Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
Job Log #9747
One successful hunt later and Hosrius was in much better standing financially. The slavers hadn’t been prepared for his attack, less so for an alien that wouldn’t be using any magic to battle them. There was little doubt that the Jirian was willing to take down his target by any means possible and that meant he had to use his technology and his wits rather than relying simply on force and firepower. Luckily he had correctly predicted that the slavers would feel rather arrogant once they saw him, convinced they could take him down without issue. Pride was one of Hosris’ favorite weapons, wielding his target’s to his own whims and aims. It was satisfying to see that he didn’t need to change his tactics completely for humankind.
He rounded up the unconscious slavers and tied them together. After that, he transported them to Era, handing the bounty hunter flyer in along with the disgruntled criminals. The police force gave him quite the curious look but paid him accordingly, thanking him for his efforts. He took the time to hand over his communication information, asking that they contact him if they ever need more targets brought in from an outside agent. They thanked him and confirmed that they would hand over his information to their leaders. If Hosrius could remember, Mercury had talked a little bit about them during their date a few weeks back. She made them sound quite intimidating -- he would actually be interested in meeting them. But that was for another time. For now, he was twenty thousand jewel richer and he was feeling good; enough so that he even decided to go and splurge a little.
The Jirian found himself in Crocus, the capital of the great nation of Fiore. He’d opted against going out in the Neutral Grounds, for the sole purpose of mixing things up a little. At this point, most of the bar's owners knew him well enough that they would start making his tea before he’d even gotten comfortable. While that sounded good, there was a tinge of adventure ringing vibrantly within him and he ventured beyond his own protective bubble. Rather than the quiet, relaxed atmosphere of his normal ventures, he found himself within the vibrant, loud nightclub known as Boomslang. It was more like a dance club than it was a normal bar but Hosrius’ alien curiosity got the best of him when he happened to be walking past. It didn’t take him long to be let in; the rest of the patrons waiting in line were too struck with awe at the sight of him to bother moving and when he inquired, they simply let him pass.
The music was throbbing, each strum of the bass vibrating in the alien’s bones. He moved through the crowd, his alien features ignored as each and every human lost themselves to the pulsating music and strobing lights. Somehow he made it to the bar, managing to find a spot where he could lean against the colorful, flashing counter. The bartender made his way over, pausing only long enough to look the Jirian up and down before approaching. “Whatcha’ want, my man?” he asked, yelling over the music.
“I wish to try one of your alcoholic beverages. Perhaps… oh what did Saffron call it…?” he mumbled the last part, trying to recall the other female human’s word. He snapped when it came to him. “A beer! One of your beers.”
“We got a lot of those, man. Any particular kind?” The bartender yelled back.
Well he hadn’t anticipated that. “Surprise me!” he replied with a shrug.
Just then there was a cheer from the crowd around him. Hosrius turned just in time to see a man get knocked to the ground, sweat pouring down from his forehead. Before him were three others, two women and a man. The trio was laughing as they danced in sync, pointing down at the defeated man and mocking him. Before them was an invisible screen that was displaying moving arrows, rising up from nowhere and disappearing near the top. There was a small glistening bar that lit up around the symbols as they passed and, as the Jirian observed, it seemed to indicate when one of the dancers put their feet down on a certain spot on the ground.
As the bartender returned with a foaming glass of beer, Hosrius nodded to the group. “What’s that?”
“Oh that’s the challenge floor. There’s a dance program that runs through that place. Those three are the reigning champs. No one has been able to defeat them.”
“I probably could,” the Jirian remarked idly, a bit loudly.
The bartender snorted. “Man, I’ve seen some of the best dancers come through here and not be able to compete.” He took a moment to look Hosrius up and down again. “Can you even dance?”
The Jirian smirked slightly as he picked up the beer. “I’m a quick study.” And with that, he downed the beer. “Oh stars, that is awful,” he said with disgust, his face twisting. Still he paid the man for the beer and then made his way towards the dance floor.
The trio watched him approach, chuckling and pointing. “Hey big bird! You feelin’ spicy tonight?” One of the women asked, one that was wearing very little clothing and rolling blades on her feet.
“That I am,” Hosrius replied as he stepped into line with them. The song came to an end and all four waited for a moment as the next beat started up. The catchy, loud song had a bit of a lead in, with the female singing invigorating the crowd. Then they were off, the arrows sliding up and Hosrius doing his best to learn where he had to stomp to hit the right beat.
For several seconds, he looked absolutely idiotic. There was no flow to his hips or his legs and he looked like a robot trying to figure out how to walk. Laughter was all around him and yet, the alien still seemed focused. Then, much to the surprise of the other dancers and the audience, he began to not only catch up but match the other three. Hosrius had indeed learned the method quickly and as he kept the beat with the rest, the arrows began to come faster and in rapid succession. The first to go down was the rollerblader, her legs giving out and her body slamming hard into the ground backwards. The male took out a pair of swords and tried to add in swinging them around to add flair, nearly nicking Hosrius once or twice. But soon enough he was down too, panting and heaving.
That left Hosrius and the last woman. She winked at him as she summoned forth fire in her hands, sending small plumes in his direction. He could feel the air evaporating from the flames and, gambling, the Jirian took a deep inhale and held his breath. As they went, the steps were getting nearly impossible and complicated. The woman was beginning to stumble over herself, only barely managing to hit her spots. Finally she took a horrible misstep and down she went, landing flat on her ass and leaving Hosrius the last one going.
The crowd exploded in cheers as the song came to an end. Hands came out of nowhere and patted him on the back, congratulating him on his effort. He gave nods and waves to all of them, thanking them for their kindness. The last woman came up to him, grinning like a fox. “Damn man, you got some moves on you.”
“I must admit that you were quite the challenge. It’s been some time since I got this worked out,” he said with a chuckle.
The woman smirked. “Well I hope you’re not too exhausted. I gotta admit that I’m pretty interested in seeing what other kinds of moves you got, big boy.”
The Jirian’s brow raised for a moment but then he returned her impish look. “Well I have been told that my reach is quite impressive.”
“Well in that case, I have a few things I’d like you to reach for. Let’s get out of here.”
MEL @ WW
