AD 2206, 5/5, 1st Hierarchical City of Ookoto– Unknown Area
The bounty hunter known as Carl Clover did not like staying in one place for very long, for various reasons. Firstly, his research requires that he meet with and study various strong souls. Secondly, that irritating performer Amane Nishiki just wouldn't leave him well enough alone. Thirdly, things like this happen.
"Come on Clover, celebrate a little!" Kagura Mutsuki, General of the NOL and right hand of the Imperator, slings a drunken arm around his shoulders. His false eye glows ominously behind his half mask.
"General Mutsuki, I must kindly ask that you remove your arm from my person." Mutsuki groans, but retracts his limb, sipping sullenly on his sake. Carl himself take a sip of his own brandy. Good stuff, but he could do without the inebriation.
It's his twenty-first year on this planet, and he's no closer to his goal than he was six years ago. The drink is not for celebration, but experimentation. Perhaps if he puts himself into an unfocused state of mind, the muses will favor him with glorious inspiration. Mutsuki, has other plans.
"Stop taking baby sips! You need to throw it back and have another, or you'll never get the hang of this." Mutsuki demonstrates by throwing back his own head and downing his mug in one go. How typically uncouth. Carl hums his disapproval and continues to sip leisurely. Surely Mutsuki will grow bored if he doesn't engage the man, he doesn't wish to cause unnecessary grief by fighting him off instead.
Alas, the man persists. "You know what you need, hic?" He slurs his words a little.
"Some peace and quiet?" Carl raises a disinterested brow, not even glancing at Mutsuki.
"No!" Kagura slams down the empty mug and motions for another, before raising a scholarly finger skywards. "You need a, hic, woman's touch."
Carl stiffens. Mutsuki leans in and murmurs. "You're so tense I could use you to beat Shishigami to Yabiko and back."
Carl leans away and glares at him, his half-mask emitting an eerie azure hue. Mutsuki blinks at it, then smirks. "See what I mean, hic? You're getting all worked up just thinking about it."
He moves to poke Carl on the nose, and the younger man slaps his hand away angrily. "And just how do you know I favor the company of women, or any company at all for that matter?"
Mutsuki shakes his swatted hand and shrugs, smirking. "Call it lover's intuition."
Carl groans and takes a proper swig of the brandy, turning away, and damning the heat rising into his pale cheeks.
Mutsuki smirks wider, sensing an opportunity. He slips into one of his favorite roles, smacking the table. "Tell you what, Clover. If you can d- hic, drink me under the table, I'll let you go. If I- hic I win, you got- hic gotta stay with me for a while so I can- hic find you a pretty lady."
Carl glances Mutsuki's way, and seeing the slackening smirk and spreading flush, smirks. Mutsuki has always been a bit of a braggart, and though he may be the more experienced of them, Carl's constitution and relative freshness should allow him to win easily.
"Alright, Mutsuki, I'll play your little game." Carl raises his mug and finishes his drink with a flourish, smirking with the promise of future satisfaction. He never questions the increase in frequency of Mutsuki's hiccups. Rookie mistake.
Half an hour later…
He was forgetting something. Carl hates forgetting things, it leads to trouble. He whines as Kagura hands him another mug. He's going to be sick. But he must win, it's important. At least he thinks it is. Was it important?
"Kagura, why are we, hic, doing this, hic, again?" Carl looks at the man with a pout. His head is so woozy, and the room won't stop spinning.
"Because you need to prove yourself as a man, remember?" Kagura smiles heartily. Yeah, that makes sense, Carl supposes. He raises the mug to his lips and closes his eyes.
Kagura smirks connivingly. The kid had fallen for his routine hook, line, and sinker. He reckons that it will be just another drink or two before he's down for the count. Who knew the kid was such a regressive drunk, though?
Kagura doesn't think he's ever seen Clover this vulnerable. Not like he's seen much of Clover, though. He can see why Amane insists on chasing after him, he's kind of girlish in the low light of the bar. Or maybe that's the drink talking. Kagura looks at Clover again, and decides it's definitely the drink talking.
He reaches for another mug, and downs it. He'll give the kid credit; he got Kagura drunk himself. He's about half a dozen away from his own limit. If the kid proves him wrong and manages to hang on, this will have been for nothing, and Hibiki will be pissed at him.
Kagura thinks about that for a second, then he shrugs. Hibiki's gonna be pissed at him anyway.
Carl puts down his own mug, swaying heavily in his seat. A shark's killer grin splits Mutsuki's cheeks. He's got the kid dead to rights. He quickly hands him another mug, and the kid shoots him with a glare full of distress and angry determination. Kagura grabs another mug for himself, and counts down. They raise their drinks in unison, and…
Thud
"…You're out. I win." Kagura puts down his mug, then jolts when a husky voice whispers in his ear.
"Now Sir, it's impolite to leave a contest unfinished." Kagura nervously turns his head to a particularly intense looking Hibiki. He smiles shakily at the man's 'innocent' smile, and reaches for his mug, downing it as quick as a flash. "Also, since when did you have time in your schedule to run a dating service?"
Kagura blinks innocently. "I'm sure that Homura can find it in their heart to—"
Hibiki slices a hand through the air, producing a clipboard. Kagura quivers. Not paperwork, not now. But alas, it is so, and he must sign a waiver for extended leave hours.
Hibiki smirks when he finishes. "There." Hibiki nods to the wilted Clover drooling on the floor.
"Best you both get going before Shishigami comes looking, sir. I took the liberty of letting him know that dear 'Master Carl' was in here." Hibiki saunters off with a smirk of his own while Kagura sputters in terror.
"You sneaky little—?!" The tell-tale scent of sweat, and the nearby of signature loud shouting are good enough for him to get his ass in gear. He throws some money on the table, grabs Clover, and books it out the back door.
"MASTER CARL! It's been too long since— Huh?" Bang looks around in confoundment. Hibiki said he'd be right here, at table three. Yet here stands he, Bang Shishigami, atop the furniture with nothing but empty chairs before him. He hums and taps his chin. "Curious…"
"You jackass, I just got that clean!" A swift broom to the back of the noble ninja's head cuts his customary inner monologue short.
A few minutes later…
"Shit!" Bob.
"Shit!" Weave.
Shit!" Kagura cycles through evasive maneuvers while trying to outrun Clover's angry 'sister' Nirvana. The kid's hat is fucking heavy as he cradles his head. How the hell it's staying on, he's content not to know.
He jostles the younger man a little, and successfully wakes him.
"Hmm? Just five more minutes, sis…" Clover dozes off. Kagura shakes him again.
"Clover! Get your Nox to knock it off!" Clover groans, and slurs a bit before calling out.
"Sis. It's okay, Kagura's just… Um, what are we doing…?" Kagura watches Nirvana hesitate and plays his role.
"I'm taking you home so you can sleep this off." Clover nods slowly, a drunken smile of understanding on his face.
"That sounds nice. See Sis? It's okay…" Clover trails off again, and Kagura watches Nirvana stop, then hold out her claws. Not wanting to piss her off again, Kagura pivots and hands Clover to her. She stares at him expectantly.
"You're not serious…" A bead of sweat runs down Kagura's face as the moon gleams off her claws. He gulps, then nervously shuffles into her grasp. She clenches them both to her chest, then rockets off towards his home at blinding speeds. Kagura barely holds back his dinner. Clover doesn't. This'll be a hell of a hangover…
Author's Note
Hey everyone. I decided to revise this story, as I've grown as a person and have been away from it long enough to have fresh eyes. I'll be doing everything I can to honor all the people who loved the first go round; as short and unfinished as it was. This story is already flowing much more naturally than the first draft. To those trying it, I say a most hearty thank you.