JUST LIKE ANIMALS

BABY, I'M PREYING ON YOU TONIGHT

She silently breathed out through her nose with shoulders easing out to a slight slump as she turned away. Through her peripheral vision she could see him wipes his eyes with a discolored sleeve-- tears? Lilium blinked. Perhaps a bad experience in Amazon Lily, though that wasn't her business and she didn't have time to be distracted. However, there was some truth with his babbling and she couldn't agree more about not relying on others. Only if she could get herself a ship without causing much of a scene and actually manage to steer without dying. She didn't want more problems adding on the things she already has in mind.

The young Kuja warrior kept silent, a troubled expression setting on her face which the bartender seemed to have noticed. A large, thick mug filled with a vibrant golden color of brewed malted barley slid towards her. She turned her head up and was greeted by the same large, warm smile the old man offered her earlier and told her that the beverage was on the house for a beauty like her. She blinked in confusion but a small smile pressed on her lips before wrapping both her hands around the glassware, savoring the chill of the drink. Her attention was shortly stolen once again by the dark-haired man when he slammed his own drink on the wooden table and threw her a question. Questions, actually.

Why do you wanna go there? The inquiry made her subconsciously reach for her back- the area right after the base of the neck- where her Kuja Pirates' emblem was tattooed. It was very easy to answer but Lilium found words stuck at the bottom of her throat, unable to decide if it was wise to even tell him that she came from there. But then again, it was only a matter of time until people would start noticing her crew tattoo After all, it was only hidden by a few stray strands of hair. She seriously needed more bandage to cover the important parts of her body. "I," Her voice faded to a short pause. Would he even believe that she came from Amazon Lily? That she was a Kuja Pirate? She let out a deep, sharp sigh and took a large gulp from her beer. Just like him, a few of the alcohol slipped from her mouth, droplets racing down to her chest and disappearing into her clothes and cleavage. It had such a bad taste that sort of electrified her senses in the most unpleasant ways. Lilium cringed, shutting her eyes tight and shaking her to get rid of the bad feeling as wiped her chin with the back of her hand.

Gathering enough courage in the words that stumbled in her mind, she faced the dark-haired man "Jaya is simply not my home," She wasn't going to betray her own crew and family by joining some other pirates just because she couldn't get a ride back at home. It would be her death if somebody wanted her to denounce her loyalty to the Kuja Pirates and Amazon Lily "I have a crew waiting for me back in Amazon Lily, so I have to go there." Any man who have friends or a part of a group whom he shared a great bond with would be able to relate to her. Perhaps an explanation wasn't needed; these kinds of things, she believed, could be felt by the heart of any sentient being. "And you? Has Jaya always been your home?" Taking her mug once again, she took a gulp small enough to keep things clean but still too much that it made her choke gently. She never drank these beverages back in the island and had way, way less tolerance than most of the girls her age "Ugh," She cleared her throat "Isn't this too strong to enjoy? How does one even manage to drink this?" Clearly, she was only given the light stuff-- a more feminine drink.

JUST LIKE ANIMALS

BABY, I'M PREYING ON YOU TONIGHT

Golden hues followed his hands; slender fingers wrapped around the cork in attempts to open the bottle, though he ultimately failed. She continued listening to him a bit more interested, even, now that she learned that both of them weren't locals. It would have been a conversation that she might enjoy... if only the man wasn't interrupted in the most violent way. Lilium jolted from her seat when the dark-haired's face was slammed on the wooden surface quite hard. It was more than surprising, and by the looks on the people's face immediately around them she wasn't overreacting. Her body acted on its own. Before she knew it she was already taking a few steps back from the men, even knocking down her own chair in the process.

Her eyes didn't linger long on the drunken man. She turned to the attacker and was met with a rather bizarre sight. Was that a red nose? It was very hard to miss- no, his whole face simply stood out among the rest. Lilium kept silently standing on the side, watching the two gentlemen's exchange. However, it was no secret that she favored the newcomer, mesmerized at the odd patterns and colors that painted his face. She did catch the drunkard calling her boobs, which instinctively made her look at her bosom. That's right. They had yet to introduce each other, though she didn't think it was necessary in the beginning.

Upon being mentioned and presence being detected, the air around the newcomer seemed to have changed as promptly as he introduced himself. Pepe the Clown. Clown. If she correctly remembered they were actors who were supposed to make people smile. Jaya didn't seem to be the right place for him. Lilium blinked, nodding as means of acknowledgement of him and his kindness. "He hasn't wronged me at all," She began, setting the stool back up and taking it. She decided to keep the distance rather unfriendly for now "In fact he was trying to help me," She turned to the drunkard "Fidel has been kind so far, you don't need to worry," A small smile cracked through her stern expression. The Kuja Warrior then turned back to the clown guy "My name is Lilium," It was her turn to give her name "And I'm looking for a ship that would sail to Calm Belt," Instead of giving her address, she told him her intention.

She fell silent for a brief moment where her hands seemed to have unconsciously held the mug and taking another sip from it. How strange! She found the taste too bitter for her liking yet there she was wanting for more "Do you know someone who would?" Her eyes were intently on Pepe; golden hues playing around his features as if she was memorizing every detail. Other things played in her mind, though "Or," She blinked, side glancing at Fidel with a graceful flutter of her eyelashes "Perhaps you can take me there?" There was a bit of hesitation in her voice if one listened closely but why was that not a good idea? If they had a ship, they could do the job lest she'd be forced to really do steal a vessel "Of course, I'll reward you handsomely." She sealed her offer with a chaste smile.

It wasn't very long until Lilium found her lips on the mug's rim, but this time she kept her hands around the glassware to steal its cool. The bar seemed to be getting hotter as each second passed just while her skin was getting redder. It was really not the type of temperature she was keen on.

JUST LIKE ANIMALS

BABY, I'M PREYING ON YOU TONIGHT

An eyebrow arched as Fidel began to walk around the bar, knocking down select individuals as he passed by them. Her optics never lingered too long on the men; they kept on following the dark-haired, still trying to figure out what he was doing. Even after using the counter top as a makeshift podium or a pedestal of some sort and explaining his actions, the Kuja warrior didn't stop looking lost. The clown, who was supposed to be an ally, didn't seem to be able to understand just what the heck he was trying to prove. Perhaps the influence of the alcohol? Likely. However, it was rather relieving to hear of his favorable response because her request really was a ridiculous one, and he was right about everything he said pertaining to the waters of Calm Belt.

This should be the time to give her gratitude for his kindness, but the deal wasn't even completely set. Lilium offered something in exchange and his demand was what she was looking for the most. Amazon Lily was a rich island and could provide a lot of things, but not everything... so what would a man like him possibly want? Gold, jewelries, food, a ship-- no matter what, however, she had to be cunning and careful with the things she'd be promising. The train of thoughts that was running in her mind was broken by his gruff voice, though. Once again, she brought her full attention to him (how her sisters would be so proud to see her listening so intently to others!) as he began to state his terms.

"I want you to take in my seed."
"...What?"

She stared at him. She stared at him longer than she intended as she tried to solve that riddle-like request. A seed? He wanted her and her sister to take his seed. Lilium turned to Pepe; a puzzled look settling on her face before casting her gaze back to Fidel. She blinked, lips parting as if she was about to speak but closing it before any word escaped. The clown's question was exactly what she wanted to ask: what did he just ask her? She wasn't sure if it was a pirate language that wasn't used back in the island or if it was a guy thing or he just had really poor bargaining skills. But, it sure did give her brain a bit of a shake.

"What do you mean-" Pausing immediately after realizing that she was going to ask this drunk man, who she was now not very confident about being sober enough to make deals, again. Instead, she looked at Pepe and repeated the very same question "What did he mean?" Obviously bewildered, it was inevitable to have a hints of urgency mixed in her voice.