---

She drew her eyebrows together once more, clearly confused as he beckoned for her knife. “Oh, you want it? That's not how we played it,” she murmured, chewing at her lip again. “One person splays their fingers, the other does the stabbing. It's like a trust thing, I think.”

“But we can do it your way if you really want to, sir. Seems like less fun though.”

Blade gave the knife a little twirl, the edge dangerously close to his hand as he plunged it downwards in between his fingers.

Taktaktaktaktaktaktaktaktaktaktak

The tip of the weapon made soft thudding noises against the counter with every light jab the Biker made, his fingers remaining unmolested as he did it at a constant, speedy pace.

After a minute or two, he paused, glancing upwards at her and gesturing for her to do the same.

“Wow!” She gushed, picking up his hand and inspecting his gloves. It appeared as if he hadn't nicked himself even once. “Was that your first time?” The blue haired girl asked, grinning up into the reflective surface of his visor.

He shook his head in response. It hadn’t been his first time; he was familiar with the game during his time waiting for his Psychologist. She made him stop, though that didn’t keep him from doing it back at his place.

“Still pretty neat. You have spectacular hand eye coordination, stranger.” Calliope then took hold of the handle and spread her fingers. She began stabbing down at a steady rhythmic pace while singing under her breath, “...I have all my fingers, the knife goes chop, chop, chop. And if I miss the spaces in between my fingers will come off…”

After a couple more moments of this she gets to the end and picks up the pace only to slice a bit of her pinky on the last swipe. “Ugh,” she grumbled, irritated at herself more than in any real pain; she had only grazed it. “Guess I’m out of practice.”

Well, the girly had managed to cut herself. Good job. Blade smirked lightly at his victory, resting his elbow on the counter.

She couldn't see his face, but she could practically feel the smugness coming off him in waves. “Yes, yes, you won,” she confirmed, giving him a small smile. “Did you want another drink then? Or do you want me to take the shot?”

Blade shook his head in a negative manner, reaching out his hands and motioning them as if he was revving an invisible bike. As much as he would’ve loved for this girl to keep buying him free shit, he still had to drive home. Once again, he took out the soggy fiver, slapping it onto the counter. Then, he pointed at her, and motioned downing a shot glass.

’Oh, he’s driving,’ she realized at his little handlebar gesture. It was nice that he was being responsible about it, because even though his helmet seemed to be made of sturdy stuff she’d hate to see it tested against the asphalt. He slaps the five down again and the blue eyed girl shook her head, picking it up again and pressing it into his hoodie pocket this time.

“No, I lost so I have to pay for it,” she explained. Or was that how it worked? Were these rules written down somewhere? Who really knew at this point, Calliope just waved down the bartender again and soon enough was taking another shot.

Her toes were starting to feel tingly.

“Okay, let's play my way now,” she declared, popping her pinky into her mouth to clean the blood off before setting her hand back down and spreading her fingers again while offering him the knife with her other one.

Blade took the knife, eyeing her suspiciously and wondering if she was in the right state of mind to be doing this. Regardless, it was her fingers in the end. He gave the edge a slight flick, suddenly plunging it down to the countertop and in between her fingers. Weaving in and out between her digits, the titanium steel did nothing to her hand, Blade fully knowing what he was doing. However, the concern for his own fingers grew.

He made it another round and the blade never even came close to faltering. ’I like this one,’ she decided as she took her knife again, all while laying his hand down on the counter and nudging his fingers apart. “Are you nervous?” She asked, glancing up and shooting him a shy smile. “We better do this quick then, before that second shot hits.”

Calliope jams the blade down hard before starting back up on the tapping, her tongue sticking out a bit as she concentrated on not stabbing the stranger. It didn't matter so much on her hands, she and her dad had hit them enough when she was younger that the pain didn't bother her much, but it was different with helmet man. She wanted to make a good impression and show him that should he need a friend for the upcoming zombie apocalypse, she was his man.

”...and chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, I’m picking up the speed. If I miss the spaces in between then my hand will start to bleed!” she finished, chunking the knife down and picking his hand up to inspect it.

There wasn't a scratch on it.

As much as he enjoyed this little game of slice and dice, he couldn't stand being in this place any longer than he had to. Blade scolded himself; he let himself get distracted in his quest for free shit. Regardless, it was too late to leave now. He had left the bar with relative ease, but he wasn't a total asshole as to go someplace when people wanted him to stay. For the most part, that is.

The only concern he had now was figuring out the quickest way to get home. He glanced at the girl, eyeing her curiously.

Was she drunk?

Calliope dropped his hand after a moment, nose wiggling as the tingling in her toes seemed to spread to her fingers. “No more shots for me,” she explained while grabbing the knife again while lifting her skirt back up so she could tuck it into her garter once more. Even though she was planning on calling a cab to get home, she didn't think it was a good idea to get completely wasted in a place like this.

“Thank you f-for playing with me, friend, I enjoyed it very much,” the blue haired girl confessed, stumbling over the words a little.

Blade nodded, standing up from his stool and gazing upon her once more. Revving his invisible bike, he pointed at her.

Did she have a ride home?

“Um…,” she hummed, pursing her lips and squinting at him to try and better understand what he was trying to say. It was getting a little harder to focus now. “...do you have to go now?”

Blade nodded, pointing at his watch.

10:45 PM.

Foam night could only go on for so long before they had to shut it down and clean the place. That, and people tended to get sick of being soggy after awhile.

Calliope was already having to pause between her sentences.

What a lightweight she was.

“Oh, I see,” she said, not able to hide her disappointment. Well, at least she had interacted with someone for more than five minutes and it wasn't a total disaster. It had actually been very charming. “I should probably go home too.” The vet student pulled out her phone and struggled for a moment to punch in her passcode. She was successful on her third attempt. “Um, did you want to play again sometime?” Calliope asked suddenly, looking back up into his visor where she assumed his eyes were.

Did he have eyes?

Of course he must, right?

---

A collaboration with @Bozo.

"No no no no no please don't hang up we have to talk about this!"

"Your going to be fine. Stop acting like a child i'm hanging up"

"No, please don't hang up! Just....why are you moving?! You were supposed to be my guide..My partner in crime you know?"

"Ugh I already told you this a thousand times; I have a job opportunity in Europe for my company. I'm taking it no matter what"

Sonny stopped in the middle of the side walk and leaned on some random building "Please don't leave me". He took a few shallow breaths as he started to panic "I cant be left alone out here! I don't know anyone. I don't know what to do without you! Please let me go with you! I'll pay for the full rent and everything is you stay!"
"For gods sake grow up! I'm tired of you being a dependent you are going to learn to survive on your own. Good bye. I'm leaving tomorrow"

The call ended.

Sonny looked at the phone in horror before redialing over and over only for the call to be declined each time. He held the phone to his chest as he looked around 'what now'. He's going to alone! what should he do!. He started to hyperventilate at the thought of his friend leaving. Soon he counted to 3 and took in his surroundings. Where was he? Great he wondered off again not paying attention to where he was going.....Again.

The sidewalk was filled with people hurrying along. He looked at the building and saw through the glass; there was pretty people chatting and talking inside. Letting out a sigh Sonny calmed himself 'I still have one day until....the unknown' . Taking a deep breath he wondered around the new crowded streets hoping to find a familiar street name. He continued walking observing the tall brightly colored buildings and extravagant signs. Well they don't call it shine city for nothing.

After about ten minutes jotting down notes in a muddled mess of poorly written hiragana and barely readable English, and another ten minutes trying to down her cappuccino without setting fire to her insides, Aya began to feel that her stay in the outside world was becoming too long for her liking. It was already ten minutes to ten - twenty minutes after she had arrived at Mochavine - and the effects of the coffee were beginning to send her mind into a complete caffeine clusterfuck. As much as Aya liked her midnight college study buddy, it seemed that other people handled a cup of coffee much better than she ever would. Her eyelids felt like they were being stretched to the size of a shower drain, and it didn't look like they would be shutting closed any time soon. Her mind called for sleep, but the caffeine called for a midnight march down the streets of Shine City. With a groan escaping her lips, it was clear the woman wasn't keen on taking another leg-exhausting walk. In the dark and in this chili weather, too.

Of course, it wasn't bitter winter cold outside, but it was cold enough to make Aya tug at her not-so-long-enough beige sleeves. Shine City was a totally different landscape during the night hours; it was just like some neon rainbow light show on a much larger scale. Grand city scale, to be exact. The lights of Shine Junction blinded Aya's grey eyes, and rather than sending them into a helpless squint, they widened to a size that she didn't think was even possible. At this point in time and the crazy coffee state she was in, it wouldn't be surprising to see the woman experiencing and epileptic seizure in front of a restaurant window.

She then reached in to her satchel and rummaged around for something, continuously shaking it to her that familiar jingling sound of her apartment keys. Aya might as well check for them now in advance, especially when the realisation of being out alone at night had just come to her.

Only thing was, she couldn't hear any jingling or jangling.

No. This cannot be happening.

Running over to a small rail she placed her bag on it and did a thorough search through each and every pocket there was. She even attempted to reach into her God awful fake skirt pockets, which, of course, didn't turn out so well. The search lasted about five minutes, but there was no such luck. It was at this moment that Aya made the decision to kick a poor coke can into an alleyway, only to worry a second later if she would actually get fined for littering or not. Getting into trouble for such things was just a bother, even if she did happen to start the whole ordeal in the first place. Oh how tempted she was to just haul that trash bin onto the road in rage. She could have been in bed by now, snoozing off until ten the next morning!

Well, now that she was practically locked out until she figured a way to break into her apartment, Aya decided it was time to relieve herself from her coffee consumption through a simple stroll. Again.

And a time to reflect on everything. Everything.

Like when she almost tripped over that man's dog. And when she chased after those pigeons. And when she got a bit too angry at the blue haired lady. And when she scuttled off and went overboard on a minor shopping trip.

And all those other events that could have happened in the past. But didn't.

Oh, it was going to be one of those nights. A night where she would reflect on everything, and a night where she would vaguely remember anything (the next morning).

A few minutes later, Shiny Park came into view, living up to its name with the glowing golden lamps flashing through the darkness. Aya would then plop herself on a bench in the bare shop window's line of sight, just so she was aware to not stride too deep into this sombre scene of the park. Eyes closed, with a slow inhale, she leaned her head back, then exhaled. She couldn't get a proper glimpse of the night sky behind those dark clouds, though.

All the light from above had been extinguished.

Clouds gathering,
Stars scattering,
A night of nothingness.

Theodore Maxwell

---

As the bartender cocked his head to the side Theo did the same, wondering why the bartender would do such a thing. Maybe it was a drink that wasn't ordered very often or maybe he didn't know how to make it. Hearing him confirm the order the idea that bartender didn't know how to make it disappeared, Theo watching him make the drink closely quite interested to know what exactly was in what he had ordered. The tequila, vodka, and whiskey didn't bother him, but the last ingredient made Theo blink twice.
[color=OrangeRed]"Tabasco sauce? Well, I see why my landlady likes it. Although by the amount, this looks like it going to rip my stomaching lining apart and burn going in ... and out. Oh well gotta drink it since I ordered it. This would explain why she refused to tell me what's in it. All she said was down it in one go." he thought as he watched the drink get made.

As the drink was passed to him Theo looked at the bartender as he spoke, giving the man a smile as he warned him. "Oh well. I at least it will be an interesting trip." Theo said in a uncaring tone, as he picked the drink up and brought it to his mouth. Theo was about to take he's first gulp of his drink, but lowered it instead looking at the bartender for a second.
"Hmmm, I getting the feeling I should pay you for this now ... not to mention that round."" Theo said setting the drink down.
"This should cover everything, if not tell me next time I'm in here or if I still have a few brain cells left after this." Theo stated setting stack of hundreds he had coned out of Jack on the counter. Picking up the drink. Theo gave the bartender a thankful nod, knowing that if the bartenders warning was right he'd be flat on his ass very soon. Bring the drink to his mouth. Theo began to chug it, the first second being absolutely fine until the Tabasco kicked in. The second it did Theo eyes began to water, his tongue feeling like it was being dipped in magma. Despite this feeling Theo continued to chug, although it took quite a bit off effort to do so as his body natural instincts kept telling to get rid of the drink.

By a mix of dumb luck and sheer force of will Theo managed to down the entire lot, placing the now empty glass it had been in on the bar. Theo eyes still watering, although the look in them was on of utter bliss. A little dark secret of Theo's showing itself as the young man loved feeling pain. Theo's mouth and stomach where burning so much it was actually hurting him.
... burns ... it like ... in heaven... pain... good" he manged to work out of his burning mouth, finding it rather hard to get his mouth to move. In fact everything was starting to blur and none of his limbs wanted to respond when he wanted them to. A minute passed and Theo lost his balance falling and somehow managed to catch himself on the bar. Was it a minute? Was was two or three? Could it have been 6 or 9? Theo wasn't sure, as the ability was shattered into a thousand little pieces.

It took another few minutes for the burning to fade, Theo looking a little sad as it did. Looking at the bartender with glassy eyes, Theo trying to speak but all the came out was garbled mess of noise. Letting going for the bar for a reason unknown Theo feel to the floor, the young man now way too drunk to even care or feel it. Laying on the floor Theo merely looked up the ceiling glassy eyed, Theo currently lacking the ability to control his limbs.
@Sarcelle Renard

@Jay Kalton

Sonny Lee

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

It was getting late, All the lights were even more bright. He wandered along the streets Passing by crowded bars and cubs. Oh god he really wanted to join in and get off the now emptying streets. It was too quiet for his liking. His feet hurt as he trudged along the side walk looking at the street signs. The lights hurt his eyes and started to have a headache. He wished Payton was here to yell at him or insult him..At least he wasn't alone when she was around. He sighed as he lead away from the bigger building tired of the stinging of his eyes.

As he wandered along the less shiny areas of the city he found a park. Oh great! a park that doesn't seem like a serious threat to the elderly! Sonny followed the trail to the playground and took a deep sigh as he looked down at his dead phone....Probably should've looked for directions before it died....He pushed his phone in his pocket and looked around for a somewhat less threatening looking person. So far the park was pretty much empty.

Then with a strike of luck He found a woman slumped on a park bench. He hesitated for a bit. Sonny stared at her groaning as he thought about the conversation. He contemplated before manning up and headed to the bench consciously. He put on a smile and spoke up "e-..Excuse me, ma'm I seem to be lost. If you could be so kind to give me directions? I'm sorry for being a bother..Oh oh I'm sonny by the way"...Then he wanted to face palm. He just bombarded this poor woman with a clusterfuck of rambling.

(sorry it took so long I was concealing my friends nip slip and found out we are going to a concert long story)

Ah. No. Kyle was mistaken, he only thought the bartender was hearing out his order, turns out he didn't catch it as he continued to serve other patrons. He could have been pissy about it, but the place was busy and he wasn't an ass who was just gonna shout at a guy for trying to do his job the best he could. Instead, he'd be patient and wait for his drink, what was the worst five more minutes could do?

He silently observed the bartender go about his business, even watching him prepare some concoction with Tabasco sauce in it and deliver it to a white haired man. 'Huh...looks like Shou almost,' Maybe a younger version if he could even say that, it was probably just the silver/white hair the two seemed to share. Regardless it got Kyle thinking about the silver haired biology professor, he'd been in once or twice to his work to get his glasses adjusted, but other than that Kyle hadn't seen the man in quite a while. That got him thinking about why he was thinking about Shou. He figured Ryoki's interaction had something to do with it, making him think about the people he knew in the city or at least met. Mr. Hiroshi and Dr. Dajianus, Shou, Ryoki, his twin from the ball, Jenny, Nick (that was a fight), and...

How much time had passed?

It was at this point that Kyle had woken up just enough to find the white haired man fall out of his stool...hard. "Shit..." Kyle slid off his stool and made his way to the fallen man as quickly as the other patrons would allow him. Kneeling next to him, Kyle looked down at the guy and checked him over, 'Well he's breathing, so he's not dying, but damn he looks fucked.'

"Hey, you alright man?" Kyle snapped his fingers by his ear to get a reaction. Turning to the bartender Kyle asked, "What the hell did he drink?"

@Evil Snowman @Sarcelle Renard

@Dynamo Frokane@Takashi

Ryoki noted down the drinks and smiled at the two kindly and cutely, something she didn't do often. "Okay! A white wine spritzer for the customer and a sparkling water for the dealer! Anything else?" If anything else was to be ordered, Ryoki would write it down before heading over to the bar. As soon as she was out of sight, Ryoki's heart began to slow down.

'Woo! I feel so accomplished right now!'

With a joyful grin, Ryoki strolls over to the bar and places the order unto the orders "rack", as they called it, before making her way to another part of the casino, taking in more orders. Orders would come in, and drinks would come out: that was the way things rolled. It was a swift process, with customers often getting their drinks within a few minutes of ordering on a popular day, the process often being a lot quicker than in other casinos and bars due to the fact the staff all worked fast. The science behind it was all really simple: the more intoxicated you can make the customer, the better.

It was only a matter of minutes before Ryoki had returned to the blackjack table at which Yutaro was dealing, and, as expected, her approach was rather unique. Jacques would feel a strange pressure pressing against his back; a squishy yet firm set pressed against his back, as arms reach around his neck and set two glasses on to the blackjack table before him.

"One white wine spritzer, and one sparkling water, for the two most handsome young men in the casino tonight~." Ryoki smiles and leans back as she delivers the drinks, now uncertain as to what it is she should do now, and for a moment it showed, although it was only a moment. "Is there anything else I can help you with, gentlemen?" She asks, her heart silently hoping she could stay, even though she knew it probably wouldn't be for too long assuming she could...

@rocklee@Jay Kalton

He had just reached an intriguing section on the relationship between two obscure goddesses embedded in the Bablyonian mythology when he heard footsteps from his right. Looking to the source, he found a tall, almost statuesque woman with ebony colored hair approaching the bench a few feet away from his. She seemed oblivious to his presence, situating herself on the bench and relaxing her posture. It was nice to know that others sought the comfort of the outdoors during the night. He smiled, then continued his perusal of Babylonian goddesses for a few more minutes until he was once again interrupted, this time by the nervous energy of someone named Sonny, who was rather desperate for directions. Akihiro closed his book before looking to Sonny, whose anxiety about being lost created a desire within the graduate assistant to do something to end the mans plight.
"Sonny, I think I may be able to help. Where exactly do you need to get to?" He gave Sonny a pleasant enough smile as he tucked the book against his right side and rose, only to be caught off guard by how...familiar Sonny looked. He would explore that avenue of thought later; for now, he needed to play the role of helpful citizen.
"I've got an app on my phone that can get you pointed in the right direction. Here, let me take it out..." With his free hand, he withdrew his cell phone to be greeted by a frozen lock screen. He grimaced as he repeatedly swiped at the image of he and his sister throwing rocks at a pigeon to no avail.
"Oooof course." He shot an apologetic smile to Sonny, telling him:
"And in the normal grand plan of our wonderful universe, my phone is acting like it doesn't know how to get past the lock screen. Sorry." He cast a glance at the woman on the bench. Maybe she could help? She didn't appear to give off the desire of being engaged in conversation, but a simple request wouldn't be that offensive...right?
"Excuse me, miss...is there a way I could use your phone? Or maybe use it yourself so we can get this wayward soul home?" He chuckled slightly, looking to Sonny confidently.
"We'll get you where you need to go."

@freedomliveson@Jay Kalton


.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The woman snapped out of her strange daze. She stood up and looked down at sonny with a very displeased face...After a few moments of awkward silence the woman finally spoke. "If you… want 'directions', I think there is a train station near here. I do not know where you are going, but I think if you go there you will be able to find your way… to your location.". Sonny nodded happily thank goodness she was-"Are you an idiot?". Sonny felt his chest clench oooh that stung."Ah, sorry, I mean…" she shouted, waving her hands in front of her."I… I will show you to the train station. It is… getting quite dark, so I will walk you there. If that is all right with you."
"Sonny, I think I may be able to help. Where exactly do you need to get to?". Sonny snapped his head to the source of the voice. Huh...he didn't see him there a second ago..or simply wasn't paying attention to his surroundings..again. "Oh thank you so much! I need to get to the Shimmer Luxury apartments...I Know its close to Shine city university of preforming arts". At least he could remember that detail of it..usually he'd just refer to his phone for directions..But it was dead. The man looked pretty friendly and Sonny relaxed instantly."I've got an app on my phone that can get you pointed in the right direction. Here, let me take it out..." Sonny nodded quickly as he waited anxiously. All he wanted to do was go home and over feed his cat, Then convince Payton to stay..but that would be selfish wouldn't it?... Then came the bitch slap of life..."Oooof course." He shot an apologetic smile,"And in the normal grand plan of our wonderful universe, my phone is acting like it doesn't know how to get past the lock screen. Sorry." Sonny felt his heart sink and he sighed even though he gave a soft chuckle to the statement "Its totally fine I'm sorry for burdening you" he said quickly. He felt a rush of embarrassment as he realized his attempts lead to nothing. Then he saw the man turn to the woman at the bench and ask "Excuse me, miss...is there a way I could use your phone? Or maybe use it yourself so we can get this wayward soul home?". Sonny laughed a bit at how the man stated the question. He had a unique way of talking something you would read in poetry, or something of high literature. Then the helpful man turned to him and gave him a smile."We'll get you where you need to go.". And with that sonny gave a wide smile and shook his hand vigorously "Thank you so much for your effort sir!". Thank god these nice people didn't scrutinize him or hopefully dint question his intelligence. The only thing that he needed to get home was the woman's lifesaving phone..Hopefully shes up for it. Then again he could understand if she didn't want to give her phone to two strangers.

After spending a couple of minutes contemplating her twenty-four years on earth and groaning at her current existential crisis, Aya opened her eyes to the still clouded sky and opened her ears to someone's voice. Darn, and she was just recalling the one time she almost beat some guy to a pulp after having a volleyball purposely thrown at her face… How fun those school days had been.

"Excuse me, ma'am I seem to be lost. If you could be so kind to give me directions?"

Her head swung forward with so much force she could hear a small crack as she tried to face the stranger. Aya knew the streets wouldn't be too crowded at ten in the evening, (so she decided to let herself 'relax' for a bit) but being seen in her current relaxed state wasn't a state she wanted to be seen in. She'd probably looked like some sort of maniac in the position she had been in, just gawking at the grey sky as if there was literally something to be seen. If she were to make an excuse now, it would be the caffeine.

Ah, wait. This… boy was asking for directions, wasn't he? But directions to where? Had this boy/man not considered asking where he actually wanted to go? Even though she had moved to this area seven months ago, Aya's knowledge of the city layout and her sense of direction in general was terrible. Getting lost was bother, a problem and a pain, so the woman decided to remain in a familiar place and a familiar environment.

But still, Aya thought this person was a bit of an idiot.

"If you… want 'directions', I think there is a train station near here. I do not know where you are going, but I think if you go there you will be able to find your way… to your location."

Standing up, she looked at the stranger; or rather, looked down at the stranger. A black mushroom for a head and a frail body that made Aya herself look like a gorilla… Was this some high school kid who was out way past his bedtime or some man years older than her with a face of an innocent looking child? Either way, this conversation and her ongoing thoughts on this little man were dragging on far longer than they should have. Aya should have probably stopped staring at him, too.

Then came the introduction of his name. His name. That defied Aya's social logic on so many levels it sent her mind into a spiral of endless 'whys'. You don't just… go up to someone and say what your name was, did you? You ask for directions and you go. And if you're an introverted cinnamon roll type of person, then you quietly ask for directions, maybe repeat what you said again since you were too quiet, utter a small thank you and go.

"Are you an idiot?"

Shit. She'd said that out loud.

"Ah, sorry, I mean…" she shouted, waving her hands in front of her to clear out any misunderstandings. "I… I will show you to the train station. It is… getting quite dark, so I will walk you there. If that is all right with you."

Then, right behind the supposed high schooler appeared another man, red haired and just as much of a giant as she was. Just what was it and these random encounters with these peculiar people today?

Thankfully, this man's personality wasn't as fiery as his hair (or Aya's own personality), and he seemed to be willing to help; which was very helpful, seeing as Aya didn't even know her way to the train station herself from here.

Think before you speak, Aya. This is happening way too often, now. You don't want to get arrested for picking up lost little boys on the street. At night as well.

The man then suggested the idea of using some sort of app to find their way. Aya wanted to smile at the idea, but at the same time wanting to tear at her red beret for not thinking of such a simple solution to this problem. She ended up facing the reddish haired man with an odd, crooked smile that made her want to roll away into the darkness of the park.

The revelation of Sonny actually being a university student and remembering that she had thought he was a high schooler had also made her want to roll away into the darkness of the park. In an attempt to hide her astonished snort, she turned to the side and faked a coughing fit. Ah, the lengths she went through to hide her embarrassment.

"Excuse me, miss...is there a way I could use your phone? Or maybe use it yourself so we can get this wayward soul home?" the wordy man said, chucking a bit. He did seem like a person she could trust… but then again, this was the real world. No one could really be trusted.

Dammit, Aya. Your philosophical thoughts can wait until you get home.

She just hoped her phone wasn't as dead as his.

"Er… Please, wait for a second,"she murmured. "Hopefully, I can find an app on my phone that will not get us lost."

Opening it, she searched 'Shimmer Luxury Apartments' and waited for the app to work its magic. That apartment complex wasn't too far from her place, which was news to her.

Suddenly remembering the fact that she was locked out of her own apartment made her click her tongue in annoyance. Now supremely ticked off, she quickly made her way down the street where the app said to go.

"It is this way," she said to the man and the youthful little fellow. When she was a few metres away, she turned around once more to see if they had decided to follow this beret wearing giraffe.

With her phone in one hand, Aya began to rummage around her bag again.

@rocklee @freedomliveson

Without much warning, the ebony haired woman took off, mumbling something about it being a few meters away as she strode towards the exit of the park.

“Well, that didn’t take long.” He looked to Sonny with an amused smirk.
“Come on then. I don’t mind the evening stroll.”

Following the woman wasn’t too difficult of a proposition now that they had managed to catch up, Akihiro wondering to himself how Sonny had managed to secure such a swanky address. Shimmer Luxury Apartments were normally reserved for those who were making a lot more than college students could ever dream to earn during their tenure at the academy. Maybe Sonny had a rich family who boarded him there while at university? Or maybe he was an illegal art dealer that peddled exotic artifacts in exchange for large gobs of money…

Snorting at the thought, he continued to follow the woman. Their excursion had been a bit too quiet for his taste, so he decided to ask:

“Sonny, you mentioned that you’re a university student…what program are you enrolled in? I’m currently teaching a few undergraduate classes myself, but haven’t had the pleasure of coming across you in class yet.” Then he realized what a dope he was for not actually introducing himself.

“The name is Akihiro Takashi…or, to most of my students, the bane of their existence.” He chuckled slightly as they carried forward, the graduate assistant noting the bright neon lights in the distance that almost acted as a beacon for their destination. It wouldn’t be too long before they got to the apartment complex…right?

“Forgive me for the question, but are the luxury apartments really this close to clubs and shops?” He asked the raven haired woman, an apologetic smile crossing his face.

“Don’t mean to question your judgment at all, it’s just…well, I guess I don’t find my way out here all that often.”

@rocklee@Jay Kalton

If nothing else, Reiji found that he had to respect the pair of stones the white haired fool in front of him had. The guy had watched everything that went into his train-wreck-inducing drink and only batted an eyelash when the Tabasco sauce got thrown in. Picking up the stack of bills that were handed to him with one hand, Reiji gave the poor sod a farewell salute and said, ”That’s most likely for the best chief. I’ll hopefully see ya on the other side.” A quick glance at the wad in his hand gave him the impression that the whitey should be fine, but still Reiji found himself wondering if the guy would survive the monstrosity in case he was mistaken.

The first few moments of the horrible scene before him started out fine, but it was ridiculously easy to tell when whitey got his first taste of Tabasco. Reiji could only smile guiltily and watch, expecting at any time for his victim to give up chugging and retch terribly. Except whitey wouldn’t settle for defeat. Reiji’s smirk was replaced with a small frown, as his expression shifted to one of dismay as the little guy grew closer to downing his El Bastardo in one go. ”Now that just ain’t right…” he said to himself as whitey set his empty glass down on the counter. Of the few times he had seen a person dumb enough to actually order that drink, the guy in front of him had handled it the best. It was almost as if the crazy guy had enjoye-

’Oh.’

The amount of joy radiating out of whitey was borderline unnerving. And his garbled, euphoric ramblings was enough to make Reiji chuckle lightheartedly. ’Man, this city is made up of all kinds of folks,’ he noted, momentarily leaving his victim to his fate so that he could attempt to purge the glass of any foul remnants of the drink that had persisted. When he returned not even a few minutes later, whitey was a glassy eyed, wobbling mess in a bar stool. For some reason, his expression looked a bit sadder than when he had left him, which Reiji guessed had to do with the little masochist’s pain subsiding. But when he started to fail miserably at speaking, the punk began to realize that whitey wasn’t doing so hot.

”Hey,” he said to the obliterated guy, waving his hand in front of his face to try and get his attention, ”Look at me, are you alright?” His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the newest resident of Drunksville continued to confuse garbled noises for words. Reiji tried to grab him by the shoulder when he noticed him start to fall, but it was already too late for that. He could only watch the poor guy get all too familiar with the peanut-shell-coated floor far too quickly. A small sigh of exasperation escaped him as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ”I warned him this would happen,” he muttered, not all that concerned about his little dip. After all, he had seen plenty of people in much worse shapes survive quite a deal worse.

Thankfully, somebody else at least had the decency to make sure he was still breathing. Reiji turned his attention to the guy, who had black hair and was wearing glasses, and watched as he tried to get whitey’s attention. When said four-eyes leveled a question at him, Reiji merely shrugged. ”Just one of the foulest drinks I’ve ever had the displeasure of making, with enough alcohol in it to get half of this bar tipsy.” he replied simply. While it was tempting to leave whitey sprawled on the floor, Reiji imagined it would be a real problem for the bar if there was a fatality on its opening night. With a small shake of his red head, he made his way from behind the bar to the still unresponsive form of the brave white haired schmuck.

”Here, let’s at least make sure this chump doesn’t choke on his own vomit,” he told the four-eyes as he squatted next to the guy on the floor. Reiji had been there once and it was not an experience he ever wished upon any one else.

@Evil Snowman @BeastofDestiny

@freedomliveson@Jay Kalton

Sonny Lee

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
“Well, that didn’t take long.” He looked to Sonny with an amused smirk.
“Come on then. I don’t mind the evening stroll.”

Sonny scurried behind when he realized The overly intense lady started walking. He smiled lightly to himself grateful to have some sort of company on this unlucky night. The night was quiet and he could hear crickets and the rustle of the trees as the soft wind blew..oh if only I brought my camera then i could redraw the trees.... HE thought back to Payton and felt a sense of dread...She was the one that made the most money from her small business...Now that shes going to make it big...Will he even be able to stay where they were...Well he better hope someone needs a roommate or he will be in debt for the rest of his life....uggghh noo

“Sonny, you mentioned that you’re a university student…what program are you enrolled in? I’m currently teaching a few undergraduate classes myself, but haven’t had the pleasure of coming across you in class yet.” The nice man interrupted his thoughts and thank god for that. “The name is Akihiro Takashi…or, to most of my students, the bane of their existence.”. Sonny smiled and shook his hand"Oh! Nice to meet you Mr.Takashi. Umm i'm in The fine arts program and taking a few beginning courses with animation and writing... Wait! You teach? That's amazing!". Though the part about being the bane of his student's existence did sound scary but either way he laughed. Its best that Sonny kept his jokes to himself..No one needed to know how scary he can be...oh no..they don't need to know.

Then he saw the familiar yet annoying bright lights. The shops, malls and plazas were always to loud and bright. How has he not died from exhaustion from those weekends. Not that he didn't like the crowds and people but when it comes to sleep no mother fucker would dare to deprive him of that. HE. WILL. CUT. A. BITCH. Then Mr.Takashi spoke again but this time to lord palpatine that lead them.

“Forgive me for the question, but are the luxury apartments really this close to clubs and shops?” .“Don’t mean to question your judgment at all, it’s just…well, I guess I don’t find my way out here all that often.” Sonny piped in "Oh yeah I the area is familiar,its a real richy rich area where you'd think no one works since its always noisy and bright.". Then he realized did he even know the woman's name? "Excuse me ma'm I'm sorry for asking but what is your name..I MEAN if you want to tell me its fine!" he added the last part quickly hoping not to offend her.

Theodore Maxwell

---

The world was so simple, as Theo looked up at the roof glassy eyed. All the mattered was how pretty the sight before him was, never in his life had he seen such a lovely sight. All the while blissfully unaware that the bartender that had severed him and some good Sarmatian where coming to his aid. As something called out to him Theo only made a another noise in response, barely able to understand what was being said to him. What was it that something was saying. The sound of loud snapping in his ear rang, but Theo ignored it whatever it was surely someone else would deal with it. Even if he wanted to Theo body just didn't want to move, not that he wanted to move as whatever he was laying on was just so comfortable.

As Theo lay on the floor he could see some sort of thing squat down next to him, Theo unable to tell what it was as his eyes wouldn't focus on it. As the some sort of thing squatted down next to him it said something about not doing something, but Theo didn't fully hear what was spoken. It was hard to focus on what was being said around him, it was almost like the world was really far away. It wasn't just the what said around him everything seemed to fading into nothingness, his eyes where starting to grow heavy and bit by bit where starting to close.

---

If Jack hadn't known Theo as well as he did, he would have taken his eyes of his friend long ago. Unaware of his friends tendency to complete and utterly send himself into oblivion. Why because that was Theo, it was a task that wasn't easy give how well he could hold his liquor, but his friend always found a way. That didn't bother Jack it was the fact Theo rarely seemed to get hung over or if he did he was good at hiding it. Regardless having been friends with Theodore for so long when they went drinking together Jack always watched Theo and always made sure to have a means to get him home, after all that what a good friend.

Even as Jack was chatting up quite the looker of a girl, he watched Theo order some sort of drink and down it all in one go. Jack pretty sure this would be the one that put his friend on his ass. Sure enough it didn't take long after he had finished down whatever he had order Theo was on the floor.
"Typical ..." Jack thought as he excused himself form his female companion. Going over to Theo Jack noticed two others coming to his aid, causing Jack to sigh. One person he recognized as one of the bartenders, the other was ... well ... Jack didn't know. He hadn't seen Theo interact with him so maybe he was simply a nice person wanting to help the downed Theo.
"Hi folks, I'm sorry about Theodore." Jack stated to both of them, giving a small smile and a wave.
"I'm Jack and I'm this sorry drunks friend." he stated hoping the bartender would recall them coming in together, he didn't feel like trying to prove it.

@BeastofDestiny@Sarcelle Renard

Aya continued to shove her hands into the pockets of her satchel, but to no avail. She knew that her keys were indeed nowhere to be found, and she prayed that there was a spare somewhere inside the aged flower pot on her small windowsill. If not, then… Well, that's where her struggles began to surface again. Maybe she could crash at a cheap hotel for the night? Or just roam around the freakishly empty streets until the sun rose? The biggest flaw she saw in that plan was the fact that it was Saturday night; and Saturday night for her meant seeing people crawling into hotel rooms and diving into trash bins with a temporarily nonexistent conscience.

Gah, her head was in such a daze that she'd accidentally made a sharp turn into a concrete wall. It looked like getting drunk wasn't the only way to make yourself do stupid things.

Then, the mention of the other man's name. Aya might've as well slammed herself into another wall intentionally.

“The name is Akihiro Takashi…or, to most of my students, the bane of their existence.”

With her eyes slightly widened for some reason, Aya glanced over her shoulder and back at the road she was crossing.

"Excuse me ma'm I'm sorry for asking but what is your name...I MEAN if you want to tell me its fine!"

She was scouting out for a nearby wall to crash into, now. Glancing back once more, Aya attempted to confront the two about revealing names to strangers after just one encounter. But then, she began to wonder. Revealing just her first name wouldn't cause too much trouble, would it? There was most likely another Aya somewhere in the city, so as long as she didn't give out her full name then she wouldn't be attracting any future stalkers.

"I do not usually think saying my name to strangers is a logical decision," she answered, eyeing Sonny. "But saying my first should not be a problem. My name is… Aya."

It wasn't just Akihiro that had a 'wordy' tongue. Covering up her horrendous Engrish accent (during her first few days after moving out of her hometown) took a while, but moving from Japan to the Shine Country helped her with that. Sure, she did sound overly polite in the face of strangers, but as long as they could at least understand her then she was fine.

A second later, she would start to reconsider her revealing name decision. Aya wasn't really in any stage of anger right now, so her cautious side would always triumph over stupid actions.

Later on, they would arrive at what the app said to be Shimmer Luxury Apartments. It was just as she remembered the last time she walked past this rather wealthy area: bright lights (obviously), a flashy modern outlook (which made her quite jealous) and sparkling clean walls that looked like they had never experienced the disgusting horrors of pigeon shit. What really made her think was how this little human beside her had managed to bag such an expensive looking apartment. The fact that he was a university student as well made her wonder how many times the guy had been a victim of theft and 'you're rich and scrawny so we'll beat ye up for fun' moments.

"This is your home, then?" Aya questioned, her previous mental question still lingering. Poor guy. By the time Sonny would have hit 5'5, Aya would have only been about thirteen or so.

"You should go home now, Sonny," she said, craning her neck to look down at him again. "Actually, it is quite late now, we all should be going home at this time, so-"

Then, Aya remembered. Again.

Her apartment keys were gone.

Eyes widened to the size of shower drains, Aya cursed the night away under her hushed breath in a fit of internal rage and sad realisation. She didn't think the other two could actually hear her, though.

@rocklee @freedomliveson

"Well...damn," From that description, it sounded like he threw in everything but the kitchen sink. Kyle probably shouldn't have been surprised, he was watching the bartender make the drink for the floored man, 'Why Tabasco sauce though?' He watched tentatively as the bartender made his way 'round and crouch to the floor next to Kyle to offer assistance. His whole attitude seemed, lackluster, not in that he didn't care, more like he didn't give a fuck; big difference. "You always so casual when your patrons drink themselves to the floor, or is this just another Tuesday for you?" He said it more as a joke than a shot as he started grabbing for one arm as the bartender went for the other, "Thanks, by the way, er..." Kyle was about to ask his name before someone else showed up.

The man claimed to be the white haired drunk's friend, if that was the case why show up now? Where was he earlier? What was he doing earlier? Kyle supposed it didn't matter, he didn't particularly want to figure out where this guy lived and take him home or, if that didn't pan out, offer him shelter for the night. Kyle supposed this was a small blessing in disguise, "I think your friend might've had a little too much, but at least he didn't come alone, I guess we can hand him off to you now yea?"

Kyle looked down at the drunk to find him...snoring? "I uh...think he passed out...I don't suppose you need any help getting him home do you?"

@Sarcelle Renard @Evil Snowman

@Jay Kalton@freedomliveson

Sonny Lee

After a while of walking in silence abit longer. Sonny started to worry about what the others thought about him. Mr.Takahi was very literate and smart and miss nonamepimpmasta was well she gave the essence of a string leader. Something you'd see in a cheesy war movie but still admirable. Then there was him....Well he was probably boring in their eyes. They'd find him annoying if he tried to get to know them or at least he'd irritate the woman. He gave a sigh.....He's not going to survive on his own out here. If he can't even make it to Payton's apartment by himself then he sure as hell cant make it out here. God his mother is right he's useless! This was supposed to be a simple day at school not the street scene from 'Oliver and Company'. Sonny just wanted to apologize to the poor souls who is now walking him like a kid to their mommy. No one Payton is excited to leave, she can't handle all his bullshit. Then again she always said being with me was like babysitting.....ugh why couldn't he be normal, why couldn't he be a capable young man thats macho and smart and....tall. Even now he wishes on shooting stars that he'll be 6'1.

His day dream was cutoff however, when the lady turned to answer his previous question."I do not usually think saying my name to strangers is a logical decision" she said looking through his soul.
"But saying my first should not be a problem. My name is....Aya."

Finally they made to the snobby apartments. Sonny never really liked the area all the people looked untouchable and scary. In fact Sonny would avoid going to the apartment's gym since he was scared they would laugh at him. No he didn't own any whit track suits or was a member of the country club. Sadly he didn't even want to go to the beloved heated pool since he was scared of the people thinking he was 'human trash' what Payton would say. Then again soon he'll have to move out. Payton was his sugar mamma when it came to things like this. When she leaves he leaves too...The thought made him shiver.

"This is your home then?" The woman asked as she added again "Actually it is quite late now,We all should be going home at this time so-" then she stopped
She looked panicked all of a sudden. She started cursing to herself as she looked like she could throw a tantrum.

"Umm... Miss Aya?...Are you alright do you need help? I hope your not lost too hehe" he said cursing himself for his stupidity she has the app.

Copen

It was late, but the night was still young for Copen. He left Cornerstone after a somewhat slurred farewell, stumbling out into the night. His shoulders were slightly squared as he zipped up his jacket with a bit of difficulty, muttering something unintelligible about, 'stupid zippers.' Put simply, he was a drunk - tequila shots really did hit one harder than expected. He pushed back his unruly blond hair, adjusted the black frames that sat on his nose, and set off at a wavering pace down the street. A couple that passed by giggled at him, and he smiled back in return. He was aware that he wasn't sober - and he enjoyed it.

His home wasn't too far from the bar (thankfully). However, everything seemed longer when the floor wavered beneath his feet and shapes seemed to blur slightly. He frowned, blond eyebrows drawn together in an expression of concentration. There were still a few people out and about, but it was the time of night where clubs had not become very busy yet. Copen stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket; the chill of the air had just tainted the coolness. Unfortunately, it was not the best of ideas. Without the weights to steady him, and the alcohol only being digested further, he stumbled to the side - and straight into a lamppost in front of the arcade.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed, a hand coming to his head. Now everything was spinning more than ever. Disoriented and in pain, he fell over, onto his backside.

@sakurasan

---

---

Mirei said her goodbye's to the man named Jason that had taught her how to properly play the game. She really wanted a martini right now. I think I have something to drink at home... yeah, of course I do. Mirei walked towards the exit door and opened it, walking out of the arcade. A cute little place. She'd have to visit the place another time. Mirei was just about to walk off to her home when she heard someone curse rather loudly, causing her to flinch and look to the side. To her surprise, she saw a male just then collapse onto his back.

Her eyes flew wide as she rushed over to him. "A-Are you alright? No... you aren't." Mirei looked around. He wasn't bleeding or anything. Just in pain. Being someone in the medical field, she couldn't ignore this and leave him be. He didn't seem to need 911 medical attention or anything. Out of instinct, Mirei grabbed one of his arms and helped him up. He wasn't responding very well. Mirei bit her lip as she saw a cab come near. She signaled for the cab to stop, opening the door once it did. "Ah, Ummm... Tower of Takaita please." she said, putting the man into the cab gently. Was he... ah, he was drunk. She could now smell the alcohol more than ever as she sat beside him. "Ummm.." she didn't know what to say as she looked down at the man with an extremely concerned look on her face.

Soon, they were at her apartment. She stepped out of the car first and looked down at the man. "Do you think you can stand...? Th-this is my place. I can bring you up to my room if you aren't able to walk on your own." Mirei had an extremely worried expression as she looked at him.
@Chicogal

Jacques was now in the roll of things, drinking, playing blackjack and with a very attractive man and woman, and that woman had a white wine spritzer with her. This made her his favorite person for the night, he noticed that the blackjack dealer had got his sparkling water, which was a little disappointing but Jacques was in such a good mood he didn't let it bother him at all. He turned to the waitress who seemed to be wanting to hang around, she was either fond of Yutari or Jacques himself, either was good for his mind at the time.

Do you want to hang out with us a little longer, I think Yutari here is going to tell us the secret to winning blackjack!

Jacques smiled at Yutari and raised his glass, with his other hand he gently put it on Ryoki's waist and pulled her closer into a side hug.

Maybe you should get a drink for yourself? I promise not to tell, but If you comeback wearing that awesome smile, I'll tell you about the music festival I have planned for shine city, and then you can both tell me where I can find a good hotel room...

Jacques laughed to himself and took a large sip of the spritzer.