Aeka Takayama's Story

"He doesn't look like much of a cop." Another figure said standing over Randin as he lay flat on his back, a pair of asian eyes staring down at him as the young woman took a step back.

"Getting stumbling drunk in a place like this, how rude of you." She said in a rather obnoxious, arrogant sounding and high pitched voice.

"C'mon get up." She said, extending her hand out to him. "before you make more of a fool of yourself."

Ari's eyes drank it all in, still not entirely sure she was awake. Perhaps this was a dream. It struck her just how pathetic it would be to dream of this place, these people, and to be somewhere between relieved and elated--but she knew she was certainly not above being pathetic like that. As she straightened up in the doorway leading from the store room to the bar at large, she tilted her chin up slightly. Just as she was about to decide that this could be real, she caught Randin's eye. At once, reality was questionable again. He said her name, and her lips parted to respond...a split second before Spiritu's head made neat contact with Randin's face.

It couldn't be helped. After spending months down in the darkest depths--of Terra, of humanity, of morality, of herself--it was difficult to restrain herself. In spite of everything, her eyes opened even wider, and she choked on laughter at the abrupt and violent accident that had occurred. She had only as much grace as she put a hand to her mouth to hide the involuntary grin that leapt to her features as she watched Randin go down. It was merely a moment of mixed amusement that she enjoyed before her hand fell from her face, and so did her smile. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she moved with deliberate grace to the bar. She slapped her hands upon it and swung her legs over it to neatly vault over, landing on her feet with an abrupt jingle. She started towards Randin, but paused in place, her head lowering but her eyes fixed on the woman with the almond eyes who was offering to help the cop up.

Ari tilted her head slightly, then shrugged in answer to an unasked question. She swept forward, slipping to a knee beside Randin despite the hand that was offered to him. Crouching there beside him, her features assumed a playful yet apologetic smile. As she bowed over him, she spoke softly.

"Hello, renau."

“I see. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a wall flower, but compared to my twin perhaps I am.” Claire said taking a sip of her drink. “And oh yes… that.” She added thoughtfully spinning her glass in the condensation on the bar. “You see that is a bit of a sticky situation, as I’m very likely to out live any man I meet, and I don’t think you quite understand my species as you so put it.” It was a depressing thought, and the one man she’d even considered returning affections to seemed more interested in his work than her. She wished she had known better before ever starting up the relationship, with her wealth and status she could have had anyone she wanted, but she had chosen to be eccentric. It hadn’t ended well for her, and she wasn’t sure about the other party, nor did she particularly care.

“Maybe not, but something will happen. I don’t come down to numbers or bets.” She said, momentarily distracted by Randin’s unceremonious attempt at a back flip onto the floor. “One drink and you’re already on the floor Mr. Kaye, was you’re week that hard?” Claire asked, raising an eyebrow, her tone slightly altruistic in nature.

Mr. Bones just looked at Angelique for some time allowing the burnt out hollows that his skull provided for eyes to examine her as if she was some kind of prized livestock of hunk of meat. " I see." His words seemed almost silent as his mind began to ponder if his assumptions were wrong on some level. Moving on to the problem at hand however Mr. Bones simply reached into his suits inner pockets to produce a rather strange card with his name and number on it. "Eccentrics are my favorite kind of people. Though I would be a terrible match for a suitor I would be more than happy to locate or help you acquire anything for the right price." Mr. Bones waved down the bartender for yet another martini that he could slosh down without any problems only to then grimace slightly at the fall that the cop had just had.

"You might not make wagers and deal with numbers but I must say that the fellow over there is very popular with the ladies." The skeleton spoke only to then smirk and he listened to her ask if the officer was having a hard time. This woman was very much the fiery soul one could very much wish to acquire but never to dominate and destroy but to admire and keep away from all the others.

Randin was, in his defense, not drunk. Yet. Perhaps that made his little trick all the more more embarrassing. He lay stiff on the ground, faintly aware of an ebbing pain pressing at his lower back as Aeka offered him her hand. Oh yes. This was exactly the sort of badass homecoming Randin had expected of Gambit's: getting floored to the ground by intoxicated spirited guardians and then bad-mouthed by Japanese schoolgirls while he was down. He only prayed to god he could get to his feet before Ari-

Nope. She was right in front of him. Randin's face flushed beet-red. "I'm uh," he cleared throat, "I'm fine. Just fine." He planted his hands on the floorboards and picked himself up, declining the offered hands. "Thank you, I'm fine. Wasn't watching where I was going." He nodded to Spiritu. "Cry your pardon, sai." He cleared his throat, looking sternly between Claire and Aeka. "Not drunk. Haven't had a drink all night. Not drunk, just-" He spared a glance back at Ari. She was smiling. Some part of him felt like smiling too. "-just a little flustered." He straightened his button-down, then his hair, then his tie. His dress shirt, still damp from the spilled whiskey, was stuck to his chest.

He cleared his throat and gave Ari a look that bordered the edge of amusement and outright embarrassment.

"Would you like to get a drink with me?" he asked, "I seem to have lost mine."

"I see." The princess replied, before she moved away to give Randin and Ari some space, but she had recognized his face somewhere, whether it was from photographs or something else.

"Have we met before?" Aeka asked, offering a slight nod to the Detective. "I can't help but think I've seen you somewhere before." She said, and then it dawned on her.

"Oh! You're that Bakagaijin Haji keikan my brother and sister have been talking about!" She said with a broad innocent smile.

"My name is Aeka Hime, I'm the youngest of two sisters and one brother." She said, nodding to Ari and the other Patrons. "I would being like to buying a round of drink for everyone? This is my first time here so I make good impression and learn Common good!"

The Maiar titled her head slightly, interesting human creature, she mused, a human that reeked to whatevertheycalledabove. Stupid demon. Without a word she flicked at the unseen by his coatsleeve mark on his arm. A small shot of Maiar energy to combat the effects could do nicely. Finally the Maiar said clearly so Randin could hear as he stood up "You stink. Want some help bathing ?" It was more of a question of "want some help getting that taint out of your system ?" over actually helping him bathe.

The Maiar then listened as the younger human woman spoke, the other merely said a greeting of some form, rather interesting, most interesting in fact. Not in the sense of "oh god ho god we're all gonna die" but still rather interesting. At least it held the Maiar's attention well enough. She ordered another drink. And also nodded towards the drinkless detective as well for his drink to be replaced.

“And what would that price be Mr. Bones?” Claire asked, her eyes momentarily flashing dangerously. One could say that something very old and very powerful lurked behind those eyes, waiting to be wakened; something that was normally hidden from the view of most people lulling them into a false sense of security. However with Mr. Bones there was no hiding, or dodging questions about herself.

“Because there is a man… he just happens to be the science director for the Taiyou Emperor. He has a play thing, a young girl whom I and many other’s would like to see disappear for a time.” She said quietly putting out the ashes of her cigarette and taking a sip of her drink. Claire was angry, and hurt in many ways. She had made numerous sacrifices for him, but he had seemingly made little for her.

"Ah, heard of me, have you?" Randin perked a curious brow. He wasn't sure what Bakagaijin Haji Keikan meant but he had a feeling it wasn't particularly complimentary, "well thanks for the drinks. Your common sounds pretty good. Only other language I speak is Argosian, so you prolly' don't want to be asking me to give you a hand." He nodded to Spiritu. "Thanks to you too, sai, for the drink. Sorry again for running into you."

He turned to Ari and took her arm with an amused smirk. "Hey, what ever'll get you to stay in one place for more than five minutes." He walked steadily towards the counter with her. "After Gambit's closed down, I wasn't sure where to look for you. Guess it's just plain luck finding you here tonight." He slid into a nearby stool and passed his fingers over a holo-menu. "Vodka?"

It was a veritable roller coaster ride of emotions for Ari. There was still a lot of question for her as to the veracity of this reality--but, as it was going pleasantly enough, she was quite willing to go along with it all. As she strode to the bar with her arm in Randin's, she glanced askance at him, her chin tilting up again with a sly little smirk.

"Five minutes." She nodded slightly. That seemed like too short an amount of time, but something about it stuck in that crazy little mind of hers. She would have to leave in five minutes... With a quick glance at the clock, she noted the time, and nodded again before she settled down lightly on a bar stool and fixed her gaze upon Randin once more, looking a little more somber.

"Actually--" She flicked her fingers at the holomenu in vague gesture. "--you smell nice. I'll have whatever's on you."

Aeka nodded. "You two make a kawaī pair." She said in thickly accented common. Moving up to the bar where the Pair sat, but not so close as to be intruding. "My Brother talks about you sometimes, my sister too, but mostly my brother, Shimizu."

"He says you bring shame and dishonor to your job, but I don't think you are that bad." She said, as a glass of warm Sake was placed before her.

"What's your story?" She said, addressing Ari this time, sipping her sake.

It seemed the woman was holding something back, whether it was to remain inconspicuous or not, as the tab came around, she placed several bills of Taiyou currency on the counter, paying the tab. It was then her expression darkened slightly. "I just want to get away from his schemes..." She said, this time the mumble was in near perfect common.

"Drinku?!" She called out with a broad smile, putting up the act once more.

Sephyt entered, three lit cigarettes pressed between his lips and sticking out of the corner of his mouth in one bundle. He had started smoking again, figuring that since his lungs were already fucked, he might as well help the process along so it didn't linger. That was the annoying thing about his condition; any minute, any second, his body could shut down. He could drop to the floor and die, killed by the virus that had been flowing through his veins for almost five years now. The only problem was that he hadn't died yet, and some days he got tired of waiting and wondering when he finally would.

He sucked on the bundle hard, until the ash grew and spread down the white length of all three sticks and he had to clutch his chest when he began violently coughing, the cigs and perhaps a little blood being thrown down at the floor with a slight splatter. He pressed his boot down upon them hard and twisted his ankle, crushing underfoot and wiping it all away with a single sweep of his leg back behind him.

"Whoever buys me a cider," he proclaimed, "will have whoever he has hated most will get a good beatin- ..." He paused, confusing himself. Since when had his grasp of the English language been so poor? "What I mean is: I'll fucking beat the shit out of someone free of charge."

The Maiar woman accepted her drink, Thankful for the nonce that another was doing it free for all apparently. Rather considerate of most mortal creatures in many respects. She remained quiet however, the cop spoke to her, apparently apologising, well he walked into her when she was slamming back her first drink anyway, so it was mostly his fault. But she did not place any blame on the man. After all, most mortals were crazy to begin with.

She instead remained quiet, observing, like she naturally did, everything that occured. It was a rather interesting day so far.

"Shimizu?" Randin chuckled, "that lil' squirt I was detailed to last year?" Kaye hadn't seen the young prince since he'd been assigned to protect him in his trip to Wing City. It hadn't gone well. "Can't say I miss him. You seem like you've got a better head on your shoulders, though." He nodded to the girl, smiling as she did her best to manage a proper Terran accent.

He looked back at Ari. "Five minutes?" he perked a brow, "that's not a lot of time. But if it's all I got, I'll take every second." His fingers soared across the holo-menu and ordered their drinks. He crumpled up a bit of his stained shirt and brought the soaked fabric to his lips, grinning all the while.

"Don't let the smell fool you," he warned her, rolling the sparse whiskey residue gleamed from his button-down along the roof of his mouth. "This stuff's no good. It's hard and rough and sits like fire in your belly." His tongue smacked against his teeth. "I came here to get rip-roaring drunk. That's the sort of whiskey it was."

Questions simmered up his throat into his mouth and his mind was swimming with a million different things he wanted to ask her. Where had she been? What was she doing with her life? How long had she been on Terra? Was she sticking around? Did she have a place to stay?

He asked none of these questions as their drinks arrived. His time with her was too precious for practicality. He would enjoy her for all it was worth with whatever time he had.

The Princess smiled nervously at the pair and then went back to her drink, as she leaned forward and the light played just right, a faint mark could be made on her eye, as if she had been struck but it had since healed.

"Totemo kirei." She said quietly to herself, smiling at the pair for a moment, before she dabbed at her mouth slightly, which too upon very close inspection had been only slightly swollen, but to the casual observer, it'd be unnoticeable.

Finishing the last of her drink, she pulled out her cell phone and tapped out a quick text message

"It has been very great honor to meet you all but.. I must go." She said, sliding off the stool. "I shouldn't stay here."

There was something endearing about Aeka--but it certainly wasn't the cheerful facade that she put on for the sake of other people. Ari could see right through that quite easily enough. Although she wasn't particular pleased with the statement directed towards Randin, she could see no reason to quarrel with the young woman. So she pressed her lips together and took another glance around the bar as it began to quiet down a bit...

So it took her a little by surprise when Aeka addressed her. The Ri'ehn woman leaned forward to rest her arms flat on the bar top as she leveled her gaze. A thoughtful expression stole over her for a second or two before she shrugged and offered an amiable, lazy smile.

"Long, unpleasant, repetitive--" She lifted one hand to give a languid wave of dismissal. "--and better forgotten. Vehn?" By the end of her statement, the smile had lost some of the spark she had forced into it. Immediately after, she looked back to Randin. There was a definitive change in her expression, but it wasn't quite clear. Although she still had that smirk on her face, unexpressed volumes fought to show themselves simply in a steady gaze. As many questions as he had, she had just as much to ask and tell.

"Easier and safer to drink shitty whiskey at home, sr'vehn." She held her look for a second more, before Aeka made her abrupt announcement. Ari blinked a few times, before nodding once toward the strange woman.

"Ahren, im ili."

Randin was, unfortunately, not closely observing Aeka, his attention too focused on Ari. He noticed the subtle shift in her mannerisms as she checked her messages and made a mental note to keep an eye out for this girl. Who knew what sort of trouble she could get into if she was involved with Shimizu...

"Shitty whiskey, like all shitty liquors," Randin elaborated as their drinks were laid down on the counter, "are best enjoyed one of two ways." He took his own glass in his hands. "Either alone, in the privacy of your own thoughts, in which you could be considered a drunk..." he handed her the second glass. "Or with a friend, in which case, you're just considered to be good company." He grinned as he raised the shot to his lips and downed the contents in a quick, practiced gulp.

"Of course," he cleared his throat, laying the shot glass top-down on the counter, "having the right partner helps."

It was as if something else clicked in the woman's demeanor and she stopped suddenly in her tracks. She had debated for several moments whether or not to bother the Policeman and the woman he was clearly quite enamored with. However the Princess saw this as possibly a way out.

"You are Terran Policeman?" She said staring directly at Randin. "I need help before my brother finds me!" She called out, standing in the middle of the bar.

"Can you help me? I am sorry Miss, I do not wish to intrude on your romance." She said, bowing her head. "But it is urgent, I must find help before they find me! He will kill me if he finds me!" She finally had managed to muster the courage to ask for help.

"I need someone to... what is the word... request Bōmei.. asylum."

Ari's eyes briefly flicked to follow Aeka as she left before she allowed herself to immerse herself in the situation at hand. Three and a half minutes. Maybe she really could commit to that. As she genuinely grinned at Randin's comment on sub-par liquor, however, she questioned herself. To distract herself from her own thoughts, she reached out to take her own glass, peering down into the pale amber depths of it as she swirled it.

"True." She lifted her glass up just a little higher than her own head, nodding slightly as she did, before she put the glass to her lips. Rather than violently slamming it back like she did with vodka, she executed a rather gently demure roll of her wrist to just let the liquid slip over her tongue. Even if it was the worst whiskey in the world, anyone would have thought she savored that slow shot with the way she mostly closed her eyes and let her shoulders slowly slump. After the glass was drained, she set it inside of Randin's with a sense of finality. She wiped a corner of her mouth with the back of her wrist as she locked eyes with Randin again.

"I've missed you." Her face matched her voice--stoney; or at least the very best she could manage. Even stone cracks, after all. Such was evident in the way her eyebrows twitched. "And I'm very sorry--"

Then she laughed. It was rather sudden and sharp and loud. Her head went back, and her hands clasped in her lap as she did. It was more of a singular bark that announced the coming of her self-awareness in the presently accepted reality.

"Shit! I mean--I mean it--but do I have to be such a fuckin'--"

Then she was interrupted by Aeka, and the insanity abruptly stopped. Her attention turned wholly to Aeka, and she didn't say a word. It could be construed as being polite... Or it could have been something a little more volatile. In any case, she stopped talking--laughing--smiling--and allowed the woman to express her plight. One of her eyebrows rose, but otherwise, her face was a mask of passivity.

As Aeka tried to plead with the man, a single Imperial Warrior emerged from the Bar Door, standing firm for several moments, the Warrior turned to the princess.

"Ikimashou" He said firmly, inclining his head out of cultural respect.

"Ōji ga shinpai shite iru, Aeka-hime kitaku" He said, and the woman frowned slightly, and started to turn towards the door.

"Wakarimashita." She murmered, before she started out the door, the lone Imperial Warrior nodding, ushering the woman out.