Nori was standing in the break room and peeling off the glow in the dark body suit that she had donned for nightcore and foam night. Dangermouse was next to her in a pair of black boxer briefs while Mr. Beauregard chopped impatiently at a cigar. “Get the lead out Haywood, Cash has to be out there in fifteen minutes,” the balding man growled, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I know, I know, I’m going as fast as I can!” She retorted as she stepped out of the brightly colored garment, leaving the small blonde standing in her underwear. “You know I’m wet from the foam, right? That's gonna add weight,” Nori commented while stepping hesitantly on to the the scale.
“...and you know that doesn't matter,” Cash sighed, leaning over her shoulder to watch the numbers climb upwards. “I don't know why you worry about this, midget, you’ve never failed a weigh-in.” The scale settled on 113 pounds and Nori let out a relieved sigh.
“Good,” Mr. Beauregard said gruffly, pulling the tape measure from his neck and laying a large hand on the little DJ’s shoulder to steer her off the scale. He wasted no time wrapping it around her chest, nodding with a grunt before moving on to her hips. “Good. That detective you pal around with now has at least done a good job of keeping you fit.”
“He’s serious about training,” she commented idly, staring up at the ceiling as she waited for her boss to finish up on the measurements. “It'd be hard to chase after bad guys with a spare tire, right?”
“Whatever,” Mr. Beauregard grumbled, running his index finger over the long, jagged scar that now marred her stomach and stretched from her ribcage to her hip bone. Normally Nori could do a good job of concealing it with cosmetics, but the bubbles had washed it away and revealed the souvenir the Weatherman had given her the night they had finally apprehended him. “Get some better makeup, Haywood, nobody wants to pay money to watch a busted up girl DJ.”
“...It’s pretty dark out there boss, I don't think anyone noticed,” Cash spoke up, his eyes also trained on the thick scar tissue. He had been surprisingly nice to Nori after she had been stabbed. It was weird, but she didn't mind. They were actually on friendly terms now that the tattooed girl wasn't so preoccupied with stealing his time slot.
“I’ll buy some finishing spray to help it set longer,” Nori sighed, swatting her boss’ hand away. “So I passed, right? I need to get out of here, the station says I have to do another segment tonight and Ollie is giving me a cooking lessons. He’s gonna show me how to make hamburgers!”
“A cooking lesson? Is that what the kids call it nowadays?” Cash grinned, waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.
“S-shut up, Dangermouse!” she stammered, wiggling into a pair of red shorts and her ‘Shine City Investigations’ shirt. “I’m out of here, good luck with your set tonight!”
Hey, this is DJ Haywood with Shine City Radio, it’s just now 9:15 pm, and Club LUSH is PACKED! Everybody is getting wet and wild on the dance floor and I saw plenty of good looking guys and girls, so come on out if you’re looking for some eye candy! Just a friendly reminder, you are gonna be soaked by the time you’re finished dancing, so be sure to wear something that won’t go see-through!
...Unless that’s the look you’re going for, in which case, you do you! *Giggle*
It’s Naughty Nori’s News time, my darlings! I heard through the grapevine that there’s a new bar in town. I believe it’s called The Cornerstone and tonight is the big opening! If you’re looking for a quieter place to grab a drink you should swing by and support local business owner, Scott Cawtho--, whoops, sorry guys, I messed that up, his name is Scott Whittaker! Any listeners out there who do check this place out should hit me up on BookFace and let me know if he can make a good Old Fashioned or not!
Well I'm turning in for the night, but I'll leave you with this song to help get you in the mood for Nightcore and Foam night! DJ Haywood, out~!
Kastrati was a simple man, with simple needs. One of these needs was a secluded corner to nest in, cold pizza to eat, and booze to drink....at the end of his shift. But tonight was foam night and in less then an hour, his entire night would be a special kind of hell. Putting off flirty patrons, breaking up impromptu blow jobs in the bathroom, making sure people didn't have sex on the dance floor (he swore it happened....but only on foam night, something about it made the bastards bold) and finally, making sure students didn't get in to witness all of the above.
So he'd had to improvise. Bought some pizza after his shift in the morning, let it cool. Had a flask of some of the booziest booze to ever booze, and...well, draping himself over a knee-high well near the club wasn't exactly a secluded corner, but he got to flip off annoying pedestrians, so that made up for it.
Wouldn't be too long before some of the more eager party-goers showed up though. He'd have to hurry up.
Akio energetically danced his way down the street, quite proud of the outfit he had scraped together. Simple it was really, just a black latix micro-bikini, white elbow gloves and black stocks, all of silk, adorned his slender limbs as a pair of heel-boots clomped their way down their pavement and around the corner. His outfit was simple, elegant almost when compared to the raunchiness of the neon shades of green and yellow that other girls wore to such an event. At any rate, he didn't have words reserved to private time plastered across his chest for all to see.
Amateurs, Akio thought as he watched more people in short skirts and tacky tatoos walk by, Having to resort to such measures is proof of lack of skill, hmph. This was of course in no way related to the increasing bust size of the scantilly clad women who brushed by Akio and his refined and high-class outfit.
Brushing aside his uncolorfucked hair, Akio made his way around the door guards, a simple flash of his ID and another of his curvature got the man to stand down and let him into LUSH. The beat pumped itself up through the trap's every bone, every vein and every cell. Lights danced around to the beat and there was already a decent enough group gather within the club proper and that it seemed that most of the more prudish casually dressed came first with the raunchier types already gone. Propably in an alleyway or bathroom stall if memory served correctly.
Well.
The booze was working at least. And the pizza hadn't upset has stomach anymore then usual (kept him sharp it did, made up for the booze)...and just looking over the crowd that was going to be inflict a special sort of hell on him tonight told him he would need every bit of dubious yet inexplicably tasty pizza he'd eaten.
Well not so much tasty as addictive.
Okay, so MiG Pizza wasn't the best, but it was in walking distance, did deep dish, had a delightfully Russian owner....and kept him sharp. So he used it.
And yes he was mentally rambling about pizza to distract himself from his building desire to killmurder or at least maim some of the patrons. Management got pissy about that. Cowards.
Kastrati was so distracted by his mental musings on bad pizza and the self-evident cowardice of a management figure that hadn't even slit a man's throat and watched him die, that, combined with his impaired (read: blind as fuck and covered with an eyepatch to boot) eye, he failed to notice a few key details about where he was going.
"Oof!"
Which led to him bumping, quite literally, into a.....
Kastrati gave the patron a quick once-over. Yeah. He was a guy. Even if he did a damn good job of looking like that the opposite. He'd learned how a guy moved in Pike. You couldn't hide that shit.
"Well. It didn't kill you right?"
It didn't sound half sincere, but management said he had to try.
Knocked to the ground, Akio shook the stars out of his head and popped right up, "Oh- um, yeah. I'm fine~"
He smiled an innocent smile, not at all in line with his raver gear as he checked out this giant who ungracefully waltzed into him. Big tall guy, looked pretty strong given his big frame made all the more interesting between what looked like an eyepatch that Akio could barely make out in the club setting. He wagered this man was probably either someone who got dragged here unwillingly and sulked off to a corner to do push ups or was involved in some kind of protection business; he certainly was intimidating enough but Akio had already got used to big giants of men.
"May I ask for a name mister?~" Akio sung sweetly to the back drop of a loud bass line, developing something of a slightly piqued interest in this man.
Huh. Got right back up again. Not even phased.
Kastrati mentally filed this particular patron under "tolerable", anyone who could bounce back from being floored that quickly deserved that much at least. Helped that this one hadn't tried to grope him yet.
....Also helped that this one had balls, biologically speaking. Maybe metaphorically too, going by their attitude towards being bowled over and knocked the floor.
Hell. Kastrati gave the patron another once over. Had to admit, he wore that bra pretty well. Would probably look better in a pair of fatigues though...under the desert sun...blood spattered here and there....
Ahem.
"Right. Kastrati. Megaera Kastrati. Bouncer." It wasn't quite a growl, wasn't quite a purr, it came out in the uncomfortable middle space between the two-like a dog that wasn't sure if he wanted bite you or snuggle up. "....Yourself?"
Akio raised an eyebrow, he was close at least with his idea of what this man named Kastrati was. Kinda sounded like a mix between the words "karate" and "castration" now that he thought about it; the trap wondered if the two had any connection the man. Kastrati certainly looked like he did some version of karate and as for castration... he could have come from a strange family or got shot in the manhood. Akio certainly hoped it wasn't the latter.
"Akio, Akio Kaiyami!" the trap pipped up after getting rid of his thoughts and put out his girly hand as to greet this new karate-castration fellow, "Pleasure to meet ya. You don't have anything to recommend to someone like me do you? Things like drinks, seats, om-noms, or..."
Akio let his voice trail off towards the end, he was confident that Caratstrati could figure out what he meant."
Kastrati tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement. Being who he was, he didn't say anything so polite as 'pleasure to meet ya', but he did make a noise of acknowledgement, one ever-so-slightly closer to a feline purr then hostile canine growl. "Well that depends. You talkin' before or after the foam makes a health hazard big enough ta give the entire city health department a collective aneurysm."
Absent mindedly, Kastrati stuck out his hand and rested it against the wall, and leaned forwards slightly. He couldn't help but be reminded, somewhat subconsciously, somewhat not, of the time he'd pinned the unit newbie against the Humvee and-ahem.
Probably best not to use that as inspiration. Sand had gotten *everywhere*.
The pause hadn't lasted more then a few seconds. "'Cause before, well, I don't drink in the club, I don't eat in the club, and I spend most of my time knocking heads together. Wouldn't know much. Now."
The strange purr/growl returned. "If you're talking after, well, I got some ideas there. Might be some...maneuvers, I could show you. Learn alot of shit overseas you know." Particularly in a unit with a bicurious newbie.
Akio smiled, a big strong military guy on top of him was certainly an interesting prospect. Especially given how tiny Akio seemed in comparison to the large, hulking bouncer; the trap reveal at such a prospect. However, he was here for more than just Kastrati and couldn't afford to just dawdle and drool over a single man.
Magically producing a business card from somewhere, Akio waved it in front of the bouncer before gently placing it into his hand. In a neat, almost handwritten "casual cursive" font, was the name Akio Kayami, his normal work at the Casino (of which he had to go bug for a day off to come here) and of course, the coveted contact information of him.
"Call me later, I'd love to hear about some of your military stories Mr. Megaera; they say that ex-army are notorious for what they did off duty~" and by standing on the tips of his heels, Akio pecked the man on the cheek as best as he could before walking away.
"Oh, do me a favor and don't be one of those bouncers who constantly checks the bathroom; they're no fun." Akio gave once last over the shoulder wink to the man before disappearing into the crowd and music.
Well.
That had been interesting. Business cards huh? He must get around.
Might be a challenge, might not be. All came down to how well he threw a punch or took one.
Rachel was dressed up in a black and mint dress already preparing for the night, humming some catchy pop tune.
“Hey! Amaya! Listen, so, tonight is foam night over at Club LUSH and if I can persuade that bouncer like last time, I can get in. It’ll be great! Maybe you might actually find a boyfriend, or even better, get laid.”
“Um, hey I was actually thinking, why don’t we try somewhere else? There’s a bar that just opened up down in Shine Juncture. I think it was called ‘The Cornerstone’? But, they’re giving away free drinks for the first people.” Amaya said, watching Rachel go through the routine of making herself look more like a painting than reality.
“Why didn’t you say so!?” The bubbly girl exclaimed, causing her roommate to jump. “Free drinks? Count me in!”
Amaya relaxed, glad that she didn’t have to go to foam night at club LUSH. That and the fact that she didn’t want to risk getting thrown out of a club because Rachel insists on trying to enter the club despite not being 21.
“But, shouldn’t you at least try to dress up a bit? I appreciate the fact that you’re trying to make me look better, but if you don’t put at least a little effort in you’re gonna completely ruin my image!” Rachel joked, before heading over to the blonde’s closet. “Let’s see what do you have in here,” She shuffled around the layers of fabric, mumbling to herself until she pulled out a lace, white dress. “Here we go! At least put this on, I won’t force you to put on makeup or do your hair, but you just can’t look homeless. Even though you will be if you don’t hurry up and find some place to stay.”
Amaya let out a defeated sigh before grabbing the dress and starting to strip. She had learned to just go with whatever her roommate threw at her. “I’m trying okay? It’s just kinda difficult to find some place to stay for only the summer. Most people are looking for more permanent roommates.” Amaya complained. She managed to worm her way into the fairly tight dress, before grabbing a brush and going through her hair.
“Hey! Maybe we could find someone for you to room with at the bar,” The brunette suggested, putting the final bobby pin into her hair.
“That sounds like a horrible idea. Do you know how many sketchy people there might be there?” Amaya said, grabbing her purse.
“Yea, but there are also cute guys there. Maybe you could room with one of them.” Rachel giggled, grabbing her own purse before heading out the door.
“I doubt that,” Amaya rolled her eyes before following right behind.
After having some at the arcade, meeting some people briefly before getting a call and ordered to be dragged along to a mixer, it took some time for the tall blonde to find her way through the city and back to the station but it all turned out alright. Her friend and fellow firefighter, Marine, dragged her shopping in preparation for the night. For a little mixer and to try out the drinks at the small bar. Ashton herself had never been as she doesn't really drink. Marine was often the one dragging her to places, while also often scolding the tall blonde of the what not to do and what to do at places like a bar or even something like Club LUSH. Ashton would of assumed Marine would want to go to the party at the club, but said she didn't really want to get wet.
Forcibly clothed by her companion in order to fit their little going out, the tall woman wore a white tank top. A chained necklace hanging around her neck and resting on her chest, two rectangular silver flat pendants resting against her flat chest and the boogie board that was still around her neck. Old dog tags, Marine insisted in wearing them. Wearing a black leather jacket, fitting nicely with her body unlike her regular baggy coat. Black skinny jeans, and black boots. Still wearing her regular fingerless black gloves. Ashton didn't really like how tightly these clothes hugged her body but she had little choice in the matter. Especially the light grey vest underneath to assist in making her more ambiguous.
"Alright here's the plan. Now that your actually dressed pretty well, along to fit in with a nice look. Not really girly and more of a bad tomboy type. Fit with that scarface, your height and muscles. Plus, despite being scarface, having a very pretty face and having the soft personality to go with it, the competition will surely be a bit distracted by you. Leaving room for me to snag the babes. All you got to do is be a little prince charming kay? Man bringing you to a mixer is the best! Guys rarely dig tall chicks, but even girls will give pause. Best distraction for enemies and less competition." Marine rattled off with a devious smirk, blue eyes a light with determination. Her auburn hair fluttering in the night air as they walked side by side. Standing only around 5'0 and wearing a black long sleeve shirt that showed off a bit of her assets and skinny light blue jeans.
The tall blonde just stared at her friend, raising a eyebrow in mild confusion but the fellow firefighter rolled her blue eyes and roughly took the taller woman's hand. Dragging her into the bar known as the Cornerstone. Ashton blinked her amethyst eyes as she rubbed the back of her head with her free hand before heading to one of the occupied tables by Marine. Already chittering to the people already there, four men and two other girls. Unfortunately they seemed to have already started drinking and one of the guys was a bit too intoxicated.
"Hic..... Well... howdy... hic... beautiful... Y-Ya know yah got there a nice.... ass. Mind shakin... and see what yo mama gave ya to us?" One of the men said, having black hair with dyed purple tips, a dark tan, and wearing a red shirt with blue jeans. Practically hanging over one of the girls, a brunette with green eyes, wearing a pretty short sleeve white shirt with frills and a pink skirt.
"Ew! Get off you drunk! Eep! Hey don't touch there!" the harassed girl squealed as she tried to shove him off her and smack groping hands.
Ashton took a step to intervene but Marine was the first to do it. "Geez, get a drunken ass already? Hey moron why don't you sober up before you make yourself appear like a bigger idiot? Or I sock you one?" the auburn haired tiny girl said with annoyance, watching as the drunken man looked at them and stumbled up and moved closer, standing about 6'2 and towering over Marine.
"O-Oh yeah little girl? Whatcha gonna do about it..? S...School girls should be in bed... Not.... ruining little fun! Y-You too tiny to do anythin' anyway." the drunken man slurred.
Marine's blue eyes twitched in anger, disliking that the drunkard had called her tiny before smirking. Ashton didn't like that smirk. It mean she was conducting a plan that would somehow in her mind benefit her. The auburn haired girl then moved around Ashton and pressed her hands against the middle of the blonde's back, pushing her closer to the drunkard. "I don't have to! Ashy! Be a dear and handle this! I think our dear friend is much too out of it to socialize properly. We wouldn't want to cause everyone in the bar trouble because of his intolerance to a little alcohol." she said sweetly before sitting down at the table beside the other girls.
Ashton's amethyst eyes widened, mouth slightly dropped as she stared at her friend before switching her gaze to the drunkard who had to crane his neck a bit to look at her. She gave a friendly smile, raising both hands and waving them a little in a slight nervous motion of 'please calm down sir' sort of way.
"Holy shit... this... dude's tall... the hell? Ya trying... to take all the chicks buddy? Yeeeeou aint so tough!... skinny.. can crush you... knock your teeth in..." The drunk slurred in a confident manner as he put up his fists.
Ashton quickly shaked her head, eyes wide and hands waving. Not wishing for a fight. However, he didn't listen or didn't understand her as he just swung a fist at her with his right fist. Immediately she caught his wrist and pulled him toward her at full force, swinging her right knee up and slamming it right in his stomach. A brief grunt before the man's body slumped, in which the blonde quickly caught and helped him to the table to sit down and rest his head. Examining him to see him just sleep soundly now.
"Awe, it was so short. No fun Ash." Marine said with a pout, smiling innocently as Ashton shot her a scolding look. Eyes half narrowed waved her curled up left hand with only the index finger extended in a scolding manner. Marine just chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Awe come on! He was obviously just going to be trouble like that, and you know how to knock people out without too much damage. But darn, means one less guy to mingle with. Shame." Marine sighed.
"Sorry about that.... I'll take him home." one of the other men said, a brunette with bangs as he helped his apparent friend and carried him out.
"Awe damn... make it two down.. Just my luck." Marine sighed.
Ashton rolled her eyes and sighed as well before looking at the harassed girl who looked a bit shaken up, the other girl, who had black hair, trying to comfort her. Picking up the menu, she flipped through before opening it and pointing at the list of drinks. Smiling brightly and friendly like, despite what just happened. The girls looked at her in confusion before glancing to Marine who chirped up.
"Awe Ash! So sweet to get us drinks! I'll have a Bloody Mary!" Marine chirped.
Everyone paused at the table before looking to the blonde and listing off what drinks they wanted. The blonde slowly nodded and put the menu down and walked over to the bar counter. Gingerly sighing as she grabbed her boogie board and wrote down all the ordered drinks so the bartender could make them.
The opening night was going relatively well so far. He'd had a steady trickle of patrons filter in and out since opening, most taking advantage of the free round before bugging out. Presumably to the "Foam and Dance Night" or whatever it was called at that nightclub the radio chattered on about. Lots of folks were dressed to the point of just barely being modest, it made him want to put up a sign about it. Otherwise it was quite a peaceful, and to Scott, successful night. Only rarely did people drink way too much than they should have, causing him to chase them out of the bar with a righteous cat piss retribution, the floor mopping required afterwards was an acceptable price to pay. THIS time however, someone else did the chasing out for him.
As the tall blonde girl from the arcade approached, Scott quietly placed the Budweiser tap back into place. To say he was irritated by the little stunt that rat bastard had pulled was an understatement. He'd noticed before and he especially noticed it now with the girl's mannerisms, she didn't talk much or at all. When she pushed the written down orders he gave her his friendliest smile before rushing off to fill the glasses, when he returned he broke the silence that had set.
"Great work with that guy, if he wants to get drunk off his ass and make a fool of himself again, he can do it at the club for all I care." And indeed he meant it, the moron's face was permanently etched into his mind. If that particular customer ever came back he'd get nothing but bud courtesy of his tap.
"Sorry to say, but I'll need to see your ID, your friend's too, can't be too careful" He said loud enough for the girl's friend to hear. Prompting the woman to call the girl back, who she handed a card too, which he saw that she was indeed over 21, same story with the giant after she fished her own out and flashed it with a smile.
He had to admit, she was pretty adorable.
"Alright!" He said with another embellished grin, he didn't dare let his face suggest his soured mood, "Thanks for dealing with him by the way, that was pretty badass" with that he handed her a tray laden with the shots they ordered.
9:15… Mirei looked up at the clock and sighed. As much as she loved her job, work could be extremely dragging on some days. Her eyes opened wide when she heard a sudden noise as Nai rose from her seat, walking over to Mirei.
“Hey, remember when you decided to make us work late? Well, that just got us a day off early!” she said excitedly but whispering in Mirei’s ear so that she didn’t disturb the others.
Mirei smiled subtly, rising from her seat as she said goodbye to her coworkers near her. She was glad that they weren’t petty at all because it would have been irritating to have to deal with jealous gazes. Walking over to their locker room, Mirei looked over at Nai who was already changed. “Where are you headed? I’m probably going to the Club.” Nai said, winking at Mirei. “Don’t you have a husband to get home to?” Mirei responded with a little laugh. Nai was always saying things like this but she knew that she would never cheat on her husband. “Oh, c’mon~ You know that he’d understand.” she said jokingly while she took off her lab coat. Mirei sighed, chuckling at this while shaking her head. “Screw you.”
Nai looked over at her automatically, the sound of even a bit of profanity coming out of Mirei’s mouth was something that rarely ever happened. Soon, her smile turned into a perverted grin. “Oh? When and where? As long as you don’t tell my hubby, you’ve got a deal.” she said, causing Mirei to blush as she laughed. “My god.”
Nai closed her locker with a loud “SLAM” that startled Mirei. “Okay, bye Mirei! Gotta head back to my hubby actually. He said not to go out tonight now that I recall. I wonder why~?” grinning at Mirei before she waved goodbye and left. Mirei’s smile slowly toned down as she went through her locker and took out her things. She hummed a tune that she had learned to play on her violin a while back and headed out of the building.
Mirei had considered going to club LUSH for a few seconds but she wasn’t a fan of getting wet if it wasn’t in the pool. So, she simply headed home. The taxi ride was a short one. Only about 15 minutes before she finally got to her apartment. Looking up, Mirei sighed as she entered the building with a smile. “Welcome back Ms. Yuwashika.” the door man said as he held the door open for her. She smiled at him, saying her hello’s and heading up the elevator. She had always hated elevator music. There was nothing special about it and it always seemed to have a sad tune in her opinion. Though that may have just been something she thought too much about.
After she entered her room, Mirei fell onto the floor with a sigh. The different types of medicine that she got to deal with today was exciting for her. One of the patients that she had been monitoring for a while was proving to be improving due to the treatment. However, it was still hard to tell if she was getting better or only just getting at the high peak and was about to drop back down. Her smile vanished as Mirei scratched the back of her head, messing up her hair.
Standing up with a groan and heading straight to her vodka, pouring herself some in a simple shot glass. With that, she looked out the large window, gulping down the drink in one go. She needed something stronger. She needed more. Mirei decided she was going out tonight.
Tired of all of her work stress and the latter, she rummaged through her closet to find most of her clothes were “sweet and innocent” gah. Annoying. One eyebrow lifted as she found a black dress that she got god knows when. Mirei threw it on, adding some black laced shorts under because as much as she loved the fact that girls liked to go out with short dressed and their booty hanging out nowadays, Mirei wasn’t up for it. For the first time in a week, Mirei applied light makeup, a barely noticeable smokey eye to her au natural makeup. “Great. I look horrible but whatever.” Mirei murmured, her un-confident side showing now before she smacked her cheeks and smiled. It had been a good day and she wasn’t going to bring it down with her own negativity.
Walking out of her room with a small black bag. Wallet, phone, and a pocket knife was all she had for the night. Her doorman’s eyebrow lifted as she saw her. “Going out, I see? You look nice in that Ms. Yuwashika.” he said kindly. “You’re too sweet Nicel, have a good night.” the man was surprised that he had remembered his name given the fact that he didn’t typically wear a name tag but she had heard it before.
The street was filled with rowdy people as she walked with her 2 inch heels, trying to be more confident. Her eyes wandered over to a flyer that said ‘The Cornerstone’ the bar that she would be going to as of now. Looking at the address and heading down the street. Entering the bar, she could feel some eyes on her. Just some drunkies. She smiled at them kindly, not wanting to be rude when they hadn’t done anything. She hummed quietly which couldn’t be heard. A man came up to her and started flirting with Mirei. She looked kind but honestly, she wanted to get her drinks right about now.
She spoke with him for a while, breaking him down from his original goals. He was drunk after all. Mirei began walking past him and hoping he was too drunk to mind. With that, Mirei took a seat in the front, in front of the bartender that was speaking to someone. She remembered Nai’s advice for getting attention from the bartender at that moment. “Flash your boobs and you’re sure to get served. In fact, you’ll probably get a few free drinks.” well, that wasn’t much of an option. Mirei waited for them to finish before opening her mouth to speak. “Excuse me. I’d like to have either Adambier or just something strong and i'd like to open a tab.” she said kindly, acknowledging the tall and boyish beauty that was near her with a smile. "Hello. Nice night, isn't it?" Ah, yep, this was nice. Bars were always nice. Hopefully I don't get too drunk. @Specter189@Silver Fox
“Ugh, why did we decide to walk?” Rachel asked, pulling the door to the bar open.
“Because it’s a lot cheaper?” Amaya suggested, looking around at the homely bar. Her friend simply hummed a bit, taking in the sights of the place. “Come on, let's get some drinks!” Rachel grabbed the shorter girl's wrist and dragged her towards the bar.
With practiced ease, the brunette slid into a seat by the bar and waved the bartender over, a bit too boisterously for Amaya's tastes. Already, she could feel eyes on the two of them. If things didn't end up going right there'd definitely be a bit of a scene and tonight the fair skinned female wanted to avoid conflict. So, before the bartender could reach them, Amaya set a hand on her roommate's shoulder. “Hey, try NOT to get us kicked out of here. And by that I mean no alcoholic drinks,” She asked with a lowered voice.
“Fine. You're just lucky I don't need any liquid courage to go talk to new people, unlike SOME people I know,” Rachel grinned obviously referring to the person in front of her.
“I CAN talk to new people, just not in crazy circumstances like a club.” The blonde protested.
“What are you talking about? Places like those are the BEST places to meet new people.” Rachel rolled her eyes. But before Amaya could say anything else, the bartender came over.
“Hey, I would like a diet coke, and my friend here would like a ‘Sex on the Beach’,” Rachel grinned, side eyeing her friend before giving a cute wink to the man taking her order.
“Actually, I’d just like a water please.” Amaya corrected, glaring at the girl next to her. However, that girl simply kept on grinning smugly. However, the greened eyed girl made sure to turn to the bartender to smile at him in order to show her gratitude for putting up with Rachel's shenanigans.
When night came, Yutaro was manning his usual post at the blackjack table. The casino had more or less become a zoo; with the popularity of the bunny girls bringing in a lot of new customers, the boss had decided to have every employee wear some kind of animal gimmick depending on their job. Yutaro thought he would be used to wearing those damn cat ears by now but every time he put them on he couldn't help but grimace. What made it worse was that rumors of his chagrin spread among the workers and he had earned himself the name "grumpy cat." Of course he always wore a pleasant expression for the customers, making them feel entirely welcome at his table so that they'd spend their hard earned money, but he took those ears off as soon as he clocked out for his break.
Yutaro had taken some time off of work after the incident, but time off was honestly the last thing he needed. Being back at work helped him keep his mind focused on things he liked to do, like taking people's money, and so his mood was always elevated at work. Then he thought for a moment about Ryoki. He knew she was supposed to be coming back again, and he was looking forward to seeing her more. After the incident, she had understandably been keeping to herself, and Yutaro hoped she was holding herself together. He hadn't called her because he figured she wanted some time alone, and he figured she could contact him when she was ready to talk again. Though, he also wondered if they would ever be able to pick up where they left off. Yutaro knew he wasn't himself, and he could only imagine what the incident had done to Ryoki.
However, he thoughts were quickly drawn back to the game at hand when the customers started showing up. The night was a bit slower than usual, probably because of that crazy foam party at club lush, but there was still a healthy flow of customers. There was a middle aged man trying to impress a pretty young woman at the table, but alcohol had already knocked the wits out of him. It was so easy egging him on he almost felt bad for him. "Aww, don't quit now. You're lucky streak could be one hand away." The woman giggled and the man grunted, buying in for another fifty dollars. It was a good start for the house, and it helped that the man was playing pretty poorly. It was as simple as collecting free money.
It had been a long, busy afternoon for Theo, as the young man went shopping for coffee and other bit and pieces he remembered he needed. Making it home around 3:30 has he got distracted when he bumped into a friend, who he ended up eating lunch with. When he got home Theo, unpacked all the shopping he had brought, pleased to have several items he had been lack for weeks but hadn't gotten around to buying yet. With the reason for him going out done Theo pulled out the bit of paper Mirei had given him with her number on it. "Hehe, been a while since I picked up a number ... feels pretty good. Even if it was just to play tour good, it gives me that tingling feeling." he thought has he went about programming the number into his phone, so he wouldn't lose it. Once that was done, Theo sat at a desk that sat by the evaluator steel door. Turning on a large, expensive looking computer, it responding with a soft hum as power flowed into it.
Theo spent the next few hours on his computer playing a game call the Legends of War, with a few of he friends that where online at the time. It was around 8, when one of his friends talked about trying out the Cornerstone bar. The mention of the name causing Theo to get up and check his fridge for a note he had made, but only just recalled putting up. "Oh yeah that joint opens up to night, looks like it be a good place to get hammered in." Theo said into the Microphone of the wireless head set sat on his head, stopping as he started to recall another detail. "You know what? I'm going go check it out, I recall something about the first around being on the house. SO WHO IS WITH ME? This will be a dangerous expedition in to unknown lands, some of us may not even survive the trip! But think of the glory and riches we may discover!" he said shouting into hismicc causing several of his friends to start cursing Theo's name.
Sadly for Theo only one of his friends opted to come with him, but luckily for the young man it was his a friend he had more money than brain cells so knew he'd get a free drink or two out of it. Theo unable to say no to even the chance of a drink, although knew it would still be a costly night. That was something he didn't care about, simply because that would require thing about the effect his actions would have. Quickly having a shower. Theo got himself change it something he was pretty sure would be considered okay. Although as he looked himself in the mirror he thought maybe he was over dressed, but in the end decided it wasn't something worth worrying about. Quickly feeding his furry overlords, so they wouldn't trash the joint for not feeding them.
Theo left his apartment and after a quick pit stop to the landlady apartment on the ground floor to get directions. Theo was surprised to learn the Cornerstone was actually not to far away, Theo pleased to learn this given he didn't like a lot of the bars already in the area. They where to shady for his liking and he had trouble enjoying the atmosphere, but if this one was good it would become he watering hole and end a long search. As Theo made his way to the bar, he knew he friend was most likely already down there checking the place out. Aware his friend would pick out seating for them where he could watch the ladies. Theo's friend being a little bit of a player. By the time he got there it was close to 8:30 Theo walking into the bar only to be greeted bar his friends who was sat at the bar with a beer in his hand already looking like he downed 5 already. Sitting in a free seat next his friend Theo looked him over Theo laughed at his friends chocice of clothes.
Theo left his apartment and after a quick pit stop to the landlady apartment on the ground floor to get directions. Theo was surprised to learn the Cornerstone was actually not to far away, Theo pleased to learn this given he didn't like a lot of the bars already in the area. They were to shady for his liking and he had trouble enjoying the atmosphere, but if this one was good it would become his watering hole and end a long search. As Theo made his way to the bar, he knew his friend was most likely already down there checking the place out. Aware his friend would pick out seating for them where he could watch the ladies. Theo's friend being a little bit of a player. By the time he got there it was close to 8:30 Theo walking into the bar only to be greeted bar his friends who was sat at the bar with a beer in his hand already looking like he downed 5 already. Sitting in a free seat next his friend. Theo looked him over Theo laughing at his friends choice of clothes.
"You wearing that Jack? A denim jacket? Really? Wannbie alert! Theo laughed earning a glare out of his friend. "Yeah and so what? At least I don't look overdressed." "Meh, I don't care. I like the way I look and that all that matters too me. It not like we're on a date. Maybe then I'd want to look in a way you though was nice. "You asking me on a date. My, my Theo I didn't know you batted for the home team. Then again all the tim ..." Jack started to say before breaking down in to a laugh. Once worked the laugh out of his system Jack singled the bar tender, the moment he was free. "Hello good sir, a beer for me and be... er... and whatever cider you might have." Jack requested Theo glaring at Jack when he was about to order him a beer. Once the two had their drink they started talking and playing around as much as the bartender would allow, without kicking them out or cutting them off.
How long they talked and drinked Theo wasn't sure, as his perception of time faded into oblivion. The pair only stopping when Jack got distracted by a girl he liked the looked of. So went to talk to here. Sighing Theo looked around and noticed Mirei, but left her be. "She looking good... I wonder what secrets that dress is hiding. he thought going to take a sip out of his drink only to notice it was empty, frowning as it meant the point were he'd have to start paying was occurring as Jack would most likely be chatting up girls for the rest of the night. Leaving Theo to his own devices, a risky move given Theo while drinking was likely to start messing with him. "Well it was fun while it lasted but drinking alone is in public is boring. Need some company." he thought looking around then an idea he knew would annoy Jack and might land him someone to talk to. Not feeling confidant enough, to approach someone and start talking for no reason. Calling the bartender the second his was free Theo asked another cider waiting for the bartender to give him his drink. "Hey mate, I wanna buy a round for everyone." he said with a cheery tone knowing the moment Jack found out it bug the crap out of him. Given he hated it when Theo stole even a tiny part of his spotlight, even for a nanosecond.
The Cornerstone was proving to be much less hectic than the bars Reiji typically found himself at, as the clientele had been mostly docile and it was actually possible to hear one’s own thoughts. And speaking of which, the guy was finding that he was actually enjoying his time behind the counter. Bartending had always been one of the jobs he enjoyed the most, as it put him in the thick of the action and led to him meeting plenty of interesting people, but this place had a particular charm to it unlike most other bars he had worked before. Between the well-worn character it had and the smooth jazz playing in the background, the place had a cozy atmosphere that he was appreciating thoroughly. That and he respected Scott’s stance on how best to deal with the unfortunate few drunk and disorderly individuals that wanted to ruin that atmosphere.
With his hair tied back in a small ponytail and a rather respectable outfit on, the guitarist looked a bit more approachable than he usually did. After all, it would hardly be conducive for business if he was scaring off customers rather than serving them. And seeing how he had just finished up his work in the back, he was going to need to do just that. Rubbing the exhaustion out of his eyes, a lovely consequence from the night before, Reiji made his way back to the front of the bar. Within moments of opening the door, it quickly became clear that things had been picking up while he was in the back room. Scott’s attention was being pulled every which way by different customers, but the punk had to hand it to him because the guy didn’t even look bothered by it.
”I’ll take care of those two over there boss-man,” he told the gruff guy with a light tap on his shoulder and a small head jerk in the direction of the blondie and brunette. As he got closer, Reiji put on a small smile for the two. The brunette’s flirting made it become a smirk, but he merely shook his head rather than play along. It was easy to tell the two were good friends from their banter, even if the blonde was trying so very hard to glare at the brunette. Without even raising an eyebrow at their order, Reiji produced the requested drinks in seconds, returning the blonde’s smile when he got back. ”Alright, alright. Here you are ladies, although I am required to tell you that if you want anything more adventurous tonight I’ll need to see some ID’s,” he informed the two politely. It was difficult to gauge whether they were legal quite yet, but he was not willing to take any chances as Scott had made it quite clear that he would skin him alive if he served alcohol to minors. And call him a wuss if you must, but the red head had grown rather fond of keeping his skin where it was.
The night picked up speed as more people came in, though it was opening night Scott was not expecting his little joint to become so popular. Nevertheless he firmly affixed his merchant's smile as he served round after round to his new customers.
One pretty looking woman came up and asked for Adambier or something strong. "Long day?" He asked while he fetched a glass, she had a particular taste it seemed, he had only ordered a small supply of Adam because if how obscure it was. Fortunately he'd be able to serve her tastes. Though internally he couldn't help but scream as he witnessed how much money he was losing through having the first round be free, good relations with customers was worth it.
He noticed Reiji for the first time tonight dealing with a pair of girls. They both looked early twenties in age range but fortunately they ordered non alcoholic drinks, saved him the stress of wondering if their ID's were genuine. He flashed them both his trademarked cordial smile before directing his attention to the next set of patrons. He'd forgotten that he had an employee and he was suddenly extremely thankful to his past self.
One particular guy was looking like he was about to start causing trouble when a pal of his came in, much to Scott's inner relief. They flagged him down and he filled their mugs with whatever they ordered. Things were moving so quick that he was forgetting what people wanted the moment the mug/shot glass left his hands.
At least nobody's done something really fucking stupid yet he thought to his relief as he tended to the crowd. Then the newcomer came and.... Ordered a damn round for everyone.
.... I stand corrected coursed through his mind as he fought off the urge to facepalm. At least he'd get an assload if money from this guy, provided he had the cash. Without further ado he asked the man if he was sure, upon receiving no such inkling of backing out he reached across the counter, grabbed his hand and raised it in the air as he cleared his throat.
"Ladies and Gentleman!" He barked loud enough for all to hear, "This fine young man would like you all to have a free drink on him!" Not the finest declaration but it did prompt quite a few laughs and cheers. He dropped the guy's hand as he flashed him a sympathetic look. Inwardly he sighed as he prepared for the onslaught that was about to occur, while leaving a mental notepad open to record just how much money this schmuck was about to owe him.
Ashton gave a smile in response, rubbing the back of her head with her left hand and lightly waving her right hand in a 'no biggie' fashion before nodding at the request for ID. After proving both her and Marine's identities, Ashton smiled brightly as the drinks were brought to her on a tray. As the bartender voiced his appreciation, Ashton smiled a bit brighter and gave a thumbs up before picking up the tray before turning her gaze toward a new arrival. A pretty woman wearing a black dress whom spoke to the bartender for a order.
At the smile, the tall blonde returned it cheerfully, nodding happily in response. About to make a sort of response before other customers trickled in. One of which was a man who apparently a free round for everyone in the bar. Which with this many people already here, that was quite a bit of money. Already she could hear Mirna voice out a excited cheer.
"Sweet! Ash! Give us our drinks damnit!" The tall blonde's friend shouted to the tall giant of a woman. Ashton gave a slight amused grin, raising her left eyebrow before a playful sigh and the shake of the head before looking to the girl who had conversed with her. Flashing another smile and giving a little bow before carrying the tray carefully to the table. Gingerly setting each drink to the desired owner.
In which most were quickly being drained upon.
"Gee, where did you learn to take down folks tall dude?" One of the remaining questioned.
Ashton just shrugged with a innocent smile, though Marine happily chirped in. "Military girl. Geesh Ash, you really should take being a copper or a bouncer as a side job." the auburn haired girl mused. The tall blonde just waved her hands and shook her head with a nervous smile before watching as her friend conversed. Ashton found her gaze looking around the bar, curiously examining other patrons.
"Thank you for your diligence, and your concern, Shizuka. But... I'm afraid that there isn't really anything particularly unusual about my troubles." Vern took a breath and set down his briefcase on the floor by the counter. "The simple fact is that there are more challenges than I originally anticipated when I bought this business. Some with the building, some with other personnel. And, a few unfortunate personal coincidences as well. Perhaps I wasn't quite as prepared as I thought I was. But, I'll be alright."
"Well, just because your troubles are not unusual, doesn't make them any less legitimate," Shizuka replied, knowing that too often, society dismisses someone's problems by bringing up examples of those who 'have it way worse'. Shizuka was a bit afraid that she may come off as condescending or presumptuous instead of concerned, but added, "You can't take care of other people unless you take care of yourself." She figured him for someone who prioritized the needs of others, but maybe she was wrong. "Life is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't overwork yourself, and slow down when you need to." Hmm, that last one might have been a bit much, Shizuka wondered if she sounded like a grandma. At this point it was pretty obvious that Vern was about to head out, so Shizuka let him go on his way.
Some time later, towards the end of Shizuka's shift, the manager, who had come in soon after lunch, approached Shizuka, notifying her that Mr. Smith had accidentally left his briefcase behind, and asked her if she could bring it to him since her shift was ending. Shizuka asked the manager for Vern's address before taking his briefcase. She saw that he lived in roughly the same part of town as where Ink Sparks was located, and wasn't too much of a detour as the Academy was in a different, nicer part of town. Shizuka got on her bike, put the briefcase in her basket and rode off.
As she rode, some clouds that had been looming on the horizon earlier in the day had made their way overhead, causing a light drizzle. It made sense, Shizuka thought to herself; the day had been pretty muggy, so something like this should be expected. But what she didn't expect was that the rain hadn't yet stopped by the time she arrived at Vern's...house? Looking at it, she could see that it was a three-story house but with apartment rooms built on top. She looked at the address the manager had given her and confirmed that Vern did in fact live in one of the rickety-looking apartments at top. Rather than ask for directions and disturb whoever lived in the house, Shizuka wandered around the property a bit until she found an alley with stairs leading up, which she took. On her way up the three flights of steps to reach Vern's apartment, she almost slipped a few times since the stairs did not have a roof and the steps were wet and slippery. At the top of the stairs was a wooden landing that thankfully had an awning that protected her from the rain. Shizuka rang the doorbell and waited. She looked around, noticing that the rain was getting stronger, though she assured herself that it was probably just a localized and sudden downpour, and would probably be over soon. She rang the doorbell again, hoping that she didn't come off as rude. Now she was beginning to wonder if he wasn't at home. She couldn't remember if he drove, or what his car looked like, nor could she remember what cars she had seen on the gorund level and if she could deduce if any of those cars might be his. She stood there, a little dumbstruck at what she should do, surrounded by the rain. She didn't want to bike back in this weather, but she couldn't think of anything besides just standing there.
Sabine sighed as she leaned her head back onto the cool, smooth pillar of concrete. Today's work consisted of a lot more slapping than usual; the kids were getting bolder with wanting "free samples", most of which she had already handed out when she arrived not a half hour before. Though the aluminum trays were gutted of all their content, Sabine actually had hidden one last foam box with her own guilty pleasure : deep-fried pork cutlet and rice, courtesy of the Japanese-themed recipes made each and every Saturday.
With some care so as to not tear or scuff her cardigan, she slowly slid down to the jutted-out base, and retrieved one of the last plastic forks to take a bite of that scrumptious cut...
Buh duh da da dah! Ba da da dah! Ashton continued to dance with the rhythm of the beat, feeling the vibrations of the machines music seem to emit from the very metallic floor beneath her. Her steps missed a few times to the flying arrows on the screen but she really didn't mind. She was having fun and that's what counts. Who cares if a few steps were missed? So the tall blonde waved her arms in the air, pumping them up and down like in some rave while her feet sped about onto the arrows, body moving to the beat.
That was until she missed a step.
Slipping up as she took a bit too far backward, her rump hit the protective rest that was supposed to help keep players steady. Instead, she ended up waving her arms wildly to try and regain balance of body which was already almost horizontal from the top of the rest where her coat was hanging. Her flailing attempt failed and the firefighter just ended up flipping backwards and over the railing and bellyflopping the ground off the stage.
A few onlookers stared and murmured, some snickered, though jumped as the giant sat herself up. Hands resting in front of her shit together knees while her legs spread out behind her. Face scrunching up in pain, nose twitching as she reached up to rub her scarred face with her right hand. After a moment of checking herself to be sure nothing was broken, she lowered her hand and gave a slightly embarrassed but carefree grin. Standing up, she hopped in place before nodding in satisfaction at the result of being functional before picking up her coat. Picking up some of the fallen coins that flew out of her pocket.
Well that was fun! Hurt... But it was a fun time on the dance floor! Ashton put on her baggy coat, despite being hot and sweaty now. Wiping her forehead with the back of her left hand, the dirty blonde started walking through the arcade to find something else to do. Suddenly, her stomach rumbled in a large complaint. Blinking her amethyst gaze, Ash looked down at her stomach and reached her left hand up and started rubbing her belly. Listening it complain about needing a replenish of energy after that fun exercise.
Scratching her right cheek with her right index finger, the tall woman flicked her eyes around for something to eat before spotting a woman leaning against a pillar. Eyes immediately set on the food in the cute girl's hand, Ashton didn't really think about it as her stomach practically led her over to the stranger. Ashton came up beside the woman, gingerly tapping the shoulder of the pretty girl. Eyes widening in a almost sparkly manner of that of a dog saying 'please feed me' manner. Lips in a slight between of a mutual line and a frowny pout of sheer awe.
Sabine was genuinely smiling to herself at the impending reward, so when she felt a tap on her shoulder, she snapped her head back to give a lecture about the importance of being prepared for the next time she would come and suggesting to try the nearby restaurants, but...
...well, it was a bit hard when it was either a very pretty boy or a hot, sweaty, tall, positively-firm-in-the-legs girl already making the signature face of every freeloader ever. By instinct, her left eye already twitched a few times, but a few blinks and a cursory glance down the t-shi-
Sabine, that's pedophilia.
No way. She couldn't be older than 20 at her age, right? Right?!
"Oh, hey there honey! Are you hungry? Wanna bite?"
Okay Sabine, you're officially perving for boobs now. Embrace it while you can.
Ashton continued looking at the smaller woman in front of her. A very cute short-hair brunette with pretty light blue or grey eyes (actually a dark grey-green). She looked pretty young and the firefighter was unsure if this girl was a highschooler or maybe a college student. Was a pretty average height, reaching to about the taller woman's stomach and ribs. Nyaaaaaw such a cutie! Seemed pretty nice too! Lucky getting lost free day! As the woman responded with the question the dirty blonde was hoping for, a immediate bright smile appeared on her scarred though sweaty face and gave rapid session of nods in response. Loose locks of blonde hair bouncing with the movement that wasn't sticking to her skin from sweat.
Feeling a bit overheated, Ashton removed the coat and wrapped the sleeves around her hips, tying a knot in the front. Revealing a bit more of her toned body, her shirt clinging against it and leaving her toned bare arms for all to see. Trained from years of use from the military with the sniper rifle and other basics and now constant use of the firehose. Oblivious to the brunette's glances, Ashton returned her amethyst gaze on the girl with what looked like Japanese food and raised her arms horizontally up to her face which bowed a bit. Clapping her palms a together in front of her, fingertips touching her cheerfully smiling lips. In a both 'Yes Please' and 'Thank you' manner of inaudible speaking. Before shaping her left hand to raise three fingers while the index and thumb moved more closely together. Meaning she just wanted a little bit. She'd feel bad if she had a lot of it, plus if her crewmates knew she'd surely be scolded for bugging the people around her minding their own business. Sure, the blonde could go through the trouble of finding her own food, but it was much more fun to share the experience with someone else. Who cares if you didn't know them? Just means another possibility to have a new lovely experience and a companion to make one feel a bit more warm inside.
Perhaps that was a bit selfish of her... But it made sense in her mind. Or maybe she was just a dimwit like the Captain always says? Mhmm.
Annabelle finished out the song with 97% accuracy, though by the end she wasn't paying attention to the numbers on the screen. Part-way through the song, she'd heard Eidel singing, and upon turning to face her, had become permanently distracted. Eidel had been dancing. It was a strange dance, obviously not a popularly-established style, but it looked fun. It made the girl seem even cooler, even more unique. Not to mention it was outright hilarious! She'd been tempted to join her, at least in the singing part, but anxiety rose again just at the thought of it. Playing was enough for now. Besides, just watching the strange penguin dance was enough to make her start giggling. If she tried it herself, she'd probably completely lose it. Annabelle grinned as the song came to an end.
"Nice dancing," She said softly. "Sure, you can call me Anna. I don't mind... uh..." She found herself looking for more words. Though she was admittedly more comfortable now, she still wasn't used to this whole conversation thing. "Food... yeah... food's good..." She turned toward the vendor that Eidel had spotted.
The two girls wandered off, much to Scott's dismay. His specialty was fighting games, and observing matches in other kinds of games didn't really interest him. Nevertheless he discreetly followed them, maintaining a safe distance and constantly shuffling over to other cabinets, pretending to be browsing to give him plausible deniability should they catch onto him. It was then when something else caught his attention, a gargantuan that was easily several heads taller than him, who was already respectably tall. He couldn't tear his gaze away as the person played, of all things, Dance Dance Revolution. The sight of the giant's long legs flailing about was rather amusing and utterly awe inspiring. At least until he/she flipped over the fucking railing
"Jesus Christ" he said as loud involuntarily, before fighting off the urge to rush over and check if they were okay, the person was probably okay, it shouldn't have been That bad of a fall right? They, or rather judging by the facial features, she, got up and seemed.... amused? Regardless, Scott suddenly released the breath he didn't even realize he was holding. The crisis over, he scanned the room he noticed a woman with a tray of what looked like Japanese food standing nearby, it was then that he realized that he hadn't had anything to eat today. Despite himself he made a beeline over to her, just behind the tall girl. The lady holding the tray wasn't wearing the uniform that the arcade workers did, which caused his mind to whirl at the possibilities.
"Hello!" He called out as he approached, his brilliant mind hard at work with a moneymaking scheme. "Are you a caterer by any chance?"
"Sorry, but..." Sabine started, before she took a quick bite of the cutlet. The tender, fatty pork danced with crisp panko crumbs as a satisfying crunch rang out to all that were paying attention. A few quick chews and a polite hand on her thin lips lengthened the audial torture, and then to Scott...
"...I'm sold out, and I haven't eaten anything since the sun rose. Unless, if any of you want to order something Latino tomorrow..."
Her fork had skewered another piece while she spoke, but as her hand pointed away from her face, the katsudon hung temptingly in front of Ashton...
Ashton perked up a bit as her amethyst eyes glanced toward a few others who seemed to notice the girl. Honestly she hadn't meant to attract such attention to the cute girl. Still it was interesting to see these newcomers. A man a few heads shorter then her, but was pretty tall compared to standard. Asking if this girl was a caterer. Thought the dirty blonde turned her fixated gaze on the piece of very tempting food that was practically being held out before her. Her nose twitched and she could feel her stomach growl hungrily, egging her on to satisfy it. In the back of her mind she could hear one of her coworkers scold her for being a space head and a idiot but her stomach was winning the internal battle.
So, without much thought of the consequences, Ashton leaned forward enveloped the piece of Japanese food with her mouth. Lips gingerly clamping down on the fork. The tall boyish woman's face melted into one of pure bliss so much that one could just imagine a purring cat that just had some catnip. Lips curled in a smile, eyes half lidded but shinning in utter peaceful joy. Uncaring that she just shared a utensil with a complete stranger. Releasing the fork and standing tall to her full height, Ashton gingerly chewed, savoring the taste before swallowing. Gingerly drawing her tongue across her upper lip before her smile brightened.
Again without much thought, the giant of a woman gave a bit of a happy hop before wrapping her arms around her savior's shoulders in a gentle but friendly hug. A bit awkward since the woman reached about to the ribs but Ashton was used to it. Her way of showing thanks... though people tended to be weirded out by her friendly demeanor.
Annabelle approached the cart, staying a respectable distance away from the growing crowd. She motioned for Eidel to follow. There was a boy standing there (or maybe it was a girl?) bowing beside the girl who was running the shop. As she came a little closer, the scene became more visible. The somewhat androgynous person was indeed female. Anna could see her face now- she was pretty, and strong by the look of her, though by far the most distinctive thing about her was her height. She was a giant compared to Annabelle, which she supposed wasn't saying much- Anna's small form had long been a source of insecurity for her. But seriously, this girl was tall. Also apparently very friendly... She'd just tackle-hugged the other girl. Such openness was a rare occurrence, at least in Anna's world. It was scary to think of herself like that. Still, it was an admirable trait.
SAW approached from the other direction, calling out to the vendor. He was asking about catering for some reason. She looked at him for a moment, wondering what it was. A party of some sort? Well, whatever it was, it really wasn't any of her business. Realizing her error, she quickly looked away. Years of people-watching had made her a bit more nosy than she would have liked to be. At least, she thought she might be. Was there a socially acceptable amount of nosiness for a person to have? She honestly didn't know. Then again, social acceptance was not her forte.
Unfortunately, it seemed the food had run out. She turned back toward where she and Eidel had been playing a moment before. She was closer to the group than she was quite comfortable with now, and if there was no food, she had no reason to stay by the cart. Too bad, she thought. Judging by the blonde girl's face, the meat had been very good. The girl running the place had mentioned returning tomorrow though. She'd have to try it then, even if the food was of a different type. Unless she got called in to work for some event, she'd probably be here anyway. There weren't a lot of places she frequented. Besides, Anna had high scores to beat.
"Anyways, let me pull out my phone so I can give you my number so yoomph camph orpher..."
Sabine was halfway through pulling out her cellphone when her entire vision went dark, causing her to pause in place as she tried to make sense of the situation. Everything felt cozy and soft, like a pillow, but she was still very well sitting on the cold, hard concrete. She was still very well awake, and if she looked up, she'd see a very happy woman smiling down at her.
And then it hit her. The scent and warmth of a woman, to withhold any more graphic description.
Bewbs. .u.
Her eyes widened as she tried to pull away, but her hands could do little; Ashton was just too tall to touch even her shoulders, and she wasn't sure if she'd be called out on public indecency to touch a girl's bust in the middle of an arcade frequented by children.
Especially if that girl was possibly a minor.
So slowly, but surely, Sabine could feel her face redden as her hands clasped the phone close to her own chest.
"Ephcuse me?" she pleaded with her eyes looking up at the giant Ashton.
The tall dirty blonde smiled brightly, either unhindered or oblivious to her victim's possible discomfort. As the stranger managed to speak up in a muffled voice, Ashton's eyes blinked and gave a friendly innocent smile before releasing the girl with the delicious Japanese food. Freeing her from the confinement and able to talk properly once more. Her left hand raised up to her cheek, index finger gingerly scratching it as she gave a slightly shy smile. Blinking a bit and smile fading into a thin line as her expression changed to one of minor surprise as a familiar ringtone rang out in her pocket, she pulled out her phone and answered it. Holding it up to her ear before pulling it away as sudden yelling came from it.
"Where in the ever living fuck are you dimwit?! Gah nevermind you won't answer! Get your skinny ass back to the station! We finally get a day off so we got to go party! Mingle! Do little dance and get down tonight! And by that I mean we are going to a mixer at the Cornerstone and you're coming along cause I need another girl with me! Which means we are going shopping! Meet me in thirty minutes or I'm kicking your ass!" a feminine roughish voice verbally shouted at top volume before promptly hanging up.
Blinking a few more times, Ashton brought her phone closer and examined it, trying to hold back a chuckle. She could of just texted. Turning her gaze to the woman her gave her a bite, the blonde brightly smiled and waved cheerfully with her left hand in farewell. Before doing the same to the man who had come over. Despite him not really talking to her, and also stretched her arm upward to wave toward the retreating woman who had seemed interested as well.
Quickly, her long rough fingers gingerly tapped against the screen of her phone as she headed out. Pulling up the GPS to assist in leading her back to the Firehouse.
The woman seemed to be about to give Scott her number, when she was suddenly glomped by the giant. Scott suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable as the scene unfolded in front of him. An inner debate raged as he tried to figure out what to do. He didn't quite want to leave with his idea unfulfilled, but he didn't quite want to stay either, he did after all need to wash up and get to the bar before it was time to open it. Finally he awkwardly pulled a business card out if his wallet and placed it on the tray in the woman's arms.
"I run a bar that's opening tonight, perhaps we could do some business sometime? Anyways if you're free later or whenever call me or show up and we can talk shop" he innocently offered while taking a few steps back and finally disappearing into the crowd and finally the city streets.
"Sure, that'd be great!" she called out to Scott once she freed herself. Only, there wasn't much of a Scott anymore; he had decided to leave, though he did leave the business card. Even though she had been to the Arcade at least 20 times in span of her half-year's stay, this particular visit was quite...different.
Different, in the sense that she had been offered to talk shop. Maybe she could run deliveries to him, or...
...a glance at the card had her put into curiosity. Would he hire her as a cook at the bar?
A good offer, but her time at The Little Snowflake had shown her that she couldn't have the freedom to cook whatever, whenever. And if the customers wanted something different, she could change up her menu on the spot. After all, anything can become boring if eaten too often.
Except onions and garlic, but that's besides the point.
The sky took on a warm, toasty myriad of fiery colors; the gold and orange hues stirred within her a fleeting memory, the crepuscular brilliance of a woman.
Nori would probably be wanting to get a quick bite to eat in the middle of the foam party, and she'd be catering under the nose of the club's owner.
Sounds adventurous.
8:29 P.M.
Sabine darted around her apartment; tonight, she had resigned herself to once again visiting Club LUSH, damn the consequences of bringing food into the premises. From the times she had visited the venue before and through the occasional conversation with Nori, Sabine knew that Arty was a bouncer, but could be bribed for very little if done so in the right way.
The heart and the stomach were inextricably bound together, so the small loaf of barmbrack would have to do. Irish mead and sultanas hastily folded in the dough meant that the bread was a little closer to the consistency of cake than actual bread, but for a on-the-spot recipe, it'd pass.
As for Nori and Dangermouse, she'd have to consider their weight. How convenient that every Sunday was a Latino cuisine day; she would be bringing red velvet and ChOreo flavored churros for the both of them, as well as two bottles of horchata.
Why Dangermouse?
For one, he liked to freeload off of the blonde beauty (okay, okay, the beauty part is relative), and for another, he worked just as hard as her in the club. Hopping for several hours straight was a workout for younger people with drugs and drinks running through their systems; Sabine was almost finished by drugs a little less than half a year ago. Even then, she found it easier back in the old days to lift near twice her weight on a barbell than torture her ankles to psychedelic music.
But maybe you'd have to be feeling psychedelic to do that.
Michael stared at the screen intently, fully concentrated on it as he tapped various buttons of the keyboard. He played a well known MOBA game Guild of Heroes and he was often called the best solo player in the county, however Guild of Heroes is a team game and he didn't work well with other people telling him what to do and so he often lost matches because of the lack of teamwork, today wasn't any different.
Suddenly, his movements became more erratic and he tapped on the keys of the keyboard furiously as his Hero was getting beaten to a pulp by his enemies without being able to do anything in return and soon, a sound a voice said in a almost robotic tone:
"Your Hero has been slain!"
"Damnit, Igo, why didn't you protect me and tanked the damage?!" he shouted on the mic furiously as his team continued to fight the enemy team and losing, moments later, he shouted at hearing the response of his teammate. "I'm the assassin, I'm not suppossed to be a tank, I'm suppossed to deal damage, you idiot!" he shouted in the microphone frustrated, now that he couldn't do anything to win.
Grumbling, he grabbed the hamburger next to his keyboard and took a large bite out of it and chewed it as if he had taken a bite of his enemies and not a piece of hamburger. As he was chewing, he no longer looked at the screen and instead, he had taken his phone out to check his emails. A while back, he had sent the a message along with a demo of his own game -the game that he had worked on since he arrived in Shine City- to the massive gaming company GA, who had it's headquarters here, in hopes of selling them the entire game for a large sum of money if they liked it, but alas, there was only junkmail in it.
However, as he was browsing his inbox, his earphones suddenly rang incredibly loud with the same robotic voice from before
"Victory!"
The deafening sound made him remove his headphones and throw them aside. To this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. They had won, and he was happy for that, but they hadn't won because of him and that made him feel bitter. Exasperated, he closed the game, then the computer, he had to get some fresh air... but where?
However, it only took him moments before smiled, he knew where he could go, but there wasn't a lot of fresh there. He just shook his head and got up, not bothering to dress in any different attire other than his regular one... he would go to the bar, who knows, maybe he would be able to find someone with the same tastes as him and maybe that person would be a girl.
"Yer sure ya fine lass? I could try and find ya somethin' for ya ankle if ya want?" The large man asked, his voice colored with concern. Calliope was struck by how kind he was being to her and it made her feel awful for lying to him. Without really giving it a second thought she reached up and chucked under her running mate’s beard affectionately, like one might do to a puppy when they’d done something particularly sweet.
...wait, did normal people do that? Who even knew at this point, she was winging it.
“Yes, sir, I’m sure that I’m alright,” the blue haired woman reassured before putting all of her weight on her leg, as if to demonstrate the sturdiness of her ankle. “See? It’s all fine. I won’t need your medical expertise this day,” Calliope said, giving his chin one last pat before pulling her hand back completely.
She looked back to pigeon chaser and puppy dog eyes to give each one of them a quick nod. “Thank you both for checking on me, it was very kind of you.” Calliope glanced quickly at the wise old German Shepherd and flashed him a smile before turning back towards the direction of her house. ’Looks like I’ll be cutting this run short today,’ she mused. She’d already made enough of a spectacle of herself, now she just wanted to get home and hide under a blanket.
Well, she had planned on hiding out in her townhouse anyways, but Simon and Sonya had made serious threats to ensure that their human went out and socialized that night. Someone had even promised to puke up a hairball in her favorite pair of sneakers if she didn’t go out and at least try to mingle, so here she was at club LUSH, standing in the world's longest line as she waited to be let in.
She was quickly realizing, however, that she might not have been dressed properly for this scene.
Everyone who was coming out of the club was drenched and most of the people going in were wearing their swimsuits under their outfits. Calliope was feeling a little self conscious about the red polka dotted babydoll dress she had closed for the outing, but refused to turn back now. She had been in this line for almost an hour now, dammit, she was getting inside!
It seemed that the heavily breathing woman was, well, fine after all. Just a simple roll of the ankle while she was running. And hey, at least Aya had done her deed scaring away the pigeons properly, according to this young woman. It was an odd thing for her to say, but oddly a little reassuring. The nod that the giant of a man gave to her was also quite reassuring. She didn't intend to cause such a scene, she just wanted to… chase pigeons. Without anybody seeing her. And without getting angry at said person seeing her.
At least now, the heartfelt embarrassment from before washed away to Aya's shore of other embarrassing moments. Uttering a swift goodbye to the red haired giant and the silver haired man who was only slightly taller than her, Aya managed to break through into the busy streets in less than two minutes. Thank God for her spindly spider legs.
The rest of Aya's day off would hurry along just as she had predicted: spending a bit too much money at the convenience store, spending even more money at an on sale clothing store, hiding in her favourite corner of a nearby bookstore, and eventually reflecting back on said previous events and complaining about how the day went way too quickly. Seriously, it was carefree days like this that passed so fast it was undoubtedly unfair.
Once she had stumbled into her apartment and collapsed into her bed, Aya let out a long, heavy sigh. It wasn't just the huge amount of bag carrying that seemed to tire her, though. Just the thought of what happened in the morning seemed to pull her at her brain in completely different directions.
Aya would then spend the rest of her oh so valuable hours snuggled up in her bed, scrolling through useless websites on her phone and impaling her eardrums with a wonderful array of songs. She wouldn't realise how fast time had passed until she woke up from her nap at around eight in the evening. She hadn't actually realised that she had fallen asleep either. All that embracing heat under her bed covers was enough to put Aya under a God-knows-how-many-hours long sleep. But, now that she had recovered from her mad mess of a morning and her amazingly average afternoon, what else was there to do? She was feeling quite restless and weirdly empty now, and the sun was beginning to set as she mentally spoke.
To relieve herself from her restlessness, Aya decided another stroll in the park would be fulfilling. It was still bright enough for her to walk around without her tripping over her own two feet in the dark, and it wasn't like she was going to get roasted again in today's chosen outfit. Hopefully the temperature would have cooled down a little to the point where Aya didn't feel like she was walking around in a giant sauna.
So, a short stroll in the park (again) it was. And when Aya meant short, she meant short. Her giraffe legs managed to carry her around around the park rapidly, and soon enough she found herself in the same spot where she had scared away the pigeons. The egg sandwich was still there, too. Aya could feel the hairs on her neck prickle up. Funnily enough, the music she had been listening to through her earphones decided to drop some intense battle music, which was literally calling Aya to start some sort of fight with this rotting piece of egg and bread. She didn't, of course. That would be silly, and less logical than chasing a bunch of pigeons into oblivion.
A short stroll in the park wouldn't be enough to satisfy Aya, however. There had to be something else, something else that would make this evening totally worth it. Heck, she was even crazy enough to consider trying out Club Lush downtown, seeing all the hype in its advertisements and visitors. But she wasn't a fan of whipping her head around to music in a vast crowd of people she didn't even know. She preferred whipping her head around to music alone and out of sight. Maybe a night at Mochavine would be a much better decision.
Mochavine was always a place Aya could linger around if she needed some peace and quiet. Sure, it wasn't always quiet, but she cherished the moments that were. Accompanied with a cappuccino in her hand and music smoothing out her clustered mind, it was the perfect place for her to relax and write.
It was late, but Aya didn't care. She sat down at a small table with a cappuccino in her hand and music smoothing out her clustered mind, sighing softly after each sip of her drink. Her whole body felt warm and fuzzy, as if she was wearing one of her large wooly jumpers at the back of her wardrobe. The heartwarming cappuccino just gave her a sense of tranquility and peace, and the feeling that this evening wouldn't be turned upside down by a flock of pigeons and a stinking egg sandwich.
The two girls sat for a moment chatting and enjoying their drinks. Of course by ‘chatting’ that meant that Rachel was scoping out the attractive males in the near vicinity.
“Ooo, not a bad choice, Amaya. I approve of the venue.” She purred, her eyes trailing the bartender @Sarcelle Renard who had just served them.
“You just approve of the staff,” Amaya sighed, looking around the bar before taking a long drink from her glass.
“What? And you don’t?” The brunette raised her eyebrows and glanced over at her friend before returning her gaze back to the red haired male.
“It’s not that I don’t, it’s just...ugh, nevermind.” The green eyed girl turned a touch redder than her normal pale skin tone.
“Well, why don’t we check out the others then.” Rachel spun in her seat, surveying the rest of the room. “Hmm, let’s see.” Her eyes seemed drawn to a couple of specific people who had drawn her attention. “We have, tall, blond, and cute over there.” She gestured vaguely towards a guy with his back turned to them. @Silver Fox “There’s also flirty, muscular, and perhaps drunk?” This time she directly pointed at Jack. @Evil Snowman “Let’s see… there’s also-” The darker skinned girl began to say before a voice rose up, covering hers.
"Ladies and Gentleman! This fine young man would like you all to have a free drink on him!" Both girls’ eyes were drawn to what seemed like the owner of the bar. Instantly, the two exchanged looks.
“You gotta,” Was all that Rachel said.
“You can’t,” Amaya reminded. They stayed like that for a moment, staring each other down. “Fine, but only one.” Rachel grinned in victory, doing a bit of a fist pump as her friend flagged down the same bartender. However, it was at that moment, that Amaya realized she didn’t know any kind of alcoholic drink that wasn’t disgusting. Then she remembered what Rachel had tried to order her before. As much as it pained her, she decided to order that drink. “Um, a Sex on the Beach, please.” As the words left her mouth, she could feel her face burn with embarrassment. She tried her best not to look at her friend’s shit eating grin, and instead smacked her shoulder for mentally teasing her.
“Hey! I didn’t do anything!” She complained.
“You were thinking it,” Amaya shot back. Her roommate simply shrugged, not being able to deny it.
“Anyways, there’s ruggedly handsome, and experienced, if you know what I mean,” Rachel continued on her evaluation of all the males in the nearest 100 ft radius. This time her gaze fell on the man who had announced the free drinks. @Specter189 “Aaaand, Mr. Generous and adorable.” Finally ending with the albino looking man who had offered the free drinks. @Evil Snowman “Hmm, maybe I should go talk to one of them. Slide a little info that perhaps I have a friend who needs a place to stay.”
“This is precisely why we can’t have nice things.” Amaya groaned. “I can find a living space on my own, I just need a little more time.”
“But that’s exactly what you don’t have, time!” Rachel said, before sliding off of her chair. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to talk to flirty, muscular, and drunk.”
“They have names ya know,” Amaya mumbled to herself turning back to finish her diet coke.
How cute was what Mirei thought as the tall girl nodded energetically. Honestly, she looked like a large puppy or something. Adorable things were one of Mirei's favorites. She chuckled, realizing that she was the quiet type. Mirei would probably end up talking to her later. Mirei turned back to the bartender as he spoke.
"Work. That about sums it up for the most part. Good day though." she replies with a sigh as she takes the drink. The dark color with a white head. Been a while since she had some Adambier. Sour and smokey and bitter with caramel and chocolate but not at all sweet.
She drank the whole thing altogether but made sure to savor most of it. Not that that was evident with her speed as she swallowed. She set it back down, making sure not to slam it on the table. Mirei always favored the slight and barely noticeable metallic flavor. A strong kick as she gave a satisfied smile. The sudden noise that came out of the bartenders mouth surprised her as she flinched a bit. Realizing that he was announcing something, Mirei looked up at him as he spoke.
"This fine young man would like you all to have a free drink on him!"
Sighing as she tried to understand why people did that. She didn't even know that people still did that. Buying a round for the whole bar? It never failed to make her feel guilty but Mirei didn't bother to turn around and see who it was. Rummaging through her bag, Mirei pulled out her wallet and whipped out her credit card, placing the wallet back in her bag. She pushed her glass, along with the credit card in front of her and towards the bartender.
"I'll be opening a tab. And also... do you have sahti?" She thought about her decision for a mere 5 seconds before changing her mind. Maybe she'd have a mixed drink. Mirei hated to have the same drink many times. Didn't sit well with her. She always felt like she needed to have something else.
"Actually, i'll have a New Orleans Hand Grenade. 1 1/2 oz gin, 1 1/2 oz grain alcohol, 1 1/2 oz melon liqueur, 1 1/2 oz rum, 1 1/2 oz vodka." Mirei listed, flashing him a kind smile after saying the ingredients quickly. It wasn't that much of an uncommon drink. At least, all of her past friends knew about it. Strong drink, not too bad but still packing a good punch.
Either way, without Mirei realizing it, the bit of alcohol she had was already starting to kick in. Didn't matter much yet either way. She didn't get affected by it until her fourth or fifth round and she might just stop before her thir- wait no, this was going to be her third round. Well, Mirei was debating against stopping after her seventh or eighth round. Gah, I need to stop acting like an alcoholic. She didn't look like one but she sure as hell liked to drink. "Thanks" she added, realizing that she had forgotten to say so earlier. @Specter189
Jack had not long been in the city, this was his first time having an extended stay here. He would usually be hosting massive festivals across the globe, but after hosting the New Years party at the Shine Hall, he found himself drawn to the magic of the city and decided to take a holiday from hosting to enjoy Shine City the way its supposed to be enjoyed....Through its nightlife.
Jack had many pleasures, most of them were well known to the public, his high energy dating life and his love of delicious alcoholic beverages. He walked down the shine city junction strip in his fitted black denim jeans, his grey designer cowboy boots and a loose V-neck with his signature 'Jacques of Hearts' necklace on. It was his rockstar uniform and he was ready to set the stage on fire with the pleasure he usually tries to keep secret, his love of gambling. Shine City Casino was in reach.
As Jack walked into the beautiful golden palace he felt the energy surge into him. The music was hot, the slot machines were flashing, and the ground was thudding with many casino goers, stamping in excitement or running to cash in their chips. It was like the world's sexiest earthquake to Jack. But the sights were simply foreplay, it was time to try his own luck...and maybe do some gambling too. He liked to start with blackjack, it was the somewhat ignorant nickname he was given in his all Japanese prep school. It was always used affectionately, but Jack grew to resent it after understanding the context of why it was given to him. He strolled over to the table, sipping a bottle of patron he brought in with him, something that celebrities could get away with most of the time.
Jack stood across from the blackjack table from one of the most handsome men he had ever seen, Jack's beer goggles hadn't even kicked in yet and he was already massively impressed by this man's appearance. This could only mean good things.
Mr Dealer, i'm trying to keep a low profile, I dont want the world to know I gamble, so I'll be keeping the stakes low while there is still a crowd, I'll rack it up when they start to disperse later in the night. Are you willing to be patient and deal me till late tonight? You sorta look like you could use the company...
Jack leaned forward and smiled at the dealer, the casino was gorgeous, but Jack didn't want to look at anything else or anyone else right now.
