Sittin' at a Bar [on the Outside]

[Kakihara Shirokouu]

The pungent, floating, overpowering aroma that only alcohol could bring barely covered the foul stench of the crowd of sweaty, rough-looking men that made up the mainstay of this seedy little pub just outside the Obsidian Palace. It had a reputation for being one of the rougher bars in town; for good reason too. Not only was it a favorite of some of the more seasoned guards, but their criminal counterparts frequented the joint as well. It was home to bars, bribes, and crooked transactions of all shapes and sizes. Bijou fit right in.
Her appearance, though disheveled due to her drunkenness at the moment, didn't fit. She was a pretty girl with long red hair and fair skin. She didn't belong with these dirty, roughnecked thugs that could be seen just about anywhere you looked. "Yoh~! Barkeep! Shlide me anuver!" Her appearance didn't fit. Her loud, worn voice and boisterous bar-vet demeanor did. Bijou's long auburn hair splayed out upon the bar she barely held herself above. She looked down, her hair completely covering her face from all directions, but still managed to catch the drink the bartender slid her way. The unknown Nanjirou was at least well-known enough by this barkeep for him to know better than to try to cut her off this early. Anyway, she could hold her liquor better than just about anyone he'd seen. Not just anyone could best a quarter-ton sumo shot for shot, but he'd seen this girl do it to one of the biggest guards just days ago.

Standing up with a stumble, she took a swig from her 'special blend' she kept tied to her walking staff before heading back over to a table to crash down, sipping on the drink she'd just acquired and slamming her feet upon the raised table. She looked like a parent's perfect imagined high-school hoodlum, just way too old to be acting that way. Who cared? She certainly didn't. She was way beyond worrying about appearances after everything she'd been and seen.

.:. Click to listen to this thread's theme .:.

 

[Kagai]

While it happened rarely, Kagai was known to take a mulligan on his clean living and imbibe alcohol from time to time. It wasn't necessarily a sin in Lord Kojin's eyes, but he frowned upon those that destroyed their bodies in such ways. Every once in a while was fine, but after awhile it just seemed like one was abusing the gift that the Divines had provided you with. This was why Kagai made it a point to visit the bars every so often. They had a tendency to be filled with sad and lost souls in need of saving.

This one in particular had a reputation behind it, but it was nothing Kagai wasn't use to or couldn't handle on his own. While he may of been a preacher, he was a trained Shinobi as well, so he was confident in his ability to protect himself should things go south while he attempted to show these poor lost sheep the error of their ways and guide them back home into gracious light of Lord Kojin. He stepped into the bar, wearing his crimson and black stripped vest, a crimson red shirt, black slacks and shoes. A cigarette was upon his lips and glowed brightly as he took a drag off of it and walked up to the bar, sitting down on one of the empty stools...."Water, please." He would ask the barkeep as he plucked the cigarette out from his mouth and snuffed it out into a near by ash tray.

He looked around the room at all that had gathered here. It seemed like the typical drunken mess, though some of the people looked a bit rougher. They were pretty close to the prison after all, so it was to be expected that the patrons of this bar would come off as a bit more rugged. His water was placed in front of him, and then Kagai stood up, took a drink from his glass, and then stood up upon his stool...."Oh, I pity you all!" He said, attempting to shout over all the noise that was within the bar...."You come here to drink yourselves into stupors....Either out of regret for the things you have done, are about to do, or never got to do....You need not do such things to yourself. Alcohol is no cure, it only numbs the mind and body from the pain...If you wish to be rid of the pain, the only way of doing so is accepting Lord Kojin's light into your life."

 

[Kakihara Shirokouu]

Blurred blotches of color interspersed with forward falling sections of her unwashed hair were all she could get herself to pay attention to, but she could hear everything that was going on. 'Is this dude really gonna preach at a place like this?' She could barely believe what she was hearing. Rarely did anyone have the nerve to say such a thing anywhere. Much less at this bar, on this side of town.

Taking time to sort out which blob was Kagai, Bijou spun around and hurled the entire table at him. Well, that's what she meant to do... What actually happened was she spun around, fell over her drunk-ass self trying to throw a table with one hand, and ended up on the ground in a pile of wood, glass, alcohol, and splinters.
Even louder than the crash was what came after. "I meant to do that!!" The intoxicated Nanjirou exclaimed angrily, her cheeks red with both inebriation and probably a slight bit of embarassment... No. The girl's got no sense of shame. "What's your deal anyway!? Comin' in hurr! Tellin' urs how ta live! Err you any bedder? Hell... Yer shinobi. Queshin' ansur'd." Nope... No shame.

 

[Kagai]

There was always someone like this that popped up when he visited these places. Normally, these were the ones whom were the most damaged. There was always a reason behind people drinking themselves into such a state, and most times it was to, as he just said, numb themselves from the pain they felt. He had seen her fall, heard he yells, though he was barely able to understand her through the drunken gibberish she was spewing..."It is alright, sister." Kagai said in a soft tone of voice as he looked down at the girl...."You need not hate yourself for whatever it is that drives you to do these things....I do no think myself better than anyone. I am just as sinful as the rest of you, I am just trying to warn you of the coming day of reckoning. Judgement Day is nigh, my brothers and sisters, and without proper repentance to Lord Kojin, you shall not be spared when his golden flames bath the world in his glory, reducing all that is wicked to ash."

Kagai bent down at his knees and took his glass of water in hand, taking yet another sip before straightening himself out at the crowd whom seemed to have quieted down thanks to both his outburst and the girls outburst...."You, sir." Kagai said, pointing out a fairly rugged looking man from the crowd. He looked dirty, as if he had just gotten off a long shift of digging to expand the village as it grew underground. His biceps were rather huge, showing signs of wielding heavy machinery for long periods over many years, and had an arm encompassing sleeve-esque tattoo upon his left arm. The design of this tattoo was rather complex, but it seemed to be based around the faces of two children, which Kagai had assumed were his children..."You look like a man who works long hours...A good, just man....A family man. Thanks to the job of tunneling to expand our cities borders underground, you are unable to spend as much time with your family as you would like...This probably leads to troubles with your girlfriend or wife...or possibly even ex-wife." It was a typical scenario, really. It was a fairly common thing, and Kagai had just assumed this was the case when he looked upon the tattoos and the demeanor of the man, whom at first gave a surprised look, and then was overtaken by a sad look, which made it seem as if Kagai was spot on in his guess...."If our forefathers had not sinned as we are doing....Lord Kojin wouldn't of brought about the maelstrom that swirls above head, forcing us to live underground...We must repent and reclaim the promised land above us! If we followed the will of Kojin, you would be able to spend as much time with your family as you like!"

 

[Kakihara Shirokouu]

Sullen swirling emotions of regret must've stirred in the man Kagai spoke to. He broke down, held his head in his hand, and seemed stuck in recollections of the past. A very different set of emotions stirred within Bijou, who had no place for religion in her hardship hardened heart.

"Hahahahahaha~!" Bijou's laugh was hideously loud and obnoxious and got more so with each staccato huff. "So yer evern crazier! Talkin' 'bout tha 'ennnnd tiiiiimes' like errybody's not dyin' day by day irregardless!" She emphasized 'end times' in a mocking tone, clearly disregarding the man's earnest attempt at evangelism. The things that girl'd say. She never did think before she spoke. Things had a tendency to come out a little darker than intended.

 

[Kagai]

Kagai would step down from his stool, a modest smile still upon his face. It was true, such things were difficult to swallow for most, that being all that they knew turning to be a flat out lie, or everything they knew and loved suddenly changing before their very eyes, not giving them time to adapt to said changes. But it was also common place for those whom had not seen the light in the way he had to miss the subtle signs of the coming day of judgement..."It is true that people die everyday despite everything...That is just the circle of life....That cannot be prevented...But what can be prevented is useless, unneeded deaths. Deaths brought about by a lack of knowledge or warning...I am here to warn those who would hear it. I do not expect to save everyone, but I hope to save a few...."

Kagai had an infinite amount of patience for those whom questioned his warnings and teachings. He had come to expect them too and knew that getting upset with a person for not seeing his point of view would be a losing battle if he intended to save the people....It was only when they insulted his God. The last time someone was dumb enough to do such a thing, Kagai had slapped the man across the face, leaving a burn mark in the shape of his palm embedded in the mans face. Some would call it senseless rage, and spout out about how violence never solved anything.

Violence is never a good answer, unless it is used against monsters and heathens, and of course blasphemers.

 

[Kakihara Shirokouu]

Anyone who had just seen the scene before wouldn't have believed this was the same woman. She put her hand on the hilt of her sword; not menacingly, but in a relaxed posture. "The circle of life. The unstoppable flow of things. That's what should be worshiped and revered. There's beauty in the way things flowwww...." The words came out beautifully. It was clearly a moment of brief sobriety for her.

After she finished the final word, a look of sudden discomfort and terror shot into the sloppy swordswoman's eye. Her cheeks flushed immediately. A sweat adorned her brow. Then it happened... Her cheeks became spherical like a blowfish and she could do nothing but turn her head before spewing alcohol all over the broken table and ground past it.
She took a big swig of sake, wiped her mouth and silently looked at some clearly disturbed onlookers for a moment before yelling, "What'rrrr yoo lookin' at?!" Bijou's tone had gone back to just as sloppy in an instant. It was surely an odd scene to see.

 

[Kagai]

It seemed that, for a brief moment, the drunken female was speaking clearly. Where that had come from, Kagai hadn't the foggiest idea, but at least it seemed like she had a few brain cells left. It was not long after that that this girl was paying for her mistake of drinking way too much alcohol, and spewed most of it out onto a table and the floor. The scene made Kagai cringe a bit, strange considering he was a Shinobi and was trained to deal with the goriest of scenes...people puking still made his stomach churn a bit.

He wouldn't throw up, but he would quickly turn himself away just to make sure....."Well then..." Kagai thought as he dusted himself off, trying to play it off as if he hadn't turned away from the sight of puke.."At least you understand the concept of life moving in a circle. A lot of people these days don't even understand that...Either way, I am not trying to tell you how to live your lives. If you all would prefer to live a life of misery and wallow in your self-pity...That is completely up to you. I am just trying to inform you that you don't, and that forgiveness and peace can be found in Kojin's light."

 

[Kakihara Shirokouu]

The girl's retort could be heard in the street outside. "Who says we're in misery!? What's the value of forgiveness in a place like this?!! What the fuck can Kojin do?! " Her finger touched the very tip of the hilt of her blade as she spoke.

Adrenaline coursed through Bijou's veins, slightly sobering her temporarily; at least enough to communicate without slurring. "The only peace a shinobi gets is when they're in the ground... Laid to rest." That darkness in her voice... it crept out once again. "To think any different is naiive. If there was a god up there that passes judgment on us... In his omnipotence, he is unable to understand our struggle and pain. If you ever truly want to get anything done as who we are, shinobi, you can't rely on some higher Lord up above... You have to do it yourself." Did wisdom lie under the drunk facade Bijou maintained? It certainly was starting to seem so.

 

[Kagai]

"Your demeanor tells me that you are in misery, despite your best attempts to hide it. Forgiveness can go along way to calm the warrior spirit of a shinobi, especially when they are forced to kill other people without question. It is part of the job, but it does take a toll on ones spirit after you have slayed many people, especially when you aren't told why you are to kill them." Kagai clenched his fist a bit, trying his best to hold himself back from striking this woman to silence her blaspheming mouth.

"He does know our struggle and our pain, and while he cannot directly interfere, he has provided me with the means of spreading his teachings, to allow those whom are faithful to not fear. The day of reckoning is coming, and all will get their just rewards once the cleansing flame settles down." Kagai's clenched fist became a little tighter, but his smile never left his face..."So...in a way....You are right. The only way we are going to get anything done is if we do it ourselves..." This idea sort of made sense to Kagai, even if it was coming from a blasphemer..."Interesting...You pick some odd ways to get your message across, my lord.." He thought to himself as he awaited a possible reply from this woman, who had apparently sobered up during their little philosophical debate. Most of the other patrons of the bar seemed to be distancing themselves, or leaving the establishment as it seemed to becoming a bit more tense than usual in here.

 

[Kakihara Shirokouu]

Completely oblivious to the religious spiel the reverend insisted upon relaying, Bijou caught only the man finishing by repeating the words she had just spoken. "You jes' copyin' what I sayn now?!?Bah! Whaddaya idjeelistic'n dogmastic religulous mudderflubbers know anyway?" She seemed to get more incoherent with each word said. By the end of the drunken rant, Bijou was barely able to string together cohesive thoughts.

Nevertheless, she was no teetotaler. She slammed her empty drink on the bar, plopped down bow-legged, and yelled, "Scooter! Gimme anuver round!" She didn't know the barkeep's name. Scooter worked fine enough, she figured. Bijou would then proceed to stare into her drink, fighting off frustrated thoughts of unwanted self-awareness, until it filled up time and time again...

[Topic Left if Kagai Leaves (Sittin' at the Bar)]

 

[Kagai]

All Kagai could do now was smile from ear to ear as he looked around at the patrons of this bar. He recognized that the majority of these people were good people, and thus he had no wanting to do what he wanted to do, nay, what he needed to do to keep his more bestial nature at bay. This always happened when he got 'heated' and this blasphemous female had pushed the right buttons that set him down a path that he knew all too well, and had no way to deter himself from save being a person, or persons, within an inch of their lives.

Without another word, Kagai would slowly turn himself about and proceed back out the door he came in at, that smile still plastered upon his face as he left to search for some type of outlet for his rage.

[Topic left]