[IC] Shine City II: The Next Season

[Yui]

"What sort of drink are you suggesting?"

"Hot cocoa," Tomoko answered honestly. "I brought three thermoses of the stuff in case I spent a long time out here tonight on homework, but I got it done a lot faster than I thought I would; I haven't even touched two of the thermoses yet. I need to head back to where I was anyway, so just follow me if you'd like some." Giving was a good thing to do sometimes. Either it was the couple swigs of the hot drink she'd had before stumbling upon this scene or being able to generously help someone who was in a bit of a pinch, but whatever the source, Tomoko got to enjoy a warm feeling through her body. And she managed to save a stray page of her homework from getting carried away on the wind too. Bonus points. If life was a game that could be tracked in points, Tomoko was confident of the score she'd built up tonight.

Turning and making her way back toward her little spot in the park, she looked over the area and did a mental checklist to ensure everything was still there. Three green thermoses, two of which were full of hot cocoa and one half-full? Check. Cute frog backpack? Check. Textbooks? All five of them, check. The big tree she'd chosen to sit under was still there too, and of course, nobody had managed to steal the city or the night sky just yet. Everything was just as she'd left it. Perfect.

Tomoko sat back down in her spot and picked up the half-full thermos from among the trio, opened it up, and took a quick sip. Coffee was too bitter for her, not that Tomoko was fond of bitter things to begin with, and this was a very delicious alternative to it. Now then, she'd sit here for a bit and wait for her new acquaintances to show up, if they showed up. That was their decision in the end. Not Tomoko's. For now, she'd unzip her backpack, put the almost-runaway sheet in it, and pull out her near-finished math homework. Finishing would be easy.
@Chicogal@Knight of Doom

[Narcotic Dollie]

As Kyle led them through the crowd and towards the bar, Nori did her level best to think of anything but the three battered men back in the red room and by the time they made it across the dance floor she had successfully pushed it to the back of her mind. "How about we get our drinks and we can grab one of those tables? As for my 'new friends' I'm assuming they're among that writhing mass… So we might get the opportunity to meet them later, I haven't really properly met them myself to be honest."

“Sounds good,” Nori said in reply to the getting drinks part of that conversation, plopping down on one of the two available bar stools towards the end. “We’ll keep a look out for them, but if they don’t want to come out of there,” the blonde gestured toward the crowed dance floor with her chin, “…then we probably shouldn’t interrupt them,” she finished, giving Kyle a meaningful look that seemed to say,’ let’s-not-be-cockblocks’.

It was at this moment that Jennifer sauntered over, wearing her white uniform top that had the first four buttons undone, as per Mr. Bickford’s dress code. This made it hard for most people to look anywhere but her cleavage, and Nori was no exception. “Hey, doll,” Jennifer teased in a way that Nori knew she had been caught staring.

“Hey,” Nori answered, looking up and meeting the other girl’s gaze with a bashful grin. Their eyes were both nearly an identical shade of amber, which was one of the reasons a lot of people mistook them as sisters and while Nori found this flattering, she also thought it was extremely awkward, considering what they sometimes got up to in the bedroom when they were both bored.

“Can I get you something?”

“The usual,” Nori ordered, to which Jennifer’s perfectly groomed eyebrows shot up as she looked meaningfully over towards the liquor closet before waggling her eyebrows suggestively at the DJ. “You know that isn’t what I meant!” the blonde chided playfully, swatting at the other girl’s arm. “A whisky sour and whatever my friend here wants,” she corrected, laying a hand over Kyle’s on top of the bar.

“Your friend, huh?” Jennifer murmured, leaning over the bar to give them both a good view of down her shirt while looking Kyle over appreciatively. “I see what you like about him. What’ll it be, friend?” the bartender asked, giving him a wink.

After taking his order Jennifer went to go make the drinks, leaving the two alone again. “We go way back,” Nori said as a way of explanation, averting her eyes to the crowd of people withering on the dance floor. She focused on one couple that was seconds away from public indecency, when the ponytailed man from earlier caught her eye. “Hey, don’t you know him?”

---

@BeastofDestiny @Daxam

[SkeankySnack]

“We’ll keep a look out for them, but if they don’t want to come out of there,” the blonde gestured toward the crowed dance floor with her chin, "…then we probably shouldn’t interrupt them,” she finished, giving Kyle a meaningful look that seemed to say, 'let’s-not-be-cockblocks’.

Kyle laughed and nodded, but she was absolutely right, were the tables turned and they were undulating on that floor (which honestly didn't sound too bad) he'd want a similar priavcy, so to speak. Suddenly a woman...a very well endowed woman approached them from the bar, she was wearing a white shirt with practically half the buttons opened. Kyle caught himself staring at her breasts, turning away hoping Nori didn't see him only to find her in a similar predicament; this also raised some questions.

"Hey doll," she said with a teasing voice.

"Hey," Nori looked at her with a bashful smile, the plot was certainly thickening, she looked like a guilty puppy having been caught staring. Kyle's eyes flicked between the two, they had similar features, even similar shades of amber eyes, but despite thinking that maybe this was her sister the way the two acted with each other made him think otherwise.

"Can I get you something?"

"The usual," Nori replied to which Jennifer's face lit up in such a way that even more questions and...arousing images began to fill his mind. “You know that isn’t what I meant!” the blonde chided playfully, swatting at the other girl’s arm. “A whisky sour and whatever my friend here wants,” she corrected, laying a hand over Kyle’s on top of the bar. Kyle smiled, blushing softly as the waitress leaned over giving both of them a clear line to her cleavage, giving Kyle a look over.

“Your friend, huh? I see what you like about him. What’ll it be, friend?” the bartender asked, giving him a wink.

"An Irish Monk, please and thank you," he smiled brightly at the bartender.

"My, and polite too, I think you've got a good one Nor," she winked again before getting their drinks ready, leaving the two of them alone again.

“We go way back,” Nori said as a way of explanation, averting her eyes to the crowd of people withering on the dance floor.

"Uh huh," Kyle eyed her suggestively, an impish grin on his face, "I don't have to worry about any sort of competition now do I?" Sure he was being a bit of a butt, but after catching her with those googly eyes for Jennifer, he couldn't help but tease her a bit.

"Hey, don't you know him?" Kyle turned to see a familiar face sitting at one of the booths, the guy from earlier, without Sabine...where had she gone off to? He was slightly worried, but she did say she could handle herself, that being said Nori was still waiting for an answer.

"No actually, but like I said I hadn't been properly introduced to either of them yet, so...why not?" Jennifer returned with their drinks, Kyle deciding to open up a tab for the two of them, there wasn't any reason why they couldn't have another drink later or pay for theirs right away. They said their farewells, Jennifer giving a flirty smile to Nori as the two of them departed from the bar and towards the lounge area. As they approached, Kyle waved his hand once to get his attention, "Hey, you're that guy that Sabine ran off onto the dance floor with earlier right? Mind if the two of us sit here?"

Without any apparent objection Kyle and Nori took their seats opposite of of the guy, "Things were a little...crazy earlier so I know we never were properly introduced, I'm Kyle and this is Nori," he pointed first to himself and then to her, "What's yours?"

After introductions were made, Kyle couldn't help but ask, "So where did Sabine run off to?"

@Narcotic Dollie @Daxam

[Tokara]

Copen was mildly pleased that his jacket was accepted. Although full of himself and rather obnoxious, he was still a little chivalrous and liked to look after people. Besides, it was sort of his way of making it up to her. It probably ruined her night a little to be spilled on like that.

However, at the other girl’s response, he deflated slightly. Oh. So she wasn’t being all flirty or anything, and offering them alcohol at a bar… That was indeed a shame. He ran a hand through his blond hair, glancing back at Amaya as the other girl walked off without much more words. Clearly they either followed or they just left her. But now he felt a little guilty, to leave this kind stranger. The offer hadn’t been exactly what he’d been looking for, and yet…

Copen looked across the park where she was heading, at the small area with her stationery. All alone. No-one deserved to be lonely. He inclined his head toward the other girl, looking at Amaya expectantly.

“Shall we?”

@Knight of Doom

[Bozo]

Holy shit.

Was that who he thought it was?

"Shou?" Holland stammered out, his mouth slightly ajar as he stared at the white haired man before him. It had been four years since they last saw each other. Who could have guessed that they'd finally have their reunion in a high-class gambling establishment in the middle of the night? The Detective stood there, a dopey grin suddenly appearing on his face, flashing his friend with his pearly whites.

"You son of a bitch! Four years of no phone calls, texts, emails, or letters and you just decide to show up?" He chuckled, sauntering up to the Blackjack table and taking a seat. "Still drinking those fuckin' fruity drinks, eh? I told you that shit is garbage; full of sugar and watered down."

He lit a cigarette and wrapped an arm around his friend, before taking a quick puff and glancing at Ryoki as she chatted with the bunny girl. "So, this your girlfriend? Quite a piece of eye candy you have acquired for yourself. Consider me jealous!"

Looking at the waitress, he snapped his fingers suddenly turning to his friend. "Eh, fuck it I'm a hypocrite. Hey waitress, can I get a White Russian? Thank you, toots!"

Shou requested that he sit down and play a game, but the Detective wasn't so sure. "Are you sure? I haven't played Blackjack in ten years."

Wherever he went, Oliver like to take charge of the situation. "Dealer, new player. Cards! Gimmie gimmie- thank you!"

@Takashi
@Delta44
@KoL
@MyCatGinger

[Daxam]

Zac wasn't sure how much time had passed. Twenty minutes? Half an hour? An hour? Two? It seemed like forever since Sabine went up into the VIP lounge, and yet he was still sitting there, waiting. However, he was debating on whether or not he should leave and catch Sabine at Mochavine the next morning, assuming he woke up in time. After all, he was getting rather tired, the rhythm of the pounding bass having a bit of a hypnotic effect on him.

Just as he was about to stand, he heard a voice. "Hey, you're that guy that Sabine ran off onto the dance floor with earlier right? Mind if the two of us sit here?" Looking up, Zac sees the guy who was with Sabine earlier, as well as the poor DJ, who had some sort of liquid thrown at her, both holding drinks. Smiling, he says, "Nah, go ahead. I was getting pretty bored, anyway. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to, at least for a little while."

"Things were a little...crazy earlier so I know we never were properly introduced, I'm Kyle and this is Nori," the guy says. His trademarked friendly grin on his face, Zac responds, "I'm Zac. It's nice to meet you both." Turning to the DJ, he adds, "Sorry about what happened with that guy, earlier. Least you had your friend there to loan you his shirt."

It was then Kyle asked where Sabine ran off to. Zac sighs and looks back to the VIP staircase, where the same guard from before was standing. "She went up there," he answers. "I'm not sure how long it's been. I was actually getting ready to go home when you two--"

His voice cuts off as he watches a young woman descend from the stairs before turning off into the bathroom. Without a doubt, he knew it was Sabine, but what had cut him off guard was that he knew he had glimpsed blood on her face before she disappeared. "Sorry," Zac mutters, already rising to his feet, his eyes trained on the bathroom door, "but I think she might need help." Without another word, he heads off toward the bathroom. As he walks, he sees Sabine exit the washroom before walking away, as if she didn't notice him approach, which wouldn't surprise him given the amount of people milling about.

Closing the distance between himself and Sabine, he gently rests a hand on her shoulder and asks above the blare of the music, "Hey, everything okay?"

@BeastofDestiny@Verdaux@Narcotic Dollie

[Takashi]

As Yutaro expected, his table began to fill up quickly. As much fun as it would be to have a one-on-one game with Ryoki, it was better for the house to have more people at a table; more chances for a player to bust before the dealer. "Welcome, have a seat," he said in his typical friendly tone, wasting no time in dealing the eager newcomer his hand. And with that, the game was on.

The first round of hands was definitely in the players' favor. Shou wisely split his aces, getting a blackjack on one, and a solid twenty on the other. Ryoki ended with nineteen, and Oliver with seventeen. Yutaro flipped his own cards over. 11... 14... bust. Yutaro graciously handed the players their winnings, but such openings weren't bad for the house in the long run. Players who lost their money too quickly were more likely to leave the table, but those given a taste of victory would tenaciously dig themselves into ever deeper holes in a quest to break even. It wouldn't be long before statistics kicked in; in the meantime, it was his job to make the game as enjoyable for the players as possible.

"Couple of old pals meeting up after several years, eh?" Yutaro said, noticing how Shou and Oliver greeted one another. "Luck must be on your side today." As if he were delivering a prophecy, he dealt Oliver a blackjack. Good luck indeed. Unfortunately, Shou ended up paying back a bit of his winnings to the house with a bust. "Miss Mochizukki, if you like our outfits here you should talk to the boss about some work. We're always in need of a few extra hands." He gave her a lupine grin as he dealt her another hand; a woman with her figure would no doubt make a killing in tips waiting the table games. It would take a hawk's eye, but one who was paying attention to the rhythmic flipping of the cards would notice a slight waver as Yutaro briefly imagined Ryoki serving him a drink.

And so, Yutaro chatted with his amiable players through several hands, wondering if Shou was keeping track of how much he had managed to lose with the double distractions of an old friend and a gorgeous babe. After that first hand, things had not been looking so good for him. But maybe his old friend would make it up to him and buy him a drink. After all, it seemed like all the good cards were just landing in front of Oliver. Ryoki had a strong start, but one bad streak put her a couple bets in the hole. However, as she tried to dig herself out, it seemed that all she would get in return was Yutaro's pleasantly apologetic smile.

Thus it stood after a dozen hands. Would the players want to try for better luck, or call it quits for the night?

@Bozo@Delta44@MyCatGinger

[KoL]

Iruka was still a bit, no, very shaky when Ryoki spoke to her, specially because of Ryoki's own stare, which made Iruka all the more conscious about how much that suit left her exposed. Iruka's eyes couldn't avoid the slightly more mature woman's figure, however and soon enough, Iruka found herself unconsciously comparing herself with Ryoki.

A small sigh of relief escaped Iruka's lips, as she noticed that she didn't had any particular lack, or excess of anything when compared with a grown woman. Perhaps, the only thing she needed was a bit more attitude? "Anyway, what am I doing? I... I gotta focus. Keep your eyes out of breasts, Iruka." Iruka steeled herself, only to sigh in defeat when she looked bellow and her own chest came into her field of vision.

"A Long Island Iced Tea, or vodka, if it's not available for the miss." Iruka repeated Royoki's order as she noted it down with a pen retrieved from the only place that she could carry something while wearing an outfit like this... a thigh strap, obviously. Iruka flinched a bit, though surprisingly she didn't felt the urge to step away from the pat that Ryoki gave her, despite her mild phobia of being touched. To say the truth, it felt kinda good, as if Ryoki was an older sister trying to calm her, which made Iruka wonder what her family would say if they could see her now. "Mother would probably die, but dad..." Well, it wouldn't be a problem since Iruka isn't going back home anytime soon, or possibly nevermore, even so, she shuddered a bit.

"Thank you, miss." Iruka smiled shyly as soon as Ryoki broke contact with her, feeling all the more better now, "I guess, I'm not very used to the life in a big city yet, thank you, again." Iruka bowed politely, before noticing that said gestured exposed her cleavage all the more and bolting straight up with her face as red as the suit she was wearing "So... sorry!" she spoke hastly, taking her left hand to her chest to calm her speeding heart.

With that said, Iruka turned to Shou with a wry smile on her stamped on her face as her embarrassment returned all of a sudden, now that she was talking to a man. "Ju... just i... ice, for the mister, the... then." Iruka managed to repeat Shou's order amidst a fit of stutters. It wasn't like the older, white haired man was looking at Iruka in any kind of weird way, to say the truth, he even looked sympathetic to Iruka's plight, in her eyes. Nevertheless, being looked at by a male, while wearing something as like this bunnygirl suit made Iruka tremble reflexively.

Suddenly, Iruka found herself absentmindedly staring at Shou (when did staring people down became an habit for her? Iruka wondered), even after he'd placed his order, which was actually a sign that she should be leaving to the bar, by now. "Sor... sorry, mister. I'll be back in no time." Iruka tried to excuse herself and leave in order to avoid any further blunders when Oliver came in and asked asked her for a drink.

Iruka had to admit that she didn't knew a bit about alcohol, tobacco and things like that, since she never drunk before and actually avoid the company of people who did, to the point that people at college often called her a boring virgin nerd, which is nothing but the truth, except for one detail. What irony that her first paid job was as a bunnysuit-clad waitress of a casino, not? Anyway, "A White Russian, right?" Iruka noted Oliver's order with care, to make sure she wouldn't bring back the wrong drink, before almost bowing again, avoiding the needless exposure of her chest by a hair's breath.

"That was a close one." Iruka thought as she regarded Yutaro with a tense smile, wondering if she had done her job right, since Iruka overheard some of the other girls talking on the lockers about how the house used them as eye candy to distract the less savvy patrons, though Iruka really didn't had any idea of how that worked.

• • •

A few minutes later and Iruka would be back with the orders, carefully placing them before Ryoki, Shou and Oliver and covering her chest with the service tray before bowing with the knowledge that now her bust was somewhat harder to look at. "Thank you for your patronage, Miss and Misters, I wish you luck." Iruka managed to repeat the phrase the other waitresses taught her without any blunders, before casting an expectant gaze over them as she said. "Now, is there anything else that I can do for you?"

The fact that she was naively waiting for the huge tips that the other girls ravished about was so painfully obvious that Iruka couldn't avoid but blush and fidget restlessly as beads of cold sweat formed on her brow as Iruka wondered if her behavior wasn't an ill seen one.

---

@Delta44@MyCatGinger@Bozo@Takashi

[Narcotic Dollie]

“Hey,” Nori greeted the stranger with a little wave as Kyle introduced them.

"I'm Zac. It's nice to meet you both,” The man replies, before shifting to address Nori. "Sorry about what happened with that guy, earlier. Least you had your friend there to loan you his shirt."

“Yeah, that was lucky,” Nori admits, tugging up the shirt were it had started to ride down a little. “That kind of stuff happens a lot around here. People can be jerks when they’re drunk,” she finished with a shrug.

Nori takes a sip of her whisky sour (It was perfect, like it always. That girl could really make a drink.) as Kyle asked where the other girl, Sabine, had gone to. Zac let out a miserable sounding sigh and looked up at the stairs that led to the VIP lounge before telling them that’s where she was. “Hm,” Nori hummed, following his gaze to the staircase. Only a handful of employee were allowed to work up there and they were paid quite a bit of extra money to keep their mouth shut, so Nori had no idea what people did in those rooms. There were plenty of rumors though, everything from S&M parties to dog fighting, but Nori didn’t put much stock in them. Mr. Bickford was an asshat, yes, but surely he wouldn’t let anything that seedy go on in the club.

Right?

"Sorry, but I think she might need help," Zac said abruptly, standing and making a bee-line for Sabine as she came down the stairs and headed towards the bathroom. The lithe brunette had her arm up over her nose, like maybe she had allergies? Nori wasn’t 100% sure why Sabine would need Zac’s help with that, but maybe they were just the kind of couple that did everything together.

“They’re cute together,” she says, eyes softening as Zac catches the other girl on her exit from the bathroom, laying his hand on her shoulder and looking down at her with a concerned expression on his face. Nori was such a sucker for romance.

“So,” the blonde starts, looking over to Kyle and meeting his tourmaline eyes, scooting closer so that the outsides of their thighs were just barely touching. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”

@BeastofDestiny@Daxam@Verdaux

[SrslyAnArtist]

Ryva had dumped all the change and dollar bills into the tip jar at the Mochavine before heading home to confer with her friend and bandmate [color=7bcdc8]Rixon[color] on which songs they should play at the club. Thankfully, she didn't have to leave Moose at home again-she had finally broken his habit of wandering around sniffing people's buts when she wasn't watching him. She had never laid a hand on Moose in anger when he misbehaved-she didn't believe in physically punishing her animals-her disappointed, angry tone always shamed him worse than any beating she could have given him.

When they met up at her apartment, they had a few drinks of apple cider while they discussed songs. Three hours later, it was growing dark, and they had quite a long list of songs. There was seven songs in all, three of which were duets. They texted the other members-Jem and Salem-then loaded their guitars into the van.

"You plan on bringing Lucca?" Ryva asked as she loaded Moose into the back of the van where he had a soft bed.

"Yeah, actually," he replied. "He actually quite worships ye, lass." Ryva groaned as she shut the van door.

"Bloody hell," she whined, getting into the driver's side. "I really do no' need tae be hero-worshipped. I have enough crazy fans as it is." Rixon laughed as they went and picked Lucca, Jem and Salem up all at once-they had been hanging out. Rixon passed the song list to Jem.

"Ye lads down with this?" he asked, twisting in the passenger seat.

"Yeah, man," Jem agreed. "It's a good lineup."

"I think this is the best list you two have come up with," Salem commented. Ryva laughed and before they knew it, they were pulling up in front of Club LUSH. Ryva killed the engine, took the list back from Jem, and went to get some of the stage crew to help with the equipment.

"Keep yer filthy paws off me guitar!"

ten minutes later, Ryva was onstage doing a soundcheck, then motioned for the stage crew to open the curtains and she stepped up to the mic.

"Evenin' ladies an' gents," she greeted the crowd. "We-Fourbidden City-have a special lineup for tonight. An' guess what? Me boy Rix is opening the first song."

First Song

---

@Narcotic Dollie

[Verdaux]

"Hey, everything okay?"

Sabine stared blankly into Zac's eyes as her mind rebounded all the way out of her own little bubble.

Am I okay?

"No...yes...uh...yes! Yes, I'm good...wait...did you see me...on the way to the bathroom?"

The blood was still there on her t-shirt, red ichor glimmering shades of lavender and burgundy from the overhead lights, a river of red trickling down her collarbone to ever-lower depths.

"...just haven't drank much water lately...um...so you've met Kyle and the DJ, huh?"

She pointed towards Nori and Kyle.

"...actually I haven't met the DJ yet. Let's get together before we do all the talking...alright?"

God...she was so hot right now...and speaking of hot, there was Kyle and that goddess again...dressed in a makeshift miniskirt made of Kyle's shirt. Sabine's eyes looked up and down Nori's legs and...other assets before looking back up to both Kyle and Nori's faces.

"...hi! Is...this that 'certain someone' I think it is? The name's Sabine, rhymes with Saline, except the A's lowercase...I liked the DJing up there...it's really good...and your friend...does he strip that often, or is he just that cocky with his abs?"

She glanced at Dangermouse across the floor.

"I know I'd be if I was that...hot. Speaking of hot, um...it's alright if I just get some water, right? Because I'm really, really really thirsty and no, please don't make a kiddy joke about me being thirsty. People die of thirst. Not funny."

Her mouth was on fire now. She couldn't stop talking, and the music and lights and everything and everyone was putting her on her toes. She was feeling either good or really bad, and flopped between either as her eyes darted every which way.

Now you know : drugs are bad kids.

Little did Sabine know that all her yapping came out in a record 10 seconds, with no pause of breath taken. Not that she'd know; everything was all the same and relatively good to her. She hadn't screwed up yet...or was that in her head?

[Daxam]

The more Zac listens to Sabine, the more he knew she was anything but okay. Normally, when someone felt hot, their skin flushed, but her skin was probably a shade or two paler than before she went upstairs, which immediately raised a red flag in his mind. What's more, she was speaking a mile a minute, her eyes darting around the club as if she were expecting something to jump out at her at any moment.

It didn't take much thought for Zac to figure what had happened in the time the two of them separated: her rapid-fire speech, the blood that still remained on her shirt, and her complaints that she was hot were all enough to tell him that she experienced one of the seedier parts of the VIP lounge.

Now, came the question: what now? He could tell her she needed to get to a hospital, since he was sure that, by the way she was acting, something was very wrong, but that could end up with her walking off alone, then who knows what would happen? He could ignore it, but that was immediately ruled out. Just from the short time he had spent with her, he had grown to like her quite a bit, and if he ignored what was happening, he'd never be able to forgive himself. That only left one option: to call her out on it.

"What'd you take?"

[SkeankySnack]

Zac began recounting the events that lead to their separation but just as quickly stopped, "Sorry, but I think she might need help."

Kyle raised an eyebrow as he watched Zac take off towards...Sabine making her way to the bathroom...why was she covering her nose? Kyle tried to peer as closely as he could before she was out of sight in the restroom, Kyle couldn't help it but a gut feeling was beginning to take form. The way she was walking to the bathroom was odd, the kind of odd that screamed 'I'm trying to act perfectly normal even though I'm well and truly fucked beyond belief'.

“They’re cute together,” ,turning to Nori, Kyle sees her staring at Zac and Sabine, her eyes looked... "Woah..."

"So," she began, her eyes meeting his as she scooted closer, barely centimeters from each other, “Do you think they’ll be okay?” The amber glow in her eyes had softened considerably, if Kyle had to give it a comparison, he'd probably describe it as a warm setting sun, pure bliss, wistfulness, maybe even a hint of longing? Kyle's own eyes began reflecting hers as his smile slowly grew, still unbelieving that there really was this drop dead gorgeous girl even staring at him, let alone the way she was. He nudged his leg into hers and let his hand float onto her own, interlocking their fingers together.

"Don't know, might be too early to tell, but I'm cautiously optimisti-"

"...hi!Is...thisthat'certainsomeone'IthinkitisThename'sSabine,rhymeswithSaline,excepttheA'slowercase...IlikedtheDJingupthere...it'sreallygood...andyourfriend...doeshestripthatoften,orishejustthatcockywithhisabs?IknowI'dbeifIwasthat...hot.Speakingofhot,um...it'salrightifIjustgetsomewater,right?BecauseI'mreally,reallyreallythirstyandno,pleasedon'tmakeakiddyjokeaboutmebeingthirsty.Peopledieofthirst.Notfunny."

Kyle's head turned at the start of this verbal tirade and blinked the whole way through, "what the fuck?". Nori must have had the same thought because their gaze met once more, this time in utter confusion as they blinked their way and processed through what just happened. Kyle stared intently at Sabine, paler skin...eyes darting every which way...shortened breath....shit, optimism be damned apparently.

"What'd you take?" Zac asked, looks like Kyle wasn't the only one thinking the same thing and gauging from her current reactions, she might of overdone whatever it was she took, but damn it if he was gonna find out what before getting help. "Nori," his voice was level, but firm, getting hyped up wouldn't do him any good and could cause Sabine to panic, "I'm going to find David, I need you to stay here and make sure she doesn't go anywhere, do you understand?" His eyes waited with anticipation for her response and when Nori nodded, he let go of her hand and got out of his seat, quickly walking back to the dance floor. He managed with some difficulty to get through the crowd of dancers to the private area in the back there he saw the bouncer overseeing one of the guys get taken away in a stretcher.

"David!"

The bouncer turned, somewhat surprised, "Oh, what's up man? Wait...where's Nori?"

The bouncer's face went from surprise to angry concern, "No no no, she's fine, its one of our friends, we think she took something, she's seriously tweaking the fuck out!"

"Woah, woah, calm down man, what do you need me to do?"

"Can you get one of the ambulances to pull around to an exit near the bar? Nori and another friend are watching her right now."

"Sure man, I'll get on it," immediately the bouncer caught up with one of the EMT's and started explaining the situation. Kyle, feeling satisfied with his work began to make his way back, hopefully Sabine was still there, given that there was a person on either side of her though, its not like she'd have anywhere to go. It was only now that he realized a live band had taken the stage, he wished he could have appreciated them more, but unfortunately his new friend was dying, probably.

@Narcotic Dollie @Daxam @Verdaux

[Verdaux]

@Daxam@Narcotic Dollie

---

Sabine turned towards Zac with her lip bit, her eyebrows furrowed in innocent guilt...y'know, that look when your five year-old daughter spills hot chocolate on the TV speakers?

While it might've been just as cute on the 24 year-old Sabine, the implications and reasons for doing so weren't so appropriate.

"...just a teensy weensy bit of ice. Eighth of a gram isn't gonna kill me; it's only half a hit. Now, if you're gonna worry about me, just know I'm a big girl...I can handle myself...if I had some water. Say...could you grab me a glass, Zac? Pretty please...? I'm...*she swallowed and tried to wet her lips*...more than a little thirsty. It's sweating all out, I swear..."

Right in mid-sentence, she stopped talking as her eyes rested on Nori's.

Oh my.

And that was all she remembered as the two embers sat in her memory forever, piercing into her like the rays of a sunset vainly lancing through the shroud of night. The lights dimmed for the next song, and though the music still played in her ears, she could not, would not remember anything about that night.

Well, except for this brilliant flash of gold, tan, blue, and black, as well as a billion different photo filters...

"...your name's...Nori, right? Kyle...I just met the guy a half-hour ago and he already the cream of the crop in his possession...

...how the hell's a girl supposed to compete in this game?"

[Delta44]

"So, this your girlfriend?"

'Heh, I wish... Wait, what?!' The words actually made Ryoki's heart skip a beat, and a little... angry? She wasn't quite sure of herself right now. Maybe it was the atmosphere. But seriously, whoever the Hell said that obviously-

... Whoa...

... They were obviously very handsome and attractive. 'Ugh... And you wonder why you can't get a boyfriend when every man you speak to makes you daydream? Not to mention the flirting... Meh, relationships are overrated, anyways.'

Allowing the two apparent old friends catch up, Ryoki found herself watching the cute bunny girl waitress as she fidgeted and blushed (and gave her a certain something to dream about later toni- 'Stop it!'), before returning her attention to Yutaro as the game began. "So, how about I show you how good I am at Blackjack?"

During the second game, she was given an offer to work at the casino part-time, from none other than their dealer. "Miss Mochizukki, if you like our outfits here you should talk to the boss about some work. We're always in need of a few extra hands." At this, she replies with an almost unnatural lack of shame and incredible calm: "That sounds like a good idea. I was thinking of getting a couple of these bunny suit outfits, one for me and one for a friend. I'm in need of some extra cash..."

As though right on time, the waitress lady from before came, delivering them their drinks. "Thank you~!" She sings in a cheerful manner, the voice of an angel (though most likely a fallen one) hitting the ears of those at the table. The girl seemed much calmer than before, though she didn't know if it was her tender care or some other factor that helped Iruka become more composed. 'I s'pose it doesn't matter. So long as she's not freaking out.' She smiles as Iruka asks if there was anything they needed help with. "Actually, as a matter of fact, there is."

She pauses as she thinks about how best to word this without sounding... too weird. "You see, it's about your outfit. I was wondering if I could get one for a friend of mine, and one for me, since I've taken this place into consideration as a source for part time work. If you don't mind, could you show me to your boss later tonight, at the end of your shift? It'd be much appreciated." Seeing the girl fidget and squirm as she continued to linger, Ryoki couldn't help but smile. 'Ah, the innocent. They're always so cute when they're confused.' She chuckles to herself and opens her wallet, revealing 6,000 yen (basically $50 USD) and handing it to the girl. She wasn't quite sure how generous she was being by handing over that much money, but it was obvious that little Iruka wanted a reward for being a good girl. "Here," she says, patting her head once again, "that's for being the cutest little thing I've seen today. Just don't expect too much from people here. This is a casino, after all."

Grinning to herself as the girl went on her way, Ryoki turns back to the game at hand, taking a sip from her Long Island Iced Tea. "Now, where were we?"

---

After The Twelfth Hand

Ryoki's head was pressed against the table, looking sad from losing so much in such little time. 'Ugh... That's embarrassing...' She thought to herself. She could continue playing if she signed into her parents account at the nearby ATM and borrowed just a little bit of their savings, buuuuut she felt it wasn't worth it. As Yutaro apologized to her once more, further pointing out how badly she'd lost, Ryoki sat up, drank down the rest of her Long Island in one go, and pressed her head back against the table again. She'd had enough Blackjack for one night...

... though she certainly hadn't had enough of those who were playing at the table. Looking over at Shou, she slowly and steadily creeps alongside the table, before suddenly pouncing on the man, holding on to his arm. He could feel a certain set of melon-sized objects of soft and squishy texture press up against his arm, with said objects becoming slightly more visible with this new, close-contact position. "Aww, why don't I have friends like yours who can win me lots of money~?" She sulks, fidgeting restlessly. She was a little drunk, sure, though it wasn't enough to severely impact her movement. Ryoki was sure she could walk just fine if she needed to. However, it was enough to change her personality from lustrous devil to energetic child.

"You too, Mister Dealer! Meanie!" She stuck out her tongue at Yutaro, before quickly changing personalities once more, this time being concerned. "Oh no, I'm sorry! I-I didn't hurt your feelings, did I?" She looks to be on the verge of tears. "I've been mistreating you a lot tonight, haven't I? S-sorry, I'm not usually like this..." She looks around, still holding on to Shou's arm. "Hey, I wonder where our bunny girl went~? She was cute, don't you think?"

... Well, alcohol does make you open up, and it seems to have worked for Ryoki. She was pretty much saying what was on her mind at this point. Not that there was anything truly wrong with that when one can so easily catch a glance at the stool in which she sat on, and the person who housed it...

@KoL@MyCatGinger@Takashi@Bozo

[Narcotic Dollie]

"What'd you take?"

Nori swallowed and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible, but she was starting to panic a little. Sure she worked in a club, but the worst that she usually dealt with were party goers who were wasted, she’d never been around someone who was under the influence of something harder (Well, that she knew of). ‘Is she okay? She’s going to be okay, right? What do you do when someone takes too much stuff? What do I do? WhatShouldIDoWhatShouldIDoWhatSh—‘

“Nori,” Kyle’s voice cuts through her thoughts and the DJ meets his eyes hesitantly. "I'm going to find David, I need you to stay here and make sure she doesn't go anywhere, do you understand?" His voice was steady and authoritative, not a trace of doubt or fear apparent. Nori’s mouth went dry and she wanted to scream, ‘Don’t leave me!’ and ‘I don’t know what to do!’ or even better ‘I’m just going to let her down!’. Instead she just gives a small nod and lets go of Kyle’s hand, watching him rise and cut a quick path through the dancefloor back towards the red rooms where David was likely still overseeing the three beaten men from earlier.

Sabine started talking to Zac, her skin glowing with an unhealthy sheen caused by her perspiration. The other girl’s words were so jumbled and rapid fire that Nori couldn’t really make out what she was saying, but that was alright because just as suddenly as the other had started she stopped, their eyes locking for a moment.

"...your name's...Nori, right? Kyle...I just met the guy a half-hour ago and he already the cream of the crop in his possession...how the hell's a girl supposed to compete in this game?"

Nori let out a startled bark of laughter, taken aback by the compliment. Out of her peripheral she saw that Dangermouse had gone on break and Ryva was onstage stage with her band. “You’re not so bad yourself Sabine, whose name rhymes with Saline,” the blonde answered, giving the other a girl an honest, albeit anxious smile. Rix’s smooth tenor voice blared over the PA system as he started the first song of their set and the crowd went absolutely insane over it.

“Come sit with me, sugar,” Nori pleaded, taking Sabine’s hand and guiding her as slowly and carefully as possible into the booth. Even being as gentle as she was, the drugged girl still stumbled and wobbled a bit before finally plopping down next to the DJ. “Zac can sit on the other side of you and we’ll make a Sabine sandwich,” the blonde joked, trying her best to be her normal cheeky self, while making eye contact with Zac. Nori hoped he would sit down too, that way it would be almost impossible for Sabine to flee and lose them in the crowd.

Now that she had the pale girl next to her, Nori was at even more of a loss as to what she should to help with the situation. The tattooed girl wanted to be reassuring, but she was afraid of making Sabine feel trapped. On the flip side, if Nori gave her space, she might think the DJ was disinterested and try to bolt. In the end Nori scooted so close so that they were pressed flush together. “Are you having a good time?” Nori asked, reaching out to run a hand through Sabine’s hair, which had a more reddish hue in this light than it had previously. “I hope you got some good dancing in with that one,” The blonde continued with a nod towards Zac, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind Sabine’s ear. This close Nori could see how chapped the brunette’s lips were and her brow was dotted with multiple beads of sweat.

“Here,” Nori blurted, sticking her hand into the bottom of her glass (Cold!) and fishing out an ice cube. “It’s not water, but its close enough, right?” the DJ coaxed, pressing the ice to the Sabine’s dry lips with a trembling hand, exhaling shakily to try and control her emotions.

@BeastofDestiny@Daxam@Verdaux@IrishAngelQueen

[Daxam]

Zac watched as Kyle walked off to find some David fellow, leaving him alone with Sabine and the DJ, Nori. Sitting there with the tweaked out Sabine and Nori, who looked on the verge of panicking, Zac was surprised he was so calm. Sure, the concern he felt for Sabine was etched into every square centimeter on his face, but, other than that, he was still cool, calm, and collected. His breathing was normal, his heart steady. It was all a mystery to him as it would be to anyone else.

He watched as Nori brought Sabine closer to her and didn't need to be told twice to take his spot on the other side. Seeing how comfortable Sabine seemed to be with Nori so close, he decides to sit a bit farther away. Just because she seemed alright with Nori so close, it didn't necessarily mean she'd feel the same way if Zac sat as close. She could feel boxed in and try to flee, hurting herself and others in the process.

Zac watches as Nori pulls an ice cube out from her drink and presses it against Sabine's lips, her hand visibly trembling and her breathing shaky. Not knowing what else to do in this situation, he reaches out and gently rests his hand on top of Nori's in an attempt to calm her down. "Easy," he quietly says, his eyes locked with hers, hoping that the calmness in his eyes could radiate out and help her and that Sabine wasn't paying him enough attention to hear him. "Calm down. If Sabine realizes how upset you are, she might get upset, as well. Just take a couple of deep breaths, okay?"

[MyCatGinger]

"Aw, Ollie...four years and you haven't changed one bit!" Shou returned the grin, his more childish side coming out as he messed up his senior's dark hair in a gesture shared by longtime friends. It was the same as always, haphazard because of his signature hat but kept together to complete the detective's overall 'slick' appearance. Shou had decided, a long time ago, he liked his friend's hair messy, even more so when he was the cause for it. And how could he resist?
Had it really been four years?
Four years since...

A pang of heartache knocked the breath out of the professor, though he inhaled sharply and attempted to keep it together, to the point where maybe only Oliver would notice, the way he became when he thought about her.

He shook his head, smiling with hooded eyes and a knowing look about his more playful demeanour now as his friend threw caution to the wind and snagged himself a White Russian. "They're amazing, Ollie. I simply cannot get enough, really..."

When he returned to Shou, the waitress still trembling as she took orders, the white haired man acquired the same, or similar, level of discomfort at being asked whether Ryoki was his girlfriend. "I wis- Well, I...Err, uuuuhhh..."
He felt his face heat up again. Maybe if she was further away, he'd be able to speak his mind. It did not help that she was all but sitting on his lap at this point.
That Long Island Iced Tea won't help!

And Oliver's cards were swiftly dealt, and they played, at long last!
On the very first hand, Shou lucked out.
"Must...be my lucky day." he repeated, a little startled. Beginner's luck in its most tormenting form...
Of course, Shou could not resist the temptation that grips us all.

---

And before anyone knew it, twelve hands had passed. In that time, Shou had finished the earlier drink and swapped to a Screwdriver. Those tropical drinks, huh?
He had also near suffered a nosebleed at both the innocent dark haired waitress, and Ryoki, wanting...a bunny suit...

His luck had a funny way of failing him, however. He sat, dumbfounded, at the miserable fortune he had been receiving. Every decision was wrong. Every move backfired.
Though, with the drinks kicking in slowly, he was definitely less inhibited, and that must have been the only reason he had kept going for so long without politely refusing to play anymore, for fear of losing any more. Something about the environment was perfect for good friends and good dames alike.

"So, Ollie. All these years, did you ever make any progress on that...ugh. That one guy...you were sure? The...Wea-" Shou began, chocolate eyes staring almost through his friend's. Was it that he was looking for solace? Salvation? Answers?
He was cut off before anything else left his lips, his arm suddenly feeling quite heavy, and...

Gah! Wait...a-are those...
...oh god.

He shuddered evidently at the feeling, his pale cheeks otherwise going bright red as he subconsciously leaned away from Ryoki on his arm (literally) and into Oliver, who would have seen the look on the professor's face.

"M-m-m-m-m-miss Mochizukki, a...ahaha! No, I...Oliver, I...we...haha, I...I'm sure you...you'll win...the next hands, ah, goodness! I mean, you're so bea-...bre-...brilliant, I...I..."

Women were evil.
Shou felt his head go light, and his appearance must have let it become quite apparent as well, the easily flustered man almost passing out and murmuring in rapid fire Japanese. His words melted into each other in stammering and stuttering and he could not so much as keep his eyes from drifting low...lower, right under his nose. Her lovely face, intoxicated and glowing with the casino's gold lights. And her...definitely lovely figure, and...round, so-very-soft.

He bit his tongue. Maybe it was the drinks, but he was lost for words indeed. The very core of his being ached ever so softly, and he could almost kick himself for it.

"Indeed...she was very, very cute, and...a-as are you, Miss Mochizukki, pl-please...I..."
All he could muster were flustered half sentences, giving her a nervous smile with the brown eyes of both a voracious tiger, startled deer and innocent lamb.

This woman would eat him alive, that's for sure.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced over at the Dealer with flushed cheeks and a silent plea, "what to do". He couldn't gaze over at Ollie, almost leaning back into the man himself at supporting the weight of Ryoki and himself on the stool.

...what an interesting evening.

@Delta44
@Bozo
@Takashi
@KoL

[Bozo]

Immediately Oliver remembered why he had not seen his friend in so long. Just looking at the Professor standing there alone, mingling with a woman he knew didn't hold a candle to...

Fuck, he couldn't even say her name.

The Detective's shoulders slumped, and he stared back at Shou knowingly. Solemnly, he nodded his head and, placing a hand on his chin, rubbed it thoughtfully. This meeting had indeed stirred up some old feelings he never wished to experience again.

Guilt.

Regret.

Sadness.

What was once a joyful occasion of meeting an old friend now grew into a haunting recollection failures he had committed in the past. Shou, to him, was like a little brother.

And family never lets down or dissappoints their family, right?

But he had.

Oh so much.

He knew that look in Shou's eyes. And still, after four long years, he couldn't erase it from his mind. Despite it only being a fraction of a second, Holland could tell they were the same eyes that greeted him on the rainy November evening. The night that...

Well, no sense in ruining the mood.

He glanced at Ryoki, shuffling his cards and silently watching her.

Bold, emotional, hidden maturity, possibility of using boys as a way to escape...

He turned his attention to the bunny waitress.

Young, innocent, doesn't know what the hell she's doing...

Taking a sip from his drink, he rested the glass down and began to play some Blackjack.

....

"And I win again!" Oliver stated happily, pulling in the chips he had collected from his friend and co.

He had a little buzz going on, as well as a winning streak. Fortune, for once, had smiled upon him.

But not for long.

Shou brought up that topic, sobering up Holland a little before frowning.

He couldn't tell him that it was because of that case he quit the force. That no matter how much time had passed or how many leads he had acquired, all lead to a dead end.

Luckily, his friend was distracted by the woman that was currently sitting on him.

Wait, what?

"Do you two need a moment? Head off to the bathroom to do a little hanky panky?" Oliver inquired smugly. He was not nearly as drunk as the other two. He already saw himself driving them home.

@Delta44
@MyCatGinger
@Takashi
@KoL

-----------------------

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Biding time.

So very patient.

What a good thing to do.

Soon.

Rain can make you feel less alone. The fractured pieces of a whole part, that's all it was. Pouring its shattered pieces down on top of you. It makes it feel good to know it's not the only thing that's falling apart.

It made it feel better to know other things in nature can shatter.

Like the mind.
Like the spirit.
Like the heart.
Like the fragile vertebrae of a child.
Like the cranium of a physics professor.

What naughty thoughts!

Perhaps that was why it enjoyed the otherwise miserable weather.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.

Perhaps that was why it was so eager for the next evening shower.

It would bide it's time, as always. No need to shout or complain.

Not that he'd have use for a tongue, anyway.

Maybe the reason why people talked so much was because they were afraid of the silence.

The lenses of its gasmask grew wet and thick on the inside as it exhaled softly.

Maybe it was time to find out.

[Takashi]

@Bozo@MyCatGinger@Delta44@KoL

It seemed the game (and the alcohol) had taken its toll on Ryoki, and it seemed that Ryoki was taking a toll on Shou. Somehow, the woman had become a temporal paradox, displaying the mature wiles of a femme fatale, maternal tenderness towards the new waitress, and childish giddiness as she raised her dejected face from the table and hung on the professor's arm. It was a pretty typical sight that Yutaro had seen countless times: girl gets tipsy, flaunts her stuff for the stranger next to her, and the two usually ended up leaving the casino together to do God knew what to each other. It was something he was used to seeing, and something that he expected to see at least a thousand more times while he worked here. So, why did it bother him? This was the point where he usually egged the couple on, challenged the man's pride to get him to play a few more hands, but now he remained silent.

"Do you two need a moment?" Oliver said. "Head off to the bathroom to do a little hanky-panky?" Yea, that definitely didn't help the feeling. Shit, am I getting jealous? Yutaro thought, realizing what was going on before he made a fool of himself. It wasn't like one coffee shop conversation granted him exclusive rights to her affection, but still, the fact that she had asked for his number and then sat down at his table out of all the ones available the same day made him think that just maybe she was legitimately into him. Maybe his confirmation bias had caused him to misread the situation... or maybe Ryoki was just drunk and there was an admittedly attractive guy sitting next to her. Right, play it cool Yutaro. It's not a big deal. You've known her for what, two hours?

Perhaps if Shou had a better game plan -- or any game at all for that matter -- Yutaro might have felt a bit nervous about losing to him. He would have felt bad for how inarticulate the professor had become had it not been for the envy, and that pathetic pleading look he was giving him was as adorable as it was infuriating. Was he asking Yutaro to be his wingman? Why, when his old friend was right there cheering him on? Or maybe he wanted something else. An out? Sure, since he was asking for one, Yutaro could give him an out.

Yutaro gave his watch a casual glance. Good, it was just about time. "Miss Mochizukki," he said, hoping that she still had her basic reasoning faculties even if the alcohol had reduced her social inhibitions down to zero. "It's just about time for this shift to go on break. Once the new girl comes back, I can take both of you to the boss so you can ask about work. The new girl seems nice, but it might help if someone could give you a more articulate introduction." He gave her a friendly smile, but didn't hint at any ulterior motives, which he totally didn't have. He was simply fulfilling the requests of two of his patrons.