Chapter 1-2: Step into the Saloon (Starring Charles & Kasey)

It was a dangerous game she played. She not only walked a thin line, but danced upon it, leaping place to place. It would be only in time that the thread under her feet would snap one day, breaking, and sending her to the depths of the abyss below. But as much as the chance she had to fall from grace, there was the chance she would be shot up to the sky, and praised to the heavens. Each fate, had the same interest to her. To fall into evil and become a villain, or to rise as Japan's greatest hero, it didn't matter. Whatever her position, her job would be the same. To eliminate crime; And to do so, by controlling the underworld.

Kasey made her way down from her office, and back to the ground level. The club was always opened, with varying entry prices. Morning to afternoon, there was no fee, but once sunset came around, the bouncers stood at the door and collected their dues. People entered, the hostess took their funds, and they were allowed in. From there, the guest would be handed a mask, as per the theme of the club. Everyone either wore their outfits, or dawned the paper skull masks. Of course, nicer quality ones were for sale, and in the effort to encourage others, all tickets always lasted the week. Buy Sunday, free entry until Saturday. The week, however, did not mean seven days.

Kasey smiled, a mask made of bone covering her face. An exterior skull over her face, and her hair colored black for the night. Her horns covered from under a bowler hat, and a pinstripe suit worn over her body. Her sleeves rolled up, and all of her scars visible. The maroon color of her shirt contrasting with the darkness of her black vest. Everyone else had their colors pale and shadowy, while she held colors.



But it was still a night where she was going to enjoy herself. Rather than bury her nose in paperwork again, she would take to work, tasking herself with assisting some of her newer employees. Making her way past all of the individuals, and the few that recognized the owner, she quickly shuffled behind the bar, only to take cues from her staff on the drinks they were already preparing to serve. Drink after drink, she mixed until, she found a man at the counter, asking the most peculiar of questions.

"Lady Macabre?" Kasey would say, asking his question back to him, her own back facing him. She shook the drink in her hands, only to pour the liquid into the cup of ice for the next customer. She set the mixer on the counter, took the cup, and turned around. She slid it down the counter, only to lean on her hands to come face to face with her newest guest.

"What can I do ya for?" she would ask.

Listening more to his words, she could only assume he was an outsider. Wit the new years, everyone was taking up a new language. Learn a few, and the barrier between countries no longer exists. She knew English, along with korean and other languages. She was fluent, but not well spoken. That was the cost of reading all the time. You had all of the booksmarts, but you never really had a chance to practice hands on.

She leaned in and listened to his words. A story she already knew about. She after all, wore both sets of masks, but that was her secret to keep. Only a handful knew, and if word got out, she would simply just have to kill everyone to keep it from getting out. She had no time to weed out moles. If one person failed her, they all would given time. As much as it would pain her heart to kill Yuri, or her brother, it was a price to pay for the goal she strove for. As he got comfortable in his seat, Kasey would begin her mental planning of where to put the mystery man. After all, it was her girlfriend that had requested he go to Kasey for work. Perhaps Yuri's screening was all Kasey needed.

"What's your quirk?" She asked, getting right to the point. "Unless you got none, or don't wanna use it on the job. Right now, I'm just gonna put you over at the merch desk, or the snack bar, given your current provided resume." Kasey smiled, "Unless you have a skill worth mentioning."

On the surface, it was definitely a place that seemed to delve into dark dealings. How could you not expect a club, much more a nightclub to not be tempted to sell and buy with the underbelly of Japan? Unfortunately, even the most illegal thing Kasey was doing, was still within the law. For any upcoming hero, there was nothing to bust. There was no secret to expose. She covered all of her bases. Kasey knew what she was doing.

"Just stone, huh." She would say, leaning a bit back. She really hoped for an interesting quirk, but if that was all he had to offer, then she would already begin screening him for her other openings. It wasn't until he mentioned crime, that Kasey laughed at him. "Oh, they really tell everyone that, huh?" Kasey giggled, stopping at the drop of a dime, into a more serious tone, like flipping a switch. "If you vigilantes and heroes would stop with your slander, perhaps we all could get along. The only thing criminal here, is my low and really competive prices." a quote from Master Hain himself. After all, that was the reason he was employed. At least, in regards to the Jackal.

"Well, then I offer you the positions as my bartender, custodian, or building operations. Which is just serving drinks, cleaning up after drinks, and making sure things don't catch fire... respectively." She would smile, her mood changing back to the lighthearted giggly girl that she was earlier. "Payment is adjusted based on how laborious the job is for you, as far as benefits, you'll be pleased to know I cover your dental, medical, and optical, completely."

They say you aren't supposed to play with your hand shown. They say not to let the others see your cards. Kasey played with her hand revealed, but that wasn't the problem for people. If you were at a table of several players, not only were all of the players playing with their cards shown to you, but all of them, including the dealer, was that girl behind the bar counter. You weren't just playing against one person. No. She was an entire corporation.

Yuri had spoken to him over a vigilante network. Kasey knew her girlfriend enough to know that was how the conversation started. The actual exchange of words was beyond her. But that alone, was enough for her to deduct that the man was here to be hero. But for now, just wanted a job.

"Forgiven. I just simply place people where they belong." Words that would be condescending in any other time, in any other place. Here, it was in reference to quirks and people doing what was easy for them. If you could shoot water from your hands, you were at the bar or cleaned. It made no sense for you to sort inventory, especially for the same pay.

"Then enjoy yourself, come back to me in an hour, and I'll have everything ready for you." Kasey would tell him. "I'll put you behind the snack counter. You can help clean the machines, as well as the backroom. With your quirk, I imagine that you don't have to fear steam or vapor as much as the others, not saying you're going to face that danger often." Kasey would let a quick grin before letting her expression fade away. Kasey would grasp his hand in her own.

"Yout can just call me Lady Macabre. Or Skull, as the others do." And with that, she would finally shake his hand, careful not to shake before a deal, or offer was made.