The Empty Bottle was half empty and Malika was fully drunk. Several moons earlier, while doing a "simple B&E" on a lounge bar with Evander, they'd found documents proving that the shitty owner had been up to some impressively illegal activities. They got those documents into just the right hands to help put the owner away and they got the extra money they had just happened across in the process into the hands of the abused staff.
The proprietress of The Empty Bottle had used hers to start this place and, while it hadn't quite taken off yet, it did ensure that Malika had somewhere she could drink for free. This was a blessing and a curse. The blessing was Malika's; not ever having much of gil of her own meant that paying for her own drinks in places was usually a bit of a struggle. It was a curse for everyone in The Empty Bottle tonight because Malika was not one to become less obnoxious when she was drunk… and her default obnoxiousness levels were already impressively high when sober.
The Keeper sidled over two seats at the counter to situate herself closer to two men animatedly discussing a particularly big delivery job they had for a particularly big home in the area. Malika recognized the name: Kyho. And even drunk, she recognized an opportunity.
"HI THERE!" She practically shouted in greeting to the two men. They nearly fell off their barstools in surprise; she nearly fell of hers in drunkenness'. Ok, she tried to talk herself through it. Steady. Steady. Careful with the voice modulation.
She frowned. One: this false name was far too close to her own. Perhaps attempting this conversation was not a grand idea at the moment. Two: Mame? She smacked her lips together like a fish to try get the numbness out of them. The two men she'd decided to accost with her ultra-loud greeting watched her decidedly unsexy lip smacking with fascination.
"Um...hi," one ventured nervously. "You might have had too much to drink."
"Maturally I have!" She laughed outloud. This 'm' fascination was a problem. She tried to talk herself down. Stop being annoying! Be clever, witty, and captivating instead!
"I am dating the girl who you… who she… who... fuck. Words." She tried again. "The girl who hired you? I'm dating her. And tommommorow is her nameday." Nah. The m felt better on the lips. "Mameday," she corrected.
The older of the two at the bar looked skeptical. "Pretty sure we met the person she's dating. It wasn't you."
"You met a person she's dating," Malika replied truthfully. "I'm another one," she lied. "Look, you can trust me." This was a dubious statement and the men did not seem convinced. "I can tell you everything about her! You've been in her house? Me too! I can describe her, the house, her big adorable kitty… it's named...ahem… mamed Dumpling, by the way. I can, down to the last detail, describe her shower…" She grinned, a playful glint alighting in her eyes.
The doubt was being replaced by curiosity and even drunk Malika could see it. So she described facets of the home until it seemed only curiosity remained.
"I want to surprising… surprise her. You're bringing in boxes of stuff for her to redecorate with? Make ME a box."
"What?" The younger of the two understandably asked.
Marika tried again. "An empty box. A big one. For me. Carry me in with the rest of her stuff you're taking in so I can surprise her for her special day. She'll love it! I'll love it. You won't regret it. She'll be fine paying the extra cost for the extra box."
She was fairly certain the first two statements were correct. She was uncertain about the last two. But this was her big shot. Nymeia (Mymeia?) had dropped these two men down practically in her lap. If she wasn't supposed to exploit their kindness for her own whimsy, what was she supposed to do? Talk to them like a decent person? Bah. Decency was boring.
"Wouldn't popping out of a mameday- er nameday- cake be the better idea?" The younger one asked skeptically.
"She hates cake," Malika casually fabricated. "Just despises it. Have you seen her figure? Convince me that's the figure of someone who loves cake."
They shrugged, conceding the point.
"Ok," the older one said. "Never had a request like this before. Sounds fun! We sneak you in a box while hauling in other renovation supplies and then she'll pay the fee later for that extra box?"
"Of course!" Marika exclaimed. "Why would I lie?"
She grinned. This was it. This was how she'd get inside the mansion without using the front door. Marika had no concept of how being stuck in a box while drunk or hungover could possibly pose any sort of a problem for her. At this point in the night The Empty Bottle was half empty and Malika's drunken brain was entirely so.
