| Role-Play Name: Daring Drunkard Date Started: March 12, 2020 |
Not Yet Happy Hour[]
As a pirate, one would certainly have to get used to long voyages across the sea. And that was especially difficult for someone like Ryusei Remilia. For someone who loves to fight, going on trips that take days at a time with barely anything to do is downright torture. While she wasn't alone anymore, the one she had by her side was constantly sleeping. Black D. Sophia is like an odd little sister who likes to sleep a lot and not do anything. Even when Remilia practices her devil fruit powers by dropping some meteors into the sea, she won't budge.
So while she wasn't alone, she didn't actually want to bother her by waking her up. If she wants to sleep, then so be it. She's reserving energy, which means that Remilia gets to eat more later. Although, they are running low on stocks again. The last time she actually restocked was when she was in that archipelago. It's really about time to find an island again.
Due to lack of crew members on the ship, and Sophia being asleep all the time, she was forced to do most of the work. But because of this, she has quickly gotten the hang of steering a ship, and she is steadily improving. At this rate, she won't need anyone to set the sails and steer the ship for her. But, there is something she really isn't good at. Cooking. She's been stuck with eating lazily cooked fish that she just lied down on a burning meteor. While it was an effective way of preparing food, direct contact with a burning space rock really messes with the flavor.
After a while, Remilia could finally see an island in the distance. It was about time, that's for sure. Just standing on anything that isn't wood would be great right now. Within a few minutes, she had reached the island, letting Sophia continue her constant hibernations and venturing out herself. By this point, Remilia had received her first bounty of 
100,000,000. But, as she was walking through the rather casual and quiet village, people merely looked at her out of curiosity, due to how tall she was. Also, her unique outfit, too.
She might as well enjoy this moment. Considering how the more infamous she got, the more feared she would become. It's like starting school before going to work. Enjoying the young life. Or in her case, get into too many fights, get kicked out of school and earning money by fighting some more. That was truly the Remilia way of living. And only a life of piracy would've enabled her to do just that. And here she is.
It's been quite a while since she's had something good to eat. Something that she didn't have to painfully cook herself. But this quiet little village wasn't exactly good at labeling their places. But there was one place that stuck out. One that actually had a name on it. It was a bar, and Remilia hasn't actually ever had a taste of alcohol. Her father told her it's bad. But bars also got to have food, so she entered regardless.
Remilia bumped her head on the way in and accidentally chipped off a piece of the doorframe. She looked around if anyone saw her, but... the bar was surprisingly empty. Lucky her. Hopefully, the owner wouldn't notice either. But that made her wonder where the owner actually is. It was completely empty. And being inside of the bar also somehow drowned out the noises from outside. It's like she just walked into the void.
"Uh... hello? Anyone here?" Remilia asked as she settled down on a nearby chair. Someone's got to be here, right? She hates to leave on an empty stomach.
The sound of clattering dishes could be heard from the back of the bar followed by loud grumbling as the door leading to the kitchen was suddenly slammed open to reveal Shakti. The young woman's hair was an absolute mess and greasy, implying the young woman hadn't bathed in some time now while her clothes were littered with stains as the scent of alcohol could be smalled from her attire. Overall, she had the appearance of someone who had been working nonstop for the past few days.
The red Oni let out a sigh of relief, having finally finished working on the special project she had been putting all of her efforts into for the past week. It was a nice distraction from the myriad of issues she currently had knocking at her door. She glanced towards the bar and blinked in surprise at seeing someone here so early within the day. It was quite obvious they were a new face within the little town as she remembered the look and smell of everyone in the area and she was unfamiliar as a watered-down beer.
"Well, I wasn't expecting anyone to be within my bar so early within the day but I won't turn anyone away." She said with a smile as she moved in front of the delinquent-looking girl, leaning against the counter. "What exactly can I do for ya, miss....?"
Remilia was actually surprised to see this woman. She was definitely a cut above the rest from appearance alone. She really stuck out... and so did that red horn she had on her head. But what was more surprising was the powerful stench of alcohol that was radiating off of her. It's like Remilia could get drunk off the smell alone. Enough to make her cover her mouth and nose. Even if it seemed rude to do. No wonder this place was empty. If the owner looked and smelled like that, she wouldn't exactly want to come here on her leisure either.
"Sheesh, what the hell have you been going through? Excuse me, but you smell like death. Drunk death, who then died himself. I... I didn't actually come here to buy a drink. I actually wanted to get some food. It's been too long for my taste since I've had something good to eat. But... do you have any food that doesn't smell like booze?"
Remilia stood up from her seat to make some distance between herself and the woman. Even her breath was bad. Like, the only thing she got to drink the last few days was nothing but powerful alcohol. Something was off about this woman. No bartender would arrive to work like this if they actually wanted some customers.
"Did something happen? Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I'd have assumed that you went through some tough stuff. And, I don't mean went through some tough stuff like going through tough alcohol. More like, a rough time. Ah, why do I even ask, it's none of my business... You got some meat here? I could go for some meat."
Shakti nervously scratched the back of her head in thought, being unable to deny how accurate Remilia's question was. She had been going through a rough period for quite some time now but hadn't been able to talk about it to anyone. As a bartender, it was her duty to comfort the patrons who choose to enter her bar by giving them alcohol to consume and someone to speak with. If the morale of the bartender was visibly low, it would seep over into customers and she refused to do that. So, she put on a façade of being alright for the sake of those who wanted to relax.
Of course, that didn't stave off the thoughts she had or the memories she been reliving. If anything, it caused it to resurface more as time went on. So, in an attempt to distract herself, the oni threw herself into her craft as she focused on creating new meals and alcoholic drinks. She'd work herself to the bone in order to prevent herself from thinking about whatever haunted her. She was running away from it in her own way and it made her sick honestly, knowing she was being a coward. She couldn't keep living like this.
Letting out a sigh, Shakti sadly nodded before shifting her gaze towards the grill and gave a smile. For some reason, the girl in front of her reminded Shakti of herself when she was younger. It made her actually want to talk for once. "Yeah, you aren't wrong. I've been going through some tough times and I have been ignoring for a while now. How about I whip you up something tasty and we can talk if you are up for it?"
Remilia must've misjudged this woman. The way she suddenly talked was different. Her tone and face had changed. A bartender would normally always try to look the best and act the best for their customer. But the fact that she didn't try to do this was a clear indicator that something certainly wasn't right. Deep in Remilia's nature, she cares for those who are weak. At least, when she is in a good mood and not mad for some reason. Thankfully, right now she was rather calm.
"Tough times, huh? Well, if it helps you make me a better meal, then I will gladly listen to your issues. Just, don't expect me to be able to help you. I know how girls are. Sometimes we just want to let out all of our issues, but don't know where to take them. I am no hero, you know? Actually, quite the opposite. But, that's a story for another day. Tell me about you."
She showed herself from her usual side. Remilia could stay calm in certain situations and be rather level-headed without being her usual, angry self. But that was also because she saw someone who genuinely seemed to have something troubling her. But the pirate girl did try to sentence her reason in a way that it seemed like she was doing it for herself, and not for the Oni. She walked up to the bar again and settled down. Trying to push herself through the uncomfortable smell because she didn't want to seem rude.
Shakti nodded at Remilia's words, finding her statement to be quite agreeable. She wasn't expecting this girl to actively help her out with the issues that were bothering her. Like she had been told, Remilia wasn't a hero and it would be quite selfish to expect such a thing from a stranger. In fact, the way she acted was quite similar to how she acted when she was younger, being a little spitfire. It was quite nostalgic.
"Alright, I'll whip up some burgers for ya. You'll definitely love the Juicy Lucy." Shakti said pulling out several pre-made hamburger patties and slices of cheese on a tray. Making sure to wash her hands, the Oni got to work to prepare a meal for her new patron and willing listener while telling her story at the same time.
"Let's start from the beginning, ya know. Long before I became the owner of this bar, I used to be a pirate. I wasn't like most pirates who went out of their way to pillage or get in the way of the World Government." Shakti explained with a soft smile, recalling her time as a vagabond of the sea. "I did what I wanted when I wanted. I explored vast islands, meet new people, and learned new things. Granted, I did crack the skulls of several marines and pirates but they ended up coming after me and well, it was actually fun as I enjoyed the challenge. Eventually, I ended up meeting several people who wanted to join me on my adventure and we formed a crew called the Red Horn Pirates.
As she told the story, Shakti was stuffing several slices of cheese in-between two patties before molding them together to create a single large patty. Continuing from there, she seasoned the patty with a special mixture of spices and laid it on the nearby grill, hearing the sound of sizzling as the patty cooked. Grabbing a set of buns, she buttered them and set them on the grill as well.
"They essentially declared me the captain of the crew, saying I was the reason they wanted to become pirates. I tried to tell 'em they didn't have to do so but nobody listened to me, naming the crew after my horn as a sign. Eventually, I just accepted my position and lead them around as we did what we desired. They were my family and I loved each of them dearly." Shakti's smile grew as she regaled her story. However, it soon dropped as her eyes closed in sadness. "Though, that all changed when we met them..."
She calmly took the toasted puns off of the grill and placed them onto a plate before flipping the burger patty over onto its other side. Reaching down below, she opened the freezer and pulled out several frozen fries and placed them into a deep frier, letting them cook for the time being.