⸝⸝ bar

@⋯✧ kafka. It was a sensation he knew well, the complex dance of power and resistance that defined their interactions. The controlled chaos it brought to his mind was a stark reminder of the intricate dance they had performed countless time before. Her love for the feeling of dominance over him lingered in his memories, each instance etched within his very being. He simply could not refrain her from taking his will away. Despite his apparent displeasure with being toyed with, the male found himself obedient to Kafka's commands. There could be a torrent of voices, each one screaming for him to refuse her, yet, all it takes, is one word from her, and all the voices ceases to exist, leaving only Kafka within his mind. So long as she held the key to letting him free, to grant him eternal peace, he'll swallow his pride a thousand times over, and yield just like he did before. If the situation changes, and he deems her inept, that will be the very day her head rolls on to the ground.

Surrendering his pride to her was a bitter pill, one that he begrudgingly have grown accustomed to swallowing. Her heavy kiss pressed upon his lips, the trace of lipstick a visible mark of his submission. As she whispered a reminder of his place, Blade met her gaze with a stubborn intensity. "You're only my sanity pill, since I want to stay sane. You're not a need, Kafka, don't forget that either. You benefit from having me around just as much as I do from having to comply to your whims." Perhaps, between the two of them, she was the more broken one. He could never read her mind, her actions never ceasing to take him by surprise. "Kafka, are you in ing heat or what? Your games are starting to get out of hand." A bemused sigh followed soon after, his gaze remained fixated on her as she continued to alter her attire to best fit whatever twisted play she had in mind. "There's a little house not too far from her, that's where I've been staying when I'm not tending to the customers. Do make your presence known before you come waltzing in."

@⋯✦ blade. To feel him shiver beneath her palm was exhilarating. The familiar rush of power she hadn't felt quite like this in a while made her feel a little buzz in her brain, but she outwardly remained composed, calm, and collected as she always was. She remembers loving this feeling, especially when it came as a result of having power over him specifically. The way he'd look at her with the intensity of a defiant child who felt wronged, the way his body would tense up and he'd physically shut her out and away despite mentally leaving himself open to her... Perhaps they'd been in this exact position several times in the past, but one fact remained and played in her mind: he was an interesting individual, Blade. She could tell he wasn't happy to be toyed with, as many wouldn't be, but even with that being the case, he still obeys her. Not without reminding her just how "dangerous" he could be, but still he bent his knee for her. Still, he kisses her knuckles as she demands. Still, he remains her pawn.

It meant a lot for him to surrender his pride and lower himself for her, and she truly was touched that he'd do so, though as she leaned forward to leave a heavy kiss against his lips, making sure to leave an imprint of her lipstick on his skin and smearing it slightly with her thumb. "Remember your place, Bladie," she whispers against his brims, pulling back slowly and slightly so that she can point her gaze directly at his defiant one before patting his cheek twice. "According to your account, I am your lifeline and 'sanity pill' as you called me, so you'd be wise to keep in mind your role." Standing up fully, she her heels to look in the mirror and adjust her hair, messing it up ever so slightly and shifting her dress around to where she looked a little unkempt. "Now," she says while spinning back around to undo some of his buttons and fluff out his hair, not without smearing more kisses to his neck and collar to sell the look she was going for. "As much as I'd love to learn more specifics, I don't think we have enough time to chitchat here... Where can we meet up later?"

@⋯✧ kafka. Blade felt a familiar chill run down his spine as Kafka's hands lingered around his neck. Whilst her antics did take him by surprise, seeing a glimpse of the Kafka he knew all too well, was somewhat comforting. He had just spilled his tale, a torrent of information aimed at unravelling the mysteries surrounding them, and yet her scepticism hung in the air. Can't blame her for it though, after all, it was far from being the most believable of tales. The proximity of her body against his, the touch of her fingers tracing patterns on his chest, it all left him torn between defiance and submission. He met her intense gaze, a flicker of rebellion in his eyes despite the tension in the room. The demand for loyalty echoed in his mind, and he couldn't help but question the absurdity of the situation. He wasn't one to bow easily, not without a fight, yet it was Kafka. The only allegiance he swore upon, is that to the person that can grant him his one true desire, to die. Kafka, was someone who aided him in achieving that very goal. His jaw clenched, a subtle resistance evident in his demeanour. "It seems you simply can't help but to play your mind games, huh, Kafka?" He retorted, his voice laced with a hint of defiance. His gaze held hers, a silent protest lingering in the air, before he spoke again. "It seems you've forgotten just how dangerous I am as a person, too, Kafka. If I wanted to, each person that accompanied you today, no, in fact each and every one in this godforsaken town, would cease to exist within moments. While I may have a soft spot for you, it'll be wise for you to remember that."

The choice presented, to swear allegiance or defy and possibly lose Kafka once more, hung heavily in the room. Blade wrestled with his own reservations, his pride warring against the inexplicable pull towards her. As he contemplated his response, a reluctant surrender coloured his actions. With a hesitance that betrayed his Stoic exterior, he knelt before her, pressing an ephemeral kiss to the knuckles of her hand. It was a concession, one he hoped would satisfy her manipulative nature.

@⋯✦ blade. After hearing his explanation of events, everything starts to clear up a little bit... but only a little bit. Perhaps it was because he shared a lot at once, but not much of what he said actually rang any bells, unfortunately. As she mulls over all the information shared, she chuckles a little, a thought crossing her mind. "Sounds like you trust and care for me way too much, stranger," she teases, leaning off the sink to slowly step closer to him until she's right up against him. Her hands push him back against the door and calmly slither from his chest to around his neck, tracing over his adam's apple before gripping at his throat. Lightly, but still tight enough to feel his pulse clearly. "How do I know I can trust you, though?"

Truth be told, she wasn't suspicious of him. If anything, she trusted him immediately because her body instructed her to. She could feel in her gut that he wasn't any trouble, but her mind was struggling with believing it. It felt irrational just to blindly believe him like that. She hadn't spent so long without him, making allies and gathering clues, just to believe every little thing he'd tell her right away. After all, his face and vague memories aside, he really was a stranger to her. Her grip releases and she returns a hand to his chest to draw mindless spirals against it. "Swear your loyalty to me... again... and I might be inclined to believe you," she whispers to him, looking him dead in the eye with an intensity despite the words that follow. "Get on your knees and kiss the knuckles of my hand and i'll believe you."

@⋯✧ kafka. "So, what exactly was so important that you needed to meet me in the bathroom. You do know that I have a bar to run, right?" In all honesty, he much preferred to be talking to Kafka than to spend his hours behind the bar, mindlessly counting the minutes away until he could close up business and call it a day. But she didn't need to know that. He wanted to somewhat keep his guard up, after all, memories aside, he wasn't dealing with an angel here. As she turned to face him, his gaze, all too easily, succumbed to her presence, fixating on her beautiful visage. "Hmmm,,," He was at a loss. How exactly should he describe their relationship. It wasn't like he could just easily label them, either. Blade went mute, clearly losing himself within his mind. As he pondered on a sufficient answer for Kafka, he ran a hand through his hair, lengthy fingers combing his strands into place, his back soon meeting the door behind him as he rested his weight against it. "You sure you want to ask me this now? It might take a long time to get your answer out of me, won't your friends get worried?" He inquired, wanting to buy a little more time as he figures out the best way to answer her, without scaring her away. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, his lips parted, and he began to talk.

"You are more than just a friend, Kafka. A lifelong companion? Not quite that, either. We're not lovers, but we're not just co-workers. You see, the two of us, go back years on end. You are the one who found me and invited me to join the group we're working for now. In fact, we were on a mission together, call it a work trip if you will, when we got teleported here out of the blue. In a way, we're partners in crime since, to be honest, there's a bounty on both our heads. But pay no attention to that, just a mere hurdle in our line of work anyway. We both benefit from our partnership, I'll spare the details for now, but you also happen to be my lifeline. The one sanity pill I can count on to work when everything else fails." Not once did his gaze shifted as he spoke out his truth. "Not sure if that's what you wanted to hear, but, alas, that is who you are to me."

@⋯✦ blade. The second the door opens and he comes into the mirror's view, another smile spreads across the lips she was busy lining with her lipstick. He seemed just as eager if not more to figure out what was going on, considering how swiftly he came to meet with her. And though she wants to make a remark about that, she saves it for another time. They had more pressing matters to tend to at the moment. "Let's get right to it, shall we?" Her hands busy themselves with putting away her lipstick and her arms fold across her chest as she spins on her heels to properly face him. So many questions she wants to ask at once, but she reminds herself she needs to keep things simple. She can't get too far ahead of herself just yet. This in mind, she huffs a sigh and takes a moment to decide on how to phrase her question. "What am I to you?"

It was an easy enough question for him to answer. At least it should be. She has the faintest idea of their relationship being related to work based on what he'd mentioned before, but she got the sense that there was more to it than just that as well. He treated her as if she were important to him, so she was curious about the nature of their relationship. "While you're at it, tell me where we're originally from as well," she more or less orders, leaning back against the sink. "I somewhat remember being teleported, but it's all foggy." For all she knows, he could lie in his answers, but in this moment, Kafka had no choice but to trust him and be honest about the situation at hand. He was the closest thing to an ally that she had in long while, after all.

@⋯✧ kafka. For a brief moment, his emotions resurfaced as she uttered the nickname he had grown accustomed to hearing from her. His gaze, softens, a part of him wishing that she was in fact pranking him. But his heart knows too well, her memories of him were long gone. "Bladie, huh? A tad bit informal but sure, if you would like to call me that, feel free to do so, Kafka." The taller simply shook his head at her teasing antics, even without her memories, it seemed she can't avoid her teasing nature. A true temptress at her core. "I'll do my very best, so long as you remember my name. Deal?" At her comment, he simply retorted without turning his back around to face her. "Be glad that I didn't wound you with my blade instead, Kafka." He'd be lying if he said he did not miss her presence, even if she knew exactly how to get a reaction out of him. His focus, all too easily, gravitated towards Kafka, rolling his eyes soon after as she orders him to meet her by the bathroom. Instead of being annoyed, he smiled, somewhat glad to see that she was still the same person he knew despite circumstances. "Yeah, yeah, I'll see you there. Let me go serve these drinks to the folks that came with you. I still have to do my job, even if I hate it."

Blade took his time-serving Kafka's coworkers, eyes darted back and forth, taking in their appearance. To the best of him, he simply could not figure out just what in the world Kafka has been doing since they separated. He offered up a charming smile to the ladies, he knew oh too well that one of the reason business kept on coming was due to the gossiping ladies. He didn't forget to spare the complaining young male a quick glare, had it been anywhere else than the bar, it would have been the last few words the youth would have uttered. Once all drinks were served, he quickly made his way to rendezvous with Kafka, closing the bathroom door firmly shut behind him.

@⋯✦ blade. "Bladie it is then," she tells him with a more genuine smile on her face this time. It'd be hard to forget such a name, to be honest, and it felt natural for her to say it. Just to tease though, she'd probably pretend to forget the next time they were to meet. Just for the hell of it. But being a menace aside, she was too excited (and frankly impatient) to wait for another time to learn more about him, and herself, so she started to devise a quick plan as he prepares the beverages for her table. "Take good care of me, okay, Bladie?" she suggests in a kittenish manner, spinning to the side to stand from her stool and dust off her lap.

Her eyes follow his nod and his directions then flick back onto his stare, fixated there with a half-lidded intensity waving like a calm flame in her irises. "How dare you say I look good then turn away from me. You wound me, Bladie." A feigned pout takes form on her features before she leans over the counter somewhat to whisper behind him. "Meet me in the bathroom, I have questions that can't wait." And with that, she clicks her heels away and toward the direction of the bathroom as he makes his way to her table of coworkers. They numbered 5: the oldest, a burly man, being the one retiring; the others were a younger man, and three women who kept a close eye on Blade the entire time. Briefly, the younger man of the two mentions that they took a while under his breath, a tinge of disapproval in his tone, but one of the women quickly elbows him to shut him up and shines her teeth toward Blade with a prompt apology for his behavior following suit. Kafka watches them from afar briefly before making her way into the bathroom. She needed to fix her lipstick anyhow.

@⋯✧ kafka. As Kafka admitted that she recalls only his face and nothing else, Blade could not help but to let out a chuckle, somehow amused at their current predicament. "Well, that's a start, I guess. The name is Blade. Please do try to remember that at the very least." It was going to take some time, and a lot of effort, but he was going to try his very best to aid her in retrieving her memories. He knew deep down within himself, unless Kafka was back at full capacity and by his side, he might as well start adopting the bartender lifestyle for good. He pondered to himself for a brief moment before opting to instead shift his focus to the job at hand, prepping the drinks to be served. "Feel free to drop by more often, I'll be here. It's not like I have anywhere else to go anyway."

At her inquiry, he simply offered up a tender simper, followed by a nod in the direction of the bathroom. "First door to your right, just past those drunk idiots singing their hearts out. By the way, you look good dressed like that. Different, but bewitching nonetheless." With that the male turned away from her, ensuring all the drinks were ready to be served before he made his way to the awaiting table, a forced smile in full display. Maybe it was curiosity? Or perhaps it was the need to know just what kind of crowd Kafka has been running with, weaved in with sheer concern for the other, that had the male actually conversing with his customers. Had it been anyone else, on any other day, a mere thank you and goodbye were all they would have received from him.

@⋯✦ blade. The more he seems to speak, the more questions she has. When did they teleport? That would explain why nothing and no one but him seem familiar to her, but teleport from where exactly? And who was Elio? What kind of missions would they go on? Was she some kind of spy or something? It would make sense, given her skillset and occupation now, but it was killing her that nothing but his face was actually ringing any bells. Him too from his questions and the evident stress he wore on his face, the worry laced in his voice and weighing it down. He apparently cares for her, at least to some degree, so she needed to keep him close as well.

"See, the only thing I do actually remember is your face, but I have no idea what anything else you've said really means," she says honestly, which somehow feels uncharacteristic for her. The hand beneath her chin falls to rest atop her other arm casually and she sits up straight once more. There's so much she wants to ask him and so much she wants to know, but now and here weren't the time and place for a conversation like this. Especially with her party waiting on her to get them drinks. "We'll talk," she utters, her eyes wandering away to their surroundings and her head turning back to her table to show them a small grin before returning to him seriously. "Just serve us all a round of beers for now. I'll excuse myself as soon as I can. For now, where is your bathroom?"

@⋯✧ kafka. Blade could not believe his ears. Did she really brush off his other questions and opted to focus on the question of her outfit instead? And did she really just say roommate? The Kafka has a roommate? Questions after questions flooded his already busy mind. How was he supposed to be happy at being reunited, when the person before him seemed so different from the one he knew. "Kafka dearest, did you by chance hit your head on something when we teleported? What do you mean by roommate, just what kind of life having you been living since we got here?" He placed the mug and the cloth onto the countertop that separated the two individual, his toned arms soon coming to neatly fold over his chest as he eyed the female in an inquisitive manner. Alarms rang in his head, clearly something went wrong somewhere. Kafka was mischievous, sure, but she wasn't one to pull such a prank on him. It was clear as day that she truly does not remember him. There wasn't an ounce of deceit in her voice.

With his gaze never once faltering, stubbornly fixated on her, he breathed out another sigh, this one out of frustration laced with concern. "Look at me properly, Kafka, are you telling me you don't recognize this face of mine. I can't even count how many missions we've run together for Elio, how you'd save my when the time calls for it, and how I'd always have your back." Realizing that he was slowly succumbing to his emotions, he took a moment to compose himself, opting to just focus on the fact that at least he now knows that Kafka was safe and sound. That saves him the trouble of having to venture out to find her.

"You know what, ignore what I just said. Yes, we've met, a handful of times, actually. I didn't think you'd forget this face of mine so soon." He chimed, tilting his head slightly to the side as he spared a glance at the company that came along with her. For now, the best course of action is to keep her close, the last thing he needed was to have Kafka distrust him and cut off contact. "What was it you wanted to order again? I'll serve it right up. Anything for you."

@⋯✦ blade. Immediately, she's taken aback when she hears her name, but she doesn't let it show in the slightest. Had she been here before? No. Had one of her coworkers already mentioned her to this man? That couldn't be the case either since he hadn't even turned to face her yet. How would he recognize her by voice alone when they've never met? ...They haven't, have they? Question after question floods her mind, and by the time he finally turns around and they're face to face, she's stung by something in her chest and her mind begins to buzz. Why does he... why is he talking to her like he knows her?

"My roommate picked this out for me, but um..." her voice trails off, clearing and falling into something like a trance. He feels... oddly familiar. For once, someone feels familiar, but why can't she place who he is? Briefly, her eyes fall to his name tag reading 'Blade' and suddenly a haze takes over her sight. Visions and voices of him flash in her mind's eye. Suddenly, she remembers something and for some reason, she can recall how warm yet rough his hands are when her eyes flick to them... How strong and secure his hold his when he'd give her a rare hug with those arms of his that are hidden by sleeves... The chest that masked a steady heartbeat that somehow she can recall hearing in her mind's ear. And finally, his face. How it always carried a serious expression no matter what he felt like, but she remembers being able to catch the smallest glimpse of a smile every so often. There was no doubt about it. She knew this man.

But why can't she remember how they met or even where they met? Why can't she remember anything else?

She doesn't know if it's instinct or something else, but when she snaps out of it again, she leans in closer to him, resting a hand on the heel of her palm. She doesn't know how she knows this man, but it'd be unlike her to not flirt with a little danger. Especially when it concerned something— or rather, someone from her past. "I'm sorry..." the words slip from her mind and pass through her lips, confusion finally causing one of her brows to rise. However, a small and coy grin still tugs at her lips. "How... do I know you?"

@⋯✧ kafka. Had the male been the most optimistic and hopeful individual, even he would have given up by now. Night after night, same old charade. Here he was once again, within his temporary sanctuary, a battered cloth within one hand, a mug in the other, as he keeps himself occupied with yet another mundane task. A bartender, what was once, a feared individual in all of Xianzhou, was now reduced to a mere bartender. Oh, how cruel destiny truly was. His only wished was to be given peace in the form of finality, to be given freedom from the eternal damnation that accompanied him. Yet, here he was, another night spent, serving alcohol to rowdy drunkards, having to indulge in meaningless conversations and forced laughter. Not to mention the plethora of females that shamelessly attempted to flirt with him. He was beyond tired. A part of him loathed himself for opting to open up the tavern in the first place. Or rather, loathed himself for making the previous owner take a permanent holiday from running his business.

"Kafka, where in the heavens did you go,,," he mumbled to himself, back turned from the series of individuals that once again flooded his bar. His biggest fear wasn't that he wouldn't be able to return to his world, he had long severed any attachments, but rather, that without the presence of his scheming partner, he might lose himself in the mara, succumbing to the bloodlust and end up painting this small town red. Having lived a long, torturous life, patience is all he had, and even that was now becoming obsolete. Unbeknownst to the male, whilst he wallowed in self-pity and cursing at the tides of destiny, another group of customers had made their way into the establishment. A familiar voice soon snapping him back to reality, a voice he knew all too well.

"Look what the cats dragged in. You sure loved making me wait, huh, Kafka?" Blade didn't need to turn around to know who exactly was seated behind him, he could never mistake her voice for another's, not when she's the only person that's able to keep the demons at bay, or in some circumstances, turn him into one. Turning to face the bewitching female, his gaze darkens, bemusement apparent in the way his brows furrowed and the exasperated sigh that spilled from his lips right after. "Do you know how long I've waited for you? You come in, without a word, and ask me for drinks?" He was dumbfounded to say the least. As happy as he was to be reunited with her, he wasn't too pleased at how long it took her to return to his side. Halting his complaints for a moment, he took a proper glance at her, eyes tracing her captivating visage, and then to her rather daring attire. "What is up with that get up of yours?"

@⋯✦ blade. It hadn't been too long since she'd seemingly been summoned here in this world, and because of it, she was having a hard time mentally adjusting to the new world she was transported to. She was getting around fine and able to learn about the world just fine, but she couldn't help but feel like something was... off. Like something was missing. And she'd been racking her brain trying to think about what that something could be, but nothing about this world was pointing toward familiarity. Not that it would, just... For some reason, she feels like she's forgetting something important.

It's not as though she could afford to worry too much about it though.

Since she'd been in this world, she'd been busy, busy, busy and had to resort to finding clues about herself and whatever was causing her to feel off in her free time. Tonight, she had some, but after she and her coworkers were supposed to celebrate someone's retirement or something. She didn't care too much for it, honestly. Free drinks were the only reason she'd be going and her coworkers were well aware of that as they made their way to this bar one of them said they'd frequent a lot.

"Just wait until you see how handsome he is," said one of her coworkers as they entered past the threshold, somehow snapping her back to her reality. Kafka hadn't realized she'd zoned out until now, but it was unlike her to do so. And as she comes back to her senses, she notices they are finally here and talking about some bartender she personally didn't care for. Apparently, his looks were "otherworldly" and no one knew where he was from (just like Kafka at first), but they were ever curious and wanting to know more since this small town seldom had visitors. Normally, this would intrigue her, but she'd learned after the 5th visitor not to get her hopes up. And unfortunately for Kafka, too, no one had the guts to actually go up to him and ask him anything, the group resorting to sending her over to order the drinks and inquire, but she guesses she didn't mind.

After making her way over to the bar, she takes a seat at one of the stools and adjusts her dress over her thighs, which she crosses. It was a plunging V-neck dress and backless which hardly left anything to the imagination if she took off her fur-lined coat, but her roommate picked it out for her hoping it would attract someone's attention tonight. She thought it was stupid to her roommate, but Kafka figures she may as well use it to her advantage since she was wearing it. Maybe it'd score her a discount. "Excuse me," she calls to the tender who had his back turned, leaning forward against the counter. "I'd like to order a round of beer for the table in the back... And said table would also like to know if they can rely on you to serve them tonight."