Fantasy &nbsp; New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings — The B-Sides

SCENE:

Aftermath

LOCATION:

Alleyways, District

TIME:

Pre Arc-1 | 2019

PARTICIPANTS:

Aaron, Aristotle, Gerda, Timothy, and Rebecca

Aftermath

"I gotcha!" Gerda smiled sadistically. Now they had a fighting chance. With the needle implanted into the man's back, he'd slowly be disabled. This would allow Timothy and herself to assault the man, as well as allow Aristotle to recover. "Hmmmm?" Though as she was about to draw another needle out, the man suddenly glowed a bright light. It was as if he was emitting lightning. Then the dots started connecting. "Ah. It's all your fault. Thanks a lot, Timothy." Gerda gave a thumbs up and a stuck tongue out.

Aristotle also looked at Timothy and nodded. "Timothy, good one, lad. Thee have doomed us all." The big, older man made a strange sound, which the two presumed was he was trying to hum one of his symphonies to congratulate Timothy for his smart contribution. If he could, he would have liked to take out a violin and play a note on the highest pitch.

"H-Hey! How was I supposed to know-"

Then everything went bright white.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"GUUUUUUuuuuUUUUUUUH!"
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Gerda, Aristotle, and Timothy simultaneously screamed as lighting ran through them. It burned their skin and clothes as static electricity did its work. When it faded, they all collapsed onto the ground, unmoving. Though unfortunately for Aaron, that was not the end of it. The wails and cries of pain had awakened one of their strongest from their slumber.

"Wuh, wah?" Rebecca shot up. Wiping the drool off of her mouth, her head darted around before peaking outside the open window. "Guys, are you okay?" Then she saw the fight. Aristotle, Gerda, and Timothy were all slumped onto the ground. "Oh." They weren't moving. Dread filled Rebecca as she looked up to meet the eyes of the perpetrator. "Crap, crap, crap!" In a hurry, she went to grab a potential steroid. Opening the glove box, she attempted to do it, but the car shook.

"Eh?"

Suddenly, the car started to move. It didn't move forward, nor did not move back. Neither did she start the engine as she was sitting in the passenger seat. Suddenly, the car turned around to face the red-haired man.

Wings had sprouted on the sides of the vehicle. It was propelling itself with its massive wing beats and blinked its headlights at him. "A-Aristotle?" Rebecca paled. He must have harmonized his voice as he was struck with whatever was happening back there. Which was quite impressive in Rebecca's eyes, but she couldn't admire Aristotle's tenacity for music when she was still inside the van.

As she tried to remove the seatbelt, the van blurred out its horns at Aaron. "BEEEEEP. BEEEEEP!" In the next instant, it dive-bombed the Phoenix.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Rebecca screamed as she held on to the side of the car for dear life.

Lucem

Roda the Red · Feb 24, 2023

CHARLIE HUGHES

SCENE:

[The New Oasis Way]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, August 20th 2021

LOCATION:

Streets of South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Sang-Cheol

THE NEW OASIS WAY

Peace and tranquility lasted for about a few minutes as the van drove through the dilapidated streets of the heart of South District, that is, until Seer caught glimpse of a person suspiciously standing still next to their trajectory, his eyes grew wider as he observed the figure reach for something, maybe it was because of him being overly careful, maybe it was because of his extremely sharp eyesight, or maybe it was simply because of his many years of experience, but Seer just new that danger was incoming.

"Shit, TEMPERER, NOW!"

Charlie gasped as he jolted from the sudden command, but managed to understand what he meant with his words, even if he had no context as to why he would say that. The rookie placed both of his open hands against the walls of the van, applying his hypercharge on the vehicle as quickly as he could. Normally, a hypercharged car would suddenly decrease in velocity drastically, if not stopping outright because of the now tripled weight being too much for the power the engine could generate, but such a detail mattered little when an enhanced explosive was added into the mix. The now uber-heavy van was effortlessly lifted by the powerful blast, causing it to roll horizontally several times (the panicked screaming of a certain rookie could be heard from inside as it happened) before stopping on its side, its surface releasing smoke as the flames started to banish. Even the escort cars, which were several meters in front and behind the van were toppled over by the explosion.

Holding his head due to the stinging concussion, Seer stood up as he got his bearings on the situation.

"Seer! Are you okay!?" Said an unharmed Charlie as he skipped over to his partner, his expression showing a mixture of panic and worry. "Yeah, it's not a big deal, but some more of them will probably show up in any minute"

Charlie was about to ask what did Seer mean, but both of the men's attention was drawn to the recognizable voice of their fellow Phoenix coming from their earpieces, it was the woman behind the van's wheel.

"Ow...FUCK! Thought I was gonna die for a second!" said the girl, her voice expressing more annoyance than fear, really.

"Escort A here, we're both okay! Anyone?"

"Escort B speaking, I think I hurt my shoulder but otherwise we're okay"

"Seer here in cargo, we're both fine, everyone step outside and look for the shithead, he must still be nearb-" His words were cut short as a shock overcame him. Within the range of his ability's field of view, several figures started to appear from all sides. Ten...fifteen...tuenty, no, it was much more than that. He expected an ambush, he was sure that word of their transportation endeavour would leak out, but See didn't expect for a large scale assault like this, this was arguably the worst possible scenario he could've imagined.

"EVERYONE GET READY, AN ENTIRE HORDE IS APPROACHING"

A collective surprised reaction could be heard from all ends of the conversation. Charlie gasped at his words, his legs trembled incessantly as the rest of his body simply froze in place.

Was he going to die today?

Was this all a big mistake after all?

Those words and many others of a similar fashion flooded the rookies mind as he could now hear the faint shouts of a distant army was rapidly approaching.

"Temperer! I told you already I need you to stay sharp, you can piss your pants later but for now just give it your all" Seer approached the blue-haired boy, the height gap between them as well as the terrifyingly stern look made him look undescribably intimidating. "Defeat is not an option, understood?"

Wordlessly, the rookie nodded, a knot that formed inside his throat stopped him from showing any sort of reluctance towards Seer's ultimatum.

"Same goes to all of you, now get into position, look for advantageous positions and help us keep an eye on the cargo!" He said as his gaze moved upwards, two fingers placed atop the earpiece he was wearing. The veteran kicked the back doors of the van with a single, clean kick, and prepared himself for the upcoming assault, just like the other phoenixes did, except of course for the unripe blue-haired boy who simply could not dare to step out of the van just yet, fear and panic steamrolling his willpower.

ATurei · Feb 24, 2023

Lily Lavinia

SCENE:

Test Trial

LOCATION:

North District, Backstreets

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Lily

Test Trial

Lily was at a loss for words, as she usually is in a foreign environment. For an embarrassing moment, she thought she had misremembered the appointed date. But the expected procedure resumed, and she was led unceremoniously further in. Not that she had wanted or even cared about a warm welcome, but the man could have been a bit nicer, ignoring the fact that she herself had worn an expression of distaste for his face.

When already within the room, however, she was greatly offended that Sang-Cheol was not even sure of who she was. Not that she cares! Still, she loathed him a bit more for it.

Her stomach growled. It was not like she ever expected courtesy from a shithole like this, but he could have offered some refreshment for the task. Just as at the blood donation camp, for instance. She used to sell her blood almost every day, which was profitable, thanks to her innate ability to restore herself promptly to pristine conditions. But one thing had deterred her from further pursuit of these gigs. One thing that was now also produced: the syringe needle.

She was used to pain. At times, savor it. But the thought of a sharp, pointy metal penetrating the deep of her flesh brought unwarranted fears. She recoiled at the sight of which, but remained seated.

“Yeah, I’m Lily Lavinia alright. Just get this over with.” That said, she drew a sharp breath and rolled up her sleeve while turning her face away with eyes closed, being anything but relaxed. “Quick.”

Sei Shonagon · Feb 24, 2023

Julian Midgley

SCENE:

Fireflies for Glass Bottle Hearts

LOCATION:

North district somewhere. Alleyway.

TIME:

PRE-ARC 3. December 18th 2021.

PARTICIPANTS:

Sebastian Se

Fireflies for Glass Bottle Hearts

The world was drowning in a sea aflutter, thousands of salty drops crystallised in the air to the effect of weightless tears. They swirled and congregated in the air to an impenetrable white mass, as if they meant to blot out everything else. Everything else but the light from the streetlight that reflected off it in jaundice- a guiding light in the dark of night that people flocked to like moths.

A moth. That was the perfect description for the wiry figure that saw itself drawn to the metal pole. As bleak as the snowy landscape itself and yet, undeniably there as breaths admitted existence in makeshift clouds. In and out. The cold immediately entrenched itself into the lungs in a biting sensation. It gnawed through the blanket, right down to bones to light up pale cheeks and parched lips from within. The light from the streetlamp was yellow, but the light from his skin was rosy and as such he was also alive.

A flicker of warmth in his own right, a flicker of light that stirred within the night.

But the ember was restless and he drifted on. Became one with the snowflakes as he strolled aimlessly through the abandoned streets. Lit windows oversaw his roofless state that extended to more than just a lack of a home to return to. The limbs ached for every trudging movement he forced them through and his stomach rumbled in harmony with the pain. "Ah-" The blonde rubbed the sound over the fabric. He hadn't eaten in a while.

This was perhaps one of the more bothersome things the man with the blanket had taught him. Hunger and the need to satiate it. He had passed out too many times on the account of forgetting about it or ignoring it. But what was he to do? He had no money and no means of acquiring it. The clothes he wore were the ones he had stripped off the homeless man's body. An unconventional hand-me-down that had not been consented to that begged the question of: did it matter if he had consented or not, at the same time.

This world was a cutthroat one and his steps turned out to be likewise, cut short by knees that gave out. The ground welcomed him in its soft thicket of snow, the chill barely noticeable anymore through frostbitten fingers. How strange. It was somewhat similar to the feeling he had experienced the first time he had woken up.

But he couldn't fall asleep yet- not before, b̷̠̪͍̺̞̞̺̣̈́͜e̸̛̥͖͖̻̮̗̗̟̦͔͈̘̺̦͛̊͜͝͝f̴̟̖͓̳̞͇͘ȯ̴̡̠̹̥͙r̵̡̮͓̮͚̭̞̳̘͌̊̕ę̸̭̟̣̫̻̳̦͖̱̽̍̀̓͋́̈̿́̀̊͛͜ ̷͕̹̠̖̙̘̖͚͔͕͓̭̌͆̈͐̌̎͒̄͋̓͋̕̕͜͝͝ͅw̶̢̨͈̘̹̠͈͍͖̘͌̆̽́̓͌̆͂̔̈́̌͋͘̚ͅh̶̢̨̨̛̪̤̖̹̩̟̖̩̓̌̽̃͆̋͌͊̚͘̚͜͠a̴̢̖͛͗̀̿̿̀̋͠ț̷̹̥͉̻̺͙͔͈̀͋̈́̒͗̇́̅̚͜͝͝?

So he dragged himself to the nearest alley and resolved his mind to do the one thing he felt at home doing- trash diving. Weak arms clung to the side of the dumpster and heaved the trembling legs into position beneath torso. A scream rippled through the air and then footsteps. He barely had any time to adjust his bleary eyes before he was toppled over once again.

This time not on his own accord, but by the heavy body of another. Warm not merely in its presence but also through the liquid that leaked onto his hands. It revived the nerves to searing memory of what it felt like to be alive and he winced. Not quite ready for the pain that was likely to be snuffed out just as quickly as it had arrived. The man flailed on top of him. An unfortunate push to his chest knocked the wind out of him and he was left reeling while another dark blotted into the picture.

"YOU GOTTA HELP ME! HELP, SOMEONE-" A hand suddenly yanked the man's hair back and a blade was brandished at his throat. The metal glimmered in the moonlight and snow alike while the jugular vein pulsed underneath it in foreboding tides- soon to roll out over skin.

Coyote Hart

Misuteeku · Feb 24, 2023

Sang-Cheol Man

SCENE:

The New Oasis Way

LOCATION:

Streets of South District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, August 20th 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Charlie

The New Oasis Way

Like ants rushing towards their prey, the Serpents swarmed over towards the Phoenix amongst the smoke and flames. They gave out roars of bravado as they attacked with pipes and guns. Sang-Cheol, however, stayed back and observed the carnage that was about to happen.

"The blast didn't get them? Great." Sang-Cheol sighed. It wasn't like he didn't anticipate that the vehicle wasn't reinforced, but it survived the enhanced blast. It must have been an HP's work at hand. Whether it was before or during his assault, Sang-Cheol didn't know. Some reinforcements last year after the HPs applied them. Though, it wouldn't be farfetched to assume that one of them had a reinforcement-related HP.

"Oh well, I guess it's Plan B. Hiroki, Ahri. You know what to do." Without a word, his two workers went in. One of them was a goggled man who was in his mid-twenties, while the other was a girl with light blue hair.

The disposables yelled and roared, but unknowingly a figure slid in between all of them. A sheath was tied to the figure's belt. "SHIIIING" The sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath was swallowed by the swarming serpents. Nevertheless, its presence was known. The figure heard something slam open from one of the cars.

"One swing... One goal!" Hiroki muttered to himself. His odachi swelled in power as Hiroki's HP took effect. Swinging the large sword in an arc, Hiroki's slash cut through everything in its way. It cut through several of the disposables before reaching one of the cars. It cleaned it clear and cut, and it exploded. Hiroki glared at the Phoenix and went off to find an opportunity to pick off one of the Phoenix.

"Hai, hai! Yes, sir, yes, sir!" With that, Ahri went off. She went off in the opposite direction from Hiroki and headed straight toward the cargo. "If it's not gonna move, it might as well come to us!" In the next instant, the girl's chest opened wide. Inside the interior was metal layered out with spikes. The girl was a living iron maiden, but that wasn't all she had. "Here... we... GO!"

Chains shout of her cavity. Flying between the multiple gaps of the battlefield, they wrapped themselves onto the vehicle that was carrying the vehicle. "Now... Come inside me!" With the chains secured, the chains began to retract. Despite the vehicle weighing a few tons, it meant nothing to the chains of the iron maiden that was slowly dragging it closer to the serpents.

Sang-Cheol didn't exactly care whether or not the disposables died or not. Whether they died at the lab or here did not matter; as long as they died with a purpose was enough. It wasn't like they could feel pain, either. Sang-Cheol made sure that Gerda had cut off the pain receptors from their bodies when he decided to bring them along with other modifications. "Though, I'll have to find replacements." Sang-Cheol groaned.

"Rebecca, standby. If they last longer than the disposables, then you know what to do." Taking out another stick of dynamite, Sang-Cheol figured he should speed things up if things didn't go fast enough. The last things he needed were Phoenix or, worse, cops. Cops more because they were such an annoyance. At least the Phoenix couldn't somehow magically appear up in the North and attack him.

"Now, where are you..." Sang-Cheol had read up on his target's profile. It wasn't a flashy HP, but Sang-Cheol had an eye when it came to finding his target.

Misuteeku · Feb 24, 2023

Sang-Cheol Man

SCENE:

Test Trial

LOCATION:

North District, Backstreets

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Lily

Test Trial

If Sang-Cheol noticed the signs of Lily's displeasure, then he must have made an active effort not to notice it. Using one of his hands to pin down Lily's arm to ensure stability, he inserted the syringe inside Lily's veins. Taking the syringe out, Sang-Cheol wiped her arm with an alcohol pad before walking back to the drawers off to the side of the lab.

"The drug I inserted into your vein was from Lab Asterios." Sang-Cheol suddenly spoke up. He didn't turn to face Lily and seemed preoccupied, shaking a vial in the air. "It's a drug involving a new strand of cannabis, though knowing Minos, it's probably mixed with another strand of some plant as well." After seemingly finished shaking the vial, she drew out another syringe and filled it up with the substance.

"Supposedly, it's to be cannabis but better; however, it says here..." Sang-Cheol squinted down at the paper. "Mixed with... O-Olander? Oleandeer? Oleander?" Sang-Cheol gave up trying to pronounce the plant's name. It was a deadly plant that could induce several ailments, but Minos took out the parts that could potentially lead to death. Minos, however, did leave in a possible chance of a coma. Why? Sang-Cheol could not guess. Either way, it was supposedly enhanced cannabis.

"Lily, if you would, please describe to me the symptoms you may be experiencing during this time." Using his free hand, Sang-Cheol grabbed a pen and started to write things down on the clipboard. "Are you feeling relaxed, perchance?" The Lab Head inquired. "Perhaps even a sense of euphoria? Happiness?" His eyes landed on the syringe that was sitting on the counter.

Should he just get this over with? The next drug he would have to inject was from Nereid's lab. Water and grass go well together, so maybe the drugs should as well?

ATurei

Peckinou · Feb 25, 2023

Zulin

SCENE:

Loose Exhibition

LOCATION:

Premier Motors, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Zulin, Gideon

Loose Exhibition

Zulin waited for Gideon to get comfortable in the car, giving him a satisfied smirk as they gave their analysis on it, and when Gideon finally acknowledged this being the car the liked. Zulin let out a devious smile, but when Gideon asked for their plan and asked if they were gonna take it out for a test drive, Zulin looked towards the dealer who was watching the area along with a few other customers, before saying "Pshhhh, if you can convince the dealer to let you take it out on a test drive, that would make things way easier, most dealers are reluctant to let people test drive expensive cars, but if you can convince them that would make things easier to say the least."

A moment later, Zulin took another look around the dealership, glancing towards the dealer that was watched them, before leaning over towards Gideon and saying into his "Question, just how confident are you with your Potential, think you can trick everyone into clearing this place out?" Zulin had many plans for being able to steal a vehicle, some were bold plans that involve a more upfront approach, while some were subtle, that would involve no one knowing who did it or not. Right now Zulin felt a subtle plan would be in Gideons best interest. Still Zulins eyes started wandering around the dealership identifying all the security cameras with angels on the the route they would need to take in order to get to the keybox, the car and out of the place.

Depending on Gideons answer would determine what plan Zulin would act, and weather it would be subtle or brazen, though a Brazen plan was the more fun one, he figured that Gideon would prefer the Subtle one and gave a short quip in order to give him motivation to say that he could "If you can do that then we could be more subtle about it, but if not." Zulin then let out a whistle in order to amplify his point somewhat, but as they leaned back in the car seat. They couldn't help but add "This car really is nice, heh."

Coyote Hart

Coyote Hart · Feb 26, 2023

SEBASTIAN SE

Fireflies for Glass Bottle Hearts

SCENE:

LOCATION:

North District

TIME:

December 18th, 2021 | Post-Arc 2

PARTICIPANTS:

Sebastian, Julian

FIREFLIES FOR GLASS BOTTLE HEARTS

Oh the thrill of the hunt. What a delightful game of predator and prey. On the one hand, it felt like the killing was a sin, and the chase was a messy way to end things. On the other hand, there was something tantalizing about the sin. Sebastian's heart raced with adrenaline, a thrill of power running through his veins. The machete that was in his hand felt right at home as he chased down his prey in the dark night.

The man who tried to escape Sebastian's grasp bolted down an alleyway. Sebastian followed at a few paces behind, sprinting through the soft winter snow. Unfortunately for the man, Sebastian knew that there was a back alley route, and it allowed him to loop around to pull the man back and place his machete along the man's throat.

"Gotcha," Sebastian smirked, his heavy breaths fogging up in the winter air. He leaned over the man's shoulder so that he could look into the man's eyes, "You really thought you could get away, didn't ya?"

"Pwes--" the man begged through the hand that covered his mouth. His eyes filled with desperation, terror, and shock. It was such an intoxicating combination. However, it wouldn't be good if the man kept being so loud. He could attract some unwanted attention. Sebastian had to silence him. And delightfully he did.

The machete's serrated blade buzzed and vibrated as Sebastian dragged it along the man's jugular, letting crimson red blood spill out from a jagged gash. It spurted onto the man's clothing, Sebastian's hands, and the snow like a bloody snowcone.

"You need to drink more water," Sebastian commented with a frown. The man's blood was far too dark. Sebastian took a few steps back to admire his handiwork, amusement in his eyes as the man struggled to silently stem the blood flow from his neck. With his windpipes severed, the man could do nothing but gurgle out silent words as he choked on his own blood. Slowly, the man lost energy, collapsing into the snow where he lay motionless.

The man was dead. Moments ago, he was so filled with life, desperately evading the grasp of a predator. Now he was nothing but a carcass of flesh laying on the snow. And Sebastian was the one who caused it. That knowledge was enough for a rush of serotonin to reach Sebastian's head. It felt good to kill. He felt powerful.

Sebastian laughed softly to himself, the musical sound tinged with a hint of madness. But when he turned around and met eyes with a man curled up in a fetal position in the snow, a chill unrelated to the cold ran up Sebastian's spine. There was a witness.

But then again, a witness meant that Sebastian essentially got a two-for-one deal. His blade dripping with blood, he approached the blond haired man, shivering in the cold in the snow. The clothing that the two of them wore was different from night and day. Julian was wrapped in a blanket. And Sebastian was nice and comfy in his overcoat.

"Is that a lost puppy I spot? Are you okay?" Sebastian asked as he squatted down next to the man. He helped prop the man up so that he could face Sebastian face to face. It was a sad sight to see someone on the verge of turning into a human popsicle. Really, killing him at that point might've been merciful. Sebastian gave the man a friendly smile as he asked, rather abashedly, "You didn't see anything, did you? Or else I'd have to get rid of you too... Eh, who am I kidding? Of course you saw."

Sebastian rested the serrated edge of his machete underneath Julian's neck, pulling it up so that it pushed against his chin and forced him to look up at Sebastian. A depraved excitement made its way across Sebastian's expression as his chest tightened with anticipation and his heart pounded with excitement. He wanted to see what sort of pleas the man would give, if he was in any state to give any at all. "Do me a solid and beg for your life please?"

Sei Shonagon

Sei Shonagon · Feb 26, 2023

Julian Midgley

Fireflies for Glass Bottle Hearts

SCENE:

LOCATION:

North district somewhere. Alleyway.

TIME:

Post arc 2. December 18th 2021.

PARTICIPANTS:

Sebastian Se, Julian Midgley

Fireflies for Glass Bottle Hearts

The skin split apart in a red line and red paint teemed forth from the ripped seam. It cascaded over clothes and cartilage- adam's apple bobbing desperately to stay afloat the choking waves as he writhed. The uncoordinated sways of his torso were followed by equally staggering steps. Red coloured in his footsteps in trails of splatters and then handprints when he collapsed and began to crawl. One, then two handfuls of the pure snow were drawn and stained. Then he stilled.

The murmurous fall of the snowflakes lowered itself over the scene to the effect of a blanket. Hushed racing heartbeats and suppressed breaths alike while the laughter rang all the louder. The sound bounced between the alley walls and his temples and resonated into trembles under his skin.

He should have been scared. He should have tried to flee.

Yet all he could focus on was how the wielder of the knife appeared to be glowing. Green hair a tangible moon on earth with its luminescent tendrils. It lured the arctic blue gaze in, attracted his unbridled infatuation and suspended all logic in favour of the sheepish expression he replied the man with.

The blade aided his quest of staring into that of eyes. The blonde parted his lips.

"...Pretty." He replicated the murmurous nature of the falling snow with his voice.

Frostbitten fingers clenched around the fabric of the sleeve that preceded the machete. "Hey-" He pressed in closer, the blanket slipped off his dainty frame and revealed the grungy shirt underneath. Complete with bones that arched forward alongside his face. The blade pushed up to throat and skin.

The blonde reflected the man's countenance back at him in pale features; a smudged mirror of the grin that cracked the surface of frozen cheeks. "-Are you an angel?" Pale lashes captured snapshots of the luminous strands that framed the killer's face.

No, he knew what he was.

A firefly at the peak of winter.

Julian had never intended, from the beginning, to beg for his life. There was nothing in it that was worth begging for. Rather-

"Can I watch you do it?" His eyes flashed in the dark. Capture it, he wanted to capture the light that was this stranger. Why had he done it? Was it the first time? Or was it just one of many times? Tangled thoughts spilt from his head and blended with the contours of the man's face. Ah, it was familiar. Similar to- his head blanked. The scene was set in his mind, but the participants were blurry. Only the firefly lit hill remained untouched by amnesia's grasp, speckles of lights weaving in and out of the grass. Much like the stranger's hair.

Coyote Hart

Damafaud · Feb 27, 2023

TRI

SCENE:

Laundromat Owner will Die

LOCATION:

Laundromat, West District

TIME:

Wednesday, December 1st, 2021 || Post Arc-2

PARTICIPANTS:

Tri, Damien

Laundromat Owner will Die

It was Wednesday, it was December. It was cold but not snowing and everyone had to grumpily went to work. A laundromat that usually would be open 24/7 on a street was strangely closed today and it was closed closed. The metal shutters were down, something that usually never happened. Still, it was Wednesday. People that needed to do laundry could only grumble and leave with thoughts of going again the next day.

They would find the laundromat owner's body the next day, though, so they wouldn't be able to do laundry on the Thursday either. As for why the laundromat owner would be dead,

"Hm."

Tri hummed as he sat on a washing machine. It was one of those two-washing-machine-stacked washing machine, so he was far from the floor and close to the ceiling. Usually, you couldn't climb up there without being stared and yelled at. Tri always wanted to do that, so he did. His first impression?

"It's dusty." He raised his palm and showed it away. "Look. Dust."

The person he showed it to was Damien, a Serpent he took for this outing. Tri turned his gaze to the third and last person in the room with disappointment. "You should keep laundromats clean. This is no bueno and not cash money. Cleanliness is important."

The laundromat owner had a sock in her mouth and a duct tape over it, so she could only cry. She was also tied completely like a caterpillar on the floor, so it was not like she could do anything else.

Kitt, owner of a laundromat in the Western District, was an HP. Her Potential could create illusions. Nothing too large, but enough that, combined with her ventriloquism training, she was a pretty popular spiritualist that could buy a property in the current economy. Getting ambitious, she tried spreading her name all across the West District, but her fame attracted doom instead.

Tri, King of Sable Serpent, was thinking about how to kill Kitt while Kitt thought about how to get out of this situation, so she was actually dying right now. He considered human throwing outside, but this was the West. It was troublesome.

Hm.

"So." Tri paused. Who was this guy name again? "Damien. Ever see a human in a washing machine?"

Kitt let out a muffled scream.

Tags:

Lucem

BriiAngelic · Feb 27, 2023

Caio Santana Coelho

SCENE:

Top and Top

LOCATION:

Caio's Bedroom, North District

TIME:

Post-Arc 1/Pre-Arc 2 | September 18th(???), 2021, 03:10 AM

PARTICIPANTS:

Tri, Caio

Top and Top

"I was thinking of my wife."

He wondered if Tri was expecting him to take that a certain way. It couldn’t damn well be sympathy he was fishing for. Tri wasn’t stupid after all he would have known he wouldn’t get it from him. He wasn’t exactly jealous of a dead woman either, especially not one where he was hooking up with her very alive husband. Instead of dwelling on it more he decided to just smoother the cigarette butt putting it out.

"Now I'm thinking about you."

He let out a snort at that. So just blatant honesty eh? He grabbed the hand making its way downwards and pulled it back up to nip at. It was time to tease his lover a bit more. A smirk found its way back to his face as he dragged Tri by the back of the neck for a kiss. Without breaking away much he spoke lowly.

“Don’t start anything you can’t finish. Can you even get it back up that quickly at your age?”

Tags:

Damafaud

Damafaud · Feb 28, 2023

Tri

SCENE:

Top and Top

LOCATION:

Caio's Bedroom, North District

TIME:

Post-Arc 1/Pre-Arc 2 | September 18th(???), 2021, 03:10 AM

PARTICIPANTS:

Tri, Caio

Top and Top

“Don’t start anything you can’t finish. Can you even get it back up that quickly at your age?”

Tri liked the feeling of lips against his neck. Usually. It was electric. It tickled, in a good way, but it really wasn't the time. Tri shivered again. This was not the time to be cool or sexy. He felt cold.

"Can't. Let's go back in and sleep like good boys."

Well maybe he could but that was not really the point. Kidnapping people were tiring and he had plans tomorrow. Tri struggled loose from Caio's grasp and, without waiting, ran in and leapt to the bed. He rolled the huge blanket on the bed about, curling on his side of bed and rubbing his arms and legs up and down. Now suddenly being warm again, he felt drowsy. He pulled his blanket over. Now much warmer, he waved Caio in like a fortune cat.

"Come for a holy slumber."

And with his Potential, the bed did glow white.

Tags:

BriiAngelic

Roda the Red · Mar 3, 2023

CHARLIE HUGHES

SCENE:

[The New Oasis Way]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, August 20th 2021

LOCATION:

Streets of South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Sang-Cheol

THE NEW OASIS WAY

Other than Charlie, who was still petrified by the incoming horde, all of the Phoenixes were now in position and ready to fight. As intimidating as it looked, upon closer inspection one could easily tell that these attackers displayed one of the most well-known traits of the Sable Serpents: They were utterly unorganized, boiling down to a bunch of crazy people running towards their target without a hint of coordination or planning. The co-pilot from Escort B raised his arms, his right palm gripping his left forearm, and from his left palm a flaming sphere about the size of a football was shot out, as it landed on the floor, it exploded, killing a couple serpents who took it at point-blank, as well as injuring a few more in the vicinity. The pilot of escort A took cover behind his car, eventually stepping out of his hiding spot wielding his heavy artillery, lead rained down aggressively against the incoming attackers. Overall, the phoenixes were doing a commendable job at fending off the serpents, half of them taking advantage of their positioning and distance. However, things slowly started to take a turn for the worse, as their focus started to wane, the phoenixes getting progressively more and more distracted by the sorrounded flames caused by the initial explosive. The escort A duo did not see it coming, in a fraction of a second, a powerful shock sliced through their vehicle, as well as cleanly slicing A Co-pilot's left arm off, her scream of agony cut short as the car exploded, swiftly snuffing out the lives of those who previously rode it. Charlie gasped in horror as he watched the murder of his peers take place in front of him, it was the first time the hatchling had seen something as horrifying. He dropped to his knees, a combination of the shock and the sudden dragging of the van he was still technically standing in.

"TEMPERER, GET TO WORK OR WE ARE ALL DYING HERE" Shouted a pissed off Seer. The veteran had seen one of the serpents having finally reached them into a melee distance, the serpent raised his steel bar, ready to strike the phoenix down. But Seer had other plans, his supernatural vision manifested, allowing the man to see the pressure points of his attacker, highlighted by glowing orbs. The phoenix pulled out his pocket knife as his other hand aimed at the serpent, all four of his fingertips digging deep into the serpent's side, causing him to squeal and stagger as he now found himself unable to move for a second. Such timeframe was plenty enough for Seer to make his move, plunging his knife into the serpent's neck, slicing his carotid in one fell swoop. The serpent spasmed and gurgles as he fell to the ground, life disappearing from his eyes shortly after.

However, such a small victory mattered little when many more serpents were now closing in unto melee range. The phoenixes were now facing off the horde to the best of their ability. Meanwhile, Charlie attempted to muster all of the possible willpower, in order do overcome the powerful paralysis in his legs at the moment.

Misuteeku · Mar 3, 2023

Sang-Cheol Man

SCENE:

The New Oasis Way

LOCATION:

Streets of South District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, August 20th 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Charlie

The New Oasis Way

"Looks like the target has revealed himself." There was no doubt that the man who so intricately stabbed that disposable. The way he moved along with how he utilized his hands to disable and kill fit the description. Ulysses Druckmann, also known as Seer, was the one who possessed supernatural sight. A well-known veteran within the Phoenixes. It wasn't a surprise that the man was on the professor's list. Having a power HP and being physically capable of lasting long in a gang was extraordinary.

It was too bad this was going to be his last job.

"Change of plans, again. Ahri, Hiroki." Sang-Cheol spoke up. The vehicle containing all of the Phoenix's supplies was within range now. Even if they decided to somehow book it, Sang-Cheol would be able to cripple the van before it got too far. Not to mention that Hiroki took out a few of the escorts as well. Only half of the disposables remained; one-fourth of them were killed in Hiroki's last attack, but they held no use to him now.

"Hiroaki. Take the rest of the disposables and deal with the escorts. Ahri, capture Ulysses if you would. Make sure not to damage him too roughly." With those commands sent out, his workers immediately moved to follow them. As the battle went on, more blood and corpses littered the streets.

"Understood, understood! Ora!" Hiroki shouted out to no one but himself. As if by command, the disposables all condensed themselves into a group. Within them laid Hiroki, who unsheathed his odachi once more. The general strategy was to hide amongst the Serpents and launch stealth attacks to cut down the Phoenixes. It didn't matter if the disposables died in the process, so Hiroki slashed without hesitation.

"One strike. Three birds!" Another sword wave was launched toward another escort car. Similarly to what happened before, all the disposables in front of Hiroki were cut down as the slash went straight through all of them. The attack headed to the other escort car with the intention of demolishing it as it had done to the previous car.

"Valid!" The chains soon retracted from the vehicle, but they didn't disappear for long. With the Serpent's sudden movement, there was now much more open space around the street. Enough space for Ahri to lock onto Seer. She smiled at the veteran. "Hiiiii." The young girl waved to grab the attention of the veteran. "I think you should stop resisting and get inside me." Then without missing a beat, several chains shot out of her chest. All of them were aiming to entangle Ulysses with a steely embrace.

"I promise it'll be painless~" Ahri lied. In this time of matchup, she had the advantage. Along with being a chimeric, Seer ideally lacked many options to deal with her chains. His HP, which gave him supernatural sight, was useless in a fight against pure strength. Not to mention Seer was losing in the intelligence department. After all, she possessed an IQ of over 5000. She was a genius, a living prodigy.

Caffeine_Obsessed · Mar 3, 2023

Matsuda Russo

SCENE:

Buzzkill

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1—2020, November 18 | 7:45 pm

LOCATION:

Eminence Bar, West district

PARTICIPANTS:

Matsuda, Sylvie

Buzzkill

Matsuda cackled, lavishing in the attention his current date showered upon him. She squeezed tightly to his bicep, the two of them currently arm in arm. "I can't believe you would spoil me this much Butterfly, this area is amazing!" The duo eyed man grinned, gaze drifting to the area around them. It all seemed very expensive, hell- even the sidewalks looked like they costed more than every expensive item he owned combined! Matsuda was almost afraid so scuff too much dirt on them. "Of course buttercup, after what you've done for me, how could you expect anything less hm?~" They laughed, Matsuda smoothing back his hair.

In all honesty, Matsuda was a tad uncomfortable. Despite being in the Tigers, he still wasn't quite used to how these people lived. The air even felt like it was too clean for Matsuda to inhale. His companion lead him swiftly to a growing line outside a lavish looking bar, excitement making her jittery. "Oh Matsu-mi you have to see this place! Everything is stellar I promise! Once you get a taste, you'll never want anything more. This place is stunning!" She giggled, adjusting her grip on his arm. Matsu smiled politely, a small trickle of sweat running down the back of his neck. He prayed to whatever god was out there that he didn't break anything.

They finally entered the place, Matsuda's eyes widening. If the outside was impressive, this was beyond compare. He shuffled closer to his companion who he nicknamed butterfly- simply for the fact that he forgot her name. "Wow. This place is beautiful." He smirked, "But you know what?" He leaned down close to her ear, his breath tickling the fine hairs of her blonde sideburns, "It ain't anything compared to you Butterfly." She chuckled, a blush rising to her cheeks. "Stop it!" She lightly pushed his face away, an amused shake of her head.

Butterfly lead them the the bar for drinks, animatedly chatting to whoever was near her. Not knowing what else to do, and feeling continuously more out of place, a stuck by her side, a small courteous smile on his face.

WhiskeyMarten

thebigfella · Mar 3, 2023

Shishido Takakazu

SCENE:

Reaching The Heavens From Hell (Pre-Arc 3)

LOCATION:

Tourist & Casino District, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Shishido Takakazu, Sylvie Slezák (

WhiskeyMarten )

Reaching The Heavens From Hell

From the sky, the view drifted across the scenery, the bustling streets brimmed with people. Their lifestyles clashed with their differing attire, yet they all mingled in the masses that funneled through the streets and roads. The bright streetlights lined the sidewalks and illuminated the surroundings, reflecting off the beautiful sheens of sports cars and limos. Their headlights glided down the busy streets, leaving ribbons of light that briefly exposed the shadows left in alleyways and gaps between the streetlamps.

The busy sounds of the nightlife were ever prominent. The music from storefronts played as the backing music to the numerous voices and chatter that littered the streets as people walked in groups or pairs. Despite how chaotic everything looked outside, the people flowed through each other like water, each setting off to their own destinations.

However, in this area, one destination demanded the most foot traffic. Its exterior architecture is the direct embodiment of the term' splendor'. A black marble stairwell rose step by step, lights built inside each step to illuminate the proceeding one. The sounds of splashing water serenaded the senses as fountains parallel to each other lined the stairway, spraying water into the air in arcs that moved to the next fountain, creating the illusion that the water was skipping like a stone. Lights inside the fountains caused the spirals of colors to swirl through the streams. This was just the hors d'oeuvres before finally reaching the main doors.

Red carpet sat under the wide open glass doors that were opened wide, inviting all who braved forward in for a chance to achieve their dreams of wealth. What faded away were the sounds of water instead replaced with the sonance of bubbling champagne poured right out of the bottle into glasses. Chips scattered across tables as gamblers put all they had onto the flimsy pieces of paper in their hand. The melodic tones from machines as their slots spun around, snapping into place to display a saps' poor loss before restarting again.

This symphony of greed and desire played each of its parts, bringing upon the single masterpiece that flooded money through the city. It performed only one part of the orchestra that made up the West District. Yet its prominence and importance could not be ignored; any inhabitant would know of its splendor if one uttered its name.

Spotlights aimed up from the ground, their luminous brilliance shining upon the large purple letters, adorned with accents of gold, stapled in the front of the grand casino, declaring its title to all who had yet to know it.

The gateway to ascension.

Polished dress shoes clicked their wooden soles against the marble as they made their way up the steps. The end of their clean white suit pants only exposed the faintest bit of socks as they moved.

"Hoooh. This place is as impressive as you said."

A masculine voice came from above as the camera panned upwards past the man's blazer, briefly showing a glimpse of the gold watch around his hairy wrist. From the man's mouth loosely hung a cigarette, whiffs of smoke floating past his face as ashes dropped past his sleek black tie. His auburn hair was kept short, with the faint beginnings of a beard around his chin.

"Heh! I knew you'd like it. There are a lot of great places to gamble around here, but this is one of my favorites. They treat tourists like us real nice"

A voice came from beside him, walking with a much more relaxed gait and his hands in his pockets like another man in a suit. Compared to his companions' blank-white tuxedo, his was a lot more distinct, with pinstripes of blue and black covering his body, the pattern only not shared by his leather shoes and white shirt. In addition, he wore sunglasses, his long blonde hair reaching down to his shoulders.

"Is that so? Well, I'll have some nice things to tell everyone back at the company when we return home."

With a pleased smirk on the man's face, he glanced toward the doors that approached, each step bringing them closer to the promised land.

The smirk on the man's face was short-lived, though, as a sharp bump into his shoulder caused him to stumble forward, his cigarette falling from his lips to crash against the ground, the faint trail of smoke following it all the way down.

"H-Hey!"

The other man watched as his companion was roughly shoved; immediately, his brow scrunched as he gritted his teeth, and his vision shot forward to see who had the gall to commit such an act. What he encountered was the back of a wrinkled black track jacket, which didn't fit in with the numerous suits surrounding the area.

In fact, everything about the man stood out like a sore thumb, from his messy frizz and uncombed and unstyled hair to his worn-down and dirty white shoes. Among the incredible sights of the casino, a man as boorish as if he didn't seem like he belonged. He walked along with his hands in his pockets, his head slightly rocking. Yet, all this did was fuel the fire that surged through the man, witnessing such a downtrodden individual commit such an act so boldly.

The man's hand grabbed the churl by his shoulder, stopping the man in place.

"Oi! What the hell is your problem!? Don't bump into people's shoulders and act like nothing happened!"

Speaking harshly to the brute, he watched him closely, expecting some form of reaction from him. This was a chance to apologize; maybe he'd just let him off with a broken nose.

Yet the man didn't say anything; he simply stood there silently. The lack of response was an act of insult on its own. Veins began to bulge out of the man's forehead as he glared into the back of his skull.

Within his anger, he no longer wanted a simple apology. Instead, he wanted to see this brat grovel for forgiveness, and his furious frown shifted into a smirk as he chuckled.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you? That man you just bumped into isn't just anyone. This guy right here is--"

Before he could finish his statement, the disheveled-looking thug finally decided to turn around, his worn soles gliding across the marble as he swiveled around. Yet, what the man met was not the fearful face of this unknowing hooligan, realizing he had made a mistake.

Instead, what he met was the tightened fingers forming into a fist. Flying through the air at such a speed that black lines had formed around it to intensify the concept of its motion. The man didn't even have a chance for his brain to process what was going on as the fist came close to his face.

A gust of virulent wind roared through the atmosphere, the loose skin on the man's face bubbled as it was pushed back by the wind force, his cheeks inflating as his lips rippled up and down and his eyelids were dragged backward. His hair whipped around and peeled off his scalp like it was about to be torn immediately. What didn't flow forward instead flew back, air moving under the gap between the brute's wrist and his sleeve to puff it up and cause it to ripple.

The wind with so much weight that it briefly created a vacuum in its absence. The continuous stream of fountain water that previously had been in a constant stream behind the men had stopped for a moment as the power of the punch had blown everything entirely out of its way. Everything went silent as the fist idly floated in front of the man's face as if time had stopped for that moment.

Then, like nothing ever happened, the fountain finally returned to normal as its stream rejuvenated.

Yet, despite the world flowing around them, both men stood still, the suited man's long hair falling back down to his shoulders as he was stuck open wide, his whole body petrified.

"Damn..that was close."

Finally, the brute spoke, retracting his fist as he stepped back, the hand limply falling to his side. His face, hidden under the shadows of his messy hair, was finally revealed as he tilted his head backward slightly, revealing his pupilless gray-blue eyes; they almost seemed dead as he looked at his potential victim apathetically.

"If I had beaten your ass, they might keep me from goin' inside and gambling."

Without another word, the man turned around, sticking his hand back into his pocket and continuing towards the pearly gates.

Left behind were the two men, one still frozen in fear as his eyelid twitched. The man in the white simply chuckled to himself as he watched him walk off, digging into his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes, putting one to his lip, and promptly lighting it. He placed it to his lips and took a long drag before blowing out the smoke.

"Guess this is a Heaven where even demons gather, huh?"

He didn't glance over as his partner fell backward and slammed against the ground like a statue.

---------------------------------------------------------

Finally inside, Takakazu's shoes patted against the soft red carpet that decorated the ground. He walked past the other casino patrons and strode past the scantily dressed cocktail waitresses without glancing. Instead, his cloudy eyes were directed straight forward, with a precise goal in mind.

It was finally time for his big break. Today was gonna be the day he won BIG!

Overwhelmingly confident, he only had one thing he needed to do before he could get started finishing off his last day of poverty. He needed the tools of the trade. He needed some chips if he hoped to rip some money out of some poor saps.

He was prepared to stroll right up to the counter and trade his money in, but as soon as he rounded the corner to where he knew the closest conversion stand was, Tak found himself stopped, as what stood in front of him was a long line of people, all here for the same thing he was.

He clicked his teeth in annoyance, grimacing as he leaned to the side to fully grasp the line. Not even a step into the queue, he was already growing impatient.

"Tch! Don't any of these losers have anything better to do? All they're gonna do is gamble all of their money anyway." He muttered, loud enough to make sure anyone nearby could hear him. Despite his statement, anyone who knew him well would know he was in the same boat as the people he criticized.

Yet, his complaining would not get the line moving, so instead, he was forced to stand there, an agitated expression on his face. Looking incredibly irritable, it wouldn't be a surprise if he snapped at someone who pushed him the wrong way at this point…

Roda the Red · Mar 4, 2023

CHARLIE HUGHES

SCENE:

[The New Oasis Way]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, August 20th 2021

LOCATION:

Streets of South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Sang-Cheol

THE NEW OASIS WAY

The battle continued to heat up as the Escort B duo and Seer continued to be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, things only got worse as a second shockwave sliced its way through several serpents. Fortunately, B duo would not let A's death go to waste, as they managed to predict what was about to happen. The pair leaped away from the vehicle just in time as it exploded, this time taking out a few of the uncoordinated nearby attackers instead.

Unfortunately, Seer's luck wasn't as good as the other phoenixes', as a set of chains stealthily managed to get a hold of him, wrapping themselves around his body just enough to completely immobilize his torso and arms. The veteran grunted and struggled with all his might, but alas, he was no powerhouse. Against his will, the chains started to drag him towards the unassuming girl, his shoes slipping on the asphalt as he tried to apply force on the opposite direction.

Charlie watched in horror as the two members of Escort A lied dead on the ground. He had never seen people get murdered in fron of him before, let alone people that just moments ago he considered to be allies...No, not allies, not even friends.

Family

Tears streamed down his face as he suddenly found the strength within himself to stand up. His breathing was agitated, his legs were shaking, his heart felt like it could explode at any minute, and the feeling of fear was so overwhelming he felt he could faint at any second. But as he saw the Phoenixes in great danger, a bound Seer and a the three remaining Phoenixes surrounded by overpowering numbers, the rookie a felt a burning sensation, one that rapidly went from a small candle light to a raging blaze.

Resolve

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The rookie shouted right where he stood, a powerful battlecry at the top of his lungs. His body becoming further heavier and sturdier as his Hypercharge activated at full capacity. He got off the toppled van with a powerful leap, the force dragging the van a few feet backwards. He landed next to the phoenixes, the streets below him trembling as his feet violently touched their hard surface. He wasted no time as he rushed towards the closest serpent, landing a clean punch on his chest, the criminal felt a couple of his ribs breaking as the force lifted his feet off the ground, sending him flying away. The nearby serpents flinched at the sight of the powerful blow, and Charlie did not stop there. He approached the next, sending another powerful punch with similar results, he rushed to the next who tried to counter by swinging her metal bar. The rookie took the hit, the impact causing a slight sting on his shoulder, yet he ignored the attack, following through with a powerful front kick. The phoenixes noticed their opportunity, and decided to take this opportunity and shift the tide of battle, they assumed the offensive once again, co-pilot B relying on his explosive fireballs once again, pilot B using his martial prowess with a slender blade, and the van driver pulling out her shotgun.

Charlie bulldozed his way through more serpents like a bull in china shop, tanking their continued blows as he responded with his own. He raised his fist once again to attack the serpent in front of him, how ever, the serpent's eyes went wide as an energy shockwave sliced through his torso, the attack impacting directly on the rookie. the attack sliced his chest diagonally, effortlessly slicing through his suit, carving a large gash accross his body. Charlie screamed in pain, the cut causing the rookie to be in a world of hurt, an agony unrivaled by any other injury he's ever felt in his entire life before. His legs trembled, wanting to crumble from the weight of his own body as he felt his strength leaving his body once again.

"TEMPERER! DON'T DIE ON ME YOU FUCKING BRAT!"

Seer shouted at his junior, he tried to keep up a tough exterior, but in reality, the hardened veteran was struck by great grief at the sight of his fallen comrades. He's been in the gang for well over a decade by now, yet the death of his brothers and sisters never got any easier. He feared for the fledling, he wanted to get rid of his bindings and save his fellow phoenixes, but alas, all he could do was shout his support as he struggled further against the pull of the chains, buying as much times as he possibly could.

Charlie stumbled backword, disoriented by the incredible pain, however, as he took his third step back, he stomped firmly on the ground, regaining his footing once again. He started at the perpetrator of the sneak attack: A nearby man in a red jacket, carrying an intimidatingly-long curved blade. His thoughts started to clear, his mind focused, if he didn't deal with that guy, he would deliver one of those blows again. The fledging broke into a sprint, approaching the swordsman at a hastened pace.

"Come at me, Ora!" The serpent known as Hiroki raised his weapon once more, swinging it downwards as he timed his attack with the phoenix's pace. Charlie was not quick enough to avoid the swing at the moment, never intended to, really. Instead, he threw his arm forward, catching the blade with his hand as close to the hilt as he managed. His grip clasped around the sides of the blade, attempting to avoid as much pressure on the edge side as possible. Hiroki struggled to move his sword, yet the monstrous strength applied by the grip was simply too much for the swordsman to maneuver. The Phoenix used his second hand to reach for the opposite end of the blade, and in one swift move, he pulled. The blade managed to bend several degrees before the stress on the material was simply too much for its structural integrity. The piece of steel shattered with a violent clank, the great majority of its length now being held on Charlie's right hand.

The rookie's attention was diverted, the pain grunts of Seer could be heard from the vicinity. The girl had started to apply greater pressure on the veteran's constriction, hurting his body and forcing oxygen to escape from his lungs, once again her immense intellect was on full display. Charlie looked at the chain wielder, and then at the blade in his hand, the best approach was clear. He raised his arm over his shoulder, putting on the weight of his entire body as he threw the blade towards Ahri. The girl noticed the projectile approaching rapidly, spinning wildly. She didn't even want to think how dangerous that thrown blade could be, so the went to great lengths to avoid the attack, leaning her entire body backwards, causing her to lose her balance ever so slightly "Sorry! But I'm too much of a genius to fall for tha-".

The seasoned veteran had incredibly sharp senses, sharp enough to spot even the smallest of opportunities if presented to him. The girl was distracted and the usual struggle would get him nowhere, so it was time for drastic measures. As risky as it might be, Seer decided to rush towards the serpent, the chain getting shorter and shorter as he approached. If they thought that a simple knife was the only thing he had prepared, then it only reinforced his beliefs that today's youth not only lacked in discipline, but also in respect. Once he got himself within close range of his capturer, Seer lifted his right foot a mere inch above the ground, hitting its rear inner side against the tip of the other shoe. This activated a secret mechanism inside of the veteran's footwear, as right at the front of his sole, a concealed blade sprung up. The man raised his foot in a powerful motion, kicking up and landing right below the girl's jaw, the blade effortlessly penetrating the tender flesh in-between her jaw bone, her tongue also serving as a second victim to the attack. Seer wiggled his shoe as much as he possibly could in his uncomfortable situation in an attempt to increase the damage dealt. Even though it was hard for her to move her jaw at the moment, Ahri let out a horrifying shriek of pain at the surprise attack.

The One Eyed Bandit · Mar 4, 2023

Passeri Park

SCENE:

North Says No!

TIME:

February 5th, 2022

LOCATION:

Redwater High, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri Park, Eric Evensen

North Says No!

"You know, you might have a hidden talent for showmanship~" Passeri shot Eric a wink, and lifted herself from her seat. Her coat, now unbidden by her weight, fluttered lightly behind her, and she eyed the assembled crowd of youth as a jeweller might an uncut gem. Even if it was one as humble as this, a crowd was a crowd. This was her element.

"Hey hey!" Passeri flourished, and an outpour of tiny, twinkling constructs poured from her fingertips. They tumbled through the crowd, dancing along the path which Eric's light had followed in a gentle wave of glittering pink. Passeri could tell by the tingle in her spine that at least some of the kids here knew who she was. It was unfortunate, but she'd just have to leverage that.

"Some of you might know me! And some of you might not~ But that doesn't matter today, because we're not here to talk about me!" She stepped out from behind their table, and ushered for Eric to do the same. It was a common tactic for this sort of thing. She used it during her handshake events all the time. Transgressing the metaphorical barrier, and whatnot. "For those of you that do recognize me, though, you're probably wondering why I'm here, right? Unfortunately, it's not for a concert!"

"...I'd like to talk to you guys about something important." The cloud of constructs whirred again, and a handful of them returned to Passeri's side, arranging themselves into the shape of a syringe. "This is the North, I know. The Serpents run things here, and..." Her expression softened. Memories were returning to her. A school in the North? How could that not have stirred something within her? "...And I'm sure some of you are more familiar with that than you'd like to be."

Passeri went quiet for a moment. This was going to be tender territory that she was walking on for some of these kids. She knew that better than anybody. But she'd come here for a reason today, and she couldn't back down. She needed to say this.

"But that doesn't mean that they have to run you too! I know it doesn't always feel like it, but you're the person with the most control over your life, and you don't-" As she spoke, Passeri took the syringe-shaped cloud into her hands, and crushed it. "-need to stoop to their level to do it. I know things may be hard sometimes, but drug? They're never the answer."

Hesitation restrained Passeri for a moment, but something inside her, an emotion she'd not expected stir within her today, possessed her to go further.

"If there's anything you remember today, remember this: Anything that the Serpents, or any of the other dealers in this District try to pedal you? It's poison." And it would ruin them. Just like it had her parents. Like it could've ruined her, too. "I would know."

Passeri's eyes were grim, momentarily glimmering with the light of memories that only two other people had ever been privy to. They fluttered for a moment, beating back the unwelcome bout of recolection, and then she remembered herself. Her expression brightened almost instantly, and she smiled a perfect smile at the crowd again.

"S-sorry about that, guys! Got a bit carried away!" Passeri reclined against into the table. A commotion had begun to stir at the rear of the crowd, though she was still a bit too absorbed within her mind to notice. "Do you have anything to add, Eric? Maybe some stories from the force?~"

Misuteeku · Mar 4, 2023

Sang-Cheol Man

SCENE:

The New Oasis Way

LOCATION:

Streets of South District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, August 20th 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Charlie

The New Oasis Way

"Oh, for fuck sake." Sang-Cheol pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Hiroki got fucking played, and Ahri is a dumbass again. The only thing they gained was the fact they confirmed the existence of the HP that strengthed the vehicle. What they lost were Hiroki's blade and Ahri's tongue. The swordsman was now completely useless, and it was hard to replace tongues.

Nothing could go his way today, but it was to be expected. Taking a deep breath, he glared at the Phoenixes. Most of the disposables were destroyed, and he only had one semi-functional worker on the field. "Rebecca, it's our time to move in." The scientist dug into his pocket. Procuring a syringe from it, Sang-Cheol injected it into his neck. The contents entered his body. He felt a surge of strength course through. "You know what to do."

dorothy_fire_emblem_and_1_more_drawn_by_soeda_ippei__66ddece61818f404038dbef813594d55.png

"Understood!" Following the Head of Lab Icarus's lead, she, too, injected herself into the blood. "Hiroki. You can retreat now! I'm taking over." She yelled out loud. Walking towards the nearby corpse, her body suddenly sank down into its blood. Hydrangea Flow allowed her to merge with bodies of water. The human body was made out 70% water. It was only natural that she could her HP on a corpse. But there was one more thing.

Soon blood trickled out of the corpse. It connected from to one to the other, and then more links grew from those corpses. Every corpse that had accumulated from this fight had been connected in the instant. Suddenly, they started to move. They piled upon each other and the blood spilled out of their orifices. Suddenly a figure was formed from the blood and corpses. It had distinct humanoid form, but lacked any of the features.

Rebecca loomed over them in her bloody form admist the fire and smoke.

In one instant, Rebecca grabbed the cargo van with ease. The van was like a toy truck to the giant made of blood and Rebecca threw it at Escort B. Then she turned to Charlie. In one movement, she raised her fist up in the air and slammed it down at him.

"In that case, I'll fall back. My apologises..." With that Hiroki stepped back at Rebecca's attack. The debris flew and he could only cover his face as it pelted on the face. It was true tragedy the had to back off, but at least he didn't get hurt like Ahri did.

Speaking of Ahri...

Unfortunately for her, her self-proclaimed '5000 IQ' didn't grant her the knowledge on how to dislodge a blade come through from the bottom of her jaw. "-------------------" She tried to yell, to scream, but all she did was spew out blood from her mouth. Though, she would be soon saved by her Lab Head.

Sang-Cheol took out a gun and aimed at the two. One would rationally think that the scientist would shoot Ahri. Though contrary to everyone's expectation, he aimed at Ahri. More specifically at her jaw.

BANG, BANG, BANG.

The three bullets blew off the girl's jaw. However, despite the seemingly fatal injury, Ahri still stood tall. With her head now free from the blade, Ahri immediately created some space. Shaking her body around, she used tried to shake Seer off-balance. While she would have ordinarly just swung him down onto the pavement, the the Lab Head wanted the body intact.

That's where the brass knuckles came in.

Running up to Ulysses, Sang-Cheol threw several brass knuckle jabs at the Phoenix Veteran. "Ulysses Druckmann, please die quickly, if you would." Sang-Cheol merely said. After all, he had quotas to make back at the lab.

angel doe · Mar 4, 2023

celestine renee cadieux

SCENE:

home visit

LOCATION:

celestine's apartment

TIME:

evening of november 19th, 2021 || post-arc 2

PARTICIPANTS:

celestine, dante

home visit

celestine sighed, sitting up in her bed and stretching. she glanced out her window and noticed how late it had gotten, biting her lip as she considered what to do. dante was going to arrive soon and, like every other time he visited, celeste felt a bit nervous, "maybe i should shower? hm... yes, i will do that," she started mumbling to herself, getting out of bed and shuffling to her bathroom, yawning.

what was meant to be a 30-minute shower, maximum, ended up taking over an hour; celeste always forgot how long it took her to wash her hair. rushing from the bathroom, she hurriedly pulled on a tank top, shorts, and her favourite shark socks. on her way to the living room, she stopped at one of her closets and grabbed a towel, drying her hair as she walked, "dante did not give me a specific time... he could show up at any minute. i suppose taking a nap would be a poor decision."

humming, celestine sat on her couch and continued to dry her hair until she heard a knock on her door. she jumped, startled by the sudden sound, and rose to her feet. as much as she would have liked a little while longer to make herself more presentable, dante had already seen her at her worst plenty of times, it was silly for her to be worried about something as trivial as wet hair and pajamas.

taking a deep breath, she folded the towel and placed it on the arm of the couch, before going to open the door. she froze momentarily when the door swung open, her gaze locking with dante's, and any of the anxiety or nerves she had felt seemed to melt away. for the first time in a while a warm smile, one that reached her eyes, had formed. it vanished as quickly as it had come, but her expression was much more content than it had been previously, "hello, dante. i am delighted to see you." celestine's voice was soft and she stepped out of the doorway so he could enter.

The Regal Rper

The One Eyed Bandit · Mar 5, 2023

Brandy Baker

SCENE:

Captives of The System

TIME:

~2004, Pre-Arc 1

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Brandy Baker & Caio Santana Coelho

Captives of The System

"B-Brandy. And I think I am." Brandy's expression brightened a bit. The boy, Caio, his name was, did seem a bit thorny, but not scary. He hadn't tried to punch her yet, at least, and that was already more than she'd been expecting. "I don't know much about the um- The Serps. My mum and dad said that they're trouble, s-so the only buy from... Someone else." Another, smaller gang, to be specific, but she kept that to herself. They were the ones she was running for today, and therefore the ones that were dealing to the boy's day.

And she didn't want him to do anything brash.

"There's a um- A place that I like to hang out, if you wanna go somewhere else. It's a bit dirty... But it doesn't smell, at least!" Brandy stepped past the boy, and urged him to follow. He was bigger than her, and probably older too, but by the look of him, he'd still be able to fit through her secret route.

"A-are you an HP, too? I've never met another one my age, so..." She spoke as she went, her head bobbing over her shoulder to make sure Caio was following close behind. A few questions bristled within her mind. What was his Potential, and how had he found it? Could he help her find hers? But for now, she kept her lips sealed. She didn't want to be a pest. More than once, distracted by her curiosity as she was, Brandy almost walked into a wall or piece of random, dilapidated clutter, but never quite. She was either luckier than she knew, or was paying more attention than she let on.

"Oh!" Brandy stopped, suddenly, and pointed up. They were stood within an alcove with not much more room than the two of them took up, the surrounding walls furnished only with windows, and a rusty old ladder.

"Up there! The third window. It's an old apartment that I don't think anyone lives in anymore." She gripped tightly down on the bars, and started to scale her way up. "Follow me! There's a couch up there. It's kinda old, but it doesn't stink! Not like a swamp, at least."

BriiAngelic

The Regal Rper · Mar 5, 2023

(OG) Dante |North | Celeste's Apartment

Nov 19, 2021
"It's good to see you too, starlight." He beamed.

I should tell her-- but then-- not quite now.

Walking into her apartment, brought back memories- too many of what it was like to walk with her down the halls years ago. Time, really did change things. It was funny in a way, how things worked.

"How have you been, Celest?" After all, the last time he had seen her up close and personal was in the Dragon Territory. He'd been too busy since then to really pay a serious visit outside of the occasional text. Seeing her now though he could see she was at least, not stressed.

Perhaps she hadn't yet heard of what he'd been doing around the North lately as Lancer. Attacking Serpent lines of trade as they pumped their poisonous drugs throughout the city and into Centrals areas. He was sure however she'd find out soon enough.

"And how have things been going with the Serpents as of late?" He asked as he flopped down into the couch, and then patted the cushion next to him.

It was a question he rarely asked. So it was a bit strange to hear him asking it now of all times. For him, it was the opening point to discuss what had happened at the bar.

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angel doe

angel doe · Mar 5, 2023

amari

SCENE:

ain't that a kick

TIME:

vague shrug

LOCATION:

garden, east district

PARTICIPANTS:

devin, amari

ain't that a kick

going to the garden had not been amari's initial plan on her day off, but it's where she ended up. she had no clue what had drawn her there, but it was certainly beautiful; she wandered around and observed the plants with subtle curiosity. amari paused, however, when a rancid smell hit her nostrils and she covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief from her pocket, though it did little to mask the scent. this was one of those times she hated having such a good nose.

it didn't take long to find the source of the horrid stench, a garishly coloured plant that appeared to be stretching to the sky. amari's brow raised, approaching the strange plant and looking around. it looked like it had been planted recently, what they didn't understand was why someone would plant something that smelled this revolting somewhere as beautiful as this.

“man, the fuck is this?" amari muttered, their voice muffled by the cloth and their hand covering it, as they stepped closer to get a better look at it. there was absolutely no reason they should be doing this, but their curiosity won over their common sense and they stepped onto the mound of dirt, poking at the plant with their free hand.

angel doe · Mar 5, 2023

celestine renee cadieux

SCENE:

home visit

LOCATION:

celestine's apartment

TIME:

evening of november 19th, 2021 || post-arc 2

PARTICIPANTS:

celestine, dante

home visit

closing the door, celestine locked it, briefly shooting a nervous glance outside to make sure there was no one else nearby. she was always a bit paranoid, after everything that happened she had to be, but she felt a bit more at ease having dante here.

celeste turned toward her closest friend with a small smile, "ah, i have been alright, i think. it has been pretty calm this week, though that could just be due to me actively avoiding things that might stress me out." she gave a slight shrug, sitting beside him when he patted the cushion, tucking her feet underneath her.

reaching over dante and picking up the towel where celeste had left it, she continued to dry the rest of her hair as they talked. she looked at him curiously when he asked about the serpents, head tilting slightly to the side, "it has been... fine, i suppose?" she paused, trying to think of what had been going on, "things have been a bit foggy for me, but i do recall there has been some fuss about something with drugs. i hardly pay any mind to that, though."

celestine leaned her head against the back of the couch, tilting it to the side to keep her eyes trained on him. "you do not ask often about how things are going with the serpents," she murmured, poking him in the arm with a finger, "is there something you want to talk about?"

it was a little strange to her that dante was asking this, truthfully it made her a bit nervous, but she tried not to let it show. celeste instead kept her hands busy to distract from the feeling, running them through her hair and starting to braid it.

The Regal Rper

The One Eyed Bandit · Mar 6, 2023

Passeri Park