The second installment (the sequel) to Ace of Spades is now out.
Read 'The Hanged Man' once you've finished this one.
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A rascal with a penchant for making friends with the wrong people, you were often regarded as a troublemaker by...
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Sanji drove the group to the club downtown, the moon was full overhead, a fall wind breezing through with the promise of unshed rain. Your face was squished to the window, breath falling heavy upon the tinted glass, your own air fogging up in your constrictive mask, but you weren't really bothered by it. You kept your mind carefully blank, not thinking about the party ahead. You didn't need to think about it. It wasn't a big deal.
Once the blonde took a turn, your eyes fell to the colorful stroboscopic lamps lighting the cloudy sky; the purple, pink, yellow, blue, and green hues crossing over each other to paint a myriad of colors in the dreary night canvas, giving it some semblance of life. And finally, when your gaze had fallen enough, it spotted the brightly lit entryway of the club and the mound of bodies waiting -- no, pushing to get in, with a single guard to hold them back.
It truly was a sight for the ages.
With vampires, witches, Darth Vaders, draugrs, elves, fairies, and even a few professors all trying to get into the highly sought-out venue, your friends were finding it quite difficult to locate a good parking spot. Thankfully, though, someone had backed up just as you were driven into a new block. Your blonde friend quickly snatching it up before anyone else could get to it as the group of nine exited the stuffy car, Zoro being the first to burst out with his fat-ass dino costume.
For laughing at his clear inner turmoil, Luffy was hit over the head with Usopp's 'three-ton' hammer, the two then bursting into laughter when Zoro hobbled over to the sidewalk, his dino-tail dragging behind him.
With a grumble, the mint-head tossed a scathing side-eye to the two before nodding towards the club entrance a few feet away, "Let's get this over with. Where's the alcohol?"
"Someone check him into rehab," Sanji huffed indignantly when he exited the driver's seat, lighting a tab between his lips before waving it in the air as he looked to Luffy who'd answered with, "He hasn't killed anyone yet, so it's fine."
"It doesn't even work that way," Usopp laughed with a gleam to his eye when he caught Chopper gazing in awe at the private club; his eyes twinkling at the prospect of getting to party in one since he'd never done so before. And you had to admit, you hadn't either, so you were feeling rather excited despite the roiling in your gut at the prospect of running into Ace -- if he even was in there.
Once Nami had begun a count-down of the group to make sure everyone was there, Luffy ran off to fool around with Usopp and Chopper, while Zoro engaged in a shouting match with Sanji. One that extended to the far-ends of the walkway, attracting far more attention than you'd have liked. However, as it had, it made it easier for Law's group to pinpoint the Mugiwara's. The white-blonde youngster being the only one to jump up and down in excitement at the sight of Chopper. Waving excitedly to the chaotic group, the white-haired boy, whom you assumed to be Bepo, as you couldn't see his face through the mask, bounded to the end of the club and struck up a conversation with Usopp and Chopper as the penguin individual -- most likely Penguin -- and the Lobster, Shachi, walked up to Zoro and Sanji.
