Lonely Thieves

Act III, Part I

Act III: Splinter

Daryl's Side (April 9, 11:00 pm)

When they separated from Megumi and Norah, Daryl's short-term goal had been to run away and avoid getting caught, but he actually didn't have anywhere to go. Luckily, Hikaru knew a place in the Sunset District where they could hide out for the night, so Daryl decided to head over there, taking long detours to lose anyone who might have been tailing them.

Eventually, the two of them finally arrived at the Bomber, a small dive bar located in the Sunset District's poorer downtown area. Daryl parked on the curb some distance from the bar, and the two of them walked up to the bar and headed in. The bar stood out quite a bit from its bleak grey environments, as it pulsated with colors and lights from inside.

"You're sure this is a good place to hide out? It seems quite... attention-grabbing."

"There's no need to worry. This place is popular, but mostly with rejects and rebels without a cause. Authorities don't usually bother with a place like this."

Daryl stepped into the bar and was blasted with the sound of hardcore punk music. The bar was small, but it was crammed with people from all walks of life. Everyone was dressed in a variety of bizarre fashions and dyed hairstyles, making Daryl feel out of place in his plain jacket and jeans.

Hikaru walked up to the counter and spoke to the dark-skinned, androgynous bartender, who was busy handing out drinks to the many guests clamoring by the counter. "Hey, Angelique. Hope you're not too busy right now."

"Hikaru!" Angelique flashed him a bright smile. "Haven't seen you in a while. Come to have your usual?"

"Not exactly. I can't give details, but I need a place to stay for a night or two. Can you spare the room?"

"Anything for an old friend. Go on upstairs and set down wherever there's room."

"Thanks. I promise I'll pay you back for tonight."

"You can pay me back by buying some drinks, honey."

"Alright. Two beers, then."

Angelique laughed and poured out two beers. Hikaru took them and handed one to Daryl.
"Oh, no thanks. I'm not really up to a drink right now."

"Just let loose for a bit," Hikaru said with a smirk. "You won't gain anything by stressing out constantly."

Daryl was still a little reluctant, but ultimately he gave in and took a seat while Hikaru went off to greet some of his old friends. His table was instantly crashed by a couple of lightly-dressed girls with spiked-up hair and pierced tongues. The girl with pink hair addressed him first.

"Hey there! Haven't seen you around before."

"You come out of curiosity?"

Daryl stammered as he tried to make conversation with the two girls. "My friend brought me here to let loose. I was let go recently, so...."

"Oh, you got fired? That totally sucks!" said the blonde-haired girl.

"Yeah. So I guess I'm drinking my sorrows away today."

"Well, you can't do that on some basic beer. Angelique! Can we get three glasses of tequila?"

Angelique quickly came by with three shot glasses filled with tequila. "Don't go too crazy, kids!"

Daryl anxiously picked up his glass as the other two girls shotgunned their drinks in an instant. "Come on, bro! Do it in one!"

Daryl chuckled uneasily and drank his shot as quickly as he could. The sweet taste of the tequila was quickly accompanied by a harsh burn. Daryl coughed as he tried to keep his drink from coming up. He wasn't used to strong alcohol, and he had certainly never had tequila before. As the burn slowly went away, Daryl's vision began to blur slightly.

"You good, bro?" The pink-haired girl asked as she gently shook his shoulder.

"Y-yeah... I'm fine."

"Sorry, didn't know you were a lightweight. Guess I shouldn't have started you with the tequila."

"I bet it feels good to let go a little bit though," joked the blonde girl.

She wasn't wrong. Daryl had spent the past couple of days on edge, and while the tequila did take him for a loop, he was feeling a bit more relaxed. He grabbed the beer that was still on the table and downed it in one gulp.

"Woah, slow down a second! You gonna be okay, bro?"

"Who carresh?" Daryl slurred as he put down his mug. "Not like I got work anymore."

"That's the spirit!" cheered the blonde girl as her hand shot up into the air. "Three more shots of Tequila please!"

Daryl sank back into his seat and sighed as more drinks made their way to the table. Come to think of it, it had been a while since he had just let go like this. Worrying about the debt and the necklace had basically absorbed his whole life. It was nice to just get some R & R and just forget his troubles for a bit.