Morning bloomed bright, beautiful and burningly painful as Musume lay shivering on the couch under a set of thick blankets. Unlike her last time in that situation, she wasn't technically ill. Being ill ascribed the implication that she had no control over her circumstances and she was definitely responsible. So even though she wasn't ill, she was definitely suffering.
"Fun night?" A muffled grunt came from beneath the layers of fabric as Crow asked the smug question.
"I don't think that half the drinks even had human names." Either a truck was repeatedly attempting to hammer itself into Musume's brain or Crow was quietly walking across the floor. Even with her unique situation, the weirdness of the night before had provided a fun evening and a cruel morning.
"Doesn't Akiza have some medical trick that she can use?" Another wave of nausea rippled through her stomach and it was only a timely bucket that saved the carpet from an ugly stain.
Approaching footsteps announced the arrival of Yusei, having spent a sleepless night tinkering in the garage while Akiza slept in the freshly dried bed. "Try not to be too loud." Dragging back a chair at the table was fingernails down a chalkboard. Busy hands began answering emails and tapped nails into skulls with the noise. "I was thinking of enjoying the brisk morning air and some loud music." Dribbles of snot and various liquids dribbled out the corner of her mouth as Musume tried to recover composure from drooling in her sleep.
"Leave her alone." Crow was stirring mugs of coffee with one hand and various liquids into a jar with the other. "There are plenty of stories that ended with you sneaking back home before sunrise." Several pickles and a ground avocado stone were mulched into the mixture as it took on the texture of thick porridge.
"Shhhhhh." Another blinding lance of light managed to spear directly into Musume's eyes before she could cover her face again. "Let me die in peace." Gurgles arose as Crow stirred some vinegar into his mixture and dropped in a few mushed tomatoes. "What is that?" Carefully measuring out a specific dosage, he forced a glass into Musume's hand.
"Patented hangover cure." A single mouthful made her wish that she was already dead and the next, despite lessening the drumbeat in her head, destroyed her stomach's ability to stay steady. "Guaranteed to either cure you or kill you. Either way, no hangover." A second wave of vomit dripped into the bucket Crow had shoved between her knees as Musume tried to think pleasant thoughts. "That happens sometimes." As he daughter continued to spew various chunks into the tub – including one brief stint where it seemed to glow in every colour of the rainbow – Akiza entered the room to gently rub her on the back.
"Can you tell us where you've been?" It was said in the sort of way that transformed the sentence into 'Tell us where you've been, now'. Akiza might be a doctor but she had also been massively embarrassed in front of her parents and felt she was owed some answers. Down a new house plant – Trudge had been dismayed by the loss of his personally grown treasure when he left the night before – Yusei was also listening in as he cast pointed glances at the wilting leaves.
Concerned for Musume's wellbeing – and inherently curious about the nature of her arrival – Crow perched himself on the coffee table. With the three imposing figure hemming her in, Musume correctly deduced that she had no recourse other than the raw truth. Unfortunately, it was more unbelievable than anything that had come previously.
With the last vestiges of her chaotically undiagnosable ailment taking the form of a splitting headache, Musume had spent most of the day oscillating between chugging vast quantities of water and visited the toilet as she strove to keep the pounding in her head under control. It was as she was downing what must have been her third gallon when word of Yusei release had been announced on one of the myriads of news channels that dominated the television. "Lucky bastard." Swigging the last quarter of a jug of water down her gullet, she left the dirty container in the sink before making ready to leave. It was only as she moved to steal any quickly available food that her brain registered something so utterly mundane that she had simply failed to notice how unnatural it was.
Three bedrooms and a bathroom were aligned on either side of the hall. Now, to anyone, those numbers would suggest there should be only four doors. Which was why she had originally failed to notice the existence of a fifth door set into the far wall.
There was, of course, nothing to be afraid of. It was simply an old oak door set into the middle of a grimy wall and had been there for years. Something was nagging at the back of her mind but Musume couldn't quite figure out what it was. Crow would recommend that she take a look around, get to know the situation before making any rash decisions and not enter the door under any circumstances. Being a disobedient child, she instantly strode over to the floor and walked straight through.
"Oook." A sagging mound of flesh hung loosely around a nearby simian. "Eeek." One limb slowly reached up, passed her a banana and knuckled over to a tightly knit group of shambling old men with robes and staffs to match their drooping silver beards.
"And what did I say about the door of the Drum!" The apparently senior senior wasn't so much asking a question as he was shouting it.
"Not to interfere with it?" A relatively younger, less bearded man was twirling a pointed hat tattered to the point of threadbare through nervous fingers.
"Not to interfere with it!" Their leader hefted a knobbly staff with a bulbous end and the others followed suit. "Right lads, all together now!" Various sequins dropped from their robes as the group stormed past in a whir of invisible sparks. It wasn't black or darkness but simply not there. Like a moving hole in space, Musume had the feeling that it was something that only a very particular set of people could see. They rushed by at relative speeds of shambling with the door opening onto a cobbled street with crowds of bellowing people streaming past.
"Eeek!" Inches before the door could fully close, the ape beside Musume knuckled through and bowled into the crowd. Another swing of the door returned the view outside back to the same one she had arrived from, completely bereft of pensioners or apes. Then she could turn her attention to the rest of the room. It was strangely similar to the Bootleg Bar Musume and Crow had previously visited and Bolt Tanner once directed Yusei towards. An array of booths ran along one wall with a jukebox in the far corner and stools beside the bar itself with a variety of patrons enjoying jokes, sharing stories and swapping laughter. That was where any sense of normality ended.
Instead of lightbulbs were a variety of other light sources - candles, luminous crystals and what appeared to be a series of bugs fluttering around one group. That back wall couldn't have been more than a hundred metres away but there was still an easy mile of floor between the door at the front and the toilets at the back. Music floated through the air like twisting smoke and seemed to come from nowhere in particular, despite an old man in a lab coat vomiting in front of the antique jukebox. Two diminutive teenagers were flipping through thick books in one booth near the door and sipping milkshakes as they went. A chubby pig scuttled around their feet as an old man passed by with a face of shame. Just to make the weirdness complete, he was dragging a sandy-haired young man by the belt of a massive scabbard as a beautiful lady with one single white highlight followed, shouting curses that tinged the air visibly blue.
"All right, luv?" A North-English accent originated from a dirty blond behind her. The scruffy beard and damp coat didn't distract from the stench of nicotine about him. "First time, eh? It takes some getting used to." Just before the door closed, Musume received a look of a long wooden corridor that was lit by flickering gas lamps. Then she was able to start grasping the reality of her situation. "'Ey, barkeep!" The newest customer walked over to the bar and slapped the wood with both hands. "Can I get some scotch? Two fingers." Minor shock was still settling about her as Musume watched Englishman who had entered take a stool on the short edge of the counter and became instantly embroiled in conversation with a pair of figures dressed darker than even the blackest of nights. There were two options open to Musume: walk away or start asking questions.
Walking away wasn't in her nature.
Some of the people in that bar resembled humans about as much as an oak tree resembles a fish. Taking what little she had to go on, Musume drew a seat beside the Englishman and huddled over the counter. "Hey," Keeping her face down was a lot easier than keeping her voice lowered in the hubbub of the bar. "What is this place?" Only one person had seemed reasonably normal and he was sipping scotch in the next chair along.
Reaching for a crumpled packet in one pocket, her neighbour at the stretch of wood wearily tapped it against the wooden surface as his conversation was interrupted. "What exactly does it look like?" Another brief glance around the expansive room produced another wave of disturbing results from out of some antique storybook and a few from the other direction.
"It looks a lot like a bar full of weird things." Musume's conversational companions lent back in moderate shock at the words as silence settled in the nearby area. Although she did not realise it at the time, it was the situational equivalent of beginning a eulogy with the phrase 'I'm glad the bugger is dead'.
"That sounds 'bout right. 'Course, most people'd prefer it if you said 'different' instead." Lifting her head slightly let them see her glowing eyes. Most people would have been more impressed by the visage but her new friends didn't even flinch.
"Do I look like I'm one to talk?" An innocent question that raised a storm of laughter in the immediate vicinity. Following the metaphor, it would have the second eulogical line 'because this world wasn't good enough for them anyway'.
"It's called Convergence, luv." Another blast of witty accent came from her company through the door. "It's not really anywhere in particular. Doors crop up every now and then and folks can pop in for a drink. Name's Ryan." Two stained fingers carefully slipped a cigarette into his mouth only for an innocuous hand to take it back out again as one of Ryan's companions plucked the death stick from his kips. "Easy, that's my last one." The same figure withdrew something from a fold of cloth and angled it meaningfully at Ryan without anybody else seeing. Ryan instantly stopped complaining.
"So it's a supernatural bar." Plenty of places in the world had strange things in them if you fell far enough from the map. That wasn't what really had her attention. "But the door outside has been there for years." Laughing at the new girl seemed to be part of the favourite pastime for the patrons of the bar as her unwitting joke was quickly echoed around the vast space.
"Think back." A well-built friend of Ryan's on the first chair immediately around the counter's corner broke in with twinkling eyes. "Was it there for years last week?" For all the crazy things in her life, this was a mind-bending thought to try and grasp. "Certain precautions keep any entrances unobtrusive. This is a safe place for people who are different from the norm." Exactly how far from the norm was about to be explained in ways that Musume couldn't easily refute.
"The owner is clairvoyant, rarely speaks a word. Doesn't have to either." Two fingers of scotch seemed enough to simply swill around and stare at. "One of the lasses over there." A single wave indicated what Musume was intensely trying to avoid calling 'oversized fairies' in a rare corner booth. "Any of them could easily level a large town alone and a big city together. That one?" Another figure was indicated and there was that nagging urge to use another mystical name like 'troll'. "Saved a bunch of kids from their school janitor. Can't go outside without being hunted though." For a hideous, lumbering beast of myth and legend, there were plenty of drinks being bought for the hulking figure by several admirers. As the worth of his accomplishments filtered through, Musume wanted to send over an entire keg. That altruistic thought triggered an important realisation.
"How is it so big?" Trying to process the impossible reality was shelved as Musume focused on something she could actually handle. Like how to place an order when the server could be a mile away.
"Asked that myself once. Got a long-winded explanation that meant nothing to me." Expanding her circle of coping, Musume registered the two people Ryan had been talking with. One was made sturdy with years of activity, a black jacket and silver-topped cane matching perfectly with the wide-brimmed hat and twinkling eyes of a storyteller. The other... Even with those enhanced eyes of hers, there was something fundamentally innocuous about what was under the dark robe. All her brief attention could gleam was 'skinny' before it was diverted back to the conversation.
"This is a lot to take in." There almost certainly wasn't any limit to the menu. A board of specials was set some short distance down the wall but it partially written in languages Musume was fairly certain weren't even from her world. Strangely shaped bottles were arranged up and down the wall behind the bar and at least three were softly smoking. Certain clientele were clearly not the average human. Or even any sort of human.
"You want a drink to help you cope with the adjustment?" Reaching out a hand, he put on an easy smirk that reminded her of Crow. "Et voila." A pause stretched out in Ryan's confusion. It was instantly clear that the wait was unusual. "Hello? A little service."
It might have been metres, it might have been miles but the owner looked towards the corner of the counter in confusion. There was a tiny furrow between both eyebrows as if something lurking in the back of an old memory was stirring. Each step was a normal distance from one to the next but yards were eaten up in each stride. It took only a few seconds from Ryan's call for the proprietor to arrive with an empty glass in one hand and a cleaning cloth in the other.
"Yeah, lady could do with a drink." For the host of a supernatural establishment, she had expected something a little more unusual. "First time here. Name of,"
"Musume." It was a soft voice from the tall woman. "Aye, I know." She had the sort of light skin that came from very expensive cosmetics or actually taking care of it. Dark hair that was only a few shades away from black. Large black shirt that came down over the waist and wrists, casual jeans that were comfortable but teasingly snug. A lengthy sleeveless cardigan was open at the front and hung loosely down past the back of her knees, looking almost ornate in its flowing length of cream material. Not the sort of figure that somebody could easily forget.
"Have we met?" A playful smile flickered around a mouth slightly smaller than average. Eyebrows met in the middle when the face muscles moved slightly at the question. Even though she was sure that she had never seen the face before, Musume had the uncanny feeling that she knew this person from somewhere.
"Call me... an old friend." Reaching under the counter for a moment, a tiny wooden cup was gently set against the pitted surface in front of Musume with a measured amount of something amber already poured into it. "One drink for the newcomer."
"What's in it?" A quick sniff proved that Musume still lacked the training to detect poison. It didn't smell of bleach so she could at least rule that out.
"Trade secret. Think of it as mostly apples." Ryan gave a helpless shrug to her left as Musume swigged the glass with the certainty that either one or the other of the captured spirits would purge anything deadly from her body.
"Urgh." Pounding her fist into the counter, sparks erupted in her brain as she felt the drink burning through her oesophagus. "What is that stuff?" She missed the obvious in the burning pain of the moment. Ironically, it was because she was feeling the pain that she missed the significance of it.
"Old drink from a mountain region. Scrumble." Any single drink has a dribble left behind and it was starting to fizzle through the bottom of the glass. "With a few subtle changes."
"What, extra suffering?" Rubbing two fingers into her temples, fizzles were still flashing through her vision. "Gah!" Apples. Like what apples would be if the physical apple was taken away. It was apple overload to her senses. Fermented apples. Fermented apples that had realised their fate and decided that they wouldn't take it lying down.
"One customer per drink. Partners drink separately." Each word sounded fuzzy and it took her longer to realise what the bartender had meant than it should. Mainly because – of all the unearthly burdens that were contained in her body – only Musume alone was feeling the effects of the alcohol.
"Wow." With the Crimson Dragon pushing out any dangers and Red Nova stealing away any comfort, forced sobriety had been one of the few things that both agreed on for their host. For the first time since she had started drinking, the buzz was lasting longer than a few seconds. "Is there more?" It didn't matter that this bar had sprung up while Musume was simply trying to grab some sleep at Poppo Time or that it was filled with strange creatures and somehow far bigger than it should be. This was not an opportunity she was willing to let slip by.
"Best pace yourself." Sage advice from her new drinking buddy was accompanied by a small glass of water from the owner. "Experience says to stay hydrated." After a moment had passed where she could adjust to the new sensation, Musume made her best effort to be on guard. Whoever could bypass the restrictions of her captured spirits was somebody to be careful around.
"Didn't catch your name." That playful smiled changed slightly. Sort of bittersweet with a touch of melancholy. Still drop-dead gorgeous.
"Call me... Himeru." A slight pause before the answer was artfully concealed between the words as a tall flute of something golden with a slice of pear wedged at the top was placed on the bar for Musume. It was a twofer prevention method of hangovers – the drink to keep her hydrated and the pear to fight the effects. Of course – like any precautionary method – it could be overcome by massive amounts of what it was meant to guard against. "I was hoping that you might be able to help me out." Not easily plied with anything, Musume stopped the latest drink before it even touched her lips.
"What with?" Another customer about twenty-something feet away waved for a drink. Without much movement, Himeru reached under the counter, snapped the lid off a beer bottle and gently placed it in front of them. All without taking more than a step from her position. "You don't exactly seem helpless." Twenty feet had somehow become twenty inches without a single iota of space being lost. Not the sort of trick that happened a lot.
"Mmm." A quiet grumble failed to sour that face. "Which is actually why I needed to see you. I shall be in the neighbourhood, so to speak." Great. After so many new surprises in her life, this was just what Musume wanted. Another supernatural screwup to deal with. "It is generally considered 'good manners' to let other invested parties know." By 'other parties' Musume instantly understood her to mean those unusual beings who took an interest in human affairs. "I thought that it would be best if I explained the situation to you and had you pass the information on." It became clear and Musume felt safe enough to take a sip from her drink. Delicious but not enough to soothe the sting of being made into a cosmic telephone.
"Okay. Guessing they got the message." Feeling their existence be registered as a polite inconvenience was making the squabbling pair in the pit of her soul just as angry as she was ashamed at being made nothing more than a messenger by virtue of an accident. Ignoring their complaints, Musume carefully rose to her feet. Being drunk apparently had a negative effect on her balance. "If that's all, I'll be on my way." Confusion crossed the unblemished face of Himeru. No, not entirely unblemished. Faint freckles across the nose that hid unless you looked close enough.
"Why?" A flash of understanding struck that strange figure. "Ah. I probably should have made it clear I was not speaking of your passengers." What? Carefully lowering back into the chair, Musume finally gave her full attention to the conversation and blanked out the strangeness of their surroundings and the booze buzz going through her. "But if Quetzalcoatl and Paku Supay are bored, they are welcome to place an order." Nothing could be so ridiculous as Musume thinking herself an equal to the beings she had tricked and trapped inside her. They were simply using her body and soul as the site for their battleground. As maybe the only person capable of bearing them both, she was the perfect candidate for Red Nova to take over and the Crimson Dragon really cut loose.
"... Go on." For whatever reason, Himeru was interested in her. So Musume was obviously interested in why she was interested.
"As I said, I will be around for a while to keep an eye on events as they unfold. Considering that those guests of yours might eventually notice my presence and inform you, I thought it best to explain the situation ahead of time." Of all the strange situations that Musume had gone through, this was the most surreal. Whoever – or whatever – Himeru was, she was being open and forthright about her intentions. Musume took the raw honesty and filed it under 'intensely suspicious'. Nothing in her life had ever been so simple. "I am an... admirer, of sorts, and I wanted to offer you a gift." Wiping her hands clean on a rag from under the counter (likely to be polite since Musume hadn't noticed a single speck of dirt on those perfect palms) Himeru reached into a pocket on her almost robe-like cardigan. "I hope this will be acceptable." Reaching out pinched fingers, she waited for Musume to extend a palm of her own.
"What is it?" Feeling something cold gently lowered onto the skin on her palm, she pulled it back to admire an intricate accessory as it sparkled in the various light sources in the room. "A snowflake?" Crafted in such intricate detail that it was possible to see crystals growing and refracting on every stem, Musume noted a slight sliver of transparent string attached to the centre and long enough to tie around her wrist.
"Think of it as an all-access pass." Pale fingers pressed against those perfectly curved lips. "Eight times that you are welcome to come back here whenever you wish. How do you like it?" The sentence came out so calmly that Musume only noted the question at the end.
"It's beautiful." She took the time to admire the new accessory as the ice formation spiralled through the air. Then she registered the rest of Himeru's words. "Why eight?" It was a silly question and ran the risk of lowering the number but curiosity knew no bounds.
"One for each person you consider important." Another drink was poured under the counter and gently placed in front of Musume's new friend in the trench coat. "Eight people, eight opportunities to take stock of the situation in complete safety." Eight people? Akiza, Crow, Yusei, Jack and the twins were six and that was pushing it. Her relationships with everyone besides Akiza and Crow were practically nonexistent but – she was begrudgingly forced to admit – they were all linked by virtue of being Signers.
"Who are the last two?" Himeru bobbed her head to evade directly answering the question. Maybe she knew the answer, maybe she didn't but sharing either wasn't going to happen.
"Did I say eight people? My mistake." It was, just not in the way that Musume took her to mean just then. "But please, keep the two additional opportunities."
It was an exotic offer, for sure. Nor exactly an empty gesture considering this person had the gall to snub two deities and the indication she could back it up. Even now, Musume could hear the outrage coming from Red Nova at being casually told to order a drink. The Crimson Dragon seemed to be taking it a lot better but was definitely withholding its temper.
"Okay." That nagging sensation was back again. Now that they were apparently past supernatural subterfuge, Musume couldn't ignore the feeling that she knew Himeru from somewhere. "So what exactly are you?" Talking started to die away but she had a bad habit of ignoring social cues. "Ryan says that you see the future and that door outside made itself feel like it had been there a long time." She also wanted to know what sort of being could just shrug off the threat of Red Nova and the Crimson Dragon so readily.
"That is a rather personal question." Sparing a second to serve a few dozens calling customers along the bar, Himeru reappeared in the blink of an eye. "But, since you asked, I will answer your question as best I can." Folding her arms onto the counter, Himeru's top fell forward tantalisingly low. "Put simply, I have had enough time to evolve my understanding to reach zeniths that your people will not fathom at the peaks of their civilisation. My view spans the entirety of your universe throughout all its time and there are periods when I take particular interest to make sure that events do not spiral into utter ruin." Giving a bored look, Musume made it clear that she did not appreciate the depreciation of her entire species. "You asked." As she rose up again and the distracting view vanished, recollection finally sprang up behind Musume's enchanted eyes.
"You were there in Paris." Freezing the bartender in place with the sheer force of her voice, Musume didn't let Himeru get away without mentioning their previous encounter. "You gave me directions." It hadn't been entirely clinched by the 'aye' Himeru had used earlier on but there was no denying the realisation. How her guide had simply vanished, why they had instantly known exactly where to direct Musume. Little details that had been niggling away at her came together all at once to present an uncertain truth. "Why not tell me Yliaster was waiting, if you're such a big fan?" If Himeru could truly support her grandiose claims about knowing all of time, then she would have had to know that Musume was walking straight into a trap.
"Rule one: no interfering with the natural course of events." A wry glance of glowing eyes made Himeru smile gently as they stood in the midst of a transdimensional establishment talking about normality. "Well, whatever course events take. Everyone has their limitations and mine do not let me help you any further than the odd nudge here or there. Anything that I tell you will not be enough to interfere with your choices."
"Okay," She was pushing her luck but Musume had to know why she had been rushed towards danger faster than she would have without interference. "Then why did you tell me which way to go? I mean, if it wouldn't change anything?"
Of all the Duellists of her time or her past, Musume could very possibly match almost all of them. Her forfeiture for the final round of the Pegasus Trinidad Tournament had been genuine but only insofar as she didn't know how her family had changed during her eight years of slumber. It would be like Duelling against complete strangers. And a key point of Duelling was knowing when the opponent was hiding something.
"Curiosity." It was possible that Himeru was using some freaky trick to throw Musume off her game yet the young Signer doubted it. Every word that she said seemed to be the absolute truth. "I wanted to meet you before Yliaster broke that lock you put those two spirits under and.." That was when a bell went off. Right when Himeru opened her mouth to say something else before she could stop short. And Himeru knew, with a gentle smile, that Musume had noticed. "And before you met your לַעֲזָאזֵל."
"My what?" It was a language she hadn't heard before. Slightly guttural but definitely human. At least, she hoped so. Otherwise, whatever species spoke that dialect snarled a lot.
"See?" There was a whimsical sadness in that smile. "One day, you will understand that word. It will not be a good day." It was obvious that Himeru had some understanding of the Signer's past so Musume could only imagine what a 'bad day' would be like.
"Thanks for the gift." Tying the trinket around her right wrist, Musume made a careful note of all the coverups and slips that her 'admirer' was trying to hide. Not a long list but certainly enough hints that she should take notice. "But I should really be getting back soon. My family will want to know about this."
"Ah." Raising a slender finger, there came another enchanting smile. "One of the first understandings that you should shun is the stoic linear nature of time. It is a lot more pliable than you believe." Despite the limitless meaning that lay within those words, Musume only thought was about how she could bend the opportunities towards her own benefit.
"Prove it." Which is not to say that she believed them. The trick of any good con is to make the idiot believe that you can do something nobody else can and Musume was no idiot.
"Okay." Shrugging as if she was being asked to do no more major a feat than getting a fresh glass, Himeru gave no hint to the duplicitous actions she had planned. "When you leave here, you will arrive two days after you left. Trust me, you would prefer it that way anyway." If Musume had happened to have been involved with Crow's prank or seen Yusei asleep on the sofa with her mother, the ICC would have been off the hook for trying to convict him. A dead man could not be sent to jail. "Just do not forget: there is a plant besides the television. You can throw up in that." Looking around, Musume failed to see any television sets in the otherwise limitless bar. "Not right now. Just try to keep it in mind."
"Tell me something." It had occurred to her earlier that Himeru's honesty might be a cunning plan and Musume felt like she was starting to uncover the deception. "What do you get out of this?" Himeru had said that Musume might have been told there was someone watching but that was hardly a reason to come out and announce herself. From what Musume saw, she was clearly capable of keeping enough distance that nobody would really know if she was there at all.
"Just because I remain impartial does not mean I do not pick sides." Had Musume endured the sort of dreary political talks the accompanied being either the daughter of a politician, head of an international institution or a professional criminal who had been thoroughly lectured on the rare instance of imprisonment, she would have understood the distinction more fully. People in government were meant to follow whichever courses of action were voted upon and not let their personal ideals interfere. Which is not to say that it was always the case. "This is a bar. People talk." From paying close attention to the carefully phrased words, Musume was able to detect the subtle sledgehammers of fairly direct hints. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask." Whenever somebody lied to her, Musume made an effort to uncover all the reasons why. Because there had been no deception to uncover, she had been forced to rely on actually asking more question. It was an uncomfortable first to actually get the answers. Deciding not to push the envelope further than was necessary without reporting back to her family first, Musume just smiled and raised her suddenly full glass.
"How much does mystical booze go for these days? I've got a cranky uncle you can have in exchange." Some light notes of laughter killed all the conversation in the paradoxical room. Most people had never heard much more than a few words from the person behind the bar and it was beyond musical.
"On the house." These words were wondrous at any time but even more coming from such a beautiful voice. An instinctively untrusting flutter gave just enough of a view of Musume's wings to the person behind the bar. "Now, I have spent far too much time ignoring my other guests. Best that I serve some drinks before another fight starts breaking out." Ryan had clearly not been exaggerating that clairvoyance. No sooner had the words left her mouth that a brawl started over Himeru's right shoulder. "Just holler if you need anything." Another brief glimpse into the future saw the urgent need for a new glass at the far end of the bar and the mane of dark hair flew down the length of wood.
"Don't take that gift lightly, luv. Not many people are allowed to come here." There was a wistful tilt to the glass Ryan was holding. "And fewer return." Despite the seemingly limitless power in the room, there was no doubt what he meant. "Some fulfil their purpose, others turn their backs. Others... others don't make it through the fight." The glass ruptured in his grasp but another was quickly there to replace it before Himeru vanished again to stop the outbreak of violence from spreading. Whatever his particular story was, Ryan had clearly lost people along the way. There is rarely a story where the hero does not suffer immense loss. "Of course, since you're welcome back whenever, I suggest that you leave the questions for a later date. Best get used to the atmosphere in case I'm not here next time you come visiting."
Let us not talk of such depressing topics. Something about the space behind the bony figure was distracting Musume. Some peculiar part of its nature was trying to convey the distinct impression that she should be looking somewhere else. I suggest that we have more of these delicious drinks. And a curry. In the single moment that food was mentioned and the figure's attention wandered, Musume was able to glimpse beyond what her brain was telling her and realised just how unusual Convergence really was.
"The hotter the better." Glasses clinked against each other as that faint grip Musume usually had on reality fell away completely. Peeling off her thick jacket, she let the spectral protrusions on her back slowly flutter and stretch with barely a curious glance sent in her direction. If the bar extended it's clientele as far as housing errant trolls, Musume could allow herself to simply relax and stop hiding for a few hours. Some might say that she was spreading her wings. Those people would have received a punch to the face after a few such jokes.
"So you went through a door that doesn't exist," Casting a look at the wall – which Crow knew had never, ever contained a door – he continued in a slow monotone. "Into a magic bar, got (really) drunk, made some new friends and happened to bump into someone (or something)," He muttered darkly. "That says they want to help you but isn't going to?"
"That's about it." If she had been feeling sorry for herself while ill that week, Musume was feeling downright wretched right then. Being ill had been beyond her control. This hangover (her first) was convincing her that life was not worth living and she could do with a refund. "But she did mention that she would try and answer questions, providing that they don't interfere with what we were going to do anyway."
Squinting at the deal, Crow tried to find some problem with it. Unlike his own arrangement with Yliaster, this one seemed to be a fair deal. Admittedly, there was little practical advantage to be gained from it but this neutral new party seemed willing to fill in some gaps in their knowledge. Even if they would supposedly continue as before, having the answers to some questions might let them learn the answers to others while it could still make a difference.
Just as long – he mused while watching another wave of bile splatter into the bucket – as Musume learned to go easy on the booze.
Always drink responsibly. Unless you had a dragon god living in your small intestine and a demon taking up residence in your kidneys, in which case, go nuts! If you don't have the aforementioned supernatural burdens, spread the love and leave a review.
But, seriously on the drinking front, be responsible. On the reviewing front, go mad and paint the town beige.