"You just want to have some fun with two hot bunny girls, don't you~?"
Well, she had him there. Yutaro rubbed the back of his head and gave a small chuckle as a faint blush crept into his cheeks; it was hard to keep his cool with the not-so-implausible fantasy of being accompanied by those two women in bunny suits, a timid New Girl on his left and a giddy-yet-sexy Ryoki on his right. “Heh,” he replied, somehow managing to compose himself before a goofy grin could grow on his face. “Tell you what, if you don’t make me admit that, I won’t make you admit that you just want a job here so you get to see me every day.” Just because she had him at a disadvantage, it didn’t mean he would go down without a fight.
For reasons that Yutaro couldn’t understand, the professor seemed grateful for his intervention, and oh-so-delicately removed Ryoki from his lap. Maybe he was a married man, reckless enough to squander his family’s money on gambling, but not so far gone that he would cheat on his wife; he seemed to be old enough for that anyway. Either way, the professor clearly wasn’t making himself out to be a rival -- a rival? Jesus, did he think he was in a manga or something -- so the pangs of jealousy subsided. “You can call me Yutaro,” he said, the pleasant chime back in his tone. “And have a good night professor. Try to make it home without getting attacked by any more pretty girls.” He gave a laugh after that last tease and waited for the new girl so he could take them to see the boss.
In the meantime, he had the wonderful Miss Ryoki to contend with, though she didn’t seem as enthusiastic as before. “And there they go… One man innocent, the other so caught up in his work and logical nature he won’t even attempt to have fun… Well, it was worth a shot, at least.” Ryoki takes a deep sigh, before looking up at Yutaro. “And of course, there’s my perfect partner. Who’s to say I’m not just wanting to work here to see you?” Leaning forward, she cocks an eyebrow, giving one of
those looks again. “Or maybe… I just want
you to see
me~?”
Yutaro smirked at that remark. “Well, whichever it is, it doesn’t sound like a bad deal for either of us?” Although she was leaning forward again, Ryoki had already given the dealer quite a few glimpses of her assets, so Yutaro was actually able to keep steady eye contact this time around.
Ryoki couldn’t help but giggle to herself;
Perhaps the alcohol is starting to wane? She thought, the idea of getting another drink bouncing around in her head like a fireball. “I have to agree - that sounds like fun~! Unfortunately, I don’t have a suit of my own yet, though, so sorry~!” In the end, reason manages to take hold, and she stops herself from ordering another drink. It was probably best to sober up when meeting who would be your new boss, after all…
… Probably…
Puckering her lips, she takes a brief look at the time on her phone. ‘Damn, it’s late… I wonder if Mokyu would still be willing to play some games till morning?’ She smiles to herself at the thought of her innocent and cute younger sister. Mokyu was an absolute blessing for Ryoki, as was Kimasu. They were both amazing younger siblings and she loved them more than life itself, which was a strange paradox once she thought about it, because life was the reason they were here. Unless, of course, they were somehow dea-
Ryoki’s train of thought is obliterated there, and a sickening feeling begins to form in her stomach. ‘N-no, don’t think about it, Ryoki. Happy thoughts!’ On the outside, Yutaro could note she looked pained for a moment, though immediately started smiling a second later. Any questions directed to her wellbeing would be replied to as “I’m fine,” “It’s nothing,” or something of similar nature.
• • •
Right about this time, Iruka would finally arrive from the lockers, by now she was wearing a much more modest outfit, a simple knee-length light-pink dress, over a black pantyhose and pair of simple sneakers. All in all, she looked like the perfect image of a simpleminded girl, considering that she didn’t even had any make-up on her, the only eye-catching item she wore was golden bow, to hold her long hair in place.
However, there was something... different about Iruka now. She was walking with pained steps, as if her legs were killing her, also there was something about how Iruka looked that was very strange. Her eyes were kind of glassy and unfocused as she approached them, though this one was easily figurable when she bowed and said “Go- good evening. I ho- hope I haven’t made you wait too much,” since Iruka’s breath kind of had a trace of alcohol to it, and not any alcohol at that but a good and pure Scotch. Actually, her face was all flushed and kinda… sexy like that, not resembling the stuck up girl that she usually is in the least bit, no doubt it had been the work of someone else.
Yutaro’s attention was ripped away from Ryoki as the new girl waddled towards them, clearly not on sturdy legs. He had seen enough stumbling drunks to know what happened, and he knew the gals well enough to figure how it happened. “Yumeno…” he mumbled, shaking his head as he came out from behind the table to assist the new girl before she hurt herself. “Don’t worry, the shift only just ended,” he said in his usual bright voice, not even hinting at the fact that she was drunk lest she raise objections to that undeniable fact. “Here, why don’t you sit down for a minute and take a breather.” He pulled out a stool, and held out his arm to guide her lest the alcohol suggest an alternate course.
“Huh!?” Iruka got kind of surprised when Yutaro took her by hand and helped her to a seat, surprisingly enough, she didn’t feel like panicking around, instead a deeper shade of red colored her cheeks. “Tha... thank you,” Iruka chirped in a cheery voice, “but I’m al… I’m fine.” That she was not and it was way too evident when she couldn’t even spell a word longer than four letters, or by the way how she slouched over the table. Iruka let out a content sigh as she felt the pleasant sensation of her burning cheeks against the cool felt.
The raven whom she sat beside was staring at her again, though this time in a significantly less creepy way and with much more… curiosity than anything. Her eyes glide all over the young girl’s new outfit, wondering just where she got those clothes from, before remembering people usually didn’t go out clad in a bunny suit in public.
“Aww, no more bunny suit?” She asks, though she certainly didn’t sound nor seem disappointed. If anything, it sounds as though she were teasing her, though given Ryoki’s nature, that likely wasn’t what she was going for… Well, it depends on the type of teasing. She could quite clearly make out the fact that young Iruka had been either drugged or was a little drunk, given the way her body slowly swayed and seemed to dip downward, as though she were going to collapse and fall asleep. “You OK, dear? You don’t look like you’re in a great state.” Ryoki herself was still vaguely feeling the effects of her drink, though her buzz was quickly dying. It was more so the boys than the alcohol that made her so joyous. After all, she wasn’t really flirtatious with girls, unless it happened to be someone of particular interest.
No, Kaori didn’t count - she was an innocent and delicate little flower that could only be plucked by Ryoki herself. Although… the bunny girl was certainly tempting…
’Bah! Not right now! She’s practically wasted!’ The dark haired mistress with the crystal blue eyes thought to herself. Honestly she wasn’t sure what to feel. This whole ordeal at the casino has had her mind and emotions all over the place. It was exhausting…
She holds out a hand and gently holds on to Iruka’s shoulder, just in case. She didn’t want her falling off the stool, after all. “You know, you kind of remind me of my little sister!” She chuckles, attempting to help Iruka feel more…
happy, for lack of a better word.
“Oh… I… do have a big sis… sister,” Iruka said quite innocently, it seemed that the alcohol had already robbed her of the ability to properly follow a conversation, even so she continued “but… but she ain’t beaut… bea… pretty like you, or cool… as in really cool.” Iruka turned her face to look at Ryoki and gave the older girl... woman a wry, but sincere smile. It was the most she could do while completely sloshed, really. To ask more of her would be evil, specially after all she had gone through tonight.
Sympathy welled up in Yutaro’s heart as he saw that poor drunken mess rubbing her face against the table. At least she was a friendly drunk, quite a sweetheart really, but he couldn’t just leave her sprawled out on the table like that with customers around. “Well you’re pretty cool yourself,” Yutaro said, trying to say something agreeable that would still get her attention, but then he realized that he didn’t even know her name. He could use that to distract her while he led them to the back room. There, he could let the new girl sober up a bit while introducing Ryoki to the boss; two birds with one stone.
“Alright,” he said, trying to ease her off of the stool, trusting in the fact that if she made it this far she could hopefully make it to the back without toppling over. “Let’s go somewhere a bit more comfy, shall we?” As he began to guide Iruka away from the table and towards the back of the casino, he gave a gesture with his head for Ryoki to follow; at least she could control herself even when drinking. “By the way, my name is Yutaro,” he said, providing the distraction just when a drunk would normally object to being moved. “What’s yours?”
Iruka looked up when Yutaro called her cool, with eyes that remembered a kitten who had a catnip high, to say the truth, it was almost like she was about to cry. When was it the last time someone said that she was cool?
Never, probably.
She got up leaning pretty heavily on him, though even then Iruka’s feet betrayed her and she almost dragged both of them to the ground. Had it happened, it would’ve been quite a sight, even if it was a bit of an improper one. But really, who could resist the urge of at least smirking when presented with such an impromptu comedy.
”Point the first finger who has never gone drunk.” Miss Yumeno said a bit earlier, after managing to get Iruka in such a state, with a smile in her shapely lips.
“Com… fy? But I like here, it’s so cool and soft.” Iruka complained, but followed Yutaro to the back, though a different emotion was showing on her face, now. Was it a mix of embarrassment and… fear? Obviously she was misunderstanding the situation kinda badly. Despite that, Iruka wasn’t in a state where she could resist, and when Yutaro introduced himself, she replied smiling “Ah… Yu-chan? The girls talked ab… about you, they said you were a be… beast. Yo… you aren’t going to do any… thing to me, wight?” Anyway, as they were about to get there Iruka said “I’m Iru..ka?”
There came this strange feeling of energy from behind the two of them as they walked, and it didn’t take much to figure out it was Ryoki. She was muttering something under her breath, and was breathing heavily, as drool began to slip from her mouth. Though it might cause alarm to those who were witnessing it for the first time, in all actuality she was fine.
She was just having one of
those moments again; what most people would call “fantasising”.
Yutaro gave a laugh as Iruka questioned his intentions as he wondered what exactly Yumeno had told this poor girl on her first day here. She was definitely cute, and if she were in the right state of mind he’d consider teasing her a bit, but he was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of a girl who couldn’t hold her liquor. “It’s nice to meet you, Iru,” he said...
Ryoki was muttering under her breath, “Damn lucky little bastard gets to hold her like that when she’s so innocent and cute and adorable!” She was so quiet the two could only pick out a few exaggerated words whenever she spoke. “She’s just like Kaori, but-”
Yutaro continued, “But you don’t have to worry. I won’t do anything. Not to
you anyway.” He glanced over his shoulder.
Ryoki gasped.
“Nooooooooooooooooooo!” She exclaims as she falls to her knees, sulking in misery. “I’ve thought of someone other than my cute little Kaori!” She cries. Guess the childhood version of her was back, or so it would seem.
Yutaro stopped dead in his tracks, keeping a firm grip on Iruka to make sure she didn’t continue forward and stumble about in autopilot. “Ah… Ryoki, are you…” He was stunned and all he could do was stare and blink. He could handle people stumbling around drunk, but this? He didn’t even know what this was!
Well, This was actually a regular mood in which she often found herself in, and generally didn’t last long. Though that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for those she was with, nor any less dramatic. Seriously, it was almost like seeing an actor who’d betrayed their loved one in a movie. She looks up at the two with eyes filled with tears, and an unnatural feeling of overwhelming sadness coating her very being. It was kind of like looking at a sad, young puppy that had been abandoned on the streets - eyes filled with hope and, at the same time, hurt.
Though of course, in Ryoki’s case this hurt was little more than a mood swing caused by her obsession of the young musician she had lessons with on Sundays. Once again, she began talking to herself, still not realising the amount of attention she may or may not be receiving from the general public around them. “It’s OK, Ryoki, you’ll get to see her tomorrow. You can make it up to her then, so for now, it’s OK to have just a little bit of an active mental state, right…?” As though only just realising that the world around her existed, she looks at Yutaro, then at Iruka, then at the people around them, before saying: “S-so, Iru-chan, Y-Yutaro, how about we get going to the back room, yeah?” She asks in an embarrassed tone, before briskly walking ahead towards said area.
’God, I hate myself… Kill me now… NO, don’t really do that…’Yutaro wasn’t sure what he witnessed, but it seemed to be over. “Umm… yea. Back room. This way…” He made sure that Iruka was on steady feet once again before continuing through a door guarded by security. He flashed his ID card as a formality -- all the guards knew him by now -- and led them into a hallway where the velvet carpet ended and the florescent lights began. He wasn’t sure if now would be a could time to tease Ryoki, but with an opening like that, how could he resist? “Soo… this Kaori. Should I be jealous?”
Ryoki mumbles something or another to herself, rocking on her feet after a momentary pause. She looks somewhat like some kind of shy little kid who didn’t have much social experience. Guess that was part of the effect alcohol had on her - it made Ryoki rather emotional. Well, if emotions could be listed as having MPD.
“She’s, uh… very cute…” Ryoki admits, keeping herself composed for her own sake. “I-I suppose you could be, ehehe..!” She laughs nervously, scratching the back of her head with a faint blush on her face. “S-sorry… I tend to do that sometimes. Usually not in public, though…”
As soon as they arrived in the back room, Iruka sprawled herself over a couch and hugged one of the cushions, rubbing her face against the cool fabric and giggling to whatever alcohol induced dream she was having, as the words that left her lips revealed “Mmm… no, I don’t wan… wanna any more, I’m so full…” At that moment the young woman looked as defenseless as one can be, completely disregarding the rest of the world as she tossed and turned on the improptu bed while chewing the cushion. Actually it was a good thing that Iruka was wearing a thick pantyhose, proper for the wintery weather, or else she would be giving a free glance of her underwear to anyone who wanted to see it.
In the middle of her tossing, Iruka let her purse fall and it opened as it hitting floor, splashing her little and simple belonging everywhere. Among the list of things that any woman would prefer to die, before revealing to someone else, and the money she managed to earn tonight, there was also Iruka’s student ID, and her dorm keys, which was information enough to help her get back home.
Ryoki squats down and takes the items which had fallen before returning them to their original state within her purse, or at least she put them back in there. Of course, she didn’t know the order of anything, so when Iruka next awoke it’d probably look like she’d been robbed… Or not. With a faint yet amused sigh, Ryoki places the purse down next to Iruka’s sleeping figure, and steals herself from making herself look like an even bigger creep. “She must’ve been really tired… Poor thing. Probably isn’t used to staying up this late.” She turns back to Yutaro, that joyful glimmer returning to her eyes again. “Soooo… ready to show me to your master? Teehee!”
“Alright,” Yutaro replied taking his gaze away from Iruka and walking over to one of the many doors. He gave a knock and, after a minute or so, the door opened, revealing an older gentleman sitting at a desk with lots and lots of spreadsheets. The whole office could have been a shrine devoted to Microsoft Excel. The man was on the phone, but muted the mic on his end to give Yutaro a chance to speak. “I have a friend who’s looking for some extra work serving drinks. I think the guests will really like her.” The man said nothing, but made a gesture, which Yutaro mirrored to Ryoki, signaling for her to come on in.
Before Ryoki entered the office, Yutaro saw Iruka sprawled out on the couch.
Geez, I can’t just leave her here either… “Ah, Ryoki,” he said, stopping her just before she entered. “The boss just wants to talk to you for a minute, make sure you’re not a crackhead before he hires you, you know, the basics.” He gestured over to the unconscious Iruka. “I should probably take her home. It doesn’t seem like anyone is going to pick her up. If you need anything, well, you know how to reach me.” He gave her one last wink before heading over to the couch.
Ryoki had started cleaning up her belongings, but there were still a few things left around. He noted from her ID that she was a student at the Academy, and the key lying next to her had to belong to her dorm. “Oh boy, hope you got your homework done today, because you will
not want to do it tomorrow. Come on sleepy head…” He gently shook her, trying to rouse her awake, and eventually managed to escort her zombified body to the front of the casino.
From there, Yutaro called a cab and accompanied her to the dorm, seeing as she couldn’t stay awake for more than thirty seconds at a time without being roused at this point. Yutaro tried to be discreet as he walked her into the dorm building, but there weren’t very many people coming and going at this hour. He was quick and quiet when he took Iruka into her room, laying her down in her bed and pulling the covers over her so she could get some decent sleep. He set her belongings on a nearby chair, and without a sound, he left the dorm.
Poor thing, he thought as he called a cab once again to take him back to his place. She would be OK once she got past her hangover, but he hoped this would be a learning experience for her.
