Ring in the new year: [INVITE ONLY]

"Heeeeey.... Psssst.... Oi! Pilot!"

The Air-Trams' Pilot, a middle aged man, wearing typical pilot gear, turned to look over his shoulder at his verbal aggressor....
.... And was met with the idiotic grin of an already slightly buzzed Mark; eyes glazed over, and his normally slicked back hair having a few strands hanging over is face.

"What the hell do you want?!" The Pilot hissed, voice barely a whisper, but tone aggressive, as he looked at Marks' drunken mug.

Silence followed. One beat, two beats, three, and then; ".... Are we there yet?"

The Pilot sighed the most exasperated of sighs. This was the tenth time Mark had asked that, and only because in the state he was in, the Scotsman didn't have that great of a grasp on time. How much had passed, how much hadn't, and all the stuff in between. So, grinning like a drunken idiot, Mark made his way back to his seat on the Air-tram, and plopped down with the grace of a rock. The ride to Vale was going smoothly, meaning they'd be there in no time; by they, I mean Mark and his Bar hopping companions.

Speaking of whom, Mark looked about from where he sat, checking to see if everyone else was ready for tonight.

"Mark! Tojikomeru! Baka..."

Renji scoffs, and shakes his head. A scowl formed across his face, and he folds his arms across his chest, looking away in annoyance. It wasn't that Mark was drunk that annoyed him, not at all. But even Ren was getting sick of Mark having asked the same question over and over again.

"We'll get there when we get there. Now shut up and stay seated." He scolds his underclassman, glancing over at the Scotsman who's slumped in his seat. He then looks up at the pilot. "Gomenesai. My friend isn't always this incompetent." He assures the older gent with a slight chuckle.

The Pilot shoots a few looks over his shoulder, one at Renji, another at Mark, and while the look he gives Mark is less than pleasant, he at least seems to accept Ren's apology, answering with an unintelligible grumble, and a slight nod of the head. With that, he goes back to piloting the Air-tram.

"A'right, Dad... I promise I'll behave..." The buzzed Cyborg drawls out, sarcasm plain as day, with his heavier than usual Scottish Brogue, looking at Renji with his, still present, idiotic grin. No amount of scolding could dampen Marks' mood right now. Moving out of his slumped position, Mark leans back, further and further, until he's basically laying on the row of seats beside him, effectively making them his.

Darcil sat near the back of the car by and open window. He flicked his lighter open and closed in his hand as a smoke sat in his mouth. He stares out into the city thinking about many things, but mainly what fun he will have tonight. He looks over at the trouble Mark has stirred up and laughs "Hey partner, ya might just want to cool it before the conductor or Renji throws ya of the damn tram!" Laughing as he addresses his partner. He stares back out of the window and watches as his smoke quickly gets wooshed away. He looks back again and addresses his companions for the night "So which bar are we hitting first?"

"Mark. Wipe that grin off your face." Ren sighs, shaking his head and averting his gaze to outside the window. Really, though, he was glad to be spending time with his friends again. Spending the summer by himself was nice and everything, but he was still thankful to be back at it with Mark and Darcil. He didn't like leaving the two of them alone to drink.

"Can't, man... It's my face..." The Cyborg replied to Renji's request. "Uhh.... Hrrmm, not sure which Bar we should head to first." Mark muttered from where he lay, his right arm slipping off his chest and swinging down, steel hand hitting and scrapping across the floor. Mark had brushed off Darcil's comment about throwing him from the tram; head clouded as it was, the Scotsman didn't take it too seriously. "I know a few places, but they're more Watering Holes and Dive Bars..... Oh!" Mark turned his head to the side to look at his companions, "We could try that Club up-town... I heard they fixed it up real nice after some crazy chick started a fight with the owner and damn near blew the place sky high..."

Darcil continues to smoke, breathing out of the open window. He slides on foot down and starts tapping the floor as his other leg rests along the seat. He breathes in "Well....." then breathes out a grey cloud. "I think staying in the upper town would be best. I don't have a problem putting some rounds into some thugs, but I would rather not deal with them drunk." He takes another hit from his cigarette. "Besides, we will being that tomorrow. Gotta save ammo."

"I would hope that there is no need to put rounds in anyone, Darcil." Ren comments curtly, glancing over towards the younger man. "You two are out to drink, not to make a mess of a bar or go out starting barfights." He mutters, shaking his head and averting his gaze to the side.

"Hey, come on, Renji; you know we won't start anything..." Mark replied on behalf of the both of them, emphasis on the we, gesturing between himself and Darcil, even though the Scotsman still lay on the Tram-seats, staring up at the transports' roof. "Now, every other poor S.O.B down there... I'm afraid I can't speak for them..." He added with a bit of an unsure tone, playing innocent now, sure as he would if anything is to happen.

Re-positioning himself into a better, much more comfortable setting, Mark muttered; "Besides, I deactivated both my arms' Ballistic-Modes before we left. No bullets, tonight, Brothers; just these beauties..." Adding to what he'd said, Mark raised both his mechanical, Carbide-Steel fists.

"You're just going to use that as an excuse to instigate a fight. Unless we're directly threatened without provoking anyone, or we see someone who needs help, I don't want any trouble to start tonight." Renji replies dismissively, glancing over at Mark, folding his arms across his chest. "...I don't have blunt weapons other than my combat gloves, and I'd rather not get dirty, either. Just drink and pass out so we can go back to the Academy in peace." He sighs, shutting his eyes.

"Wake up, drink. Shower, drink. Eat, Drink.... How'd you know that passing out from drinking came after the first three, Renji?.... A've you been watching me?" Mark asked the elder Lad with a grin, and a hint of cheeky mirth in his voice. "I mean, hey, I would love nothing more than to snuggle up with a nice, big bottle of Atlas Spic Wine... but that's just me. Take into account all the other drunken idiots out tonight, add their significant others and all their drinkin' buddies......." Mark's voice drifted off into an unintelligible mumble as he drawled off on his own little tangent.

Arms falling back to his sides, the Scotsman continued on as he was for another few moments before suddenly realizing what he was doing. A couple shakes of his head and Mark had snapped himself back into reality. "Hrmm, ehh.... W-what was I saying?... Ah, yeeeeaahh... Never mind... As you said, though; have a good time, get back to school nice and knocked out... Oh, and no rumbles. Not unless they step up first.... Or there's a Lass in distress.... We'll be good, I promis."

The pilots voice crackled over the Trams' intercom, "Closing in on Vale. Touch down in eight minutes."

"Whoo!... Almost there!...."

"Hey, I am not one to start fights. However, I will defend myself if need be." Darcil continues to listen to his friends chat. He then hears the trams coms come on and hears the message of the soon arrivial. "Alrighty then, bout time I say." He smiles and pulls out a small black container and throws the butt of his smoke into it. He props himself upright on his seat and awaits the arrival.

Ren sighs, unfolding his arms and standing upright, grabbing onto a hold bar as they made their descent. "Just try not to overdo it tonight, guys. " Ren asks quietly, sighing. He looks over towards Mark, lazily laying against the other seats, then glances over at Darcil. He had more than enough faith that the two would behave, but, still: Better safe, than sorry.

"Don't bar me off like that, Renji." Mark mumbled from where he lay in a drunkenly sad tone, seemingly not affected in the slightest when a bump in the descending air current caused the Air-Tram to shake quite a bit. "You keep me from ma'sweet lady liquor, while I yearn for 'er, like an Ursa to Red Tree Sap....."

Shit, Mark was getting poetic. First sign of the Mark-pocolyps, anyone?

Another bit of turbulence, harder this time, causes the Scotsman to bump around in his seat. He falls, of course, forced off the seats edge, hitting the Tram floor with a heavy thud. ".... Ah-Ow..." He grumbles, shaking off the rough fall without much of a complaint. Mark somehow gets to his feet, and reaches for a hand hold as well. All the while, the Tram gets closer to the docking station.

"Oh we are just gonna have fun Renji. Nothing too terrible has happened going out anyways." Darcil was looking outside of the window when he heard a loud thump. looking back he looks at his teammate on the floor now. He chuckles lightly "Ya sure ya gonna be alright Mark?" As he finishes asking he realized that they were seconds from arriving. He stood up and fixed his coat and holsters.

From where he's standing, Mark shrugs off Darcil's question with a simple wave of the hand and a reassuring grin. Still, though, he feels the need to say, "Y-yeah... Yeah, I'm fine. It's not me, man, I swear... It's the Tram... Or maybe it's driver." Mark couldn't help but throw in one last jab at their transports' pilot.

But, as if in response, the Tram actually shudders, harder this time, and soon after the pilots voice comes over the Comm. again; "Sorry about that, just the docking mechanism pulling us in..."

Renji sighs and stands up, grabbing Mark by the "arms" and pulling him to his feet. "C'mon, youji. Get up. I am not going to carry you along all night." He mutters, pocketing his hands again. "By the way, Kuroki is also in town. Said she might meet up with us. So try and be on your best behavior, yeah?" Ren scoffs, moving to exit the vehicle.

"Maaaan, who're you callin' a youji?... Or, whatever the hell you just said..." Mark grumbles in response, patting his hands together to dust them off, then bringing them higher to pat off his leather vest.

The Tram doors, the second Renji got close enough, opened up by themselves; a buzzing hiss coming from internal gears, while a slightly angled gang plank pushed outward from a compartment under the floor, outstretching a bit before finally connecting with a receiver port on the dock.

"So, there'll be a lady joinin' our group tonight?" Mark asked from behind Ren, trailing back a foot or two, as he followed him off the transport. "Should've said something earlier, man; I would've put on some better clothes." He added in his jokers' tone.

Darcil stands up as they finally arrive and follows behind his companions. "The more the merrier they say." he says to his group. He reaches into his coat pocket and starts to smoke again. He lets his cig sit in his mouth as his hands sit in his pockets.

"So where are we heading now?"

"Keep dreamin', Mark, " Ren scoffs, glancing over his shoulder at the younger Hunter. "She's got standards that neither of us can probably meet. " He finishes, stepping off and onto the dock.

Huffing with a short bit of laughter, Mark replied, "Oh yeah? Gi'me some time to clean up an' get myself a nice suit. Bet you my right hand I can get that probably to a maybe." Some dismissive chuckles, and Mark let the subject slip after that, silently walking off the gang-plank and onto the main dock. A few glances from side to side, and the Scotsman spoke up, turning to look at his two companions, "We agreed on up-town, right? I can try and hail us a cab, 'less you two prefer walking."

"Articled of clothing won't help. Okiro isn't like that." Ren mutters, before looking at Darcil. "Yeah, uptown is fine with me. I don't mind walking, but this one probably cannot stay upright for more than thirty seconds without running into something." Ren scoffs, his lip quirking on one side into a small, nearly unnoticeable smirk.

Mark, somewhat unaware that that jab was directed at him, added his own throaty chuckle at the end of Renji's statement. However, once his slightly boozy brain put two and two together, Mark's face shifted into a mildly annoyed scowl. "Wait.... Oh, oh I-I see how it is...." Mark slurred, already taking steps to go in the direction they needed to head.

The first few steps, Mark took while facing Renji, meaning he was backwards.

"Ya' jerk..." The Scotsman mumbled, turning as he moved, only for his right boot to catch on an uneven portion of sidewalk. A Hard stumble followed, but Mark managed to catch himself by planting a hand on the ground to push himself back up. Wheeling around to face his companions, Mark shot a look at Darcil, then a longer one at Renji, pointing at the older Lad in particular. "Doesn't count. I didn't run into nothin'." He stated firmly, straightening out his vest as he continued forward.

One side of Renji's mouth quirks up into an amused smirk, and he shrugs his shoulders. "Of course not, Mark." He snickers, following behind at a reasonable distance. His mismatched eyes scan the surrounding buildings and areas, some being familiar, others slightly less so. That alley over there; he had gotten into more than one brawl in there. Outside of that Dust shop, too. He sighs at the less-than-pleasant memories, and places his gaze forward again.

Darcil follows his companions and looks slightly surprised when Mark shoots him a look. He then proceeds to chuckle after hearing what Mark had to say. He continues to follow his teammates keeping his gaze forward. He had already seen enough of the city to know that to him, it was all the same. He remembers some areas that he passes. There was a spot where he fought off a dog, the spot where Rucks found him, and some other memories.

He breathes out a cloud of smoke and is about to address his companions when all of a sudden he hears someone yell behind him. "OI, My man D!" Darcil turns around to see a small scruffy boy with white hair and tanish skin run to him. He sighs and looks at him "What is it Merc, you know I am not supposed to see you till tommorow." As the boy opens his mouth to reply Darcil cuts him off "Don't even fucking think about asking my when you know the answer. Your much too young." He ashes his cig.

Silently walking ahead of the others, Mark lazily takes in the sights of the city, nothing coming to mind that he could really talk about with his companions. Truth be told, this certain area of Vale, he'd never much really been in. Most days when he was younger, Mark spent more of his time around the docks and industrial area. Places like this never really held much interest for the then young trouble maker. Still moving ahead, an oncoming group of by-passers goes unnoticed by the slightly buzzed Scotsman. Closer and closer they got, and it seemed inevitable that they'd collide.

That is, until Mark pulled a few odd twists and turns, weaving his way through the group of people, and coming out on the other side unscathed. Perhaps he actually had a bit more awareness when he was drunk? Meh, not likely, seeing as that the second the by-passers were far enough away, Mark nearly stumbled on an uneven patch of concrete.... Again.

"Gah! Shit!..." Mark cursed as he righted himself, and looked over his shoulder. He couldn't tell if Renji saw that one, but what he could see was Darcil conversing with someone; a young Lad tagging along. With a sharp whistle, Mark called to get his partners attention, "Hey, Darcil! Don't mean to prod ya' but your laggin'...." What Mark didn't say out loud, though, he conveyed with his eyes. Shooting the Gunslinger a look that meant, "What's the kid doing here? He isn't supposed to be here tonight."