You find yourself walking down an alleyway of ill reputation; even if you havnt heard of the street, the downtrodden atmosphere does well enough to sell the nature of this part of town. Should you choose to keep exploring, you'll find an oddity tucked away among the run-down buildings: a small red awning with the letters "R E V" embossed in black sitting over a wooden door that has clearly seen better days. Something compels you to open the door; whether it's curiosity, bravery, or just bravado, it's too late to turn back now. You find yourself in a long, descending staircase that leads into what you'd assume would be the buildings basement. The walls are littered with posters of all sorts but you do manage to find a common theme among them: music. You approach the end of the hallway... another door. You grasp the handle and pull.
A harsh light blinds your eyes for a brief moment, but you quickly come back to your senses. You gaze in astonishment at what you see. Spotless floors and freshly painted walls spread the expanse of what amounts to little more than a large living room. Four small tables that seat a maximum of two people spot the middle of the room and the outer wall is half-lined in booths. Opposite those is a well-kept granite-top bar stocked to the ceiling in different values of alcohol. Centered against the wall directly opposite the entrance is a small stage, if you could even call it that, furnished in a simple speaker set up and basic band instruments. All of this is lit solely by neons ranging from harsh pinks to soft, icy blues.
Once you snap from the stupor of finding yourself in a fancy bar in the middle of skid row, you here a voice call out from behind the bar. "Hey, a*****e. Get something or get out!" You turn to see a young girl clad in ragged cut-off jean shorts and an oversized white-and-pink-striped sweater. Her chin-length, white-dyed hair, done up in a top-sprout, jostles softly as she giggles and waves you over to take your order.
Welcome to the Rev Room.
Residency Type: Business Owner: Shion Mori NPCs: Mae - Bartender Events: Monday-Friday: open bar, karaoke nights - Saturday: live local bands - Sunday: closed Tier: Village Renowned - 35000 Current Monthly Revenue: 17500 Last Visit: 6/29/2019 Next Visit Before Closure: 7/13/2019 Approval:x Prior Debts: 35,000 - Paid
Income Log
week 6/16-6/22: +8750 week 6/23-6/29: +8750
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 4:20 pm
When your establishment is as loud as The Rev is, the quiet of the early morning can be one of the most haunting things you hear. No, seriously. Have you ever stepped into an empty amphitheater? Try it out some time; it's insane. This particularly haunting din, or lack there of, would be broken by the small chime of the front door's bell followed by the creaking of stairs that have clearly outstayed their intended lifespan. Then, through the second door, would walk Shion, heavy-eyed and groggy from another night of... well, I dont think sleep is the best word for it, but we'll call it that. "Alright... time to get to work, i guess." With that, she was off to the back room to do... i dont know. paperwork or some administrative nonsense or whatever.
Inventory and stock taking never really did anything for Shion; honestly, who could blame her for not enjoying such mundane tasks? Still, it was a task she was almost forced into by necessity. No matter who she'd hire, it would seem that nothing could be inventoried properly. What's the old adage? If you want a job done right, do it yourself? Whatever. It was a small price to pay for having a great front staff. Mae, the petite girl who ran the bar, was far and away the best bartender and front manager she'd ever seen. Events, organization, even breaking up fights... she could handle it all.
Once her stock work was done, Shion tossed a folder of papers on the bar. "Hey kid, I need you to make a few orders for me. Restocks on various things, nothing too special. Oh, and hey, what's the line up for the weekend look like?" Mae quickly scooped up the folder and performed a cursory flip through. "You got it, boss! Oh, and I got this new band called Roller Beach to play. Just started, but they've been making a big splash in the local scene!""Huh, alright then. As long as the venue is booked. We've been having a dry spell lately. We've got a reputation to uphold. Anyway, I got other work. You know how to get a hold of me."As Shion made her way out of the bar, Mae would frantically wave to her. "Buh-bye, Boss! You can count on me!"
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 9:45 pm
That familiar creaking wood, that friendly slam of an old metal door that in all honesty is a little too heavy for its hinges... Ah, the Rev. Fine establishment for all things indie rock and late-night debauchery. "Alright, so there's the stage. Y'all can set up there once we've gone over the proper forms," Shion, the owner and proprietor said, pointing to the far corner of the building. "Mae, get me some release forms for the girls!""Sure thing, dude!" the spry little maiden behind the counter called out. In a blur of spastic energy, the girl was off gathering various forms from drawers that in all honesty could have been put closer together for ease. But that wasn't how the Rev worked.
It took maybe a moment, but before long, Mae was handing off the stack of papers to a young girl, presumably the band that entered with Shion's leader. "So I just fill these out, yeah?" She said, fliping her head to throw her red-streaked black hair out of her eyes. As she did, the buttons that cluttered her patchy hoodie clattered against each other in a musical display of their own. "That's pretty much it. Get these filled out and you'll be good to go. A few things you should know: We do have a changing room. Just down that hall and to the left. The stage has timed lights. If you want to make use of them, the sheet has all the deets. Anything else you need can be handled by Shorty here." Shion would respond, tousling Mae's hair. "Alright, dudes. Work calls and I gotta jet. See you nerds later." Just another day of executive executing at the work place.
A rather 'taxy' looking fellow..er girl? It was rather hard to tell due to the ambiguity of their soft features partnered with a lack of female indicators entered the establishment. He would then confront the woman named Mae. Reviewing papers in a soft but somewhat almost snake-like voice did he relay the following information. "My my, it seems that due to a business error or perchance our very leaders own meddling this establishment was fortunate enough to evade closure. However, I cannot without undue justice simply deny the truth of the matter. Do make certain that the proprietor of this business venture receives the following and that they are to be made aware of their impending circumstances." The man would leave behind the tax forms, it seemed apparent that someone in Shion's accounting department had done a bit of a goof. Whether that was Shion herself wasn't any of the mans business. That being said she wouldn't be escaping entirely scott free. On the desk would be a bill for 35,000 in due taxes. The due date was fit to normal business period and as such so long as the proprietor maintained their business properly this time around there shouldn't be any complications. However, suffice to say, if this was not handled by the next taxation period in bold red letters did the end of the papers indicate [Forceful Closure] and [Repossesion of Assets] suffice to say it seemed perhaps the Arashikage had some hand in bailing his friend out of what would have been the shutting down of the establishment. Ultimately that would end up leading to its proprietor becoming potentially homeless but that was only if she were fool enough to have spent all her funds on eccentricities these passing years.
Kaito entered the Rev Room with stiff posture, trying to emulate what an officer of the APD is supposed to look like as opposed to his typically casual, relaxed self. After being around Kenshin for another mission, he couldn't help but be reminded in all the ways he was nothing like the revered captain; though his approachability earned him points when it came to troubled youth, it looked like another damning mark against him in terms of bending or outright breaking rules officers should uphold. After all, he was aiding a wanted vigilante. The least he could do was look and sound like a cop if he wasn't going to properly act like one.
The stoicism fit him like an oversized suit, which is to say, not at all. He had his hands at his belt as he entered. "I heard there was a disturbance in the area. Something about, er, a shady customer?" He cleared his throat halfway through his proclamation, wanting to sound huskier like the older officers on the force, though he only managed to sound like he had a dry throat. He wasn't familiar with the owner so he looked around carefully, hoping he or she would acknowledge him and the complaint.
SHIONxxxxxMORI The chime of the door-ringer triggered an instinctive reaction in the younger girl behind the bar. The pitter-patter of tiny feet filled the bar with a sudden rush of energy to the mostly empty scene. "Hey, welcome to... Oh." Mae began to call out to the new arrival, but the tone of his voice clearly meant he was here for business. Worse yet, he was a cop. "Yeah, whatever. I'll go get her." A sudden change in tone immediately sent the girl from friendly hostess to confrontational brat. Looking over her shoulder, she'd call towards the back room. "Hey boss, it's a narc!"
"Yeah, I heard. I'm on my way out," a second voice, presumably belonging to this 'boss,' would respond from the back. Almost a minute later, Shion would emerge into the neon hues of the Rev's main room. "I'm afraid you're gonna hafta be a bit more specific than that, dude. You do know what part of town we're in right?" While it was true that the Rev was an establishment of deserved renown, it was very much a well-kept diamond in the roughest part of town. It attracted the type of crowd she wanted to associate with, while keeping the 'squares' out. As much as she wanted to continue to harass the boy, Shion eventually decided it would be best to just get the questions out of the way. Goodness forbid Kenshin send someone competent down here... or worse, come down himself. It'd be great for ratings, but it would be a total killer drag on Shion's vibe.
"Come on back to the office and we can talk about it without any prying eyes,"Shion said, glancing around the bar. Kaito may presume to mean this meant the one or two bar flies who decided to get an... early start to the day, but in all honesty, she wanted to keep Mae's nose out of this. The girl was a wonderful barkeep, but she had a mouth that could talk a mile a minute and no filter. The last thing she needed was for this talk to actually yield something important and for the kid to spill the beans.
Motioning Kaito to follow, Shion would lead the man into the back room of the Rev. It was a rather large space, almost the size of a one bedroom apartment, split down the middle by a partial wall which served to divide the space into two equal halves. On one side, book shelves, chairs, and a singular potted plant surrounded a central, executive-style desk. The papers were well kept, pens all lined up in a row, and nothing was out of place. On the other side, there was a bed that looked like it had never been made in its life, a desk with all manner of random stuff ranging from figurines to food wrappers cluttering the surface, posters from random animated shows covered the walls, and all manner of clothing blotted out the carpet. Shion collapsed into the chair at her work desk and threw her feet up on the surface, leaning back as she addressed the boy. "So, whatcha need to know, dude?"
Kaito looked over the woman who approached him, trying to appear neutral but authoritative, though it didn't seem to be working on her. He broke his stoic front when she implied something about the people on this side of town, making him flinch. "There's nothing wrong with this side of town," he said sharply.
Realizing his outburst, he took a deep breath and visibly re-centered himself. It looked like his love of the village left him with some sore spots. He followed her to the office with a sour expression. "You live in your own business?" His question was incredulous, though he quickly realized himself and tried to re-focus on the investigation. Again.
"Miss, uh.. Miss, we've been hearing about a customer that has been, well, exposing himself to younger patrons. There have been eyewitness reports of him visiting many of the businesses on this street but most frequently, they report him being around your building. I was wondering if you had seen anything or know what kind of person I am talking about. He's been described as tall, 'shady', and wearing a long coat."
SHIONxxxxxMORI Shion could'nt help but let out a snicker at the boy's outburst. Most folks are usually quick to agree; he must have been from here... or somewhere like it. "Kenshin must be finally slacking on his training. Usually the cops we get around here are much less... interesting." Shion's eyes narrowed in on the boy. He seemed pretty distractable, maybe she could have some fun with this one. Reaching into her desk drawer, the woman produced two glasses and a bottle of a darkened brown, almost black, liquid. As she popped the cork, the thick smell of a medley of spices filled the air. After a short pour, Shion slid one of the glasses towards the cop, taking a swig straight from the bottle as she did. "Relax, dude. I like the people here. They aint got a stick up their butts a mile long."
Glancing towards the archway that proved to separate office from room, Shion shrugged. "We had a spare room when I got the place, so I figure why pay rent on two places, know what I mean?" Taking another hit off the bottle, Shion narrowed back in on Kaito and gave him another smirk. "Why? Don't tell me you dont just sleep at the station right? Surely they have bunks or something." She's pry, purposefully glancing over the criminal's vague description. Not that she'd have much to go off of with a description like that. Who was she looking for, a scooby-doo villain?
He felt defensive about the slacking in training comment, but managed to hold his tongue. He had barely met Captain Kosei since the man was so busy, and though he only had cold reception for Kaito, he couldn't help but idolize the man.
"Er, I used to fall asleep at my mentor's desk when I first started there. I got my own place, though, and it's nice enough that I don't mind dragging myself across a district to get to it." He made sure not mention that it was one of the wealthier districts. It wasn't an image he was trying to portray. He'd bought the near-mansion just to escape from his problems with his... ex? What was Maeko, anyways?
Neither here nor there. He shook his head to clear the thought. "If you don't have any information, I'll go next door. Just be wary. I don't know any serial killers with sticks up their butts but they're definitely a mood killer," he asserted as he glanced at the glass of what he assumed was liquor. "I don't drink," he said quieter, hoping she wouldn't comment on how young he looked.
SHIONxxxxxMORI Shion glowered at the boy through a heavy-lidded half-stare; seems she was too late in getting to him before Kenshin did. He didn't seem too far gone, however. Maybe she could loosen Kaito up a little before the training really set in. Perhaps he would be more receptive if she tightened up her act... just a little.
A heavy sigh escaped the girl's lips as she swung her feet off the desk. "Hey now, dude. I know who you're after." Though her manner of speaking remained as unrefined as ever, the tone in her voice told a different story. "I'm not a part of your area, but that don't mean I dont work for CORE. I just handle the stuff... outside the village. Still, I like to keep an eye out on my block. Make sure no one is doing nothing sketch. If I have any leads, I drop'em off with the cops." As she spoke, Shion walked over the the bookshelf left of the desk and began fingering through the various folders. "And it just so happens, I got some info on a shady dude stalking minors out on our street here." she said in a slow cadence, clearly meant to draw out time as she found what info she had compiled. Once she had what she was looking for, she'd toss the folder onto the table, letting the loud *flop* it created break the pause between speaking. "It's yours if ya want it..." Shion then slammed the cup she had poured for Kaito onto the folder. "But ya gotta pay the price." All hints of professionalism she might have exuded were gone, replaced by a narrow gaze and a wicked grin. One way or another, Kaito was gonna relax.
He perked up as Shion began to cooperate. He leaned in without realizing it, hanging onto her every word. He looked down at the glass she presented after the folder with an intrigued expression.
"Trying to get me hooked as a future customer?" He grinned before shrugging, then accepting the glass. He was allowed to investigate independently so it's not like he needed to 'clock in' or anything at a specific time, just check in once a week with a report. He drank the liquor heartily, stupidly unaware of how it can take one by surprise. He was also drinking on an empty stomach which was sure to screw him over.
"This isn't too bad," he commented amused. He looked interested in trying something else but he didn't voice that, not willing to sound rude or look like he was taking advantage.
SHIONxxxxxMORI "I wouldn't say that. I mean, heck, I'm just lookin' to hang out. Figure I could show ya how to unwind before APD makes ya forget how to have fun." Shion jested as she took another hit off her bottle, slamming it down and letting a breathy cough get the better of her. "No kiddin', dude. This stuff is a real heck of drink. It's better in mixtures, but I prefer it straight. Finally content with the situation, Shion kicked off her shoes and stretched her feet back up over the desk, angling them away from Kaito; She wanted to stretch out, but thankfully she was considerate enough not to just shove her feet in someone's face. "If you want something else, feel free to let me know. My girl Mae is a hell of a barkeep.
Another few silent swigs from her bottle went by and Shion was starting to feel it. The light fog of intoxication was setting in. Her cheeks became flushed and rosey, and what little tension was left in her shoulders rolled away, allowing her to slump into her chair. She'd offer a few glances to Kaito, each more inquisitive than the last. "That's it! I knew I recognized ya!" You were in the tournament, werent'cha!"
Kaito scoffed her reasoning. "I can have LOTS of fun! You think, uh, you think I'm a buzzkill because I'm an officer of the lawww?" His words were already slowing and slurring, an effect of being a complete lightweight drinking on an empty stomach.
"Can- can Mae make something.... fruity? I think I like... fruity." He had a dumb grin on his face just thinking about it, and rubbed his face as she remembered him. "Yeah, yeah, my uhh girlfriend - No. My, ex girlfriend, she uhh watched my fighting. Yeah, she like, tried to expose herself to like, get me out of this one genjutsu. Haha, I think I would've arrested her for like, indecent exposure if she like, actually got away with it." The memory bubbled up and came out of his mouth like a true stream of consciousness, making him suddenly very lovesick for Maeko.
"Oh my gawd, my ex hates me. I totally did her wrong, oh no," he lamented dramatically, draping himself across Shion's desk, resting his head suspiciously close to her hand if she wanted to stroke his head or comfort him. Or punch him. "I'm a baaaaad guy."
SHIONxxxxxMORI Shion nodded at the request and lazily swatted at a button beneath her desk. "Hey Maaaaaae. Gimme a fishbowl! Kay-thanks!" Knowing how long it took to produce the requested drink, Shion set to work immediately repairing the situation. She gently patted Kaito's head repeatedly, hoping to ease the oncoming ennui and despair. "Hey now, I'm sure it's not that bad," she said, her hand unconsciously changing from simply patting his head to playing with the boy's curly locks. "I mean... at least you didn't horribly misread a situation and try to kiss your friend," she'd let out in a moment of alcohol fueled transparency.
Just then, Mae came in with a rather large bowl of crushed ice mixed sporting five straws and a strikingly neon blue liquid, all topped with everyone's totally real, favorite sour candy treat, DORKs from Milly Monka. "You should have seen her. 'I messed up, big time, Mae. I'll never love again, Mae. Waaah." Before Shion could even change her position, the girl scampered out the room in a fit of laughter. Shion paused for a moment, ready to 'try' to muster up the desire to beat her bartender senseless, but the feeling quickly faded. "It... it wasn't as bad as she makes it sound," Shion would weakly comment.
