• This section is for roleplays only.
    ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.

    Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.
OOC
Here
Characters
Here

Resting Witch Face

breaking the laws of physics medieval style
A shrill cry erupted out of a darkened alleyway, the cry of a man in distress. Desperately he clawed to his feet and began running out of the alley, trying wholeheartedly to escape from it's shadows. But there was no escaping from that thing.

It came through the barricaded door like it was made of paper, moving without hesitation and doubt. The man couldn't bring himself to look behind him, back at the thing chasing him. But it was too late, and he had already divided his focus too thinly. Tripping on a loose piece of trash, he fell to his knees and barely managed to prevent his head from suffering blunt trauma. As he steadied himself, he looked back to see three more figures joining his pursuer.

"Did you think that we would not know of treachery, Inosuke? We know everything that happens in this city, you rat."
"P-please! I wasn't the one who ratted on the operation! I-I would never! I know what happens to snitches-"
"Shut your mouth!" yelled the burly man dressed in a black suit and tie. "No one crosses the Yakuza and lives to brag about it."
"They told you!? The bastards! I thought they were my friends..." he groaned. Nowhere in Tokyo was safe from this menace.
"Hehe, you're funny. No one wants to be friends with a dirty rat." piped up the smaller figure among them, a woman with a petite figure and even smaller sounding voice. As she giggled to herself, the man tried once more to run away, but was caught fast by a sharp pain in his legs.
"Wh-what is this?"
"The Prodigy."

The man screamed as his legs fell into thinly sliced layers around him, and then he screamed no more. The group moved on without regarding him, paying no attention to the still-warm corpse of their former comrade.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The incessant howling of the city was droning and unnecessary to Joel, but he had grown used to it over the years. As he idly scrubbed away at the pile of dirty dishes stacked high in his employer's restaurant sink, he watched the city ebb and flow from the open window across from him and let out a mild sigh. The melancholy of the situation was boring him to sleep, but then again he was broke until his next payday, and he would need some decent cash for rent this month.
"Hey, Joel! You're off, go home."
"But I'm scheduled for another hour! What's the big idea Mr. Kuro?"
"We're overstaffed, as usual. I can't afford to pay you all for a full day, so get lost!"
"Sure thing, I was bored senseless anyways." Joel retorted under his breath, tossing his apron to the side and placing his protective rubber gloves down next to the sink. Leaving the building, he struck his lighter a few times and lit up a thin cigarette, puffing smoke into the night air. It was a thirty minute walk back to his house, through shadowed alleys and the heart of Tokyo itself. Joel was familiar with these streets and pathways, but something about tonight gave him a bad feeling. Almost like he could feel someone watching him from afar, tailing just out of sight.
 
Last edited:
'What am I? What have I become? What is my purpose?'

These were the main questions on Edmond White's mind as he sat in his temporary "base", a very old and very abandoned building. With nowhere else to go, he had hid there for the past week. He managed to figure out that he classified as a vampire, but not as what he thought of as a vampire. He sucked blood from the living and burned when faced with the glory of the sun. However, there were still things that didn't match up with his understanding of vampires. He didn't burn when touching his cross necklace, he was not repulsed by garlic, and he was even able to enter this building without invitation. What was he? It wasn't just his body that had changed, but his mind as well. He had become incredibly intelligent, but at the cost of some emotions. While he was incredibly sad over his parents' deaths, he wasn't absolutely heartbroken. He wasn't disgusted at the fact that he had butchered their murderer and ripped his skin off. He had definitely changed. For what, he did not know. Was he even a creature of God anymore? He lived not in the light of the sun, so did the same apply to God's own light? He clutched his necklace. It did not burn him. He hoped that, whatever he was, he was not unholy. He had been so deep in thought that he did not realize the sun had completely set. He could go out upon the town. He'd save his thinking for the next time day broke. For now, however, it was time to gather data on the gang he had vowed to disassemble. He took the looted jacket and put it over his own shirt. Despite the fact that it was bloodied beyond cleaning and an ugly black color, it was better than his shirt being shown off. People probably would not know that it was the smell of old blood, but they'd be able to see his shirt and assume that someone had been stabbed to death wearing it. Were it not for the curiosity of the gangster that attacked him, he'd be dead. Oh! He had nearly forgot to bring the rest of the things he had with him. No point in leaving it here where it could be stolen. These items would be a lucky find for anyone looking through old buildings.

He was out and about the town now, and looking around. He pulled the torn skin out of his pocket and studied the gang's insignia for a few seconds. He put it back in his pocket and continued walking. His eyes scanned his surroundings. There were a lot of small shops, as he expected. His eyes happened to land on a man's neck. A rather short man, wearing dark clothing with dark brown hair. This wasn't that important, however, because on his neck was the symbol he was chasing! He double checked, and yes, he was right. Now he had some options. Assault the man and get answers in exchange for the offer of sparing him, or trail him to a potential base. He decided to go with the latter, as lying would leave a bad taste in his mouth. He trailed the man, while staying just out of sight, and they went into an alley. When he came out of the other side, he saw a rather short man wearing dark clothing with dark brown hair. He had apparently adjusted his hood to hide the symbol. However, unbeknownst to Edmond, the first man had noticed that he was following him, and had taken evasive maneuvers. He had gone down the alleyway and ducked into a building quickly. The alley was short enough for Edmond to think that he had already gotten out, so he continued past. As fate would have it, he was now following none other than Joel Ono, mistakenly thinking that he was a gangster with the people he was chasing. The smell of blood was recognized by the experienced gangster, who identified the scent and new that something terrible was following him. Edmond, however, did not notice the small differences in appearance with Joel and the man he was originally following. He was too busy anticipating literally drilling holes into him with his eyes once he followed him to his destination to think about the fact he was metaphorically drilling a hole into the man.

Resting Witch Face Resting Witch Face
 
Cameron watched the sun set on the fumbling landscape that was current Tokyo from his bedroom window, having stopped to admire such a sight in the midst of the city he was in. It's strange isn't it, how things so colorful and full of delight, like a flower or a sunset, can call into contrast the dinginess and calamity striking the cities streets. Sighing, he knew philosophy wouldn't do him any good in the modern workplace, so he finished tidying up before returning to his post.

The Black Rainbow, a technology and photography service/shop that the Codak's owned, was in a unique building, one that once belonged to a failing ramen chain before closing down for quite the low price. The shop itself is the base, with some displays set up inside, some blurbs, and a catalog to help employees (or just the three family members who never hired anyone else) aid customers. They weren't exactly well-known, but they weren't bankrupt either. Many citizens who lived in the vicinity commonly came into to hire Cameron's mom for a quick professional photoshoot or two, or to ask his dad if they could get some help on repairing something. Cameron was truly his parent's son with his unique skill of both: While Cue was good at taking shots of people and Colden was great with artistic designs and repairs, Cameron was always looking past that. He saw what was behind the objects in the frame, and what it meant to the viewer. He was never good with people, the only exception being if their face wasn't showing, with some kind of mysterious aura following the photograph that enamored Cameron and his parents. He had a gift, that was certain, but it wasn't one he could really use in the world of business.

As dusk fell and the moon rose into the starry sea above, the bright lights from within the monotoned store beamed outside through the large glass panel that was used to advertise new shipments or special deals. It was the middle of the month, so nothing big had been delivered or yearned for by the public, hence the starkness of any signs. Cameron sat there, still in his school uniform, writing and drawing random sketches of ideas to pas the time until his parents got home, knowing full well they'd be disappointed if he left the shop unattended.

As time passed, Cameron grew tired, but not unalert, aware of the long shifts during sale season and accustomed to staying up late to study. If his dad didn't get home before 11:00, he was allowed to close up early and head to bed. But something kept him up, something uneasy. Perhaps it was the spirit that watched the store, that he had only seen when he was by himself or in need of protection, or maybe it was just the signals in his head getting mixed up from the late hour. And though he raised his head when he heard the methodical beating of footsteps on the pavement, or the clatter of a trashbin, he only watched and listened from the glowing storefront, aware of how much of a target he was. Alone, with a glowing light that practically screamed kidnapping victim. But he wasn't deterred from his duty. After all, he knew better than to investigate without any precautions taken, and if anyone was in need of help, they could come to the store to ask for it. Cameron had smashed a plastic chair there a few hours ago, and could easily knock them out with the impact if they tried to pull anything.


 
Running away from her problems was never an option; it never could have been, and it was never going to be. Perhaps it was a leftover from Hachi's childhood days, an unspoken mantra that her parents drilled into her. Hachi had never known a day where her parents didn't silently bear the marks of stress under their eyes, or creases of exhaustion at the corners of their lips. And yet, throughout the seemingly immovable obstacles that continued to pile around them, the Mihara's had never admitted defeat. Was it pride? If so, it wasn't any kind of unworthy hubris, but rather a sort of pride of living. No matter their social status, they had earned the right to live in this world; therefore, they had no excuse not to go on living.

This kind of outlook was what kept Hachi on her feet, even if the soles of her shoes were worn thin. Her parents, in their elderly age, had quietly submitted to the only life their daughter could provide for them, which was meager at best. Mr. Mihara was a sanitation worker and only found hours when his peers were sick. His wife stayed at home in their tiny apartment in downtown Tokyo, doing her best to provide good meals to her husband and child when her arthritis didn't confine her to the ratty couch. Hachi's jobs kept the small family afloat; she worked afternoons at the local hospital's reception desk, and long nights at the nearby gas station. Along with the unbroken spirit of her parents, she had inherited the tired eyes that reflected hidden stress.

Evening had fallen, and Hachi tried to keep ahead of the approaching cloak of darkness as she left the hospital. The gas station's electrical wiring was being refitted tonight, so she had stayed as long as she could at the hospital before she returned home. Visions of seven full hours of sleep kept her going toward home, which was fifteen minutes and a short bus ride away. Exhaustion wasn't as bad of a problem today as it usually was, meaning that Hachi's gait was just a little lighter. She seemed to stand a little taller as well; her broad-shouldered physique might have been mistaken for a man's if she was seen from behind. When she worked on building her strength, she always told herself it was for the sake of her parents' safety. Lately, however, something else was driving her to to continue pushing her body. This something always stood just a bit behind her; although she had refused to look at it at first, now Hachi couldn't help but inspect the seemingly incorporeal yet powerful thing that constantly accompanied her.

The rattle of a trash can's lid broke the heavy silence that had enveloped Hachi. She looked at her watch; still twenty minutes before the next bus would arrive. Taking a turn after the next alley, she found herself in front of the small electronics shop, the Black Rainbow. The glowing outline of a vending machine stood off to the right, and Hachi was surprised to also see the silhouette of the store owner's son at the storefront. She waved a hand in his direction and fished around in her pockets, searching for loose change to pay for a drink. This was a common stop on her way back from the hospital, but since she usually didn't work there this late, she hadn't known that the Black Rainbow was still open at this hour.

"Evening, Cameron," called Hachi, the scratchiness of her own voice surprising her. She really did need that drink. Finally fishing out a 100-yen coin, she inserted it into the machine and pressed a button. As the machine worked to deposit her drink, she looked back up at Cameron's silhouette. That was his name, right? She didn't see him often, or at least had only spoken to the boy a handful of times.

 
Joel kept walking through the quiet alley and finally down a more accommodating road. Though, at this time of night there were hardly any people out, so the street was deserted. As he tossed his half-burnt dart into the trash can he was passing by, he caught a glimpse of a pale man tailing behind him, staring daggers into his back. Joel's mind went from zero to a hundred in an instant, but he didn't let the man know that he had caught on. He kept his pace going down the road, silently freaking out but somehow remaining calm physically. Every fiber of his being begged and pleaded with him to start running, but the pitch black feeling welling deep down in his gut advised him against that. He instead opted to move off of the main road, if a scuffle broke out between him and his new friend then he would want to get away quickly. As soon as he turned, he hid himself behind a dumpster that reeked of rotten meat and assorted trash. Something that would make a hobo gag, as even Joel could barely suppress the sickening feeling and reactive coughing the odor inflicted on him.

But he managed to keep quiet. Soon he heard the footsteps of the man, hot on his trail. Silently, Joel manifested his stand, Filter. A lithe, dark-colored humanoid floated out of his back and across the alley. Before the man could make his way into the gap between the two buildings, it had connected it's adhesive, stretchy arm to the adjacent wall and created a thin tripwire spanning the entire walkway. If this guy was a Stand User, then it would be wholly ineffective since he could see his trap. However, the man didn't seem to even notice Filter returning to him, so Joel figured he was just another common street thug looking for a quick and easy cash grab. What a rude awakening, he thought to himself as he pulled his tripwire taut. As soon as the man hit the floor he would rush him, maybe pin him to the ground with Filter's adhesive.

But once again something felt off about this encounter. Street thugs usually prowled the streets in gangs or at least pairs, but this guy was completely solo and looked like he would take his head off without any help. The void in his stomach returned, filling him with dread. Joel felt like his heart would stop before the man even reached his trap.

The footsteps drew closer, and he shook his head to clear his doubts. It was either himself or this thug, and Joel wasn't too keen on letting some dirty mugger get to him.
 
Edmond kept walking after his target. 'Of course you've pulled your hood up now. Too little too late, however. Your gang will be dismantled by my cold and soon to be bloody hands!' He thought to the man he was following. He ducked off the main road, and Edmond had started to become a bit excited. They were close. He'd be able to sink his hands into the group of people responsible for his form and his parents deaths. He ducked into another side path, and Edmond lost sight of him. Had he noticed him? He hurriedly scanned the area, swinging his head incredibly precisely and wildly, taking in the entire appearance of the path. He saw nothing. He'd need to hurry up a bit so that he wouldn't lose sight of the man. He speed walked down the alley, but felt something a bit off. There was... a slight wind. He didn't think that wind worked like that. It came from nowhere, as if a fan had suddenly appeared there and then vanished. He ignored it, however. He had more pressing matters. He sped up his walk, while treading lightly. Not light enough, however, to avoid Joel's trap.

His foot got caught on something. He was first confused. He had scanned all around, and saw nothing, especially not a trap line directly in his path. He started falling, but soon remembered that he was, in fact, more than human. He quickly held his hands out to catch himself, then used the momentum he had gained to flip himself back onto his feet. He had performed a front flip to simply avoid falling over. He swung his to both sides out of the alley, and saw nobody. The man is still in the alley way. He looked behind him. Where would someone hide here? He turned around and began walking. He began using 4 of his senses. He saw, heard, and felt nothing. He smelled a dumpster, however. 'Infernal fat trash can!' He thought, before thinking rationally. He must be hiding behind it, if not in a building. How he was tripped, he did not know. He started walking back down, and tripped yet again. He did a front flip again, but this time he did a backflip after landing. He had quickly done a few calculations, and he should land on whatever tripped him. When he landed, he bounced a little bit. He looked down.

Nothing.

He was suspended on nothing.


He had been tripped by, and is now standing on, something that was completely invisible. This shocked him. What the hell was happening? He felt not fear, only shock. He stepped off of it, and landed on the ground. 'The man must be behind the trash can.' he thought. He decided on a rather diplomatic choice of action.

"Come out from behind there." He called. "I'm sure you'd like to deal with me more while I'm not enraged." If his foe decided to do anything rash, he'd unveil one of his weapons. A corpse would not tell secrets, if his secret would be learned.
 
Last edited:
Startled from a daze he hadn't known he had been sweeping into subtly, Cameron looked around in temporary confusion, before remembering his station, evening, and the current time. Calming down, he realized that his name hadn't been said by some intruder or common thief, but the lady outside by the vending machine. Thinking on it now, he never really knew her name, though he'd spoken to her once or twice while helping his mom move stuff in and out of the shop during their later hours. He thought she worked late somewhere, possibly a street-shop or library, based on her loose style at the moment. As she put in her change, he waved back at her, relieved that everything he'd thought had been wrong or to cause him unease had simply been nighttime noises, passerby in the street making their way home to sleep.

Waving back, since the Black Rainbow's front door itself was very thin, he called back to her, just to make sure.
"Hey, by the way, did you just walk through an alley to get here, specifically one a few feet to your right?"

As he asked this, another clatter from somewhere close by with the same resonance as before, made him tense up. It sounded like footsteps, or something against metal, or maybe voices. Either way, it was increasingly suspicious, and he was now worried about the person outside more than himself. Thinking it wouldn't hurt to check, Cameron walked through the front door, flipping over the OPEN sign and turning off the main overhead light, and headed into the slightly windy night. Stopping for a second by the lady whose name he still couldn't pin down, he took a few steps in the direction of the noises. Before moving on, he punched the air as hard as he could in front of him, for insurance in case he had to make a break for it.


 
The stillness of the night that surrounded the two was a bit unsettling, and Hachi could tell that it affected the boy just as much as it did her. Usually, she was too tired to care about gut feelings, but this was something different. She couldn't help but draw a connection between this feeling and everything that had happened lately -- from the stranger at the gas station poking her finger with something sharp, to the gradual appearance of this spirit that seemed to accompany Hachi everywhere. She had decided that her encounter with the hooded figure a few weeks ago was not coincidental with Tread Lightly's arrival.

Hachi bent down to grab her drink, but refrained from breaking the plastic seal around the lid. She clutched the cool bottle in her fist and stood up straight, watching Cameron as he stood by the Black Rainbow's door.

"Hey, by the way, did you just walk through an alley to get here, specifically one a few feet to your right?"

Confused by the sudden question, Hachi shook her head. "No, I went around on the curb. I don't usually go through..." She trailed off as a sound, faint but distinct, echoed from the alleyway Cameron had just mentioned. The hair on her neck rose as if she had seen something frightening, but there was nothing to indicate that there was any sort of danger. Cameron exited the Black Rainbow and started walking toward the noise, pausing near Hachi as if to listen.

"Probably an animal," posited Hachi, but it didn't sound as if she was convinced. She raised an eyebrow at Cameron, who had balled his fists and thrown a punch into the air. Trying to act tough? She didn't question it.

"It's late. You shouldn't go wandering into dark alleys," whispered Hachi, unsure of why she had lowered her tone. As she peered into the alley, a figure suddenly appeared at the far side. It was difficult to see whether his back was to them or not, but she could see the silhouette suddenly jerk upwards, as if it had leapt into the air. Something about the situation didn't feel right; Hachi knew when to trust her gut.

"How far away do you live? Maybe it's in the same direction I'm heading."

 
Joel felt the silent vibrations along Filter's line, and against his better judgement he waited. The man fell, but immediately straightened out and corrected himself. It was quicker than Joel could see, peeking up from the rim of the reeking trash bin. Then he saw the acrobatics display. The guy must have been some Cirque de Soleil member in disguise or something, now that Joel thought of it, it didn't seem that far fetched for one of those strange performers to receive the powers of a stand. It wasn't physically impossible for a normal man to do that, but he moved with such grace and precision that Joel could easily reason that must be a stand user.
Shit, I'm in trouble here... gotta think of something fast or I'm toast...
"
You're not like the others, are you?" He said defiantly, desperately trying to hide the panic rising up in his throat as he arose from his hiding spot at his provocations. The man facing him sent shivers down Joel's spine, standing calm and composed, an alien characteristic for a street thug. Even one with stand powers. What could he possibly be hiding up his sleeve?
"L-Look, if it's money you want I don't have crap on me! Like a h-hundred yen at best, and my smokes. No need to get violent." Joel tried reasoning with him. Maybe this guy was just in over his head, stricken with paranoid delusions by his newfound powers. "I... I don't want anyone getting angry, either. What's on my mind isn't the shakeup!"
Joel stood straight and pointed at the man, a serious and noble stance.
"What's with the acrobatics display, you some kind of performer? I wouldn't be surprised one of you lot would have this power, but that's not the point. Why are you after me? I told you I'm not carrying anything worth killing me for, so you must be out for blood. The conclusion I've come to is that you're either a hired assassin on me for god knows what, sneaking up to take my head off. Or, you're a vampire trying to suck me dry. Laugh if you want, you're the one trying to hide that knife in your sleeve."

Joel sighed as he tightened his hand into a fist.
"I suppose it doesn't matter, I know that look in your eye, and I'm not just gonna let you take my life that easily!"
FILTER
To Edmond, there was no noticeable change in Joel's appearance, but his stand had been not too subtly manifested this time. Floating out of his soul was a reflection of his fighting spirit and will to live, a dark humanoid with a lithe body comprised of an oily looking black substance. Before the man could make a move, Joel snapped Filter's elastic arms towards his assailant's feet. If his attack struck true, the man would be stuck to the spot. Joel knew better than most that it's adhesive was more powerful than any other glue or adhesive he had ever encountered. All he needed to do was activate it, and he would be able to get away safely.
 
Last edited:
Much to Edmond's surprise, the man actually showed himself. In fact, he didn't seem too scared. He asked if he was special, but Edmond stayed silent. While he was paying attention to Joel, he was also paying attention to quite literally everything around him. He stood on something he could not fathom, so he believed that something like it could directly assault him. The man started to say that he had nothing on him, and started suggesting a peaceful solution. Before he could start agreeing, the man started to become serious. Edmond could feel the slight change in the air from his movements. Edmond could not hide his sudden shock and attention when he mentioned he could be a vampire. He quickly returned to his stance from before, hoping it would go unnoticed. At the mention of his knife, he moved his arm away from his jacket pocket. In reality, it was hidden there, and he had his arm pressed there in case it'd become necessary. He could notice people a short range away, but didn't care.

"Show me-" Before he could make his demand, the man suddenly became a bit more aggressive. Then, he just stood there. He stood there too, a bit confused, but then he felt it. A disturbance in the air was headed towards his feet. As soon as he noticed it, he tried to jump back, but wasn't able to do so entirely. He felt something whack the top of his feet. He glanced down, and saw nothing. What on earth was happening? Did the man also have some unearthly ability of his own? When he was touching the ground again, he felt it was his turn to make demands. "Show me your neck!" He demanded, becoming furious. "If you want any chance at resolving this situation in one piece, show me the back of your neck!" He pointed back. Just in case the man did not comply, Edmond was already beginning to focus vampiric essence into his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, this caused his pupils to glow purple.

Resting Witch Face Resting Witch Face Squad141 Squad141 boo. boo.
 
Last edited:
"I live in that shop that I work at, above the store area, so I don't think we're necessarily that far from safety."

Cameron knew that investigating would likely not be for the better, and decided to keep watching from the alleyways entrance. The walls made it incredibly dark, and very hard to see, but a basic scene could be sensed. Two men seemed to be in the middle of some kind of fight, though they didn't seem to be drunk or high or anything. Their words, though muffled from the distance, sounded like they hit every syllable. Something seemed off, though. One seemed to be outmatching the other, but still, what was on one of the mens shirts...?

Trying to get a closer look, Cameron stepped forward, not noticing the discarded sheet metal under his foot. Surprised, he slid for a second before regaining his composure, and huddling at the alley entrance again. He knew that made some noise, but the two attackers might not have-

He froze.

Now, a step closer than before, Cameron could clearly see that what he had at first thought was some strange dark design on the back of ones shirt, was instead dried blood. Lots of it. The man wearing it, however, didn't seem that injured, leaving one to only one conclusion, which became painfully and terrifyingly obvious to the high-schooler a little too late. Deciding that using his ability against these tow very dangerous men was extremely un-beneficial to his well-being, he grabbed Hachi's wrist.

"Listen, let's not get involved. You can stay in the shop until my parents get home for the night, but we should at leave before we get pulled into anything."

As gently as he could, Cameron began walking back to the front door of the Black Rainbow, taking the key out of his uniform pocket and gesturing for the woman to follow.


 
"Listen, let's not get involved. You can stay in the shop until my parents get home for the night, but we should at leave before we get pulled into anything."

Hachi had expected to feel relief at Cameron's offer, but dread continued to soak her soul. Just as the boy had slid on that sheet of metal, she too had noticed a gruesome detail about one of the figures in the alley. His jacket was stained with blood. The fact that these two people didn't seem to be getting along only supported Hachi's expectations of a full-out brawl. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in the middle of something, especially if it was something that went deeper than she thought.

Glancing at her watch, a concerned look crossed Hachi's features, but she complied with Cameron's gentle tug. The bus would come and go before she could make it there, meaning that even if she walked home, she would be at least an hour late. Maybe Cameron had a phone she could use; that way she could contact the landlord and have him pass on a message to her parents. That would have to do.

Hachi backtracked to the front steps of the Black Rainbow and watched as Cameron dug the keys from his pocket. It was rather decent of him to offer her shelter, especially in these unusual circumstances. Normally, Hachi would have voiced her gratitude, but speaking seemed like a bad idea at the moment. But there was another way she could make it up to the boy, and that was to provide another layer of protection in case those two figures decided witnesses were a bad thing.

In the few weeks that Hachi had experimented with the ghostly spirit that accompanied her, she had quickly learned that it was invisible to everyone but herself. At first, she had thought herself crazy, but the spirit's abilities contradicted that. Since the spirit seemed to obey her thoughts, she had decided to take advantage of the bizarre situation and learn everything about it that she could. In doing so, she had learned that the spirit's feet could leave a powerful yet hidden defense against those who approached her without invitation. This ability still confused Hachi. In particular, the spirit could seem to "sharpen" almost any surface, although the surface remained static just as before, so that nothing seemed to have changed. However, whenever something touched or brushed against this sharpened surface, it would be gouged with a deep gash, the severity depending on how lightly it came into contact with it. Hachi had tested this with multiple different substances, such as concrete and steel, and in each case the sharpened surface cut into it with ease.

Because Hachi thought the spirit to be invisible to everyone but herself, she had no reservations about bringing it out.

Tread Lightly!

A shimmering black figure separated itself from Hachi and stood just behind her, its featureless face a few centimetres taller than her. As Hachi neared the Black Rainbow, Tread Lightly began to circle the front of the building, stamping its hoof-like feet into the dust with a sound like a trembling aluminum pan. With each step, a circle of orange sparks about a half meter in diameter settled into the dirt, slowly fading but leaving behind a nasty surprise. Hachi shifted her gaze from the spirit to Cameron, her face betraying nothing of Tread Lightly's presence. With the barrier of sharpened ground set in place, Tread Lightly returned to Hachi's side.

 
Joel froze, and retracted Filter's intricate webbing back into it's form. With the adhesive never activating, it slipped cleanly off of Edmond's shoes. His mystery guest seemed to be readying an attack, but he shouted something that baffled him. "Show me the back of your neck!" the man had said, and Joel couldn't think of anything else to say in return.
"Hey, hey! I was joking! I didn't actually think you were a vampire, buddy, but you're really convincing! Why do you wanna see my neck? At this range, you can't even graze it." Joel stated, looking him right in the eyes. Filter stood poised behind him ready to attack, but Joel was getting more hesitant by the second. The choices given to him weren't in his immediate interest, like getting a poor hand in poker or blackjack. Joel, being a neutral guy, decided to fold. Stripping off his dark hoodie he unbuttoned his white work shirt all the way and guiding the collar over his shoulder, he revealed his aforementioned shoulder and the majority of his exposed neck.
"Look, if it'll make you keep the knife away from me and preferably NOT steal my smokes then let's go, I'm game. Here's my neck, in all it's glory." He joked, turning around while keeping Filter looking forwards. Clear as day, Joel did not have any tattoo resembling the gang member's insignia on his back, but instead on the opposite side of his shoulder blades was a unique birthmark resembling a star in shape.
"Happy? All that's there is my birthmark, never knew what the star shape on it meant but my mom never shut up about it being a good omen."

A short distance away, the panicked breathing of the gang member had calmed sufficiently. His Boss hadn't shut up about all the people gunning for their crew, and being tailed by some of the scarier people living in Tokyo terrified him. Naturally, when he noticed the thick smell of blood in the air, he ducked away and just barely missed Edmond's tailing. However, he hadn't gone home just yet. Staring at the two from the alleyway corner was that gangster, sweating profusely and shakily aiming a small caliber revolver at Edmond's head.
"Rot in hell, creep." he said proudly to himself, squeezing the trigger and discharging the round towards his skull.

The next two seconds were a blur of motion and sound as the reverberations of the gunshot echoed through the alleyway.
"You know, Filter isn't a great ability I've been told. He's not nearly as fast as others, and range is pitiful. However, anything that I remove from Filter can easily negate these shortcomings. This is why people say things like, It's not about how powerful the sword is, it's about who is using it. Circumventing one's weaknesses is key to success!"
Faster than the bullet could connect, a string of material snapped into place. As the bullet hit the string, it miraculously stretched it out of place for a few seconds before bouncing the bullet back harmlessly to the dismay of the Gangster.
"I-Impossible! I shot him in the head, there should be a new coat of paint on that wall!" he shouted before noticing Joel's eyes boring into him. Before he could get two steps in the other direction he caught a foot on one of Filter's tripwires, eating a mouthful of pavement to atone for his attempted murder.
 
Much to Edmond's surprise, Joel had actually begun complying, and it seemed he thought his reaction was part of some sort of act. He took his jacket off, unbuttoned his shirt, and turned around. Much to Edmond's dismay, he did not have the gang's insignia. He was slightly relieved, however, that he didn't have to fight someone with some sort of invisible powers.

"Damn!" He said, vampiric essence leaving his eyes. "I must apologize for my behavior towards you. I'm sorry for trailing you and bringing you into this confrontation. My reasons are not any of your business, and I need not rope you into this any further. Good da-" Before he could say farewell to this man, he began to pick up an incredibly loud sound. It seemed to rock his eardrums. As if according to some form of instinct given to him by the stone mask, he began to use his overclocked senses again. Not only was there a major sound, but he could feel air fly past him. He cast his educated guess on the situation now. He was being shot at, and the man was using his power to defend him. It was a nice gesture, and he already appreciated it. While he could surely get back up, it'd be a waste of blood. The last time he could feast upon a human's flesh was a week ago, when he obtained these powers, so getting shot in the head would be quite inconvenient. He turned his head to face the gunman, and watched the bullet come towards him, and then bounce away. "Thank you, kind stranger." He said. He saw gunman look at him in shock and terror, and heard him shout in terror. He originally planned to toy with him a little, traumatize him for being some idiot shooting at unknown people in alleyways. His plans changed when the gunman turned around.

'The insignia!' His mind shouted. vampiric essence immediately began rushing to his eyes at a fast rate. It took no time at all to charge it up thanks to his preparations against Joel, and he was ready for it before the assailant got onto his feet.

What happened now could only be believed by witnesses. Edmond fired a laser of pressurized liquid from his eyes, straight at the gunman's legs. He hit both of his marks, and the gunman screamed in pain. He fell over, and Edmond jumped to his side.

"What would you rather give me?! Answers, or your pathetic life?" He shouted at him.

"You!" The gunman screamed. "You- You'll pay for this! The boss-" Before he could let out any form of empty threat, Edmond had chopped his arm off. This caused even more screaming.

"Everything you say in your lowly bastardization of defiance will cost you a limb!" Edmond shouted.

This terrible, brutal display would cause many people to feel horrifying disgust. It was as if he, in his rage, completely forgot about Joel and the fact that he was in an open space.
 
After hearing a gunshot ring out from his right, where the two men still were unless they had escaped back into the backstreets (which was incredibly unlikely), Cameron hurriedly took the key-ring from his blazers inside pocket, found the keys, and unlocked the door as quickly as he could. In his rush, he failed to notice Tread Lightly appear, and simply saw some orange sparks float past the large display window, marking it as a bonfire someone set down the road.

The Black Rainbow was a building with three floors. The first was the shop and the supply closet, as well as the storage rom where they held new imports and a small workbench for broken cameras. The second was where Cameron's parents slept, as well as the only computer in the house, and a small kitchen/dining area where they ate and made food at. Finally, the attic-like third floor is where Cameron's room was located, and where he slept, with a wonderful view of the tops of buildings into the city. This was also where he had hidden the golden arrow that awakened the spirit that haunted him, thinking it to be somewhat valuable and a good thing to stash away for the time being.

Opening the door for Hachi, he himself stepped in but didn't turn any of the overhead lights on, nor did he turn the sign. Any customers at this hour would be in danger of the scuffle those two were having in the nearby alleyway, and he would only be putting them in danger by keeping them in here. Walking closer to the desk, where they had a landline, Cameron knelt down to open the small cabinet door where they kept it, silently taking into account the actions that he could activate if need be. The plastic chairs impact by the door was still there, as well as the slamming door impact from his bedroom door. He had forgotten the punch by the alleyway on purpose, since he wouldn't be able to see if they were hit or not, and it seemed like a waste of space.

"Here, we have a landline if you'd like to use it," he said, pointing at the phone he had just uncovered for Hachi.


 
Tread Lightly shimmered out of existence, as if someone had shown a beam of light on a shadow. Like that, Hachi was once again alone, and she joined Cameron on the front steps of the building. The two men in the alleyway had gotten louder, and an unmistakable bang had shot out between a gap of silence. This fueled Hachi to follow Cameron inside the dark building, where she leaned against the side of one of the shelving units. Her eyes tracked Cameron as he moved about, and they flooded with relief when he mentioned a landline she could use.

"Thank you," she murmured, bowing ever so slightly at the waist before stepping behind the counter to access the phone. Despite the darkness that cloaked the building's interior, she was able to dial her landlord's number with little difficulty. As she waited for him to pick up, she tried to peer out the windows overlooking the street. From her angle, she was unable to see down the alleyway, but hadn't heard any further gunshots. Was that a good sign?

Click.

"Hello? Mr. Shibata? This is Mihara... Hachi. That's right. Can you tell my parents I'll be late tonight? Something came up at work... Yes, that's our number. Actually, tell them not to be worried if I don't turn up at all tonight."

Hachi spoke in a hushed tone, but not so quietly that it would alert her landlord of anything suspicious. He was a man that liked to poke his nose into other people's business, and this time was no different. He began asking Hachi why exactly she was going to be late, but she interrupted.

"Look, I've got to go. There's a customer waiting. Yes, of course... Thank you very much."

As Mr. Shibata hung up, Hachi let out a sigh and placed the phone back in the cupboard. That was one thing off her chest, at least, but after all this was over, she was not looking forward to walking home. She would probably jump at every shadow she came across.

"Sorry to invade your home this late. I'm sure they'll be going about their business soon..." Hachi's confidence was underwhelming as she spoke to Cameron, but she tried to put a good face on it. Any confidence she had left melted as she heard the echoes of a slightly distorted scream from outside the building. Her face paled, but she said nothing, as if any spoken syllable would trigger another scream of agony.

 
Joel sighed in relief as his trick with the last thread left by Filter paid off, snapping into place at just the right time and stopping the bullet from hitting the man who had been shouting at him. Most people would give him an incredulous look for such a baffling act, but in Joel's mind it was clearer than a warm afternoon day. He may have been aiming to steal from Joel but that didn't mean he deserved to take a bullet for him. It was all clear, and once again he sighed, relieved that he could just go home after this terrible occurrence. He was so relieved that it was over that the screams of the man barely phased him at all, though he did exit of his brief respite very quickly once he saw Edmond tearing apart the gangster who had fired the gun.
"Ch-christ, man! You j-just took his arm off!" He managed to stutter as the agonized wails of the gunman echoed out through the quiet night air of Tokyo city. Somewhere a siren could be heard chasing an unknown criminal, completely unrelated to the current matters at hand but subtly reminding the both of them that the law enforcement still existed, albeit weak and corrupt, in this city. It would be some time until any police officers showed themselves, but the loud and painful screaming of the gang member would surely drive some people (no doubt terrified already from the gunshot) to call up the station.
"Are you trying to get a murder charge?! Worse yet, do you really want beef with whatever gang this dude is in!?"

Joel couldn't stop himself, watching someone who he had just saved turn around and try to kill someone else forced his hand. Before he could get a conscious thought in, Filter's arm snapped onto Edmond's shirt and thoroughly sealed itself to the fabric with it's adhesive. Then, he pulled as hard as he could. Filter may not have been fast or long range, but it more than made up for it in sheer power and endurance. One of two things would occur as the arm stretched taut, and either he would have him within Filter's effective striking range or he wouldn't. Either way it happened, Joel stood ready to stop him from mutilating the gangster any more than he had. The man had laid down with his head on the cold pavement looking up towards the sky, clutching the stump of his arm as it bled profusely.

Snapping out of his idealistic fury, he watched as Filter's arm tore Edmond away from the writhing body of the gangster. It didn't need to be far, all he needed was the man's arm and a few seconds of focus and precision. But his play had paid off, as the blood-soaked Edmond impacted against another wall of the alleyway, shaking the very foundations and leaving a sizable dent in the photography store. Joel winced as the impact sounded off loudly, but he couldn't stand idly regretting his actions. He had to follow through with them. As he grabbed the limp arm of the now-silent gangster, he tried his damnedest to reattach it to the stump using Filter as a makeshift needle and sutures. However, in the end he was no doctor, and couldn't successfully stop the blood flow.
"No, come on man. We have to go, that guy's gonna be pissed."
"What... the fuck is... your deal? Didn't you just... save that guy?"
"I know, but if he killed you after I saved him that means... well, that means I killed you. I can't live with that, even if you're some street scum with a big gun."
"Go to hell... I don't need your pity."
"It's not your decision to make!" He yelled, slamming his fist into the pavement.
"I said nobody dies, so NOBODY DIES, OKAY?!"
 
Edmond heard the man he was chasing before scream about something. Said something was probably stupid. He was scared of a murder charge, obviously, but... Edmond should fear the bad side of the gang? Haha... HAHAHAH- Before Edmond could start laughing maniacally, he felt himself grabbed by something. He overclocked his senses just in time to be overwhelmed by the amount of wind he felt from suddenly being thrust away. He slammed into some wall, and could feel the surroundings shake as he hit it. After his senses had calmed down, then came the rage. With no care for property whatsoever, Edmond thrust his body out of the indention he was put into, and leaped from the crater. He landed on his feet, and immediately his head snapped towards Joel. An unholy amount of hatred, fury, and malice were in his eyes, in his body, in his very soul. He leaped to the dumpster that Joel had hid behind, and effortlessly picked it up. As he pulled his arm back to get ready to throw it, he remembered something.

"I 'owe' you for protecting me from his bullet, so I'll spare your life. You know not the full story, and yet you stop the conflict! You pathetic human! Were it not for the feeling of needing to repay you, you'd join that gangster in the flames of hell!" He said, putting the dumpster back down. "However, because you saved my time with your little stunt of deflecting his bullet, I'll fill you in on this situation instead of draining you empty." Edmond unzipped his stolen jacket, and showed his shirt in all of it's storied mess. "Me and my parents were stabbed to death in one of these very alleyways!" He said. Despite his outrageous claim, there is no other way his shirt could be the way it was. It was quite obviously covered in blood and stab wounds, a white shirt dyed red and littered with slits. "The culprit was a member of this man's despicable gang! Instead of letting me die, he had a foolish idea and decided to test some sort of artifact on me. It was a stone mask." He fished it out from his pockets, and held it out for Joel to see. "This very one! It absorbed my blood and pierced my brain with spines, imbuing me with powers beyond your mortal comprehension at the cost of my humanity! It was no mere joke when I said I had become a vampire, you fool! I shall prove it to you!" He said, before brandishing his knife. Despite the fact he had chopped a man's arms off and drilled holes in his legs, it was completely clean. "Watch, human!" He commanded as he dug it into his own right arm.

He swiftly stabbed himself, but stayed completely calm. He had driven a knife into himself without so much as blinking. He balled his left hand into a fist, and hammered the knife through his arm. It went through him, clanking onto the pavement. "Behold!" He said, as it immediately began healing. "I am something more than human. I see this as a gift from god, given to me to get revenge for my parents, and to rid your fair city of these villains." He said, motioning with his now completely healed right arm to the gangster. "These gangsters are lesser than human! Even to a mortal such as yourself, they stand below us! They live off of the suffering of others, and they ruin your home! He was intent on murdering me with his shot!" Now that his speech was done, Edmond walked back to the gangster, grabbed his open wounds, and did something miraculous.

Edmond vaporized the moisture in his hands, the sudden action drawing in heat from it's surroundings, and freezing the gangsters arm. His bleeding stopped, but his torment would not. The sudden freezing was incredibly painful as his bare flesh was suddenly exposed to freezing temperatures, and the gangster began screaming. "I owe you nothing now. If you insist on shortening your already minuscule lifespan by engaging in real combat, by all means..." He picked up the arm he cut off of the gangster, and thrust his own into it. The gangster's arm began shriveling up as he sucked the blood from it. After he was done, he threw it on the ground in front of Joel. It was as if it belonged to a corpse. "... I will oblige."
 
Last edited:
Glad that the woman had made her phone call, Cameron glanced back to the outside of the store. Nothing seemed out of place, and no one had crossed his line of sight since they absconded into the store. Thinking about it now, he thought that his parents might actually be worthy of telling this to, since it was their business.

"Oh know, it's fine. It's common courtesy for hiding from street thugs, after all," he chuckled out, as he made his way over to the phone to make his own call.

Picking up the receiver, Cameron realized he still hadn't memorized his fathers work landline yet, and sighed, knowing how much of a nuisance this tidbit of information was for remembering. Holding the phone to his ear, keeping the cable loose, he reached inside the left side of his blazer pocket and grabbed the-

Cameron became incredibly quiet. He put the phone back on the receiver, and stood in the same crouching position for a while.

He had to go back outside.

When he had slipped on that sheet metal, he must've opened the pocket by accident trying to re-gain his balance, letting the card slip out. Normally, that'd be fine, but this circumstance called for more action. If either of those men thought he had anything to do with the fight, they'd find the card as evidence, with Cameron's fathers name and number on the white piece of paper, and might go after the man in their strange delusions. He had to get that card back, and without getting injured while doing so.

"I'm going back out there. I dropped something that they can't find. Please wait in here, and don't be shy by locking the door."

Slowly opening the glass door, making sure the bell didn't ring, Cameron stepped in to the chilly night air, and turned, making his way to the scene of the incident. Finally looking upon the scene, the card was the least horrific property in his view. A man was on the ground, two other men stood close together, and one of them was reaching into the third man's shriveled arm. That was a lot to take in, even for a high-schooler, causing him to falter for a second, and step back...

On to the samn damn piece of sheet metal, having been moved by the impact from earlier. This time, balance was not on his side, and Cameron toppled over to the ground, nearly missing his head on the concrete. The metal scraped across the road loudly, and as the boy sat up, he realized where the wind had brought the card.

The paper had landed about three feet behind the man covered in blood, and seemed to be getting closer by the second, with a particularly nasty gust working against the student.


 
"I'm going back out there. I dropped something that they can't find. Please wait in here, and don't be shy by locking the door."

Hachi's eyes became incredibly wide, and she stared at Cameron as if he had turned into a frog. Was he trying to make a joke? It wasn't very funny. Hachi could sense determination in his voice, and as he walked toward the door, she realized he had completely made up his mind. He really was going back out -- it must have been something very important that he was after. But no matter what it was, surely it wasn't important enough to risk his life getting!

Not daring to raise her voice in protest, Hachi could only watch as the boy slowly opened the door and stepped into the night. What could she do? Going after him would only raise the suspicions of whoever else was out there. She hadn't moved from her spot near the wall, but as she watched Cameron's figure slip out the door, she felt her breath catch in her throat. Her traps! They were still there, surrounding the entire front of the building, and Cameron had no idea that they even existed.

Fueled by desperation, Hachi bounded toward the door, catching it just before it closed. Without even thinking, she thrust her arm out in Cameron's direction, only it wasn't just her arm. She could see Tread Lightly's skeletal arm alongside her own, reaching into the air and recalling each of the sharpened patches of ground. A bead of cold sweat rolled down Hachi's forehead as she felt energy returning from the ground -- although Cameron hadn't seen anything, Hachi had just managed to dissipate the traps before he could step on them.

A feathery breath escaped Hachi's lips, and she watched Cameron from the half-closed door. What was he after? His figure suddenly paused, and Hachi could see him stepping back. What had he seen? Hachi's breath came in short. Cameron's feet flew out from beneath him, and he plummeted to the ground.

Panic was suddenly overtaken by a desire to protect the boy. Hachi had no idea what was going on, but she was sure Cameron was in imminent danger. She wasted no time in slipping out the door and running toward the fallen boy, but what lay just beyond him, which had been out of her view before, caused her to falter just as Cameron had. The gruesome scene brought the taste of bile to the back of her throat -- she could see three men, one clearly injured, another tossing aside a detached corpse-like arm.

Tread Lightly!


The spirit separated from Hachi and paced alongside her as she reached Cameron. He seemed unhurt, just tripped up and perhaps dazed. He stared in the direction of the three men, but his gaze was fixed on a sheet of paper that was being swirled by minute gusts of wind nearby. Was that what he was after? It certainly didn't matter now. Cameron had no method of defense, as far as Hachi knew, and since she had the capability of defending him, it was her duty to do so.

Hachi's heart was beating a million miles a minute. She stood just in front of Cameron, who had sat up on the pavement. Despite her apprehensions, Hachi tried to impose an authoritative figure. If she didn't, perhaps Tread Lightly did -- it stood alongside her, its leather-like body rippling in the streetlights.

"Cameron -- get back to the shop."
Hachi spoke from the corner of her mouth, not taking her eyes off of the three men in the alley -- particularly the one covered in dry blood. "It's ok. It'll be fine."

 
What a shitty night.

The vampire, as Joel had just learned, was positively fuming, and yet he held back. That didn't stop him from launching a series of verbal assaults on Joel's mind, forcibly cramming the knowledge and understanding of the situation into his tired brain. Pictures of horrified faces and ruthless killers kept popping up in his head as the pale man kept talking, brandishing a strange stone mask in his hand. The mask... turned him into this? Such a powerful artifact... I can't let anyone else touch that thing. Joel thought, the tension of the situation causing a cold sweat to bead on his forehead. Then the words of the vampire became serious, and Joel finally tuned in as he produced his knife. He watched in horror as the man plunged the knife through his arm, and pulled it out the other side. He blinked. Not even a shudder, or a single twitch! This guy is scary!


"L-Look, I'm sorry about your parents. This city is under some damn kind of curse, everyone here has lost something. That doesn't mean you have to sink to their level! Did you ever stop to think that maybe he has a son waiting for him at home, that he might never have seen again? Even if it's a bad relationship, even if he comes home drunk and angry, do you really want to inflict that pain? That feeling, which you know so well, inflicted upon another helpless family living in this cursed city?"

Joel's eye twitched, watching the bloody man drain the detached arm completely. He couldn't in good conscience allow Edmond to roam the streets as a ruthless killer. Although the gangster was in immense pain, he would live and wouldn't likely bleed out for another few hours. Joel wanted to lash out, wanted to make that man pay for bringing him into this ridiculous stand off, but he held back and instead opted to get the gang man to his feet. The still aching gangster didn't say a word, his darkened features portrayed an ever present agony that would not heal any time soon. He turned and ran into the night, sprinting with all his might in the opposite direction in fear for his life, leaving Joel and Edmond alone in the alleyway. Or so he thought.

CRASH!
The deafening sound of scraping sheet metal and the dull thud of a human body hitting the ground echoed through the dead silent staring contest. Joel cursed his luck. Of course someone had to see their scuffle, of course someone had to be a witness. Now he'd be dragged into some lame court case for weeks on end, maybe even sent to jail if the blonde man had a good lawyer... Joel shook his head, clearing his thought process and starting from the top. He looked over towards the origin of the sound and found a peculiar sight: a man sitting on the pavement while a female seemed to block anyone from approaching him. Joel quickly did a double take, a couple of blinks, but there was no doubt about it. That woman was brandishing her Stand, ready for a fight coming her way.

"Gimme a fucking break... I don't want no trouble. Just go your way and I'll go mine, there's no need for us to throw down." He called out, loud enough for the lady there to hear. Hopefully they caught the message. "That being said, there's no need for anyone here to throw down. Let's just take a breather, okay? Everyone in this city is so uptight and stressed out, no wonder everyone's trying to stab everyone else in the back!" He laughed awkwardly, running a hand through his hair.

"Look, I worked an eight hour shift at my job today, I'm tired." He groaned, "But soon I'll be back home. It's a comfort that no one should go with out. You" he pointed to Edmond, "I don't remember getting your name, but you said that man's gang had killed... them? You... you don't have a place to go home to, do you?" He asked sincerely. "I know I saved that gangster's life, but leaving someone homeless in a city like this is unforgivable. Those gang bastards will pay, but they don't have to die."

Sighing, he closed the gap between himself and Edmond, ignoring the various red flags and panic alarms ringing in his head. Against his better judgement, he reached out with a single hand, asking for nothing more than the man's hand in return. Joel knew damn well that Edmond could tear him limb from limb if he so chose, but Joel saw a human in him, regardless of what he said about his humanity. He was clearly speaking to a man, not a hungry animal or malevolent undead lord, if his mannerisms and etiquette were anything to go by.

"Let me help you."
 
Edmond's face shriveled slightly in anger as Joel opposed his argument of killing the gangster. "A man with a family wouldn't follow me after he exited danger! He comes home to nothing but his kitchen appliances and bed!" He angrily said. "A few small sacrifices would be worthwhile in the end. If you're not willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals, then you'll lose something else in the process." He watched Joel help the gangster to his feet, and his pacifist side took over.

"Fine. I shall allow you this small victory, as I still have something to gain. He'll be too traumatized to return to working, and I'd like him to send a message." Although anyone else would want to remain hidden in their endeavors, Edmond reasoned differently. The knowledge of his coming and what he had done to the living man would send the gang into disarray. People would leave in fear, others would live in fear, and he'd have much less small fry to deal with. "If I had my way, though, he'd be dead on the gr-" Before he was able to finish his sentence, the sound of steel on cement made his head snap in its direction at inhuman speed. He saw someone falling over, and saw something else floating away from it. With his enhanced abilities, he could read a company name. Apparently it was a business card. Ah! He remembered seeing it near the sheet metal out of the corner of his eye. Perhaps this kid had dropped it? Before he could make any moves, he heard another person running towards them from behind the boy. It was a girl, who looked as if she wished to protect him. He laughed a bit inside. She appeared to make a stance, but he paid no mind to her despite how focused she seemed on him. Before he could retrieve Cameron's business card, Joel had begun talking again. A breather? Now that he thought about it, would such techniques even work for him? He thought so, since it'd still lead to an increase in oxygen flowing to his brain. It seemed pretty clear that Joel was scared of the girl for some reason. He couldn't understand why.

"I do have a 'place' to go." Edmond said. "It's an abandoned building, but it works for what I need." He was pretty astonished when Joel had offered him to stay at his place. After everything this man has seen, he still wished to figuratively extend him a hand? No, he wanted to extend him a hand figuratively and literally. What was this fool doing? He put himself in Edmond's supreme range. In this field, he could kill him however he wished. Freezing, lasers, disembowelment, decapitation; every method of execution he could ever think of was open to him now. But, he decided against it. A man this foolish or brave would be too interesting to just kill here and now. He wanted to know what drove him. Why does he do things the way he does? What makes him view the world in the colorful goggles that makes him believe that even a ruthless gangster, fully content with picking someone off under the mere assumption of being followed, has a family?

He remembered. He used to think like that. When he was a kid, he saw on the news that someone was receiving capital punishment for a crime they had committed. He didn't understand why the man had to die. He couldn't erase his mistakes, but could he be given the opportunity to make up for them, even if it had to be from prison? Maybe he had reasons for killing his victim. He had "grown out" of this perception of this world, this world view. He had adopted the view of "an eye for an eye" as a teen. People should have punishment equal to the suffering they had inflicted. After the mask and its power was forced upon him, this changed again to a perception of vengeance and other mechanical views. He believed that nothing could be achieved without the sacrifice of something equal to the task. Every process took one thing to make another. To see the process of cleansing this city from the crime problem it seemed to face, he was intent on sacrificing the lives of anyone who stood in his way. Even if they were not his to sacrifice, he'd take those lives and use them as the material for the process of a clean Tokyo! Joel's thinking is that of a child! He should let the man stay alone while he leaves to see his goal through to its end! But, he was still curious. What drove him to think in this childish way?

After a few seconds of seemingly just staring at Joel, he had accepted his handshake. "Sure, but I'll have you know that if you interfere with my goals too much, I'll vanish so fast you'll think I was a ghost instead of a vampire." He warned. Oh, of course, he forgot to retrieve the card for the two kids. He calmly walked to it and picked it up, reading a bit of course. Hmm... Codak? Like the camera brand? No, it had a "K" instead of a "C". Ah, a camera! It'd be incredibly useful to get one that could print the picture as it was taken so he wouldn't have to go to a store specifically for this. He could use pictures for threats or anything of the sort in his quest, so he may as well get one at some point. He walked towards Cameron and Hachi. "I'm assuming this belongs to one of you." He said, extending it towards them. He remembered that he forgot to give his name to Joel. "My name is Edmond White. What's-" He stopped himself. "Actually, instead of giving me your name, I want an explanation." He said. "What's that ability you have?" There it was. The fateful question that would end up changing the lives of everyone here by bringing them together in their similar oddities, and in turn change his own. "You laid out two tripwires, you swiped at me without moving, you slammed me against a building with enough force to make me dent its wall, and you even deflected a bullet by putting something in its path. Most importantly of all, I couldn't see any of it. I stood on one of the tripwires and it was as if I were floating, I could only tell you had swiped at me because of the movement of the air, I didn't know I was under attack until I hit the building, and I saw the bullet stop in midair before bouncing away. What is this power that you have used nearly exclusively to hinder my every other action this night?" He asked, not even paying attention to the two kids.
 
Sitting up, Cameron took a second or two to take in the sheer velocity that the course of the scene had changed, directing from imminent danger, to two pals catching up, and a man covered in dry blood offering him his white card. Oh yeah, and the ghost lady that Hachi pulled out from somewhere. Still very shocked (but not as shocked as he should have been), Cameron slowly got up to his feet, and took the white card from the mans hand, as the guy turned to continue talking to the other man in the alley, the one without an arm seemingly had run away.

Skipping over the facts of the brawl that had just taken place before he and Hachi had arrived, he looked at his companion.

"Uh..."

He had no idea what to say. Is that cool thing behind you like the ability he had? It looked much different, and he had no idea that other spirit-ghost things even existed. He even theorized at one point that it was simply just a bigger version of his great memory for shooting pictures.

"Can I ask... what that is? Or I guess what- Just what the hell you're doing?"

He hadn't meant to be crass, but he was extremely confused, and the fight that he thought he was running into had turned into a light conversation. Speaking of that...

"Wait, and you! What the hell was that? Why are you covered in blood? Did you just rip off a man's arm?" Cameron shouted, pointing at the other two figures talking in the street. Sure, he'd been calm before, but now that the entire scenario had been flipped on its head.


 
In Hachi's opinion, it didn't seem like anyone here was as concerned about the whole situation as they should have been. She, on the other hand, was practically shaking with surges of adrenaline. Any moment now, that crimson-stained man would attack, and Cameron had no way of defending himself --

"I don't want no trouble. Just go your way and I'll go mine, there's no need for us to throw down."


The other man spoke up, clearly able to sense that Hachi was ready for a fight. However, rather than locking eyes with her, his gaze was focused just over her shoulder. Was it possible -- no, her spirit was invisible. Right? But then why was he so willing to back off? Tread Lightly flexed its razor-like fingers, and the edges rubbed together to produce the sound of steel against steel.

Still on edge, Hachi switched her focus to the blood-soaked man, who had bent down to pick up the piece of paper Cameron was after. As if nothing had been going on in this alley five minutes before, he slowly stalked toward the two and offered the paper in their direction, his voice completely calm and yet chilling. Hachi was as still as a statue, not desirous of making the first move but prepared to do so if needed. But Cameron had stood up by this point, and simply took the paper from the man, who had revealed himself to be called Edmond White. As Edmond turned back toward the other man, it was clear that he had no interest in either Hachi or Cameron.

"Can I ask... what that is? Or I guess what- Just what the hell you're doing?"

Hachi blinked and looked over to Cameron as if she had forgotten he was there. It took her a minute to process what he had just said -- wait --

He saw it too?

"Wait, and you! What the hell was that? Why are you covered in blood? Did you just rip off a man's arm?"

Cameron interrupted again, this time directing his statement toward the other two men, which was probably a bad idea. His voice reverberated throughout the alleyway, practically begging for passers-by to witness the situation.

"Shut up!" she hissed, flashing out a hand to clutch Cameron's shoulder. "What part of 'get back to the shop' don't you understand? Are you asking for more trouble?"

Hachi's eyes glinted fiercely in the sparse lighting. She snapped her gaze back to the other two men.

"Don't anyone fucking move! I wanna go home as much as you, pal,"
she snapped, glaring at Joel, "but someone had better start talking. I'm fed up with this bullshit."

 
Joel's breaths came in short, panicked bursts as the vampire locked hands with him. He had done some pretty bold moves in the past, but this went above and beyond bold. It was just plain stupid! But, like always, his luck shone out like a beacon in the dark night sky. Instead of ripping Joel's arm off and drinking the literal fountain of blood that would have followed, Edmond shook his hand lightly and moved on. It took a couple of seconds for him to really start going again after that, he was frozen to the spot for a moment or two. As soon as the depth of the situation hit him, and the others began conversing, Joel broke out into a harsh sweat.

Never again, he made a mental note, next time I'm getting off work I won't be greedy, the bus is just fine! As he looked around nervously, something gnawed at him. The lady was clearly a stand user, maybe even the kid too. But if Edmond was, he hadn't used it's ability yet. Maybe he was using it deceptively, trying to pose as a vampire because it gave him a similar ability? But, he said he couldn't see Filter or his abilities, and Joel was certain he wasn't lying.

"It's uh... just something I've had since I was a kid. I didn't always have it, but it started appearing around when I was 5 or so. My dad... he never believed me, said I was just having fun with some imaginary friend, just some dumb kid shenanigans. For the longest time I believed him, and Filter," He said, manifesting that same lithe, dark skinned humanoid from behind him punctually. "Well, he never sees much action. I've only ever used him when I had to, like with schoolyard bullies or creepy stalkers in dark alleyways." He said, hoping Edmond would take it as a joke and not a jab at him. "He didn't even have a name for a while, until I started listening to my dad's old vinyls."

In all honesty, Joel hadn't made Filter appear just for punctuality. He was subtly setting up his defenses, making sure that nobody tried to make a bold play. In addition to having Filter ready at a moment's notice, he looked very closely at the three others in the alley. If their eyes followed Filter's form instead of his own, then they were certain to be a stand user. But once again, Edmond stared straight at him and gave no regards to his stand. Damn, if he's faking it then he's doing a really good job.

"What else is there to say, lady? I got trailed, mistaken for someone else by tall, pale and terrifying over here and you two just so happen to be stumbling upon the aftermath. Now, if you'll allow me, I'm going home. Edmond, you can crash at my place or have fun in your... lair. I'd best be going."
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top