The air in "The Rusty Mug" hung thick with the scent of stale beer, sweat, and rebellion. Anna, leader of the Iron Serpents, surveyed her domain. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a tight braid, revealing the intricate tattoo of a serpent coiling around a dagger on her neck. Her brown eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were currently narrowed in annoyance. Another Romeo was trying his luck, flexing biceps that, frankly, looked pathetic compared to hers.

"Come on, Anna," he slurred, leaning too close. "Just one dance?"

Anna just smirked, a flash of metal from her lip ring catching the dim light. "Buzz off, Ricky. You're cramping my style."

Ricky, defeated, slunk back to his corner, muttering about women lacking taste. Anna ignored him. She’d heard it all before. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry in a leather vest tried to impress her. Muscle, tattoos, roaring engines - none of it did a thing for her. She hadn't a clue what would, until she saw him.

He was standing by the jukebox, looking utterly lost. He was…round. Pleasantly so. Soft around the edges, unlike the hard, chiseled men that usually populated her world. He wore a black hoodie that strained slightly across his belly. He was fumbling with the jukebox controls, his cheeks flushed a delightful shade of pink.

Anna felt an odd tug in her chest, a sensation she’d never experienced before. Intrigue? Amusement? Possibly even…attraction?

She sauntered over, her steel-toed boots thudding against the worn wooden floor. "Having trouble, pal?"