A Single Drop
Maizuru
20:30
Two men move back and forth between a small boat and a box truck as they load dozens of containers into it. Held within most are a wide variety of creatures — spiders, snakes, toads, and more things that are likely to trigger someone's phobia — while others are completely closed off, with nothing to hint at what may be inside. The only thing that can be determined about the latter without opening them up is that whatever's inside is heavy. So heavy that when one of the men loses his balance, its weight sabotages any attempt to right himself and sends him hurtling to the ground.
However, he crashes alone, the box nowhere to be seen. Instead, it finds itself in the hands of its owner. With a hood pulled up and a medical mask obscuring the lower half of her face, it's difficult to make out her expression as she looks the box over. "It should be fine," she says with a disinterest that doesn't match her close inspection. Her gaze shifts to the fallen worker and lingers on him as she stands motionlessly. It's not right to say it's scary or intimidating, but it has a creepy quality just due to her appearance. What isn't hidden under dark clothes stands in stark contrast: pale skin that allows her veins to show up in spots, and the eyes fixed on him are a sickly yellow. It doesn't help that something can be seen moving around her neck for a brief moment, but its form can't be made out properly in the darkness, and it hides itself in her shirt as she crosses under a light to store the box with the others.
Akka sits in the driver's seat and continues watching the workers in the mirror. Truthfully, she's more concerned with harm coming to her precious pets than with the equipment being damaged. It would've been better to leave them at home, but this job was likely going to take some time, and she wouldn't be able to stand not having them around. She'd have to give them extra treats as a reward for bearing with her.
Just as the thought comes, something shifts beneath her shirt, eliciting a smile hidden by her mask. A few seconds later, a giant centipede makes its way up to her shoulder, wiggling its antennae to feel around. Akka brings her hand up and allows the arthropod to wrap itself around her wrist before bringing it to eye level. "All this traveling has you upset, doesn't it? Poor thing. Mommy's sorry, but I promise it'll be over soon. Just a short drive, and we'll be settled into our new home." She brings it closer and places a light kiss on top of the centipede's head through the mask.
KNOCK KNOCK
Her eyes snap to the window, where one of the workers is staring at her anxiously from the other side. She rolls the window down and speaks as her pet now crawls about her body in clear view. His vision seems to be more focused on it than on Akka. Considering it wasn't every day that you saw someone treating a centipede as if it's a cat - let alone one that's almost as long as one - it's understandable that he misses several words while making sure it isn't going to try wrapping around him next.
"...were there?" He finally snaps out of his trance, only catching the tail end of her question. It doesn't escape Akka that his eyes aren't focused on her, and her own seem to glimmer with recognition. She extends her hand, and the centipede stands on its backmost legs as if to present itself. "Interested? If you'd like a closer look, I don't mind. She doesn't bite... unless I want her to, kehehe~."
It takes a village to raise a child, and Akka considered herself fortunate to have enjoyed the warmth of hers. However, being raised by a village of secluded spies and assassins was bound to result in developing 'quirks' beside the ones they were born with. For Akka, who fell in more with the latter, this meant that she became overly affectionate towards the creatures she studied. At the same time, the ability to make pleasant conversation — or just be friendly at all — was left on the cutting room floor. It might concern lesser women how easily she played the role of a villain while struggling to make friends in everyday life, but she failed to find any issue with it. At worst, it was a strange source of her pride as a professional.
So, although she intended her comment to be a genuine offer for the man to share in her passion, he interprets it more as a threat born from annoyance at his gawking. The man takes a step back on instinct and quickly shakes his head. "E-Everything's in. We'll, uh... we'll get going." With the forced out, he quickly puts more distance between himself and his eerie client. In confusion, Akka tilts her head to one side but shrugs and goes back to playing with her pet.
Higashiyama
23:00
Akka wades her way through the sea of people indulging themselves. Drugs, sex, gambling — nothing she hadn't seen in other villain nests but taken to extremes that go far beyond mere business. In a place where people seem to be struggling to keep their clothes on, it's a wonder that her face is now more fully covered while the hoodie and baggy pants have been exchanged for something of higher quality, even if similar in spirit. What stands out most about the change in her attire is the addition of a sling bag carrying some samples.
Rather than procure something to loosen her inhibitions or someone to keep her company, her eyes are entirely focused on the upper section of the club. It isn't dissimilar to the chaos of the ground floor, but there's a thicker atmosphere about it, and the giant of a man standing at the stairs makes it clear that not just anyone is allowed to come up. When she draws near, he stops her. "No one goes up without the boss's permission," he says as he firmly grips her shoulder.
"Your boss will want to see me." She places a hand over his and pulls it off with surprising ease after a moment. The guard seems paler — as if he'd seen a ghost or suddenly come down with something — and is unable to stop her from shoving past him. As she makes her way up the stairs, he collapses at the bottom. If most of the people here weren't blinded by pleasure, he might have gotten help, but she had doubts that they would have cared anyway.
Once on the upper level, Akka makes her way into a back area where some of the establishment's patrons enjoy themselves in private. Her eyes scan around until she finds what she's looking for: what looks to be an office with two mutants stationed at the door. This time, she doesn't wait for them to stop her. A short blade of reddish purple color forms within her hand and finds itself cutting into their exposed flesh as she invites herself inside. The sights don't differ much from what could be found in the rest of the club, but the one enjoying them does —a large panther lounges on a throne as servants serve it wine and drink.
Akka's hand dives for the packager bag and places it on a desk, cracking the lid so that the panther can clearly see what's inside. "Having business troubles, no? I have a solution, kehehe~."