september catch-all

[feisticuffs]

🧙 WHO: Jade & anyone!
⚔️️ WHAT: Quests, other open prompts.
🕒 WHEN: Early September.
🗺️ WHERE: Various
⚠️ WARNINGS: Sexual themes/content involved in the Hot Knights quest.


i. hot knights

a. undercover
[There had never been any question as to whether or not Jade would take this job. The description alone brought back countless too-vivid memories, the bright reds and golds of the casino at Octagonia still burned deep into her memory, along with the cries of those who had been captured to become food or playthings for monsters— or, in many cases, monsters themselves. Indeed, there is no question about what needs to be done for these Celliwig knights, and while the predicament she had found herself in upon storming Octagonia on her own should give her pause, it doesn’t. Instead, it only fuels her further, driving her to make use of her experiences in that place to get in and get out undetected.

She opts to go undercover. At last, that costume some power had seen fit to have accompany her to Camelot as some kind of cosmic joke will finally be put to good use.

It’s mildly unsettling how quick the establishment is to take on new talent, but Jade has already decided that this is the best way to gather the information necessary to free the captured knights without causing more ruckus than she absolutely has to. And, should things fall apart and the situation ends up requiring a more direct, violent approach— well, win-win for her. She’ll take that, too.

Of course, being undercover means actually having to do the job, though as a new ‘employee,’ she’s fortunate enough to end up waiting tables. She approaches the table she’d been pointed towards by the bartender with a tray of glasses, collecting herself and letting her lips curl into a sly smile as she does so.]

Hey, there. First timer?

[Regular patron, fellow would-be knight-rescuer, familiar face, or some combination of the above? You decide.]

b. rescue
[Once she has the opportunity to break away from the main floor of the club, Jade spends every free moment she has trying to figure out the layout of the building, mapping out escape routes in her head. None of her breaks are long enough for her to make as much progress as she would like, but once her shift is over in the early morning hours, she quickly sets to finding where the Celliwig knights are being kept. Whether the owner of this place means to use them as talent or keep them as pets, it doesn’t matter— she intends to see each and every one of them set free, and any other unwilling souls who have found themselves trapped here, besides.

Why, of all things, must places like this be constants between worlds?

Once the captives are located, she starts making quick work of the bonds holding one particularly despondent-looking knight— he shies away from her when she first approaches, assuming her to be in league with their captor, but she quickly shakes her head as she frees his wrists.]

Keep it down! I’m getting you out of here!

[Here to help out, or maybe a captive yourself? Whichever the case, better get out quick before drawing too much attention.]

c. wildcard
[Maybe you, too, have chosen to go undercover. Maybe you’re among those friends Jade has informed of her whereabouts— just to be safe— and want to make sure she’s not getting in over her head. Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a compromising position in trying to take this job on for yourself, maybe even caught the eye of this establishment’s monster madame while trying to help the captured knights? Whatever it is that’s brought you to this monster-run strip club, it probably won’t be easy to get out alone and unscathed. Time to join forces!]

ii. shear determination

[Jade hadn’t fully appreciated how tall a single foot wasn’t until she saw these sheep in person. Even aside from their fire-breathing abilities, she can see why even experienced sheep-shearers might have trouble with these— a cautious approach was going to be necessary.

She exhales as she collects herself, folding her arms in front of her as she gamely looks to her partner for this particular quest. No time like the present!]

Well, then. Any thoughts on our plan of attack?

[Caution should definitely be at the forefront of their minds, she thinks. If they do well here, it will be well worth it— the pay being offered is nothing to sneeze at.]

iii. national mushroom month

[Normally, Jade is inclined to take the more active sort of odd jobs that pop up throughout Camelot— typically those that require a rather physical solution in the interest of playing to her strengths, but the simplicity of gathering mushrooms for National Mushroom Month had appealed to her in a way she couldn’t quite explain. As a result, she now finds herself at the edge of the Dusklight Woods with whoever else has seen fit to volunteer for this particular task, gathering and sorting mushrooms depending on what’s fit to eat and what’s better off being sent to the apothecary.

She pauses to give one an experimental sniff after picking, looking thoughtful for a moment.]

This one is safe.

[Into the growing basket of edible mushrooms it goes. Something about foraging reminds her of some of the warmer moments in her childhood; there hadn’t been many, to be sure, but she and Rab had spent so much time on the road fending for themselves that there had certainly been many instances in which the only thing they had to eat was whatever they could find for themselves in the wild. A faint smile pulls at one side of her mouth as she approaches the next cluster of mushrooms; when she had been small, she’d always hated chores like these, but Rab had managed to spin things by turning foraging into a sort of game, knowing that speaking to her competitive nature always put the princess in better spirits.

Fond memories are interrupted as she investigates the next bunch, recoiling and wrinkling her nose as the scent marks them as clearly not safe to eat.]

Ah— apothecary, for these. [She makes sure to put it in with the appropriate findings, then looks to whoever is gathering alongside her.] I think it’s been an even split so far. Find anything particularly interesting?

iv. shining karaoke

[Jade’s work at Shining Karaoke typically keeps her in the kitchen, but tonight the establishment’s public bar had been a bit short-handed, and with the security portion of her job being typically light given the nature of the business, she had been quick to offer her help. It was good for her to keep busy, especially lately, and over the last few months she’s found herself quite at ease with the bar’s general ambience.

She smiles and approaches any newly-arrived patrons who may head towards the bar, leaning against it with one arm as she inclines her head to greet them.]

Looking to make use of a room, or just here for a drink?

[Either way, she’s happy to help.]

Comments

undercover

[morns]

( working undercover is a good way to get in, but Kate opts for the one that doesn't involve trying to act like she gives a single fuck about customer service:

she turns up as a customer. though, one that dresses in a way that would not be out of place for a staff member.

(what? she looks good and she knows it.)

tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear, she settles herself into a table, left alone for only a few seconds before—

ah. well... give her a moment, Jade. she's just enjoying the view. )

Aye. ( she won't say anything about familiar faces, because it doesn't take a genius to guess that they're here for the same purpose. ) What d'ya recommend?

[feisticuffs]

[Really, Kate blends right in either way— there isn't a lot of difference between some of the staff and a good handful of the customers when it comes to clothing, and Kate certainly looks comfortable with herself the way things are, as well as the situation. Jade, of course, recognizes her immediately— it would be hard not to— but maintains character even as her smile takes on a knowing sort of hitch.

She's willing to bet they're here for the same thing. She inclines her head, leaning forward to rest a hand against the table once she's set her tray down and set a glass of water in front of the 'customer' in question.]

Personally? I find the 'fancy' drinks boring. I prefer something strong and direct.

[Straight liquor, Kate.]

There are some special reserves in the back that could stand to be brought out, though.

[Not talking about liquor that time, if it wasn't obvious.]

[morns]

( she knows she could have just stuck to her normal outfits, to leggings or jeans and a top and looked like a customer but... where's the fun in that, honestly? she looks good, though next to Jade's little worker bunny outfit—

ahem. right. she's here to rescue some burly heroes. truly a terrible fate which has befallen them, indeed. (she'll behave, but you have to admit that as far as quests go, this is far more entertaining than trying to wrangle fire breathing sheep.)

taking the glass, Kate nods along to Jade's words (a girl after her own heart with that drink choice) and lets a gentle flair of blood magic pulse through her and note down the bodies milling about. customers. bouncers. staff members. )

Been in there a long time? ( no they are not talking about booze now, and if Childe were here, he'd delight in the coded chatter, she's sure, but it's for the best when you're plopped in the middle of a room of potential enemies. )

Special reserves need something fancy, don't you think?

( read: they're probably not walking these guys out the front door. )

C - A Girls' Night Out

[inemeraldfaith]

[It is not entirely impossible that Aerith might have found herself in just such an establishment. Curiosity is, after all, a powerful force and has certainly pulled her in various directions that she really has no business being in. This time, it's not entirely her doing. But she also doesn't blame Tifa either.

If something is going on and there's something they can do to put a stop to it or otherwise address it, isn't that their responsibility? The lack of action can, at times, be just as awful as taking the wrong action. In fact, sometimes even doing the wrong thing is better than doing nothing at all. The moment Tifa shares what limited information she's got takes barely any thought from Aerith before she decides that she must come along.

And assist.

The actual environment of where they mean to infiltrate is... a little much. It's like the Honeybee all over again, except... Well. There are some obvious differences. Aerith has the good sense not to seem too terribly evident in her reaction, however. She does, however, edge in closer to Tifa, curling an arm around hers before she leans into her ear, using a quiet and unsuspecting voice that's easily drowned out by the noise embracing them.]

Oh, you know... maybe we should've dressed more appropriately. Think we can find any spare costumes?

[Maybe it's time to get their risqué dressing on. If she can convince Tifa into that. But there's always more than one way to get a job done.]

[starshower]

[Being a bartender has prepared her for a lot of things, and Tifa figured that what skills she's picked up might be just the thing she needs when walking into an establishment along the same vein, but... Nothing could have prepared her for this. The thumping of the music drowns out her own thoughts as well as Aerith talking in her ear, and it reminds her more of the Honeybee Inn, a place she only knows through rumours without being able to see it herself, but it carries the same sort of stink that lingered in the walls of Corneo's mansion. It could just be that she knows that there's something fishy going on, but there's plenty about this place that has her stomach turning with awkward discomfort.

So when Aerith pulls herself closer to Tifa, she mirrors her movements and does the same, clutching onto her arm at the door.]

Uhh...

[A shirtless man with a tray wanders by, and he flexes his muscles for them before continuing on to a table, and Tifa can feel the heat shoot up into her cheeks. Maybe she didn't think this through as well as she should have, and the realization lunges further to the forefront of her mind when she spots the costumes she assumes Aerith is talking about. They didn't exactly dress appropriately, it's true, and they stick out like sore thumbs. Especially when she sees what some of the women are wearing.]

Maybe...? You think it might make it easier?

[And among them... is that... a bunny suit!?]

Hot Knights - Undercover

[tantailizing]

[He's not entirely dressed up himself, but he did at least bother to try and hide the fact he might be armed. He couldn't, and shouldn't, take his chances while on this one. Joints like a strip club can hide all sorts of other shady activities just like a tavern or bar. He'll even keep his tail around his waist to keep it from getting tangled in the mess of bodies walking around.]

[When he's approached by the waitress in a bunny outfit (which looked very nice), he gives a smile and nods.]

Oh yeah! I heard there was some hot new additions to the staff~ Maybe you're one of them?

[And though he's smirking, his eyes read something different. She didn't look out of place, but did she need help?]

[feisticuffs]

[Though she doesn't recognize him, he does seem a bit out of place to her— partly from how young he appears compared to some of the other patrons, but that look in his eyes confirms it. The smile is a pretense; he's not here to do the sort of business that the club's monster madame specializes in.

Her own smile hitches wider, but noticeably doesn't reach her eyes— she gives him just the barest shake of her head, almost indiscernible if someone weren't looking for it, hoping it serves as answer enough for his unasked question.]

The staff certainly is growing. The boss knows what she likes, and she's brought in plenty that are to her tastes.

[Jade hasn't found them yet, but from asking around, it sounds like the number of new additions is larger than she first thought.]

Aren't you a little young for a place like this?

Hot Knights-Wild Card!

[ofsilverflame]

"Hey, new girl!" One of the managers waves Jade over. "There's another of you new hires needs some supervising and all the other girls are busy. Keep an eye on her, yeah? Make sure she doesn't spill anymore drinks on people, it's costin' us money, or it's both your asses. Get a move on."

The other "new hire" stands a few feet away by the bar, looking more than a little annoyed. Silver hair cascades down the back of her emerald bunnygirl suit, and her bunny-ear headband is a little skewed.

Chris sees Jade approaching and mentally curses herself. Fantastic, a minder. This undercover job is going terribly so far. At this rate, she's never going to get close to finding the captives. She'll have to shake this other woman before she can get anywhere.

"Ah...apologies. I hope I'm not in too much trouble. It's my first night and...nerves, I suppose." That and the bunnygirl costume involved a lot more skin and cleavage than she usually made a habit of showing. Borus would probably faint dead away if he could see his captain's exposed shoulders like this. To say nothing of the...fishnets.

"Um, listen, I know we're quite...hopping tonight, but maybe five minutes in the back would help calm me down a little. That last man was...a little angry with me for ruining his suit. Do you think the managers would mind if I snuck away?"

[feisticuffs]

Initially, Jade has to swallow down her initial reaction to being shouted at in a bid for attention— it only takes a brief moment to remind herself that yes, she's here under the pretense of being new, and so she'll have to play the part if she wants to stay long enough to get the real job done. She forces a smile when she turns to face the manager, giving a nod as she's waved over.

"I'll take care of things here. You go on," she says with enough confidence that the manager in question apparently feels comfortable doing so, giving a nod of affirmation before he turns and leaves the room to tend to things elsewhere. Once he's gone, Jade's smile fades into a more neutral expression, and she purses her lips slightly at the other young woman's request, thoughtful.

"Not an excellent way to get in their good graces on their first night, but if I went with you, we could manage a few minutes. Given that he just asked me to help, I don't think it would be good for either of us if you were caught wandering somewhere on your own. We can take a short breather and then regroup?"

Sorry, Chris, you're not getting into that back room without her, it seems.

ii. shear determination

[sapphirecontess]

[ Musse sizes up the situation as she begins to call forth a blue aura of magic around her ]

Would I be correct in assuming you are pretty quick? Water and ice is something of a specialty of mine, I think I can give you a protective barrier that should deal with the fire if you're able to take care of the shearing part.

[feisticuffs]

That would be a fair assessment.

[Jade smiles gamely; she knows she doesn't look like much going from build alone, but she knows well how to use her dexterity and agility to her benefit. Her strength may be formidable, but that doesn't always mean much when half the monsters she runs into back home are three times her size.]

That's a clever idea— you're sure it will hold up? Ideally, we'll be able to make them comfortable enough that they won't breathe fire at all, but I'll never say no to a bit of added protection.

Mushrooms! 🍄

[sereneadherent]

[Marianne, too, is reminded of happier childhood days as she and Jade forage together. When her parents still lived, her father would take her out to the woods near their home to forage mushrooms and enjoy the cool autumn air together every year. In those moments, it was easier to feel free and breathe easily without fear of other people. It felt less like her and her father against the world, and more like simply being father and daughter.

Having a friend as dear as Jade has become makes these warm feelings that much more pronounced, even if she doesn't share the competitive spirit. Their light-hearted bet on who owes the other dinner after they finish gathering is not looking good for Marianne right now. Her own baskets are less full.]

I've noticed that as well. I suppose that's for the best, since we'll have both food and medicine from our haul.

[feisticuffs]

Glad to know that whatever we bring back will be put to good use either way, too.

[She doesn't know that she's ever come across a city that celebrated mushrooms before, but the idea of it isn't at all unlike many of the festivals or smaller celebrations she's come across in her travels over the years. She offers Marianne an easy smile as she tucks the apothecary-bound mushrooms into the appropriate basket, brushing her hands off against one another before bracing them against her hips and scanning the immediate area.]

I think we could probably move on to the next clearing before too long. I have to say, we've been making short work of this place— you forage like an expert, Marianne.

ii. shear determination

[standvastig]

Deceptively dangerous little creatures, are they not?

[Hendrik reads over the description for the request again, rather amazed that the sheep are in fact that small. If not for the warning, he would have wandered right up, startled the tiny things, and ended up barbecued.]

Considering their size, I imagine they will not take well to overhead shadows. We should approach from their blind spot while they face the sun.

[They should at least be very easy to scoop up.]

If things get out of hand, the others will undoubtedly scatter. We should know where we plan to shear the sheep.

[feisticuffs]

[Stealth and delicacy are hardly among his natural talents, are they? This, she thinks, is a task that will certainly take the both of them to solve. Hendrik may not have experienced how well they've come to work as a team back in Erdrea, but she certainly remembers.]

Their blind spot would be...

[She takes a moment to thoughtfully use her hands to sort out the right angle, studying one of the minute sheep from a safe distance. Right.]

Perfect. That should work nicely. I have to ask— have you shorn sheep before?

[So many of her childhood memories of him are as a young knight, but she knows that wasn't always his path.]

i, a-b super combo

[gunmettle]

[ After he and Jade’s little chat, it was ultimately decided that they would show up at the club separately, so as not to arouse suspicion. The reasoning is completely solid, and Juzo agrees with it, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. The second he’d stepped into this godforsaken place, he felt way, way too many eyes on him. It made him uncomfortable.

To say nothing of the waitstaff and the dancers who make it a point to crowd into his space and flaunt their… um. Assets. Juzo is fairly certain his chamber is going to blow just from sheer embarrassment, and he’s wondering just why he bothered to take this stupid job in the first place.

Thankfully, if he keeps his mouth shut, most have taken it as a sign of disinterest and move on, until the next one comes along. He’d ordered a drink just to keep up appearances, and when yet another waitress appears at his side, he braces himself for the worst and-- oh. It’s just Jade. ]

First and last timer, if I have my say.

[feisticuffs]

[Yep, it's just Jade.

It was, perhaps, an oversight on her part that some of the people here might find Juzo particularly interesting— while she never doubted that he would draw some attention with that head of his, on top of his build, she hadn't really considered that certain parties might find him... exotic.

Now, here at the club with countless eyes on him, she can't help but wonder if she'll have to be the one guarding him when the time comes. He can certainly more than take care of himself, but she's willing to bet those Celliwig knights had been no slouches, either.]

Well, good of you to try something new.

[She offers him a knowing smile in response, and there's a silent "thank you" in her gaze along with it. She passes him the drink he'd ordered, having jumped on the opportunity to deliver it as soon as she'd realized where it was going. She leans in as she sets it down on the table beside him, lowering her voice so as not to be overheard by unwelcome ears, with the side-effect of showing him more of her than he'd probably like to see.]

I think I'm getting close. The boss really isn't taking any chances with these guys, but I found where they're being kept. I should be able to sneak in on my next break, if all goes according to plan, and then— well, I imagine my cover won't be any good anymore.

[They'll have to start hitting things.]

ii. shear determination

[cantgetanyworse]

Ah...

[Jane's only ever really seen sheep sheared and has little idea of how to go about it in person, but she wanted to do something 'hands on' and this felt like the one least likely to get her in some kind of trouble.]

They're so cute. [She murmurs to herself, then glances quickly to Jade.] But we shouldn't startle them. They're prey animals, so that isn't going to be easy. [Here, the zoologist in her comes out. She purses her lips.]

But at the same time, they should be used to being sheared..? So maybe this won't be too hard. I have healing magic if something happens.

[feisticuffs]

[Jade nods in agreement— it's not necessarily the shearing part she's worried about, apart from perhaps slipping and cutting one of them too close, but she's always been dexterous enough that it's probably no real concern.]

They ought to be accustomed to it, but they're jumpy enough that their keepers needed to outsource this particular chore. That healing magic might come in handy before we're done.

[She does not like the idea of getting herself burned in the process, but it wouldn't be the first time. A well-aimed healing spell would take care of any such incidents.]

I'm pretty light on my feet, so approaching quietly shouldn't be a problem. What about you?

[Jane is slight enough that Jade wouldn't be surprised if she managed stealth easily, but it has to do with experience as much as build.]

ii

[saxsongs]

[Ren wasn't sure why he had signed up for shearing sheep. He had never done anything like it... but he supposed it was fun to get new experiences.

Ren looked at the rather tiny sheep with a thoughtful look.]

I can try gently holding them in place with Kinetic magic.

[feisticuffs]

That could be a great help— it's worth a try.

[She's happy to do the actual shearing part; though she can't claim to have any extensive experience in this area, she'd spent years making a living off of odd jobs while on the road, and there had been no shortage of farm chores that people were often willing to pay someone to help out with. These sheep were just... smaller than the ones she'd encountered before.

And also breathed fire. Well, nothing dragons didn't do, and they were much larger obstacles.

She smiles as she pulls one of the small pairs of shears they'd been given out of her bag, giving Ren a sidelong glance.]

It's interesting, seeing you outside of the karaoke bar.

1b

[crimsongirl]

[She really should have seen this quest coming eventually. In her world, these were common. Many people, even the most powerful of shinobi, could hardly ignore such...temptations, if Homura had to assign a word to it. And given how the powers worked, it seemed natural now, barring perverts who always wanted some more to stare at; a pity the legendary Hanzo turned out to be one such person. But fine, Homura was at least trained in this. Not necessarily flirtation mind you. Just knowing what to wear, how to move, simple stuff. If a mission ever required anything more, she was used to Haruka taking on the role.

So as Jade set off to free the knights, Homura had been the distraction, her acting, while bad, was good enough to fool some of the people here. However, even she had limits, like a loose hand ending up somewhere it shouldn't have, on purpose.

So when Jade is leaving, well...at least there was a distraction now, with Homura fighting off the patrons and employees using her martial arts. One man even flew across the room, struck with a devastating kick and flipping over a table. Homura hardly cared anymore, fighting off anyone who would interfere while in her bunny costume.]

Fuck off, I don't like being touched, especially that way!

[feisticuffs]

[She was grateful to have Homura as backup in this instance; it was especially helpful to have someone capable running interference while she spirits the knights away— but before she can slip away to the back room once more, Homura's voice rings out loudly, slicing through the chatter and music of the club.

Well. Jade would have never agreed to this if she didn't think Homura could handle herself, but that doesn't mean she's about to turn her back on a bad situation. Still in costume and prepared to intervene as necessary, she makes her way towards where she's certain Homura is, given the trajectory of the man who'd gone flying— and the sound of a flipped table.]

Need a hand over here?

[Her eyes move quickly between Homura and the assailant, now on the ground several yards off.]

This is an eyes only establishment.

undercover

[reresurrected]

[When Jade approaches his table, Baldr looks up from the menu he's been perusing with an easy, casual smile.]

Why yes, actually.

[Although with what he's wearing, it would be easy enough to mistake him for another host, his hair down in loose waves and his outfit carefully selected to flatter. He definitely doesn't stand out at all around here, which is exactly what he was aiming for.]

I've been told this is the place to be, though I'm afraid I don't have much experience with this type of establishment. Perhaps you could tell me more?

[He punctuates that last sentence with a wink of the conspiratorial sort, leaning his chin on his hand as though prepared to listen with rapt interest.

... and okay, he may also be looking just a bit (respectfully!!).]

[feisticuffs]

[She hadn't expected to have to give a sales pitch, assuming most people who came here knew exactly what this place was, but when asked, Jade gives a convincingly coy smile and remains in character, lightly touching a finger to her chin as she inclines her head.]

Oh, we cater to all types here. Whatever your tastes, there's sure to be something here you'll like— though I have to remind all our guests to feel free to look, but don't touch.

[One of the managers had asked her to include something about how that cost extra, but she chooses to leave that out. She wants no part in encouraging any of that; after all, that's not why she's really here.]