Chapter 28: Run Before You Walk (Part 15)

"Well we're certainly not going to find ourselves in any shortage of interesting characters, Till."

"We didn't have that problem before coming here, you know."

"Yeah, but it's the principle of the matter. Of course if we asked any of the 'interesting characters' we've met previously who the weird ones were I bet we'd come out ahead by a significant margin."

"You mean you would come out ahead by a significant margin. I'm actually pretty normal~!"

Giving his Fairy companion a dull look as she proudly floated alongside him the gamer let the matter rest, gazing out over the interior of the Black Dog Bar with a curious eye. While he'd been exaggerating a little bit about the variety of people inside the establishment it wasn't by much, the Grigori owned and run place going all in on serving each and every member of the various races that populated the world with zero care or distinction for their origins, merely their temperament and ability to pay.

He knew the latter info courtesy of what looked like a particularly loud and belligerent Human and Werewolf arguing with an unimpressed Fallen bouncer, the winged man eventually getting tired of their attitude, cracking their heads together and unceremoniously tossing them out the front door before turning on his heel, pausing only as Cayman tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, you have any idea where the table for Lavinia Reni is? I'm a part of her party tonight."

Seeming extremely done with his presence the man cooly replied, "You and a hundred other hopefuls wanting to get close to our idol, wise guy. Unless you've got proof then you turn your butt around and-"

"Oh, there you are Cayman, Till! It's about time you both showed up, I was worried you were going to skip out!"

Speaking of the blonde Longinus wielder she gracefully strode next to Cayman before happily looping her arm through his, magician's robes substituted for a loose long-sleeve that had elegant ruffles in the fabric while figure-hugging jeans and simple flats rounded out the casual ensemble.

"Rossweisse, Va-kun and Jesie are already at the table, come on!"

Sending the bouncer a smug look as the Fallen just rolled his eyes the pair were guided by an excited Lavinia through the bar, Cayman appreciating the decor and layout with a practiced eye as he realized it was more of a pub than it was a 'bar'. Heady scents of tacos, fried fish, pizzas and a dozen other foods filled the air with enticing aromas while the spicy tinge of hops and hard liquor provided a nice counterpoint while a music stage occupied a fair portion of one of the walls, currently empty but no doubt ready and waiting for whoever decided to give it a shot first.

"You really like teasing him with that nickname, don't you? You look beautiful, by the way."

A playful and gentle as a feather slap to his arm was the blonde's response, tone mock admonishing as she tittered, "Is it really all that kind of you to say such a thing to another woman when your dear Fairy is present?"

"He wasn't kidding when he said that you're pretty though, I'm not going to get upset at the truth."

Giving the winged Demon an odd look Lavinia eventually replied, "Well it seems tales of the closeness between a Fairy and their contracted partner aren't exaggerated."

Before they could further pursue the conversation they arrived at their table, Vali disinterestedly flicking a folded napkin between an improvised goal made of two upright chopsticks while Jesie was levitating a beer bottle so that she could greedily drink from it - Till rushing to join her comrade - while Rossweisse sent him a beaming smile, cheeks slightly rosy from an already emptied row of shot glasses.

"You missed the most interesting part of the night, Cayman! Miss Lavinia and I were just discussing the possible origins of your strange spear technique and what branch or school it may have come from. Without your input it was quite the stimulating exercise!"

The exuberant words were a stark contrast to Vali, the hybrid sending him a look that was the closest to genuine gratitude he'd ever seen on the youth's face.

"I'm glad someone normal is here now-OW!"

Lavinia acted as if she hadn't just flicked the teen on his ear, cheerfully announcing, "Our Enforcer and Taimanin associates should be arriving shortly, I took the liberty of ordering ahead of them so feel free to eat and drink to your heart's content. Tonight is on me~!"

Jesie and Till removed themselves from the beer's confines, still seeming remarkably composed given the size to alcohol disparity as his partner chirped, "You're my favorite!"

"Heh heh, and I get to chat with her on a daily basis~! Too bad for you, princess~!"

A friendly argument erupted between the two as they returned to downing the beer, Vali rolling his eyes as Cayman asked, "I take it the conversation was a bit above your head?"

"Probably above yours as well."

"No arguments here. That aside I apologize about not getting into contact with you at any point prior to this mess, Rossweisse. Shit just got busy. How are things at the university and elsewhere going?"

+5 REP with Rossweisse [50/100]

Feeling yet another pang of genuine sympathy for the socially starved woman when a simple inquiry raised her score he nonetheless kept it from his face, the Valkyrie practically glowing as she replied, "O-oh, that's all right, I know exactly how things can sometimes spiral out of control! No, my teaching work has been going splendidly, just last week finals were given out and my classes had an overall pass rate of eighty-eight percent!"

A slightly unhinged giggle left the woman, eyes dreamy as she mused, "Perhaps a raise is in the near future? Heh heh, a boost to my income means that I could afford to invest in a few more enterprises, perhaps diversify my retirement portfolio…"

Lavinia giggled at Rossweisse's musings while Vali looked as if he wanted to be anywhere other than where he, the Valkyrie seeming to realize where her thoughts were going as she quickly cleared her throat before hurriedly stating, "B-but enough about me, are you recovered from your earlier wounds? You took quite the significant beating."

Inwardly marveling at the fact that he'd recovered from something that would have left him hospitalized for weeks and bedridden for months in his previous reality in under an hour Cayman simply waved about the formerly broken arm, cheerfully commenting, "Till is one hell of a nurse, Lavinia knows her stuff too."

Said nurse was currently trying to balance a shot glass of what looked like whiskey while not getting the liquid to spilled all over her face but he figured the Fairy had earned her keep a dozen times over, Vali idly remarking, "We still let them get away though. That was a mistake."

"True. Not a mistake we can currently do anything about, though. Whatever teleportation shenanigans they used couldn't have been cheap otherwise everyone and their dog's dog would be pulling it."

The hybrid looked ready to argue the point further until Lavinia stood up, happily saying, "Oh, it looks like our final two have arrived! One moment, I'll show them to our table~!"

True to her word the blonde was back a moment later with Kairi and Mai in tow, the Enforcer looking much the same while the Taimanin had switched back to her more casual attire, albeit with her eyes sporting a far off expression and a slouched countenance.

"Oof. Bit of a far cry from how she originally was."

"Take a seat, you two. Lavinia was kind enough to spot us for the whole night, order whatever's on your mind or strikes your appetite."

"After today I think that's going to be a whole damn bottle of hundred proof. I forgot just how much people who work at special ops morgues are lizards in disguise."

Spotting Cayman's raised eyebrow Kairi heavily sat down next to Mai as the Taimanin scooted close to him, elaborating with, "When we show up with a body they want all sorts of details. What happened to it, how it happened, why it happened, when it happened…I work with dead stuff, yeah, but even by my standards those creeps are weird."

Spotting Natsume's knife attached to his hip beneath his jacket Cayman remarked, "Got a souvenir out of it, though."

To his surprise it was Mai who tiredly nodded, explaining, "It's a tradition for a Taimanin to pass on their tools when retiring or killed during a mission to their closest comrade."

Not being aware of that practice but not about to argue the point Cayman just watched as Kairi shrugged, stating, "I worked with her a decent amount the past two years, didn't know I was her most steady point of contact. Kinda sad that someone like me filled that role."

A heavy sigh escaped the man's lips, probably the closest thing to open grief people in that line of business would ever feel comfortable showing as Cayman wordlessly passed them the last few shots that were scattered across the table.

"To absent comrades."

"To absent comrades."

The echoed response to his toast coincided with all of them downing their shots, Cayman blinking as he got a notification.

+10 REP with Mai Nanase [50/100]

"Guess she appreciates me taking the lead in that regard."

Thankfully the arriving food provided a convenient distraction, baskets of fried chicken and fries, hummus and veggies alongside a platter of create your own tacos that smelled insanely delicious to his empty stomach, all delivered by a homely Fallen waitress who sent Kairi a suggestive wink before sauntering off.

A quick sampling of aforementioned sustenance proved that while it wasn't quite up to snuff with Shirou and Sakura's restaurant it was still pretty damn good, rich in flavor and texture as he helped himself with no shortage of gusto. A gusto that was only broken as he heard Vali complain, "Why was everyone else given alcohol and I have soda?"

Blinking as he centered his vision on the scowling hybrid the gamer had to stifle a snort as Lavinia waved about the tumbler he'd passed to him earlier, admonishing, "Young boys shouldn't imbibe spirits, Va-kun. Soda is already bad for your health as it is."

Cayman couldn't quite hold in his snort of amusement as that only seemed to irritate the youth even more, protesting, "Well how come she gets to drink? She's hardly any older than I am!"

Mai raised an eyebrow at the proclamation as Lavinia didn't miss a beat, firmly retorting, "She works in a dangerous profession, I wouldn't deny her a drink here and there."

"And I don't constantly get into dangerous situations?"

Shaking his head and deciding to move the conversation along Cayman asked, "So how is everybody going to handle this moving forward? Not to undersell the gravitas of what we're dealing with but that's a lot of bad news headed our way in the form of a potential union between two truly upstanding individuals."

Everyone adopted pensive expressions, Cayman subtly sliding Vali a full shot glass when nobody was looking alongside a confirming wink.

+5 REP with Vali Lucifer, [30/100]

"Old enough to get your head punched off, old enough to drink."

"Unfortunately there's only going to be so much that I'm able to do."

Thoughtfully downing a fry Kairi continued with, "I was hired by Natsume who's technically a part of Gosha Academy, only becoming tangentially associated with Sanctuary by simple happenstance. Assuming there was anybody at the Clocktower or Enforcer branches I trusted to both take action and not make things worse there's still the problem of actually being able to do anything with the limited information we have on hand."

It was a perfectly sensible state of affairs, unfortunately. While he'd mostly pieced things together from context clues rather than the opportunity to sit down and read a damn book it seemed that the Moonlit world was as reclusive and cagey in this reality as it was in the original. Sure, there was more 'cooperation' and general knowledge of their existence but they didn't have as much public presence as the Supernatural or Demon worlds.

He hadn't seen posters or public safety announcements advising people to watch out for creepy Magi with unmarked vans while there were countless such things for the other two franchises, their existence and methodology seemingly a part of everyday life.

He was promptly interrupted from that train of thought as Vali scowled at his tumbler, setting the frozen glass down with a sharp clink as Lavinia sent the Surveyor a playful wink to let him know his attempt at shiftiness had been noticed.

"Thankfully I'm in a bit more workable of a situation than our esteemed Enforcer is. Grauzauberer is closely affiliated with the Grigori and has good ties with the New Satan Faction, not to mention all of these organizations have no particular love for the Old Satan Faction. While direct, open opposition to this alliance is likely a pipe dream we can certainly begin looking more closely into their activities on the down low."

Rossweisse nodded in agreement, mentioning, "My pantheon would also be curious about this newfound arrangement, if only to stay abreast of things."

Nanase stared at her empty tumbler, expression grim as she said, "One of our own was killed investigating this very matter. And Gosha Academy is used to dealing with matters under the table…this partnership will find itself under threat."

While he doubted it would be as simple or clean cut as Mai made it sound he didn't doubt that the Taimanin would be taking some kind of action. Assuming they still answered to Japan's government as their main source of authority he could see them taking a great deal of independent action under the guise of carrying out their duties. After all, Asagi had appeared to have a great deal of leeway in how she handled operations as long as they were outside of the public eye in the original series.

"...Oh, they're all staring at me. Crap."

Pretending not to be freaked out by the bevy of gazes leveled his direction Cayman merely shrugged, talking out of his ass as he stated, "I'll relay what I know to my superiors but in all honesty it's hard to say whether I'll be assigned to follow up on it. Technically I wasn't a part of this to begin with, I just ran across Mai and Natsume by chance and took things from there."

Thankfully he managed to avoid any further questioning, Jesie loudly proclaiming, "Geez! What's with all this talk of work?! We're supposed to be relaxing and having fun, stop being such sticks in the mud!"

More than happy to take the opportunity of subject change and run with it Cayman gestured towards the annoyed Fairy, musing, "Well? We heard the lady."

"I don't get it at all! Everyone keeps telling me to go out and have fun, or to socialize and make more friends! What's wrong with what I have now? I have fun, I talk to people!"

Angrily ripping into a chunk of crispy fried chicken Vali was doing a surprisingly good job of keeping his cool after downing quite a few drinks that Cayman had finally managed to sneak his way, steady on his feet and only coming off as inebriated if you knew what he was like beforehand.

"Bwah hah hah! Enjoy your youth while you can, kid! You only get one and take that from a Magus that didn't have much of it!"

Kairi enthusiastically smacked the hybrid on his back - causing a small spray of crumbs to decorate the table - as he lounged next to the youth, Mai fervently nodding as her pale cheeks pinked noticeably thanks to a decent chunk of empty shot glasses scattered in front of her.

"Life as a Taimanin is hard…but having a friend is important! It makes things much easier to, to…to move past!"

Smiling in satisfaction as she managed to convey her thoughts on the matter Rossweisse added her two cents, swaying and slurring but nonetheless shouting, "She's right! I didn't have friends in school and it sucked! Everybody was off partying, dating, getting laid…meanwhile I was stuck studying and it was the worst decision EVER!"

A hand clamped down on Vali's shoulder with unyielding strength, the kid's eye twitching at the action as the Valkyrie accomplished the truly novel task of loudly whispering, "I can put in a good word for you, if you want to experience school life. I'm a teacher, I can do those sorts of things!"

"No way, school sounds like a drag!"

Wagging a finger Cayman admonished Vali with, "Now now, no one with an honest bone in their body will deny that school can be a massive pain in the ass but you get out of the experience what you're willing to put in. And trust me on this, school is a hugely improved experience if you know how to budget time, talk to people and look for interesting events."

The hybrid still looked immensely doubtful but didn't immediately shoot down the idea like he had previously, Cayman glancing towards the bar's stage before shaking his head in amusement. Lavinia had begun singing not more than a few minutes ago, Till and Jesie zipping around her and scattering showering lights as they did to give the performance an extra bit of spice while most of the patrons had started cheering or singing along with her performance.

"Can't really hear her all that well over the ambiance of the place but damn, what I can make out is the voice of an angel."

The blonde Longinus wielder certainly seemed in her element, mood exuberant and all smiles as she danced to and fro, Cayman feeling his already good mood perk by simple proximity. And on that note…

"Could you really get someone enrolled in the school programs, Rossweisse? Even if it wasn't necessarily the college division?"

The Valkyrie bobbed her head without hesitation, explaining, "Of course! Tokyo U and its various branches are founded and thrive upon the inclusion of people from all races and walks of life, as a rather accomplished professor and lecturer suggesting a few transfers or newcomers would be child's play!"

Intrigued by the prospect as he now had a way to keep Yumi busy outside of training - as well learning how to interact with countless different peers and such - the Surveyor tabled that option for the moment as Lavinia returned to their corner of the room, a light sheen of sweat adorning her brow and lips pulled into an unstoppable smile as Till and Jesie rode on her shoulders, giggling madly about some subject or another.

They had drank a rather astonishing amount for such small bodies.

"Done already? That sucks, I would have happily listened for the rest of the night."

+5 REP with Lavinia [65/100]

"You're an irrepressible flatterer, aren't you?"

"No flattery in sight, just facts."

Rossweisse chose that moment to give up the ghost, collapsing on top of Vali as the hybrid barely managed to keep her from smashing face first into the table, keeping her head elevated with a single hand as he held her at a respectable distance.

"I suppose that's the end of our little union for tonight, isn't it?"

"That it is."

Rising to his feet with a loud groan and cracking of his neck Kairi announced, "Well, people, it's been fun. You're a damn sight more tolerable than the usual suspects I cross paths with."

Offering a lopsided grin the Enforcer added, "Granted that isn't a very high bar to clear but the sentiment is there. Here."

Taking out a business card and passing it off to Cayman the gamer eyed the numbers and addresses printed, idly asking, "This isn't made out of Human skin or something, is it?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. If you've ever got paying work feel free to get into contact with me. Try to give plenty of advance notice, I'm a busy guy after all."

+10 REP with Kairi Sisigou [15/100]

The man only stopped to offer a respectful nod to the rest of the group before carrying on his way, Lavinia gently levitating Rossweisse out of the booth as Vali stumbled slightly, the blonde chiding the youth with, "See, Va-kun? That's why you shouldn't drink."

"You're all the ones who gave me that stuff in the first place!"

The protest didn't reach receptive ears, Lavinia giving Cayman a radiant smile as she said, "If you ever have information or need of my help don't be a stranger~! Leave word at the bar and they'll recognize your name. Or, if you prefer a more personal touch…"

She withdrew a cutely folded slip of paper from between her bust, the material pleasantly warm from however long it had been residing there, a question Cayman decided not to pursue.

"Feel free to reach out to me~! Be warned, much like our Enforcer friend I'm a very busy woman so plenty of forewarning is appreciated. Ciao, Cayman Lute~!"

+5 REP with Lavinia [70/100]

A peppy wave and then she was heading deeper into the bar, Rossweisse gently floating along in an alcohol induced slumber while Vali gave him a brief nod, swaying a bit as Cayman reached forward to ruffle his hair, advising, "Give the school idea some thought, kiddo. You might be surprised."

"You need to stop treating me like I'm some kind of infant. Especially when I'm stronger than you."

+10 REP with Vali Lucifer, [40/100]

The words didn't match the reality, the gamer merely smirking before giving him one last fluffing of silver hair, Jesie heavily landing on the male's shoulder as she drunkenly drawled, "Y-yeah, what one of you said…see yah around, or something?"

Till collided with Cayman's neck in no better shape than her friend, the impact causing her to release a burp of alarming wetness as she just gave an odd arm spasm that was likely meant to be a wave.

"Oh boy. Can't help but wonder if she pukes literal rainbows."

Returning to Mai as everyone went their respective ways with nothing more than a slight fuzziness between his eyes - he'd started out his career as a lightweight and eventually graduated to a medium weight - he asked, "Ready to head home? On that note what's your plan for getting back to the academy? I sent Yukikaze and Jinglei off with lunches so I'd feel bad if I broke my streak of satisfied Taimanin stomachs."

A slightly bemused smile appeared on the girl's features before it faded just as fast, unsteadily rising to her feet as her pink eyes didn't seem to focus quite right, the Surveyor inwardly sighing to himself.

He knew Rossweisse was a bad drunk but he'd hoped Mai would be a bit more restrained, given her uptight and serious demeanor.

"Guess I'm the designated driver tonight. Who just so happens to be lacking a car at the moment, parking in big metropolitan areas is just as much of a bitch as I remember it being."

"Come on, up and at em'."

"Eh? That isn't-"

Ignoring the Taimanin's protests he easily lifted her onto his back, taking a moment to appreciate the warm and plentiful thighs now supported by his hands as she instinctively looped her arms around his chest, Till unsteadily floating alongside them as she mumbled, "This isn't necessary."

"But it is enjoyable. Just give me a heads up if you feel nauseous, alright?"

A quiet hum left the pale-haired girl, her body weight eventually leaning against Cayman in full as he left the bar, fighting back a yawn as he considered his next moves…and promptly gave it up as a bad job, feeling the events of the day catching up to him as well as a slight buzz.

He needed to call Shirou and Sakura to see how Yumi was holding up on the walk back home but other than that he felt it was a good time to throw in the towel.

"And maybe think about what to summon next. I did get the Incubus King's body part, after all…"