Big Night [Closed/Nyla]

There were only a few things that Nyla found enjoyment and relaxation in throughout the years. International cuisine was one, well made drinks was another, and music was another. Not just any music, however; she enjoyed music that had a good rhythm and was well-written lyrically. The term she had heard in passing was "music snob." She supposed it was an apt moniker, she often found herself wearing a scowl of disdain when she heard some of the noise that was considered music as of late. She was particularly fond of the "rhythm and blues" genre and, not surprisingly, what had become known as "afrobeat."

As it turned out, Karakura had a relatively diverse culinary scene and mix of cultures. From her experience over the years, Japan as a whole had become a melting pot of various cultures while also holding on to their own traditions. She could appreciate that given that she herself had become somewhat of a "loremaster" for the different Quincy traditions that had developed over the years. That, however, was a story for another time.

Nyla currently sat relaxing on the balcony of her hotel room in one of Karakura's many such establishments. She had spent the entire morning and much of the afternoon into the early evening dispatching Hollows, and so she decided that even a huntress as diligent as she deserved a break every so often. She had even set aside her combat attire in favor of more comfortable and casual attire.

Feet crossed at the ankles and resting on the balcony railing, she calmly flipped through one of the multitude of ancient tomes, the faint melody of some song buzzed from the headphones hooked idly around her neck; she occasionally wore them in such a way so that she could still listen to her surroundings. But as interested as she was in the history and variety of Quincy teachings, the fact remained that she was in the present and there was plenty she had yet to experience here in this city.

The fingers that held the tome brought it closed with a quick snap and she set it down on the nearby table before standing up. Her right hand sank into pocket to retrieve the cellular phone playing the music she had been listening to. Her thumb slid back and forth along the screen for a moment before rising and falling in a quick duet of taps, the music cutting short mid-melody. Nyla removed the headphones from the phone and set them down beside the tome before returning the phone to her pocket. According to the hotel's travel guide, there were a number of cantinas and bars nearby that she could visit. Perhaps she would pick one and render judgment on their ability to craft a suitable drink.

As she turned towards the open balcony doors, she caught a quick glimpse of the small phone she had been given by that belligerent boy Vance. She still didn't trust him, but there was something about him---aside from his deplorable social skills, or lack thereof---that didn't sit well with her. Being unable to manipulate reishi wasn't entirely unheard of, some Quincy simply took longer than others to develop the skill. Yet the defensive and hostile reaction he had given coupled with his abrupt departure raised some red flags for her. Eventually she would figure it out, but for now, it could be left for another time.

Passing through the balcony doors, she shifted into her shadow form and merged into the meager darkness provided by the underside of the bed. Moments later she stepped out from a shadowed doorway, startling a drunken couple with her sudden appearance for a brief moment, but soon the occurrence was disregarded as an inebriation-induced hallucination.

Passing by a particularly lively bar, the sound of guitar notes drifted to her ears. It actually surprised her that someone was able to play acoustic this well. Her eyes rose to scan the "Dubliners" motif above the door and the association with Ireland was made. An Irish-owned establishment, perhaps? Or at the very least, that was the intended theme.

It was no effort on her part to navigate the crowd; many of them had lost their battles with sobriety some time ago and thus also had very little equilibrium to show for it. One particularly brave soul made a drunken attempt at flirtation, even going so far as to slip an arm around her waist and try to bring her towards him. With a clearly forced smile, her hand closed around the offending extremity of the man.

"Weh a unnu manners? Yuh nuh grab a lady yuh nuh kno. Gweh before mi mash dis." As she spoke, her grip gradually tightened and a hostile green glimmer alit within her eyes. She gave a last squeeze, causing the bones in the man's hand to grind together painfully before she released his hand and went on her way. The encounter had annoyed her slightly, but not enough to ruin her evening. Eventually she made her way to the source of the guitar playing, seeing the man amid a small group of tourists and locals alike.

"You've got skill, been playing long?" She questioned as she stepped past the group and stood before the guitarist. The emerald glow had long since passed from her gaze, now only cool gray remained.

{Translation: Where are your manners? You don't grab a lady you don't know. Go away before I break this.}

Nyla's lips twitched slightly into a fleeting grin at the faux pas he committed mid-strum. It was unlikely that the drunken patrons noticed the sour note, but for two individuals who enjoyed music it was glaringly obvious. She had grown accustomed to reactions such as his upon seeing her; just this evening alone she had experienced two on opposing ends of the spectrum. Thankfully, this one was wholly innocent in nature.

"Eighteen years? You're just barely getting started." This one was just a child also, but at least he was a well-mannered one. She gave him a quick nod of gratitude when he pulled the chair out for her. The feigned disappointment from the crowd over his performance ending earned a airy chuckle from Nyla before she sat down.

"You've got manners, I like that. My name's Nyla, pleased to make your acquaintance." She gave him another courteous nod before her attention was drawn to the bartender as he approached. She couldn't help but smirk at Diarmaid's beverage of choice, it just seemed to fit with the bar's aesthetic as well as Diarmaid's nationality, which she was certain was Irish given the circumstances.

"If you have a good rum and punch, I'll take that." She supposed if they were partaking in beverages from their home regions, she would see what kind of rum passed for authentic here. As the bartended departed, Nyla took a moment to scan the crowd. Now that the music had ceased for the time being, the dance floor was relatively clear. Many of the patrons had returned to their tables or were standing by the bar.

The one commonality they all shared, though, was that every single one of them were drunk. Nyla spotted the handsy lecher that had grabbed her. Their eyes met and the hostile flash of green glistened in her eyes to convey an unspoken warning and reminder. It served its purpose. The single gaze from Nyla was enough to shatter the alcoholic haze and make him decide that perhaps another bar was more his scene. Nyla watched his hasty exit with silent triumph before turning to Diarmaid again.

"So what brings you here to Karakura? I can see that you're not a native of Japan. And if I had to guess from your accent and choice of beverage, I'd say...Ireland, perhaps?"

Nyla settled back into her chair, legs crossed and foot swaying idly as he spoke. He offered a brief glimpse into his family history by giving his surname, but it was a name that she was unfamiliar with. She would still commit the name to memory at check through the books at a later time. For now, though, there was a beverage to judge.

Nyla's gaze flicked away from Diarmaid to the bartender as he approached with the two beverages. She flashed the bartender a gracious smile as she picked up the drink and eyed it with a scrutinizing glance. A quick inhale brought a faint whiff of molasses, meaning at the very least it followed her home region distillation methods. So far so good. She raised the cup to her lips and took a dainty sip. At once she her taste buds were dissecting the various flavors that composed the cocktail. The sweetness of mango and pineapple contrasted by the tartness of lemon and cherry. And something else...another kind of spice that wasn't necessarily hot. Cinnamon?

"Not bad, it's not exactly right, but it'll do." She remarked, now taking a proper sip from the drink.

"As flattering as some may think, you shouldn't stare. At least so noticeably. First time drinking with an island girl?" Nyla met Diarmaid with a piercing stare, her tone had dipped to an amused cadence. She chuckled and shook her head dismissively then took another sip from her drink before setting it down on the table.

"To answer your question, I'm here hunting. As far as what I'm hunting....I wonder. Perhaps you know what I'm hunting, mm? What do you think that is?" Her piercing stare returned, as if she were preparing to render some judgment on him, or likely she had already began.

Nyla smirked at the praise he gave to the chosen drink. They were of the same opinion in that regard, though in his case it was due to unfamiliarity. Nyla raised her glass to take another sip and as she moved to set it down again, Diarmaid responded to her remarks about him staring and drinking with her. He was amusing, that much was certain. Were she still of a mindset to seek friendship, she might have even entertained the idea of considering him such a person. As it stood, though, their current interaction was based purely in cordiality and the exchange of information. If she needed to speak provocatively or in an alluring manner to get said information, she would do so without hesitation.

"Well consider yourself in better company now." She mused then set the glass down. Nyla raised an eyebrow and watched the gradual progression in Diarmaid's demeanor from surprise to frustrated to irritated at the realization that there were more Quincy in Karakura than he initially anticipated.

A flash of green passed over her eyes and her hand raised to toy with the medallion hanging from her neck. The medallion let out a responding chime to the trickle of reishi that leaked from Diarmaid's cross, as if sensing it was in presence of a fellow artifact. The nail of her index finger traced along the edge of the medallion, each movement loosing another faint chime.

"A touch of destiny, perhaps. Or, something happening here may have drawn us to this town. The surge in Hollow activity, for example." She surmised. Nyla gave a quick flick to the medallion and it released a melodic chime before falling silent. She picked up her glass and took another sip, glancing briefly at the contents and noting that less than a third of it remained. She eyed the Quincy beside her, tilting her head slightly at the lascivious expression that presented itself on his face as he asked about the Hollow population.

"Well, if I had to say..." A pause, nails drumming along her glass as she considered how she'd answer.

"Just today I killed ten, yesterday eight, the day before that eleven. And I still sense more showing up with each passing hour. How's that for good? Is that good enough, hm?" Now it was her expression that shifted, taking on a chilling resolution as her stare bore into him.

"Tell me something, Diarmaid, do you know anything about Hollow Bait being released in the city?"

The expression that settled on Nyla's face as Diarmaid questioned whether she was worried about drawing the attention of the Shinigami could best be described as a devious patience. A brief smirk presented itself then receded just as quickly before she picked up her drink, finishing it in two swigs interrupted between by a measured glance at Diarmaid.

"I'm not worried about them, I've dealt with them several times before. Hollows aren't the only thing I hunt." There was a cryptic calm to her voice as she all but confirmed that she had encountered and even killed Shinigami before. More than that, it seemed that she did so out of sport and not from a necessity to survive.

Nyla quirked an eyebrow at the atmosphere that surrounded Diarmaid at the mention of how abundant the Hollow population in Karakura had become. She recognized it because it was something she had encountered several times before; it was something she herself had exhibited. Likely anyone that considered themselves a hunter would recognize it; it was the thrill of the hunt. Before she could address it, however, her drinking companion addressed the inquiry she had put forth regarding Hollow Bait. Judging by his genuinely perplexed reaction upon hearing about it, Nyla decided that he likely wasn't the responsible party.

"That's the exact question I'm looking to answer. So far, I haven't met anyone that knows more than the basics. It looks like I've got quite the search ahead of me." She let out a thoughtful sigh then waved the bartender over to order another drink. Casting a short glance around at the dwindling crowd, it was clear that the evening was beginning to reach its apex.

"On second thought, I think one is enough for tonight. Maybe next time, hm?" She handed the man a folded bill. She waited for the bartender to walk away before rising from her seat. She stared thoughtfully down at Diarmaid before turning her head slightly as if listening to something. Her brow furrowed and she turned her head a little more as her gaze drifted towards the city. After a moment she smirked and peered at Diarmaid from the corner of her eyes.

"You like to hunt, boy? How about a little wager, hm? There's a big Hollow stalking around in the city right now. If you're able to find it before I do and kill it, I'll give you your choice of prize. Within reason, of course. May the best hunter win." Nyla's eyes gave off a bright emerald glow before swirling trails of dark smoke engulfed her. When the smoke cleared, Nyla was gone, already well on her way towards the Hollow.

Given how much of a head start she had given herself to track down the Hollow, it was no surprise that Nyla had already succeeded in locating it. Sitting cross-legged on a roof ledge several stories above the city streets below, she watched its movements below with waning interest. While it was true that the Hollow was indeed a large one as she had stated, possessing the appearance of some reptilian facsimile, she doubted that it was capable of any elevated intelligence. Her gaze glibly shifted from the creature to the group of tourists it appeared to be stalking.

"Predictable as always...and oblivious as always." Nyla remarked absently, referencing the Hollow then its chosen victims respectively. Given how much of a spiritual hotbed Karakura was, nearly every Hollow that she hunted chose to stalk after living prey rather than the spirits of the deceased. She supposed it was either a matter of abundance or they simply relished tormenting their "food" before eating it. Whatever the case was, it appeared that a few more deaths would happen soon if no intervention prevented them. Nyla's hands came to rest on the ledge beside her and her feet planted themselves against the wall below her. With a small exertion of force, she pushes herself off from the ledge and begins to drop to the street below.

As she freefell through the air, the darkness pulled away from the building and began to enshroud her. The transition from corporeal to her shadow form happened seamlessly and a moment later she melded into the darkness to depart the area. While it will was well within her power to dispatch the Hollow, doing so right now would be much too easy and not very sporting. Instead, she elected to find her young opponent and provide a bit of good-spirited taunting. Just a few blocks south of where the Hollow currently stalked, Nyla found Diarmaid making his way at a hurried pace towards the Hollow's location. From beside him, a mass of charred smoke formed and seemed to circle him.

"You're taking too long, boy. If you don't hurry, you're going to lose." Nyla's voice echoed out, originating both from the smoke and seeming to come from somewhere within the area. There was a playful chuckle from the smoke then it shot off into the city, once more heading back to the Hollow's location.