Say My Name
Written by vox shade
v/s: heh, it's been a while, ne? Sorry guys! 'x' I had things to do, my life to live, etc etc. BUT HERE IT IS! Chapter ten is up! XD Read for your pleasure and laughter
Disclaimer: Star Ocean 3 belongs to Tri-Ace/Ubisoft/Square-Enix.
Chapter Ten
Ladies First
The Blood Bar. That's where the group was now, standing in front of the underground bar on a back street of Kirlsa. Not many people were out yet on this street, since it was only ten minutes to 8 in the evening. The drunks weren't scheduled to come out yet for another couple of hours.
"It doesn't seem to crowded," Nel commented a she held herself straight by holding onto Soul's arm.
"It'll get busier," Sin assured her from behind, supporting Albel and Seraph. The three siblings wore volumous cloaks over their clothes, keeping them warm from the slight chill in the air. Albel and Nel were given shawls, to go with their uniforms.
"Let's go in, we don't want to be late," Soul suggested.
"Speak for yourself." Albel muttered darkly, glaring at the wooden sign.
Sin smiled and stepped forward, forcing Albel to totter quickly to regain his balance, contrasting sharply against Seraph's grace. But then, she wasn't wearing the seven inch heels. "Ladies first," Sin said, letting go of their hands while he opened the door for them. Albel scowled at him and stomped through with loud clicks like a horse as Nel smothered a laugh and followed behind Seraph.
The interior of the bar was lavish and luxurious even at a glance. The tables were covered with good quality tablecloths, the chairs had velvety cushions on the seats, the floor was clean and waxed, the walls decorated with expensive painting and other items of wealth. There were a fair number of people already inside, either sitting in the chairs socializing with one another, or dancing on the dance floor, or sitting at the bar. The group headed towards it, Sin in the lead.
"Excuse me, but would you know where to find Lockroi?" Sin asked pleasantly to the bartender. The man grunted in response and jerked the glass he was cleaning to the far end of the room, where another door was situated in the wall. "Thank you."
Albel rolled his eyes and hurried to keep up as they wove through the tables and chairs. Looking to the side, there seemed to be actors and actresses scuttling around on the stage. Their costumes were peculiarly familiar… but before he could get a closer look, Nel had tugged on his arm and they were going through the door. Engraved on it was the dripping heart insignia which was on the boxes which had contained their uniforms.
A billow of smoke wafted in everyone's face, and after a minute of coughing, they had to advance with their sleeves or gloves over their faces. At the end of the smoky corridor was another door, even more expensive looking than the last one. The insignia was gold this time, and the doorknob was ridiculously polished and encrusted with jewels. A single fucking rock from this door could support a family for a week in Airyglyph, Albel thought murderously. Poverty was obviously not a problem in this place. Unlike what Albel had to grow up in, unlike what he had seen for a good portion of his life. And still in the present...
Seraph caught Nel and Albe's eyes. "Remember guys, these are the ones you've been looking for. Remember their names and faces, anything else you need to know."
Albel snorted, then coughed at the sting of the smoke. "We know, woman. How do you think we got to be at the positions we're in now? By talking to become the captain of the Black Brigade and Crimson Blade?"
"Quiet," Sin reprimanded before raising his fist to the door and knocking three times. Breaths were held as footsteps made themselves heard. The door finally opened slowly, with a man with a walrus mustachio peering at them from the crack.
"And who are you?" he asked with a nasal voice.
"We are Sin, Soul, and Seraph Sinclair. We have an appointment with Lord Lockroi to discuss the upcoming performance tomorrow evening."
"And who are the females?"
"They are Smexy and X-Candy, here for their interviews. They applied for the jobs as waitresses and general help around the bar, and prefer to go by their stage names."
The Walrus peered at them suspiciously for another minute before finally submitting them through the door, opening it enough so all of them could barely slide through. The man then led them through another short corridor, the smoke getting thicker as they progressed. Walrus opened the door at the end for them, this one a work of art of gold and silver wires and crystal panels you could look through in colours. More smoke billowed out of the room, and the group looked at one another apprehensively before walking in, the door closing behind them promptly with a click.
The inside of this room was worth more than the rest of the building combined. Exotic plants dotted the expensive crystal floor, famous paintings hung on the custom painted walls, the furniture was lavish and covered with only the finest of materials. Costly trinkets were littered carelessly around the room, around the built in Jacuzzi in the floor, personal bar in the corner, maids in identical uniforms situated around the Jacuzzi, one behind every person inside it.
The men lounging inside the Jacuzzi all seemed to be ranging from middle aged to the elderly, all seemingly naked but thankfully hidden from view in the water and the smoke wafting up from their fat cigars stuck between yellowing teeth. Most of them were even overweight, a clear sign of wealthy living. Rings studded their fat fingers and necklaces dangled over hairy chests and rolls of fat. Nel even thought she could see a few nipples pierced, but she didn't look too closely. She didn't really want to vomit in such a serious situation.
The laughter and talk quieted down as the men finally turned their attention to the group. A few sent winks at Nel and Albel.
"Sinclair, you're on time as per usual." The greeter was one of the few who weren't overweight, surprisingly. There was no definite way to tell how tall he was, but Nel guessed that he was of average height. He had mousy brown hair, watery blue eyes, and a sallow complexion. She placed him in his late forties. Most likely the leader of this group, and most likely the leader of Daddy's Little Rich Boys, judging from the portrait behind him on the wall, with the plaque underneath it stating it in bold letters.
Sin inclined his dark head. "Of course. We were just requesting the instruments and lighting be perfect for tomorrow evening. I thought I might have had to speak with your stage manager for this, but they say that you have dismissed him."
Lockroi waved a hand. "Oh you know. Business isn't going so great what with the war gone and everyone settling down without a gun I made under their pillow. Had to let go some of the help around here. But that's fine, you can still talk to me about it. I'm not all that illiterate around stages you know!"
Apparently the last line had been funny because this induced a round of laughter around the circle of men, causing their flubber to jiggle and the wine in their hands to splash onto the floor. It put Albel's teeth on edge and it was all he could do not to break a glass and stuff it up their large backsides with it. If he ever did and got into trouble, at least he'd get the satisfaction of seeing them waddling around like penguins because of it.
"And so, who are these lovely ladies?" Lockroi inquired when the laughter had died away. Nel stiffened beside Albel as the men averted their attention to the two of them, eyes leering and fat mouths smirking. Ugh, it's like they're trying to undress me with their eyes, Nel thought with disgust. She kept her face perfectly pleasant, if not slightly ditzy. She knew these type of business men – they preferred the slightly stupid and pretty over the smart and diligent only because it was easier to take care of sheep than foxes.
Sin stepped aside and gestured to each of them in turn. "This is Smexy and X-Candy. You scheduled their interviews tonight, and we happened to meet on the way here and became acquaintances. I must congratulate you on your choices."
Lockroi laughed. "Not at all, my boy, not at all. Why, when I saw your pictures, I knew I had to choose you out of all the others! No beauty at all, but you two."
Nel smiled and batted her eyelashes. "Why, thank you sir. Or can I call you Boss yet?"
"Oh, she's a cheeky one!" one of the men chuckled, elbowing another.
"I like the taller one. Look at those legs!"
"Nah, the other one has a slimmer waist. And look at her eyes!"
"Check out the rack on her."
Nel and Albel exchanged a creeped out glance. I've never been so violated.
"Hey girlies, think you can model for your uncles, hm?" one of the men leered with a twisted smile.
"Ah, n-"
"Certainly." Sin interrupted Albel's attempt at a girlish voice with a sly smile. "I'm sure we would all love to see what these girls are made of."
"Oh, we couldn't," Nel flirted, but her eyes sent a clear signal to back off or I will rip off your vitals.
But the men were all for it, and it looked as if the two couldn't escape from this one. Albel seemed to be refusing to go, balking from walking one step. Nel looked at him. "You gonna go?"
"Only when Vanilla marries Crosell." Albel snarled back.
Nel gave a shaky smirk. "Looks like I beat you in this area of field." Straightening her shoulder and lifting her chin, Nel strode forward confidently on her toothpick thin stilettos with a winning smile and swinging hips, biting the tip of her finger sexily as the men hooted. She walked to the Jacuzzi and back, smiling at the stunned look on Albel's face and laughter from the siblings. She threw a challenging glance at Albel, along with a smoldering half smile. "Think you can beat that, X-Candy?"
Albel's jaw snapped back into place as he met her challenge with a reckless smirk. "Watch me, Zelpher." He wasn't about to let Nel get the better of him. Throwing back his shoulders, he walked down to the Jacuzzi, eyes half closed and exuding danger and still being attractive at the same time. The men were going crazy as he pretended to drop something and had to bend over to get it (vox: bend, and snap!), throwing scorching looks over his shoulder as he retrieved it and walked back to the group.
Nel was shocked beyond belief. She knew this was funny, and somewhere in a distant part of herself laughter was welling up, but the shock was like a barrier. Albel had actually gone and flirted with other men like an experienced prostitute. And he'd pulled it off with style. Wow, the female population has just got a new competitor. Nel glanced over to the siblings to see how they were reacting as Albel neared them. Seraph was hiding a smile behind a hand, Soul was laughing, and Sin was... pointing a pen at Albel? It seemed somehow familiar...
Sin quickly hid it as Albel rejoined them, smiling victoriously at Nel. "Better than expected right?"
Nel raised an eyebrow. "It really was something on your part, Albel. Really something."
The rest of the 'conference' was shortly over as Lockroi agreed to hire the two 'women'. They were so boisterous about the two newly hired maids that they even offered to 'upgrade' them as host club members, which they politely declined. They were led out of the room by Walrus and into the main bar, where they breathed in relatively cleaner air. But it had become much more crowded, the bar filled with the wealthy who had nothing to do. Tankards were passed around while hookers danced on side stages, men laughing and getting drunk while women flirted and eyed the competition. Sin led the group with Nel and Albel taking up the end.
The crowd was rowdy, loud, and too close. The girls (Seraph, Nel, and Albel) had to fight their way through behind the boys. Seraph shot frosty glares at the owners of the hands reaching out to her, and they were at once retrieved. Nel dodged and batted away groping fingers with ease and practice. Albel, seeing that he was unused to either groping hands or his stiletto boots, was slower at this and obviously not as experienced. Which thus, lead to yells of rage as the hands found their target.
Who knew that Albel was overly protective of his new rack and butt? Makes you wonder.
Nel turned around and grabbed Albel around the waist just as he was about to jump the two men who had the audacity to go for his rack and pinched his ass. It wasn't too hard this time – she had gotten used to the stilettos, while he hadn't so it was a simple matter of jarring his heels so he fell back and she had to support him slightly.
"You can't start a brawl in here, Candy, so stop it and let's get out!"
"Don't call me Candy, maggot! My name is-"
"Who do you think you're talking to? Don't you know that I am THE Albel the Wicked?" A loud voice interrupted.
Confused, Nel and Albel stopped and looked at the stage, where the actors and actresses seemed to have already begun their act. One of the actors was wearing a violet skirt and carrying a sword, and brandishing a mock claw at another actor who was wearing a crown.
"Oh is that so?"
"Yeah, that's right! I'm the gender confused, skirt wearing crossdresser! Show a little respect, you soft maggot of a king!"
The crowd cheered as the actors continued to ridicule the Captain of the Black Brigade, the King of Airyglyph, and even the Crimson Blades of Acquaria. The crowd was so into it that they did not pay any heed to the two maids in the middle of the crowd, one trying to restrain the other.
"Hey Bob, whaddaya call a Crimson Blade with two brain cells?"
"Iiunno Bill, what?"
"Pregnant!"
"You-!" Nel let go of Albel and both of them surged through the crowd, heading for the stage. Both leapt over the chairs and onto tables, fists at the ready and seemingly forgetting that they were wearing the stilettos.
The actresses and actors seemed to not have noticed, and kept going on in their act. "I bet I, Albel Nox, can be prettier than a Crimson Blade!"
Uh oh.
That thought flew through Nel's head as she braked on a table and watched in slow motion as Albel, who had been slightly behind her, turned in the air and grabbed a huge lug of a man and smushed his lips against his. And the thing was, since he'd turned in mid-jump, his legs were dangling and the only way he was holding himself up was by his grip around the man's neck. The people around Albel roared with laughter and pointed, hooting and cheering as Albel finally ended the kiss and dropped to the floor. His next words were lost in the noise, but Nel spotted the horrified look on his face as the big man leered and leaned in for another. "What a pretty chicken. Ya wanna do that again?"
"Hey there, pretty. Mind demonstratin' to me like yer friend o'er there?" a man sitting at the table she was standing at asked slyly. He reached for her ankle, but Nel quickly leapt off and grabbed Albel's hand, shouting a 'no thank you!' behind her as both of them dove into the crowd.
Ten minutes of trauma later, Smexy and X-Candy emerged from the bar, tired, exhausted and beyond aggravated.
"What the hell are you laughing at!" Albel growled at the siblings, who were either outright laughing or smirking.
"Uhh, X-Candy? You might want to fix your shirt." Soul suggested between fits of laughter.
Nel cracked a grin as she noticed that Albel's corset strings had somehow loosened in the bar and his right fake boob was hanging out. Albel immediately flushed and cursed as he stuffed it back in roughly, tying the strings with fumbling fingers. But before it had been completely hidden, Nel thought she'd seen a black mark on it.
Seraph noticed her puzzling over Albel and came over to stand beside her. "Are you wondering about the mark?"
Nel nodded as Albel turned to storm at Sin and Soul. "Yes. What is it?"
Seraph chuckled. "It's the letter 'N'. And on his left is 'Z'."
Nel shot her an inquiring look. "Why would he have that on his fake breasts?"
"They're initials."
"Who's – no way."
"Yes, way. Since he doesn't wear boxers, I guess he decided to do it on his fake breasts. They are only made out of some polyester and other materials, so it's like a strange bra. Bra, underwear, still undergarments right?"
"But why my initials?"
"You're gonna have to think or ask him about that, dear."
Nel held Seraph's look then let out a snort of laughter. Who knew why Albel would put her initials on his boobs? But then, he was a bit twisted. And he was Albel the Wicked. And it is a bit cute, in a warped kind of way...
Nel smiled and tugged on one of Albel's braids as she passed by. "C'mon, we'll get left behind."
"I can walk without your permission," Albel shot back, but she didn't miss the smile on his face.
v/s: wow, I think we're stepping more and more into the unknown now with Albel acting stranger and stranger Oo Haha, sorry for the short-ish chappie guys. But I'll update sooner this time!