[SB] All Dolled Up

[Taylor McCarthy]

{Note:  Takes place after the ship has landed in Mexico}


"And where are you going all dolled up so early in the morning?"  The Irish accented voice cut through the noise of the busy tourist strip running along the beach and wafted perilously close to the brunette girl's ear.  The owner of the voice hopped off a stone retaining wall about three feet high and started moving along beside the girl.  As usual, his features were touched by the loopy grin she'd come to know and despise.  His hair, while still happened to have settled in just the right way, had seen better days and his attire, a red t-shirt and pair of faded blue jeans, was indicative of the carefree way he led his life.

Taylor had caught sight of the girl from a fair distance away.  She stuck out among the rest of the tourists wandering around.  If Taylor didn't know better, he'd say she was dressed up for something.  It looked as though she had a special morning planned and Taylor couldn't help his curiosity.  He navigated the bustling clusters of people, even going so far as to deftly leap upon the retaining wall and move smoothly along it until he was able to draw close enough to speak without drawing attention.

"You look like you're going to a job interview."  He said with a grin, one hand finding the pocket of his jeans while the other lifted a brown beer bottle to his lips so he could take a long pull.  This, unto itself, probably wasn't viewed as a strange sight to behold in a much more lax country as the one they were currently in.  That it happened to be only nine o'clock in the morning, however, made it seem a little unorthodox. 

[Lucy James]

Wearing her black dress and cropped, black cardigan, anyone taking a look at the girl (at least the ones who knew her) could easily see that the girl had made an effort when it came to for once, looking like an actual human being who at the very least cared about how they looked. She barely wore any makeup either, and instead had stayed on the more natural side, which made the many freckles she had gotten from the sun be a lot more visible than what they used to be. Her hair hang around her shoulders in wild curls, and she had a determined expression on her face.

After all, she figured you couldn't very well look like a seventeen year old train wreck when you wanted to meet with a guy who held enough power to get her a passport. She had asked around and thanks to a few of her old contacts, she had managed to figure out where the guy would be around this time. She hadn't managed to arrange a meeting of sorts, but hopefully her attire would be enough to catch his attention, and she's simply wing it from there. At least, she had picked a dress that would show off her best aspects; her legs. Those usually got her the desired attention when she tried.

The familiar voice had the brunette rolling her eyes. But she didn't respond in hopes that he would leave her alone. However, as he continued speaking, that proved to be completely and utterly wrong. "Is that so?" she replied absentmindedly. "Better not bother me then. Might bring me bad luck," she added in the same fashion.

[Taylor McCarthy]

The grin widened. The voice didn't waver. Taylor didn't leave. "On the contrary." He said brightly, casting a glance in Lucy's direction before shifting his eyes to look out in front of them as they walked. "Didn't you know us Irish folk are good luck?" He corrected. "For all you know because of me you could be getting your dream job."

It was a fun little game to play but it quickly lost its entertainment value. Taylor did looked over the brunette a bit and even took note of the smattering of freckles that dotted her nose. His eyes then shifted to take in the cut that she had received not too long ago that he'd tended to the last time they had spoken. "It is awfully early to be walking around Mexico looking like that." He pointed out with a tone that made it clear he didn't exactly mind what she was wearing. There was no mistaking that the girl was gorgeous. Even when she looked like a hot mess (which was every time Taylor had seen her), there was still something alluring about her. "What's the deal? You have a Latin lover you're going to see?" He winked before lifting the bottle to his lips again and downed the last remnants of morning beer.

[Lucy James]

"Don't give yourself so much credit." She didn't want him around, but she knew all too well that he'd follow her if he was curious enough, and he'd proved to be plenty of curious already, so Lucy didn't exactly have high hopes of being left alone that easily. Sighing, she simply shook her head. Out of all the people she had to run into, she had to run into this guy? Clearly, someone hated her and had created her with the worst luck one could possibly ask for.

"Not if you have a reason for it," she replied, her expression still stoic as her blue eyes scanned the crowd in front of them. She pushed her way through a group of people, stopped to look around for a bit. Her eyes narrowed as she tried remembering the directions she had been offered. "Something like that," she simply replied. It wasn't too far away from the truth; though it wasn't as much a lover as... Well, worst case scenario, the guy she was looking for would end up asking for something in return. Once she found the street she was looking for, she continued walking.

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

[Taylor McCarthy]

The dismissive reply to his 'luck' comment was met with the usual nod. Taylor expected every word to pass through the brunette's lips to be some sort of abrasive retort or scathing insult. In a way, it was beginning to become just part of the routine. Whereas some friends had little witticisms and inside jokes they shared, Taylor and Lucy had their pattern of abuse and dismissal. It was charming. Really.

She was being awfully vague and that, for some reason, didn't sit well with Taylor. He didn't voice his concern, though, nor did the mischievous gleam in his eye waver even for a second. He only grinned, glanced to her again and continued walking. "Obviously you have reason for it." He said simply, now letting his gaze wander about the city. It was his first trip to Mexico and there was so much to see. "But if you've got some sort of big, underground part you're going to that starts at..." He trailed off in order to check his watch. "Nine o'clock, then I'm in." He had a feeling wherever she was heading, he'd probably find out soon enough.

As they moved along Lucy presented Taylor with a very reasonable question. Or, at least it was reasonable if you weren't Taylor. He paused a moment, looked curiously to his right, then back to the left, peering over his shoulder as if searching for something he just couldn't find. His gaze moved back to the front and he gave a shrug and shook his head. "No." He replied honestly. "I really don't. So why don't you tell me where we're going?"

[Lucy James]

"Obviously," she simply replied in return. Yes, she had plenty of reasons. Neither of which the boy needed to know though. Clearly, she wasn't going to get rid of him. A normal person might have been concerned about his safety, but luckily, Lucy was far from normal. He'd decided to follow her all on his own, so whatever happened from there on and out was entirely on himself. She would take no part of the blame, and she figured the boy was dense enough not to blame her for it either. Part of her was almost hoping he'd get his ass whopped.

Casting a glance his way, the brunette simply sighed. "You're not going anywhere dressed like that," she commented. After all, she hadn't gotten dressed up like this all for nothing. And she'd rather not see her coming in with someone looking like she'd found them at the back of an alley. Then again, she'd rather not be seen with him at all, but at this rate it was an inevitability, it seemed. She crossed the street then and stopped again once she reached another street sign. Looking at it, the brunette narrowed her eyes as she tried remembering the names of the various streets.

[Taylor McCarthy]

"Oh, I'm not am I?" Taylor grinned through his response. He always grinned. It was just his nature at this stage of the game. It was more telling when he didn't have at least the hint of a grin on his face. There was something in the way the brunette girl seemed resigned to having him around that he found curious and possibly encouraging. He didn't want to count his ducks before they hatched... or put his chickens in a row... Taylor's brow furrowed as he went over the stupid saying in his head a couple times before shaking it off and refocusing his attention.

"So, it's a black tie event, eh?" He said, glancing now to Lucy as she looked out over the street signs. They'd traveled well away from the strip of touristy stores, restauaraunts, and boutiques and were now very much in a neighborhood that wasn't going to find its way onto any top destinations to visit in Mexico. This realization caused a faint narrowing of Taylor's eyes as he surveyed the scene. He didn't know Mexico but he'd seen his share of bad places to be and this wasn't going to sit right.

"I guess it's a shame I left my shiny shoes back on the ship, ain't it?" He chuckled lightly, shifting his gaze to the brunette.

[Lucy James]

Casting him a glance, Lucy's eyes narrowed slightly. Sighing, she shook her head. "Leave," she said before turning back towards the signs. He had to realize that he didn't belong in this world, didn't he? Sure, she didn't know a whole lot about him, but he didn't exactly strike her as the type who hung around bad people who sold drugs and had their hands dipped so far down the pool of crime they'd never come out clean. And the person she was about to go see wasn't exactly the kind of person one wanted to get involved with unless you needed something.

Shaking her head, Lucy turned around, this time properly facing the boy. Her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed further. "Look, fun and games aside this isn't something you'd want to get involved in, so run home to mommy before you get--" she stopped herself. What was the point? "Whatever. Your funeral." It wasn't like he would listen anyways.

She continued down the path of yet another street. It had to be somewhere around here, right? According to her memory, it was supposed to be close.

[Taylor McCarthy]

Taylor's suspicions had been right. The girl was going off somewhere to find... someone in order to get involved in... something. Okay, so he really didn't know much more than whatever it was Lucy was trying to find it wasn't going to be good. Unfortunately for Lucy she happened to be one hundred percent correct. There was no way he wasn't going to be floating around now, not after she just promised him some excitement. That was the problem with having a brain that processed information faster than it was supposed to. You were able to take in so much it was easy to get bored and led to bouts of unmitigated curiosity.

"You leave my mother out of this." He said, pointing a finger at Lucy even though she could tell he wasn't anywhere near upset about her usage of the word. "She's an absolute saint and her hair smells like a fresh spring rain." He didn't know why he felt the need to counter her serious tone with a playful, childlike one of his own, but hell with it. What else did he have to do?

Once she started moving again, Taylor's demeanor sobered considerably. It was almost as if he'd just set up his own instinctive defense mechanism that triggered a stupid retort whenever Lucy spoke. "If we're done with the fun and games." He said, his tone still light but with a certain serious curiosity creeping into it. "Why don't you tell me what this is all about?"

[Lucy James]

His playful banter about his mother only got a roll of Lucy's eyes in response. Either he completely failed to see the seriousness of the situation, or he just didn't care. She wasn't sure which was the better outcome of the two though. Whatever his deal was, it was his and quite frankly, she wasn't going to prod for any information. As long as he didn't get in her way, she didn't really care if he tagged along. It wasn't like she'd hang around him the second she arrived at her destination.

"No," she replied simply. She stopped again as she turned towards a shady looking alley way. It was lined with various boxes and containers. It looked like one of those cliche alleys you often saw in movies. Rolling her shoulders, the brunette started ventured down it. There was a fence at the end of it with a door, and considering the various ink works staining the walls, she was fairly certain she was heading the right way.

The door however was locked with quite the big and flashy padlock. Sighing, Lucy walked towards one of the containers and knelt down in front of it to see if it had any wheels so that she could push it towards the fence.

[Taylor McCarthy]

Taylor issued a snort as he looked down the alley. "You're serious?" He asked, looking to the girl incredulously. He wasn't of the mindset that she needed a caretaker, on the contrary, he'd spent a nice evening in his cabin with ice bundled up in a towel resting in his lap as evidence that she could taker care of herself. This, though, this was something entirely different. It looked like it'd been plucked directly out of some bad movie or a TV show.

He wan't sure what to make of everything but Taylor Brennan never walked away from an experience, be it good or bad. This one, he had a feeling, would probably lean more toward the latter. "You know there's a bloke back on the ship who's holding if you're looking to score?" He asked, knowing damn well Lucy wasn't here for drugs. Either way, he was involved in this whether either of them wanted to be or not.

"Look, I'm all for throwing caution to the wind but I'm not dumb." He said, eyeing the canister Lucy was inspecting as a bad feeling started to build up inside him. "But is this the kind of place you really want to be sneaking in to? At least tell me it's a friend of yours that's expecting you."

[Lucy James]

"Mmmmmhm," she simply replied absentmindedly. No, she was hardly here for the drugs. Besides, she didn't need to sneak through some damned alley to get those kinds of things. Though, he of course didn't have to know that. Lucy figured that the less he knew, the better it was. She couldn't exactly have someone snitch on her. No, the less people that knew, the better it was, and the bigger the chance was for her to finally being able to get away from that damned school she loathed so much.

Turning her head to look at him, Lucy's lips pursed. "It's a friend of me that's expecting me," she said, though her tone indicated that she simply said that because he'd told her to. The rattling behind the fence had the girl's attention snap from the boy and back to the fence. Behind it, a scrawny looking guy with sunglasses and ironically, wearing the least intimidating attire Lucy had ever seen; a green and white golf shirt and a pair of brown shorts. At least he didn't have white socks and sandals.

The second Lucy rose to her feet, her demeanor changed completely. Her body relaxed and she moved less like an animal locked in a cage and more like someone who knew the territory in and out. The guy behind the fence eyed them without as much as a word and Lucy started moving towards him.

[Taylor McCarthy]

"Oh, look at you." Taylor said his voice taking on a bit of a drawl as he eyed Lucy. She had been utterly unconvincing in her assertion she was expected. And he seriously doubted there was any sort of friend to be found anywhere within the area. "You're putting on the performance of the century." The Academy should just ready her Oscar right now.

A brow quirked at the sudden shift in Lucy's body language. Of course the boy caught every single subtle nuance of the way she approached the garishly dressed man. Beneath the still light, even demeanor Taylor was coping with a steadily increasing feeling of dread. He didn't like this, not one bit. Something was going to go terribly wrong and it was probably going to be his fault. For once he was actually glad he'd happened upon Lucy and stubbornly refused to leave her be. No matter what, this was guaranteed to be interesting.

"Last chance to back out." Taylor said quietly as he moved alongside Lucy. "I don't think he's here to play the back nine." But Taylor knew better than that. His attention shifted to the man watching them approach. "Oy!" He said, waving a hand to him. "We were wondering if you wanted to buy any Girl Scout cookies!" He called.

[Lucy James]

As usual, the boy's words fell to deaf ears. Even as he walked up next to her, Lucy's demeanor remained unchanged. At least, until he started shouting, which had the brunette stopping in her step, her head snapping to the side where she stared at him, momentarily shocked, and then it changed to a glare. It didn't last long though, because the brunette quickly turned to the guy behind the fence again, her smile apologetic. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" she muttered under her breath and smile.

"Ignore my friend, he's on a bad trip after doing some blotter," she explained. "Chavez sent us," she added as she approached the fence. The man looked from Lucy to the boy, and back at Lucy again. The smile remained plastered on her lips as she waited for the man to react. He lifted the radio to his mouth. "Es Thiago. Hay un par de adolescentes fuera reclamando Chávez les envió." Lucy shot the boy next to her a sharp glance. "Déjalos entrar," the radio cracked after a few moments.

The guy with the golf shirt put his radio back next to his belt and stuck a key into the padlock and the door swung open.

[Taylor McCarthy]

Taylor just grinned. Still. He could have been signing his own death warrant and he didn't give a damn. Everyone was just too damn serious these days. They needed to lighten up. Plus, he wasn't all that keen on the idea of Lucy going through with whatever the hell it was she was here for. If that meant he had to be a fly in the ointment, as it were, so be it.

"Oh, yeah. I think I got a hold of some bad red rope licorice and it's messing with my head." He threw his hands up in an exaggerated shrug. Yes. He was now attempting to sabotage this entire operation without making it seem obvious. He was just a big dumb, idiot in Lucy's eyes, right? It's not like she'd think less of him if he acted a fool and got them kicked out before they were even invited in. "But I think I'm alright, so long as you don't chain me up underneath the stairs again." His head turned and he looked directly at the side of Lucy's face as she put on her smile. "You know I don't like rats."

There was a radio, some language Taylor didn't being spoken (he assumed it was Spanish but didn't want to stereotype). He didn't know who this 'Chavez' character was or what he dealt in, nor did Taylor care. He was there to keep everyone off balance in case things got too deep. "I have a feeling we're going to look back on this one of these days and laugh." He muttered quietly, his eyes shifting to the gate as it was opened.