24 Southern Wastes / Invitation to a Heist

Previously, on Usagi Days: The Usagis meet a metalworker named Patty. At their foundry, they encounter the horseback riders—Sentinel Knights from Stonegarden Castle. The King there has offered to buy the Usagi, at a great price. Ruby refuses.

- 24.1 - Ruby, Ivy, and Violet Deliver to the Southerner's Outpost -

The closest thing to a settlement in all of the Wastes was the Southerner's Outpost, a trading hub that was little more than a makeshift collection of tents and rundown shacks.

Violet: "I hate delivering to the saloon. Smells like smoke all the time. And the way they just spit chewing tobacco out directly on the floor … So gross."

Ivy: "Yeah … and I hate the walk there. What's the point of having a car if we're just going to walk half a mile with these crates anyway!"

(Meanwhile, somewhere along the Hoshimichi Highway: Anemone driving, Lucy in the passenger seat, head out the window, watching the clouds in the sky, feeling the wind on her face.)

Violet: "Lucky Annie. She gets to stay in the car, this time …"

Ruby: "We have to take precautions. We can't just park outside and stroll in. We want to at least make it seem we're just random delivery girls. And we can't leave the Usagi lying around. Even with one or two of us watching it, we're just too vulnerable sitting, waiting outside the Outpost."

Ivy: "Ruby, I'm sure plenty of people here know about the Usagi already."

Ruby: "I know, but we still have to do it. Those knights could be anywhere."

Violet and Ivy groaned in unison.

Ruby: "It's not foolproof, but we still have to do it."

They carried the crates of acrebrew to the saloon.

- 24.2 - The Trio Enter the Saloon, Deliver Acrebrew -

Ruby: "Got more acrebrew for ya."

As usual, the proprietor, a surly-looking man behind the "bar"—which was basically a long piece of plywood on cinderblocks—grunted and nodded toward the back.

The girls carried the crates to the small storage room and stacked the boxes on top of one another.

And then, a voice called to them from a corner of the saloon.

Voice: "Well, well, well, if it ain't Usagi-chan …"

- 24.3 - Ruby is Annoyed -

Ruby, annoyed: "Tch."

The girls turned their heads to look at the voice.

In a dark corner of the room, a young lady sat with her chair tilted back, and her feet propped on the table. Her hat covered her eyes, and a toothpick hung from her mouth.

She smirked at the trio, and asked, "How's the delivery girl life? Must be hard, carrying all those crates. Thankless job. Terrible pay. How much they're giving you for this acrebrew job? A bag of rice? Some pre-Orc books, perhaps? Oooh, maybe some candles, or soap, if you're lucky!"

She chewed her toothpick. "… Dang, only a couple more thousand jobs and maybe you can think of retiring! Surely you girls aren't living up to your full potential. Especially when you've got such a valuable money-making machine. … In such a nice shade of pink, too."

Ruby, sighing: "Look—do you want something?"

- 24.4 - Ruby is Still Annoyed -

"Oh, let's not talk about what I want. I'm here to help you, don'tcha know!"

She uncrossed one leg from the table and crossed the other. Then, she leaned back further, resting her hands behind her head. "So … Have you given my proposal any thought?"

Violet, Ivy, confused: "… Proposal?"

Violet, to Ruby: "Do you know her?"

"Usagi-chan, I'm shocked! You've never told your friends about me!?"

Ruby, angrily: "Can you stop calling me that?"

"Well, then. Allow me to introduce myself …"

Ruby: "Please don't."

"I am the noble thief that strikes fear in tyrants all across the Wastes! I move in the shadows, I strike in the mists. Only the wind whispers my presence, as I steal from under the noses of all despots who dare trample on the helpless!

"I am the defender of the weak! The savior of the downtrodden!

"My full moniker is none other than—…" She abruptly raised one hand to her face, fingers splayed out dramatically as if shielding her eyes from a blinding light. "… Silver Ghost, Noble-Phantom-Heart."

Ivy, excitedly, almost squealing: "(A chuuni! It's a real life chuuni!)"

Violet: "(Chew-knee? Is this another one of your manga things …?)"

Ruby, pinching her forehead in annoyance: "That's not a real name. Nobody gave you that name. You thought it sounded cool, so you started to call yourself that."

Violet: "(Maybe we should just leave …?)"

Ivy: "(No, no … This is interesting … Ruby's playing the tsukkomi for once … I don't wanna miss this.)"

- 24.5 - Silver Ghost Tries to Entice Usagi-Chan -

Ruby: "Look. Sylvie."

Silver: "Silver."

Ruby: "No."

Ghost: "Ghost, then."

Ruby: "Absolutely not. Listen, Sylvie—I told you last time. We don't steal. We're not interested."

Sylvie smirked. "No? You sure? If we work together, you could make out with even more than the King is offering."

Ruby narrowed her eyes.

Sylvie: "Think about it, Usagi-chan. Whatever they're offering you … it pales in comparison to the treasures the King is hoarding within his walls.

"I'm guessing you haven't seen Stonegarden Castle. Until you've seen it with your own eyes, you wouldn't believe how massive it is. Entire wings spring up, literally overnight. Note, I don't mean literally in the figurative sense. I mean, lit-er-al-ly. Seriously. They'll put up a large construction sheet one day, and overnight, they take it down and there's an entire tower, or courtyard, or new hall, or whatever."

(The Usagis looked uneasily at one another, on hearing that.)

Sylvie: "And there's immeasurable wealth within those walls. I'm talking gold architecture and marble statues, Usagi-chan.

"Do you have any idea how many villages and settlements the King's taken for his own? He rides in, and offers your people a choice: live under his rule, become part of Stonegarden Castle … or perish. You can imagine all the wealth he's accumulated doing this.

"You wouldn't even have to go for the big trophies. Rubies, diamonds. Emeralds. Gold coins. Load 'em up in that kei-car of yours, and you and your friends are set all up for life. No more of the hard life. Delivering packages."

Ruby: "Then you don't understand us very well at all. Because, first of all, we like delivering packages. And most importantly—like I keep telling you—we're not thieves."

Sylvie only smiled. She reached into the inside of her jacket and pulled out a cigar. Replacing her toothpick with it, she began lighting the cigar with a silver lighter. Once it was lit, she took a puff. (A bit too big of a puff, if you asked Ruby …)

Sylvie: "You're going to have to make a move soon. Those Sentinel Knights. They've been bothering you more and more, haven't they?"

Ruby frowned. It was true. Since that first encounter at Patty's forge, the knights had shown up a few more times. The same offer. The same, highfalutin way of talking. They were getting more persistent now. Pushier.

The knights hadn't done anything yet, but Sylvie was right in that it was only a matter of time. How many more visits before they started resorting to more forceful methods? The Usagis needed to leave the Wastes before that happened.

Sylvie blew out a puff of smoke. She looked like she was in severe pain.

- 24.6 - Sylvie Tries to Look Cool -

Sylvie, voice straining: "Isn't it fascinating"—(cough! cough!)—"how lighters still work, for the most part, while matchsticks"—(cough, cough!)—"fail a lot more than they should? The SDF is a true"—(hack! cough!)—"mystery. Did you know that lighters were actually invented before matches? Maybe"—(cough)—"that's the reason why …"

Ruby: "You are clearly not enjoying that."

Sylvie, teary-eyed: "Nonsense! This is—this much is nothing for a hard-boiled criminal thief like me."

Ruby: "Seriously, don't force yourself."

Sylvie, smugly, still coughing, eyes red: "What's wrong? Can't handle the bold, rugged taste of a nice cigar? I happen to enjoy adult things like this. I guess it's still too early for a couple of girls like yourselves …" (Cough.)

Ruby: "You're crying."

Sylvie: "That's just because of the smoke. Don't worry about it."

Ruby: "Yes, I kn—OF COURSE IT'S THE SMOKE! PUT IT OUT!"

Sylvie, voice breaking: "If I can plan heists, I can smoke a cigar."

(After a bit more urging from Ruby, Sylvie eventually did put out the cigar, but not before a couple more painful looking puffs.)

Ruby: "What's the deal with you and Stonegarden anyway?"

Sylvie: "Who, me?"—(Ruby, forehead vein popping: "Yes … Who else would I be talking to?)—"Why, I'm just a thief who's planning her ultimate heist. One last job. The big score. And I've been waiting a long time, for the right opportunity. And I'm looking right at her now.

"… So whaddya say? Usagi-chan?"

- 24.7 - Ruby, Violet, and Ivy Return to the Usagi -

The Usagi pulled up.

Anemone got out of the driver's seat, to let Ruby in. Violet and Ivy slid into the backseat, on either side of Lucy. Then Anemone got into the passenger seat, and they were off again.

Anemone: "What took you guys so long? I've been driving up and down for the past half an hour. Thought I'd have to go inside there soon."

Ivy: "We ran into Ruby's best friend. Ain't that right, Rubes?"

Ruby, in the driver's seat, simply grumbled something unintelligible in return.