The carriage took the two all the way back to Whither. They returned the clothes back to Mary and walked through Morphian. Stars reflected off of closed shops and homes. The streets were quite calm. "I say we celebrate our successful mission. Do you have any preferable places?" said Tadashi,
A smile grew on Tsukiyomi's face as he thought of one place close and one place in particular. "The saloon in Welt city!" He said, joyfully. Tadashi sighed, looking concerned. "From the last time I found you there, it doesn't seem like a good idea." Tsukiyomi frowned, rolling his eyes. The two were silent for a second.
"Well, what if I pay then. They'll let us in! Besides, I'm not alone this time." said Tsukiyomi with a smile. He was trying hard to get a positive response from Tadashi. Tadashi sighed, smiling. "You know, you're full of trouble. But you do have a point. Although, I have a low alcohol tolerance"
"So What?" Tsukiyomi exclaimed, "I'm sure everything will be fine!"
They caught a trolley that was headed to Welt. The two kept their cloak hoods up, just to be cautious. Tsukiyomi did seem to think it was a bit strange that Tadashi just agreed to do this but he quickly forgot about it as they reached the saloon. Tsukiyomi could already smell the smoked food that he could never afford and the smell of alcohol as they walked through the door. Drunk and sober people were scattered throughout the saloon, some flirting with bartenders and waiters, others minding their business. But two people in the back of the saloon caught Tsukiyomi's eye. They were hooded but he could tell one of them was a child. He couldn't see her eyes but she was smiling and watching him and Tadashi walk in and take a seat. A waitress walks over and the two order what. Tsukiyomi requested three flasks of light sake made from wall Primrose and Tadashi ordered one flask and water. He looked at Tsukiyomi with a nervous look. There was a difference between heavy and light alcohol.
Tsukiyomi glanced behind him to see the two people were staring at him and Tadashi. He noticed they both had weapons. Why would they let a child in the saloon? The waitress came back with the drinks. "Excuse me," Tsukiyomi asked the waitress. "Do you happen to know who those two people behind us are?"
The waitress leaned in to tell the two. "This pair are first timers here. The little one, a child I believe, gave us a huge pouch of Rose coins just to be allowed in here. She introduced herself and her traveling partner as 'The Owl and the Crow'. Rumor is that they are bounty hunters from Fraya. She said she had business here with others." The waitress left after that. Tsukiyomi started drinking. Tadashi watched as the child and the taller figure left their table and approached him and Tsukiyomi. "Karasu kun, these two were the ones I told you about," The hooded child said as they approached. "Sorry to rudely interrupt you two!" She took off her hood to reveal that her ears were made of feathers. She also had a feather tail and her skin was gray. She had big bright yellow eyes. She was an owl yokai. "The names' Fukuro and this is Karasu-kun, also known as the Owl and the Crow. We travel around looking for certain things. That shiny necklace you wear seemed to catch my eye." There was a minute of awkward silence between the four of them, the Fukuro girl smiled the entire time.
"Well anyway's, we better be off. I just thought I would introduce myself before I left. And I have a feeling that this won't be the last time we meet." With that, she put her hood back up and the two left. Once the two left, Tsukiyomi started to chug down the whole flask of sake without pouring it into a cup. Tadashi anxiously poured his wine into a small cup. Once the cup was full, he chugged it down quickly. Tsukiyomi chuckled, finishing one flask and moving on to his second. "You really know how to drink!" he said, but right as he said it, Tadashi's head plopped down on the table. It had only been a second and he had collapsed. He was drunk. Tsukiyomi laughed. "You weren't lying, huh! I just can't believe you passed out after one cup! For a guy as big as you, I expected you to at least last four six flasks!"
Tadashi lifted his head and muttered, "That's…stupid!" He reached for the flask and poured himself another drink. Tsukiyomi didn't stop him, he wanted to see everything unfold. How far would Tadashi go willingly?
Tsukiyomi had finished two flasks and moved onto his third. But halfway through it, he realized Tadashi had disappeared from the table and had gone out into the back alley. He quickly finished, throwing some coins on the table, and running after Tadashi. Tsukiyomi reached the door only to see Tadashi chasing a black cat down the alley they first met in. "Tadashi," Tsukiyomi called after him. Tadashi ran down another corner and followed the cat.
"Tadashi, no, wait! Crazy sot!" Tsukiyomi chased after him, turning the corner only to find that Tadashi was all the way at the end of another alley.
"Tadashi, let's go back to the hut! We're close anyway."
Again, Tadashi disappeared down another corner. This wasn't a game of hide-and-seek. Tsukiyomi checked the corner Tadashi disappeared in but it was empty. Something brushed his shoulder from behind him. "There you are, we should go back.." He began, quickly turning but turned too late. He was pushed against the wall of the alley, his back hitting the bricks aggressively. Tadashi stood over him like a big shadow. His big hands were right next to Tsukiyomi's ears. Tadashi wasn't looking at Tsukiyomi, but wasn't looking away either. Tsukiyomi was a bit frightened. Their eyes were leveled, staring into one another.
Golden. That's all Tsukiyomi could see. Bright golden eyes. Tadashi's face was lowering down to Tsukiyomi's face. Tsukiyomi was stunned. Was it the alcohol? Tadashi's lips were inching closer to Tsukiyomi's. But he quickly passed Tsukiyomi's face and landed on Tsuki's shoulder instead. Tadashi passed out.
Tsukiyomi's mind went blank. What had just happened? What was Tadashi about to do? He shook it away and took Tadashi by the arm. He basically dragged Tadashi back to the hut. His ears were red all the way back.
Tsukiyomi laid Tadashi on his bed and started a fire. He then undressed and laid down in the cot set for him. He couldn't fall asleep just yet. Too many things ran around in his mind. Who was that girl exactly? Would the Jasmanium people find him and Tadashi since they stole something? And…what happened in the alley way?
He eventually fell asleep. Nodding off to the sound of crackling wood, the red and orange flames slowly dying. The thoughts only then stopped swarming.