Fancy Meeting You Here

Karma lounged across a chair, swirling a Shirley Temple in one hand as she watched the poor little saps on the poles do their routines. She could probably do better, if she felt so inclined. Not tonight, or at least, not right now.

Taking another sip of the drink, she leaned her head back and lowered the cherry between her lips, grabbing the thing between her teeth and tugging once her lips closed around it. She pretended not to notice the affect it had on the men around her, opting instead to swallow the thing and take another sip.

Really, humans were so predictable. Should she get up and leave this moment, making eye contact with one of them, she'd have a bite no problem.

Strip Clubs were really just like Meals on Wheels.

Alec took a sip of his butterbeer as he watched the girl in front of him dance, enjoying the show. He smirked and winked at her before she left and another, less attractive one took her place. That one was obviously a newbie, he could tell just from the way she moved. It wasn't that it was bad, it was just. . . not professional. Not that he knew anything about that, he had only been in The Situation two others times, but it was pretty obvious to everyone.

He rolled his eyes as she tried, desperately, to get his attention and turn him on, and he took the time to look around, see who else was watching. Older married men were here, a lot of them, he could tell. Why? Well, by the way they were so hypnotized by the girls' every moves, it must have been a while since they had anything young. The Prideux sighed and, already tired and with a slight headache from the song, contemplated leaving. But then he saw someone he never expected to see again: Karma Black.

A grin appeared on his face and he got up, ignoring the now pouting stripper, making his way over to the girl. "Well, well, well," Alec said, coming up behind her, "look who's here."

Karma looked up at the boy who approached her, a hungry grin flickering over her face before she schooled her expression. "Well well, Licky. Fancy meeting you here." She crossed her ankles on the cushioned chair and pat the space in front of it in invitation. "Nice to see you."

Her eyes flickered to the new girl, dancing like an amateur, and she smirked. Seriously, she could do better. Brown eyes returning to her old friend, she grinned. "What on early are you doing in here, Licky?"

Alec took a seat in front of her and raised an eyebrow, an amused grin on his face. "Don't you think I'm getting a bit too old for that nickname, Kitty?" he asked, taking another sip of his butterbeer, "Though, it's nice to see you too. Merlin, it's been years."

His eyes followed hers to the girl dancing and he smirked, "A bit pathetic, isn't she? The previous one was nice, though, I must say. Really nice." The boy raised an eyebrow at her question, "I thought you of all people would know what a boy does at a strip club."

"Mrrow." She teased, making a slight pawing motion with her hand. "You'll always be Licky to me, Alec." She grinned at him, before lounging back again, eyes sliding over him, noting the changes. Growing up had done him good. "It has been ages though, hasn't it? How's life been treating you, without me to protect you?" Sticking out her tongue, her eyes returned to the girl dancing for the shortest of seconds. Couldn't they just put out a new act already?

"Me of all people?" Karma asked, feigning shock. "Why me of all people? I'm sure there are tons of others who know what boys do in strip clubs..." She made a face of mock reproach. "Then again, aren't you a bit young to be in here?"

"Please, Karma, you didn't protect me. I usually got into way more trouble when I was with you," Alec rolled his eyes at his old friend, but gave her a grin, "Though that was always fun. Do you still remember that handshake?"

"Look who's talking," he scoffed, calling the barman over to ask for another drink, "You're roughly one year older." He looked at her pointedly and poked her side, "If I'm a bit young, then so are you."

"Like I could forget the handshake. I practically invented it!" She shoved him upward, rising to her feet beside him, frowning up at the height difference. Before, she had easily been taller than him. Now, he was at least a few inches above her.

Loser.

"But I'm loads more mature." She countered easily, squealing slightly and sidestepping his poke. "I'm practically ten years older than you, all the maturity I have over you." She extended her hand as if to shake his, the beginning of their handshake.

"Hey!" Alec protested, "I invented it as well, missy. You're not the only one." He got up and grinned down at her, noticing how much taller he was now. "Someone's getting shorteeeer," he teased.

"More mature? Are you sure?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow, "Maybe one or two years, definitely not ten. Besides, I'm taller. That counts for something, shorty."

The Prideux was a bit uneasy before shaking her hand, wondering if he still recalled correctly all the movements to the handshake, but, as he shook it, everything came back to him. He felt like the little boy again, doing the famous handshake with his old friend.

Once the handshake was over, five minutes after it had started, she was pulled forward into a hug, as was Alec. She wrapped her arms around him, grinning into the fabric of his shirt before she pulled away. She aimed a soft punch - soft for her, probably hard enough to bruise - at his shoulder. "Shut up." She said easily. "It isn't my fault you're turning into troll."

She grinned teasingly. "Well... more of a troll then you are already."

Alec chuckled as she pulled him into a hug and tried to dodge her punch, with no such luck. He frowned and rubbed his shoulder, wondering how she had gotten so much stronger. She had always been strong, but not this much. He knew this wasn't her hardest - and he really didn't want to find out how hard she could do.

"Ouch. That actually kind of hurt," he told her, taking his hand off his shoulder, "You go around punching me and I'm the troll? Really Black, really?"

Karma grinned cheekily, raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm too short to be a troll." She noted, glancing at the stage for the briefest of moments and taking note of the blonde woman up there now. Karma knew the vampire by reputation - she was the best in the club.

"Maybe you should get a stronger arm, if that hurt you so much, crybaby."

"Ha, so you admit to being a shorty," Alec teased her and sent her a wink, following her eyes as they flickered briefly to the stage. He raised an eyebrow at the blonde and turned to his friend, "Is she any good?"

The boy pouted and flopped down on the couch again. "How's Nightie?"

"She's alright." Perching on the boy's lap, Karma lounged backward also, laying across him so her head rested on his shoulder. Crossing her ankles, she folded her arms over her stomach. She was easily lighter than him, barely weighing anything compared to what he did. She was simply comfortable using him a cushion; he had been for uncountable years before, and he still was.

"Nightie's fine." She said lightly, her eyes lighting on woman as she watched her dance. "I'm sure she's visited you before."

Alec watched the woman dance, his eyes following her every move. He had to admit she was better than a lot of the other ones, and her dancing made him feel a bit. . . restless, you could say. Uncomfortable. Especially when she caught him staring and moved closer to where they were seated. Karma only made it worse by seating on his lap - and he prayed she couldn't feel anything.

"She has," he told her while he moved his leg to try to cover the . . . slight disturbance. "I just haven't seen her in a while. What? Does she not like me anymore?" he asked with a small pout.

Squirming against his movement, Karma grinned impishly, her eyes flashing to the boy beneath her before her focus was on the blond woman again. "Maybe she was annoyed by all your conquests." She teased. "I've heard that not only are you snogging Gryffindors - honestly, I thought I'd taught you better than to be the other man - but you're snogging males as well. Curious are we?" Playing with the boy's hair, she sat up again, directly on top of his 'disturbance'.

"By the feel of things, though-" she moved her hips against his problem, a small smirk playing on her lips. "-these rumors must be slightly off kilter. Perhaps Julian was just a phase, hmm?"

"Snogging Gryffindors? Just one, and how did you hear about that?" Alec asked, trying to ignore his friend downstairs and the blonde before him, "Never mind. I don't even want to know how you know everything." His jaw dropped, however, when she mentioned the incident with Julian. "Rousseau? How do you- when did you- I did not snog him!" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

His cheeks reddened a bit, which was a rare occasion, since he did not usually feel embarrassed. "Alright, Karma, you can stop teasing my little buddy. And shut up about the whole Julian thing, you know very much I like women."