Jevi

Jevi returned to the table that Mari once sat at and leaned heavily against the table. Elbows pressed into the surface as she leaned her weight against the table, resting her chin in the heel of her hand. She's scan her surroundings with a slow, hooded gaze.. though it was hard to focus on any one person with everything going on. Not only that, but the room looked different than when she had first arrived.. with her impaired perception at least. 

Lights blended together and shone bright, forcing her sensitive eyes to turn away after looking for too long. The shapes of bystanders blurred and mirrored, creating a kaleidoscope of dancers that twirled about the dance floor with their partners. She attempted to blink away the drunkenness, but to no avail.

Maybe another drink was a bad idea. 

Golden eyes fell upon the couple she had found herself dancing with previously, their doubled images moving in and out of focus. She merely watched as the two shared a tender moment, a kiss with the same fiery motif they both coveted. Pulling her lower lip between her teeth, she would gently gnaw on the plump skin. A jealousy filled her, though not directed towards Mari or Lancaster. A longing for what the two shared, finding someone that she could share the worst and the best days with..

A finger tapped on the side of her jawline as thoughts of what she once shared with another filled her mind and an unconscious hand summoned her menu in front of her. She had just began typing out a message.. three simple words / I miss you /.. but before she even came close to sending it, she would dismiss the message with a gesture similar to that of crumpling up a piece of paper. She was lonely, but not enough to start messaging an ex. It was either that or... 

She looked at Mari again. At Lancaster. Could she... Would they..?

Her forehead hit the table. She was pathetic. 

Stepping to move away from the table, she would gesture towards Mari and Lancaster that she would be back. A simple 'one moment' with a raised index finger, and she was moving across the room to find bathrooms. 

Some cold water splashed on her face, that should snap her out of.. whatever this is. 

@Mari @Lancaster

Something about this didn't feel right. 

A hand outstretched towards her, rather than the ginger Lancaster was associated with; his wife. His wife he spoke so dearly of him in his absence. His wife who lured him here so she could share a dance with her beloved. His wife who was currently drunk off her ass, stumbling her way into a chair. 

She'll be fine, Jevi thought to herself. Just a night of innocent fun. 

"I will try not to bite.."

"I can't say that I won't" 

But would she? Jevi had no experience in this, no real experience in flirting. She just did what felt right in the moment, what felt fun. Even if it wasn't as modest as she originally planned. Raising a hand to take his, it hovered above his palm for a moment before instead reaching out and playfully pushing Lancaster back with the tips of her fingers. Not in a dismissing manner, but controlling. To put him where she wanted him. Her lips curled into a small smile as she followed him with slow steps, one foot in front of the other, closing the distance between them.

"Don't worry, I'll loosen him up for you." Jevi would share a glance over her shoulder towards Mari, who was now seated comfortably and watching the two. She wondered for a moment if this bothered Mari. A woman she had just met and connected with, now up and dancing with her husband. It might have bothered Jevi.

V on the other hand..

Body pressed the Lancaster, the carnal hunger in his eyes as his crimson gaze peered through his stark white mask that so brilliantly matched his suit. Her hand found his, the heat of his touch felt like a mug of tea that was still a tad bit too hot to drink. But even though she could feel the prickle of warmth beneath her palm, it did not burn her. She welcomed it.

Jevi danced with an easy confidence - fluid, playful, and entirely unbothered by the eyes on her. Hips rolling in time, shoulders loose, eyes half-lidded but aware of everything. She caught Lancaster's gaze, held it, and smiled like she already knew what he’d tell himself later: that it meant nothing. At the edge of the floor, Mari still watched. Her expression was unreadable. Was she enjoying the show? Was she regretting letting her husband dance with her? Jevi twirled at Lancaster's silent request, facing towards Mari for just a moment. For just a beat, her movement slowed - a subtle acknowledgment, a quiet dare. Before her partner could pull her back to him, Jevi would outstretch a hand towards Mari. 

Playing the role of a tether between the two flames, their passions a raging inferno, she would pull Mari to her and - in turn - the two would return to Lancaster. Pressing the woman into her husband's chest, her own body leaning into Mari's back once more. Fingers would find the woman's soft, freckled shoulders after retrieving her hand from Lancaster's grip. A gentle squeeze, thumbs caressing the backs of her shoulders.

"Your turn." she would speak softly into Mari's ear, before her golden eyes rose to Lancaster once more. "Careful. She's a dangerous one." A playful wink, a blown kiss, and Jevi would turn to retreat from the dance floor to stand near the seat Mari once occupied. One last look over her shoulder, she'd look to see if one - or both - of them watched her as she walked away.

@Mari @Lancaster 

Dangerous? 

The only thing dangerous about Mari right now was that she was so deep in her cups that she might light the place ablaze if she exhaled too close to an open flame. She would breathe in the other woman's scent once more, the alluring aroma of sweat binding her perfume and the whiskey together. Mari's back pressed- no, held- against her torso, chest leaning into the exposed shoulders of the shorter woman as they swayed to the music. 

The two caught each other's gaze, icy orbs of azure melting behind partially closed eyelids as Jevi leaned even more into Mari. A curious hand would slowly glide along Mari's stomach, exploring her hips with gentle touches. 

A dangerous woman who did nothing to hide her past crimes now in the palm of her hand. Was this how it felt? To have the confidence to take what she wanted, without caring about the consequences? 

With a soft exhale from her nose, Jevi's lips would curve upwards into a smirk.

"So am I." she would whisper back.

"If I was worried 'bout being hurt, I would have found another dance partner." 

“I’m glad…I have shomeone like you to dance with.” Turning Mari around to face her, the two now danced face to face. Fingers trailing down her back and hot breath on her neck caused a small shudder in her shoulders. 

"That makes two of us then." A single finger rose to under Mari's chin, pushing it upwards so her face met hers. She stared into those cold, blue eyes once more, want and desire fueling her every move.

And before she could take their game into extra innings, in entered Lancaster to run interception. 

Suppose it was only a matter of time before he decided to join in. What she wasn't expecting, however, was for him to 'play along.' 

"Hmm~" she would hum curiously as Lancaster praised them with words in his own dialect, from her chunky sandals to the mask adorning her face. She nearly stifled a snickering laugh when Mari practically tried to push her own heel into her husband, but why should she hold it in? She was enjoying herself, as were the others, so she laughed. 

Attention bounced back and forth between the two women, his intentions on who's hand he wanted for a dance was not entirely made clear. Though when a drink found its way into her hand, she looked up at Lancaster with shock. Was he asking her, rather than his own wife? 

Sipping from the gifted alcohol, she would step from Mari to close the distance between herself and the red headed man. She would trace the filigree of his mask with a single finger, golden eyes never leaving his crimson. Traveling down from the nose portion, she would pluck the cigarette from Lancaster's lips and hold the small tube between her fingers. Deftly turning the cigarette in her fingers, she would dip the burnt edge of it into the fire his 'passions' had ignited on the surface before inhaling from the opposite end. The smoke traveled down into her lungs, burning her throat along the way. She would exhale whatever remained lingering her mouth, a hazy cloud that dissipated around Lancaster's head. 

"I'm not too fond of sharing. But.. guess I can make an exception." she would share a quick glance at Mari before returning to Lancaster. "So what's it going to be, Pyro?" She would steal another drag of the cigarette. "You going to steal her back from me, or are we all going to play nice?" With a gentle hand on his chest where a tie once hung, she would return his smoke to him. 

@Lancaster @Mari

"We could find you shomeone? Maybe not though... I don't -"

Jevi did find someone though. Perhaps not a lover or someone to keep her bed warm like Mari was insinuating, but she found someone to spend time with. Connect with. Jevi wasn't feeling lonely, for once in a long time, and that's all she could ask for. Even if it was a bit too soon to call this woman her friend, at least, for tonight, they could act like it. 

For now, that was enough. 

"Well, I've used my name at least."

"Hey, not my fault you're not good at the masquerade game." Jevi teased her. "Besides, I techni.. tech-ni-cally gave you my name... just not my full one." 

Haven't you been reading these posts? Everyone's terrible at dancing :)

Mari accepted, reluctantly, to dance, claiming that she wasn't much of a dancer. "Theres no right way to dance, just move. Do what feels good." Jevi called to Mari over the music as she began to dance. "Right." she corrected herself quickly, "I mean, do waht feels right." Before she could really get into it, the song came to an end, and softer music took its place. She was hoping the louder music would stay, help drown out the room around them so they could really get lost in their dancing. But the night had other plans. The song was not a slow dance by any means, but it was definitely more of an intimate melody. 

If Lancaster was going to hunt down Mari and whisk her away from Jevi, then she wasn't going to make it easy for him. In fact, she decided she was going to enjoy this the best she could. For Mari's sake.. but she could use the fun too. Snagging a random drink off of a passing waiter's tray, she downed it in a single go. She didn't care if it was going to someone else, they weren't paying for it.

Oof, martinis are not good for drinking that fast. But it gave her the burning courage she needed. 

Taking a step deeper into the crowd of dancers, Jevi would pull Mari along. Yanking the ginger towards her in a way that spun Mari around, she caught her with her back to Jevi's chest. One arm snaked around her waist, palm on her stomach, the other hand gently rested on her hip. Swaying side to side in time with the music, she led her partner along. Chin slowly lowered towards Mari's shoulder, face hovering just beside hers. Her voice like a purr in Mari's ear, lips scathing the edge of her ear as she spoke. 

"Well then. He's going to have to work for it. Because I'm playin for keeps." 

Did she mean it? Not entirely. She didn't want to be known as a homewrecker. 

But she could have her fun, couldn't she? 

Her tired legs threatened to buckle beneath her weight, knees trembling with each step. The mud squelched beneath her boots as she struggled to move, each step harder to take than the last. The rain pelted her like bullets that soaked her to the very core. How much longer would this take? There, in front of them, an old rickety tavern.. finally some salvation. Though the flickering candle of hope that had ignited within her was snuffed out. No matter how much she walked, how much she fought against the elements, their destination never seemed to get any closer. She couldn't do it anymore, she couldn't push on.

Opening her mouth to speak, no words escaped. The words she tried to summon were right there, though it was as if she did not have the physical ability to do so. She tried to push out the simplest of words, but anything she somehow managed to get out was muffled by the storm. A hand raised to shield herself from the rain, she turned to look at her companion.. who was she with again? The colors of his hair, his armor were muted - and his face was completely gone. Just skin pulled taut against the skull beneath it, she could see the jaw working to open its mouth, but flesh only stretched in a sickening way.

..She was only able to catch the silhouette out of the corner of her eye. Tall, lanky, tattered clothing filled with straw. The expression tore into its burlap face - an impossible wide smile was the last thing she saw before lightning flashed, blinding her. In the same moment the thunder boomed, she woke up.

___ __ _

All of the loose, scattered items within the wagon jumped as its wheel traveled over a bump. A small, glass bottle tumbled off of one of the storage shelves and fell, hitting Jevi's forehead. She hardly processed it, her entire body feeling light and numb, yet it still managed to wake her up. "wha.." she groaned in a soft voice, golden orbs peeking through slits for eyelids as she examined her surroundings. Where even was she, how did she get here? More importantly, what was jabbing into her side? Reaching behind her, she pulled out a dagger - still in its housing, thankfully. What was all this stuff? Slowly scanning the interior of the wagon she soon came to realize that, next to her, was a familiar head of green hair. 

"Hm.. he's got a comfy shoulder.." she said to herself as she sat up and rubbed the nape of her neck. Realization hit that they must have been in the back of that merchant's wagon.. but how did they get in here? 

"Hey, Hirru." Jevi gently pushed on his chest to wake him. 

"Wha?" Jevi blinked behind her mask. Mari had gotten the impression that Jevi was irritated that Lancaster had showed up, despite their doubts. Did Jevi have a twinge of jealousy, especially after seeing how head-over-heels she was for the man? Yes. Was she going to admit that? Absolutely not. 

"Nah nah." Jevi dismissed the claims with a wave of her hand. "Just got a bit defensive, thought some rando was tryin' to smooth us over, butter us up." She shrugged her shoulders lazily, "Maybe its the alcohol, I dunno.. been awhile since I've.. felt it." 

"Guess if you wanna blame it on somethin', I was feelin why you were so bummed playing mashmaker. Kinda sucks." her lips contorted into a sheepish smile. She was willing to admit that, at least. "Just gotta remind myself I'm here to have fun.. You are too." 

"So don't go worrying about shit you did.. whole point of these things-" she'd poke at the mask on Mari's face, "Is to mask our identities.. I wouldn't be surprised if half the people here weren't even usin' their real names. So just enjoy the night, live it up. Don't worry about what any other fucker in here thinks.. like you told me, live for yourself."

Turning her attention to the dance floor, she saw a spot off to the side where the crowd had parted. Offered enough space for someone to dance without worrying too much about bumping shoulders. 

"You want to dance? Before the music gets all slow and romantic.. and before your husband decides to steal you back from me." 

"I'm not tryin to go and steal you from him. As friends. Gimme that, at least?" 

The attacker scurried off the moment they felt Jevi's grip loosen on the handful of hair. Dipping out of the club with their metaphorical tail between their legs. She followed his retreat, making sure he were headed towards the front door. Hopefully Oscar's bouncer could do their job next time and keep uninvited guests out. 

Then again, was anyone really 'uninvited' if Oscar dropped flyers on every single open floor?

Averting her gaze from the front door to the establishment, she would give a sweeping look at the players around her. The ones that just stood and watched as a woman was attacked. Sucking her teeth to show her annoyance, she turned around to see how Mari and her husband were doing. 

“V…Am shorry.”

"Huh? Mari wha-?" she looked down at the man she was currently using as a seat. Did Jevi invertedly start a bar fight? She first looked back to the opposite end of the bar, past the shoulders of curious players gawking in their direction, to Lancaster. Why had Mari decided to go after Jevi and end up fighting with someone else? (Did she stop another attacker, or did Mari just want in on the action?) Lancaster seemed amused though, watching the two perform as if they were an act on a stage. At least it seemed he and Mari were on the same page, rather than giving her a reason to escape from him. 

"What are you doing?" Jevi asked first, referring to the man beneath her. "Why are you-?" He didn't look familiar, even as Jevi gently pushed the mask from his face with a sandaled foot. Whatever he did, he probably deserved it.

She was just mad she didn't see Mari kicking his ass. 

Reaching a hand down to help the woman up off of the floor, she would pull Mari up off of the man and to her feet. "C'mon" she would gesture for Mari to follow her away from the bar. Jevi had no where in particular to go, just away from the scene they had created. They circled the large dance floor, which had grown with bodies since she last gave it any attention. 

"Got nothin' to be sorry for, why're you apologizin'?"

"You good Mari?" Jevi would ask her words rum-soaked yet there was still care and concern in her voice. Mari's demeanor had changed abruptly, suddenly appearing as if she was about to have a panic attack. "He-hey" she would reach out to put a hand on her shoulder, raising to her feet at the same time Mari turned to face the man. Was this someone she recognized? Despite their masked appearances, he had many striking features that stood out amongst the crowd. And his accent was very unique, within Aincrad at least. Would be hard for him to hide in a crowd of people who knew him.

More importantly, was he a threat to Mari?

It was not until Mari tenderly touched the man's cheek did Jevi let her guard down. It was becoming increasingly obvious who this guy was to her. Despite Mari's doubts that he would not show, there her husband stood before her - dressed for the part and all. She was glad that Mari would get to dance with the man she loved after all. Though, that meant Jevi would be left on the sidelines again. It is what it is, she thought to herself as drink found her lips once more. 

Meanwhile, Mari's lips were mingling with her husband's. Fuck. And she was complaining about just playing matchmaker? 

"Pleasure." Jevi would greet the man with a tight lipped smile, "Mari missed you. Wouldn't stop talkin' bout you." Her smile loosened a bit when she turned her gaze to Mari, winking at her from behind the mask. 

The commotion behind her drew her attention away from the couple immediately. Glass shattering and a shriek, the attacker had struck a woman over the head with a bottle. Party crashers just looking to cause chaos? It was like the airship all over again.

"Oh good, a distraction." she would say over her shoulder to Mari as she slammed the rest of her drink before pushing past to the scene. Now holding her as a hostage, the assailant had the broken bottle up to her neck - threatening to cut her neck clean open. The frantic eyes of the attacker settled on Jevi as she approached without stopping.

"Hey dipshit, you're in a safe zone."

Despite being intoxicated, Jevi's motions were still quick and precise, her martial arts training on display. Grabbing hold of the wrist that held the jagged glass, she prevented him from cutting the poor woman. The man fought to free himself from Jevi's grip, but she only needed to hold him for a second as the woman got free. Now that the woman was out of the way, the attacker's body was open. A quick punch to the gut had him bending at the midsection, trying to catch the wind knocked from his sails. White painted nails raked up through the hairs on the back of his head, finding a nice, thick handful to to yank him upwards with. 

"You can't zero someone in a safe zone." 

SLAM 

She would drop his head down onto the bar's surface, glasses and bottle hopping and falling over. Pulled up by the hair again, Jevi held him at eye level. 

"But I can keep doing this until you wish it'd kill you." 

SLAM

It didn't take much longer for him to get the message, but that didn't stop her from bashing his face into the counter one last time.

"I gotta better idea."

The redhead was suddenly much closer to her than she was too seconds ago. Knees and shoulders bumped awkwardly as she entered Jevi's space, practically leaning into her as she scoured her inventory for something. Sipping from her drink, she watched over Mari's shoulder as a finger scrolled through the massive list of items. The names of various equipment and consumables flew by, too fast for her to make out anything eye catching. A familiar looking crystal materialized into Mari's open palm, she recognized it as, basically, a camera crystal. A selfie? she thought to herself, was Mari taking her suggestion and snapping a pic for her husband? 

And it seemed like she was going to be a part of it. 

The sweet perfume of citrus and spice had been masked by the bite of whiskey but, now as Mari faced her, the intertwined aromas were intoxicating. Tips of her fingers scathing the skin of her temples, sending a chill down her spine as Mari rounded her ear to tuck some loose hairs away. Eyes of gold studied Mari's icy gaze, the way they smiled as she admired her handiwork before turning away once more. 

The pressure of Mari's rear, sitting partially on her thigh nearly caused her to choke on her drink. Right, they were posing for a picture.. she had nearly forgotten. Wiping the corner of her lip with the pad of her thumb, she turned her attention to the crystal standing upright within the bartender's hands. A cautious hand rested on the back of Mari's shoulder - just to support her so she doesn't fall, right? 

"live in the moment. Take what you want." 

Mari's words repeated in her head. Would that be so bad? Palm lifted from Mari's exposed, freckled shoulder before the tips of her fingers slowly trailed down her side. Finding a new, more comfortable place on Mari's hip. Her lips curled into a flirtatious smile as she leaned into Mari's back, eyes on the camera. 

Not as much flare as taking a picture with an actual camera, but it did its job. 

Then she watched as Mari sent the image to her husband, an attempt to bait him into coming. 

Jevi forgot that that was the plan all along, and a twinge of guilt started to set in. 

"I'd actually love one, thanks." The image appeared in her messages a moment later. Jevi looked over it for a moment, wistful smile on her face, before waving the menu away. 

Feeling the need to turn her attention away, she shifted in her seat to look at the stage behind her. Past the dancing and the mingling couples, at the duet on stage. "Hm.." Jevi hummed twirling her drink in her hand, "Thought they would've.. y'know.. switched partners or some shit with the new song." Her words slurred as she rolled out her question. "Maybe Oscar got bored of playing matchmaker." Not that Jevi was hoping that the darkness would whisk her away into someone else's arms, she was enjoying Mari's company. On the other hand, maybe she'd stop fawning over a married woman that she had just met if she had someone else to distract her. She rose her glass for another sip, but only found ice in her cup. 

“Che cosa pensi?”

The unfamiliar voice of a man talking to her from across Mari caught her attention.

"The fuck you say to me?" 

Blunt.. and charming as ever.

@Mari@Lancaster

Thread Complete

Rewards
Total Words: 12,949

Jevi | T.5 | 12949 EXP
Hirru | T.11 | 28488 EXP

Both players receive: <<Lightweight>> buff

 "If shomeone as debashed as me can find love, you can too."

It was nice to hear it from someone else, a complete stranger at that. Propping an elbow on the bar beside her, she would rest the side of her jaw upon her upright first. Finishing the last of her drink, she looked to the other woman with a smile. 

"I've only truly loved one man.. Well, there was one before SAO but -" her smile was wiped away in an instant, a memory she did not want to recall or talk about. Ever again. " Well they had other intentions.. The guy I ran into here was sweet. A pain in the ass, kinda full of himself.. but he grew on me. Honestly, it was the happiest I had been in a long time." Her chest rose as she took in a deep breath, "Then one morning he was gone." She dismissed the obvious assumption that he could have died, "I checked the Monument. His name wasn't there. No messages, no notes. Nothing."

Head turned slightly to face towards the bar, though her chin still rested on her hand. "Then one day, he just showed up again. Apparently found some monks in the mountains who promised him that they'd help him find his best self." Her tongue pressed into the side of her cheek. "I was angry." emphasis on the 'angry' "..but I was happy, so I was willing to give him a second chance. Though.." her gaze dropped, "He only wanted to be friends at that point.. But promised he wouldn't go and do that again."

"..Bet you can guess what ended up happening." Her lips a snark smirk, she would sigh as it faded. "Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice.." 

Another drink found its way to the counter before her. Maybe the bartender heard her sob story, figured she could use it. 

"There was someone else in between but.. they weren't as good a fit for me as I thought. Maybe I was just desperate. I cared for her but I couldn't return the love she gave me.. I think she took that breakup harder than I'd realized.." her voice was small as she spoke into her drink. "Next time I saw her, she was a name carved into the monument." The conversations of others spoken over the smooth playing of a guitar weren't enough to fill the silence that Jevi left lingering. Until she finally forced a smile.

"I appreciate the kind words, but I'm at the point where maybe its just something not meant for me. And if that's the way things need to be, then so be it. After Grave went and.. abandoned our friendship again, I did my own soul searching. Just started living life for me and no one else." 

Unconsciously, she would push the mask up onto her forehead as if a pair of glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. "So this is how I find out I share too much when I drink. Psh.. go figure." The mask would slide back down into place. "You really don' think your man would show to a place like this? I mean.. he'd rather show up to a fuckin' beach than a dark party where he can hide his shit?" she'd point to the space over her head, where a defining crystal could normally be seen. "And pass up the chance to see you looking like a smoke show? Fuck. You should send him a message, give him a taste of what he's missin.. ya'know?"

"Fuck it."

Hirru mimicked her vulgar air of nonchalance, the corners of her lips fighting a smile as the rim of the glass pressed against her lips. Slowly at first, she would tilt the cup upwards to get a taste of.. whatever this was. Pausing for a moment to smack her lips, she looked into translucent, gold colored pool of, what she assumed was, some sort of wine. "Its sweet." she spoke her observation into the glass before taking another long drink. The liquid traveled down her throat, a familiar warmth left in its wake. That same heat in her stomach and chest accompanied by a buzz behind her eyes.. now that was different. Hirru must have noticed it too, there was something up with these drinks.. but intuition told her it was nothing malicious. 

It almost seemed like.. nah, couldn't be. It must have just been the events of the day taking a toll on her. She was just tired and imagining things... but

She couldn't be so certain with just one drink. Placing the glass down on the counter again, she looked over at her green haired companion who had done the same. Seemed like he was interested in a second round as well. Jevi chuckled softly, "Guess the drink was more worth it after all." Attention turned to her glass once more - to her surprise, it was full again. Eyes lingered on the glass, blinking slowly. "After all the shit we dealt with today.. I think this is the least concerning thing." 

There was no hesitation in drinking the second glass of wine. Downing half of the glass, she would look at its golden color again to try and match the taste. "Not grapes.. plum maybe?" She drank even more moments later. About a sip or two remained when she sat the glass down again, now absolutely certain of what she was expecting before. 

".. You feel it too, right?" 

She was drunk, or, at least, getting there. Especially with the speed she was chugging this plum wine. 

"Mmm." a throaty moan escaped her as she bent forward and arched her back to get in a good stretch. "Okay, maybe this quest knew exactly what we needed. Maybe its divine intervention or some shit."

The blurry visage of H.P's was barely visible through the thick fog. Like a shining beacon of hope, despite its exterior being anything but glimmering. Who would have thought that she would be so happy to see a run down, probably haunted bar. "Almost.. there.." she huffed as she put all her weight against pushing the wagon. The stretch of road leading up to the tavern seemed never ending, and she felt her feet sinking deeper into the sludge with each step. For a moment, she could have sworn that hands were reaching from the earth, grabbing at her ankles and trying to pull her under.. but at this point that had to have just been her mind playing tricks on her..

..Right?

Every time she would peer over her shoulder at their straw-filled pursuer, they appeared to lurk closer and closer. The few details on its torn, burlap face - drooping from the weight of the rain, yet still curved upwards into a wide smile. She could feel its presence every time she turned to face forward, to make sure they were still on track. By the time the old wagon bumped into the side of the bar, the scarecrow was right on top of them - scythe high in the air above their heads, ready to strike. 

But as Jevi turned to face this entity once more, they had vanished. 

No questioning it, probably for the better it was gone.

Jevi and Hirru carefully unloaded the cargo, carrying it down into a musty cellar beneath the tavern. They didn't think too much about placing it in 'the correct spots' or even making it look nice. At that point, they just wanted to be done with it all. 

"Thats that." Jevi would remark after closing the cellar door and brushing her hands clean. "Looks like all that's left is to.." She took a moment to peek at the quest objections, furrowing her brow at the simplicity of their current task. "Have that drink.. Whatever, I guess lets see what this is all about." shoulders rose and fell with a shrug before moving back into the interior where they had found the original note. In its place were two glasses, each filled with an indiscernible liquid.

"Should we be trusting that?" Jevi asked, pointing at the two cups obviously set out for the two of them. "I feel like drinking mystery booze from a bar that probably wouldn't pass a health inspection just screams red flags." Yet, there she was with the glass in her hands, gently swirling the liquid. It looked fine, smelled fine..

"Fuck it." 

ID 255071 | CD 6

"I'll get the rope up on the rig. You might have a better shot popping the lock with your weapon." 

Easier said than done.

Wrapping enough rope to feed through the pulley system around her shoulder, Jevi made the climb up the mast. The powerful wind threatened to toss Jevi back to the deck of the ship - or, worse, into the water - whipping her in each direction. It also didn't help that the ladder was slippery from the constant rain. As long as she kept slow and steady, she would be fine. Hooking an arm and leg around the rungs of the ladder, Jevi had a bit more maneuverability to feed the rope through the crane's systems. Intrusive thoughts told her to ride the rope down, but Hirru's warning about the durability of the ropes told her otherwise. In this instance, his voice was louder.

Quick teamwork, and the two had managed to bring the crane back to life, even if just for this brief moment. Successfully, they managed to lower the barrels back onto what was left of the pier. The crate, on the other hand, may have been a bit too heavy for the decaying vessel. Loud creaking, followed by a splintering crack, and the mast that housed the crane arm was toppling over. The two players had hardly any time to escape the deck of the ship before it crashed down, damaging even more of the already ruined boat. 

"Shit.. why is everything on this floor just out to get us?" she hung from the lower rope ladder for a moment before climbing down after Hirru.

Maybe Cardinal felt a bit bad for them.. maybe it was just another one of Floor 29's tricks. But the crate that neither could lift on their own, that they thought had careened into the earth after the mast fell, was now sitting neatly in their wagon with the other barrels. 

Don't think about it. Don't ask about it. Just go with it. 

"Since when have any of these drinks been worth it?" Jevi asked, reality setting in. 

"I can sit there and chug a bottle of, fucking Everlear or something and I'll walk out like it was just water."

Dragging the wagon back to the tavern was even more difficult than their initial departure. With the added weight, the wheels sunk deep down into the mire. It took all of the two's combined strength to keep it rolling, and if they stopped it took a whole lot of heaving to get it moving again. 

A figure stalking them through the mist caught Jevi's attention. A tall figure, appearing to wear tattered clothing and a cooked hat stood in the clearing. It took staring for a minute before she realized that the other entity was not alive, they were made of straw and tied to a post. "Just a scarecrow.." Jevi sighed, a bit of relief.

Then why did she still feel as if they were still being watching? 

Even as they passed the straw man, the burning of eyes staring into the back of her head spawned an anxiety that bubbled up within her. There was something lurking, watching them.

Jevi slowly turned to look over her shoulder, her weight still pressing into the wagon as they maneuvered it through the sludge. "Uhm.." Jevi stopped, frozen as she looked behind her. "I don't like that." 

The scarecrow stood still as before, slender stick legs now planted into the center of the road, right where they had moved the wagon through. In its hand - which was a mess of curled twigs and straw - a long rusted scythe. 

ID 254977 | LD 3

The swarm of spiders was never ending pouring from the bag like squirming black ink. Not even water seemed to slow their approach as they continued to scurry across Jevi's form. The tingling itch of thousands of tiny legs across every surface of her body, her only solution to tear the skin off of her bones. Nails dug into her collarbones as she shrieked out in pure horror, ready to rip and tear at her flesh until she couldn't feel anything anymore. 

A sudden, squeezing pressure and a warmth that startled her, but quelled her panicking. Looking down first at the arms that embraced her, she would turn her chin up to see Hirru. Wet eyes full of care as he pleaded, trying whatever he could to snap her out of her terror. Reaching out she would place a soft hand on his chest to assure him she was alright. After a couple of deep breaths, she spoke "Thank you.. fuck that was horrible.." her voice shaky as she steadied herself.

The spiders. Checking her surroundings, she saw no trace of any of the creatures. Not even the Col that had caught her attention in the first place. A finger rose to point at the sack, "Bag was filled with Col at first. Couldn't even imagine how loaded it was." Using Hirru as a crutch, she would push herself up to her feet, water dripping from her sopping wet clothes. "Next thing I know. Spiders. Just fucking everywhere." Fingers curled into the sides of her shirts as that image played over and over in her head. "I never had a problem with spiders before but.. I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks." she would say with a small chuckle, trying to find humor in her trauma. A hand lingered on the man's armored shoulder for a moment longer, "Thanks for pulling me out." 

"Did you end up finding the shipment?" asked as she wandered about the cargo hold once more. Most of the containers were either too decayed to be transported, or did not contain the booze they needed. Hirru had found pretty much everything, even moved most of it to the top deck by himself. A playful jab to the shoulder, she'd reprimand him for not letting her help. However, he did need her help.. the last one was a mammoth of a crate. 

"Who the fuck even packs a crate this big full of booze? Probably weighs a ton. How'd they even get it down here?"

Jevi paused for a moment, and then addressed an even bigger question.

"How we gonna get this stuff to the wagon? We climbed a ladder."

"Have you been...hurt before?"
Jevi's smile faded, the glass nearly slipping from her fingertips as Mari's tapped against hers. Though quick reflexes, she secured it again before it crashed against the bar below. At least the drink wasn't affecting that. Not yet at least. 

Jevi didn't want to talk about her past, especially not about Alex's past. Not yet. She had only just met this woman, more importantly, she wasn't ready to hear the stories of her tattered past on her own voice. Again, not yet. 

"Too many times to count." she managed to maintain her composure, trying to play it off as a nonchalant topic.

A second cheers, this time coming from Mari. Spreading good luck to Jevi, in hopes she would find what Mari found. The woman scoffed, placing the drink back on the bar in front of her with a soft thud. "Yeah, I don't know about that. I've always been a tough nut to crack. Sure it would be nice but.." her shoulders rose and fell with a shrug, "If my past relationships are any indication.. then romance isn't in the cards for someone like me." Now that hurt hearing out loud. She immediately rose her drink to her lips to douse the pain. She dismissed her comments with a wave of her hand. "Don't let me sit here and bitch about my past. I'm trying not to be the 'wallow in self-pity type' anymore."

After their little toast, removed her mask so Jevi could better tie it on for her. Striking blue eyes caught her attention first, someone could easily get lost in them. And the spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, the same that covered her exposed shoulders and arms. She almost didn't realize the slow spiral of the orange crystal marker above Mari's head. It was in that moment that she recalled the two placed she had seen Mari's name; the second, more recently, she was one of the two she spotted at Oscar's previous event. The other must have been the husband she mentioned. The first, a long time before, but she remembered seeing the name etched into the monument of life while searching for Ruby's name.. though not as a victim. 

"Well, well." she spoke through the huff of a breathy laugh "Wasn't expecting that." 
The lights flickered off and on once more. Guess she wasn't expecting that either. 

Gaze fell from the crystal to the mask in her hands. Without other comments, she leaned forward, reaching around Mari to place the mask over her eyes once more. The name and the crystal faded once again, the animosity returning. She wondered in that moment if anyone else noticed, if anyone else cared. Did Mari even care? Tying a comfortable knot, one that would stop the mask from falling, but not be impossible to slip off later. "There you go. All better." 

The topic change seemed to pull Hirru out whatever funk he was in. In fact, he almost seemed more than glad to talk about how he acquired his profession, the NPCs and the wagons that came with it. Despite their predicament, Jevi could not help but smile at the man's apparent love for what he does.. and it sounded like he set off on a much more exciting adventure to get it all set up, rather than accepting some simple first floor quest. She tried to recall what she had to go through to earn the title of blacksmith as she slid open the lid to a slightly damaged barrel. Fruit, all different types, some native to Aincrad and not the real world - but all were in various states of decay. Writing maggots ate away at whatever remained of the rotten fruit, the smell nearly causing Jevi to lose her lunch. Quickly sealing the barrel once more, she held a fist to her mouth just hoping it would be enough to keep everything in place. What was she thinking about again?

"Guh..dontbarf" she groaned slightly before speaking, "So." she swallowed hard, "You had to find a -" she paused, realizing she still didn't know what type of creature Liz even was "-an animal that could turn invisible out in the desert? Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. Guess the merchant found you capable after helping them out, though I'm sure anyone would." Jevi would turn to peek over her shoulder as she backed away from the container of filth to look at Hirru after mentioning the 'Black Out event.' 

 _"Live!" ^"Aquan!" The body of a stranger who sacrificed his life for her. "Go! Run! Words faded as her breath cut off, darkness drowning her. A horrible death. 

She stood in silence, fright in her eyes as she relived the trauma for just a moment. Her shoulders would shudder before she was pulled back to reality by Hirru's shouting. 

"The fuck is - wha?" she turned the rest of her body around, splashing through the misplaced ocean to join her companion's side. Whatever it was that had spooked him was long gone, but whatever it was.. it must have been horrifying. "What did you see? You're not hurt are you?"  She sure did care a lot for his safety this trip. That wasn't usual. He seemed fine, better than fine as he stumbled upon half of the shipment they were looking for. 

Good, after Hirru got spooked, she wanted out of here as fast as possible. 

"Our last proper talk, huh?" When had they last had a formal meeting, and not just smiles shared across a room or quick words with one another. She struggled to recall, pacing to the farther end of the cargo hold where she planned to search. Had they ever even had the chance to actually talk? "Honestly, I-" she began, snaking a hand up behind her neck sheepishly. Though, she was interrupted as the corner of her boot kicked over a heavy sack. A very familiar and well known noise of coins jingling and clinking together caught her ears and her attention. Spilling onto the floor and into the water at her feet shone col - an entire bag of it. The most she had ever seen in just one place.

Now, Jevi was not a greedy person - but even those well off would not be able to hide excitement stumbling upon this haul. The sopping wet bag dripped as she pulled it up from the murky water, placing it atop a nearby crate. "Holy shit, look at all of this.." she would say in a quiet voice, though loud enough for Hirru to hear. 

Then it all happened within the literal blink of an eye. The slick shimmer of the golden coins had vanished. Emerging from the bag were hundreds if not thousands of spiders. Spindly legs that crawled up Jevi's arms, dark bodies that glided across her skin. Within just seconds, the arachnids were coating her shoulders, her chest, many stepping onto her face - their closeness making them appear far larger than she was comfortable with. 

"FUCK! HOLY SHIT!" she would shriek as she violently brushed away the spiders from her body. Heel catching on a rope behind her, she would tumble backwards into the water. "Get them off get them off get them off!" Voice cracking, nearly on the verge of sobbing. 

Though through Hirru's, she had merely shown interest in a sack of old potatoes. There was no col. There were no spiders. Yet there she was, screaming and flailing on the ground like some helpless child. 

ID 254558 | LD 18

"I'm.." A twinge in her thigh, the culprit a splintered piece of wood jabbed into her leg. It hadn't done much to cause her any detrimental damage, nothing her natural battle healing couldn't take care of instantly. At this point it was just a thorn in her side.. literally. Reaching back behind her leg, she would wrap her fingers around the shrapnel and rip it from her person. All that remained was a bright red slit that slowly closed over time. "Fine. I'm fine." 

Her attention turned back to Hirru, "You sure you're alright, what happened back there? You just kinda.. froze for a minute." Looked to the man with a furrowed brow, her head tilted slightly as she looked into his eyes. She never realized that she had a bit of a height advantage over Hirru.. perhaps she never found herself standing as close to him as she was now. Whether the man addressed the strange moment or not, he began scanning the ship. Making sure it was safe, finding a way inside, and catching the name of the vessel. 'The Alert' she scoffed at the name. Some sort of sick joke, most likely. 

"This place is a mess.." Jevi remarked as she looked around the top deck. A thin layer of water coated the planks, most likely seeping into the belly of the ship. Uncoiled ropes and supplies lay scattered about the space in an unorderly way, requiring them to cautiously watch their steps. "Safe to say what we're looking for is downstairs.. Would it kill them to make a fetch quest simple for once." The lower decks of the ship provided a bit of respite from the pounding rain, though the ankle deep mess they had to wade through didn't exactly make her feel any better. Empty sacks and moldy, waterlogged food floated on the surface, the spoiled aroma wafting about the interior made her stomach churn. 

She needed something to distract herself from this horrendously, nauseating experience. 

"So.. How'd you end up with Liz?" Small talk was really all she could do. "I mean, I don't see many people with a wagon as a traveling merchant. Most people have a spot in town, basement. Or an old monastery, in my case." 

Request accepted. Jevi took a seat.

Sliding into the stool beside Mari, she sat with one elbow propped on the bar and body facing towards the ginger. "Huh. Why's that? I mean, I don't see a reason why they wouldn't." Thankfully, the mask cast a shadow that obscured her eyes, or else the woman would have noticed Jevi giving her a once over. A very slow once over. "I mean, you look great." she reassured her with a tiny stammer, not that Mari needed any encouragement for her looks. 

"Mari" she repeated. As if trying to recall the melody of an old song. The name felt familiar on her tongue, but not enough to draw upon any suppressed memories. Maybe heard in passing, or perhaps she read the name somewhere. Raising tilting her chin upwards and raising the drink to her lips, the lights above the bar now hitting the speckles in her golden eyes. She eyed Mari over the edge of her glass before setting it down once more. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people here had significant others at home while they danced the night away with someone else.. Just to get their thrills for a night." Her stare catching the ever growing dance floor over her shoulder, "Plenty of them are gonna fuck. Not everyone's a loyal saint. But I guess its their way of feeling alive in a death game." Shoulders rose and fell with a shrug. 

Since when did she like to talk all philosophical? Eyes peered down at her half empty drink. 

"Gotta be nice, having someone to go home to" Jevi would offer a half smile, though it was genuine. "Not too many find that here." Sliding her glass into her other hand, she would raise it off of the table with the edge tilted towards her drinking partner. "Here's to you and your husband." Though.. she wasn't entirely sure if Mari was able to see her toast to their happy marriage, the mask she wore was practically sitting on the tip of her nose. "You might wanna fix that mask of yours. Looks like its about to fall off." Placing her drink down, she would lift both of her hands towards Mari, recognizing how maybe the alcohol might be affecting her. "I can help you out if you need." She offered to retie Mari's mask to better secure it to her head. 

Eyes peered up from the shipping manifest to look at Hirru, the speckles in her golden eyes glistening in the lantern's glow. She hummed curiously with tight lips, "Fair point." She wasn't even entirely sure how far of a trip it was to the docks. This entire floor was an island surrounded by dark ocean, they could be located anywhere. Rubbing her temple with a tiny groan, she would fold up the sheet of paper and shove it into her pockets. When they find the shipment - if they find it - better to know exactly what they need to grab.

She'd hate to have to make another trip out in this shit weather. 

"Liz?" Jevi would ask over her shoulder, turning to look at the doorway that Hirru exited through. A short moment later, she would follow to catch up - though her question of Liz's identity was left a mystery. A floating blanket? Was Liz invisible? Judging by the height of the sheet, she was definitely a larger creature.. but she wondered what type of draught animal could turn invisible. Were those.. scales? She waited until the beast was resting - at least, she assumed it was - before asking. "What kind of.. animal(?) is Liz, exactly?" She lingered with the invisible creature for a moment longer before taking a quick look around the side of the tavern for any set of wheels that could help them with moving crates and barrels. 

Hirru had more luck locating it than she did, but it was not going to be as easy a trip as if they were to use his wagon..
___ __ _

"At least its.. something" Jevi would grunt as she and Hirru fought to push the cart over a stone submerged in mud. Partially damaged from the collapsed shed, the wagon threatened to give out with every turn of its wheel. "Its a shitty something - but something." 

The pathways became much more traversable as they stepped from mud covered cobblestone to the warped, wooden planks that made up the docks. The pier was rather empty, just a lone shed and two boat docks that stretched out into the ocean, but no noticeable ships or vessels. "Its gotta be in here, right?" her question rhetorical, yet answered by her own investigation. Poking her head through the open doorway to the shed nothing remained but some furniture and old fishing gear. No barrels or crates in sight. "Damn it.." she'd curse under her breath as she returned back out into the rain "...wait, is that?" 

Ding.. Ding.. Ding 

It was faint, but the noise was still able to break through the sound of pattering rain. Some sort bell on the deck of the ship that made its way towards the shore. A signal warning the crew that they would be making landfall, perhaps? The large rectangular sails were a bit tattered, and pieces flailed and whipped with the wind, but it seemed to be on course with the dock. Eyes strained, she leaned forward and squinted, trying to get a better look. It was dark, and there were no lanterns to illuminate the top deck but.. she didn't see any crew manning the ship. Shouldn't they have pulled up the sails by now?

...

"Move. Go. Go! GoGoGo!" she started by slapping Hirru's arm, before outright grabbing his bicep and pulling him away from the dock house and off of the wooden surface. "Wait, the wagon!" Of course they turned back around and pulled that along with them. It was a risky move going back for it as the incoming ship tore through the planks of wood as if they were not even there. Splinters and shrapnel exploded out in every direction as the docks shattered upon impact. The dock house split into two; one end being crushed by the hull of the ship, the other toppling back into the tide. As the vessel made landfall, it tore up stone and earth, before finally creaking to a halt. 

"Holy shit.. That was fucking close.." Jevi huffed, righting herself and checking to make sure she and Hirru were alright. "You okay? You didn't get hurt did you?" 

"Do.. do you think we can still get inside?" she asked after confirming he was fine.

ID 254465 | LD 14 | The brigantine does not dock, and instead tears through the dock, before beaching itself.

A short glass, heavy with the scent of alcohol found her before any company did, but was she truly expecting someone to just fall into her lap? Just like the crab boil, the airship, every other gathering she stepped out of her comfort zone to attend.. hoping she could find someone to interact with. A friend, a potential lover.. hell, just someone to help keep her on her feet and not lock herself in her shop  in her home again for days on end until she decided to try again. Rinse and repeat.

The rum burned as it trickled down her throat. She continued to turn the glass upwards until the ice collided with her lips, and, just as soon as she had gotten her drink, her cup ran empty once more. 

Looks like she needed a new one, a change of scenery sounded nice too. She was getting tired of watching people trying to slow dance to an vivacious, dark-pop melody. Leaving her empty glass for a sever to retrieve, Jevi rounded the dance floor. Knees peeked from the slits in her pants with each, slow step. Still eyeing the couples who were currently engaged with one another, despite her disdain.. was it possibly jealously? Not that she would admit it out loud.

Slowing to a halt before reaching her destination, she caught a glimpse of a familiar mess of green hair (@Hirru). Though with the mask adorning his face - and player-chosen name inconveniently hidden from her gaze - she could not be certain if it was her friend. Besides, he held another woman in his arms at the moment (@Vanta), it would be rude for her to interrupt such an intimate moment. Hurried steps carried her the rest of the way to the bar. Less people watching, more drinking. That sounded like a good plan. 

The watering-hole seemed much less occupied, many allowing the liquid courage to carry them onto the dance floor, or into amatory conversation with another. One individual remained at the bar, not engaging with any others. Fiery orange from the top of her ginger head to her high heels. Jevi was no good at reading others, so she could not tell if the woman preferred to be alone, or if they were sitting in the same boat; out at sea with not a single fish biting. 

"Mind if I join you?" She asked, standing in a space close enough to the woman to engage in conversation, but far enough away so she would not have to retreat if she turned down her offer for company. "Another Dark and Stormy. Extra stormy." she would address the bartender over her shoulder. "Are you waiting for someone? Or is your date at the bottom of a bottle too?" she would ask with a small smirk. "I'm not too.. great at these things. But trying to get out there more, meet more people, ya'know?"

"Sorry." the woman apologized as she took a sip of her newly acquired drink and sat it down on the counter, before reaching a hand out in greeting. 

This was a masquerade.. she wanted to make new friends but.. should she stick with the theme? Keep the mystique? Maybe a little of both. A nickname? Her name was already short enough.. what was it that Adelyte called her?

"Name's V."

@Mari

 Typically, masquerade balls she had attended ( correction, the only masquerade she had attended ) had individuals wearing masks to conceal their identity. 

Having the entire ballroom shrouded in darkness was not what she expected. She had heard of silent discos. Blind balls sounded complicated. 

"How the fuck are we supposed to see?" the woman mumbled to herself as she stood just inside the doorway for a moment, the voice of an unseen woman's singing serving as the backtrack.

It only lasted for a couple of moment before the soft shades of magenta illuminated the room and its inhabitants once more. A trick of the lights to accompany the song of choice, no doubt, as Jevi listened to the upbeat lyrics flowing from the singer's tinted lips. The masks in question were laid out on a table beside her, a suited man behind the table turning from the paired couples to the brunette with a smile on his face. No words were shared between the two, but Jevi looked from the concierge to the table before snatching a black mask and slipping it over her face. The blue, sleeveless top she wore ended at her navel, allowing the tiniest hint of midriff to peek out as she moved. In contrast to her form fitting top, she sported a pair of draping, black harem pants with slits up the outside of either leg stretching from her calves to her hips. 

Under normal circumstances, she still a bit reserved. This wasn't even entirely her scene. 

But nobody knew who she was behind the mask, nor did anyone care. They were all here for the same reason. To release their inhibitions and indulge in their desires. 

And for once in her fucking life, Jevi felt she deserved that.

"A drink, ma'am?" a server approached her. 

"Dark and Stormy. A double, if you would." 

"Of course." the server responded with a bow of their head before making their way to the bar. 

A nightclub with a full staff. First a massive crab boil and now this. Were all the frontliners this loaded, or just Oscar?

Jevi would claim an unoccupied cocktail table just off to the side of the dance floor. Her golden eyes looked at each of the pairing through the openings of her mask, trying to find any sense of familiarity with the other party goers. 

Not a single one. Good. 

"Ah, shit. Thank God." she sounded as relieved as she looked, the tension releasing from her body as her shoulders relaxed. She must have still been deep in the forest when it happened, perhaps that was that bright light she saw? She passed it off as lightning, but the storm seemed a little bit more bearable after the flash. Leaning her back against a wall that once housed shelves of alcohol, she watched as Hirru moved further into the bar, nodding along as he shared information that she was already well aware of. After realization hit her, eyes opened a bit wider. The sword was delivered, someone found it and brought it to the finish line. They hadn't failed after all. 

A tight lipped smile and a half shrug, she confirmed Hirru's suspicions that she was a part of that support effort.

He hardly gave her a chance to reply and explain herself while she was being pelted with concern and worry. Pushing herself off of the wall, she took a step towards the bar with hands up, palms facing outwards. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Save you energy. I definitely look worse than I feel." she chuckled softly, looking down at her damaged, stained clothes. "Took a beating while I was out there but I'm all good now. I volunteered to help repair equipment, keep durability up. Then when the sword showed up, it was under-leveled girl way out of her league carrying it." 

Her voice caught in her throat and she slowly exhaled before continuing, taking a second to re-evaluate what she wanted to say. "She did good. Real good. The rest of them did too. Kept their cool even when shit got hairy, and it got real hairy. We.. lost the sword, but thankfully sounds like someone picked it up." 

Some water sounded great, a hard drink even better. Most of the bottles behind her were either broken or empty, and she wouldn't drink absinthe right now even if it meant life or death. Hirru's attention was drawn to the note, which brought Jevi's gaze back as well. "Dunno, was just about to read it before you barged in." Leaning into the counter, she would adjust the lantern to better illuminate the page. "Looks like some invoice.. or an order..." As if there weren't enough shocks today, a quest message popped up and nearly sent her back into the empty shelves behind her. 

"Huh.. looks like its some quest.. Pick up the shipment from the docks. Sounds like we'll be getting a drink after all.. just should have been more specific." 

Ripped denim and flannel, some fake fur on her forearms and shins. Slap some pointed wolf ears on top of her already brown hair - which she tousled to complete the look. That was all she needed to put together a quick, werewolf look to go out. Granted, she would have preferred to wear this to some sort of party, but the one one who came knocking was Adelyte. And to avoid sitting at home by herself this hallowed eve, she decided it was trick-or-treating or nothing. 

She'd get some candy out of it, at least. Couldn't be all that bad.

***

At the top of the spiral staircase was some sort of office or study. It was just as dark as the rest of the house, but at least the drawn curtains provided some light from the moon. 

"Oh no, look out V." Adelyte would tease, pulling the curtain open more to capture Jevi in the moon light. "Your turning into a werewolf! Ooooo~"

"Haha. Very funny." Jevi would smirk, crossing her arms. Alright, it was actually kinda funny. She took a step back to get a better look at the room now that there was more light, but she kicked something with her heel.

"Ahh don't eat me-" Adelyte continued, but stopped suddenly when she noticed what Jevi had bumped with her foot. Lying limp on the floor appeared to be a body. Her eyes widened and jovial smile disappeared in an instant. "W-what's that behind you?" a shaky finger would rise to point at the corpse. 

Jevi looked over her shoulder and down, the light of the moon only capturing the bottom half but easily identifiable as a body. A very dead body. Immediately, the woman shuddered and backed away, tumbling over the toppled chair nearby. Just in that same instant, the master of the house revealed themselves. A cackling pumpkin head with weapon drawn, pointing in their direction. 

Jevi shrieked. 

Adelyte was the one who noticed the note on the table near the body, and as she read the contents aloud, the room illuminated. "Trick or Treat. Happy Halloween?"

Leaning on the banister of the half balcony, Jomei looked down at a clearly embarrassed Jevi. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen that reaction from you before."

"Jomei.." Jevi grumbled, "I'm going to kick your ass." 

Careful footsteps, the dry rotted floorboards creaking and threatening to snap under her boots as she proceeded further into the remains of the tavern. Golden eyes scanned the interior for anything out of the ordinary, specifically the figure she saw standing in the front door. There were no other signs of life, no movement, anything. Perhaps the exhaustion was settling in and her mind was just playing tricks on her. Illusions crafted that only her tired eyes could see. 

Jevi would rub her face with the heels of her hands, leaving streaks of dirt and grime on her cheeks. Abandoning her search, she stopped and stood in the center of the room, her shoulders dropping with a small sigh. Golden gaze scanned the interior once more, leaning slightly over the dust coated counter for anything of interest behind the bar. A single lantern, flickering, most likely burning off of whatever miniscule amount of oil remained in the tank. Now that was curious, maybe not what had initially drawn her within, but curious nonetheless. 

Rounding the bar, she walked along the tight space. What remained of liquor bottles and glass cups were left shattered on the ground, crunching beneath her boots. As she moved in closer to the lantern, she noticed a note. Its corner tucked neatly under an empty glass, it was pretty much begging to be read by whoever wandered into the abandoned tavern.

CRASH

The sudden noise drew her attention away from the note, not the sound of the storm raging outside, but something falling to the ground just a couple of feet away from her. An undisturbed door had fallen off of its rusty hinges and crashed to the ground in front of her, revealing the silhouette of someone - or something - standing before her. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she drew her right fist back. Knuckles and leather bracers ignited in a blue light, indicating that she readied a sword art to knock back whatever this thing was. As her punch flew forth, lightning illuminated the inside of the bar once more, and immediately she recognized the other figure. 

Knuckles stopping in the air just in front of his nose, the energy of the attack faded, "Hirru?" Jevi addressed the shielded man. 

"What are you doing here? I thought-"  she would turn and look out of a window, "Weren't you fighting the floor boss? What happened?"