll see you then, I guess."

Jhonen had to take a moment to think on what he'd wear. The bar-goers would notice if something were different, so he had to keep it casual. Damn.

Lorne nodded to the handsome smithy, almost feeling disappointed when he decided to go and cloth himself once again. Even though he tried to cover himself with the black shirt, it was still thin enough so that bystanders would be able to observe his rippling muscles as the smithy would work. Lorne flashed him a smile, "Alright, well, I'd best see ya then, Jhonen. You're a fine smithy, and also a fine man, don't let people tell ya otherwise."

With that, Lorne would leave the place rather casually, hiding the blade in one of his rather deep pockets on the side of his leg. His mind raced as he tried to figure out just what he was meant to wear to the bar, as he hadn't been to any for quite some time. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself on their first date.

His mind tormented him as he waited for time to tick by, his fingers dancing across several of his different shirts. With a sigh, Lorne would pull on a black shirt, wearing matching darker coloured suit pants. One quick look in the mirror showed that he stood out a hell of a lot with his white hair, and Lorne groaned. It was always the hair that stood out!

Lorne removed the black shirt, replacing it with a thicker white one. Now all he could do was pray that nothing was spilt on it. However, another glance in the mirror would decline his thoughts. He had to do better than that! He looked atrocious.

With a site, Lorne would remove the white shirt and stride over to his closet, throwing open the doors. "Go big or go home." He mumbled to himself, taking out one of his best white shirt, his fingers fiddling with a second tie that he had. With a smirk, he took out a black tie. White and black, his go-to colours when all else failed.

They also happened to be the most painful colours to clean.

Lorne sighed, shaking his head as he tied his tie, after pulling on his rather 'nice' shirt. Seriously, Lorne questioned why the hell he was going to a bar wearing white. He shrugged it off, turning his attention back to his task.

He made his way to the bar around ten minutes early, not wanting to make Jhonen feel rather awkward if he showed up and Lorne wasn't there. He repeated Jhonen's instructions to a waitress, who would lead him down to a booth near the front of the room. Thankfully, it was half positioned out of sight, or Lorne would have felt a little embarrassed waiting in the open for him. After all, the kitsune was known for not being influenced too heavily by alcohol, no matter how much he had. Lorne smiled to himself as he waited.

Maybe he could see if Jhonen was just as resilient to alcohol as he was...

Jhonen entered the bar, his red pearl snap shirt off set perfectly with his black silk tie. It'd been years since he'd had to wear it, and it was tighter than he had remembered. The sleeves were rolled to his biceps, mainly because they were a bit short. Regardless, it was better than his oil-stained hoodie and shirts. The reason he wore black so often was to hide the stains more than any other reason.

Nodding to the bartender, Jhonen made his way through the crowd towards his table, his leather jacket over his arm. It was mainly for pockets, as he'd bought it for his bike. That same bike was on the rack back in the shop, where practically all of his vehicles were. He actually ran here, but that was besides the point.

A warm blush came over Jhonen's cheeks as he saw Lorne, sitting in the silver light beside the stage. The table was supposed to be out from the line-of sight, but still within reach of the karaoke stage. On the table, there was an electronic pad for ordering drinks- one that Jhonen had helped install himself as per request and agreement with the owner. However, this was only noticed since it gave more light to reflect from the Kitsune's pearl white hair. Christ almighty save his soul, Jho couldn't help but feel excited.

"Sorry for being late... I was having a couple of issues locking up the shop. Wound up just sealing the metal walls to block it."

Don't talk about that. Talk about HIM

"I apologize if my mouth's agape. It's been a while since I've gotten dressed up for such a good looking man."

Too brazen. Reel it in.

"On that note, what would you like to drink? I'll bring Sally over, she mixes my Silver Gale like no other. She's also a mistress when it comes to wordplay."

Nope, that wasn't reeled at all. Now it sounded like Jho was complimenting her over him. Cursing himself, the Black Dog sat himself down at the table, right across from Lorne. It was only seven, what could happen in four hours time?

Time ticked by, and Lorne felt himself beginning to worry. Jhonen was only a minute late, but Lorne was always punctual, and when something was only slightly out of place, it made him a little nervous. However, he hid the feeling beneath a mask of calm, trying to force himself not to be to bothered by it.

But before he could worry too much about it, Lorne caught the red out of the corner of his eyes before Jhonen arrived. His breath caught in his throat, butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the sight of him. Without all of the grease marks and stains which had rippled across his arms and chest, Lorne was able to see the bronze tanned skin which slightly caught the light, reflecting it back to him. His greased hair which was pulled back into a ponytail hours earlier was released from the binding, allowing the crimson hair to cascade around him. It was slightly windswept as if he had been running, but an attempt to straighten it had been made and Lorne smiled. As he made his way over, Lorne could have sworn that Jhonen was blushing ever so slightly.

Lorne almost laughed to himself, Jhonen really was a little nervous. And damn was it cute.

The kitsune would give him a welcoming smile, "I'm glad to see ya didn't get cold feet."

Lorne couldn't help but laugh internally at Jhonens frazzled remarks, as if he was desperately trying to clamber back to not insulting the kitsune or trying to make conversation. However, to play along, Lorne's face would become serious. "Sally? Is that the gorgeous lass who escorted me to my seat? The gorgeous lady with the bronze locks?" Lorne asked, his eyes sparkling in amusement as he kept himself serious.

"Maybe ya should get her, seems like ya could have a bit of fun with her and not some old and boring kitsune." Lorne said all too casually, playing the joke in what he had hoped was an almost perfect manner. He just couldn't help himself, dying to know what Jhonen would do if Lorne made a harmless little joke.

A bitter smile came over his lips at Lorne's remark.

"To be fair, I tried once upon a time. I'm not the proper gender for her tastes, though I'd definitely lay her into a bed if I could."

Shrugging, Jhonen played it off. He didn't want to fuck up this date within three minutes, and he was already treading on eggs. Was this Kitsune that serious? Damn.. Jho'd rather not lose him to a damned mistake from a slip of the tongue. He wasn't lying when he said that Sally preferred girls, but a memory of the single night between them put a bitter taste in his mouth. The Fae had caught him in her web, and he had to untangle himself quickly- which made it to more of an acquaintance relationship between the two Lores.

"Besides. Why settle for cheap beer when a fine wine awaits?"

Was that good? Christ almighty Jhonen needed a drink. Tapping a few buttons on the menu, he ordered two of his usual hard liquor, moon shine stilled to the strongest it could be. Didn't have too much flavor, but it was the only thing that'd actually make him drunk. Any other drink he could stand to.

"I hope you don't mind if I order you one of my favorites. I'm particular with my booze."

Too strong, damn it. Jho needed to get his foot out of his mouth. Talking wasn't his strong suit, and Lorne kept flustering him into speaking- which was odd. Normally it took work to make Jho speak outside of his workplace, and here this Kitsune had him babbling like an imbecile

"Silver Gale moonshine. The only drink that'll put me under the table. They make a margarita out of it..."

Clearing his throat, he looked at the person who was currently singing on the stage. The beast within him stirred, rearing its head out of annoyance. The man, if that's what you could call him, was obviously drunk and couldn't sing a lick of sense. The music was I Want to Break Free by Queen, and Christ almighty was he doing it a disservice. It really annoyed not only Jhonen, but the Black Dog within him. A weakness, if you could.

"And it sounds like I'll need it, from the length of this bastard's voice."

Lorne smirked a little with his comment, already having Jhonen on edge. However, as he stated that he wasn't the right gender for the rather attractive lass, Lorne nodded slowly, trying to maintain his serious composure.

However, he cracked it and made a slight grin at Jhonens attempt at a compliment. Lorne by now had figured that Jhonen was completely rusty with even attempting to be flirtatious with anyone. Poor little guy, he was going to be in for hell tonight if he didn't appreciate being around rather flirty people.

"No, not at all! Ya might be lucky if ya favourite is strong, might actually make me drunk for once!" Lorne winked, "Silver gale moonshine aye? Well, it certainly does sound a little different, perhaps it is quite strong. If it's what I've heard rumours of, then aye, it is quite a powerful drink."

Lorne would frown as the man stumbled onto the stages and barely had time to prepare himself before the noise pierced his ears. He was incredibly sensitive to noise, and every wrong note made the kitsune wince, "Lords, I heard alcohol could influence humans drastically, but I think that's a bit absurd!"

He glanced up at the stage, forcing himself to at least keep his disguise on, forcing himself not to allow himself to crack. What would this handsome man do if he saw his date was a nine-tailed demon? Lorne certainly didn't want to let that side show not the monster. Not the assassin at work. He would have snarled if it wasn't for the gorgeous man with him, and he bunched his hand into a fist, the nails slightly biting into his skin to keep his mind off the horrible shrieking voice.

He needed a distraction. And fast.

"So, you mentioned that... ya basically ruined the lock back at home, how did a handsome man do such a thing? I noticed earlier with the metal walls, how did ya manipulate it with such ease?" Lorne asked, his face pulled into a frown. Just focus on Jhonen, ignore the voice, focus on the cutest guy you have ever met. Focus Lorne... the kitsune repeated to himself, watching Jhonen closely to try and distract himself from running up on stage and murdering the singer for insulting them with their voice.

What didn't help was the table cheering him on. Lorne suppressed a growl, he'd kill them too in a heart beat.

Dammit! Lorne cursed to himself, turning his attention back to Jhonen. He needed to concentrate. Badly.

Jhonen's ears felt like there were nails being driven in with each fucking shriek this bastard gave as a song. The metals around the area were vibrating, giving off an agonized drone from the reverb this man put out. Jho almost missed the conversation, and could feel himself start to go dark from the awful singing.

"Aye. It's my favorite, 150 proof with a sprig of lime.. Ah, speaking of the miracle."

He needed the booze, and bad. If he didn't get it in, he would probably go up there and strangle the bastard that was assailing his and his dates ears. Sally was just kind enough to bring the liquor to the two, setting them down with a bright smile.

"Yeah. Humans just have shrieks when they're drunk. It's why I tend to disappear when they get on stage."

The question put forth to him then was curious, as he expected it sooner.

"I work with metal. Literally. I was born with the Lore of the Fae, my breeding was to be a fending force against them for Scotland."

The last note ended with a shriek, and Jhonen slammed his fist on the table.

"CHRIST ALMIGHTY. Would you reign in those vocal chords, or at least put a muzzle on? Be damned if you didn't make my ears bleed. Sally, pull the piano out. I'm sick and tired of awful tastes being put upon the stage. Also, make another round of Gale. I'll need to drink myself sober after that awful show."

Offering a wink to Lorne, Jhonen loosened his tie a tad before striding onto the stage. Sally had indeed had her men roll the grande onto the stage, and knew what he was doing. She was also kind enough to set a fresh Margarita down on the end piece, and raised an eyebrow. Taking the microphone, Jhonen maneuvered it to sit beside the left hand side of the piano- between him and the crowd. Namely, to give Lorne a better view.

"To give Freddy a better resting piece, I'll play another round of Queen. No bitching this time."

The chime for the karaoke piece went off, and the warm liquor in his stomach gave him liquid courage. Two of the bouncers shyly stood in the background- newbies more than likely. Sally always put them through one of Spot's songs before giving them full initiation.

"Caaan.... Anybodyyyyy.... Fiiiind meeee.... Somebody toooo....."

The bouncers came in, their alto voices harmonizing perfectly.

"Loooooooooooooooove."

Jhonen's hands went to the notes chiming them perfectly in tune with his memory. Be damned if Sally got more looks from Lorne than he did, Jho was now in his field of play.

"Each mornin' I get up I die a little.. Can barely staaand on my feeet!"

As soon as the drink was placed onto the table, Lorne's hand slowly reached over to it, his fingers wrapping around the glass. He quickly downed the whole shot, the alcohol barely touching the back of his throat. However, Lorne was disappointed when he didn't feel the burn at the back of his throat that everyone talked about with alcohol. "I don't think that's going to influence me any time soon..." He said to himself with a shrug, turning his attention back to Jhonen.

Thankfully, he didn't need to distract himself as Jhonen began to speak again, his voice almost soothing against the shrieks of the humans attempt of singing. Scratch that, it was probably the sexiest thing he'd ever heard and blew the 'singing' out of the water.

The final shrill note caused Lorne to shiver, his nails biting into his skin and slightly drawing blood. It took all that he had not to throw the brand new knife into the singers chest to silence him for his disgusting songs. However, what he didn't expect was for Jhonen to suddenly shout out, causing Lorne to half jump back in surprise and watch him. Damn, he didn't get to inquire about scotland, but Jhonen did seem... Rather angry.

After his rather dramatic speel, Jhonen pushed himself to his feet and began to approach the stage. As requested, the gorgeous piano was rolled on stage, and Lorne tilted his head to the side as he watched the crimson haired man slightly skew the instrument. It was a deliberate placement, and Lorne hid a smile.

He had his doubts, thinking that he was probably just doing this to show off. A small frown creased on his face. If he was, then why would Jhonen have a table basically reserved for him, and why did people follow his requests directly.

Jhonen made the declaration for the song being played, and Lorne would lean forward in his chair, his head slightly tilted to the side. He had heard of the band before, and inwardly, he was curious to know just what his date was trying to pull off.

His fingers danced across the keys, elegantly playing them right off memory, the sheet music unneeded with this man. The natural grace of his movements, the ease of playing, the self-confidence... Lorne knew he was an expert, and the melody soon captured his heart.

But the words struck home as he began to sing, his voice silencing even the rowdiest of the group as they listened to his words. The words would cause Lorne to have his cheeks slightly redden from either embarrassment or surprise, he didn't know. The duo at the back pitched in their part, but Lorne was barely paying attention to them, his focus on the man who sat down on the piano playing as his heart commanded.

Lorne tried his utmost best to keep his face from falling into a tranquil and peaceful expression as the music soothed him. But he would eventually fail, and his eyes wouldn't falter from Jhonen. Not even once during the whole song. His attention wouldn't be shared.

Damn, so help him if he decided not to take Jhonen for his own...

His fingers moved faster, pacing with his heart. Jhonen's soul went into whatever he sang, and by Christ this was no exception.

"Each morning I get up I die a little, can barely staaaand on my feeeeet..."

"Take a look at your self in the mirror, and crryyy"

"Lord, what you're doing to me, I have spent all my years in believing you... But I just can't get no relief, Loooord! Somebody.."

Somebody..

"Please, can Aaanny booody find meeee.... Somebody to love...."

Jho kept playing, singing his heart out through the five minute song. Instead of playing the solo in what was meant to be guitar, he took it to c sharp, playing the keys with ease while people in the background sang with him. The ending of the song was coming up, and the blush from the three empty glasses on the piano was strong on his face. It was easy to drink and sing for him, he'd done it for centuries.

The last few notes were coming up, and Jhonen slowed them down to a light pace- meant for a mesmerizing effect. The words were kind, jostled. The conclusion was soon, and Jho took his time reaching it- hitting the last note before turning to Lorne with half-lidded eyes.

"Find mee... Somebody toooo... Looooooooooveee....."

Standing up slowly, he then bowed, crimson hair falling before his face in a curtain just for himself. Grabbing his forth drink, he slowly strode to his seat once more, a grin plastered on his face.

"And that, Lorne, was for you. Christ almighty you make me feel like I have snakes in my stomach- I've never felt that before. It's fascinating. Utterly and completely."

Rather than seat himself across from Lorne, he planted himself at the Kitsune's right side. Perching his right cheek in the cup of his hand. Lorne's eyes were a beautiful shade of amethyst, mesmerizing in the shades it delved into near the light and dark ends. Fascinating. Utterly and completely. That phrase kept popping into mind when he looked at the male, and Jhonen couldn't get enough.