Drunk Dial ( M )

[Amari]

The only time she felt any warmth was when she had a belly full of firewhiskey. The only time she didn’t feel so lost, so empty and aimless was with the golden alcoholic nectar. So that’s why she sat there with head on the table, barely conscious. A nearly empty bottle of the liquid lay on its side clutched tightly in a pale sickly hand.The place was virtually empty. The last of the patrons had long since headed upstairs to their rooms. The only other who remained was a rather annoyed looking barman who was mindlessly rearranging various bottles behind the bar.

It was late, well beyond nightfall and Scarlet had started drinking at some point in the afternoon. Her dull eyes stared listlessly at the amber bottle in front of her. This feeling. This felt good. She no longer felt numb.

Ah…

What a sight.

The mighty Scarlet. Woman who felled Madison Briarheart. Assumed leader of the Crimson Hand, assassin. Demon. Emotionless force of nature. Monster. She was all these things. But human? No. She wasn’t that anymore was she?

Scarlet snorted as her hand fumbled for something around her neck. It clasped onto a glass vial filled with ash. “Hey… hey Madison….” She tugged hard on it and it being an inanimate object gave no response. “Why d-did ya have to go and die like that? Coulda taken me with you.” There was a long pause and Scarlet grumbled. “You obviously didn’t try h-hard enough.” Her speech slurred as she pushed herself up. “Fuck you too.” She muttered letting go of the keepsake. A morbid reminder of her sins and the only remains of the one friend she ever really had.

And what a friendship it was, if one could even really, truly call it that.

The room swayed. “Fuck…” Scarlet pressed a hand to her head and pushed her crimson bangs out of her face.

“Hey….hey Hunter.”

She was met with silence. “Oh.” She pressed her finger to the shard of stone embedded into her chest. “Oi. Oi.. Oi”

Now that is an odd sensation what in the name of - ah! Dawn girl, is that you?

His voice echoed in her head and she outwardly groaned. “Yeh. It’s me…” she muttered aloud. “Come...come drink with me.”

Give me one moment to get some clothes on before you summon. Came the dry response.

Her eyes shifted down to her arm. Scarlet hadn’t bothered trying to hid the thick blackened cracks on her skin anymore. Not that she really could. Most clothes she wore would crumple and fade into nothing. She wasn’t adorned head to toe in black leathers, nor her red dress. No. Isabelles red dress. Instead she wore a long orange dress that shimmered in the dim light of the low burning oil lamps. It was enchanted to not rot at the touch of her skin. The material glittered and glided along with the ethereal sheen of magic imbued into its fibres. The dress had short sleeves and a simple collar. One that swooped just below her collarbones in a semi-circle. Nothing fancy. Nothing of import. It was just a necessity.

Scarlet slid a finger along her arm and watched a thick trail of blood follow suit. Pooling then drizzling down her skin. The woman pressed the stone in her chest and ignored the tingle of pain. “I’m bleeding.” She added knowing that it would entice him to join her. Then, with a flick of her finger to the black shard she summoned him to her.

By the moo-fine. But you're dealing with me without a shirt on. Do the summons - oh now that is an even weirder feel. A note of exasperation.

It was the first time Scarlet had used something like this. Would it work like Jake’s portal and a door would appear, or would he just poof into existence in a crackle of light and smoke?

It was neither. Instead it was like a ghost slowly appeared beside her, a hazy outline formed of black mist appearing at first, in the rough shape of the man, then it slowly coalesced, thickened - filled in. True to his word, he had trousers on - but that was it. His arms were folded over his chest, obscuring the thick, ropey scars that ran across his torso.

“You rang?” He seemed amused by the nonsensical words.

Scarlet barely paid him any mind and waved the empty bottle toward his direction. “Get the-get the bartender to get...more…come sit.” She gestured to the empty place in front of her. There was no chair. “Find chair...drink…” The movements caused more blood to flow from the diagonal line across the top of her arm.