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One is wearing an eye patch. There are five on one side of the table and five on the other, with one sitting at the head. Evil boss position.

A lot of shoulders tense when I come into view.

“I heard there’s a missing eye?” I ask calmly but don’t move any further into the room.

There are tables around them with all the chairspulled out randomly as if they tried to create a maze on the path to where they sit. Lots of chances to trip.

In a fight, a clear pathway would be easier. These guys are big enough that I don’t think it would matter to them as much as it would me. I don’t see any exposed weapons, but I also can’t see under the table where they sit to find hidden ones.

“Aye, it pains me so,” the one with the eye patch says with an Irish brogue. Sue me, I love that accent, so I recognize it. “Over here, little girl, and ease me.”

The comment is met with chuckles from several around the table. They watch me warily. It’s like they think I’m going to go straight up Kimi and attack them, laughing the whole way. Why are they so on edge?

“Why don’t you on come over here and let me look then my delicate little flower?” I pull one of the chairs closest to me with my foot and pat the seat, making my Texas accent thick enough to slice.

Eleven eyes (sorry, ten pairs and a single) look at me with surprised frowns. One guy with sunglasses is trying not to smile. I guess I’m not supposed to snark back but come on.Little girl? Give me a break.

Eye patch turns to the man sitting at the head of the table. He doesn’t look any different than the rest of them, not obviously older or grimmer, but he’s clearly the ringleader here. He looks me up and down, elbows resting on the table, and then nods at eye patch.

Patch gets up and makes his way to me. For a male with an eye covering, he’s undoubtedly agile and has a great sense of spatial awareness. If he can navigate the maze they’ve set up, this injury is very old.

I step aside and gesture to the seat before pulling up my own to face him. He sits with his knees spread and arms crossed, leaning away from me.

“Is there anything left of the eye?” I go through the motions, unsure if I’m doing this.

“Would it be a problem if there wasn’t?” He shoots back with a smirk.

“Yeah,” I sigh in exasperation. “I can’t magically poof an eyeball to you. I have to have something to work with.”

“Why don’t ya just see what ya can do, girlie?” Damn my weakness for accents!

“Fine,” I roll my eyes and wave a hand towards the patch. “Would you remove that, please?”

I should just junk-punch this guy and bail.

He takes it off while the rest of his group watches closely. Some are leaning back for a better view, but theleader is glaring at me with an edge of hostility I don’t understand. He acts like I pissed in his beer.

The scarring around Patch’s eye looks like they were caused by a fire. His upper lid overlaps the lower and is sealed shut as if it had melted. I lean forward and prod the spark awake again.

At first, it’s ragey, and then it seems to realize someone needs to be fixed up because it goes straight to work with a flash of spite. The orb is still inside and can be repaired.

“You couldn’t have it removed?” It’s kind of a no-brainer question. It obviously scarred shut, and only surgery would have helped. I don’t see this guy heading for the ER any time soon, if ever. He’s too macho. “I bet you’ve had constant problems with infections over the years.”

“You didn’t flinch,” a voice calls from the table, but I don’t turn to see who spoke. I’m busy.

“Why would I?” I ask absently.

“All the women flinch,” another voice says mockingly.

“Or run screaming,” another jokes, and they laugh.

Patch tenses up slightly. The joke doesn’t sit well with him, but he’s not letting it show to everyone else. I’m sure it’s been used more than enough times for him to get sick of it.

I make a noncommittal noise and meet Patch’s single blue eye. “Screw them. If they can’t handle it, they don’t deserve an Irish ride, am I right?”

His eye widens as he bursts out in surprised laughter.

The table falls into silence again, and I refocus.