[ti]Ep 3.5[/ti]Spicy Nachos [Porter]

[James Porter]

“If you say so. ” Was his reply to Cassandra. A shrug followed as he spoke to the fellow human. She definitely had an interesting way of looking at it. For Porter, it was just a reminder of past mistakes and the consequences of failure in the field. Something to ensure that he doesn’t make such mistakes again and thinks through every move he makes.

Porter couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows as Butch described what this ultimate meal challenge consisted of. While spicy food was certainly something Porter had eaten before and can handle, this sounded like it would be a real push of his boundaries. “You weren’t kidding about it being challenging. Sounds like it’ll be a hard time for me to even deal with and I like to consider myself someone who can deal with spicy food.” He couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle upon hearing the story of a co-worker attempting to conquer the challenge. “Poor bastard. From the sounds of it he didn’t stand a chance in the slightest. I assume you never let the poor man go a day without reminding him that infamous day. Nothing to drink either? That’s ruthless.”

Her offer of going out to a bar stopped Porter in his tracks as he considered the proposition. Like he had said previously, he had nothing planned for the evening and unpacking all his gear wouldn’t take long at all. It might do him good to get out. Get to know the local area a bit. “Why not? I’ll take you up on that offer Cassidy. Does that mean you’ll be buying the first round or is that honour going to me?”

Porter didn’t bother to comment on how awkward she seemed to believe this was as it clearly displayed by her changing facial expressions. It would only make things worse if he did say anything about it. He continued to keep his own expression similar to how it was before, neutral but friendly while his hands evacuated his pockets as he pushed himself off the railing he had been leaning against. “I’ll need to get changed out of my uniform and into some better clothes before we set off.”

[Cassandra Cassidy]

"Oh, um...I'll buy the first round," Butch said quickly. "Consider it my treat, and your welcome to Jasper." She tried to smile reassuringly at him, but it once again came out awkward. To the cleaner, she felt she was coming on way too strongly, and that this whole excursion was out of nowhere and unwarranted. Why was she doing this? She didn't know this man. He probably still had unpacking to do that he was being pulled away from.

And yet...this was the same woman that used to go on random hunting trips with strangers in the mountains. The same woman who would break into abandoned places with people who she didn't know by name. How could it hurt if they had a few drinks?

"Take your time," Butch said at the man's statement, relaxing a smidgen. Good. Now she could collect her thoughts and think about what she was actually doing. God, the urge to light another cigarette was itching at her, a buzz like an unseen fly's vibrating in the back of her mind. Butch took a minute to collect herself (though her face was back to its neutral position before she did), and she leaned against the railing.

[James Porter]

“As long as you’re happy with making such a dent in your wallet with the first round. My welcome to Jasper was having a Lotus nearly give me a heart attack after turning into a robot before my eyes. So a less heart pounding introduction to the town sounds nice.” said Porter. A smile and light chuckle coming out of him as he reminisces over his introduction to the Cybertronians.

It was an encounter that he could look back on at this point with a bit of humour as he reflected on his first meeting with another species. While at the time he was in shock and slightly terrified, the whole affair had ultimately led to the Englishman feeling quite embarrassed about the situation then and still after the meeting had long ended. Yet, his new found amusement relating to it was something that Porter knew would one that would make for some good banter between Jazz and Porter.

A feeling of guilt had cropped up in Porter’s mind as Butch was clearly still uncomfortable. Something that he did not have a real clue as to what had caused it. Regardless, the Englishman thought it may prove to be a good idea for him to at least offer her an out if she really wasn’t feeling up for this outing that she had invited him on.

“Alright. Shouldn’t take me too long to get ready. Let's meet back here in thirty minutes or so. Just so you know, despite offering to show me this bar we don’t have to go if you aren’t feeling up for it.” With that he departed towards his room. Throwing Butch a quick as he walked down the staircase as the two of them were left alone with their thoughts. With Porter’s focus having drifted onto if he had any decent clothes ready for going out in.

[Cassandra Cassidy]

Butch did, indeed, stick with going out. She went to find a ride while Porter changed into something civilian, eventually wrangling the big green bruiser known as "Bulkhead" to do the job. He wasn't on patrol that night, nor did he have something he called "curbside duty". Butch assured him they wouldn't be long - a couple of hours, at most - and Bulkhead said he'd loop around the neighborhood while the pair had a night out.

One activation of the groundbridge and a short trip later, Butch, Porter and their ride were in Jasper. It was dead quiet on the streets compared to the hustle and bustle of a place like London. Still, there were signs of life: cars moving to and fro, people milling around an outdoor cafe, bars with activity milling inside their windows. One such place was what Bulkhead pulled up to, directed by Butch on the way out from base. Enchilada Haven the sign on the place read, lit up with neon worthy of a place in Vegas. There were fairy lights decorating the inside of the main window, with kitschy cowboy decor on the walls of the bar's innards. It was moderately busy, with the spicy scent of Tex-Mex wafting across its tables. Butch held the door open for Porter, raising her voice a little as twangy country music played over a speaker system above the drinking area.

"This is it," Butch said. "Home of the El Fuego Grande Platter Challenge. Don't look now, but I think someone's trying to conquer it in the back."

((Skipping ahead to the bar approved by Porter's player.))