FA+
Shop
356
Views
Views
1
Favorites
Favorites
Category
Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Arctic Fox
Size 1174 x 1280
File Size 303.1 kB
Report this content
More from ZorroStep
Listed in Folders
The potent scent of smoke and cheap booze hit the pair as they walked into the crowded casino.
Jackie, the otter, did not react to the atmosphere and immediately began to scope the scene as best as he could from his height. Derek, however, entered a coughing fit shortly upon entry.
Jackie looked up at the jaguar with a quizzical expression, though his eyes were dull as ever.
"How does anyone, kahhh, breathe this air?!" Derek sputtered.
"You get used to it. A couple months will do the trick." Jackie explained, "See what we came for yet?"
Derek attempted to dismiss his disgust and examine their destination.
The inside of the casino was covered in a red tint and people testing their luck at tables and machines. Derek turned his attention to the bar, which harbored drinks of a wide array of colors as patrons enjoyed conversation with one another. Getting a lay of the land was great and all, but he was still unable to locate what they needed. He turned his head to the opposite end of the room where a stage lay. A jazz band currently occupied it, playing music that filled the otherwise still air aside from stray voices whose words could not be deciphered.
"I got nothing." Derek said with a tad of frustration.
"That's ok. Go get ready for your gig, I'll take care of the job." Jackie asserted.
Derek frowned. "I can carry my weight." they declared.
"That's not the point. You're here to perform."
"After the job."
"We don't know if we'll be here after the job!" Jackie hissed.
Jackie beckoned Derek to lean down to whisper.
"You having time to perform assumes that we don't get caught." he told the musician.
"But we won't. We've stolen bigger from less crowded places. How hard can a ring be to take?" Derek countered. They were confident that the two of them could handle a small job with no mishaps.
"That's what we call wishful thinking," Jackie stated, "Let's be safe."
The jaguar argued still, "Safe would be handling this together instead of shoeing me away!"
"Look, I know how much your music career means to you, so we're going to prioritize it!" the otter blurted out in frustration.
The musician paused, not quite expecting him to say that. Much less him to care in the first place. Jackie was infamously hard to read and often seemed to only care about the job at hand.
"Awww!" Derek exclaimed.
"Oh hush," Jackie began, rolling his eyes, "Just go get warmed up."
Derek sighed. "Alright. Good luck!"
"You too." Jackie turned away to get to work.
Jackie let his focus go to the other patrons as he walked away. He needed to locate one, Dian Muñoz. As Derek had stated, they were in possession of a ring that was of high interest to their employer. Why did the boss want this one in particular? Jackie didn't really care, but he was sure Derek inquired the boss about it. And if Reyes went along with it, then it was probably somewhere along the lines of a big cash grab and not some powerful magic jewelry. The boss liked to sell those. She even tried to bargain Jackie's amulet off of him. Needless to say, it was a complete waste of her time. It wasn't something he was willing to part with.
Muñoz wouldn't get such luxury of bargaining, however. He didn't know what the ring meant to them, but he also didn't care. It was the only way Jackie would get paid. Alas, they were nowhere to be found. Perhaps they weren't here yet. Jackie supposed he'd just have to await their arrival. There were going to be here tonight. Their source was never wrong. And this had better not be the first time they are.
Jackie decided to bide his time. He grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of water. He waited and watched for half an hour before getting up again to make round again. Nothing. Another thirty minutes passed as he made two additional rounds. His stature definitely didn't help the search which only caused him more annoyance. He checked a clock nearby, noticing that it was 8:24. Derek would be on soon. Jackie figured he might as well watch instead of wandering.
At 8:30 on the dot, Derek along with a band took to the stage. A couple of people clapped in response. The sound caught Jackie's ears and his eyes darted around the area. That's when he finally spotted their reason for being here. Muñoz. The red fox was sitting at a table while others played cards. Evidently, someone bet poorly. And their left hand was adorned with a shiny silver ring with a purple-green shimmer to it. They seemed ready to enjoy the performance. The perfect distraction. Looks like Reyes was still helping after all. What a team player!
Luckily Jackie already knew the set piece they were gonna sing. Jackie had helped them practice multiple times. Derek opened the show with a bright, warm greeting before signaling the beginning of the first song. A flute played a light, fluid tune that grabbed the attention of most. And if that didn't, Derek's voice did seconds later. Jackie admittedly adored the way Reyes sang. It wasn't his style, but it was ever so sweet on the ears. He often found tension leaving him when he ears the jaguar sing.
That being said, he had a job to do first. At the last chorus, Reyes would conjure a light show. Jackie wasn't sure how bard magic worked. Something about certain cords and emotions blending. Derek explained it before, but Jackie couldn't fully understand the musician's fast tongue sometimes. Anyhow, whenever that happened, Muñoz's eyes should be on the lights floating through the air. As long as his hands were swift and light, Jackie should be able to swipe what he needs.
Jackie removed himself from his seat and walked around the room as the song progressed, placing himself near Muñoz's table. Reyes and the band hit the bridge. As the energy rose, the air around Derek began to shimmer as light coalesced. Soon enough, yellow strands weaved around his form. Then as he struck the last chorus, the light spread around the room, entwining the entire room with the show.
Now. Muñoz was now standing with a phone in hand. He was recording the show with his right hand while his left was hung by his side. Perfect. Jackie strode nearby and easily slipped the ring off (almost like he'd done it before). Making sure he didn't step in his victim's line of sight, Jackie made his way back to his seat. He pocketed the ring and ordered another drink. Time to enjoy the show!
The rest of the next few songs were pleasant for the otter. His tail twitched every now in then as he relaxed at his seat. Occasionally, hums would even slip out of him. Derek was fully into it, too. As much as everyone was enjoying the performance, Reyes was having more fun than anyone else. They were swaying, laughing, and throwing in riffs that were not in the rehearsal here and there.
After finishing another song Derek spoke.
"Thank you all so much for being out here tonight. I hope you're enjoying yourselves!"
The crowd responded with cheers and whistles.
"Lovely!" Derek exclaimed. "As am I. You've been a wonderful audience and I want to close this outright. Allow me to close out the night with one more song. It's called-"
SHIRK
"By Luna!" Derek yelped.
An icicle had flown through the room and buried itself into the stage at the jaguar's feet.
A collective gasp sounded through the casino as people searched for the shard's source.
It was only a few moments before a voice rang through the confusion.
"Excuse me!" The voice belonged to an arctic fox with an annoyed expression. "So sorry about the interruption but some of us have more important places to be."
The fox stood atop and chair and rested their hands on their hips as they surveyed the room, clearly looking for someone. Their eyes had a unique quality to them. Their sclerae were tinted blue and seemed to shift passively. The room stood in confusion silence. The tension blanked the air around everyone it seemed. Everyone except the fox that is. They seemed to believe they owned the place simply because they were present. Suddenly, their eyes widened as they found who they were searching for.
"Dian Muñoz! A pleasure to see you again." they declared.
The fox looked nervous as they looked up at their white-furred counterpart.
Outstretching their hand, the arctic fox spoke again.
"I want your ring. Give it to me." They demanded nonchalantly.
"Who do you think yo-"
SHIRK
A scream echoed in the room. In a flash, the arctic fox had flicked his wrist to send a shard of ice into the leg of the man next to Muñoz.
"Hun, you know I hate repeating myself. Now give. Me. The. Ring." Despite what they said, they smirked as they commanded Muñoz to hand over his ring.
"Fine! Just leave me and my friends be."
"Thanks~."
As Muñoz reached for his hand his eyes widened in panic.
"Uh-um..." They looked up to the arrogant fox.
"Oh don't pull that." They stated. "You probably just tucked it away when you saw me. Empty your pockets."
Muñoz did so quickly in desperation. But his pockets only contained his wallet, keys, and phone.
The assailant's face twisted in frustration. "Then you passed it off!" they hissed.
Jackie fiddled with the ring in his pocket. He wanted to make for the exit, but his partner was still on stage. Not daring to leave without seeing this resolved.
"Who has it? Just fess up now, Dian." They began to approach the poor fox as their hands began to glow blue.
"I don't know, on V-"
"On nothing!" The floor was now frosting at their feet as they stood before Dian, who was pressed to the table behind them.
"Is it one of your friends? Or maybe there's lowlife here on your payroll..."
The cold stranger scanned the room once more, except this time their eyes stopped elsewhere. Right on Jackie. A flicker of recognition gleamed in their eyes.
"Jackson Panellie~! What are the odds? Ha. And here I thought I was never lucky!" They grinned at the otter before grabbing Muñoz by the shirt. "Stay right here for me, sweetheart."
Using their other hand, they encased Dian's lower half in ice. Despite being immobilized, the red fox seemed almost relieved to have the attention elsewhere.
"We met?" Jackie asked
"Indeed. Face to face if you count a wanted poster."
The otter snarled. Of course, he'd meet another wannabe collector here.
"I do appreciate the free bounty, though I must ask you to save the gifts for Christmas next year." They shot an icicle directly at Jackie's face.
He leapt to the side, avoiding the attack. At the sign of a fight and bounty comment, bystanders began to rush out.
The arctic fox pouted in pseudo-disappointment. "Of course, it wasn't that easy."
Derek jumped from the stage and spoke. "Now hol-mmmf!"
Before the jaguar could even get two words out, his mouth was covered in ice.
As he tried to pry it off his face the stranger taunted, "That's enough out of you, minstrel. You should rest your voice after such a performance!"
A growl escaped Jackie's throat. The sound was met by a smug grin from the fox.
"You think you're the first to come for my bounty?" the otter inquired. "I've fought more hunters than I can keep track of."
"None of them were me, darling."
"Tsk. You sure talk like them. Let's hope your attempt is at least entertaining."
Jackie drew his two sai with a flourish and, using a nearby table, jumped head on at his opponent.
END
Jackie, the otter, did not react to the atmosphere and immediately began to scope the scene as best as he could from his height. Derek, however, entered a coughing fit shortly upon entry.
Jackie looked up at the jaguar with a quizzical expression, though his eyes were dull as ever.
"How does anyone, kahhh, breathe this air?!" Derek sputtered.
"You get used to it. A couple months will do the trick." Jackie explained, "See what we came for yet?"
Derek attempted to dismiss his disgust and examine their destination.
The inside of the casino was covered in a red tint and people testing their luck at tables and machines. Derek turned his attention to the bar, which harbored drinks of a wide array of colors as patrons enjoyed conversation with one another. Getting a lay of the land was great and all, but he was still unable to locate what they needed. He turned his head to the opposite end of the room where a stage lay. A jazz band currently occupied it, playing music that filled the otherwise still air aside from stray voices whose words could not be deciphered.
"I got nothing." Derek said with a tad of frustration.
"That's ok. Go get ready for your gig, I'll take care of the job." Jackie asserted.
Derek frowned. "I can carry my weight." they declared.
"That's not the point. You're here to perform."
"After the job."
"We don't know if we'll be here after the job!" Jackie hissed.
Jackie beckoned Derek to lean down to whisper.
"You having time to perform assumes that we don't get caught." he told the musician.
"But we won't. We've stolen bigger from less crowded places. How hard can a ring be to take?" Derek countered. They were confident that the two of them could handle a small job with no mishaps.
"That's what we call wishful thinking," Jackie stated, "Let's be safe."
The jaguar argued still, "Safe would be handling this together instead of shoeing me away!"
"Look, I know how much your music career means to you, so we're going to prioritize it!" the otter blurted out in frustration.
The musician paused, not quite expecting him to say that. Much less him to care in the first place. Jackie was infamously hard to read and often seemed to only care about the job at hand.
"Awww!" Derek exclaimed.
"Oh hush," Jackie began, rolling his eyes, "Just go get warmed up."
Derek sighed. "Alright. Good luck!"
"You too." Jackie turned away to get to work.
Jackie let his focus go to the other patrons as he walked away. He needed to locate one, Dian Muñoz. As Derek had stated, they were in possession of a ring that was of high interest to their employer. Why did the boss want this one in particular? Jackie didn't really care, but he was sure Derek inquired the boss about it. And if Reyes went along with it, then it was probably somewhere along the lines of a big cash grab and not some powerful magic jewelry. The boss liked to sell those. She even tried to bargain Jackie's amulet off of him. Needless to say, it was a complete waste of her time. It wasn't something he was willing to part with.
Muñoz wouldn't get such luxury of bargaining, however. He didn't know what the ring meant to them, but he also didn't care. It was the only way Jackie would get paid. Alas, they were nowhere to be found. Perhaps they weren't here yet. Jackie supposed he'd just have to await their arrival. There were going to be here tonight. Their source was never wrong. And this had better not be the first time they are.
Jackie decided to bide his time. He grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of water. He waited and watched for half an hour before getting up again to make round again. Nothing. Another thirty minutes passed as he made two additional rounds. His stature definitely didn't help the search which only caused him more annoyance. He checked a clock nearby, noticing that it was 8:24. Derek would be on soon. Jackie figured he might as well watch instead of wandering.
At 8:30 on the dot, Derek along with a band took to the stage. A couple of people clapped in response. The sound caught Jackie's ears and his eyes darted around the area. That's when he finally spotted their reason for being here. Muñoz. The red fox was sitting at a table while others played cards. Evidently, someone bet poorly. And their left hand was adorned with a shiny silver ring with a purple-green shimmer to it. They seemed ready to enjoy the performance. The perfect distraction. Looks like Reyes was still helping after all. What a team player!
Luckily Jackie already knew the set piece they were gonna sing. Jackie had helped them practice multiple times. Derek opened the show with a bright, warm greeting before signaling the beginning of the first song. A flute played a light, fluid tune that grabbed the attention of most. And if that didn't, Derek's voice did seconds later. Jackie admittedly adored the way Reyes sang. It wasn't his style, but it was ever so sweet on the ears. He often found tension leaving him when he ears the jaguar sing.
That being said, he had a job to do first. At the last chorus, Reyes would conjure a light show. Jackie wasn't sure how bard magic worked. Something about certain cords and emotions blending. Derek explained it before, but Jackie couldn't fully understand the musician's fast tongue sometimes. Anyhow, whenever that happened, Muñoz's eyes should be on the lights floating through the air. As long as his hands were swift and light, Jackie should be able to swipe what he needs.
Jackie removed himself from his seat and walked around the room as the song progressed, placing himself near Muñoz's table. Reyes and the band hit the bridge. As the energy rose, the air around Derek began to shimmer as light coalesced. Soon enough, yellow strands weaved around his form. Then as he struck the last chorus, the light spread around the room, entwining the entire room with the show.
Now. Muñoz was now standing with a phone in hand. He was recording the show with his right hand while his left was hung by his side. Perfect. Jackie strode nearby and easily slipped the ring off (almost like he'd done it before). Making sure he didn't step in his victim's line of sight, Jackie made his way back to his seat. He pocketed the ring and ordered another drink. Time to enjoy the show!
The rest of the next few songs were pleasant for the otter. His tail twitched every now in then as he relaxed at his seat. Occasionally, hums would even slip out of him. Derek was fully into it, too. As much as everyone was enjoying the performance, Reyes was having more fun than anyone else. They were swaying, laughing, and throwing in riffs that were not in the rehearsal here and there.
After finishing another song Derek spoke.
"Thank you all so much for being out here tonight. I hope you're enjoying yourselves!"
The crowd responded with cheers and whistles.
"Lovely!" Derek exclaimed. "As am I. You've been a wonderful audience and I want to close this outright. Allow me to close out the night with one more song. It's called-"
SHIRK
"By Luna!" Derek yelped.
An icicle had flown through the room and buried itself into the stage at the jaguar's feet.
A collective gasp sounded through the casino as people searched for the shard's source.
It was only a few moments before a voice rang through the confusion.
"Excuse me!" The voice belonged to an arctic fox with an annoyed expression. "So sorry about the interruption but some of us have more important places to be."
The fox stood atop and chair and rested their hands on their hips as they surveyed the room, clearly looking for someone. Their eyes had a unique quality to them. Their sclerae were tinted blue and seemed to shift passively. The room stood in confusion silence. The tension blanked the air around everyone it seemed. Everyone except the fox that is. They seemed to believe they owned the place simply because they were present. Suddenly, their eyes widened as they found who they were searching for.
"Dian Muñoz! A pleasure to see you again." they declared.
The fox looked nervous as they looked up at their white-furred counterpart.
Outstretching their hand, the arctic fox spoke again.
"I want your ring. Give it to me." They demanded nonchalantly.
"Who do you think yo-"
SHIRK
A scream echoed in the room. In a flash, the arctic fox had flicked his wrist to send a shard of ice into the leg of the man next to Muñoz.
"Hun, you know I hate repeating myself. Now give. Me. The. Ring." Despite what they said, they smirked as they commanded Muñoz to hand over his ring.
"Fine! Just leave me and my friends be."
"Thanks~."
As Muñoz reached for his hand his eyes widened in panic.
"Uh-um..." They looked up to the arrogant fox.
"Oh don't pull that." They stated. "You probably just tucked it away when you saw me. Empty your pockets."
Muñoz did so quickly in desperation. But his pockets only contained his wallet, keys, and phone.
The assailant's face twisted in frustration. "Then you passed it off!" they hissed.
Jackie fiddled with the ring in his pocket. He wanted to make for the exit, but his partner was still on stage. Not daring to leave without seeing this resolved.
"Who has it? Just fess up now, Dian." They began to approach the poor fox as their hands began to glow blue.
"I don't know, on V-"
"On nothing!" The floor was now frosting at their feet as they stood before Dian, who was pressed to the table behind them.
"Is it one of your friends? Or maybe there's lowlife here on your payroll..."
The cold stranger scanned the room once more, except this time their eyes stopped elsewhere. Right on Jackie. A flicker of recognition gleamed in their eyes.
"Jackson Panellie~! What are the odds? Ha. And here I thought I was never lucky!" They grinned at the otter before grabbing Muñoz by the shirt. "Stay right here for me, sweetheart."
Using their other hand, they encased Dian's lower half in ice. Despite being immobilized, the red fox seemed almost relieved to have the attention elsewhere.
"We met?" Jackie asked
"Indeed. Face to face if you count a wanted poster."
The otter snarled. Of course, he'd meet another wannabe collector here.
"I do appreciate the free bounty, though I must ask you to save the gifts for Christmas next year." They shot an icicle directly at Jackie's face.
He leapt to the side, avoiding the attack. At the sign of a fight and bounty comment, bystanders began to rush out.
The arctic fox pouted in pseudo-disappointment. "Of course, it wasn't that easy."
Derek jumped from the stage and spoke. "Now hol-mmmf!"
Before the jaguar could even get two words out, his mouth was covered in ice.
As he tried to pry it off his face the stranger taunted, "That's enough out of you, minstrel. You should rest your voice after such a performance!"
A growl escaped Jackie's throat. The sound was met by a smug grin from the fox.
"You think you're the first to come for my bounty?" the otter inquired. "I've fought more hunters than I can keep track of."
"None of them were me, darling."
"Tsk. You sure talk like them. Let's hope your attempt is at least entertaining."
Jackie drew his two sai with a flourish and, using a nearby table, jumped head on at his opponent.
END
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Arctic Fox
Size 1174 x 1280px
File Size 303.1 kB
Comments