Graveyard of a Madman Part 14

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''The crowd at the Ford Center was absolutely huge! The stage was set up a mile away from the beach, and the crowd reached that far and then some. Some of the more wealthy citizens of Hotdog Island were out on yachts and boats watching the show from afar, as the speakers were large enough to reach them. Crab-O-Rama was already well underway. It was the largest music festival of the year, and the people were already going wild! So many stores shut their doors and opened up stands all across the beach and festival. Crabs were served all over the concert, and crab shells littered the grounds in droves. The sun was still over the horizon, but just so. The festival started at around seven in the morning, but it really started bumping around noon. Local bands played first, and as the day went on, more and more bands lined up to play their songs, as they were allowed to play one to three songs each. Fights broke out in the crowds, crowd surfing, mosh pits, and overall drunken chaos ensued, and man was it a damn good time.''

''Behind the stage stood the Pop Band Pirates. Thoosa sat, humming to herself, and penciling on a notepad. Some people thought that she was writing lyrics, but no, she was drawing pictures that she would color in later. There were many bunny pictures, a picture of a beach, some smiley faces, and a penis. Mary stood in her armor, and her solid black Stratocaster, reading the music, and playing without a speaker to where only she could hear it.''

Mary: Thoosaaaaaa? [She strummed the guitar a little, still reading the music.]

Thoosa: Yeeeees?

Mary: You still haven't told them how many songs we're planning to play. And where are Ruriko and Soraya? CREEPER!

Creeper: GAAHH!!

''Creeper was at the snack table, where food was set out for all of the bands performing. She almost choked on a cracker.''

Creeper: What?!?

Mary: I told you that table was set up for all of the bands! You shouldn't just be standing on it and snacking away!

Creeper: But I'm hungry!

Mary: WE JUST HAD OUR CATERED DINNER!

Creeper: SCREEEWWWWWW YOOOOUUUUU!!!!!

Both of them got into each other's faces and began to death-glare, but a little, blond hair catman walked by them with a broom and a long-handle dust pan.

Jiro: Excuse me ladies.

Both of them got out of his way.

Mary: Oh, so sorry, please excuse me [Bow bow bow.]

Creeper: Ooooo Kitty!

As he went by, both of them went straight back in each other's faces, this time wielding a knife and a gun between the two of them.

Thoosa: Uuuhh, Mary?

Mary: What? [Looked back to Thoosa, who stood beside a guitar stand with a beautiful, custom-made blue Gibson S3000 Guitar.]

Thoosa: Is this yours?

''Mary's heart fluttered with ecstasy as she looked at such a sleek, beautiful guitar with those mythical horns on the body. It was so amazingly picture-perfect that she wished with every fiber of her being that it was hers. Creeper looked at her, and then back to the guitar, then back at her, shrugged, and then went over to eat some more. The door opened to the backstage, and in walked both Ruriko and Soraya! Soraya had the Pink-haired samurai girl hooked arm and arm, as she had stopped struggling some time ago.''

Mary: Alright, where have you two been?! We're up in like an hour and we haven't even done a sound check! And who is this?!

Usagi: Hi, I'm Usagi.

Mary: What is with us and kidnapping people!

Thoosa: That is true... And I did just kidnap someone the night before last [Still drawing in her notepad.]

Mary: WHAT?!?! WHO!?

Thoosa: Him [Pointing to Gonzo Lee in the corner who was reading a magazine.]

Lee: Yo [Waved a little, still reading and turning the page.]

Mary: Oh my Goddess, what has become of this crew?!

Usagi: Lee? What are you doing here?

Lee: Thoosa said she would give me pudding if I was her slave for the remainder of her stay here.

Usagi: Slave? What kind of slave? [Glared increasingly closer to him.]

Lee: On a regular basis, she ties me up and f--

Usagi: Alright alright, never mind. Cripes why do I ask this stuff?! [Threw up her arms and walked away from him, bumping into the blond fur cat] Oh, excuse me s-- JIRO!?

Jiro: Remember not to judge Lee too hard, Usagi. Remember I've heard some talk from your room after Chio--

Usagi: GAH! Stop right there! Getting WAY too personal now!

Jiro: What happened to you? [He asked as he examined the cuts and bruises on Usagi's arm and the side of her forehead.]

Usagi: Oh, yeah, kind of ran into a bounty hunter earlier. Did you know Rinji was on the front page of the newspaper?! He and two "unknown culprits" took down an entire squadron of Marines!

Jiro: Yes, I did read that in the paper, and I have failed to locate him in Sukiyaki. I really should be going to find him, but at the same time we need money for a new ship, so I'm here helping the concert.

Lee: Rinji's in trouble?

Mary: Rinji?! Catman Rinji? So that makes you...

Ruriko: I know right?! Isn't it EXCITING?! Heeeee! [Started drumming at an ecstatic pace! Then thrummed two hard times.] They're the Tiger-Stripe Pirates!

Thoosa: Ooohh, you are?

Lee: I told you that!

Jiro: It looks like word is out that Rinji is here, and with a bounty of his size, it looks like this will not be the last bounty hunter we come across.

Lee: Good! Finally, some action!

Thoosa: Action?! Yay! [Suddenly tackles Lee!]

Lee: GAH! [Falls with her putting him in a wrestling hold.] What are you doing?! Stop!

As they wrestled on the ground, Mary went over there and tried to pull Thoosa away so they could do a sound check.

Usagi: Ugh, this city is gigantic, Rinji could be anywhere, and be in any number of dangers! How are we going to find him?

''Jiro stood there, playing around with his backstage pass as he thought. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head. She was right, Sukiyaki was well over populated by any standard he could think of. The city was enormous, and they didn't have the man power to search every square mile of it. As far as he could tell, Rinji could be anywhere.''

---

''Ellis sat in the bath that sat beside Kimi's, which sat beside Jana's. The whole bath house was filled with steam from all of the baths going. Ellis had not moved for some time, she was in naught but her skin, and she soaked every inch of her body in Epson salts, smelling amazing.''

Kimi: Okay... Never have I ever...

''Both Ellis and Jana groaned as she said this. Ellis covered her face in the cloth that was on her forehead.''

Ellis: Come on Kimi, I'm too old to be playin' such a stupid game.

Kimi: Oh, well, pardon me Little Miss, I didn't know your catheter was loose!

Ellis gave her a dirty look.

Jana: I don't think any age should be playing such a stupid game.

Kimi: Oh come on! This game involves alcohol! [She held up a large bottle of sake.] And all of you have glasses ready to fill up! We're doing this! We're here to live a little, so we're gonna live it up! [Kimi started to fill all of their glasses.] Never have I ever kissed a guy on the first date.

Jana: Ooohhh [Drank]

Kimi: Really? Wow, Jana, I would have expected it from Ellis, but you? [Drank]

Ellis: What's that s'ppose to mean? [The rag slipped off her face and she gave Kimi another dirty look.].....[Then she drank.]

Both Kimi and Jana laughed at this.

Kimi: Jana! Your turn!

Jana: Hmmmm [Thought for a moment.] Never have I ever told a guy I loved him just to embarrass him.

Ellis: Aww piss. [Drank]

Jana and Kimi laughed even harder.

Ellis: Whaaaat, the guy was all up on me, I didn't feel like kickin' 'is ass so I just told'em that to scare'em off.

Kimi: That'd do it. Go ahead.

''That was when a lovely young lady with very bright red hair walked in and brought towels with her. She closed the door behind her swiftly, and started to carry the towels over to the guest racks, even though there seemed to be plenty of towels in the closet. Akane started changing out the towels and gathering up the dirty ones into a small cloth bag.''

Ellis: Alright, never have I ever wanted to pet Rinji and make him purr.

''Akane's eyes looked toward them for an instant, and then strapped up the bag as they all began to laugh, all three of them drinking. After that, she dragged the bag across the room and brought them out to the door, exiting calmly. As the door closed, she quickly, and quietly ran down the hallway. She got to the laundry room and threw the towel back into the washer, and reached into her pocket, pulling out a Den Den Mushi. It began to ring to the other line.''

Akane: Come on, come on, come on!

Hono: Hello?

Akane: Hono! We need to call a meeting! Start calling the other seven swords, and we'll meet--

Hono: I can't come to the Den Den Mushi right now, so if you'll leave--

Akane: Awww come on!

Hono: Haha, just kidding. Now what's up?

Akane: Damnit, Hono! Shut up and listen! You know the Tiger-Stripe Pirates?

Hono: Yeah, I talked to Aoi earlier.

Akane: I've found three of them!

Graveyard of a Madman Part 15