Use Somebody

Shou casually paced down the streets of the Lower Commons, the
afternoon's sun resting high in the air, pleasantly bathing him in the
warmth that it brought with its light. He had to admit that the areas
of the humans were higher in temperatures than they had been at the
tree-populated forests, and such a thing only gave more credit to the
humans in his favor. The area wasn't bad at all, but he still desired
to see the more refined divisions of Sai City especially with the
thought that they ascended conditions around him by far.
The oni reached into his pocket, feeling the sacks that had been
bestowed on him by Grunty. There were ten in total. Five lovemusk and
five speed dust. The oni briefly recalled the going prices Grunty had
told him, also remembering the plan to try and hustle it a little bit.
It wouldn't be too difficult if there was a demand for the stuff. He,
himself, wasn't any interested in using it, though. One oni was example
enough, and that was the provider herself, and that woman was
definitely off by his look of it.
Shou had hoped she could have provided him with some contacts, though,
at least someone to help get him started on a business here. It
certainly wasn't a topic he could just speak about to a random
stranger, nor something to yell out and announce his stock. If only
these things could be that easy. He did know one person that he would
be comfortable enough to trust, and that was Yon. Whether or not the
man seemed like the sort to use drugs didn't cross his mind, as he
didn't judge any sort group to take a liking to the narcotics more than
another. Shit, the mayor of City Metro could be doped up on this stuff
for all he knew. But Yon could definitely be trusted.
The oni tried the man's door, though his knock didn't seem to grab any
attention from within. "Damn.." Shou muttered to himself, uncertain of
where the spiritual arts user would be during the day. In fact, he'd
only seen him at night.. of course this man would need a job to own the
place that he did. And in retrospect, he had no idea what that would
be.
After losing his one lead, he turned his back to the house and looked
out across the streets of the lower commons. Even as he observed the
settings, he spotted out three tan-skinned humans walking down the
sidewalk, seeming grouped together. Interesting enough, they wore
matching blue bandanas wrapped about their heads, but they seemed
thuggish enough to get him some good connections at the least.
Shou crossed the street and came onto the same side as the trio,
stopping in front of them when they came within his speaking distance.
"Hey. You guys look like you can help me out with something." The oni
started, grabbing their untrusting attention. "I'm trying to get rid of
this stuff on me, selling it for some pretty low prices right now.. how
about thirty a bag?" Shou questioned, having retrieved a baggie of
speeddust from his pocket and showing it to the men.
"Eh heh.. you say you're selling this for thirty?" The one in the
middle asked, suddenly snatching the bag from Shou's hand. The oni's
brow furrowed at the motion, and his fist clenched by his side. The
tan-skinned man with a thick black moustache observed the bag then
spoke in a different language. Whatever he said brought about a
laughter among the men, and the leader, Shou supposed, addressed him
once more. "Well, friend.." The man spoke, stepping forward and patting
the demon on the shoulder. "We don't need more people like you." He saw
the other move his knee and, from the distance, there wasn't much to do
besides brace himself for the hit as it dug up into his stomach. Shou
coughed out, his body being thrown into an alleyway the next instant,
stumbling down while striking against one of the walls. "Shit! What the
fuck!" The demon shouted out, angrily, as the trio moved into the
alleyway as well. Suddenly Shou was made aware of the very idea of
competition.
"Temperatures rise and roast my opponent!" The oni shouted, thrusting
both of his arms out in front of him, facing red-glowing palms the
trio's way as a blast of heat suddenly came forward and slammed against
the three that sent them back out of the alleyway. Shou growled
lightly, before dashing forward and out of the alleyway, looking to the
fallen men who had tried to take him out just as they were recovering
and getting back on their feet. His growl heightened in volume and
depth, before yelling out to the three men, the human version of the
lion's roar. "Temperatures rise and roast my opponent!" Shou repeated
the incantation once more, blasting a direct hit of the tecnique into
the leader once more. The man was lifted off of his feet just as he had
gotten back onto them, moving a further distance than him and his two
men.
The two that were left moved to come fight Shou, taking out a pocket
knife each. The oni shouted, "Infernal flames, burst and rise!" As soon
as the men took a step forward each, the flamewall erupted between
their legs, shooting the fire just beneath them and consuming them in
the flames that were his magic.
Their yells went through the air and their bodies fell to the ground
once the fire had died away. Shou panted lightly, before lowering his
arms back down to his sides, and glancing around. He blinked, noting
that it was still the middle of the day. "Ah shit.." The oni looked to
see a few spectators having observed the event. Most of them gave a
respectful nod, understanding that the oni had simply been taking care
of some business. Besides, the trio was notorious for attacking the
lower common residents, especially fellow dealers like themselves.
"Am I gonna have to worry about you after this?" Shou asked the leader,
stepping towards him while he rose an arm and a flame erupted around
his fist. "Or am I gonna have to keep on kicking your ass?" The oni came to a stop just at the man's foot, the moustached leader
looking up as sweat prespirated on his brow slightly. He glanced to the
two men who would have his back, if they weren't all ready down and
unconscious, by the looks of it. "N-no.. I don't think we'll have a
problem after this.. what did you say your name was?" It almost felt
like a trap, as soon as the words had come from the man's mouth. Didn't
matter much to him, though, glad to get his name out, as usual. "Boruha
Takashou. I don't suspect it'll matter much, though. I'm still so
little in this human world.." The oni mumbled to himself, seeming to
forget about the man just before him as he stepped off to the side. "However.. I'll keep getting stronger, until I can make my impact. For now, I need money.. understand? I think the four of us could become good partners in working together. Now, are you guys gonna be able to find the customers I need, or what?"
The man seemed to hesitate for a moment, before Shou's form suddenly erupted in flame. "Should you refuse.. I really have no further use for you." Again, he lifted his hand into the air and a globe of flame erupted around it. "All right, fine.. I can get you your fuckin' customers. But you better not start actin' like you're our boss. We're doing you a favor, so we'll be down to split whenever." The oni simply shrugged. He had gotten what he wanted, and without the need for Grunty's help. What had been planned to just be a simple sale ended up finding him a trio of men who could give him a steady and decent clientelle. "Deal." Shou simply replied.
"Are the bandanas really neccessary?" The oni questioned, and the leader simply snorted. "It's a sign of being in a gang together.. shit, don't you know anything about sets?" The demon considered the idea of gangs, and the hostility it would bring with it.. hell, the very fight that went down between the four of them was consitution enough for that. "Still.. bandanas.. I think something like suits would be much classier." Shou was sitting on the porch of the leader, along with his two underlings who simply sat in rotation of the joint that was being passed around. The oni brought it to his lips now, inhaling it as the moustached man had instructed, allowing the herbal smoke to keep its steady flow into him. He removed the joint and handed it to one of the lackeys, his mouth hanging open slightly as the smoke rolled out slowly and into the air. He then exhaled the cloud out, and gave a brief cough. "And what'd you say the name of this was?"
"Super Silver Haze." The man stated, snickering. "Tastes good, don't it? Only the best for us here." Shou wouldn't know what the best was, as this was his first exposure to the plant of the human world. As the second joint that was in rotation came to be passed to him again, the oni did notice the distinct taste that it had to it, like.. dank. A smirk came to the oni's face, resting back in his chair as he took his hit and passed the joint. Things were becoming far more pleasant quickly, and the smile that was on his face would not fade. There was too much to be happy about at that moment.
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