[center][h3][i]The Hermit's Abode, Kyora[/i][/h3][/center]

He had been late in arriving at Kyora, thanks to a set of unfortunate circumstances. He would be damned if he didn't pull twice his own weight when it came to the search for Yaguar.

And so for a task that would reward carefulness over speed, Christopher resorted to haste. Despite the fact that even if he had taken his time he would have been met with the same amount of success (being none whatsoever), doing so much for no result at all frustrated him to no end, to the point that when he returned to the inn he slammed the door shut so hard that the nearby glass nearly shattered.

His mood was foul, and so to combat it he decided to take a page out of his mother's book.

[b]"Give me the hardest stuff you got. I don't want to be seeing straight in less than two minutes."

"Er.... Are you sure that's wise, [i]young[/i] sir?"

"I'm old enough to be a war cripple, don't you dare deny me a drink."[/b]

It was the early evening, the sun still in the process of setting, and so for the most part it was just him and his opponent: the barkeep named Jeremy. The old man didn't seem to be angry at Christopher for asking, or even that surprised; if anything, he was completely resigned, only weakly resistant.

[b]"I don't know if that's such a good idea-"[/b]

[b]"Fine, I'll get it myself."[/b] The young man suddenly leaned over the counter in a half lunge, almost falling in the process but still managing to swipe a bottle from under the counter.

[b]"Not quite bottom shelf, thank my uncle. May as well enjoy the fact I'm visiting and test his stores, right?"[/b] Christopher calmly turned his handy side away from Jeremy as the man reached for the bottle, keeping it beyond his grasp and giving it a little shake instead, opening it with his teeth afterwards.

[b]"Calm down, it's just whisky. Not like I'm drinking Ambrosiashine, jeeze."[/b]

Jeremy's pleas were ignored as the first gulps went down.

However, the poor bartender's begging words didn't fall on only deaf ears. Sat there for quite some time, the Princess had been minding her own business while the moon rose high above the outside of the Inn. It was late, and yet - it was so damn noisy. 

Her trip down the mountain had been unpleasant enough, her feelings all blending together inside of her head. A whole clashing of noise - of anger, and doubt, and confusion. This was a confusing time, but it was one Kaishu sought. Coming back to the Inn wasn't hard for her, not in the least, which may have been bad for her. She maybe needed the time to cool her head, but she didn't take it - the fast way meant the fastest way to stuffing her face and being alone... the latter part having not really happened in the end. 

Instead, it was just so [i]fucking[/i] loud. In a way, Christopher's argument with Jeremy got her startled out of her own thoughts, imparting some relief onto the prodigy that she was bitterly grateful for. Her eyes flitted over to him as he barged ahead, pulled the liquor back and began to drink. She said nothing to him, or to Jeremy, looking between the two. Even if Kaishu tried to say something, she was sure that her words would be lost on this lug of a human being. She remembered him, at least - caused a scene as soon as he arrived.

This wasn't surprising in the least.  Unsurprising, but still [i]annoying[/i]. And while her head told her to (smartly) say nothing about the matter in her (quite poorly) mood-swung state, her mouth said otherwise. She scoffed, first, before pulling her teeth against a fork skewering a piece of thick, medium steak. 

"[i]You're[/i] a Nocte... Urya, how unbelievable." Or maybe completely believable. Brazen, a little too outspoken, pushy... it screamed Ambrosia.

[b]"Yeah, I'm a Nocte, what of it?"[/b] He didn't even look over his shoulder all the way towards her as he spoke off-handedly, instead cutting the movement short as he took another drink. [b]"You another one who's going to get ticked off by it? Try to kill me because of it? Last bitch who went off on it ended up smashed into the floor, so I wouldn't take your chances. I've got experience in the affair."[/b]

He didn't know who she was, only had spotted her lurking around the [i]Hermit's Abode[/i] before. Some new member of the entourage, something like that, whatever. To him it just seemed like she was going to have to learn what [i]not[/i] to do with her fellow party members the hard way.

"Ne, no, I'm not trying to pick a fight. If anything, you're the one brutish enough to even think it." Again, Kaishu snorted, stuffing more cubes of steak into her mouth. "Just thinking that it's weird. I don't really give a shit enough to get angry about something so innocuous. You do have a lot of nerve taking your anger out on this spindly bartender, though, I'll give you that."

[b]"Please don't drag me into this."[/b] The barkeep whimpered.

[b]"If you think this is taking out anger on someone, you must be really fucking sheltered."[/b] He didn't even bother looking at her that time at all, only giving a nod to Jeremy. [b]"You're doing fine, right mate? I haven't even touched you, so there's no chance of broken bones, or blood; not from me anyway."[/b]

At that point, Jeremy only began to slowly sink down behind the counter.

"And you're really fucking ignorant to think that taking your anger out on people is always physical violence. [i]Bakayaro[/i]. You really are thick." She watched Jeremy keenly, blinking her vibrant purple eyes. Kaishu meant it to be comforting, but... as intense as her eyes always happened to be, it probably looked more like a warning. 

"Guess I'm not shocked of you to make certain assumptions based on your actions. You're all about subtle, outward ways of taking out your anger. And not so subtle, based on how you confronted the Direwolf not too long ago. But like I said - I don't want to pick a fight. No point. The old man would kill us both."

[b]"The fuck you know about that?"[/b] He shook his head afterwards, replacing anger with more drink. [b]"And he might kill you, not me. I don't rely on 'Divine protection' all that much, but here I've got no choice but to acknowledge it's a thing."[/b] By that point, the bottle was empty, so he reached for another. [b]"So, maybe instead of acting all high, prissy, and mighty, thinking you're superior when in reality you're the one starting this petty bullshit, shut up and leave me alone like I was leaving you alone."[/b]

Ruffling the top of her head a little, Kaishu gave it a shake, resting her elbow down. She could feel a small sweat breaking on her cheeks and the back of her neck, but it was something that could only be felt, not seen. Everything in her head said he was right. She didn't know why she was exactly so keen on starting a confrontation. That wasn't her - she didn't like being the center of attention like this. 

For awhile, she sat there in silence after that, prodding the bar with her fork, eyes owlish and mind swirling. "Sorry." She finally said, and just left it at that. No point in making excuses - there was a reason, but that wasn't meant for an excuse. [i]I don't feel myself[/i], is all, she could say, but [i]no excuses[/i]. 

The fire was starting to die, finally. She liked it when the fire went away. It made her chest feel a lot better.

He rolled his eyes, gesturing dismissively with hand and bottle, fingers flicking along the glass. [b]"Whatever. I'm not into kicking kittens."[/b]

That statement made her bristle, eyes peeking from where her arm was bent up to her head still. "What does that even mean?"

[b]"You're like some sort of small cat over there, pretending not to give a shit. What do you think I am, some sort of monster that  kills tiny things for fun? Get out more."[/b]

"I'm not even close to a cat, [i]bakayaro[/i]. And quit saying stuff like that - like getting out more. I'm out just enough... Why would you even use kicking kittens for a metaphor like that, you fucking freak...?"

[b]"You literally bowed out five seconds ago, don't start shit with me again."[/b] The room was beginning to pleasantly waver, he didn't need her ruining this.

"I'm just asking a question!" Kaishu straightened up, then, puffing her cheeks before glancing back aside. "... You Easterners... I don't understand you at all sometimes..." 

Shaking her head, she sighed, going back to stuffing her face as everything seemed to settle. "You remind me of Ayako."

[b]"It's like there's some sort of subtle meaning there I'm supposed to understand. I hope you're not insulting this person by comparing them to me."[/b]

"Definitely not. She's basically my aunt, sort of... She's cuter than you, and definitely a lot pluckier. She's got the mouth on her, though, is what I mean." Kaishu wiggled her hand on a little bit of a plane. "She's disabled, like you. You resemble her in a lot of ways. Nearly a mirror image, only she drinks a lot more."

Scratching her chin, the Princess looked aside. [i]Nostalgia[/i]. She didn't like it. 

"I'm Kaishu."

[b]"Christopher. And fuck you, I'm the cutest one in this merry band of degenerates."[/b]

"Sorry, no. That would definitely be me."

[b]"Not with those eyebrows."[/b] Kaishu's foot lashed out to the side, booting into Christopher's leg quite roughly with the statement.

"Fuck you. There's nothing wrong with having big eyebrows!"

He nearly toppled, body drunkly overreacting to the impact. He almost dropped the bottle, somehow gripping it with two fingers while grasping for the bar itself with the other two.

[b]"That said, it's not nearly enough. Everyone knows the cutest things are the ugliest."[/b]

[i]He's already drunk...[/i] Kaishu grimaced at him, giving a shake of her head. 

"You aren't ugly, and I'm only ugly to some people, so we're both undesirable from our skin to our rotten personalities. Does that sound fair?"

[b]"I'll drink to that. But I already am."[/b] He started to snicker to himself.

"... Right. You're already drunk. I'm impressed. Should you really even be drinking during such a crucial time?"

[b]"I'll be burned through this before you need to take a piss tonight. Let me worry about myself, you... person."[/b]

"You... person. Were you going to call me a bitch? I really [i]must[/i] know. Drunken babbling is new to me."

[b]"I've already called you a cat, can't call you bitch now."[/b]

"I call my cat a bitch all the time. Bitch is both gender neutral and neutral for all mammals."

[b]"That literally has nothing to do with what I'm talking about."[/b]

"It does! Just because bitch is a dog doesn't mean shit."

[b]"No, I'm saying that I wasn't thinking about calling you a bitch in the first place. Now I am though, to be fair."[/b]

"Oh. I misunderstood... sorry. What were you going to call me, then?"

[b]"At this point I don't remember."[/b] Another bottle was swiftly retrieved, and Jeremy was given a pat on the head. [b]"You're a good guy, you know that? But don't get in between me and a drink. Remember that."[/b]

"Urya... don't go threatening him... He already looks close to shitting himself."

[b]"I'm not threatening him at all."[/b]

"You just threatened him! That's a threat, Christopher."

[b]"Definitely not."[/b]

"Idiot..." Shaking her head, Kaishu looked away. "How'd you lose your arm?"

[b]"Same way I lost my hand."[/b] He burst out chortling, head going down to thump against the bar as he continued to laugh.

A bead of sweat rolled down the Princess' cheek as Christopher's drunken merriment overcame the atmosphere. [i]It happened so fast...[/i] "... That wasn't the answer I was looking for... Maybe you should stop drinking."

[b]"Not nearly done yet. And the old man ain't here to stop me this time either."[/b]

"This time? Urya... How many times..."

[b]"Just the once. So far as he knows..."[/b]

"I don't think the old bastard is that dull."

[b]"Probably not, but hasn't stopped me before."[/b]

"If you say so..." 

Brows furrowing, Kaishu looked away, seeming to get a bit thoughtful. "... I still don't really understand any of you. It's just like that Bellamy bitch. You seem so jovial and alive even when everything is falling apart."

[b]"Well, that I can answer!"[/b] He punctuated himself by slamming the (empty) bottle down onto the counter, and cracks ran through it. [b]"The way I see it, I got two choices. I can either be miserable about something, or I can find a way to laugh around it. All depends on my mood which one I pick."[/b]

Flinching with the motion, Kaishu drew her arms up as if she were ready to block shards of glass. Thankfully, she didn't have to. Instead the Princess settled her gaze back onto Christopher. 

"You make it sound easy."

[b]"That it ain't."[/b]

"I know. You've instead chosen to be a different kind of miserable rather than just a vanilla miserable, just like Ambrosia. Everything is so black and white to me, though. I don't see the point in acting like I'm not unhappy. If I feel it, I just am it. I don't understand how to draw a line."

[b]"Sounds depressing as fuck."[/b]

"Thanks."

[b]"Don't lie to anyone but the old man."[/b]

"Must not make you many friends." With that, she fell silent, resting her elbows on the bar and her cheek on her fist, looking away from him now.

[b]"Ask me if I give a shit."[/b]

"Don't you get lonely?"

[b]"Considering the first years of my life were just me and ma..."[/b]

"I don't really know how to take that as an answer."

[b]"Means that I'm used to it, obviously."[/b]

He suppressed a belch, covering his mouth with his fist before going for another bottle.

Flicking her gaze to his arm, Kaishu clenched and unclenched her fist before looking away and starting to stand. "I'm sure. I'm taking my leave now at any rate. Have fun getting wasted alone off whiskey."

[b]"Trust me, you literally just described the definition of fun- Oh shit-"[/b]

Finally, Christopher had reached just a little bit too far, and began to topple over the counter. Just before he could fall upon a silently screaming Jeremy, however, and hand caught him by the bottom of his jacket, and with surprising ease Calypso yanked Christopher back into his seat. Though her yellow eyes were widened just a little, she was of course smiling.

[b]"Ah, Calypso! Thank you for the save. I love you mate. If I wasn't the man I was I'd kiss ya."

"....~"[/b]

And then, despite Christopher's flailing, she calmly lifted him up and slung him over her shoulder. She paused long enough to give Kaishu a wave with a wiggle of her fingers, before heading towards the stairs.

[b]"No, gerroff, lemme down- I'll kick yer ass I swear on me mum-"[/b]

Staring after Calypso and Christopher, Kaishu made a face. She didn't wave back, instead muttering a swear of, "[i]What the fuck?[/i]" in her own language.

The Princess was unnerved by the sheer presence of that woman, and opted to wait until she was out of sight to keep leaving herself. 

A whole lot of freaks in this bunch.