Sass and Kick Ass: Miriam the Bodyguard

[sassandkickassrp]

I’m moving Miriam over here with other Gotham based muses and verses.

[sassandkickassrp]

(I had a dream that Miriam's first crush was Velma Dinkley.)

[sassandkickassrp]

(I keep having Miriam related dreams and I'm wondering if it's a sign I shouldn't delete this blog and should return to it.

Anyone want to do anything?)

[coolhearted]

... What do you call an acid with an attitude. A-mean-o Acid.

[sassandkickassrp]

Ha! That was a good one!

How often do scientists tell chemistry jokes? Periodically!

[sassandkickassrp]

babydxhl​:

Not even an idea of you. They loved little ghosts, girls who shared her blonde curls, the curve of her cheek, girls who had tilted their heads in the same way. Little dead girls, little lost girls, little she-took-them-in-the-divorce girls. Not Mary Dahl. And she liked it that way, didn’t she? Being needed like that, the cloying desperation they inflicted on her – the very thing that made them do exactly what she wanted, protect her with their lives.

Mary shook her head. She was quiet for a long moment. The band started up again, slower this time, and she recognised the familiar strains of some old jazz classic. “You’re drunk.” It came out scolding; her brow furrowed.

“I am a liar,” she said finally, definitively, leaning forward to play with the table’s centrepiece. It was not self-deprecating, merely fact, and she delivered it as cheerfully as anyone else would have delivered news about the weather. “Who knows who the real me is? I haven’t met her.”

Miriam frowned at that, shoulders visibly lowering as she tried to hide the pain she felt from that statement. She was hurting for the both of them. Herself, for being told her own emotions were a result of alcohol, and Mary, for seeming to think so lowly of herself. While she tried to properly articulate her thoughts, the alcohol resulted in mostly rambles. “I’m a liar too. We’re all liars. We all-” she rubbed her temple, “How do you go through life without lying? You have to- to get by. If you just told the truth all the time, people would get mad. You can’t just- There’s no truth that will make everyone happy. We have to lie. We’re happy to see people. We care what anyone has to say. It’s a pleasure to meet you. They’re lies.” Her head lowered and her voice softened. “I’m okay. It’ll be okay. Nothing’s wrong. All lies.” While she had initially intended to tell Mary who she believed the true her was, her tipsy state inevitably got her sidetracked.

[sassandkickassrp]

babydxhl​:

Mary sat back – her gaze darted sideways, watching the bartenders polish glasses, rush back and forth, all but silhouetted before the multicoloured glow of lowlights and bottles. Coloured glass. She pursed herlips and felt a very private, quiet kind of self-revulsion rise faintly in her chest before it was strangled by self-satisfaction.

“You respect me?” She looked back at Miriam. Her stare was scrutinising, searching. “Truly?”

There was a sign on the wall behind the bar that read plainly: NO SMOKING. Mary reached into her purse, pulled out her cigarettes and lit one up anyway. They’d never thrown her out for it before. She tossed the pack on the table between them. “The rest of them love me,” she said quietly, almost thoughtfully. “They have to. They don’t have anyone else.”

Miriam didn’t change her stance with Mary’s questioning, simply raised a brow curiously. Why would she lie about that? “They love the idea of you,” Miriam responded simply. “But I know the real you. And I lo-” she stopped and shook her head, “-sorry. And I respect you.” Truthfully, she wasn’t sure if she meant to say love or not. It could have been a slip of the tongue or her true emotions shining through. Perhaps, even in her tipsy state, Miriam knew that their friendship was not a healthy one and was unsure if what she felt for her qualified as love in such a situation. Either way, she doubted Mary wanted to hear that statement from her. Respect it was.

[sassandkickassrp]

babydxhl​:

“Aren’t I?” For a moment Mary’s face went cold; her fingertips stilled where they had been tapped at the rim of the glass, and she fixed Miriam with a stare that had made grown men cry.

She only held it for a few beats – long enough to be uncomfortable. It was only a little laugh that broke the act. Looking down, a smile turned up the corners of her mouth as she leaned in once more. Her voice was low. The smile stayed.

“If you say shit like that,” she said softly, for Miriam’s ears only, the perfect picture of cheer, “in front of any of the others, you’ll be out on your ass.”

If there was ever a look that could scare someone into a moment of sobriety, it was Mary’s. Brief as it was, Miriam knew not to push things. Folding her hands on the table, she took a deep breath and attempted her usual stoicism. “Of course, Miss Dahl. I had no intentions of letting others hear. I’m only that blunt with those I respect. You know that.” It was true. She’d told Mary this as she was gaining more trust in her. “I only put up that formal facade for those I don’t care about. Just feed them empty niceties enough to get by and save my true self for those who deserve it. Why waste true emotion on anyone else?” Those were the words Miriam had spoken years ago.

[sassandkickassrp]

babydxhl​:

“Oh, you really seem like you’re firing on all cylinders.”

Mary gestured to a passing waiter for another drink, was quiet until the first glass had been swept away and another one set down in itsplace. A thin film of condensation coated the surface; though it wasn’t hot in the lounge by any means, she pressed her fingertips to it, feeling the chill of the ice run up her skin.

“Downside is I get assassinated,” she said finally, but there’s humour in it still. “You think because you have a few drinks one night I’m scared you’re going to fly off the rails?” She leaned in a little closer as the song ended – a cheer of the crowd, the quick shift into a new tune to keep them from losing interest – and her nose wrinkled. “Or are you worried I’m gonna fire you?”

Another “snnrchh” sound escaped the redhead as her shoulders shook slightly, head tilting down as she tittered. “You’re not gonna fire me!” she laughed, tilting her head back up to look at Mary straight on. “I’m the only one who puts up with enough of your shit to keep you content while not taking so much of it I lose my mind! Not to mention I’m the best fighter you’ve ever had working for you!” None of this was said with malice, Miriam keeping the same silly smile throughout.

[sassandkickassrp]

babydxhl​:

“Classically trained.” Mary sipped her drink idly; her foot tapped the leg of the chair in time with the music. Truth be told she loved to dance – it was the other people in the bar she didn’t trust, and she didn’t fancy a footprint-sized bruise that night. “Shame.”

She set the glass back down and set her gaze back on Miriam, fingers drumming a rhythm on the tabletop. “Why tonight, huh?” How many times before had she brought Miriam out with her like a glorified handbag, pinched and poked and prodded the woman as much as she pleased, and never had she taken a drop?

“You going soft on me?”

There was a delay to Miriam’s response as the alcohol took its toll on her quickness to react. Instead, her head tilted slightly to the side as a brow rose slightly, looking rather confused. It took a moment before she perked up in realization. “Oh! You mean the alcohol? I’m not positive, really.” Her gaze and smile fell to her drink as she contemplated her answer. “I guess I figured there wasn’t much of a downside to having some.” She took a long sip before continuing. In honesty, she was also trying to keep her negative thoughts from creeping up. “I mean, my dad drinks a bit too much, but I doubt it’s genetic. I did fine in college, at least. No need to worry about it or anything.” Not wanting to lose that warm feeling she’d been having, Miriam turned her focus back to the music, allowing her feet to lightly tip-tap-a-tap-a-tip under the table. Her motor skills may have been a bit impaired, but she could still keep rhythm when sitting down.

[sassandkickassrp]

I need to work on this theme again sometime. And/or move Miriam to my multi-muse blog... Might be a little odd though, given I have an original character there I based on this interpretation of her. And verses. Gotta have verses. Also, I see I have at least one new follower. Feel free to contact me for whatever. My main blog is robynrpmain, so be aware follows come from there.

[sassandkickassrp]

babydxhl​:

Mary looked smug. “See? Already stupid. And then who’ll protect me, huh? That asshole out on the street? He’s a good shot, I’ll give you that, hell of a getaway driver, but couldn’t win a fistfight against anyone with an inch on him.”

She tossed her hair a little, glanced over Miriam’s shoulder to the stage beyond, where the band had started up another song. Livelier this time; Mary sat back in her chair with her drink in hand as others rose todance.

“Sure, giggle away. I pay you enough for that much.”

Miriam scoffed at the other woman’s comments and adjusted her glasses. “It’s going to take more than a bit of alcohol to make me lose a fight. I’m still fully competent enough to protect you.” Choosing to ignore the comment on her pay, the redhead turned to look behind her, getting a better view of the band and seeing others begin to dance. “I used to be able to do that,” she mused aloud, turning back to Mary. “Never with a partner I wanted though.” She spun the tiny straw in her drink a few times before taking another sip. “Shame about our height difference. I bet you’d make a great dance partner.” The last bit was added with a small earnest smile.

[sassandkickassrp]

babydxhl​:

“Oh, so now you’ve figured it out.” Mary seemed amused; she hadn’t been so pleased earlier, and the only other employee who’d come with them that night, Orson – round-faced, a slow-to-heal black eye still marring one side of it – had been banished to wait in the car after he’d pissed her off. He was probably smoking on the sidewalk outside, but she didn’t much care.

She swilled her own drink, watching Miriam over the top of the glass. It was her second. She didn’t need much for a buzz, but she liked the music tonight, soft jazz strains, the singer clad in something slinky and black. The hum of conversation and the warm room was a welcome relief from the icy weather and shriek of traffic out on the street.

“You’re going to get stupid drunk and fall on your face on the way outta here.”

Her facade quickly crumbled as she let out a “sncckkkhh” sound, not quite a laugh, but a smile formed none the less. “I am not!” she nearly laughed on the final word, leaning forward slightly in emphasis, an amused and confident smile on her face. “This is probably my last drink. I’m barely tipsy, if that,” Miriam assured with a serious nod of the head. While not fully drunk, she was already taking risks in considering more drinks. Her smile soon sprung back into a smirk as she continued. “Besides, you know I could do my job with my hands tied behind my back. One kick from these gams and they’re out cold!” A quick titter at the fact she used the word, ‘gams.’

[sassandkickassrp]

A Bit Tipsy

A soft titter slipped past her lips, not a typical sound to come from Miriam. The redhead pushed her large spectacles further up her nose, higher than they needed to be, and cleared her throat. She was trying to regain her usual stoic appearance, but found it difficult with the sense of warmth and giddiness bubbling up from within her. Assuming she could manage a flat expression, there was little covering the light pink dusting her cheeks, even with her oversized glasses. It figured that the one time Miriam allowed herself a drink since college, she’d get tipsy. She was in the Iceberg Lounge though and it just seemed right to try some of the classy drinks available for once. She’d been there before, always with Mary, but had always opted to stay sober. Today, however, she reasoned that in the “unlikely” event she became intoxicated, she wasn’t their ride. “I suppose I can see why some people drink,” she tried not to smile as she folder her hands on the table. @babydxhl

[sassandkickassrp]

Nerves

pick-your-poison-please​:

“Yeah to be honest they’re still in the experimental phase. So far for military use only, though once a majority of the bugs have been fixed cyborg bodies will be for public use. The bad news about that though is only the ultra rich will be able to afford them, if they aren’t already. ”

“I’m guessing these cyborgs were humans turned robot, as opposed to the Terminator kind? That certainly could benefit those whose bodies have failed them. Of course they would only be available to the rich,” she huffed. Though she felt bitter for a moment, Miriam soon smiled again. “I feel like you just cheated there. How am I supposed to compete with knowing a cyborg?”

[sassandkickassrp]

babydxhl​:

“You can ask.” Mary’s tone was still light, casual, but there was an undercurrent to it that made it quite clear it would be a mistake to do so.

She leaned forward over the desk, arms folded on the ink blotter; one hand snaked forward to slip a cigarette from a box made of polished wood. She took her time lighting up, thinking things over, and only spoke once she had exhaled the first stream of smoke up towards a humming ceiling fan.

“I value what you do for me,” she said coolly. It bothered her that Miriam looked so pleased with herself – it made her want to tear her down a peg. “What do I care for you besides that?”

Getting Mary’s goat was certainly enjoyable, even if it only lasted so long before the blonde returned the favor. Still, Miriam had a little ‘fight’ left in her. “Oh, I don’t know,” Miriam started casually with a light grin. “I was thinking the conversation I provide, my commitment to making sure you don’t live off of takeout, my stunning good looks,” she jokingly flipped her hair. “Oh, also,” her face fell into seriousness again, “the face I’m among few people who actually care about you at all and see you as more than a former child star.” Whether she was trying to insult Mary or show she cared, the redhead was unsure. Probably best to stick to the former. Miriam didn’t doubt that Mary would use the fact she cared against her. Though, who’s to say she wasn’t already?

[sassandkickassrp]

Nerves

pick-your-poison-please​:

Pam laughs at that, because itvwas witter than anything she would have come up with.

“I would have just punched him to be honest. Or kicked him in the crotch. Ok must unexpected thing I did recently is..Oh! I got one. Make up with the cyborg who tried to kill me!”

“I wouldn’t want to-” Miriam paused, blinking a few times. “...What’s that you said about a cyborg? I’ll admit, I’ve seen many strange things in Gotham, but cyborgs are a new one. I mean, I’ve seen the Terminator movies, but never seen anything like that in real life.”

[robynrpmain]

A good amount of my order arrived today! Happy Birthday to me!