The North Quarter

Slowly the old man scratched his chin, recalling what he noticed about the boy. "'e's fairly young. Maybe even still a teenager. Blond 'air, little on the thin side." He explained. "Only about er.." He held his hand out to a distance above the ground. "..Yay tall."

He then narrowed his gaze at Lancer. "At best case scenario, 'e'll 'ave summoned a normal servant, just an additional Lancer or Rider with a bit more o' a kick in power. Worst case scenario? 'e'll have summoned one of the lesser known servants, or even a second Ruler, seein' they're MY seals. I dunno though. I cannot find 'is presence, and tha' in itself 'as me worried that my latter suspicions are correct an' 'e's a special servant. I can't even begin to tell ya wha' we're facin'."
 
Ira frowned faintly at the description. "The amount of trouble I've had with misguided young people across history..." he shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "Probably thinks he's doing the right thing, too. Who knows, maybe we can talk him out of it and send him home with a slap on the wrist?" By his sarcastic tone, it was clear that he didn't expect that to be the case. "In any case... alright, I'll keep an eye out for him, and any weird servants. And I'll let my partner know there's an extra player in the game with a bounty on his head."

An idea occurred to him then, and his mouth quirked upwards in an amused smile. "Say, is there a prize for being the one to take him out of the game?"
 
Broch nodded. "Aye, there is actually, if I'm not the one to chop 'em in 'alf.. Since the rule breaker stole three command seals, the master whose servant takes out the eighth team will receive an additional command seal." He then rubbed his beard. "The servant themselves get braggin' rights. An' I'll share me secrets on 'ow to grow a fine beard. Which, ya lookin' a bit boyish, ain't ye?" Ruler grinned cheekily.
 
"Tch," Ira smirked back, folding his arms. "I could have a beard if I wanted one," he retorted. "The pretty boy look works for me though, don't deny it."

Letting out another sigh, he finished off his drink and hopped to his feet. "Well, I'll keep that in mind, o' Ruler. I'm sure that prize will motivate my master, and I'll admit to being intrigued by what these seals will let me pull off, even if the idea of being 'commanded' is less appealing. Plus I've always been a sucker for bragging rights. In the meantime, though... I've been keeping my entourage waiting far too long already. See ya around, Broch. Happy chopping." Ira cast a final grin at Broch and shot him a finger gun by way of farewell, before sauntering back over to the booth where Flo and Arty were waiting.

"Sorry about that guys," he said as he approached, "bumped into some old friends. Hope you didn't get too bored waiting?"

Flo shot him an irritated look. "You're lucky this is a nice bar, Ira, or else I'd have left half an hour ago. Also, you have weird friends. That guy is ridiculously huge!"

"He is that," Ira replied solemnly. "And you could have guessed I would have weird friends by the fact I decided to hang around with you nerds,"

"Touche," Flo smirked.

Arty's expression was a little more confused. "I could have sworn the girl you were with was wearing armour... and then wasn't, suddenly," he said, sounding unsure. "Wearing it in the first place was odd enough, but..."

Ira snorted. Awkward. "Weeell," he clicked his tongue, searching for an explanation. "I think she's part of some reenactment group. I guess you must have just missed when she went to the bathroom to change?"

Still looking unsure, Arty nodded slowly. "I guess... I wasn't looking away for that long, though."

"She's a quick dresser. Anyway, c'mon," Ira nodded his head towards the door, deflecting the conversation away from difficult questions. "Let's go see what the rest of this city has to offer! The afternoon is yet young!"

Without much further in the way of protest, the two young tourists extracted themselves from the booth to join him, and they once more set off into the city to enjoy themselves. Reporting back to Thomas could wait for the time being. There was plenty of fun to be had first.
 
Last edited:
Valerie’s sleep had been fitful at best. After all, who could sleep after a day like that? She kept waking up, covered in cold sweats as her hyperactive mind kept trying to plan and make sense of yesterday’s chaos. Soon she found herself laying wide awake in bed, eyes staring at the ceiling as she tried to tease answers out of the puzzle of questions she had.

Did her family have enemies? The answer was obviously yes, but the presence of them had been kept from her as a child. She had at least grown up knowing about the grail; as the years ticked by it had been clear to her family that it’d be her generation that would take on the family mantel if summoned by the grail itself. They usually were. Been even then, mentions of it was done behind closed doors, and most of the education had gone to her brother, the first born. Not her.

So who could possibly have known what they had planned? The timing was impeccable; the more she thought about it, the clearer it was that it had to have been done from someone inside the mansion itself. There had been too many wards… her family was nothing if not cautious.

Her thoughts drifted to the state of her families’ bodies when she had found them… some charred, but others, like her brother, protected from the flames by the thick rubble that had collapsed over them. His face had been bashed in, and a clenching feeling in her gut told her that it hadn’t been from the fall of the house. It had almost been as if… he was the target. So someone close to the family. But not close enough for them to know that it wasn’t him her father had given the family crest to.

That wasn’t enough to work with, not even a little.

And why her, she wondered, not for the first time. What had caused their father to abandon his focus on his precious hier and put all his resources in the estranged daughter he barely knew.

What had been happening inside that house the decade she was away? She couldn’t even begin to fathom.

The high noon sun drove her out of bed. It was clear she was not going to get anymore rest, and she hated wasting daylight. By the time Saber made it back to her, she was dressed back in her damp wool clothes. They had been great for the mountain, but down here in society, she was already feeling silly in them. Her dark hair was pulled out of her face in a simple braid and she sat cross legged on the bed, eyes closed, meditating her thoughts away.

She was nothing but magus. Not a person, not a feeling, not flesh. Magus.
 
Lady came to the door of the hotel room with her box of chicken in hand. She could feel wards still in place, a warm circle of magic sealing her in, but that was not the problem. Ironically, the locked door was. It was easy to phantom her way in but the food wouldn't be able to come along and if Valerie was still asleep, it was best not to disturb her until necessary.

Sighing, she put the chicken against the wall and spirited herself into the room, then turned right back around to open then door, retrieving the food. Sure, she had a sword of power, but a door would be her most mundane challenge of the day.

Lady re-locked the door and strode into the living space to find Valerie sitting, cross legged on the bed. She appeared to be in a mediation or trance like state, which wasn't so uncommon for magic users.

Rather than break her Mistresses' concentration with words, Lady set about opening up the box chicken, letting the smell of fried meat fill the room. If that didn't stir the woman from her thoughts, nothing would.
 
Daichi sat at the second floor of the McRonald's he had ordered 2 Big Macs aswell as 2 large fries, and 2 cups of coffee. On the side of the other chair was a bucket of McNuggets accompanied by szechuan sauce.

Looking through the eyes of his mystic code he could see the bright souls of heroic spirits beginning to disperse. though he couldn't see anything other than souls there were four of them but one was staying idle "I guessed its assassin but then again his skills are enough to negate even this type of vision."

Thinking this he put down the skull in his bag and put his mana suppressing curse on himself again. "He will probably comeback here in a few minutes." thinking this aloud, he bit into his burger.
 
"This age truly has... interesting new ways of preparing food."

Almost right on cue, Assassin eventually appeared in the McRonald's that Daichi had been sitting around at after a few small moments, having quickly departed at around the same time as the other curious individuals, deciding that he had learned a good amount that he needed to report to his Master. Personally, he would have preferred to keep tailing one of them, but as he was right now, the Servant figured he would rather not push his luck, at least right now. Another chance would come. This was only the beginning of the war, after all, and he may as well make it a fun one while he was here.

Sitting in the seat opposite Daichi, he let out a soft breath, resting his face on a hand as he looked at Daichi, an air of nonchalance surrounding him that might have surprised someone expecting a Servant with a more... formal personality. Especially considering his origins, but alas, those were only known to Assassin himself right now.

Getting down to business, he cleared his throat and began to speak. "What a curious Holy Grail War this is turning out to be, Master. Evidently, a Ruler-class is present; seems like even the Grail itself has concern for how this will all proceed."

From there, he revealed the rest of what he had overheard from the four entities (along with their "identities," like Ira, Mag, and Lady most notably) he eavesdropped upon to Daichi, from the man known as "Max Foster" who, after posing as some sod named "Thomas Reinsen," had apparently tricked Ruler and became a Master against the Grail's own will (a rule breaker, so to say), to his motive of "ridding the world of magic" and newfound hobby of going around killing innocents, likely with his own Servant or Servants who weren't supposed to be here, and his appearance; blonde, thin, and young, and on top of all that, the prize of his head (or at least, his capture?) that was an extra three Command Seals. Seemed like something that they ought to look into to ensure the smooth run of the war, but... Well. Assassin had to purse his lips at that.

"So, then. For all intents and purposes, the general idea is that there's a madman on the loose. So then, we could do as everyone else does and go after him -- I suppose that would be the "right" thing to do -- but... 'tis your decision, Master," he said, tapping his finger against the table. The entire time he spoke, he didn't so much as even look at the food in front of him, having his mind on other matters. Indeed, this was something of a conundrum for Assassin. While everyone else's attention might be focused on catching "Max Foster," this would prove to be an opportune chance to catch at least one or two of the other Servants off-guard and take them down. That's what Assassin excels at, after all; using other means to tip the odds in his favor. But a killer he may be, Assassin was not without his own morals, and indeed, he did take issue with the thought of letting innocent people to die just for his own gain.

So, of course, the responsible thing to do was to throw out such responsibility and let his Master decide, obviously.

"If we were to focus on our attention going after this killer, we must take extra care that the other Servants -- ones less... gregarious than others like myself -- do not take advantage of our tunneled focus. But if we take this opportunity to be the danger rather than to be put in danger... Well. I suppose in that case, we'd have to decide who to target first," he continued, clearing his throat for a brief moment, before speaking again, before an almost involuntary smile crept on his features as he let out a breath.

"I doubt that any of them happened to be a Berserker, and I didn't sense a surplus of mana in the air, so while it's not out of the question, I doubt one of them was a Caster, so... Among those three, they must be a Saber, Lancer, Archer, or Rider, but there's no telling for sure. But that Lady though..." He said, thinking on the woman from before, so steadfast, so proper, so... ladylike, his smile keeping on his face, "The greatest match for a gentleman is a lady. But ultimately, it is your choice to make..."
 
Valerie tried her best to ignore the stomach twisting smell, but a minute passed... then two, and her stomach snarled in angry hunger. She squirmed, then peeked through an eyelash. "...What is that?" Without waiting for an answer, she pried her numbs legs out of their crossed position and propelled herself to the other side of the room with a heavy gust of wind. She delicately peeled back the open box flap, looking curiously at the steaming pile of fried chicken inside. "Is this... chicken?" She picked one up between two fingers, swallowing back a wave of saliva flooding her mouth. She turned it over once, still curious, and then she took a healthy bite from the greasy, steaming mass.

"O-wow," she mumbled through the bite. The greasy explosion of flavor rang a faint bell. She grab the whole box, leaving the other behind for Lady, and slinked to the small two person table the hotel had provide. "What did you see out there?"
 
Lady blinked and Valerie was over the bed, across the room, digging through the box of chicken with a almost ravenous look in her dark brown eyes eyes. "Aye, I thought you might be hungry," she chuckled, as she watched the woman bite into piece with a loud crunch. The concern of whether or not her Mistress would find this sort of food palatable evaporated and Lady smiled when an entire box was snagged up and carried over to the table by the curtained windows.

Taking her time, she stripped off her finger-less gloves out of habit, and selected a juicy piece of meat for herself. "News is best given on a full stomach. Let us eat first, yes?" It smelled delicious, far better than anything she had in a long time. With a deep breath, she bit into the chicken leg, fully enjoying the buttery fried taste. "Mmm...this is quite wonderful." Savoring another bite, Lady crossed the room and sat across from Valerie. It took a few moments to finish her meal, discarding the bone in the waste basket before wiping her hands on a napkin provided in the box. It wasn't totally necessary that she eat, but sometimes the best things were the simplest.

"I followed the energy source to a tavern where I found two other servants," she said, once Valerie had finished her first piece of chicken, "We had a few drinks."

She proceeded to tell Valerie of her talk with Mag, whom she suspected to be their Rider class servant, and Ira whose class she was uncertain of. "Both seem unwilling to harm outsiders and I expect at least that much honor from those two. There are greater problems. We were also visited by the Ruler class servant, Broch. A special class summoned by the Grail itself to over see the war." In short but well detailed memory, she told of the stolen command seals and of 'Max Foster.' "His wish, should he succeed in this war with his 8th servant...is to erase all of magic."Folding her hands over the table, Lady looked to Valerie with her blue-green eyes. "I am sure you understand the magnitude such a wish would have on your world. It would end, killing an immeasurable amount of lives. This is something we cannot allow."

Would Valerie understand the importance of this? If all magic was destroyed, her world would not be the only one affected. "I suspected that Max could be behind your families murder and possibly the stolen servant. Given the amount of rage they were slaughtered with it would make sense. This man seems to despise magic, but I cannot say for certain. I also believe that because his seals have been illegally obtained, that their magic might be warped. Things forced by magic often come out twisted...against nature. We must proceed with caution in what we do. I believe learning more from this library should be our next course of action as well as seeking out more servants. At least two other servants know of this Max and working together with the right pair might prove beneficial."

Having delivered her report, Lady waited to see what her Mistress had to say, as she reached for another piece of fried chicken.
 
Last edited:
Listening to the information Assassin provided, Daichi thought about the various options open to him. 'So even Ruler couldn't detect Assassin that helps, But still to go after Max Forester would be the easiest but that would also give away our abilities, also Assassin seems to have taken an interest in this Lady but if she really is one of the Knight Classes this would be a tough fight. Although they could probably form a temporary alliance with the master if Lady is as pleasant as Assassin believes.' Grabbing a fry he bit into it before downing his coffee. "That's a lot of information so I can guess this is a successful run." Daichi said his face still in a contemplating look. "This Lady character seems similar to you, very interesting.”

Looking over the view he looked towards Assassin. "Well then let us depart. I would like to gather some info about our potential enemies or allies." Putting on a pair of shades mildly enchanted with the basic suggestion magic to obscure his features. 'Although there was a high chance things could go south, I guess I needed to trust Assassin to protect me plus I still have the shield in the bag if the need arises.' Schooling his features he then motioned Assassin to follow him seeing the servant erase his existence he put the food in his bag.

‘By logical deduction most of the Servants would have already left, unless of course they lived here in the north quarter which would leave the hotels as the first place to look. With the skull the best course of action would be to first find the location of the base.’ Daichi thought, before taking a turn and walking to the bar 20 minutes away. ‘If we go by where the bar was that would be the first point to track any of the servants. After that I can use the skull to make guesses, judging by how abnormal a heroic spirit is their souls would be much more unusual and descriptive than mortals. But the range would be a problem as well as the interference.’ Silencing these thoughts Sachi quietly walked toward the bar.

(20 minutes)
Looking at his watch Daichi saw that it was already 3:20pm looking to see the bar a few blocks away he turned his head to the various streets that could be taken away from the bar. “Well we have few more hours but the priority is the location.” Daichi said telling more to himself than assassin. “Still even if we do find a servant in a location we can’t guarantee that as a base.” Daichi then looked at the map. ‘I should probably get some equipment if we fail to day.’ “Well Assassin let’s start with the southern part of this quarter.”
 
Last edited:
"...It's worse than I thought," Valerie admitted, wiping her fingers clean on the tablecloth. “This isn’t just a feud against my family, it’s a feud against every mage out there… We have to stop him.” She pushed the bucket aside, her appetite gone. She pulled her legs up onto the chair, crossing them as she fell quiet and considered the rest of the information. “If you think an alliance is what’s best, I will consider it,” she amended. “We should really see what we can dig up in the library first. The more knowledge we have walking into this, the better. I’m running low on funds, too. We should sell the car or start sleeping in it. …Do you need sleep at all? Can we head out soon?” She rattled off her thoughts, cleaning ash mindlessly out from under her nails as she did so.
 
Lady reached for another piece of chicken from her box and bit into it as she listened and considered Valerie's thoughts on the matter. It was easy to become unsettled with that sort of news and she had the felt the same twinge of dread. Taking another bite, she chewed quietly, then swallowed before placing the piece on napkin. "Indeed we must stop him. This world will not be only one affected," she replied, "Seeing the 8th master does not succeed is in the best interest of every party involved in the war, giving each of us a similar goal for a time, but should we align ourselves, we should do so with caution. I agree about a visit to the library as well."

At the mention of money, Lady shifting and pulled from her pocket the remaining funds Valerie had given her, offering them back. "Aye, we will be needing more money. I do not require sleep, though you do and my strength is dependent on your energy and mana. You will need a safe and decent place to rest. We should sell the car, and if necessary, my pin. It will fetch a nice price considering it is pure silver, but I admit I would be sad for you to lose possession of it. We can acquire a safer place than this boarding house, and I would also suggest buying a weapon for yourself, Mistress. Where magic may fail, cold steel can save a life."

Dusting off her hands, Lady rose to her feet and offered a scarred hand to her mistress. "I am ready if you are. Perhaps we sell the car first, and find a haven. Then we visit this library, yes?" She looked anxious still over the news of Max and his possible misdeeds, but she gave the women a nod. "There are much greater evils than Max Foster in the world, but there is time. We will work together, Mistress, and the day will be brighter for it."
 
At the mention of Lady's strength being tied to her own, Valerie made the pointed effort to take another chicken and chew it. It was delicious, but... her mouth tasted of ash. The psychological kind. Not the remnants of her family, kind. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, nodding in agreement as Lady went on. A hand was extended to her. She paused, then shoved the rest of the morsel in her mouth and hastily let the woman pull her up. She chewed through it, packing back up the food box and shoving it into the backpack she made out of a pillowcase. Yeah, they really needed money.

"I am glad I have you for this," she admitted. "Even if you weren't the one we had intended for." Her backhanded compliment was tossed over her shoulder as she donned her shoes and quickly fluttered around the room, dropping her wards. "But we're not selling the pin. We can forage from the rubble before I allow that. Let's go then." She opened the front door, gesturing for Lady to lead the way.

"You sure you weren't followed?"
 
Last edited:
Hearing that she would not sell the pin made Lady smile. It had been a gift to her, and one she had held to closely. "I am glad to have you as the one who summoned me." The words were sincere. Out of the many more devious mages, she had been lucky to be called upon by Valerie.

Lady walked out of the door first, checking the hallway to ensure there was no one waiting for them. "I took several different routes back to the room, if I was followed it was not without great effort and a chance for me to detect them. So, as far as I know, there was no tail. I can still feel faint presences, but I believe they are the ones I met earlier."

She lead them down to the lobby where Valerie paid what they owed for the room, and then escorted her to the car. Climbing into the driver's seat, Lady started the engine and glanced to her Mistress. "I do think with time I could grow accustomed to this sort of travel," she chuckled, as she hit the gas.

Her driving had improved, but not by much as she accelerated into streets and still struggled with jerking halts. Rather than point out the fact that she knew how to drive but lacked experience, Lady's glanced to Valerie as she turned them into a lot full of cars. Perhaps they would be able to sell the contraption there. "Mistress, if I might ask...why were you not with your family at home when they were were attacked?"
 
Valerie's stomach dropped out from under her as the car took off, not much unlike when she used her magus to send her propelling through the air she manipulated. She suspected a miss-step in a car would hurt a lot more though... so she clutched the door handle with white knuckles. She watched with city melt by with restrained awe, her skin tinging as emotions road through her like a roller coster. She was here. She was back.

This was not how she had envisioned it.

They pulled into the lot of shinny cars, and even that was a sight she couldn't help but to gape at... if just little. It was so different than the oppressive mountains and shadowed woods... The car tops reflected blinding light into her eyes, making her feel strangely... alive. Energetic. Lady asked her question, and her good mood grew stale in her mouth.

"...That wasn't my home. Not-not really." She pulled her gaze from the window, her eyes skipping to her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath, then carried on. "Nor were they my family. Technically. I am still banished." She brought herself to look at Lady, to bare down the judgement she expected in the woman's eyes. "It was going to be lifted when I won the grail. I was coming back for the summoning when I found..."

Her chest constricted and she looked away sharply. "Probably for the best. Better dead in their eyes than dead for real." She shoved her way out of the car, walking straight to the office to cut off any chance of response.
 
Last edited:
Valerie's answer left Lady with the digging sensation of deja vu' in the back of her mind and it wasn't pleasant. It dredged up even more prominent memories she had no time to focus on keeping at bay. Shaking her head to dispel the thoughts, she turned off the car and got out. Rather than going into the office, she closed her eyes to be sure there were no strange presences. Past the same small ones, all she could feel was the wind on her cheeks and curling through her hair at the moment. Satisfied, she kept one eye on Valerie through the wall of windows and inspected the vehicles on the lot. Some were very nice and others looked...for lack of a better term...like they needed to be put out to pasture.

These things, while she knew their technical works, still felt foreign to her. She was not meant for the human world, and in someways it was painfully obvious.

It took sometime to arrange whatever deal Valerie had made in exchange for their transport, and Lady eventually leaned against the glass window enjoying the afternoon sunlight. Something she had sorely missed no matter what world she was in. After a time, her mistress emerged from the office and Lady eased from her perch. "I hope you had success? If so, we should find a safe place to stay before dark. I will follow you."
 
Her pillowcase looked empty except for the box of left over fried chicken, which was currently making her stomach twist and groan in pain. For something that tasted so good, it sure made her feel awful. In her hand though, was a briefcase. And it was filled with cash. She held it up, looking sheepish. "I don't suppose you know how to use a bank...?" It was a rhetorical question. There was some knowledge they'd simply have to learn naturally. For now, she had cash. It would do.

She nodded at Lady's request for shelter. Now that she had a chance to grieve and clear her head and think rationally, it was explicitly clear where they should go. Her family's own safe house of course. She had vague memories of its location, down a winding road between the countryside and the west quarter. She was sure she could find it once she back on the road out. How much did scenery change, after all?

"If you don't mind... this will be quite the journey. If you could enter spirit form, I could get us there with considerably less effort." When Lady complied, she nodded once, her face becoming pinched. She led them away, into an alleyway, and shook out her hands as she tried to think her idea through. This was going to be so stupidly reckless and dangerous. Oh. And fun. Can't forget that.

She uttered a word under her breath, then tensed... A gust of wind shot out from her palms, buffering against the concrete below her. With a well timed jump, she went flying, soaring ten feet through the air in an arc. As she came down she buffered herself again, putting more 'umph' behind it and jutting back up into a taller, longer arc.The hard part wasn't her stamina or agility, it was keeping herself balanced. Both palms were held out besides her, her brows perpetually furrowed as she practiced the action a little more. Finally satisfied that she could managed, she crouched... then jumped. Once again, a strong gust of wind was summoned, catching her, carrying her up up up... she arched, landing on the roof of the building she had been next to.

"Ha!" she gasped to herself. She glanced around, then ran a few steps back before propelling herself off the building with with same technique. Soon, she was flying low across the city rooftops, skipping over them like a rock across water. She laughed under her breath, her dark strands tearing from their braid and whipping around her as she went. Even with this method, her travel took time. The city was large and she spent more time soaring up than forward. She'd have to work on that.

By the time she reached the west countryside, a heavy dusk had descended over the city. With the night concealing her, she risked larger and faster jumps, soaring across the fields and roads as she looked for a familiar ... winding... road. And just when she was sure she wasn't going to find it, she did. She landed with a solid huff, her knees sore and hands ice cold. "Lady?" she requested nervously. There would be no doubt that the travel costed her, and she was painfully aware of how vulnerable she was in that moment.
 
Last edited:
The lights and music of the nightclub named 'Addiction' pulsed in harmony with the rippling crowd within, a mix of heavy bass and flashing strobes giving the venue the feel of having its own heartbeat, with which the dancers bumped and grinded in sync. The smells of alcohol and sweat blended in the air with perfumes and body spray; the scents of youth, passion and exciting mistakes. The whole place was alive, and Ira loved it. He owed whoever had invented nightclubs a high-five and a drink, because there were few other places that could be found so densely packed with the essence of modern humanity's love for life. And what's more, they were a hotbed for narcissism and pride. Just walking into the place was like taking a hit of an upper, and that was before all the actual drugs discretely changing hands in the crowd.

And so it was at the heart of this den of vices and lust (which was more his sister's thing, but one of his favourite hobbies all the same) that Ira was whilst the night passed by outside, stirring up the crowd. He'd clambered his way onto a raised dancing area, stealing centre stage from the other dancers there. At some point he'd lost his shirt, but he wasn't quite sure if that had been his idea or Flo's. She was dancing next to him, seemingly enjoying the attention from the people around them almost as much as he was. She'd definitely been a good find. But then, he'd almost always had good taste in humans.

He'd sensed other servants (or maybe the same ones) since the meeting in the bar earlier, but hadn't bothered going to look. Today was for celebrating being alive again in style, not for business. And so he danced, occasionally yelling half a conversation over the music to Flo or Arty (who he'd yet to persuade up onto the platform, but he was working on it!) and basking in the cheers of the strangers. He'd even crowd-surfed a few times since arriving. Crowd-surfing was great. That was another thing that he really needed to find out whose idea it had been and thank them. Tonight was good. The club loved him, and he loved them, and everything was - for the time being - just plain great.
 
Max and Alex's walk into North Quarter passed uneventfully. They didn't pass close enough to any other servants or masters to detect their presence along the way, and with both of their respective presences concealed, they avoided notice themselves in turn. It was coming up on eleven by the time they reached the city centre, where there were still plenty of people out and about enjoying the tropical nightlife. It was as they did, that Alex would finally sense the presence of another servant nearby. Following the trail would lead the two of them to the outside of a brightly-lit building, a bold blue sign declaring its name to be 'Addiction'. A crowd of people thronged around outside in a haphazard queue, whilst intimidating looking men in suits were guarding the doors, only allowing people in when others exited.

Shooting Alex a glance, Max frowned. "In there?" he queried, not quite sure he believed it. "A nightclub? Why would..." Why would a master or servant be wasting their time in a place like this when there was a war going on? It seemed outlandish, but he wasn't about to doubt Alex's senses. "Nevermind. If there's one in there, there's one in there. I'll try and find a way in the back. You slip in past the bouncers and I'll join you inside in a few minutes. Don't start any fights, there are too many innocents around, but see what you can learn about whatever servant is in there and determine whether their master is present."

Taking a moment to check his gear, he nodded to Alex. "Good luck in there," he said, before starting around the side of the building to find another entrance.


Inside, Ira had hopped down from his dancing platform and relocated a shirt (it might have been his? He wasn't sure) in order to head over to the bar. Despite the dancing and heat of the place, he had somehow managed to avoid the bedraggled and sweaty look of some of the other dancers. His hair seemed as perfectly styled as it had been when he walked in, and the thin sheen of sweat on his chest seemed almost artistically placed for effect, rather than derived from any real exertion. Flo, in the meanwhile, was rocking the 'hot mess' look with gusto. Her fringe had plastered itself to her forehead and some of her clothes were sticking to her, but she was clearly having a blast.

"This is amazing," she said, grinning across at Ira as the two of them received their drinks from one of the many bartenders. "They loved us. The DJ gave us a shout-out. I didn't even know I could dance like that!"

Ira cast her a smirk in return. "They still love us," he noted, nodding his head towards some of the people in the room whose eyes were still on them. "We're not going to be able to keep them waiting too long before they'll want us back up there."

"Uhg, I think I might die if I have to dance another minute," Flo groaned. "I don't know how you aren't exhausted."

"I guess I'm just used to it," he replied with a wink. "Maybe I'll coax Arty up there next time, then. Or maybe I'll find someone new. The night is yet young..." Raising his glass, Ira clinked it against Flo's. "To making memories?"

"Fuck yeah," Flo replied, returning the gesture. "This is probably the best night of my life so far."

A conspiratorial smile crept onto Ira's face at that, and he leaned in close to nudge her. "Oh, you just wait. The best is yet to come..."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top