jigokulogs | open 🌙 july catchall

[ this is a lame game!! it's mostly rng!!! well, sort of. barton supposes if he were keen and practiced enough at rock-paper-scissors, he'd be able to read this opponent's choice before he'd made it known, but... ]

[ that's not now. ]

[ rock, paper, scissors - shoot! ]

[ barton throws paper. ]

[Barton's opponent throws down scissors... Super effective. He swivels his hips and dances his joy at winning that first round. Monts is pretending not to notice and gives a polite little clap.]]

Great job you two! But we still have two more rounds to go!

[Mr. Libido is so confident, that he'll use scissors again!]

Edited 2022-07-19 04:10 (UTC)

[ oh my god. the first loss has barton's blood pressure rising already - two more rounds? more like if he loses only one more time, due to pure chance alone... ]

[ so barton balls his hand into a fist again. but this time, instead of throwing something more appropriate, he just - winds it up to throw a really, really nasty right hook at mr. libido's jaw. ]

Rock!!

[Monts eyes widen as Fist beats Scissors... Truly, a genius tactical move! Mr. Libido caught unawares, is knocked off his feet and up in the air. When his body flops to the ground, one of the servers... Just gets a mop and.

Well, someone's got to clean up the mess. The other hostesses have wide eyes at Barton's display of power, but let's be real no one is complaining about someone finally giving that perv what he deserved.]

Uh.

Well.

[Monts awkwardly shifts her feet and crosses her arms, her brow wrinkled with confusion.]

... It isn't weird if I said I was thinking about doing the same thing if you didn't win right?

[ !! ]

[ barton looks immensely pleased with this outcome - considering he hadn't really thought that maneuver through. like, at all. he laughs at monts' comment. ]

Ha ha ha! Not at all, that would've been a sight to see! [ while he already realizes that monts is not only all that she appears, he couldn't be sure if strength was one of her hidden talents. barton crouches near to mr. libido; he maneuvers him so as to secure his wrists behind his back. ]

Agh, shit, I don't have my handcuffs on me, though. [ weapon? check, but he hadn't foreseen the opportunity to operate on a warrant. to both the server with the mop, and monts, ] You have some rope, or something?

[ what are the odds a hostess club has some restraints around.... somewhere.. ]

Well, we're not a brothel or S&M joint, but...

[As if on cue, another youkai server passes by and solemnly holds out a rope that is definitely not used for kink stuff, what are you thinking.

"Thank you for your assistance, dear customer. This is courtesy of the house."

Monts tries to hold back a grin.]

There you go. Proper Enma work at last, huh?

Huh? I'm always doing proper Enma work...

[ --says barton, making quick work of tying mr. libido's hands. he may be somewhat out of it following that hit, but he does manage to ... moan, loudly and wantonly, as barton tightens the knot. barton sighs; after taking his phone and sending a message out, he hauls mr. libido to his feet. ]

Gimme a sec... I'm gonna have someone pick this guy up, but I'll be back. [ --which entails escorting their streaker off premises, because yeah, he can at least respect not dragging any more enma members into this establishment. ]

[Barton, be gentle... Monts makes no remark at Mr. Libido's, uh, noises as he gets tied up. She waves them off as he goes to get rid of him.]

I'll get you a free drink for your trouble Barton. You definitely saved us a lot of energy and time trying to drive him out.

Really? Thanks!

[ at this point, it'd feel stupid to turn down a free drink. he'll be a few minutes - once he's passed on their streaker to other officers, he does at least feel the satisfaction and relief of a mission accomplished. he doesn't have to know for now that mr. libido will slip away before serving even a minute of time. man's a slippery, modern houdini. ]

[ when he shows up again, he approaches monts with renewed energy to his step, wearing a sliver of a grin. now, to be frank - ]

Ha... You're gonna have to tell me how this works. [ whatever guidelines there may be; he's at least figured out he just doesn't sit around for free, alas. ] This isn't something I've done before!

Most people are new to this. I was too, you know, but I guess I liked the work enough in terms of earning personal income.

[Their free drink is served to them in the form of a light vermouth that can be enjoyed over ice throughout the evening.]

This drink is on me for the rest of the night, but they'll let you know what the flat entrance fee is. Otherwise, I'd say you can take your mind off of that and just chat with me instead.

[Monts smiles at Barton as she offers him a glass.]

And it can be about anything that's on your mind. I'm here to listen after all.

[ ... barton thinks he now has a better idea of what this is all about. he accepts the glass, taking a sip as he mulls over her explanation. he hasn't a clue in pinpointing most the notes of flavors to the beverage, but it's very tasty..! ]

Ha. So all the lonely bastards gather here, huh...?

[ --is what he's garnered. this isn't spoken with a particularly vitriolic tone, despite his choice in language. over the rim of his glass, his gaze flits over any of the remaining customers; many simply chatting and looking comfortable with one another. some overly comfortable, probably. barton lounges back in his seat. ]

How do I know you're not gonna run off and tell people 'bout stuff? We're in different factions, you must hear loads of embarrassing crap.

You could say that. Some people find it easier to loosen up around a pretty face or two even if they have to pay a premium to do so.

[Barton's question makes her hum with amusement as her lips graze her drinking glass.]

Believe it or not Barton, I keep my cards close to my chest. Anything I hear, unless a higher-up asks me directly, I'm not going to pass it along so irresponsibly even for a chuckle or two.

Even I haven't disclosed information about myself to people in my faction. That's just how I've always been though, before all this.

[ a premium! good lord, maybe it is better that barton doesn't yet know the price tag attached to this interaction. his wallet can suffer later. for some reason, that monts hasn't exactly divulged much ... even to her own faction mates, doesn't surprise him to hear. ]

... Sounds like you could use visiting [ what is it -- host club? hostess club? it doesn't matter much, in the end, he guesses. ] one of these clubs, yourself.

[ just sayin'. barton then frowns at his drink, the belated realization hitting. he nudges monts' foot lightly with his own. ]

Ah! We forgot to toast. [ THAT WAS HIS BAD ]

Haha! I already have a bar I visit on the weekends.

[Thanks Shylock, good ol' dependable bartender wizard and fellow Tamamo. She'll brightly add:]

Besides, I'd prefer people to pay me to talk to them rather than the other way around!

[GURL...

Anyways, when he brings up the toast, Monts lifts her glass to him.]

A toast then! To good times in hell!

[ well, all right, that makes sense. but sometimes u gotta open up to ppl, monts! barton chimes his glass lightly against hers, then taking another drink of it. agreed a little reluctantly, but agreed all the same, ]

Guess that's the least we can do, enjoying ourselves where we can!

[ isn't that what he's doing now, after all? jigoku certainly is a whole different ballgame compared to illumina; they tended to favor mostly all work, no play. he makes a thoughtful noise. ]

I'd prefer to get outta here sooner rather than later, though. [ he looks at her, inquisitively. ] Wouldn't you?

Mm. Well.

[She sets her glass on top of her lap, giving no mind to the ice sweat sliding down the side.]

I would, yes. But we have our contracts to be concerned about.

Well, I know that! We'd have to complete 'em first to go back, isn't that how it works?

[ more of a rhetorical question, even if he supposes it depends what exactly someone had agreed to; maybe escaping home entirely? hm. he leans forward in his seat, propping an elbow to a knee, then his chin into a hand. he takes a longer drink of his wine. ]

I certainly hope so.

[Monts continues to be thoughtful over her own drink.]

The witch I worked for hasn't told me everything there was about things like magic and such, but I kind of have an idea about things like geas and curses. They can be very tricky and if you don't understand the terms completely, it can be bad for both parties.

What I'm saying here is that I'm... Hesitant. [She glances around to make sure there isn't anyone listening in on them.]

I wish we had a guarantee that we can complete our contracts without incident.

[ barton listens, eyebrows lifting with curiousity. admittedly, while he's unfamiliar with the word "geas" (if he's read or heard it before, he probably skimmed over it), he can make a guess from context. ]

[ and even if it's a serious topic, he apparently can't help the sardonic laugh that escapes him. ]

In a place like this, it's pretty much guaranteed there will be some ridiculous incident, yeah?

Mm. I thought I'd get used to it by now, but... Well, I suppose even a magic cafe is rather limited in what I'd be able to experience.

[She didn't have to be stuck there, for one thing. The Midnight Grind had become a safe space for her to meet others on common ground. Jigokucho, Marianna was all alone and looking after herself even when taken in by the Tamamo Clan. There weren't many that she was allowing past her exterior.]

I won't sugarcoat it. It's been hard even on the days where we can have a routine akin to normalcy.

[She smiles at Barton and it's less pretty and coy and more wistful and gentle and painted with a hint of soft melancholy.]

I like some people here though. I like you so far and we haven't talked all that much. But hey.

[She follows her comment with a grin.]

How can I dislike a dashing man who punches a pervert in a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors?

[ !

barton hadn't anticipated her comments to lead that direction; his eyes have rounded, the smirk slipping from his expression. even while monts completes her thoughts with some cheekiness, he can't pinpoint it as just flirtatious teasing - that would be simpler to contend with. with a snort, ]

Ah... I see you're gunning hard for the tips, huh?

[ -- spoken lightheartedly. however tips may work in this transaction; maybe it's something he's expected to add to whatever the terrifying final bill should look like. ]

If you hanging 'round with a cop wouldn't raise too many eyebrows, it's not like I wouldn't wanna train with you, or whatever. [ clearly. ... but anyway, indeed whatever that means. ]

[The remark about the tips makes her laugh and poke his shoulder playfully.]

C'mon! Don't make me sound like such a money-grubber!

I don't know much about training, but I guess a workout wouldn't be out of the question. Oh, but I wouldn't want to take the place of anyone who's already your training buddy.

[Speaking of, let's get to the good part of her job... Monts leans forward, looking a little eager.]

Do you have an eye on anyone else Barton? It can't just be me, right?

Edited 2022-07-23 21:31 (UTC)

[ barton eyes her; he tips his glass back to drain the rest of his drink, then to set it aside with a slight clatter. thankfully, he's pretty good at playing stupid, but also just... tends to be pretty stupid... ]

Training buddy... Do I look like the kinda guy that would really only have one?!

[ with a glint of pointy teeth, there's a short burst of laughter. ]

I used to have an entire legion to keep in top notch shape! I gotta keep a whole roster to cycle through, keep it exciting.

Oh? Tell me more! You definitely alluded to a rather interesting world last we talked over text!

[She already has the idea that he's some sort of combatant, but the girl needs more deets.]

But don't think I've forgotten about my original question. I know I'm charming, but with your stature, I don't think I'm the only one looking at you with admiration.

[ monts, please. he's gonna tip you, okay! anyway, barton makes a thoughtful noise. ]

You'd have to ask me specially what you'd wanna know 'bout it -- where I'm from is way, way [ ... better ] different from this place, that's for sure! I dunno if it's all interesting.

[ he thinks he's already mentioned this part to monts, but he'd reiterate it proudly and without flinching anyway, ]

I'm Commander of the Second Legion of the Illumina Federation's Enlightenment Army; third in the chain of command, tied with the other commanders.

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