"Cheers to Shelly having the most action-packed first day ever! Nya!" Anna extended her mug in the air.
"All thanks to my bad luck! Haha!" Shelly added as she and Sierra raised their mug with bits of beer spilling in the process.
"Glug! Glug! Glug! Bam!"
Anna and Shelly slammed their empty mug to the table and Sierra gently placed hers down after. An hour had blown by as the trio drank and shared laughs, starting a new friendship. Needless to say, they were all a little tipsy.
"Haaa! This was really fun." Shelly ran her finger across the cup. "I missed just being able to hang out with friends."
"Well get used to it, because this won't be the last time. Nya!" Anna smiled brightly.
"And I'm happy to be your friend," Sierra replied.
"Thanks, that means a lot," Shelly said with contentment.
"Ah, I don't mean to be intrusive or anything but…" Sierra gestured to Maou. "I think it's past his bedtime."
"Oh dang, I didn't even realize." Shelly poked Maou's cheek as he drooled on the table.
"He used up all his energy worrying about you. Hehe!" Anna giggled.
"Since you're still new here, how about I walk you to your Inn?" Sierra offered.
"Really?! That'd be awesome."
"Well, I wouldn't want you to get lost," Sierra replied before she gestured for a server. "Bill, please!"
In the meantime, Shelly put her hand on Maou's back and calmly shook him.
"Oi Maou, wake up. We're leaving now." Shelly whispered.
"Hmmm, Shelly?" Maou slowly lifted his head off the table, his eyelids heavy. "I'm tired… carry me."
"Haa, come here." Shelly held Maou under the arm and lifted him onto her chest. "Are you comfortable?"
"Yeah…." Maou drowsily answered as he lay his cheek on her shoulder.
"Nya! So adorable." Anna pressed both palms onto her cheeks. "You two go so well together."
"Hehe! Thanks." Shelly chuckled while rubbing Maou's back.
Anna waved the three goodbyes as they walked through the door while she sat at the table.
"Thanks for keeping him safe," Shelly said as she waved goodbye to Anna.
"No big deal, Nya!" Anna replied.
Exiting the tavern, outside was already dark with only the street lamps, candle flames by windows, and the moonshine illuminating the brick roads. Sierra engaged Shelly in friendly banter as she gave her a tour guide of the path they walked as well as which path led where.
"And this street leads to one of this city's public bathhouses." Sierra pointed down a path that had a good amount of people walking to and fro. "This one is my favorite since it's closest to my workstation."
"Oh that's cool. A public bathhouse, I've never been to one of those before." Shelly awed to herself. "I bet it's fancier than the one back at the orphanage."
Further ahead, under the shadow of the overhead walk bridge were four rough-looking men who had either a beer bottle or a lit cigarette to their mouth. As the two ladies came closer to the overhead walk bridge, they paused their idle chatter to stare at the incoming women. Seizing the moment with lewd grins on their faces, two of the men stepped forward to block the path of the women. By this time, Sierra and Shelly were seconds away from passing the men.
"Fwheee! Fwheeet!" One man whistled catcallingly as his eyes sized up the two women. "Hello, lovelies. Where's ya heading to this late?"
"Yeah, what if something bad happened to you two beautiful women?" The other guy added, filled with false concern.
"Ah, we're fine. We're just, uh… going for a late-night walk with my son, that's all." Shelly calmly answered having dealt with similar situations like this in Divali.
"Just a walk, huh?" The first guy smiled a little. "Just you three?"
"Ah, well my husband and her fiance are waiting for us a little further up the road, so not really." Shelly lied as she knew they were gauging how safe it was for them to make a move.
During the interaction, the second guy who was wide and heavy in build, slowly moved behind the Sierra and Shelly, cutting off the chances of them waking away.
"Well that's great, but just to be safe how about we walk you to them." The tall slender guy in front of them suggested. "You never know, anything could happen."
"Ah, that won't be necessary." Shelly declined. "They aren't far away so it's not a big deal."
"Oh don't be like that." The guy behind them went to put his hand on Sierra's shoulder. "It would be our–."
"Slap!"
"Don't put your filthy hands on me you hairy pig." Sierra smacked away the guy's hand with disgust in her voice. "Also, you already heard her…. We're fine by ourselves."
Her sudden action and words took the two men near them and the other two watching by surprise, but they immediately came back to their senses with irritation towards her.
"Tsk! What's with the damn attitude, huh?!" The guy behind them lost his smile and clicked his teeth. "I'm trying to be nice and you call me a pig. The f*cks wrong with you?!"
Shelly looked at Sierra in near disbelief at what she said. Shelly even questioned if she heard her correct.
"Ah mister, please forgive her. Sh-She didn't mean it like that–."
"Preying on women at night isn't being 'nice'. You're just a pathetic sack of sh*t and fat." Sierra harshly replied.
Shelly's eyes instantly widen and her chin dropped as she was taken by surprise at Sierra's offensive remarks. She wanted to avoid all chances of trouble for the rest of the day, but Sierra appeared to have other plans in mind.
"Men like you are the scum of the earth." Sierra grabbed Shelly's hand. "Let's leave, now."
"Where the f*ck are you going b*tch?! I'm not done talking to you." Mister piggy… I mean, the hefty guy standing behind them grabbed Sierra's shoulder with aggression and threw a punch towards her.
"BAM!!!"
The sound of the hefty man's body slamming onto the ground echoed, catching everyone by surprise, but the actions that caused it was even more impressive.
"D-Did she just… shoulder throw a man three times her size?"
That was the thought of everyone who saw Sierra's counterattack as she quickly grabbed the hefty guy's punching wrist and shirt while using his momentum to fling him over her shoulders onto the floor.
"I said not to touch me, you pig!"
Sierra flashed her hands as if to get rid of his germs, then she made eye contact with the other guy standing in front of her. Sierra's stare spoke louder than any words could. Immediately following, the slender guy stepped aside with his hands in the air and a nervous smile on his face.
Once more, Shelly was surprised to see all this. She really underestimated Sierra to be similar in strength to her. What a mistake indeed.
"Shelly, let's go." Sierra walked forward.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm coming." Shelly answered bewildered as she quickly caught up to Sierra.
As the two strolled onwards, the three men just stared at them bitterly while the hefty guy struggled to get off his busted back.
"Haaa! I'm sorry you had to see that." Sierra apologized, sighing. "It's just that men like that pissed me off."
"Oh really? I couldn't tell." Shelly sarcastically replied.
"Hahaha!" Sierra chuckled in response. "If only all men were more like the captain, maybe this world wouldn't be half as bad."
"You really do think highly of him, don't you?" Shelly noticed.
"Do I?" Sierra looked at Shelly confused. "I didn't know it came off that way."
"Wait, you don't?" Shelly looked surprised.
"Hehe! I'm just kidding." Sierra giggled. "I do admire him. He's a gentle giant with a big heart that bleeds for others, sometimes too much. That's a rare quality to have nowadays."
"Can't argue with that." Shelly agreed.
"But the real reason I admire him so much is because he gives the cutest reactions when I tease him. GAH! I just can't get enough of it." Sierra let out a girlish shriek with her palms holding her face.
"Haaa! I should've expected as much." Shelly thought to herself.
As they turned their final corner, they saw the Pixies Inn a few steps away as they approached from the side.
"Oh look, there it is. Right up ahead." Sierra pointed to a two-story building.
Shelly became bright as she saw the Inn ahead of her. "Finally! I can get a break from all the excite–"
"Help! Help! Help me!" A loud male voice cried out. "I'm being attacked by a monster."
The two instantly became on edge and Sierra stepped in front of Shelly to protect her.
"Stay here until I tell you to move." Sierra cautiously yet quickly went to the source of the cry.
As Shelly watched Sierra move speedily past the side of the Inn going to the front, she stood behind with Maou still sleeping on her shoulders.
"Somebody! Anybody! Help me." The voice cried out again. "It hurts! It hurts so bad!"
"Zip it you nasty freak!" Another aggressive but feminine voice spoke. "I told you not to pull your stupid exhibitionist stunts in front of my Inn."
The voice of the female sounded familiar to Shelly. Although she couldn't remember exactly who it was, she heard its similarly aggressive and brutal tone recently.
"Willy Billy?!" Sierra exclaimed, surprised. "Tsk! Of course it was you."
"Oh thank good god you're here. Please save me from this wicked loli child demon. She tied me up and–"
"Whack!"
"Who're you calling a loli monster?! Huh?!" The feminine voice shouted furiously as she smacked Billy with a broom. "I'm a fully grown woman, not a child!"
"Hey Shelly, it's okay. You can come now… just be careful where you look." Sierra called out
Walking to the front of the Inn, Shelly was met with the sight of a butt naked, drunken, past his prime man tied up on the ground as Angie pressed her boots into his back. His back had traces of red skin from Angie's broom hits.
"How many times do I have to tell you to take your naked dancing somewhere else?! Huh?" Angie had blood vessels throbbing on the neck and forehead as she pushed the broom onto Willy's face. "You're ruining my business, you useless drunk!"
"I dance where the spirits lead me to!" Billy wiggled himself, his hands and feet tied together. "Even if it's in front of your business or the king's throne I'll do it!"
"That's it! You're better off dead old man!" Angie put the broomstick under Willy's throat and started choking him.
"S-Si-Sierra! Hel-Help… the Loli is… killing me." Willy called out but was ignored. "I'm… gonna… pass out. Help!"
"He's Willy Billy. This city's genius blacksmith… or was, I should say." Sierra pointed to the guy as he slowly turned blue. "Although now he's more famous for being a drunkard who runs around the street naked, trying to 'appease the spirits'. If you ever see him doing his little stunts just ignore him or call a guard."
"It's just one weird encounter after the other." Shelly thought to herself. "When will I get a break?"
"Well anyway, you should go and get some good rest. You deserve it after all." Sierra patted Shelly on the shoulder before walking over to the two. "You can let go now, he passed out already."
Angie calmed down a little as she got off Willy's back and wiped the sweat off her forehead.
"And tell him to pay for the rope!" Angie commanded.
"Will do." Sierra answered waving the two goodbye.
Shelly and Angie watched as Sierra dragged away Willy's naked unconscious body by his restraints. Although, had he been awake he'd have been crying out in pain from his skin being hauled against the brick road.
"So how was your day?" Angie changed her persona back to the meek and delicate one. "I hope it was good."
"Uhh, it was eventful… very eventful." Shelly stared at the moon.
"Oh no, you both look so tired and worn out." Angie's eyes spewed concern. "You should go get some sleep."
"That really does sound nice… but there's an issue," Shelly said.
"An issue? What is it?" Angie asked.
"Well the thing is… today I got attacked by some city guards mistakenly and lost my room key in the–."
"10 silver coins." Angie interrupted instantly with a cute smile on her face.
"Dammit!" Shelly cursed inwardly. "Haaa! Fine, I'll pay for it."
"Right this way please."
Angie skipped cheerfully towards the Inn while Shelly followed dejectedly behind.