Futuristic Ｂｅｌｏｗ ｔｈｅ Ｓｕｒｆａｃｅ （ＩＣ）

[Impius]

Below the Surface

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• File

  001

  Initializing...

  Welcome to the RP itself!
  
  Like with your CSes, BBCode is appreciated but not required- just make sure you have a clear layout and proper spelling/grammar/punctuation.
  
  Some things it would be nice to include:
  -A picture of your character (a small one)
  -Their name/nickname/alias/title
  (One of these can link back to their profile)
  -Their location and who they're with
  -Maybe tag players for current interactions
  -You can also bold speech and italicize thoughts~
  
  Feel free to plan out posts with other players and collaborate if it will help the scene move along more smoothly (though of course don't control someone else's character without their permission, or auto-hit).
  
  Have fun, and as always reach out if you have any questions!

  File

  002

  Rules

  Quick reminder, just in case ^^
  
  1. Posting length: We don't expect a novel for every post- it matters more to have something fun and interesting to read, that advances and contributes to the scene. We will be setting the minimum length at two paragraphs with proper spelling, grammar and punctuation, however, just to have a solid baseline.
  
  2. Posting frequency: Ideally, once a week is the goal. Realistically, life isn't like that and things can and do happen, so the fantasy world can be adjusted or paused as needed. Communication every now and then is appreciated- mostly because, believe it or not, we care about the people we RP with. So hearing from you is a sign that you're still kicking, and tells us if you're still on board or not. As long as you're willing and able to communicate with us, we'll find ways to work with you.
  
  3. Ghosting: After one full month of ZERO contact, we will either remove/replace the character or, if needed for story continuity, have it taken over by another player or turned into an NPC (at least temporarily). This is also an option if you need to go on hiatus or simply take a break.
  
  4. Maturity: Expect cussing, drinking, drugs, blood, and other mature themes (though no extreme gore, as per RPN rules).
  
  5. Romance: This is acceptable, but not the main topic of the RP. Same as with maturity- just stay within the site rules.
  
  6. LGBTQIA+: We want this RP's environment to be respectful and positive, as well as welcoming and inclusive to players and characters, both IC and OOC.
  
  7. Out of Character: We encourage plotting and chatting in OOC, as that's what makes a player and character cast gel. We ask that you refrain from bringing in toxic and negatives vibes and, if any issues arise, we encourage you to discuss them with your fellow players in a respectful manner, or bring them to us directly and we (your friendly neighborhood co-GMs Impius and Ayama ) will step in.
• File

  003

  Timeline

  This will include any recent events in the RP, including plot twists and revelations~
  
  

  • ~2 months ago: The first I.U. announcement went out
  • A week ago: Lockewood had its first large riot
  • Today: Lockewood was placed into lockdown

  File

  004

  Roster

  Name: Darwin Lex Pike
  Nickname(s)/Alias(es)/Title(s): Markus Conway
  Age: 32
  Gender: Male
  Occupation: Mercenary/Assassin
  Played by: Impius
  

  
  

  Name: Yuriye Ivanov
  Nickname(s)/Alias(es)/Title(s): Boss, Yuri, The Iron Vice
  Age: 26
  Gender: Cis female
  Occupation: Mob boss
  Played by: Ayama
  

  
  

  Name: Asahina Hayashi
  Nickname(s)/Alias(es)/Title(s): Hayashi, Hina, The Bloodhound
  Age: 26
  Gender: Cis male
  Occupation: Detective
  Played by: Ayama
  

  
  

  Name: Yukiye Hayashi
  Nickname(s)/Alias(es)/Title(s): Yuki, The Straight Shooter
  Age: 22
  Gender: Cis female
  Occupation: Military police officer
  Played by: Ayama
  

  
  

  Name: Endor Ann Davidson
  Nickname(s)/Alias(es)/Title(s): Ellen Mars
  Age: 28
  Gender: Female
  Occupation: Scientist
  Played by: Mace13
  

  
  

  Name: Callei Faerie Jones
  Nickname(s)/Alias(es)/Title(s): Cals, Fae, Idea, Ms. Mittens
  Age: 23
  Gender: Female
  Occupation: NeuroStreamer/Athlete
  Played by: BuggaBoo
  

  
  

  Name: Phil Yang
  Nickname(s)/Alias(es)/Title(s): The Golden Jackal
  Age: 40
  Gender: Male
  Occupation: Black Marketeer
  Played by: Megilagor
  

  
  
• File

  005

  Lexicon

  International Union (I.U): The singular government which rules under Earth. It is made up of a group of ten- including the Head Councilman, who makes all final decisions for the council. It possesses a very strong military force known as the Union militia.
  
  Neurolink: This standard brain implant is assigned to every person on Earth as soon as their skull can undergo surgery. The Neurolink acts as your own personal portfolio- it monitors your vitals, enables you to communicate and access the internet, can record audio, video, and pictures, etc. It is the equivalent to Old Earth cell phones within the mind (though many people also still use physical communicators). Neurolinks can be upgraded for a very expensive fee.
  
  Implants: Implants serve to better a person's skills- sometimes beyond normal physical limits. Implants are widely available to everyone, but you get what you pay for- a cheap reflex advantage could quickly turn into a disadvantage if poorly performed. These implants can sometimes be physically seen, while others remain undetectable.
  
  Credits: The money currency- entirely virtual.
  
  Divisions: Basically the underground equivalent of a large city. A Division is almost like a state capital- a lot of important things are there, and they hold a large population as well as the seat of local government.
  
  Interstates: These are a few, long-distance and massive tunnels that stretch across continents, linking the major Divisions together. The smaller Divisions are still connected to the main network, but the tunnels leading there are not nearly as large as the main ones. It is highly recommended to use Beetles as transportation through the tunnels, as not only do the rat swarms and thugs often make a home there, but they are treacherous and hard to navigate regardless. Getting lost in any of the tunnels is usually seen as a death sentence.
  
  Sectors: These are smaller cities and areas that branch off of a Division, sort of like suburbs to a major metropolis. Sectors are mostly utilized as residential areas, and often referred to as S-##. Some Sectors are dedicated entirely to agriculture, as the ceilings have been laid with high-powered lights that can cycle through day and night while providing the requisite nutrients for the animals and crops.
  
  Highways: These tunnels connect the central Division to each of its Sectors.
  
  Note: People in government often refer to a Division and its associated Sectors as a District, though it's unclear if this has ever been an official term.
  
  Beetle Ships: These are advanced aircraft that tend to hover high above the ground more than fly. Beetles are passenger ships that taxi people between each Division and their Sectors (larger Beetle ships also act as cargo carriers). The name comes from the sleek blue-black exterior of the ships.

  File

  006

  Locations

  High City: The capital of the International Union, this is "the place to be". The name "High City" comes from it being the largest Division on Earth, and it has acquired the most wealth, population, and physical size.
  It is possibly the cleanest place on Earth as well, and has a thriving economy and lively people. The High City Villas are home to the wealthiest- doctors, politicians, scientists, entertainers, ... basically anyone who has the money to actually afford living in the most expensive place on Earth.
  
  New Lima: Built under the surface location of Lima, Perú, New Lima is the second-largest Division under Earth. Far less rich than High City, it is nevertheless a bustling center of trade and culture, with a high population density.
  
  Division Twelve: Located somewhere under the Atlantic Ocean, this Division is entirely military, with everything from schools and training facilities to endless residential barracks for military personnel.
  
  Shaketown: A colloquial appellation for Sector #34 of High City, it is located under the Western Edge of the Ring of Fire, near the Mariana Trench, and so named for its almost constant earthquakes.
  
  Lockewood: This Division is one of the poorer cities under Earth and, compared to High City, looks run-down and dirty. Lockewood has a very high crime rate and openly corrupt politics, and small rat swarms are a common occurrence in most of its Sectors.
  
  Crystal's Deep: Neighboring Lockewood, Crystal's Deep has a much more prosperous economy and society. The Division is highly diverse, and attracts many tourists from around the globe. Massive stalactites and stalagmites litter the city- some even reaching through the ceiling. Artists have taken to sculpting many of the larger pieces into extinct animals and foliage, and dotted throughout some rich mansions can be seen, with carved amethyst mythical creatures as gate guardians.
  

Interest Check

OOC

Characters

code by Nano

 

[Impius]

Darwin Lex Pike

Alias

Markus Conway

Gender

Male

Age

32

We all have our reasons.

Darwin Lex Pike, a man hired by the wealthy to remove competition, or anyone they simply didn't like, was one of the many who had been stranded within the Lockewood District. Despite his high connections and a hefty wallet, he found none of that mattered. In fact, his first attempt to leave the city resulted in him being shoved back by heavily armored militia. Any message he tried to send outside of Lockewood was received back with a red box containing text inside displaying Out of Range. He had opted to override the signal on his NeuroLink in an attempt of sending out a distress call, but that too came back with a little red box of text. "Shit!" His fist slammed against his thigh in frustration.

An hour ago, he had been drinking alone at a bar so overpriced he nearly walked back out. Supplies within the city were scarce and alcohol had become an expensive luxury, putting businesses like the bar close to failing. Still, he wanted a drink and he wasn't going to wait until he was back in the Villas within High City.

Pike had just completed a contract with a ridiculous award. It had been too easy. A simple politician who had overseen some architectural department met the end of his time that morning. Why? Pike had a strict no questions asked policy. Really, he didn't care what the reason was. If there was a person alive, a price tag could be placed upon their head, no matter the reasoning. If there was an item undesteoyed and moveable, he could retrieve it, for a price.

Drinking the watered down excuse of a whiskey, he watched the television playing through the recent news. Lockwood had been struggling to keep it's citizens fed. The crime rate was increasing with the poorest of the bastards panicking for price inflated necessities. Some deaths had happened either by murder or starvation. In one case a poor bastard had fallen to a small swarm of rats. He swirled the amber liquid around and finished his last shot, sending what he owed from his Link to the bartenders.

The customized orange display flashed on and he navigated to his finances, the account number dropped, the last two digitized numbers quickly descending by 50 credits. The remaining seven digits didn't budge. Still, fifty credits was more than he would have wanted to pay for three shots.

The TV suddenly switched to a blue screen with an emergency broadcast signal blaring out. Both Pike and the bartender looked toward the screen with all their attention. After a couple of seconds the blue screen switched to another broadcaster, the mayor of Lockewood.

"Attention citizens of Lockewood. Effectively immediately we are under complete lockdown. There have been traces of contamination within our agricultural departments and it needs to be investigated and contained. No one will be permitted to leave or enter the city for any means. We understand that this will cause inconveniences, we apologize for this and we hope to open the borders again soon. You will be updated as we learn more."

The channel switched back, the two anchors of the news crew from before staring dumbfounded, their eyes focused on something off screen. Then the signal cut out completely, leaving an empty screen. With a sigh, the bartender turned off the TV and looked at Pike. "It's best you be going now. I have things to do, and so should you." Pike stood and nodded, moving to walk out. He waved a hand over his shoulder, "good luck."

Now out in the streets, his distress calls had failed every attempt to reach outside of Lockewood. It was as if there had been jammers placed within the Division to cut signal going in and out. He growled in irritation. Surely he should be able to get out of this damned city. Pike knew people and that should count for something. If not that, he had money. He just had to get a message to go out first. The orange display came up as he attempted to reach out again. The red box containing the error message flashed again, and he hit his thigh.

'So it's like that, then,' he thought. This Division had been one of several, possibly many, to have restricted supplies imported. Pike hadn't been paying attention to the condition of current politics nor had he ever watched the news, but he had heard circulating rumors of something big about to happen. The less he knew about things, the better. It kept his personal opinion out of the equation. This didn't keep him from obtaining information, as much as he was contracted to kill, he was contracted to gain information. Occasionally he would get curious and snoop the information. Most of the time it was someone trying to get back a file containing footage of sexual misconducts or drug abuse that could be used as blackmail. Trash in the eyes of Pike.

Darwin Pike was trying his luck again at an Interstate tunnel leading off to another Division he knew would connect directly back to High City. It was the Crystal's Deep Division, a better area than Lockewood by a long shot. He was at the bottom of the dock, leaning against the abandoned concrete ticket booth.

Metal stairs led up and over the booth about three stories high, a metal lift sorted by heavy cables was raising back up to let them next load of angry people. The group walking away were fuming, some pairing together and others going their own separate ways.

"I can't believe we ain't getting out,"one had said.

"I tried to bargain with my mother's ring from the early twentieth century but they turned me away," another sobbed.

Pike sighed and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, habitually packing them down on his upturned palm and pulling one out with his lips. "What a fucking mess," he murmured as he lit his zippo with baroque inspire engravings. "Gotta find a way out." He leaned his head back against the cold concrete and let out a puff of smoke, letting the artificial sunlight and spring heat warm his skin.
​

 

[Mace13]

Endor Ann Davidson Lockwood District

Endor Davidson had gone to Lockwood for samples, once she got them she felt charitable and went to a local shelter. She transferred over a good 100 credits before chatting with some of the kids. Then an emergency broadcast filled the old TV in the corner. Once they said lockdown Endor ran out the building. Surely with her working for the I.U. she would be allowed to leave?

She made it to the Interstate tunnel after 10 minutes of running. Endor pushed through the crowd of people who were yelling. She quickly showed her ID to the guards. “A girl? Working for the I.U.? Ha! Faker!” They yelled in her face, pushing Endor back into the crowd. Endor ran through the crowd out of the Interstate tunnel.

”Come on think,” Endor said out loud. She was now at the ticket booth running her hands through her hair. Endor was in deep thought trying to properly think of a way to get out. Even with her implant she couldn’t think of anything. She screamed in frustration and kicked a can. Endor didn’t mind the weird looks from the people around her, she just continued to kick all the litter around her.

She knew she couldn’t just show her ID again now that she knew the guards were idiots, it was not worth a thug coming and stealing her identity. So Endor decided it was time to use her fake identity the I.U. made for her. It would be useful to try and find people to show her around so she went to a group of women, who quickly pushed her away. Endor had one last idea and that was to send a message to her supervisor.

So she tried multiple times to send a message or call her boss but it didn’t work. It just showed a red “error” box. This just frustrated her even more and Endor wasn’t someone you would want to be around when they are frustrated.

 

[Ayama]

Yuriye Ivanov

Title

The Iron Vice

Gender

Cis Female

Age

26

Currently... sitting in her office.

It was barely halfway through the morning, and Yuriye was already having a bad day. First the call came in that one of the rats who owed her money had skipped town, then the message about the latest riot disrupting two expected shipments, and now this. She looked down at the pitiful man sitting across from her, twitching nervously in the uncomfortable chair, and sighed.

"Sal, we've been over this," she said in a long-suffering voice. "You get me my product, you get paid."

The man stared at her with pleading, bloodshot eyes.

"It ain't my fault!" he protested, as if she hadn't heard this speech a million times before. "I swear to you- the product was missing when I went to pick it up; I don't have anything to do with this!"

Yuriye heaved another long, heavy sigh.

"Sal, how many times do we have to go over this? It's simple: you get my product, you get your money. You don't get my product..."

She let the sentence hang ominously in the air and the twitching intensified. The man started to look panicked, turning his head left and right as if searching for an exit.

"I- I'll make it up to you!" he wildly invented, "I swear!"

The mob boss shook her head.

"I'm not gonna keep having this discussion with you- you knew what the consequences were when you got into this business."

"No- no please!"

"Andrei," she buzzed the muscleman standing outside the office door, "get this twitchy piece of shit outta my sight."

The tall, bald, barrel-chested enforcer walked in, grabbed the terrified man by his elbow, and led him out- the screams could be heard all the way down the hall before they were abruptly silenced.

"Jesus," Yuriye sighed again, "does no one in this town have a work ethic anymore?"

What's next- she thought sardonically, a plague?

That was when the sirens started blaring, and the announcement of the lockdown started playing on every screen and radio wave in the city.

The higher the cost, the greater the gain. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ayama]

Asahina Hayashi

Title

The Bloodhound

Gender

Cis Male

Age

26

Currently... in the streets of Sector 7.

"I heard they're gonna lock down the division."

Asahina rolled his eyes.

"And I heard your mom just took up tap-dancing and is gonna headline at the Grand next week. Grow up and focus, will you?"

"I'm serious, Hayashi! Things on the streets are getting bad, and the MPs are restless. My buddy over in HC says it's only a matter of time."

The long-haired detective shook his head.

"Trust me, if there were a lockdown coming, I would've heard about it- my sister's an MP and my family is still back in HC, okay? So would you relax and just do your job?"

The lieutenant straightened, coughed uncomfortably, and resumed his summary.

"Uh, right, sorry. Victim was found at 6:07 this morning by a passerby. No sign of the murder weapon, but witnesses say they saw someone running through the streets with a knife a little later that morning. Average height, average build, dark hoodie, no distinguishing features. Victim worked down at the loading docks- no history of abuse or criminal charges beyond a couple minor drug busts."

Asahina nodded as the officer finished reading off his notes, and bent down to examine the body more closely. The guy had been stabbed three times in the chest- it was a messy job; the killer had clearly acted out of panic. The detective sighed.

"Third one this week- people are getting desperate."

Between shortages, riots, and mounting panic, people were starting to get scared. And when they got scared, they got dangerous.

"If HC doesn't do something about this soon, I'll be spending more time at the morgue filling out paperwork than out on the streets doing my job. Better hope they don't announce another shortage, or the idiots will start rioting again."

That was when the sirens started blaring, and the announcement of the lockdown started playing on every screen and radio wave in the city. The officer stared at him, clearly torn between laughter and concern, and the detective heaved a long, frustrated sigh.

"Well, shit."

How pitiful. How predictable. How pointless. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ayama]

Yukiye Hayashi

Title

The Straight Shooter

Gender

Cis Female

Age

22

Currently... worrying about a riot in the streets.

"C'mon guys- gear up and get ready to move out; we're locking down the district."

"We're what?!" Yukiye yelped, in a manner completely unbefitting of a military police officer. She may have been relatively gifted when it came to combat, but that didn't change the fact that she was a young girl from a sheltered world with little notions of socioeconomic triggers or complex political situations- the announcement took her completely by surprise.

"You can't be serious," she said, staring at her commanding officer as if hoping he'd suddenly crack a smile and go 'Just kidding!'. Instead, what he did was glare at her in a manner she was intimately familiar with.

"You heard me, soldier. There's been a contamination, and it's our job to keep it contained before it spreads to the other Divisions, so gear up and be quiet!"

"But sir," she sputtered before she could stop herself (that lack of filter, among other things, was why she would never be an officer), "things here are tense enough as it is- if we lock the place down the people will revolt."

He went still, and the entire unit stiffened- they were all familiar with this ominous silence from their captain, and what it usually meant for them. The tall, broad man walked slowly up to the most problematic member of his platoon and stared her down for a good three seconds.

"You were given a direct order, soldier," he menacingly intoned, "and if you talk back to me one more time, you will be put on latrine duty for a week. Am I clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Yukiye replied, leaping to her feet and rigidly saluting.

"Good- now get your asses in gear; we're wheels up in five."

*****​

A short while later, and her fully armored unit was positioned at the entrance to the Interstate, apprehensively holding back the crowd.

People were close to panicking and the tension in the air was palpable.

"This is nuts," Yukiye whispered under her breath to her platoonmates, "if we don't give these people some information and some reassurance soon, we're going to have a full-scale riot on our hands!"

"Shut up and keep your head down," her comrades hissed back, "or you'll get us all court-marshaled."

Yukiye swore inside her armored helmet and hoped, as she looked out at the sea of anxious and furious faces before her, that her brother was safe.

The worth of the fight is in doing what's right. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Impius]

Darwin Lex Pike

Alias

Markus Conway

Gender

Male

Age

32

We all have our reasons.

It suddenly dawned on Pike that he knew someone who was still within the Division. He could attempt to send her a message but would it even go through if every one of his other messages didn't? Would she even respond if it did? He pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers and squeezed his eyes shut. Damn it all, it was wortg a try just to see if inner Division communications worked.

His eyes peered over at the woman in obvious distress. He saw her run up to another group of women and get rejected. She then proceeded to kick over a trash and, spreading it's contents across the pavement. He smiled a little to himself, amused. The orange display popped on as he flicked his cigarette carelessly to the side and he pushed off the wall he leaned against. As he approached the enraged women, as it appeared to the many avoiding bystanders who seemed to rethink their own anger in her display, he brought up his dog texts and scrolled the through until he saw an all to familiar, yet now forgein name appear.

Hey... Long time not talk. Uh, so.. do you still live in Lockewood? I... No one can get out.

He sent the message and the orange display disappeared as he got about ten yards from the furious woman. "This is absolute shit, I can't even get a message outside the Division..." He paused as he noticed that the message he had just sent had in fact sent through. So Yuriye Ivanov must still be in Lockewood. "Apparently it works if the other person is in the city though. Darwin Pike, uh, self employed." He stuck his hand out for a shake, back straight and his eyes locked onto her with the confidence of anyone who thought they were something.
​

 

[Ayama]

Yuriye Ivanov

Title

The Iron Vice

Gender

Cis Female

Age

26

Currently... scheming in her office.

When Yuriye heard the beeping of her communicator, she naturally assumed it was one of her coworkers wanting to talk about the lockdown, so when she saw the name 'Pike' on the screen, her eyes went wide.

This really is not my day, she thought as she pressed a button and displayed the message.

Oh you have got to be kidding me, she thought incredulously.

He was here? Now?

The universe, she reflected, had a twisted sense of humor.

Of course I'm still in Lockewood, she typed back, adding, you mudak- an insult he was quite familiar with from their time together.

And of course you managed to get yourself trapped here just as they called a lockdown, she continued, annoyance evident in every syllable- she was convinced the situation had to be some divine form of punishment.

If you want to get out of the Division, come to my office. But I warn you Lex: if you want any help from me, it's going to cost you- big.

And with that she turned off the screen and got up to pace around the small room.

Well, perhaps she might yet turn this unfortunate situation into an opportunity and turn this rotten day around- after all, the man might be utterly insufferable, but he was loaded, and if she was going to have to deal with him she might as well get something out of it.

The higher the cost, the greater the gain. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Mace13]

Endor Ann Davidson Lockwood Division

Endor stopped kicking all the trash and looked at Pike with an eyebrow raised. ”Uhm I’m End- Ellen! Ellen Mars!” she said almost slipping up on her real identity. Endor wasn’t too keen on letting someone know her true name in case they knew she worked for the I.U. She subconsciously put her hand in her back pocket to cover her ID.

Endor rocked on her heels not quite sure what to say to Pike. ”So, what brings you to Lockwood?” She asked awkwardly. Endor was slightly hoping he lived here and would be able to show her around. Lockwood wasn’t a good place to be at when you don’t know your way around, or so she’s heard.

 

[Ayama]

Yukiye Hayashi

Title

The Straight Shooter

Gender

Cis Female

Age

22

Currently... in the streets, stressing out.

Tensions were rising and, as panic mounted, things were escalating quickly. The crowd was starting to press up against the barriers, and her platoonmates had set all their weapons to stun mode, which would've been fine except for the fact that, if there was a stampede, that would put people in even more danger.

She was apprehensively turning her head this way and that, trying to get a sense of what might be about to happen so she could be prepared to deal with it, when she spotted a familiar brown-haired figure.

She was being accosted by a tall, rough-looking man open-carrying several military-grade weapons. Yukiye's instincts immediately overrode her training, and she stepped out of line and away from her platoon. She made a beeline straight for her acquaintance, elbowing people out of the way as she went.

When she reached them, she touched the woman on the arm to get her attention, solicitously asking "Endor, are you all right?", and completely forgetting about the militia helmet that concealed her face and modified her voice to a standard robotic communicator.

The worth of the fight is in doing what's right. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Impius]

Darwin Lex Pike

Alias

Markus Conway

Gender

Male

Age

32

We all have our reasons.

Pike raised a brow, a look of questioning crossing his face for just a moment at her mix up though he did not pursue any questions. "Well, I came here for work. I was waiting to get paid when all this happened," he waved a hand bitterly toward the commotion that seemed to avoid them. People were running up and down the platform and racing about the streets like maddened chickens. Pike couldn't help but feel mildly amused. Chaos was a fun upgrade to his systematic life. Not that he found his current situation, stuck without communication and locked with a bunch of dirty criminals, fun.

He really didn't want to make a new friend with Ellen but she had been one of the only people around him that hadn't moved with the sheeple. That meant intelligence. Intelligence meant he could possibly get out of there. Hell, he could use her to as the distraction while he himself got away. He would return to his luxurious apartment one way or another. At that moment he saw the new message flash in the top left hand corner of his vision.

He mentally frowned at Yuryie's response to his message. He shouldn't have expected any other kind of response, even after all this time. To be fair, he would have probably ignored her if the roles had been reversed. Unless she could give him something for his time. 'A fucking massive headache,' he finished after a slight pause in thought. She was another tool he could use to his disposal. So he thought.

Always with the names, Yu. You talk like you aren't stuck here either. We can discuss the details of your 'big' cost when I get there. Same place as last time?

He sent the message, satisfied enough with it as his current situation was quickly changing. A military police officer was running their way. Pike got an uneasy feeling and took a step back as they ran up to Ellen. She touched her arm in a way of familiarity and proceeded to ask ENDOR if she was okay. This information was retrieved with a hard glare. "So.. Endor," he annunciated her name coolly through narrowed eyes. "If you don't mind," his eyes flicked to the MP by her side.

Neither of their Serial numbers seemed familiar, nor would it have provided him with anything useful. An implant he really wished to upgrade, but the eye adjustments and therapy had been gruesome, even for him. He would rather figure out how to hack into it and pull the information himself. So situations when Ellen's are actually Endor's would be less frequent. "I am going to figure out what the hell is happening. I'm sure the answer lays within High City since they bothered to send the milita, " he finished with his eyes on the MP still. In reality he wanted to go home and have an expensive glass of whiskey. He was angry that no one had bothered to warn him of this lockdown. It was almost as if he had been sent there on a job purposely so that he would be trapped. Was this job a cover for something larger going on?

As long as the tunnels stood with gaping maws, then there was a way out. Pike would find his way through and get his answer before he enjoyed his whiskey, he decided.

​

 

[Ayama]

Yuriye Ivanov

Title

The Iron Vice

Gender

Cis Female

Age

26

Currently... in her office and irritated.

Only a few minutes had passed, and yet Yuriye was already starting to get a headache. Her phone had been beeping nonstop- messages from various employees and associates all in a varying state of panic. She let out a long, frustrated sigh. Sometimes, being the boss and having people turn to you when shit went sideways was just a massive pain in the ass.

Another beep, and the mobster had half a mind to ignore it, but she pressed the button and opened up the message anyway.

Her lips pressed down into an impossibly thin line when she read the word 'Yu', displeasure evident on her features- the man was as insufferable as ever.

Yes, still the same place, she wrote back, and I'll have a little less of the familiarity unless you want my guys to throw you out on your ass, and good luck getting out of this city without my help.

The longer the lockdown went on, she reflected, the harder it would be to actually get out, so she added And you'd better hurry it up- offer expires in fifteen minutes.

With that, she tossed her communicator on the desk, slumped down in her chair, and reached for the glass and bottle of booze she always kept in her top drawer.

If she was going to have to deal with Darwin Lex Pike, she needed a drink.

The higher the cost, the greater the gain. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

---

Callei - The Streamer
Location - The Burrow. ​

---

---

~~~​

<And we are live...! Let's gooooo!> the flash of white teeth with the signature sparkling diamond encrusted upper canines filled the entire view. Slowly the grin zoomed away and there she was, Ms. Mittens herself, posed with her gloved hand resting upon her chin as always, single green and single yellow eyes glinting brightly neath the Underlights.

<What is goooodie-good, people of the UnderEarth! CHAT!! I see you!! And you! And you! And you n' you n' you n' you n' you...! Eyyyy... It's ya' girlie, Ms. Mittens out and about, fit and fresh, on da sceeeeene know what I mean? Wooooo-yeah!! Lockewood, Lowdown side, represent!! That's right! No need to get all emotionals, just like, follow, subscribe share on alllll ya socials! Smack dose notifs!! Find ya girlie there @ SmittenMittens, just look for the blue checkmark!

Alright big, bigtime shout out to Shock Rocketboarders, Spineretta Rides and Westside Breakers for sponsoring this slammin' episode of 'Mittens on the Mic!' For all ya Beetle Rocketboard upgrades, fit, drip, gear, kit and any lowdown needs for you punkistas, rocketeers and everyone inbetween, go check them out! All affiliate Links and contacts are in the description below!!>

One more sharp-toothed grin, a boob pushed up pose, a smile, wink and nod, then Cals' arms tossed up high above her head. She spun around once, long white and pink hoodie-coat chasing her movements. When done, her silvery, black, furry sleek tail pointed in the direction she was headed. The view slowly followed where she pointed at, revealing a mass of humanity carrying signs and banners, some pumping fists others jumping up and down . The noise cancelling filter faded out and the sound of the true nature in the streets rang out loud and clear. People were banging drums and other such noisemakers, chanting in a massive group, the wave of rippling tension and aggression barely held in check. A woman with a megaphone lead the chant, her canned voice could be heard yelling: <<ALL LIES, NO TRUTH!! EFF YOU, I.U.!! ALL LIES, NO TRUTH!! EFF YOU, I.U.!!>>

<CHAT!! What is good... This is Ms. Mittens is just outside of Luxington Square where as you can see the protest demonstration is out in full force! The leak that the nightly curfew and 100% lockdown was going to hit later tonight pushed the people of Lockewood out en masse to let the I.U. know just exactly how they feel. The people, our people, are here in a peaceful protest. Hell yeah, it's loud and it's large but again, this is a PEACEFUL protest! Remember!! To all you lovely people out there in chat; ALL TooberChat donations for this NeuroStream will be going to support the Mission and the Pascal Fund for the families that lost their homes cuz of the rat infestation out in the loading bay areas. Speaking of donos...

Awww thanks ya, iChewGrass for the 20Cred TooberChat! They askin' ; "Ey, Mittsy, you see any military po-po out there? Armed with what?">

The view slowly panned the vast crowd from left to right before zooming in down the street to the movement a couple blocks away. Suddenly the view whisked back to Cals' face. Eyes wide and shiny but no smile, <Uhhhhh... looks like the whole of 6th Ave is wall to wall with marching Po-Po's. Ummmm from what I can see, they just riot geared... I don't see... wait... yeah... they have an armoured AutomoBeetle-- bitchazz... EY, chat... that don't look like they gunna stop... they marching and banging their shields...>

>>Citizens of Lockewood, disperse from this area immediately. You are in violation of Code 66. Repeat, All citizens must disperse from this area immediately. You are in violation of Code 66. Repeat...<<

The view switched back to marching officers and zoomed in on the loudspeakers above the turret of the armoured Enforcement Beetle. Cals could be heard gasping as the view slid upward towards the Underlights. A military Beetle ship was slowly hovering overhead. A gunship. <I don't think I'mma get the interview with the Citizens Against Tyranny rep since it looks like things might begin to escalate.

Awww thanks ya, MariJuanita for the 20Cred TooberChat! They askin' ; "Mittsy where ya rocket at? Rip some air, chica!" Ey, Juanita, you know I would sooooo love to Rip rocket the hell outta this underside, but they gotsa suuuuuper strict no motorized locomotioners in this area. They'd put Ms. Mittens up in the clink, fo'sho!! Anyways, I'mma try to get higher ground to see if I can't--hold up, HOLD the EFF in the FACE UP!! CHAT!! There's a fight! Brooooo! Some anti-protesters be just goin' in on some protes--DANG!! They using like clubs or something against-->

A loud blaring siren. The sounds of hollow metal hitting the ground. Several plumes of smoke in the midst of the brawl.

<Okay, chat... it just. Got. Real. Ms. Mittens is defo heading onto higher ground. They just launched like tear gas or something at the crowd...!! People are just freaking the effffffff OUT!!!

Awww thanks theOnlyChaser for the generous 500Cred TooberChat!!! Wows!! Thanks! They askin'; "Are the protesters armed with anything to fight back? ALL LIES!! EFF YOU, IU!!" Ummmm... actually it's kinda hard to see cuz-- eyyyy... where the chat go...? Wait WUT? "CONNECTION LOST. NO SIGNAL...?" EY!! What the actual eff in the face?! I lost the Neurolink livestream!! Dang... like wut?! 'Kay... lemme seeee.... hmmmm... nawwww...brooo...>

The view was an awkward close up of Cals' cheek and part of her green eye. Suddenly there was a massive commotion behind her: yelling, screaming, things crashing and glass breaking. The view stayed as it was and Cals moved away. The view got closer and seemed to peek just over her shoulder. There was more smoke in the flooding chaos amongst the masses. And fire. Someone had thrown a fiery cocktail. There were cheers. And then another thrown. More fire. More cheers.

And then the officers fired back.

Callei screamed. The view showed her gloved hands trembling as she pulled at her silvery fuzzy ears. She screamed again as the light of the plasma lit up the buildings and the sight of the bodies hit the streets. Cals wheeled about, tears spraying from her big eyes, <NOOOO!!! They shot them!! My gosh, NOOOO!!! They just gunned them down-->

The view went fuzzy and glitched as her hand hit the Let's Go!! OrbCam, snatching it.

<--They killed them!! They just kids!!! My gosh... they was just kids...>

All went black.

~~~​

The NeuroVid replay of the recording ended.

Callei just sat there on the couch, head down, chin on chest. Her hands fidgeted in her lap as tears fell from her eyes.

Otter wiped away at her own eyes, shoulders heaving up and down. Then both arms draped around Callei. She squeezed her bestie tight. Cals just half-heartedly leaned into the hug. "Soooo... like what do we do now...?"

Astral took another drag from her cigarette. Her hands were shaking as she pulled it from her lips and exhaled. "Nuttin'. We do absolutely nuttin'. But... We gots to delete that NeuroVid..."

"Az... girl...!" Otter's green eyes popped wide and met Astral's blue eyed gaze, "but we have gots to tell someone...! We need to show people what the I.U. tyrants have done--"

"Oz!! If anyone in the I.U. knows what is on that recording or that we even seen it...? We dead. Full stop, girl. We. DEAD."

"They was just kids!! How the hell can we just let them get away with that...?"

"EY! They find out, they kill US! They will get away with that. Just leave it alone! Okay?!" Astral's scowl softened as did her voice once she turned to Callei and lowered herself to catch her eye, "Eyyy... Idea... Iz... listen... girl, you need to delete that ish... like post haste..."

"Astral! NO! Iz, don't listen!"

"Otter! YES! Iz... Callei...! You have gots to do it... C'mon man... you know I'm right."

Callei slowly wiped at her eyes before she slowly looked up. A gloved hand reached for Astral's cigarette. She took a drag. She stared at her blonde friend Otter. Then at her brunette friend Astral. Another drag. Then she nodded. "Sorry, Otter, but Az is right... I'll deal with it..."

Otter released Cals, snatched the cigarette and stood. She took two furious puffs before crushing it out in the ashtray. A head shake then she let out a disgusted huff as she readjusted her apron, "Kay well. Well, I'mma get back to work then. I'll take a break in a couple hours n' I'll see you... actually... know what? You's do what you want...! 'Kay? The both of you. Hang out. Go rocket. Or just go watch more kids get KILLED and do NOTHING for all I care! All LIES, no TRUTH!!"

Out of the break room and into the din of the crowd and loud bar music stormed the blonde.

Astral just shook her head then strut on over to Cals. She tossed an arm around the silvery headed girl and helped her up. "Nahhhhh... she'll get over it, she always does."

The brunette sighed then lightly bonked her pale forehead onto her friend's tan one, "Soooo hey there pretty in pink, buy you a drink...?"

Cals conceded a half-laugh and nodded. Despite the tension and anxiousness between the 3 cat-eared besties, at least they'd be together during this shitshow.

At least that was the hope.

Arms slung around each others shoulders, the pair of rocketboarder girls made their way over to the bar.

---

---

​

 

[Megilagor]

Phil Yang

Alias

Golden Jackal

Gender

Male

Age

40

Current location- Burrow.

Phil began his day as always when the sun was not even in the sky, not like he could actually see the sky or the sun being underground and all but that’s how gramps taught him and that's how he will continue to live by.
His busy day began as always by downing a lot of coffee and eating a quick snack before moving on to the more important things. Checking if the Burrow had everything it needed, then stocking things up, then moving down to the under-underground market or black market for ease of words.

After arriving in the black market he double-checked everything before asking one of his employees in charge of the thing about the situation, the guy was an old-looking man with lots of scars and a missing eye, they called him Mad Jack.
“So Jack, is everything ready for the day? No trouble with supplies or smuggling routes?”
Said Phil while looking into the sole soulless steel blue eye.

“That's the thing boss, the supplies are here, hell we even have more than we bargained for. It's the tunnels though that worries me it seems something is botched we have no contact after the five-kilometre mark. So we can’t safely check but something is wrong, the worst-case scenario the tunnels have collapsed or are flooded with something, and the best-case scenario is it’s just some faulty wires. But prepping the guys to go there to check will take a while and fixing whatever it is will for sure take longer.”
Replied Jack as if he was in the army, almost robot-like.

“Fucking hell Jack! Just make sure our guys are safe since finding such loyal and useful people down here ain't easy you know that. Thankfully I have you here as my right-hand man in the market don’t I, you will figure something out. Also here is your bottle of Rum.”
Said Phil while handing Jack his bottle of Rum, still full and not even opened once, before turning on his heel and returning upstairs while cursing under his nose.
“Why can’t I have one day when something doesn’t go to hell.”

So he returned to his office, where he sat at his fancy chair, checking the documents from the days before and those for today, sorting through them and filling them in.
‘Why did I not hire a secretary or an accountant at this point before I finish those documents it will be easily morning if not noon…. Let's just do it! You can do it Phil, you are a grown-ass man.’
Time passed as he filled the various documents in, and the work was going slowly but steadily which was indicated by an ever-increasing amount of coffee cups and decreasing amount of files.
Phil seeing that not even one-third of the documents were filled after all this time decided to lie down on his couch and check how it was going in the rest of the place via the many cameras strewn about and hidden in his fine establishment.

For some time he found nothing of interest before stumbling on a gemstone a raw diamond one would say, one of her employees Otter and her two friends watching something and their aggressive reactions after piqued his curiosity, and he wouldn’t be himself without getting to know what that was.

So he quickly hopped out of his couch and fixed his clothes up a bit before walking down to the proper part of the Burrow.
“Welcome lads and lasses to the Burrow. I see you have one swell day dare I say even if we are in a lockdown that is. You know what Freddie pour everyone a shot of our liquor on the house, I'm in a good mood. ”
Said Phil while walking in the direction of Otter and as he approached he whispered to her.
“Come to my office with your two friends in a bit. We have some talking to do and don’t worry it's no trouble. ”
After doing so he smiled at her and then joined the customers in drinking that one shot of their homemade liquor before returning to his office now waiting on how things will work out next.

A life without living was simply a death without dying. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ayama]

Asahina Hayashi

Title

The Bloodhound

Gender

Cis Male

Age

26

Currently... worried but tryna keep it together.

Forensics and the coroner were done with the scene, the body was on its way back to the morgue, and the rest of the officers had already returned to the station to fill out their paperwork.

Now alone, Detective Hayashi opened a comm link to his parents, trying to get info on the lockdown but, predictably, the call didn't go through. He then tried his sister- the call went out, which meant she was still in the district, but didn't connect, which meant she must be working.

That made sense- she was probably in charge of holding the line at the tunnels. Hopefully that situation hadn't devolved into utter chaos yet- if the previous riot was anything to go by, the Division had basically been one announcement like this away from all-out revolt, and now...

Asahina shook his head, trying not to think about it too much. Lockdown or not, he still had a job to do, and his sister would contact him when she could.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started making his way into progressively smaller and seedier tunnels, where bits of the walls and ceiling had fallen away to reveal rotten earth beneath.

Eventually, he arrived at a spot that, to all appearances, seemed to be one of these worn-out areas shoddily covered up with thin-looking sheet metal.

He stepped up to it and said, in a quiet but clear voice, "Business, like a jackal, trotted on the heels of war."

At which point the sheet swung inward to reveal a gaping hole in the tunnel wall. The tall man stooped to enter and disappeared into the blackness.

*****​

A short walk later, he emerged into Lockewood's famed black market: The Burrow. All around were slipshod and ramshackle stalls full of a combination of junk and hidden treasures. The really good stuff was generally one layer removed from this outer portion, behind trick walls and under trap doors.

Though the market was usually a great cacophony of haggling and harangue, today everywhere he turned Asahina heard nothing but tense whispers and worried conversations- the lockdown meant no traffic of goods and supplies in or out, and both the lives and the livelihoods of everyone here depended on that.

When he neared the Burrow's bar, the volume increased noticeably, with many people clearly more than a few drinks in arguing and proclaiming loudly over each other.

"See? Didn't I tell you? I told you they was gonna shut it down!"

"Conspiracy- that's what it is; thin the herd and lessen the drain, eh?"

"Mark my words- they'll have the bombs and the gas down here before the week is out!"

Sighing again, the detective turned away, catching the odd sight of two brightly-dressed, cat-eared girls out of the corner of his eye. One of them looked vaguely familiar to him, but he didn't stop to dwell on it- he had a job to do.

*****​

Moments later, he was standing outside the office door of the man who essentially ran this entire area. He knew everything that happened in Lockewood's seedy underbelly and, if anyone might have some info for him on that morning's murder, it was Phil Wang.

Asahina walked in to the familiar sight of the Golden Jackal seated at his desk, going through a pile of paperwork with a larger pile of empty coffee cups next to it, brow furrowed in concentration.

He stepped forward without preamble or invitation- the two were well-used to this routine by now.

"Hey there Phil, what a rotten day, huh?" the detective said by way of opening small talk, "Must be bad for business."

How pitiful. How predictable. How pointless. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Mace13]

Endor Ann Davidson Lockwood Division

Endor stood there for a moment, heat flooding towards her cheeks and she immediately looked down. She then looked up and eyed the MP standing directly next to her, taking in everything about them from posture to way of talking. It wasn’t an MP she showed her ID to so Endor was very suspicious. She tugged her arm out of their hand then looked at them. ”Listen MP I don’t know who you are, how you know my name but I’m going to have to ask you to back up,” Endor finally said, her voice doing its best to hide her annoyance.

Finally she turned back to the man, her face not hiding her annoyance despite her efforts. She cocked an eyebrow at him before sighing. ”If I couldn’t get back to High City alone you won’t be able to get in alone. So I’ll help, I always love a good illegal thing here and there,” Endor told him, before turning to the MP again and shooing them away. She put her hands in her outside coat pockets feeling her Karambit Knives. Endor was still hoping for somewhat of a tour of Lockwood.

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

---

Callei - The Streamer
Location - The Burrow. ​

---

---

​

For a moment longer she held her breath, fingertips hovering just above her Let's Go!! Orbcam, hand shaking with a bit of a nervous tremble. A yellow eye closed. Then the green. Callei exhaled through her nose and nodded. Seeing the scowl upon her face, Astral reached out her own hand, placed it on Cals' hand that was on the cocktail tabletop and interlaced her fingers.

"Eyyyy... Iz-girlie... you doin' what's best right? I gots you. You all goods."

Cals opened her eyes and shot her bff a glance. No words only a small smile. Yet her eyes told Az all she needed to know. Her bff she called 'Iz/Idea' was committed now. The brunette smiled back and nodded encouragingly. Gloved fingers slid across the screen to the file directory,

A few more presses, a few more beeps. Two more confirmations and there. It was done. The recording of the massacre was wiped from the drive. The silvery-headed cat girl breathed a sigh of relief.

"'Kay... there. Goodie-goods now cuz we done and done."

Just then, out of the blue, Astral snatched the Orbcam in one hand and fliddled open her Omni-tool with the other.

"Az-girlie!! Whatchu up to now...?! That's my Orbcam--"

It looked as if Astral had stabbed the grapefruit sized hover-cam but she was actually deftly extracting the hard drive. Another tool flipped out and buzzed with a small spark of electricity and this time she really did stab the hard drive. A puff of smoke rose from the impaled bit of tech.

"Bzzzt...! Az gone and made it well done, for real though. Drive be fried and can't be recovered. Now we all goodie-goods."

---

The Rocketeer Girls reconciling...

"Couple a' shots from Mista' Jax for the pair of loooooovely girls here! On the house--" Otter held a couple of shot glasses then 'accidentally' tripped and tossed the shots into the 'lovely girls' faces, "--oops. I guess it's not on the house, but on them...!"

"Oz!! LIke girl, you off ya' meds or somethin'?! Chill pill!! The hell, bruh!" Cals flashed her diamond canines with a sneer as she wiped at her face.

"Well that's whach'all gets when I'm mad at you's! Guess it's just Karma bitin' ya' ass again, rocketeers...!"

Astral just licked her lips and stared dead eyed. her baby0blues into Otter's gloating green pair, "Nah, it's all goods. She just mad cuz I outed her. She said she prettier than you, Iz. Girl told my bf, Monty and his bros. Even said her green eyes soooo much more like emeralds than your lone puke green one--"

"Wait wut?! NOooooo!! What are you even talkin' trash like that for...?! Idea... Iz...! Girl you soooooo know I would never say anything like that about you--""

"And what about tossing shade at her bod...? 'Awwww she just bought her figure. My legs are waaaaaaay better than hers. Mines be all nat--"

"WutINeverSaidThat!! Astral! NO! Iz, don't listen! I'm ya' girl! It's me! You soooooo know we bffs...! Bruh! Az just trippin'!!"

Otter reached out a pale hand and pulled Callei close. LIke the besties often do, she gently bonked her head into Cals and smiled with a soft glow in her eyes. Cals smiled back and just could not hold back her laughter anymore.

"Waitwut...?"

"I thought you was mad at us..." Astral joined in on the forehead bonk, "Karma... ass bitin'... like y'know... all that piss n' vinegar you dropped on us..."

"Ohhhh... OH! Oh yeah! Welllllll, I'm still mad at both a' you's...! But like... like I'm still mad, 'kay...! Sooooo like... like..."

Astral kissed her blonde bff's cheek then strong arms embraced her. "All goods, Oz. Be mad... but just know that it ain't over, 'kay? Ya' heart in the right place; UnderEarth. But ya' brain be soooo On-Earth radiation. We'll get them back another way, 'kay? We will. Just not in some way that could get us killed. 'Specially Iz. So wut? We gunna' be good? You know I'm right..."

Otter made as if she was going to yank herself away from her friend when Cals joined in the group hug, "Eyyyyy, we Rocket Lowlies gots to stay together on this one, amirite? Ain't no one gonna' break us apart for no reason. We can still be all abouts the; Eff you, I.U.!!"

A soft sigh conceding friendship triumphant yet again, "'Kaaaaaay... wellll... well, like I'm still mad, 'kay? I'm still sooooo mad at you's. Buuuuut like... like maybe I'll calm down but we still gots to talk about this. It ain't over...."

Astral and Cals smiled softly and slowly nodded their heads. Oh, how they loved Oz and her sweet little brain...! Both girls rubbed at their blonde friends arm then each clutched one of her hands tenderly.

"'Kay well Imma get back to work now-- but I'm still mad, 'kay! I am. Just so you's both know...! I'm still mad...!"

One final embrace then Otter whipped out her server cloth and wiped at her both her friends' faces before departing. She just could not help but smile at them. Even though she was still mad.

---

while walking in the direction of Otter and as he approached he whispered to her.
“Come to my office with your two friends in a bit. We have some talking to do and don’t worry it's no trouble. ”

Green eyes popped wide and grew a bit sullen despite the reassurance she was not in any trouble. But quickly she regained her composure and nodded quickly, "Yeah Boss. You gots it. I'mma get the girls and we be atcha' office in no time, 'kay?"

Otter rushed back to her bffs. She reached out and snatched the cigarette from in between Cals' lips and took a couple of furious drags from the cancer stick. Chin down, she peered at the both of them as she fidgeted with her apron, "Sooooo like for real now, 'kay? Mista' Jax wants the lot of us to meet in his office-- like 'no trouble,' he said... no trouble... but still... like he wants all 3 a' us there..."

"He didn't say what he's on about...?"

Otter shook her head then passed the cig back to Cals. She took a drag and took a moment to ponder before exhaling, "Welllll, like it's all goodie-goods, rocketeers. It's probably just some kinda' proposition for us. Dunno wut 'specially in this crazy lockdown... buuuuut... it's cools. Let me do the talking, 'kay? Follow my lead."

The other two nodded in unison. Az reached for the cigarette and took a final drag. She crushed it in the ashtray, blew out smoke rings before nodding that she was ready.

The trio headed on over to the Golden Jackal's office one after the other. Otter knocked on the open door then slunk on in, then Astral, then finally Cals.

"Uhhhhh... so like you wanted to see alla' us here, Boss...?"

---

---

​

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

NYX SOLARI

Nyx leaned casually against the exterior wall of a building with a large, garishly lit sign bragging “PRETTY GIRLS!!” in all caps. Beneath it was another sign, just as garishly lit, and just as proudly bragging “PRETTY BOYS!!”. She looked at them, almost contemplatively, while twisting a strand of her green tipped, black, curly hair around her finger. A smirk curled the corner of her lips and she shook her head. Maybe later.

Her brother, true to form, was making her wait. They had agreed to meet here, 10 minutes from now, then head to The Burrow to get what they needed before continuing to their job in Crystal’s Deep, a wealthy bishop with a taste for the type of pretty boys this establishment boasted of, and a bad habit of spending the money he gathered “for the poor” on expensive holidays in Crystal’s Deep.

Her Neurolink chimed. It was Dot.

"Widow." Nyx said softly.

“Widow, where is your brother? He’s not answering.” Dot demanded.

Nyx shrugged and toyed with one of her necklaces. “Don’t know. He’s a big boy, D, and can take care of himself. He’s probably found shoes he couldn’t live without. Or a fight.”

Dot’s voice was sharp and annoyed. “When you see him, tell him he has to remem- “

Out of range

Nyx tapped her Neurolink when the call dropped. “D?”

Nothing. She pursed her lips thoughtfully and called Dot back, with no luck. She tried to reach Ogre, Dot’s second in command, with the same result. Out of range. Well, what the fuck?

On impulse, she called Lock.

“Dearest!!!” Lock sounded chipper. He found shoes. Or someone.

Nyx smirked. “D’s been calling you.”

Lock laughed. “I know. I’m busy.”

“Oh? What’s his name?” Nyx smiled.

“I don’t know. Something off brand, but it’s chic in a downtrodden sort of way.” Lock laughed again.

Nyx raised her eyebrows. “We have a job to do, and calls aren’t getting out of Lockewood. Something’s going on, and I’m waiting for you.”

Nearby, she heard someone say something about a lockdown. She looked at them. “Excuse me. What did you say?”

The woman scowled. “The city’s under lockdown. No one in or out. Some kind of contamination. If you ask me, the IU is just looking for an excuse to-”

Her brother’s voice interrupted the woman’s rant. “You aren’t even listening to me, aren’t you?” he laughed, “What’s his name?”

“Her. I don’t know. Something chic in a downtrodden way, I'm sure. Hurry up and get here. Lockewood’s under lockdown. Where are you? I’ll meet you halfway.” She looked up and down the street.

“Ugh, really? What kind of poor ass timing is that? We can’t be stuck here. Stay put. I’m literally 2 minutes from you. Can I just pay for this first?” Lock’s voice was pleading.

Nyx shook her head, “No, Reaper, sorry. We have to get moving.” She sighed softly, the only indication she was anything but calm. Their reputation depended on getting to Crystal’s Deep.

BLACK WIDOW

 

[Caffeinated Joy]

LOCK SOLARI

Lock looked at the shirt mournfully and made a face. “Fine. I’ll see you in 2 minutes.”

He disconnected the call and looked at the clerk, “Sorry, my minder says no. Thanks anyway, darling.” Locked winked at him and left the tiny shop, striding purposefully down the street. His movements, like his sister’s, held an unconscious grace born from years of dance, gymnastics and martial arts training. It drew some stares, but he didn’t pay it any mind.

He found Nyx within the promised 2 minutes, leaning against the wall of a bar as if she had all the time in the world. His arms spread wide, and he grinned. “See? I told you I’d be here in 2 minutes, and, here I am, precisely 1 minute and 45 seconds later.”

Nyx pushed herself off the wall and laughed lightly, “You deserve a cookie.” She started walking toward the underground and Lock fell into step beside her.

They walked in companionable silence for a while, each of them deciding to listen to what was going on around them, rather than talking to one another. What was obvious was there was a lockdown, and no one was getting in or out. There was contagion within the agriculture department needing investigation, according to some. Others said it a was cover up and the government was using it as an excuse to get rid of the poorest citizens of the IU. Some of the more vocally irate were screaming it was all lies.

Lock shook his head, feeling uneasy. This whole situation was a frag bomb ready to blow.

“What do you think?” Nyx asked.

“Me?” Lock snorted. “I think it’s the IU and anything is possible. Maybe there is contagion. Maybe it’s not as bad as they’d like us to think. Maybe something else is going on, too. I mean, I get putting up a travel lockdown to stop the spread of contagion, but why block all calls and messages from getting out of, or into, the city? Are they afraid of someone outside the city saying the wrong thing to someone in here? Or vice versa? Is there something dirty going on between the IU and here they’re trying to hide?”

Nyx turned a corner and walked down a dark street, her gaze ever watchful, “All good questions. If we could access any information from outside Lockewood, we’d probably find out. Whatever’s going on, you can be sure Dot and Ogre are going to find out.”

“Sure, but will it do us any good in here?” Lock shook his head and pushed a hand through his riot of dark curls. “I know they’ll try.”

They fell back into silence as they traversed the twists and turns leading down to The Burrow, a place they always stopped in when they had a job in a nearby city. When they finally reached the right spot, Lock leaned forward and said softly, “Business, like a jackal, trotted on the heels of war.”

They both slipped in when able, eyeing the rows of goods on display. Lock picked up an old, antique monocular telescope and turned it around in his hands for moment before putting it down and continuing on, idly brushing his fingers against various items for sale. None of it was what they needed. That was deeper in the depths of this place.

“Hey!” Lock said suddenly, turning to Nyx “Let’s grab a drink or two before we get all serious with business. Come on.”

Nyx rolled her eyes. “We need to –“

“Driiiinks, sissy of mine.” Lock grabbed her hand and pulled on it, speaking in a singsong voice. “Drunk people saaaaaay things. Somethings it’s things they shouldn’t saaaay. Come onnn. I need to blow off some steam. Drink a little, dance a little…”

Nyx laughed and rolled her eyes but let herself be pulled along. “For you, blowing off steam usually means breaking bones, brother of mine.”

“Interesting how you never seem inclined to stop me.” He gave her a look full of innocence. “I solemnly swear I will break no one’s bones on purpose, unless they deserve it. Besides, you owe me this. I had a great shirt and a cute clerk, and you blocked me on both.”

“All right.” Nyx pulled her hand back and pushed Lock towards The Burrow’s bar, “Let’s go blow off some steam.”

They both entered the bar and Lock immediately started to bounce to the music playing. He wove through the tables before finding good place to sit and flopped down in the chair, while his sister sat with considerably more restraint.

She leaned toward him, “What are you hoping to find in here?”

Lock laughed. “I’m surprised you didn’t think of this yourself. A way out, my dear.”

REAPER

 

[Megilagor]

Phil Yang

Alias

Golden Jackal

Gender

Male

Age

40

Current location- Phil's Office, Burrow

As Phil sat there working on the documents waiting for the ones he called to come he heard a familiar voice he would rather not hear entering his room, so he decided to play a little prank on him as payback and ignore him for a while. So he looked up at the door and said to himself.
"Must have been the wind or the door is broken again... I wonder when the girls will get here?"
A few minutes passed and he three sets of footsteps coming towards his room, now those were his awaited visitors.

"Uhhhhh... so like you wanted to see alla' us here, Boss...?"

"Well yes, I was looking forward to talking with you three, for a few reasons actually. For starters, I wonder if you still have that video, if yes I can buy it from you, if not then well life happens."
As he said those words he took a quick glance at the three girls before continuing.
"Now for a surprise or perhaps a gift, but for sure not a parting gift since those generally part you. You know a part over here, a part of you over there. But no, those are my B-Day gifts for you and since I sadly don't know when is your birthday exactly, I just decided to give them to you now, especially since I do kinda view you three as some kind of family. So go ahead open the closet and take the three duffle bags one for each of you although I don't remember which is for who so you might need to exchange them with each other. Your gifts are inside of them."

When Phil finished saying what he needed to say he gestured towards the closet on the far side of the room, within it are contained three duffle bags.
' I hope the girls like their presents, especially Otter since she kinda is the burrows poster girl at this point. Well, I think Asahina has waited enough. Time to finish this neglect play.'
While waiting for the girls to decide on their things, he looked upon Asahina, he squinted his eyes a bit before sighing and saying.
"I didn't see you here Hound, so what brings you here? No, let me guess, someone was murdered. Well, I would gladly help with that if not for the fact that within those last two days, there were at least nine deaths. So you will need to be specific about which one you want to know something about."
After saying such things he stood up from his chair walked to the front of his desk and leaned on it while resting awaiting his and the girl's response.

A life without living was simply a death without dying.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ayama]

Yukiye Hayashi

Title

The Straight Shooter

Gender

Cis Female

Age

22

Currently... in the street, with Endor and Pike.

Yukiye watched the man step back with a certain satisfaction- she couldn't deny that the undeniable authority of her position as a militia member was one of the reasons she'd wanted the job.

For some reason, he glared at Endor when Yuki asked if she was okay before his eyes flicked back to her. She didn't fail to notice the downward glance to her serial number either- clearly, this guy was used to dealing with the law which, in a place like Lockewood, was pretty damn common.

What wasn't common was his gear, or the near-military grade weapons he carried in obvious display. Yuki took one step closer to Endor, certain this guy was trouble.

He proceeded to grumble about the lockdown, which she could understand, but was then distracted by the sight of Endor looking her up and down like she didn't recognize her, cheeks burning red for some odd reason.

She tugged her arm from Yukiye's grasp and told her to back off before agreeing to help the man try to get out of the Division. Yukiye stared at her in uncomprehending consternation for a moment before remembering that her IU gear prevented anyone from seeing her face or recognizing her voice.

Laughing at her own silliness, she reached up and removed her helmet with a pneumatic hiss, revealing long, bright blue hair and sparkling cerulean eyes.

"It's me, Endor- sorry about the helmet; I forgot!"

She turned to the man.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but there isn't a way out of the Division- we have all the tunnels locked down. Unless you know of some other way to somehow leave Lockewood..."

She let the sentence hang with a smile on her face, certain there was no such underground exit. What was the phrase again? Ah yes- 'Ignorance is bliss.'

The worth of the fight is in doing what's right. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Impius]

Darwin Lex Pike

Alias

Markus Conway

Gender

Male

Age

32

We all have our reasons.

Darwin kept his narrowed gaze on the military police, studying her softer features for a moment and broke the gaze like there was nothing to be suspicious about-- such as Ellen-dor. He mentally grunted and glanced at his digital overlay watch, taking another step back.

"Listen, I'd love to chit chat all day about ways in and out of the city. Times a ticking and I ain't interested in being told I can't do something." He flashed the women a grin that held no heart and turned on his heel, striding away while waving a hand up in the air with his head turned, still talking to the pair.

"Join me if you wish, or stay and die. Your choice. My offer expires in five steps. Four... Three... Two... " Pike loved giving people barely a moments thought before making a rash decision. Of course if the MP truly wanted to, she could arrest him and throw him into the growing pile of criminals.

Within the mind of Darwin Lex Pike, he did not belong in the category of criminal. He thought highly of himself, enough so that he could turn the head of any governing body who didn't want trouble. Minus the Councilmen. Aside from the Head. Councilman, there was one man on the board that could make anyone disappear as they had never existed. Cecil Lancaster. The man had an iron fist of law, pushing for better armed forces and longer training of law and artillery before being thrown on the streets. Criminals dispised his court. The innocent respected him. That was one man Darwin would bend over backwards and crawl up a column for, despite his innocent complex.

Darwin sent a heads up to his lovely companion of the past, Yuryie about his trailing posse.


Set a table for two more, darling. I got some rats with me.

He sent directly after the first message:

They come with the package.

Oh what would she think? Darwin striding into her office, as young looking and fit as the day they met, with two young women in tow. A dark humor twisted within himself and his lips silently curled upward. As much as he could fantasize about the thought, reality of the situation would probably prove her to be more annoyed with him than anything.

As it always does, reality took the amusement from his fantasy. Pike had done that the best, been the source of annoyance for Yuryie. Even after finding out about his little exotic adventures in New Yoko, a heavily populated asian District that was famous for its amazing preservation of Japanese culture, dating all the way back to the early Edo Period, she had expressed more of an annoyance of his boysih behaviors.

Pike would never admit it, but that stung more than an angry outburts or a sad emotional reaction. The disappointed look and shake of the head reminded him too much of his mother growing up, as he followed in his father's footsteps. She hated it, always had and always will. Pike had been notorious for getting himself into trouble, and because of the time spent with his crude, emotionless father, Pike had transformed from a loving boy to a teenage vandalizer and bully.

After a short fee blocks, Pike had them riding an elevator up to Yuryie's floor. Up until now he ignored anything said, asked, or proded at him.

"Don't say anything stupid, like fake names," his eyes flicked to Endor for a split second, with no intent behind his words other than buisness, "m'kay? She is our key to outside the city."

​

 

[Ayama]

Yuriye Ivanov

Title

The Iron Vice

Gender

Cis Female

Age

26

Currently... in her office, with Darwin and Endor.

Another beep, and Yuriye took a deep breath before pressing the button again. Oh you have got to be kidding me, she thought, eyes widening. He was bringing more people, and they were tracked?

If she hadn't known she could make a fortune on this deal and, insufferable as he was, Darwin would probably be an asset in helping them get out of here, she would've called the whole thing off right there and then.

"Andrei," she buzzed the enforcer, "we've got some heat coming- put it on ice."

After hearing the grunted reply, she went back to her booze. Darwin fucking Pike, she thought, downing the rest of her glass. This really isn't my day.

*****​

Ten minutes later, and the idiot showed up as promised- with an MP in tow, of all things. Yuriye had the MP wait outside under Andrei's watchful eye, Neurolink scrambler in hand- the last thing they needed was for the IU to track her down and decide now was a good time for an impromptu raid.

She watched Darwin swaggering in accompanied by a young woman who looked like just a regular civilian, and wondered what the deal was- had he gone into the personal protection business since they last saw each other, or was this just his latest piece of ass?

She rolled her eyes at that. When they'd been dating, he would often have trysts or little escapades behind her back, hoping to get caught. It was textbook insecurity and boundary-testing, and the immaturity and disrespect of it had grated on her.

He'd wanted her to get mad and throw tantrums and get sucked into his little idiotic codependant bubble, and she'd grown more tired of the childishness with every incident, culminating in her decision to leave after his most ridiculous stunt to date.

Darwin Lex Pike was an intelligent (to a point), resourceful individual with equally problematic amounts of insecurity and ego, and though his inability to live up to his potential frustrated her to no end, ultimately she'd decided she neither wanted to put up with his nonsense nor be in charge of getting him to change.

She sighed as he sauntered in with that same, stupid, self-satisfied grin he always wore, full of the same infuriating swagger she remembered so well.

"I see you haven't changed," she began without preamble, not bothering to invite either of them to sit down. "The baggage will cost you extra- especially the hot one outside," she added.

"And I hope you don't plan to say that you'll pay up afterwards like you did the last time we did business, Lex," she warned, "because that is absolutely out of the question."

The higher the cost, the greater the gain. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ayama]

Asahina Hayashi

Title

The Bloodhound

Gender

Cis Male

Age

26

Currently... in The Burrow, with Phil.

As Phil pretended not to hear him (which, it must be said, wasn't the first time), Asahina rolled his eyes. Really, today of all days, he was gonna go the childish route? Did he not care about the lockdown at all?

He turned in surprise when he heard a knock on the door, and who should walk in but the cat-eared girls from before. The one who walked in last, with the white-blond hair and many tattoos, was the one who looked familiar. When she turned her head and he saw the heterochromic eyes, it hit him- Callei Faeralis.

When they were kids back in High City, The Faeralis and the Hayashis were part of the same high-running social circle, and their children were acquainted as a result. Where Yuki and Asahina tried hard to please their parents and live up to their expectations, Callei was a rebel through and through, refusing to conform to her family's demands.

Now that he thought about it, hadn't there been some big scandal about her getting implants her parents were dead-set against and trying out for some circus troupe or something? She then basically disappeared from High City altogether- scandal of the year.

And now apparently here she was in Lockewood as well- funny how things worked out.

He watched her and her two cat-eared friends talk with Phil for a moment, all of them solidly ignoring him, and then the girls grabbed duffel bags from Phil's closet and stepped out as the head of the Burrow finally turned his attention to him.

Squinting and sighing in that usual fashion of his, he pre-empted Asahina's question and posed one of his own. The detective resisted the urge to grimace at the number and rattled off the facts of the case.

"Dock worker, mid-forties, stabbed early this morning."

He looked the older man directly in the eyes.

"Know anything about it?"

How pitiful. How predictable. How pointless. ​

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Mace13]

Endor Ann Davidson Yuriye’s Office

Endor had followed Pike silently, taking in the surroundings, making sure her brain could make a somewhat decent map of where she was in case she needed to run. She nodded, agreeing to the request of no fake names. When walking into the room leaving Yukiye behind, she felt a little unsafe but felt her Karambit Knives to assure herself she’d be alright. She wasn’t used to feeling so useless.

When the matter of payment arose she perked up, it’s not that she was rich like a High class or an Elite, but she was well off for a Middle class. ”I can pay for my own passage out, if needed,” Endor said, her voice soft. She hooked a finger around her knives, positioning them to where in case she needed to fight she could. It wasn’t that Endor felt like she needed to fight, it was instead that she needed to do something with her hands.

She wished that Yukiye was in the room, so she could have some sort of way to know she wouldn’t die, if someone were to attack her with a gun. Endor also wanted Yuki in the room to see if she would succumb to being ‘bought’ so to speak. If this crime boss woman could ‘buy’ Yukiye then Endor wouldn’t have to worry about the MP’s report, but that was just one of the thousands of illegal thoughts running through her head.

Endor hadn’t given out her name yet, she realized. Shifting her weight between her feet, she was looking down. ”I’m Endor, by the way,” She said, in hopes of questions not being asked about her identity. The scientist continued to look down, running over and over the map, so it could be drilled into herself and her implant.