[Episode] Collections Agony

Quest Description:

Somewhat deep in the underbelly of Notice, a private, invitation-only bar was the only building lit at this hour. The outside of the building was as unassuming as it could get barring the small sign at the door and holiday lights lining the building's trees. The inside, however, was an entirely different story. All manner of different folks and people alike drank and sang together, the ruckus only barely drowned out by the live music playing on stage.

A few feet from the bar a group of unsavory men seated themselves at one of the few open tables left. “So, what happened again?”

A short, heavyset man slammed his hands on the table. “While Jeeves and I were heading down to meet up with you we got robbed!”

Jeeves, an emaciated-looking fellow wiped a tear from his eye. “That top hat he stole was one of my favorites too. It’s not fair! That guy was so big I don’t even know how he could wear it!”

The first man snapped his fingers in front of Jeeves face a few times before regaining his attention. “Hey come on bro, we’ll find that guy and get your hat back. Glenny, did either of you guys get a good look at him?”

Glenny furrowed his brow in response. “Nah, it was too dark. I think he had horns though. Either that or he had some crazy hair going on.”

---

Kabe had lost track of time, which felt like ages ago. Following the takeover of Notice, the young swordsman had locked himself in the lab, endlessly creating blueprints and prototypes until he was satisfied with the product. That product being his new saber.

A dark green grip on the handle was protected by a shiny silver guard. The slightly curved blade similarly gleamed when not in its candy-cane-themed sheathe. Kabe had surpassed his limits during the creation of the weapon. Despite being larger than previous weapons that the young smith had created, the blade felt uncharacteristically lightweight and comfortable, almost as if it was an extension of Kabe’s arm.

Even though the actual act of creating the blade took more time than Kabe would have liked, his efforts had not been put to waste. If Notice had taught him one thing, it was that he needed to step up his game in all aspects if he wanted to pull his own weight. Looking at his new sword ‘Freezing Water’ now, Kabe felt more confident than ever.

Due to the young privateer basking in his own glory for far too long, Kabe only realized the blunder he had made when it was too late. He should have been at the bar an hour ago

Panicking silently, Kabe scrambled around the workshop to ready himself for a night of drinking. In less than a minute, the swordsman was off the Dead Air and running into Notice. His only worry was if any of his crewmates would have waited for him for that long.

---

The conditions of certain sections of Notice did little to shock Kabe after he and Miss Hitski saw them with their own eyes, but it was a different feeling exploring them while it was dark. The few lanterns that lined the street rarely worked, and the ones that did flickered on and off continuously.

It took a while to reach it, but when Kabe could see the bar he knew it was the right place. When looked at from far enough away, The leaves connected to the fake trees can be read as "OPEN". Lit up by the festive lights lining the trees. Kabe approached the door and kicked it open, ignoring the invitation-only sign.

As Kabe entered the music and yelling stopped, and all eyes fell onto the young swordsman.The only sound inside now being Kabe’s boots walking towards the bar. Not seeing the shorter man at first Kabe was rudely shoved. “Hey, Jackass! Can ya read? It's invite-only, you’re not on the list!”

Grinning, Kabe took hold of the man’s shirt and lifted him into the air. “I’m not even lookin’ for any trouble right now, but if you have such a problem with me being in here you can go talk to my boss.”

Glaring down at him in anger, the man spoke. “Huh? Who do you work for!?”

“Grororororo! I work for Primetime Service and Delivery^tm!”

Following his answer, Kabe took a big step forward and slammed the rude man into the table he had been sitting at just a moment ago, breaking it into pieces in the process.

One of the two other men seated at what used to be a table knelt down, shaking the man awake. “Goddamnit Lenny! You’re always doing this to yourself!”

Seeing that the confrontation was short-lived, the other patrons quickly went back to their business. Small scuffles such as that were commonplace in this part of the city. Walking past the group, Kabe took a seat at the bar and flagged down the bartender. “Get me some of the strong stuff please!”

Handing the swordsman a bottle the bartender shot him a look over his glasses. “I don’t suppose you will be paying for that table you broke?”

“Grororororo! Put it on my tab!”

Word Count:

@Doji  @Pikasso

To say that this was nowhere near the position Aya expected to be in when she entered Notice felt like the understatement of a lifetime.

Nights ago she wouldn't have been caught dead in view in a bar like this. Even if dive bars were more likely to tolerate her presence, the chance for conflict was still too high for the runty mink's liking. Booze made people bold, and there was never any telling how people would react to the seemingly easy prey of a lone, tiny mink.

But Pikasso's change in company had certainly assuaged a bit of that worry. The presence of her new compatriots practically stamped 'MORE TROUBLE THAN YOU WANT' across her silky little face to anyone still sober enough to have even a fraction of their wits about them. It was an odd sensation she had started to see the effects of the first time she met the Erudite by chance on her travels.

For someone who often relied on surprise alone for intimidation, it was a strange change of pace.

As was spending time with others.

Aya was used to being a passive observer of those around her... now she was out in the open, and often in the presence of at least one person who could see her despite her abilities. Fully sinking into the background wasn't always an option anymore.

Her voice hadn't seen this much consistent use in a long time, but luckily the newfound availability of honey-sweet hard candy in her life was good for soothing a sore throat. It was the only remedy Aya would happily accept. After all, what other cure was this sweet?

At first, the mink's unease and almost awkwardly unsure demeanor were palpable amongst the unfolding celebrations. Watching people was one thing, but interactions took a bit more getting used to. Occasionally, even when being spoken directly to it took her a few moments to remember others could see her to address her. After a few drinks and a bit of laughing off silent stares, the quiet but friendly panda warmed up significantly.

It was nice to be present in the company of friendly faces for the first time in a long while.

As time went on it seemed other members of the celebration party were peeling off, and before she knew it Aya was once more alone among the crowd. She was almost considering calling it quits as she sat swinging her feet from atop a bar stool and finishing her oversized drink.

Her black-tipped ears flicked back towards the sound of someone's entrance, and on instinct, the timid mink disappeared in her seat.

A glance over her shoulder brought the reassuring sight of a familiar face. She relaxed a little, taking an imperceptible sip of her drink as she watched the young man's antics from the bar.

The splintering of another table in the presence of one of her new comrades felt like Déjà vu.

Pikasso couldn't help but snicker to herself as she shook her head. The seemingly empty seat beside Kabe was suddenly occupied by a fluffy burgundy mink who peered up at him from behind the glistening onyx pools of her round lenses.

The girl's borrowed wardrobe always seemed to be changing, but tonight it consisted of a summery dress and an overshirt that seemed much too big to be hers. She didn't always get much of a choice on sizing when most of the clothing she wore was stolen from strangers and friends alike.

"....You sure know how to show up fashionably late." Aya's voice was quiet but clear among the clamor of the lively bar. Her dark little paws hugged the sides of a large mug as she raised it to her mouth. " I wasn't sure youteia were going to show up at all." She murmured with a warm smile, then tilted her head. " ... Our friends aren't so patient sometimes, hm?" She laughed, motioning to the bar around them.

Indeed, it seemed like Aya was the only one who had stuck around this long.

"You know them better than me, but I wouldn't take it too hard. They probably thought you'd be too busy. Come to think of it... I haven't seen youteia around much at all! What's with the vanishing act?"

The smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth made it clear the irony of the question was not lost on the invisible woman.

Blue Oni: Events leading up to arrival after members of P.T.S.D coming to club Cherry Cheri

Amongst Notice’s sparse non-human populace few were as private and eccentric as Yoshindo Yoseru, the owner of a small outcropping isle, a secluded piece of beachfront property just remote enough to hide the oni’s “humble” abode from the general populace. Rarely did the recluse emerge from his nest, but hearing of recent happenings about town and craving a taste of the crisp new year’s air the connoisseur could hardly resist venturing to the city.

As a man of taste Yose had established a reputation amongst the city’s criminal element as a relaxed man who would buy most any oddity at the right price. The source of the demure man’s wealth was a mystery even to the city’s most knowledgeable money brokers, as though he and his riches appeared from thin air to haunt them. Despite his monstrous appearance the mans' Berri spoke for itself, and over the course of his three years’ residency, he had cultivated an illustrious lifestyle for himself both within his manor and across a number of Notice’s establishments.

Upon docking his yacht the collector and his henchman departed for their night’s leisure, freely strolling along the island’s outer streets and alleyways. In his daily life, the collector was a solitary and reserved man, but when he deigned to venture into the city he was coming to enjoy himself and accordingly hired “friends” to enable him. Yose’s idea of “enjoying himself” deviated sharply from the norm; where most might savor some drink and pleasant socialization, the sober devil adopted the attitude of a shark, wishing to swindle and bamboozle any drunkard foolhardy enough to approach him.

What a fine stovepipe. The man thought to himself, looking down at a fancily dressed but obviously classless man walking in a trio ahead of him. How much better it would suit me. I must have it. The oni salivated at the thought of another dapper addition to his wardrobe, hopefully, this hat would not fail him.

“Pardon little fellows, I don’t suppose I could trouble you for a wager?” The fiend inquired gleefully running in front of the men, his buddies posturing aggressively at their sides.

The three goons gawked in confusion and apprehension before the top-hatted gent Jeeves spoke up. “Sorry guy, but we’re in a hurry. Do ya think you could find it in your heart to let us go about our evening?” The thin-cheeked man spoke with a meager crumb of hope in his voice.

Yose leered down towards the hat before procuring a “fat stack” of Berri from the inside of his cobalt cloak, and imposing himself on the middle of the road, “You sure you’re not interested? If you win it’s all yours…” The monster rifled the stack of bills between his fingers, “...and all I ask if you lose is that pretty little hat of yours; it really doesn’t suit you anyway.” He spoke with a cool but petulant tone, examining his ringed and painted fingers as he spoke.

The fancy man grimaced, he had just bought the hat earlier in the afternoon and had taken great pride in the garment since its purchase; a fancy hat, the symbol of a made man the pretentious goon thought. “I guess if it’ll get us all on our merry ways.” Jeeves sighed as his greed and impudence got the better of him.

“Splendid!” The collector clapped his hands together, his rings jingling like a slot machine paying out a jackpot. In short order, the handsome devil procured an elegant deck of cards from the pockets of his pinstripe slacks. “You choose the game, sir!”

After sitting down and playing a bad game of hold ‘em the gent was shortly relieved of his prized possession, kneeling hopelessly on the ground as the shark and his troupe walked away laughing amongst themselves. The tophat now dangled perilously atop the tip of the oni’s horn.

With a short walk and some finagling through the receiving bay of the club’s kitchen, Yose and his men made their way to the bar’s floor, the oni ducking his horns and great height beneath the building’s ceilings; while for a human their height was plenty accommodating, anybody taller than 10 feet would have to crouch or sit.

Upon the gang’s entrance, the performers missed a beat in their song, and the crowd looked on in silent terror at the monstrous intruder.

Gawk all you want idiots. By the end of the night, everything you hold dear’ll be mine. Yose thought to himself.

“Oh! Mr. Yoshi! What a pleasure to see you, we’re in for a wild night now eh?” One of the bar’s senior hosts spoke, welcoming the party and ushering them to their seats. A large table was built into the far corner of the building, its seating consisting of a number of normal plush seats and one huge leather throne. As the group sat the evening festivities grew livelier as the night grew on, with the crowd’s comfort and entertainment returning alongside the singing and dancing of the live performers.

Red Oni: Earlier in the evening up to the present moment

Hey wherever they won’t run screaming works for me. Doji thought to himself as he packed a pouch full of coin and treasure for his evening in Notice’s underbelly. Having done his digging the oni figured he would try his hand at tourism, sleeping in his ship during the day before emerging once the city’s streets had died down for the evening; the nightlife was just beginning.

Doji spent his evening squeezing himself into the largest taverns and nightclubs he could find, exhausting his ill-gotten gains on fine drinks for himself and his fast friends. As the night wore on and the oni’s pockets wore thinner the monster made his way to dingier and dirtier dives, exhausting location after location of their booze.

As many of the night’s bars closed Doji’s “spending money” finally ran out, nonetheless, the ogre’s ravenous thirst persisted. Stumbling the alleyways of the city the large figure eventually found a mark, within the cellar’s confines its bottled wines glinted like jewels. The beauty of the vino was lost on Doji, as the monster merely smelled the scent of alcohol from within the building’s confines before sitting up against its walls and smashing his hand through the window to rummage around the wine cellar.

Paying for booze is for suckers anyway. The red oni reminisced on his delinquent youth as he chugged from a plundered bottle of pinot noir.

Post Word Count: 1,101
Total Word Count: 1,101

Throwing his head back, Kabe downed the moderately-sized bottle of vodka. Like all other times before, Kabes face instinctively scrunched up. Drinking was a curious act. As much as Kabe tried he found himself unable to enjoy the taste of any liquor. The young man could easily see how people find being drunk fun. Hell, Kabe has had first-hand experience with that himself since joining P.T.S.D.

Of course, the small handful of times Kabe expressed this sentiment with his crewmates resulted in more teasing than advice or comfort. Regardless of his personal feelings. A part of Kabe had accepted that his tastes would never change, not that such realities would stop the swordsman from trying to broaden his horizons.

Placing the empty bottle down on the bar, Kabe turned to what he thought was a vacant seat, only to see it occupied by a familiar face. With a wide smile on his face. Kabe tilted his head in order to hear Aya’s words more clearly over the chaos of the rowdy patrons.

Following the red panda’s comments, Kabe looked over the establishment's interior more carefully. From what he could tell Aya was not wrong. None of the guys were left standing… or seated? Whatever…

Kabe waved his hand towards all the remaining bottles behind the bar in an attempt to lift his spirits. “Oh well, I ain’t too patient either so I can’t exactly blame them. Just means there are more drinks for us! Grororororo!”

As the blacksmith’s laughter died down, his demeanor became about as professional as you could expect from a teenage, no-good pirate with something to prove. Grabbing hold of his scabbard, Kabe placed it in front of his coworker. “I forget that you are even newer than me sometimes. The Dead Air is pretty spacious so I’m not surprised you didn’t run into me for a while. I woulda been out there living it up with the rest of you fellas, but I had an idea that I couldn’t risk losing.”

Gesturing to the saber in front of them, Kabe explained the weapons' relevance. “I’m something of an artist myself, you know. This guy took me a couple of days to build, counting all the redesigns and failed attempts. I can’t help myself with stuff like this, it has to be just right or I toss it out.”

Staring at his latest work Kabe continued. “I don’t know what you folk do on Zou, but where I’m from people are pretty strict and stuck in their ways. You always have to do stuff their way or they look down on you. That ain’t no way to live. That’s why I left home. What abou-”

With no warning, a sudden realization hit Kabe head-on. Looking back to Aya in amazement. “Wait a minute, You said something about me doing a vanishing act. But that’s what you do! Grororororo!”

The young man’s howls of laughter were only put to an end by the negative energy emanating from the entrance. Looking over his shoulder, Kabe glared at whoever would even think of doing something as unthinkable as bringing down the mood.

But something felt off, with both the vibe and appearance of the mysterious man. “Horns and overly tall? That’s kinda like…”  Noticing the small, exquisite hat on the large fellow's head; Kabe’s suspicions were quickly put to rest. “Oh a cool hat, it can’t be him.”

After the shock value of the Oni’s entrance was over, Kabe ordered another drink and rushed to finish the entire bottle as fast as he could. After a few seconds had passed, the contents of the bottle were no more. Kabe slammed it down next to the first one. “What was I sayin’ again? Oh yeah, You’re from the New World too right!? Is it true that Zou is atop giant rhino!? No, wait! I heard it was a giant hippo!”

Word Count:

@Pikasso  @Doji

"... It is quite a ship. I've been on quite a few, and I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. I could get lost wandering around there.." Aya nodded thoughtfully as she sipped at her wine. Her icy gaze wandered back behind the bar, then snapped back to the weapon the young man was setting out before her.

The painter peered over the weapon curiously, leaning down so her dark little nose was mere inches away from the sword. For something important like this the runty mink even pulled her dark lenses up to rest at the top of her head and out of the way of her vision. The amount of care, craftsmanship, and thought that had been put into the piece was clear to her at the first glance.

With careful reverence, she snuck a peek at the blade.

No wonder he'd been too busy to celebrate!

Aya felt a little pang of homesickness that melted like molten metal into a comfortable, warm feeling that rose and felled her shoulders in a sigh of appreciation. For a moment she was lost to it. The murmur of the bar faded far from her ears until a little clasp of her paws summoned her back to reality. She grinned over at him.

"...Oh, Kabe!" Even addressing him, she didn't seem to be able to pull her attention away from his creation for a moment. "...It's beautiful!!" She cooed excitedly, the silky fur around her cheeks fluffing up as she applauded his work.

Caught up in her excitement, she had nearly lost what he had been saying completely, but his laughter from the dawning of her little joke was contagious. She didn't say a word, but the little panda certainly seemed proud of herself.

"...Kiii-pi-pi-pi!"

Aya followed her new companion's gaze towards the door. In a small moment of panic, all the opacity from the girl's form washed out only for her to sputter on her wine a little and return fully to view.

"... What's with my luck and crossing paths with all these giant men, eh??" Pikasso mumbled into her wine as she took a gulp.

Kabetogama didn't seem worried, though, so she tried not to think about it too much.

"Oh, uh... I guess a lot of youteia lesser minks don't know much about Zou, huh?" Aya's head cocked to one side as she thought it over. " It's on an elephant. Zunesha." The name was spoken like that of a cherished family member as the mink's claws dipped into what looked like thin air at her side. She seemed amused by his excited questioning.

The rummaging she was doing made the sounds of paper and cloth and when she felt what she was looking for, she pulled a small roughly-bound book into view.

Flipping through the pages, she leaned in closer to him to show a few sketches she had done of the great elephant when feeling particularly far away from her nomadic home.

"... Most of my family is still there. I think so, at least. I've been away a while." With a twitch of her ears, she picked up on the sound of something shattering in the distance. The bar seemed fine, though, so she let the worries wash away with the lackadaisical influence of the wine.

" .... Hidebound people deprive themselves of the beauty of experience... " The mink's eyes glazed over with introspection and her voice faded before she remembered her presence and company in the conversation.

"...What I mean to say is, it sounds like youteia are way better off away from a home like that. I mean, just look at what you've made! A masterpiece worked into existence by your own hand..." The deep pools of her glasses fell back over her eyes as she looked over at him and raised her glass to him.

"...Here's to being free, hm?"

Blue Oni: Covetous Wren

As Aya fawned over Kabe’s sword a piercing glare shot across the room, like a raptor surveilling its prey the oni’s eyes locked their gaze on the striking sugary-patterned saber. That beautiful thing! The possession of some rough and tumble child? And he’s just showing it off in front of some pet? Does he even know what he’s holding?! The oni thought to himself.

The green-eyed monster’s ignorance was fitting. Yose was the one who knew nothing of Freezing Water, in truth he was little more than a thoughtless hoarder; it was rarity and gaudiness that excited this man, not the art of craftsmanship itself nor the true histories of his collection. He could never understand the pride of a smithy, nor that of an artist.

The blue-haired oni’s eyes darted between Pikasso and Kabe and back to the object of his desire. He could tell it was going to be a good night; as the evening progressed the devil swindled several patrons, but his eyes always fell back to that candy-cane sword.

Yose could not help but eavesdrop on the owners of "his" new sword. The raspy little Mink’s toast echoed in the oni’s mind Here’s to being free? He thought back to his own pet, a rare mink descended from a line of mountainous pika, But aren’t things so much better in place? Freedom breeds insecurity; even I’ve come to enjoy life within my cage.

As the oni salivated Jeeves looked up at his dangling tophat, his stolen pride and joy; something had to be done. Who on earth is strong enough to deal with that kind of monster? The emaciated butler looked over towards the blonde-haired rapscallion who had put Lenny through a table; likely his best hope. Sidling towards the pirates’ toast Jeeves sat beside Kabe and politely ordered a glass of gin for himself.

Red Oni: Sole Crane

Why did good times always have to come to an end? Though Doji was abundant in stolen drink, no amount of alcohol could make up for an absence of companionship. It seemed that wherever the monster was not outright reviled his friendships would be fast and short-lived, like a poorly kept plant either underwatered or overburdened by a capricious gardener.

What’d I do to deserve this?... Doji thought back to his childhood, he was a terrible child, but he hadn’t been this isolated until his “growth spurt, All I ever do is turn people’s kindness against them. He thought back to his mother, his aneki, and the monks of the temple he had studied at; everybody he had once trusted seemed to loathe him now that he’d entered adulthood.

Will I ever find another place that I can call home in this world? The red-haired oni’s doubts were getting to him, A warrior shouldn’t concern themselves with things like that. I have to just accept things as they are.

The giant felt at his hip to where he would normally keep his swords, this evening he had gone out without them. What would I even do to change something like that? A man can be defeated, but loneliness, desire… The old men of his temple had always had answers for these tumultuous feelings, but their mantras and meditations were never sufficient to quell these feelings in the teenager’s mind, ...it’s not as easy to overcome a part of yourself.

Indeed, to fell a man is easier in itself than disciplining oneself, and seldom can such discipline be achieved on one’s own.

Meanwhile, in the club…

[npc=misc]“Another bottle sir?”[/npc] One of the servers inquired of Lenny, the man was having a rough night, and had been nursing his wounds with Sauvignon since arriving; it seemed that his first selection had run dry.

“Ugh, better make it two.” The man hunched his aching back and slouched over his table.

[npc=misc]“Right away sir.”[/npc] With this the server began making his way for the wine cellar, unaware of the catastrophic scene that lie just beyond its door.

Post Word Count: 670
Total Word Count: 1,771

Kabe didn’t quite know how to react to any sort of compliment, even less so when it involved something as close to him as his craft. Laughing, albeit much more quietly this time around, Kabe took the words of encouragement in stride. “Grorororo! Finally, someone who can appreciate my work.”

Kabe’s eyes widened when he saw the book appear out of thin air. Apparently, the bartender must have obliged when the privateer asked for the strong stuff. The completely oblivious man admired the various drawings and sketches in awe. It was always interesting to see artwork that had a purpose besides just being the blueprints for a weapon or ship.

Still looking at the image of Zunesha, Kabe’s thoughts allowed themselves to be thrown out into the world for any and everyone to hear. “So he walks everywhere? I would have thought he swam closer to the surface. What if he wants to swim? Is Zunesha even a boy elephant? I guess I just assumed only male elephants grew tusks..."

---

A Few Minutes Later…

The young man didn’t even notice Jeeve’s presence until the self-proclaimed gentleman poked his shoulder. In response to the sudden contact, Kabe flung his arm back and sent the poor man out of his seat. Looking down, Kabe couldn’t help but smile in light of the situation. “Geez, you trynna give me a heart attack? Just say hello if you want my attention, it’s not like I’ll beat you up or anything!”

After scolding the stranger, Kabe held a hand out and helped the odd man up. Once the fellow was back on his feet Kabe waited for an explanation of why any of that had just happened. It took a couple of painfully long seconds before the stranger identified himself, but he eventually got the hint.

“Oh, yes! My apologies. My name is Jeeves, Jeeves Jefferson. My friends call me JJ sometimes t-”

“I’m not calling you JJ.”

Jeeves almost looked offended for a moment, but then composed himself. It is very important to refrain from angering common brutes like the one in front of him. "I see… Well, you said you work for Primetime Service and Delivery correct? I was wondering if you could do a job for me. My precious hat was stolen from me and I couldn’t hope to get it back myself.”

Jeeves gestured to the table. “But someone like you would have a much easier time retrieving it.”

Kabe leaned towards the gentleman and asked the only question that mattered. “Do you have any money to pay me?”

Jeeves dejectedly sat back down. “Well… No, but I could-”

Kabe cut Jeeves off yet again. “Then we don’t really have much more to discuss, do we? I’m busy having a drink with my friend here so I would appreciate it if you let me be.”

Jeeves, now resting his head on the bar, continued his moping. “What friend? No one’s even there. Can’t you help a stranger in need?”

Kabe peeked over his shoulder to give Aya a look of “Is this guy serious right now?” before he responded.“Listen, buddy, We can’t work for free anyways. It’s a business, not a charity.” Of course, Kabe failed to mention the fact that many of the core members of PTSD had joined after being helped out for free. But that was because they were all special.

Jeeves did a double take of their immediate surroundings. “Who is this ‘We’ you speak of? No one else is by you!?”

Kabe facepalmed and shook his head in a mix of disapproval and amazement. This was clearly going nowhere.

Word Count:

@Doji  @Pikasso

Aya grinned, plied from her quiet nature by excitement and wine. She was nearly giddy as she showed off sketches of her home, happy to be able to share this exchange of the pride of beautiful creation with her coworker. Kabe's curiosity only seemed to feed the feeling.

"...Zunesha is pretty old, Kabe... I don't think swimming is really on his agenda." Pikasso laughed, shaking her head, "It'd shake up Zou, anyways..." Though she had to admit, she hadn't given these things much thought. Living on the back of the giant ancient beast was just what she was used to.

Aya tried to keep up with the questions, snagging the rest of the bottle the bartender had been filling her cup with and helping herself to another glass of wine as she snickered through her tipsy explanations.

The intrusion of another lesser mink stole her attention completely but didn't stop her laughter. Her new coworker certainly had a way with people.

Pikasso had to double-check that she wasn't transparent as her companion looked back at her. She spent a few seconds glancing down at her fully-visible arm before shrugging toward Kabe

"...I'm used to it."

That was the honest truth. She didn't seem to mind at all.

"...What's so fancy about this hat, anyways? If youteia don't have money to pay us, you'd be better off just getting a new one."

Pikasso piped up as she leaned against the bar with a little sigh. This sounded neither interesting nor lucrative enough to convince her to pay it much attention, but she was curious what would drive someone to try to approach outside help for the sake of a hat.

Jeeves, still confused, continued addressing Kabe directly as he answered despite the change in voice.

"Well, it was my favorite, and-"

"...Boooooring.."

Aya's voice reverberated from her nose as she dipped into the wine glass for another sip. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the man's shoulders slump with an added wash of dejection.

"...If you wanted help youteia could at least try to make it interesting." The artist sighed, pouting to herself. The last drop of her sweet red drink rolled off the edge of her glass and onto her tongue as she stuck it out. "...Where'd that bartender go, anyways...?"

Aya leaned back to glance around the bar, trying to catch sight of someone to bring her another drink. One bartender was busy, but the other server seemed to be heading towards the back.

Pikasso waved a paw to try to catch the attention of the staff, only to watch them look past her and keep on a route towards the wine cellar.

The little red panda groaned and slouched against the bar.

" If they take too long I'm going back to get my own Vin Santo, Kabe.." She murmured in her coworker's direction, content to settle into her happy buzz for the moment as she tried to ignore the feeling that someone was watching her.

It was always difficult convincing herself to be comfortable letting anyone see her, let alone being out in the open. But it seemed safe at this party, so there was no sense in letting her nervousness ruin the nice evening.

Still, it was hard to shake the feeling.

"...What kind of loser steals hats, anyways? We've got better things to do than running around to chase down hat thieves. Why don't you go ask the marines, hm?" Aya snickered, idly carving small shapes into the surface of the bar with the claw of her index finger.

“Listen I’m not exactly in good standing with the law myself lady, I apologize that you don’t find my suffering entertaining…” The man sighed and preened his hair,  “... I simply didn’t mean to intrude, but now that it seems I have both of your attention…”

Jeeves looked fleetingly over towards Yose, and his face went pale as he noticed the man’s eyes were fixed on the Mink woman and himself. Ducking in and whispering, the man informed Kabe and Pikasso of the juicier details he had been able to glean from other club members,  “...so this guy’s name is Yose, people call him the collector. Hats ain’t the only thing he likes to swindle people out of, anything he spots that he wants to add to his collection, he’ll make an offer you can’t refuse…” tears began to well in the man’s eyes,  “... and they’re always too good to be true. Even if he doesn’t manage to cheat ya out of it, he’ll always get what he wants. I hear a patron went missing after they wouldn’t give ‘em the locket of their dead wife.”

The bartender shuffled on over to Aya and Kabe, pouring each of them another tall drink, and courteously checking on the sobbing jeeves before pouring him a glass of his strongest whiskey. [npc=misc]“Cheer up buddy, this one’s on the house.”[/npc]

The de-hatted man wiped his cheeks clean before taking a sip from the liquor to steady his nerves,  “Please, you have to understand. He’ll just keep coming back, and people say he’s rich so he’ll just keep getting away with it. As a matter of fact…” a sly smile crossed the man’s face, though his cheeks were still moist, he seemed hopeful that this offer could pique the pirates’ interest,  “...while I don’t have much in the way of money, he does, I’ve heard the man carries obscene amounts of cash on him. Do you catch my drift? You take his purse, maybe get me my hat back if you feel so inclined?”

Who is she calling a loser? Yose thought to himself, She couldn’t be talking about me. The collector was a prideful man, in his eyes a challenge to him was a challenge to all the beauty and curiosity of the world, embodied by him of course. I’ll add you to my collection you furry little harlot.

The blue-haired oni dreamed of what it might be like to have one of each kind of Mink, he was like a child in a room full of stuffed animals. He thought back to his own pet, the beautiful pika Dolly Dali, Yes… you would make a wonderful addition my pretty little mink. You’d look so cute caged up next to her.

As Yose creeped on another party the server shot him a dissaproving glare on his way into the wine cellar, this was of course, before the man discovered the wrecked scene before him. The floor was covered in broken glass and wine; a hand grasped through the window for another bottle, it was connected up to another fucking oni, slumped up against the wall outside.

The waiter, a man by the name of James, barely managed to suppress a scream. Once again, he shot his glance over to Yose, it was like he was seeing double between these two foul oni, [npc=misc]“Yoshindo Yoseru! Sir! Is this man with you?”[/npc] James slammed the wine cellar’s door open, pointing to the red-haired Doji within.

“Who are you talking about? I take offense to your insinuation sir!” Yose stood up, slamming his palms against the edges of his table.

In response Doji slouched through the window, with an alcoholic slurring to his speech he spoke into the room, “‘re you talkin’ about me? My ear is on fire. Or whatever that ‘spression is.”

That familiar voice, his words slithered through the wind like a serpent, biting at the ears of a certain Mink. What in God’s good fuck was Asakura Doji doing here?

Post Word Count: 666
Total Word Count: 2,437

“Hmmm. This Yose guy sounds more like a rich hoarder than some esteemed, high-class collector.” Kabe downed the large glass of vodka with surprising speed before slamming it back down on the table.

Fastening his sword onto his back, Kabe gave his response on whether or not he would help out the skinny drunk. “You know what? Fuck it. I’ll bite. It’s been a while since I robbed someone anyways.”

Kabe rested a hand on Jeeves shoulder and leaned in. “But if I don’t find anything I like you’re gonna pay for this job in blood okay?”

After delivering his harrowing message the swordsman could only stay silent for but a moment before breaking out into laughter. “Grororororo! You should see the look on your face! I won’t kill you. I told you already, I’m not some monster!”

Jeeves, in an effort to regain his composure and convince himself that Kabe was telling the truth, laughed as well. “Of course, friend. I know you wouldn’t cause me harm. Just some light jesting between mates. That's all.”

Ignoring Jeeves, Kabe looked to Aya. “So are you in? The others probably think we’re just sitting around, what if we brought some treasure back as a surprise present? This job is definitely more suited for you anyways. When I steal from people, I leave a trail of bodies. I don’t think you have that same problem. Grororororo!”

While trying to sell Aya on the hat heist, The young privateer became interested in the commotion near the wine cellar. Leaving his seat, Kabe slowly moved closer to the cellar, only stopping when the Red Oni’s head peaked through the window. Excited to see another familiar face, the swordsman waved. “Wait… I’m a little far away, he probably can’t even see me.”

Kabe sat in thought for a couple of seconds before he remembered some very vital information. “Oh yeah, he’s blind. I don’t think he could see me wave no matter how close I was.”

And so Kabe greeted the Red Oni in the only way he knew how, by being overly loud and boisterous. “Asadura Koji! I didn’t think I would see you again so soon after you helped us out. If you wanted to drink you coulda just went inside. P.T.S.D. employees and associates drink free here!”

One of the bartenders angrily yelled at Kabe. “Who told you that!?”

Word Count:

@Doji  @Pikasso

"...more to do, so soon?"

Aya cocked her head thoughtfully but seemed too fully consumed in her vandalism to pull her gaze away. "...I suppose it couldn't hurt to come back with some easy money, hm? "

Her index claws tapped against the bar a few times as she tried to find a good reason to decline, but it sounded like a solid idea. Helping a coworker bring home a prize on the tails of everything seemed like just the thing to keep welcomes warm.

As warm as they could be, in some cases. Aya sneered to herself distastefully. At least she wouldn't be 'measured' during this little errand.

When she turned to agree to the plan, she froze as she realized Kabe had disappeared from the place she had expected him. Luckily, familiar tones led clearly toward the back of the building, although not in the way she had expected.

The mink slipped from her chair and gave a polite nod toward a puzzled Jeeves, who couldn't wrap his mind around why this random mink was acknowledging him, or where she had come from.

"Kabe, are you-" Pikasso stopped in her tracks as she beheld the scene before her.

"DOJI!"

The red panda's voice peaked into a bright wine-plied chirp as she made sense of the huge figure encroaching on the cellar's precious nectars. With all the chaos, she had hardly considered running into a familiar face in a place like this. Especially one so large.

Aya's excited visage disappeared and with nimble little feet, she stepped past Kabe and around the glass. She reappeared in front of the giant, a bottle of wine clasped in her paws. In one swift moment, the mink gave a warm greeting to the oni in the form of a familiar nudge of her fluffed cheek.

"Garchu!"

Moments later, she was pressing the bottle into his hand.

"...missed one!" Just outside the cellar, she could pick up the exasperated groan of members of the staff, who were obviously in over their heads here. "...Although... it seems like youtiea have been enjoying the night even more than we have, hm? Kiii-pi-pi!!"

With a little look over her shoulder, she grinned at Kabe.

"...For such a big world, it sure is a small one!" She snickered, now perusing the broken bottles until she could pluck a whole one from the mess. "He's right, you could have gotten an invite, you know! ...Not that I suppose it would do you much good. It'd be a bit cramped."

With the help of sharp canines, Aya pulled the cork from the bottle and spat it into the wreckage across the floor.

"...Seems like we have even more reasons to celebrate, huh?"

Upon hearing the familiar voices of the red panda and the mercenary, and feeling the familiar static fluff of the mink’s garchu,  a wide and intoxicated grin spread across Doji’s face, “Aya! Kabe! The world’s way too big! I can’t *hyck* believe we couldn’t manage to run into each other earlier! The whims of the sea are so cruel!” The boy's cloudy eyes began to water with exuberance as he drunkenly chittered up to the pair, happily tossing back another bottle of wine.

Rarely was the drunkenness of the oni tribe pleasant, their legendary reputation for violence, belligerence, and misery would always precede them; for Doji, this had held true for most of the night, but with the arrival of familiar old pals it was as though the clouds had broken. There, in the eye of the storm, there was joy and comfort.

“What are you two up to? I heard there were some uh…” Doji chuckled at the misfortune that had befallen, “... happenings around town, figured I’d check the cemeteries while things are settling down.”

As Doji and the members of P.T.S.D chatted amongst themselves the scene in the rest of the club began to devolve, what was supposed to be a private club for those who enjoy the finer things in life had apparently transformed into a boarding house for devils and trolls. As the patrons stood from their tables the club’s meager staff began surrounding Yose’s table, desperately trying to get a handle on the emerging “situation.”

“I insist to you sir, I have nothing to do with that red-haired brobdingnagian! I hold no association with the vile progeny of giants, and should you wish to continue your slander I propose that we settle the matter like men!” With this exclamation, the blue-haired oni produced a blade some 6 feet long from his belt, resting the oversized edge against the server’s chin.

[npc=misc]“I have no quarrel with you sir! I simply wish to know why you and your friend have seen fit to ransack our fine establishment!”[/npc] James cried nervously, not fully understanding how dire things truly were. Those were the last words that the waiter would ever speak.

Beneath the club’s crystalline chandelier it went flying, leaving a trail of blood in its wake: the terrified visage of the man who had been unlucky enough to cross paths with “Azure Feather” Yoshindo Yoseru. As the severed head fell to the ground with a sickly thud the crowd erupted into horrified shrieking and began trampling one another on their way out of the building.

As his compatriots scrambled away Jeeves’ resolve remained steadfast, I will have my hat back, he thought to himself as he ducked and darted around the oni and the newly armed employees. His saviors had spotted something in the wine cellar and had left him in the dust in favor of this “Asadura Koji.” He couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

“Pardon me Kabe, Aya…” Jeeves apprehensively addressed the pirates, “...Koji? I do hope you don’t mind my eavesdropping, let alone my intrusion but-” the man was interrupted by the sound of a chair flying across the dining room, “But! If you’re interested in discussing the matter at hand further it may be best to take a step outside.” The man grit his teeth as his eyes darted back to the violent scene unfolding in the other room.

“Shini-hi-hi!” Doji giggled condescendingly before pulling himself out from the window and into the alleyway outside, “If you guys want to talk out here we can!” With a dumb grin the oni raked his hand across the edges of the cellar’s window, clearing it of broken glass at the expense of his tough and calloused palms.

Post Word Count: 624
Total Word Count: 3,061