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

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Yuto Nishimura

CS Link

SCENE:

Sir, This is a Hospital

TIME:

Tuesday, September 28th, 2021 || Post Arc 2

LOCATION:

Correspondance Hospital, Lower Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Yuto

Sir, This is a Hospital

With Yuto's mind being momentarily distracted by a different sort of hunger, it took seconds for Taffy's words to properly connect with his understanding. He blinked, before pulling himself back up with a sheepish smile. Kissing Peyton had become worryingly addicting. Maybe he'd have to string him up next to his stolen drugs at home. Variety was a blessing after all! He hummed in thought, a musing lick to his lips. "hmm... I would say it's more like-" He cut himself off, glancing up to the ceiling and tapping his chin. What was it? Mocha? Macha? ah right! Yuto perked up with an accomplished grin, "Mochi! A soft chewy outside with all the sweetness bundled in the middle." He giggled. "But it would be hard to place you in just one category..." Yuto pouted, not knowing how to further explain. So he didn't.

Laughing, he now stood on his feet, backing up so he could sit on the sink's counter. His legs started softly swinging. "Sure! That sounds fun haha!" In all honesty, Yuto didn't spend all that much time in other's home. After all- Yuto was no burglar. What reason did he have on encroaching on another's territory? He tilted his head down, a small blush on his cheeks. "If you don't mind~"

His eyes shot towards the corpse in the room, then to the door. He hummed, a small purse to his lips. It wouldn't be long now until another employee came through here. As much as Yuto could, constantly killing whoever stepped foot inside was a bad idea. After all, stacking corpse after corpse would only lead to suspicion. And suspicion would lead to the end of their game! They'd be brought to jail just for some measly bodies, and breaking out was such a hassle... He remembered the days before he had the Serpents when he got out by himself. It was so much more easier to get caught back then. But how to get out now...

The black haired man eyed the state of both Peyton's and his clothes were in, a crease of distress in between his eyebrows. He pinched his own tacky shirt away from his torso. The blood and tears were most definitely bound to stand out. The darkness of the blood more-so. There was bound to be medical scrubs somewhere in here right? This was a hospital after all! Though- it wasn't like Yuto spent a lot of time in these places anyhow. With a tilt of his head, he looked down at Peyton, a small smile on his lips. "Wanna get clean?"

Spoiler: Tags

Coyote Hart

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

The Idol Fanclub Trials (Pre-Arc 2)

LOCATION:

Highreach, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Shishido Takakazu, Passeri Park ( The One Eyed Bandit )

The Idol Fanclub Trials

If pockets existed on this ridiculous fan club outfit he had subjected himself to, he surely would have had his hands in them as he strolled to the front of the line, not giving much thought as the shorter man in front of him flowed out of the line.

As Tak stepped up to the table, his lethargic gaze traveled downwards, the recognizable features and demeanor of the idol that had infested many people’s dreams and desires. Someone so famous that they could cause motions and waves within the populace with just a tiny bit of effort.

Being close to someone who was so evidently exceeding in prominence would lead to most becoming starstruck, acting in ways they usually would as their composure was disrupted as its core, suddenly feeling that every action they performed carried all the more power in the world now that it could impinge on one who actually held a key of influence.

It was almost as if stepping into the vicinity, the weight of the air would shift, as every single breath that happened to flow through your lips and nose could be felt leaving your lungs. You abruptly became more aware of your consciousness than you ever had before.

Yet, as Tak now stood in front of someone who it wouldn’t be farfetched to call a superstar, a cultural icon, his response upon meeting her was…

To raise a hand up to the side of his head, sticking a pinkie in his ear as he poked a bit of wax in his ear, blinking with an oblivious look on his face, using his other free hand to casually raise his open palm towards Passeri, sprawling out his fingers slightly.

“Nah, I don’t need an autograph,” He offhandedly turned down the woman’s offer for signage, like a kid turning down vegetables on his plate as the lunch lady raised a ladle towards his plate full of green beans. His denial didn’t come from a place of uncaring, at least not entirely, but from a lack of understanding of the concept of an idol.

He had no clue of the prominence she held, despite having seen her face many times even before joining the club, whether it be on the television or hearing her voice on the radio, hell if he thought back hard enough, he probably even bought a box of cereal with her face on it once. But, for a runt like him who never had tasted fame in his life, he had not a single idea of the numerous factors that made up its ‘sauce’ nor its ‘seasonings,’ if he had the slightest idea how much an autograph of hers could go for on the market, he would have scrambled to find something for her to sign, whether it was a gum wrapper or a napkin.

But, instead, Tak continued to plainly stand there, unfocused, looking past her or to the side of her rather than directly at her as he almost seemed more interested in the surroundings, completely unaware of what type of realm he had stepped into, even if it was nothing more than a sojourn.

“Wait, five minutes?” Then, all of a sudden, his expression lightened up as something clicked in his brain, finally taking this chance to give the woman’s words a thought, his neutrality turning swiftly to his more standard slight annoyance at the world that surrounded him, unfounded grievances swirling to the front of his mindscape where it rightfully belonged.

“No wonder this line is so damn slow; where the hell is the express lane? What about the ten items or fewer people? Have you never heard of self-checkout?” Tak openly griped with the situation of this meet and greet he had signed himself up for, somehow managing to compare it to buying groceries in the market as if there was even a single thread of similarity besides the fact they both had lines, ignoring the logic that Passier would have to somehow clone herself to make such a set-up work anyway.

Immediately as he thought about the number, his eyes narrowed into slits as his lips shrunk into a frown, the whole design of his face turning into a condensed art style of apprehension as a small bead of sweat went down the side of his face.

“Those guys are gonna milk every single minute….” Tak lamented internally as the view panned over his shoulder to reveal the fellow members of the fan club engrossed in freshening themselves up like they were about to go on a hot date.

Camelo was busy brushing his blonde hair, holding a mirror in his other hand as he took various poses. Manyard occupied himself by basically gassing himself with cologne; an evident cloud of noxious fog surrounded him as he sprayed right at his own face. The still unnamed bald member of the group had somehow lathered up the top of his hairless scalp like he was in the shower, washing the non-existent hair he had.

The captain was the only one acting with any sense of normalcy. Hapori stood in the back with his arms crossed, eyeing Tak attentively as he waited to see how his new member would take his first handshake with the idol of ‘his dreams.’

Looking away at them and back down at the robe he wore with the numerous writing praising the idol, he was forced to remember he was part of them by correlation.

“At least no one I know is here.” Tak mused internally, the silver lining being that he’d never have to worry about anyone else knowing about this’ leisure activity’ he was part of. He intended to keep this from linking back to him for as long as possible.

Turning his attention away from his unfortunate retinue, he focused back on Passeri, deciding it was time to get this over with. He had the same idea as Passeri regarding this whole situation. He just wanted to get this over with.

“Let’s just shake hands and get out of each other’s hair,” Tak stated bluntly towards the idol, listlessly gazing at her. As oblivious as he was in general, he could at least know the icon probably didn’t enjoy this event herself, shaking the sweaty, clammy hands of a bunch of weirdos hands while she had to deal with their terrible hygiene and lousy breath had to be a pain.

Luckily for her, Tak only had two of those things.

Promptly Tak extended his hand toward the idol; despite how mundane the situation was, time seemed to slow around his movements as he brought his fingers closer until they eventually passed over the table, reaching the zone of no return, the point where the attempt to make a handshake was apparent, and when trying to rescind your hand would be evident.

Unknown to Tak, that was the point he sealed his fate, as his hand hung in the air in this zone for not even a second, but it was this small time frame that would change everything.

A pair of faceless women walked past the table, talking amongst each other as they moved past the handshake table without much thought. Amongst a lot of chatter and noise in the plaza, their discussion was just one of many and could quickly become a muted jumble among the buzz.

“Didja hear? This gyoza stand gives you free dumplings if you beat him with rock paper scissors.”
“Ehhh, really? We should check it out sometime then!”

But, what they said caused Tak’s ears to perk up, his gaze immediately narrowing into an analytical glare as whizzing black streaks flashed across the perspective diagonally, bringing a direct focus onto his eyes as a glint appeared in his right eye.

“Free?”

With that one word, Tak’s whole body turned away from the table, subsequently his hand as he moved it away from the handshake to awkwardly hold it in front of him, like he was a statue that had been turned away from its original position, analyzing what the women said as he watched them leave.

“Rock paper scissors, huh?” Tak thought out loud, his brain already running through the motions of how he could exploit such an opportunity. But, unfortunately, he only had a short time to ponder it until he realized something was amiss, eyes suddenly widening as he blinked, slowly bringing his eyes downward to look at his outstretched hand still in the same position.

Immediately, his cheeks sunk into his face, giving definition to his cheekbones as darkness cast over his eyes, jaw hanging open wide as pupils dilated and his eyes went bloodshot, surroundings replaced by twilight and red lightning that flashed in frozen time behind him.

“T-THE HANDSHAAAAAAKKKKKKE!”

The view shifted to a perspective looking up from the ground, showing Tak’s startled reaction, a prominent throbbing vein on the back of his hand as it twitched, his teeth gritted as the view slowly zoomed out and twirled around within the darkness.

“I completely forgot about the handshake!” He screamed inwardly, finally dropping his open handshake-ready palm into a closed fist as he brought it up to his face, closing his eyes with a nervous, shaky smirk.

“Calm down, Takakazu! They probably didn’t even notice! But, even if they did, I’m sure it isn’t a big deal!” He attempted to console himself, closing his eyes as he reasoned that he was overblown a minor mistake.

As the ominous sound effect drifted in front of Tak’s face, his eyes shot back open, sweat beginning to perspire across his features, and like his neck was in much need of oil, his head creaked to the side, jittering with the sound of a rusty gear as he turned to look behind him.

What was formerly a group of laughable idol fanboys had contorted into something completely different. The group of four die-hard devotees standing with their arms crossed emanating them was the overwhelming ambiance of outrage. It took shape as a wispy aura that swirled and lashed around them, moving with enough intensity to kick up wind that caused their robes and headbands to flutter. Fathomless shadows had replaced the top half of their face, and their eyes had been replaced by red glints that bore into the soul.

“Tak.” The captain precipitously spoke, immediately causing Tak’s body to stiffen up, his features becoming jagged and nonuniform as if his entire art style was about to fall apart.

“I must have been seeing things. I could have sworn you just turned down a handshake from Iroi.” The captain accused the frown on his expression not doing justice to the deep-seated rage currently boiling inside him.

Tak stumbled backward as he bumped into the table that Passeri sat at, the idol getting a front-row seat as Tak was subjected to the ire of her devoted fans. To keep himself from falling over, he placed an arm on the table as support as he raised his other hand defensively, trying to plead his case.

“T-Turn it down!? You’re kiddin’! I would never turn down a handshake from my favorite idol! I just…got distracted, is all!”

“UNFORGIVEABLLEEEEEEE!”

Tak’s attempt at saving his skin was entirely shut down as the captain’s roar ravaged the air, shouting with enough force that Tak had to raise his arm in front of his face to protect himself as his messy hair and the loose ends of his headband was tossed around in the wind.

“How can you call yourself a fan if you let anything else distract you from the one true idol!?” Hapori accused the brute, pointing a finger toward him as the rest of his group looked on with the same indignation, “Are you even a real fan!?”

The question of Tak being a real fan caused Tak to really realize the gravity of the situation, his brows furrowing in anxiousness. Of course, he wasn’t a real fan, but if these guys figured that out, he couldn’t bum the free meals off them anymore! And with how good they ate, that was the last thing Tak wanted. No telling when he’d be able to have something like lobster, steak, and expensive olives again!

“What are you talking about, captain!? I’m totally a real fan!” Tak shot back, the nervous smile on his face showing he didn’t have confidence in the statement. There was no way that the man would believe just his words alone if only he had some way to convince him!

Immediately as that thought crossed his mind, Tak’s eyes lit up, and with a sharp turn of his head, he looked back at Passeri Park. The exact woman this whole situation was about.

Tak spun around, spilling himself over the table to close the distance between him and the idol, almost threatening to knock it over; his chin fell against the table as he looked up at her, hands clutching around the edges of the table. “Oi! You gotta help me here! Go ahead and tell them that I’m a real fan! I’ll give you five dollars!” Tak pleaded for the idol to bail him out without a second thought, even tossing in the offer of a pocket change, like the famous idol would need his minuscule payout, the absurdity of the deal almost overshadowed the fact he was asking a complete stranger to lie on his behalf.

 

[Damafaud]

TRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Coolness as a Rule

LOCATION:

Parking Lot, North District

TIME:

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021 || Post Arc-2

PARTICIPANTS:

Tri, Naomi

Coolness as a Rule

Hm. He'll tell Paris what Naomi said about him being not worthy. Revenge for beating him with the laser gun. Paris probably wouldn't care, but he would definitely glare and snide more, so that would be funny. Tri nodded tersely like nothing was wrong at Naomi. His winning businessman smile still showed. "Yes."

His gaze shifted outside to Tristan. That, he rubbed his chin with a proud look. "The World is Not Ending, Right? It's a harem romcom anime about a boy that doesn't realize the world is slowly ending and the girls stopping him from realizing it." Of course he recognized that opening song. He was the one that introduced Tristan to the series. Lewis' recommendation never failed.

Tri watched Tristan, called by the food truck owner, tucked his phone in with an impatient look, with the look of a father at his son's graduation. That definitely wasn't the look of someone who had to be forced at gunpoint to watch anime. Also Tristan liked the fan service, so it wasn't that hard once he started.

Suddenly, Tri looked at Naomi thoughtfully.

"So," he said slowly. "do you like fan service?"

And right at that moment, Tristan knocked on the window.

"Boss, your tacos here." On a paper plate, six warm, steaming tacos filled the cabin with an appetizing aroma.

Tags: @tityanya

 

[Elenion Aura]

MILO NAGISA

CS Link

SCENE:

Blank Canvas

LOCATION:

Pre-Arc 3: September 30th, 2021 - Just before 11pm

LOCATION:

Outside Red West, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Milo, Hector

BLANK CANVAS

The look Hector leveled at him chilled the blood in Milo's veins and his expression immediately softened in response. He shifted in his seat, his gaze momentarily flicking away from Hector. Boltius. The name stung, and he could feel his heart clench at the mention of his friend. Hector had struck a nerve, indeed. However, Milo realized in that moment that Hector was trying to understand him, perhaps even help him, in his own twisted way. Or maybe that was wishful thinking.

"Yeah, Boltius," Milo replied, his voice wavering slightly, betraying the emotions he'd tried so hard to keep at bay. "But not just him. There are others, too. People who've been caught in the crossfire, who deserve a better life." Phoenix or otherwise. He wanted to add, but didn't.

Hector's expression was unreadable. Milo clenched his jaw, knowing that he had to make his case, to try and convince Hector that the Phoenixes could be a force for good in a world that so often seemed to be against them. "Look, I know the Phoenixes are a family, your family, and I get it. You fight to protect your own, but what if we could do more? Protect those who can't protect themselves. Be more than this."

For a moment, Milo thought he saw a glimmer of understanding in Hector's eyes, but that too may have been wishful thinking. He didn't know if his words were reaching him or if they'd be enough to sway him, but he knew one thing: he had to at least try the diplomatic way. For Boltius, for Nanami, and for all those countless others who had been lost along the way.

As the car continued to cut through the night, the silence that followed felt heavier, laden with the weight of Milo's words and the uncertainty of what would come next. But Milo held onto a spark of hope, believing that perhaps, just maybe, things might go his way for once.

Spoiler: Tags

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

AUGUST AUGUST

CS Link

SCENE:

Science Snafu

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 — March 29th, 2013 — 4:00 PM

LOCATION:

August's House

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Peyton

SCIENCE SNAFU

August stepped aside to let Peyton in, shutting the door behind him. Slow strides as the shorter one began taking his boots off, August sidled up to the stairs and leaned with his elbow against the railing.

“So, what comes first? Brainstorming?” Peyton asked. August opened his mouth to respond, but then, “Also, uhh why… You're talking kinda... differently.”

He blinked.

“Ah.” It registered. “Sorry… it was a joke,” his accent returned.

“As fuh check-lists, we gotta whole page o’ projects tuh choose from. Dunno if you’ve had a peek yet but once we settle on one, we’ll bounce out an’ grab some supplies on me.” He recalled Peyton’s statement about ‘not being able to afford a room there’.

Throwing a thumb over his shoulder to draw attention to the rest of the house behind him, he added, “Mah dad won’t be ‘ome ‘til moonlight, so we’ve really got all day unless you’ve somewheh tuh be.”

Straightening up off the stair-rail, he walked a few steps backwards, hands in his pockets, swaying like a tree in the wind per his lousy gait, “Can give ya a look around, too, if ya’d loike. Waste bin’s this way.”

AUGUST NOTES​

— —What he's wearing (CLICK HERE) (Socks instead of shoes)

— —August is 15 years old and recovering from a gunshot wound to his right bicep, which is bandaged beneath his clothes.

— —POST RECAP: Peyton enters August's home and August explains the steps to getting their science project started. August offers to show Peyton around the home.

(Interacting w/ Peyton)
(Mentioned Peyton)
Coyote Hart ​

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

BLITZ (Boltius Beckman)

CS Link

SCENE:

Passing the Torch

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3 — September 28th, 2021 — 5:00 PM

LOCATION:

(Shady's Motel) Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Hector, Reika, Doctor Slim (NPC)

PASSING THE TORCH

“You're right. You shouldn't have interfered.”

Boltius tightened his fists in his lap.

“If he had died back there, it woulda been a result of his own actions.”

He knew that… He knew the likelihood of Milo dying in that fight, and he could accept that… but a moment was all he needed- all he wanted at the time. Just a minute of-

“Can you tell me something, Bolt?”

Boltius looked up to meet Hector’s one eye, letting the silence drag between them, welcoming the sting of guilt now, and his lack of response was all the response needed for Hector to continue. “Would you have let me die if it meant getting the answers you want?”

No.

Boltius had already killed Milo off in his mind prior to that encounter. While the shock of seeing him again, and the opportunity of having his questions answered, might have made him act a fool… Milo walked away. Milo left him hanging.

He might as well have been dead.

But… Bolt took a deep breath, held it in, then spoke on the exhale, “I would be lying if I said I could easily let Milo die while I have the ability to stop it… as pissed off at’im as I am.” That was true. “But… at the end of the day, the foundation between me and you, man… it’s rock-fuckin’-solid. An’ I mean it would put a wreckin’ ball to shame.” The corner of his lips upturned slightly at the comparison. “Beneath the bitching, and the fighting, and the fuckin’... bullshit… I know my role. And I know where I stand.”

Boltius chewed his lip.

“It’s where I chose to stand.” A short pause allowed him to collect his words. “Hell, if I let you die then what? Where do I go? Who backs me up then? What am I without my place in the Phoenixes? I’ve got this fuckin’ public-ass record of bein’ some villainous murderer, cops tryna get through my mom’s door to ask’er questions about where I am, when she last saw me or Vulken, and it’s only myself I have to blame for that, but it’s the Phoenixes I have to thank for shapin’ me up capable to keep her safe.”

“So… So, no.” Boltius shook his head. “Let you die?... Hell no. And fuck everything up?... But it ain’t just that, man, I care about you… Maybe not in the beginning- In the beginning, I wanted to knock yer teeth down yer fuckin’ throat… sometimes still, but that’s just what we are.”

“...Besides… You wouldn't have lost that fight... and seein’ Milo again wasn’t even all that deep. Not to let you die, bro, fuck… It got to my head, and I was just pissed off for bein’ ignored… I acted like a little bitch. But I know the rules.”

He decided to address the real issue that kept prodding away at the back of his mind. “But what’s worst of me was puttin’ my jacket in the right place for that Tiger bitch to…” Orange hues averted briefly. “...your… y’know,” Bolt drew a finger around his own eye, still looking away, then he rubbed the back of his neck and added, “...That shit’s eatin’ me up, man… But don’t dare say it’s okay. Don’t forgive that… ” Their eyes met again. “I don’t deserve that. But I owe you for it...”

BOLTIUS NOTES​

— —What he's wearing: Something casual, no jewelry or accessories

— —Tattoo Reference (X)

— —Physique Reference, since his face-claim art doesn't always accurately depict it (X) (X)

— —POST RECAP: Boltius explains himself.

(Interacting w/ Hector)
(Mentioned Milo, Vulken)
WhiskeyMarten​

 

[Sei Shonagon]

Yura Heo

CS Link

SCENE:

Does this have Gluten?

TIME:

Pre-arc 1, 2013

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri Park, Yura Heo

Does this have Gluten?

In the obscurity of shadows and under the late night drone of a clock that struck twelve was a man perched on top of a stool in the backrooms of the store. The darkness of night had encroached into the space between the four walls from the street outside and it crept onto his figure in greedy palms. Handfuls that blurred the lines between washed-out tank top and lean muscles, threaded over bone and stretched forward to the effect of a hunched back.

The figure shifted his weight on the chair where he sat and curled his knee into his chest. Creaks resounded from it in feeble complaints and fell on deaf ears as he hovered over the desk. The shadows might have obscured his bad posture, but they didn’t hide the hands that worked the pliers with all their callouses. They fell under the only thing that fended the dark off, the light of the desk lamp in front of him.

It was late and the neighbourhood was haunted by an eerie silence that was impossible to grow accustomed to in this day and age of nonstop traffic. If it wasn’t the cars speeding outside then it was the people. Stressing from one appointment to the other and living through life at 2x speed under the pressure of a thumb that held down the corresponding button on the remote. Yura had never understood the hurry, or rather he had never experienced it. Even now while he was fastening the last rivets, they were all he saw and all he accounted for through the loupe.

It was a sort of tunnel vision that applied to other areas of his practised everyday life as well. Time always on pause for a man whose tape kept rewinding and looping indefinitely as his last reason to push play had faded out into static. Comfortable and stagnant white noise which his weathered digits sealed into the assembled watch with a final click of the lid. Yura nursed it between his fingers and held it up towards the humble tides of twilight provided by the lamp. The silver chains glimmered against the background of his roughened exterior, but much more importantly he focused on the hands of the watch.

Motionless anticipation eked out his breath along the length of the black metal, then it tipped forward and he exhaled. Another repair completed, Yura took a sip of the juice box that sat on the edge of the desk. Speaking of fast traffic…"I'm not intruding, am I? Zoozle said you were still open...?". The same sip stumbled into a wince and then a cough that rattled him into dropping the watch. There was the clatter of metal and then the sound of chair legs dragging across the floor. The door to the backroom flew open on the next inhale and a towering chest that barred access to it in a looming shadow.

His face cinched in the beginnings of a snarl. “You-” but it quickly subsided at the sight of the intruder that was indeed intruding. Perhaps the darkness of the hallway added to her dwarfish illusion by eating away at her silhouette, or perhaps she really was that short. In any case, she hardly presented a threat to him. “Hrm.” The snarl simmered out in a low grunt, displeased but not on the verge of baring his claws anymore. Instead, they wrapped around the door frame and raised a second wall of veiny forearms.

Glowing purple eyes met equally unnatural pink ones in a hardened line as he assessed the girl anew. Logic dictated that she wouldn’t have bothered to trespass into the back of the store if she was simply shoplifting. On the other hand, he wasn’t fond of how she had just waltzed in there. His gaze trailed upwards to the beads of perspiration that glimmered above the earnest stare. It was only then that his stiffened shoulders relented. “Zoozle, ya' said?” Damn website directed all kinds of weird people his way, he should have beaten them up long ago for putting his store up there without consent. “Follow me.” Yura brushed a hand through the dishevelled locks of his hair and pulled at the handle. The door clicked shut and emphasised the prompt that saw him moving past her.

Blinding overhead lights met his emerging figure back behind the counter and revealed little details that were concealed before. Such as the 5 o'clock shadow that lined his jaw and the way the tousles atop his head shifted in blue. “Ya' shudn't jus' walk into areas that are staff only.” The only staff member there crouched down in his non-uniform jeans and coaxed the key to the cash register out from beneath a bookshelf. “Someone might getcha wrong an' think you’re a thief an' stuff.” Whether he was included in that list remained ambiguous while he unlocked the chunk of metal “So, in a hurry, eh? Ya' done got your wares?”.

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

Love at Yu Min Cuisine

TIME:

February 14th, 2022 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Elias, Zach, Sabrina, Meirin, Samira, Minato, Passeri, Alice

Love at Yu Min Cuisine

Elias had forgotten how fast Meirin was when she wanted to be. The part-time Tiger rookie was by no means unfit for an HP, keeping up with regular exercises to maintain health and body image, but the differences in the amount of training they did–and their potentials–was beginning to show as Elias struggled to close the steadily growing distance between them. Even in a dress, Meirin was faster than him. It had been this way since they first met, back when they were teenagers, but seemed to have quadrupled since her induction into the Azure Dragon gang.

While he studied, stamped papers, and signed deals after graduation, she honed her body, working her fists against other gangsters and HPs. His being able to keep up at all was probably a miracle in and of itself.

Just when he feared he might lose sight of her, Meirin suddenly stopped. As if belatedly realizing she had no reason to be running in the first place, the brown-haired woman swiveled around, a determined expression on her face as she marched back to him. “...Why?”

“Why what?” Elias panted, hands clutching his knees. With bits of food staining his suit, beads of sweat pouring from his forehead, and a disheveled appearance, he certainly didn’t look like the picturesque heir of Yumin Entertainment.

He didn’t even know how far they had run but, given the restaurant was no longer in sight, they ended up traveling a decent distance. The only thing around them seemed to be a dimly lit alleyway.

“Why’d you cheat on me?”

Elias sighed. This talk. He supposed if the Sleeping Giant were going to kill him anywhere, this would be the place to do it. He didn’t have the energy to come up with a convoluted lie at the moment. “I wanted us to break up.”

“And you couldn’t just tell me?” Meirin asked incredulously. “You had to go out and pay for sex?”

“I wanted you to be the one to break up with me,” Elias emphasized as if that explained anything.

“Why?”

Elias shrugged. If he dug into his memories, he could probably find the emotions that drove his highschool self to undertake such actions but they weren’t really relevant to the him at the moment. Pulling them up and drowning in them would only create a bigger mess. He didn’t want to do something he would later regret.

“...Have…you felt that way the entire time we were together?”

Blinking in surprise at the hurt he heard in her tone, Elias hadn’t expected the girl he’d always known to be brave and confident to ask something like that. Righteous anger suited her more. But of course, the orphaned girl who made his brief stay in the East District unforgettable, who saw through some of the facade he put in front of others, had her own insecurities. Elias knew them. Saw them through her memories. It just never hit him that such things, that his insignificant deceit, struck at her confidence. That, even after reuniting her with her sister, she still needed a proper closing in order to move on.

Elias pulled Meirin into a hug. As his hand touched the bare skin of her back, he showed her his memories so there would be no doubt regarding his feelings–two years worth of them. “Of course not. You were my first love, Mei.” not the first person he dated, but the first to make him doubt and question his choices “ and cutting you off was the hardest decision I had to make.”

But he still made it.

“You’re such a dick, Yumin” Meirin sobbed, her tears further staining his suit as she took in the memories. “You had a potential this entire time!”

“Yes, yes, and you’ll find someone much better than this dick,” Elias soothed. “...unless you want us to get back together~?”

“Not on your life!” Scoffing indignantly, Meirin shoved him away, quickly wiping her tears, before flipping her hair as marched past him back to the restaurant. Back to her sister. “You already lost your chance, Yumin. Whoever I choose in the future, if I even choose, won’t be a lying, two-faced Bastard. They’d pick me first.”

Dusting the area she shoved, Elias let out his first genuine smile of the evening as he turned to follow suit. This was the way it was supposed to be. “Don’t you think you’re expecting a little too much, Azuza? No one’s perfect.”

“Nah, I don’t–,” Meirin narrowed her eyes suspiciously, arms folded. “How’d you know I got adopted? What else are you hiding from me?”

Mentally cursing his slip of the tongue, Elias smiled innocently at his gangster Ex-girlfriend. “It’s good to see you again, Mei.”

—​

By the time Elias made it back to the party, he was relieved to see that the disruption hadn’t caused too much of a hassle. The mess was cleaned up by the restaurant’s staff. Guests dined happily, a few even making out with their significant others. It was Valentine's Day, after all. Love songs still sounded throughout the restaurant, but this time other singers and musicians took the stage. Evidently, Sabrina’s highest performance of the night had sparked a bit of competitive spirit amongst the Yumin Entertainment talents he’d invited to the Pre-Opening–or so he got from the memories of one of the guests. Sharla Dawn, Megumi Star, etc. None of them wanted to be shown up by a no-name singer at a Yumin party.

Or, perhaps, they wanted to help out; Guests were all friends, colleagues, and business associates of the Yumin Family, after all.

Said no-name singer didn’t seem to mind the break and simply sat–legs crossed–in one of the empty tables, her prickly glare keeping it that way. He’d find time to talk with her later. While Meirin ran to her sister, Miss Chouchou of Eternal Night Palace, Elias removed his stained suit jacket. Folding the piece of clothing over his arm, the Yumin Entertainment heir made his way to where Zach and his mother seemed to be catching up.

Along the way Elias passed Alice and, after a moment of thought, lightly brushed against her swaying golden locks. As he did so, he showed her the memories of all the Tiger veterans that approached him–once they found out about his potential– requesting that he alter her memories, from well-meaning ones like Janay, to the more malicious/greedier ones that wanted to keep her pliable, so she at least got a hint of who her enemies are in the Tigers. He edited his voice into one of the memories:

‘Consider this my apology’. ​

Whether she trusted them was up to her.

Frankly, he still wasn’t sure that giving the blonde the information was a good idea. Given that the current King had nothing to do with it, the order to use her and keep her in the dark likely came from somewhere higher. He suspected someone in the elusive Tiger Board and…if his suspicions were true…she was in over her head. Then again, it was her choice in the end, whether she wanted to get revenge, change things, etc. Vague promise aside, Elias wasn’t sure he wanted to be involved in intergang conflicts.

“Eli!” Cordelia Yumin ran up and hugged him. “You should’ve told me all that was part of a show! Do you have any idea how scared I was? You and your father are both the same! You Yumin boys like to give me heart attacks!”

Eyebrows raised at his pouting mother, Elias glanced at Zach behind her who smirked as he held up a V-sign. “Eli does know how to put on a good show~”

Rolling his eyes at the pink haired delinquent, the heir of Yumin Entertainment comforted his NP mother as he checked her memories. “We’ll talk later.”

Fortunately, Zach lied well enough that no alterations were needed. She still believed him to be an NP, after all, and he didn't want to break that illusion just yet . Disengaging from the embrace, he swiped a pair of drinks for himself and his mother as he watched Lucifer once more take the stage. This time though, Ethan–the red-haired leader of the boy band–took the mic and Elias pretended not to notice the way the young artist’s eyes flickered to Sabrina even as he sang to the audience. Zach pulled Jun into a dance. Meirin, who didn’t seem cowed by her glares, chatted up the star singer of the night. Meanwhile, Elias cataloged his reemerging high school memories so that he could put a proper close to that all-important memory in his life. The good memories. The bad ones. Both made up who he was, but the choice to focus on one or the other was his and his alone.

​

@Beann Elenion Aura The One Eyed Bandit AriAriAbabwa

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Lost on Bourbon

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, 1AM, June 5th 2021

LOCATION:

???

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Boltius Doctor Llamabean

LOST ON BOURBON

“Ah come on mannn,” Hector held his arms close to his body after landing the successful blow, as he took a shaky step towards Boltius, “thought you could take a hit better‘an ‘at.”

He turned back towards the crowd, squinting as he tried to make out any details. His vision was hazy, and the moment he tried to focus on anyone, or anything, the pounding in his head grew too unbearable. He placed his hands around the bars again, trying to manifest a saw to cut through them, before remembering that he wasn’t able to. Frustrated, he settled for a kick that vibrated across the bars, and coincided with the sounds of retching from the man he’d already forgotten about.

”That’s disgusting, Bolt, maybe you shoulda puked on that… broad back there.” He gestured vaguely at Bravadia before making his way back over to Boltius as he rose to his feet. ”Not so fast…”

Hector grabbed onto Boltius’s shoulders, though it seemed as much for his own support than to try and keep him away. For a moment, it was almost elegant the way they swayed, at least from a drunk man’s perspective. A dance between comrades. Hectors eyes locked with Boltius’s, and for a moment, he could see the lights glimmering across his orange eyes, fiery and beautiful as they danced with him. Hector moved one arm from Bolt’s shoulder down to his chest, firmly pressing against him.

Then it all came crashing down, quite literally, as Hector tackled Boltius to the floor, his light but taller body pinning him down, Hector’s messy, damp fringe hanging inches away from the redhead’s face. It almost looked like Hector had something to say, but no words came out.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Blood Stained Girl

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 - Night, 2016

LOCATION:

Alley, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Raquel

BLOOD STAINED GIRL

“Shit-”

Hector winced seeing the bullets fly into the girl’s body. Really, he should’ve warned her to stand back, especially knowing what the man behind the door was capable of. At the same time, he wasn’t just treating her to a meal, he was testing her, and she wasn’t earning a passing grade so far. To his surprise though, the woman ejected the bullets from where they had struck her, watching as she healed from nothing. It did bring more questions though. Does eating people give her power, or was she just choosing to do that? Deciding not to question it, he followed as she rushed into the building. That did earn her some points.

The man behind the door rolled away as the cannibal struck the floor where he had just been stood. He looked ordinary enough in the dim room, lit only by a lamp that clearly needed a bulb replacement as it dimmed in and out. Clearly he knew what he was doing, though, taking aim once more with his gun. He let off one shot, and had intentions for a second that didn’t fire. He didn’t hesitate in changing approach with the faulty gun, throwing it at the girl instead. It was only a normal gun, but flew too fast to be an NP’s throw, smashing hard against whatever it ended up impacting with.

Man #1 - Potential: Projectile Enhancement

This man’s potential increases the speed and power of any projectile, including thrown items and bullets shot by him. A gun wielded by him is a threat even to fellow HPs!

​

”Watch yourself, lady.”

Hector had followed Raquel in, now with a fully formed machete in his hand pointed toward their target. He seemed to get distracted, however, by the shadow of a man further in the darkness, unrecognizable right now.

”Sending a new lady after me, Moses? Oh how your people spoil me.”

The voice sounded from the distance.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

SYLVIE SLEZÁK

CS Link

SCENE:

Buzzkill

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1—2020, November 18 | 7:45 pm

LOCATION:

Eminence, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Matsuda Russo, Sylvie Slezák

BUZZKILL

“Ah, Matsuda Russo, it is an honour to have you here.” Sylvie smiled warmly, pleased that the man reciprocated his kindness. ”And what a heroic act, wow.” He waved a hand in the direction of the bartender that hadn’t stopped serving customers since he had last spoken to her. She gave him a look of acknowledgment, and he returned to the conversation.

He continued to smile as Matsuda’s question trailed off, waiting for him to finish. He had a few suspicions about what he may have asked, preparing answers for all possibilities, but thankfully it didn’t come to that as Matsuda swiftly moved on.

”Yes, it truly is grand, isn’t it? I did provide some consultancy on the decorating, I hope it turned out well. This place was in need of a refresh to keep up with how the district is ever-changing.” Sylvie took a sip of his drink, before gesturing to the customers, ”these people, their attention spans are, well… There are a lot of people competing for their attention, and I think we’ve grabbed it. My family own this place.” He dropped the last part casually, but from the way he eyed Matsuda afterward, it was clear he expected a reaction. ”You’re a lucky guy, aren’t you? I guess you don’t live here?”

"How can I help you?”

The waitress called out, breaking Sylvie’s focus as he turned back around to her.

”Get my friend a drink, please. What would you like?”

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Jingle Bells, Jingle Hell

TIME:

December 26th 2013

LOCATION:

The Metropolitan Museum, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kaede, Hector

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE HELL

Hector rolled his eyes, keeping his complaints to himself as much as he wanted to start a fight with Kaede. One thing Lyric hadn’t been able to fix in the rookie’s behaviour was his headstrong attitude, and no amount of punishments for botched missions had been able to take his ego down even slightly. But he was showing restraint that was respectable, even if bare minimum, and he only spoke again when Kaede finally answered his uncalled for remarks.

”Well I’m happy to play with you.” His voice was laced with crude, immature sleaze, as he continued to grin, asking for trouble at this point. He did let her escape his hold without resistance, folding his arms as he followed her to the middle of the room, raising a brow at her in return once she gave her questionable orders.

”What for? In case he’s hiding under the table cloth?” Hector’s fists tensed up, clearly irritated, ”And when I go find he ain’t there, I’ll come find you and you can tell me what I’m really doing. Want me to bring you some canapés while I’m there? I think they’ve got champagne in those fancy glasses as well.”

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Stranger's Gold

TIME:

29th January 2022, Pre-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Starstreak Arena, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Passeri

STRANGER'S GOLD

“I’ll just have whatever you’re having.” Hector leaned back in his seat, getting more comfortable now. It was an uncharacteristic choice of beverage, but Hector wanted to keep his head clear for every moment he could spend with the idol, and he certainly didn’t need his little inhibitions to be impaired further. “I’m sure you’ve got good taste,” he wasn’t so keen on tea, but hey, anything to put him in better standing with her.

“Honestly, it ain’t much work to keep on top of everything, least it doesn’t feel like work.” Compared to managing a thousand criminals, it was easy. “Getting involved, it’s a good way to destress, you’re lucky to have such a great fanbase.” As the kettle began to hiss, Hector leaned forward in his seat, looking up at Passeri, “but heck, I’m surprised you can balance everything. All your shows, rehearsals, other events, and I’m sure there’s plenty more that goes into being in the industry — ain’t just singing. I don’t know how you do it and still find time for people like me. Y’know, if you told me as a kid that he’d be in a stadium like this one day, he wouldn’t have believed it.”

Hector looked thoughtful for a moment, figuring out his words.

“So… How do you do it all and still keep yourself together?” In a rare moment of self-awareness, he considered for a moment that the question might’ve been tactless. After all, he didn’t know her. He didn’t retract the question though, looking up at her for an answer. He didn’t know anyone else who could answer this for him, and he’d been trying to figure it out for a while.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

SYLVIE SLEZÁK

CS Link

SCENE:

Reaching The Heavens From Hell

TIME:

Pre Arc-3

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Sylvie Slezák, Shishido Takakazu

Reaching The Heavens From Hell

“You’d be better spending your tips on some new clothes first. Get your priorities straight if you want to be a big guy here. That is my first tip for you.”

Now aware of the closeness between them, Sylvie took the opportunity to regain some space while Tak fondled himself, a disgusted look on his face seeing his new rival’s lack of awareness. He didn’t know much about women, but as far as his own standards were concerned, he’d rather kiss a manhole cover in North District than be all over Tak like that, and he was sure everyone in this place was the same.

One thing he could credit Tak for though, was that he was offering an interesting proposition. Perhaps digging out of his misfortune tonight would be quicker than he thought. Sucker.

”But sure, sure, I will take you up on your offer. Your money won’t go to waste in my hands.” Sylvie grabbed Tak’s hand, to quickly seal the seal before he could withdraw the offer. ”Just don’t go running off, friend, everyone has seen you.” Sylvie pointed to the group that Tak had snapped at, letting go of his hand as quickly as he had grabbed it to try and wheel him back around to them. ”Why don’t you go apologize before you get kicked out, while I get back to what I'm doing.”

Sylvie turned back to the queue with a warm smile, taking many steps forward now that it had progressed so far. He took a deep breath in as he realised just what he had done. How embarrassing… Not the bet, of course, Sylvie remained certain that this would only put more much-needed money in his pocket, but he wasn’t one to conduct himself in such a manner. He wondered if the Tigers were influencing his behaviour, or the alcohol. Probably the alcohol. Oh well.

 

[Astrylan]

Yukari Niyami

CS Link

SCENE:

Beginner's Guide to Housekeeping

LOCATION:

Upper Central; Near North-Central Major Bridge

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yukari, Naomi, Tako, Tri

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO HOUSEKEEPING

"No I can't speak bird. But you don't normally get to witness a scene like that, even if it goes on all the time."

Yukari glanced around the area as he listened to Hector go on about how this area is always stormy. His guard was already up, regardless of anything Hector mentioned. Something was definitely brewing, and the two of them were right in the middle of the pot, he could feel it. The hairs on his neck were standing up almost straight enough to point at the sky; his arms and legs the same.

"Bad omens or not, there is definitely something in the air-"

Yukari's form shifts; his head growing fur around his cheeks, hair turning a dark blue grey to match the fur, and what is visible of his arms following suit down to the middle of his forearms. His hands formed something closer to claws and Yukari's eyes turned a golden brown. If one looked close enough, they'd be able to see that his teeth were now sharper, as if he had filed them to a point.

"-I can smell it." He sniffs the air a bit more, using his now powered up olfactory senses to their fullest. "We might have visitors soon. Should we give them a not-so-warm welcome?"

 

[Misuteeku]

???

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Blood Stained Girl

LOCATION:

Alleyway, South District

Time:

Pre-Arc 1 | ???

PARTICIPANTS:

Raquel, Hector

Blood Stained Girl

Whatever was going around in the area didn't seem to concern the girl at all. In fact, Hector's words went unnoticed by her as she was consumed by insanity. The gun breezed over her head as she suddenly crouched down to the floor. It wasn't because she wanted to dodge, far from that, but she was getting in position. Like a predator stalking its prey, the girl pushed against the hard, wooden floor.

Another dent accompanied the cracked floor as the girl pounced at the man. Utilizing her superhuman strength, she kicked off the floor and, in a blink of an eye, launched herself at the man. A human-sized projectile knocked the man over, and they both rolled down.

Unfortunately for the man, the girl was on top of him. Immediately, the man's limbs were pinned against the floor. The girl's strength couldn't be overcome by his own natural strength. Helpless like a rabbit in the jaws of death, the man only screamed as the girl bit down on his neck. This flavor was luxurious. An indescribable taste that made her even hungrier for more.

One. Two. Three. By the time of the second bite, the man was already dead, but the girl kept on lapping up more and more of the corpse. The torso up was nearly gone by the time she had stopped. Sanity slowly came back to her as she staggered up from her position. "You're next..." Grabbing a nearby table, she threw it into the darkness, where her subconscious told her that the voice came from.

WhiskeyMarten

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Passing The Torch

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3 — September 28th, 2021 — 5:00 PM

LOCATION:

(Shady's Motel) Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Reika, Doctor Slim (NPC), Boltius Doctor Llamabean

PASSING THE TORCH

His expression remained unchanged as Boltius rambled on and on to explain himself, though he couldn’t maintain eye contact the entire time, looking at Bolt, at the table, at the bed, at the wall, and at the floor as he spoke. It was clear he was listening though, and he was listening carefully. When Boltius finally brought up the elephant in the room — his eye — Hector brought a hand up to his bandaged face, before slamming a curled fist on the desk.

“Shut up, Bolt,” at first, he had a harsh tone, “just shut up, please…” Then he sounded weary as he looked back up to him. “This? It will be fine. I don’t want you feeling sorry for me, it annoys the shit out of me. And I don’t want you going around feeling sorry for yourself either.”

With an annoyed sigh, Hector pushed himself away from the table, clutching the table as he lifted himself, his exhaustion clear. He walked up to Bolt, before placing a hand on his shoulder, gripping it in a way where it wasn’t quite clear if it was meant to be comforting or threatening.

”Look, I need you as much as you need me, we need to stick together. I’m gonna sort things out with Milo — I ain’t gonna hurt him or anything, just gonna talk — but we need to sort things out between us. Knowing where you stand, having good intentions, saying that is good, but when it comes down to situations like this I need to know I can count on you.”

He leant down, so that their faces were level, Hector no longer towering over Boltius.

”I think I uh…” He hesitated.

”I need you right now.”

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Blood Stained Girl

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 - Night, 2016

LOCATION:

Alley, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Raquel

BLOOD STAINED GIRL

”Oh am I?”

The table’s momentum slowed to a halt as it flew in the air, caught by an outstretched arm that slammed the table into toothpicks on the floor. Taking a couple of steps forward, his face came into view, one that would immediately come to mind as the face Raquel had devoured in that alleyway.

”It is a shame, I love a feisty girl, but I’ll be making my leave now. You tasted enough already.”

”Get ‘im!” Hector began to charge the shadowy figure, offering no context as to why the man had reappeared, but not seeming to be surprised by the fact. The edge of his machete scraped the man’s arm as he dodged a moment too late, coating the tip in a streak of blood, but the man was in time to counter with a kick that forced Hector to jump out of the way.

Without saying a word, the man turned tail and ran into the darkness, not before the faintest click could be heard as a grenade tumbled toward the Phoenix and soon-to-be-Phoenix.

Man #2 - Potential: ???

Interestingly, the man that Raquel devoured has reappeared at his hideout. How peculiar!

​

 

[Coyote Hart]

Gideon Gray

CS Link

SCENE:

The Trials of Belial

LOCATION:

Gideon and Jozef's Dorm Room, New Oasis Central University

TIME:

January 11th, 2022 | Post Arc 2

PARTICIPANTS:

Gideon, Jozef

The Trials of Belial

Gideon finished chewing on the chocolate. The sweetness was satisfying, but it wasn't enough to be described as "gluttony." So Gideon opened another package and popped it into his mouth, tossing another one to Jozef as well.

Following the blond-haired Serpent's lead, Gideon dropped the candy's plastic wrapper onto the ground. There was a bit of guilt and a bit of what could only be vaguely described as yearning as he stared at the plastic on the ground. He knew that they would have to clean up their garbage after the ritual, and so their current actions felt like a disservice to their future selves. But regardless, Jozef was right, littering was sinning, and so Gideon littered.

"One right doesn't fix a wrong," Gideon reassured Jozef. Gideon's generosity wouldn't detract from the fact that the two of them were reveling in the comforts of gluttony, "You should have more. If you don't thoroughly satiate any sweet tooth you may have, the ritual won't work."

As Gideon chewed, he continued to work on his part of the chalk circle. He often had to erase what he was doing, covering his hands in a layer of fine white dust, as he did his best with his lacking art skills to replicate the image that the book displayed.

Gideon chose not to respond to Jozef's unintentional dig at him. Part of Gideon hoped that if a demon had the power to take over New Oasis, they simply didn't out of boredom from repetitive destruction. And as for the coexistence of Serpents and Phoenixes, well, Gideon could only say, "Yes, you're quite nice in comparison to your friends." The wording might've been rude due to the directness of it, but Gideon was quite a direct person.

"How are you doing on your end?" Gideon asked Jozef. If they were almost done, then Gideon could begin the ritual. He began to put the handful of items that he needed into their rightful spots. Gideon lifted a gravy boat filled with cranberry sauce and asked Jozef, "What do you think we should do if the demon ends up taking over New Oasis though? Also is this your cranberry sauce? Do you still need it?"

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Haze-]

Dante Aguilar

CS Link

SCENE:

Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth

LOCATION:

Dante's Apartment, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Shishido Takakazu ( thebigfella ), Dante Aguilar

Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth

The room grew with a presence after that one joke, for some odd reason.

He heard a creak in the floor giving out at Tak’s weight, something dragging the carpet, then a set of eyes digging into the back of his skull; searing, likely. Hollowing the walls, echoing with a quiet resignation— silence. Over-exaggerated, over-dramatic silence.

Two parts to the silence.

The loud whirr of the fan overhead and muted TV static; picking up to the shriek of a violin and the tremble of a cello once it moved to the next scene.

Hi-tension…

They at least managed to get the soundtrack to be on point. If only the movie had a good plot to match the music.

Dante’s shoulders immediately dropped, heaving up again with a sigh as he turned back to Tak. Knowing damn well that he also had an ongoing gag on speed dial just for him.

Was he leaning in for a kiss?

Was he about to pull a chainsaw out of his ass and chop him to pieces too?

Was he really that sensitive about his hair?

There was no way of telling. He’d done the same dance with Tak a dozen times before and he still couldn’t quite read the intent. There was only the ever-subtle certainty of either a kick, a sucker punch, or a spit coming his way— in this case Dante stood there looking at Tak’s plain expression. Somehow expecting all of those reactions at once.

…

He was taking too long…

...

Maybe he really was leaning in for a ki— “Aghh!! You fu—”

That one was new.

For Tak at least.

Thankfully, he’d already grown a resistance to assholes shining bright lights straight into his eyes.

They’d pulled that same stunt on him ad infinitum at this point. In some bizarre, vile-masochistic way his eyes were already starting to accommodate for the constant flashbang ever since he joined the tigers.

Tak held the light for a good while, Dante was stunned like a deer in— well, headlights. Didn’t hold it long enough for it to cook the eyeballs out of his skull, but long enough to feel the sting.

He still couldn’t shake away the feeling of light burning behind his eyes. Itching, like it wanted him to claw out his own eyes. He hissed like a sun-bathed vamp, warm breath against clenched teeth, one sharp inhale as he tried to fight the urge to rub at his eyes.

His expression became more and more sour the more he felt it jabbing behind his eye, like he had something caught back there. Eyes shut, he listened to Tak’s excuse, a sneer breaking his face — “O-Oh, did’ya now?” — It took some hard restraint, but he’d somehow managed to not punch the head clean off Tak’s shoulders.

Just like he’d seen the booger on his nose, Dante was already starting to hallucinate things in the dark. Something green stuck in Tak’s teeth. Maybe an elbow to the jaw oughta get it out.

The dazzle of light blasted at his pallid face was starting to slowly wear off, his eyes were starting to flutter open. The whites at a full, veiny red and tears gathering on the lower lids. His pupils went slit as, once again, the yellow glow of his eyes made an alloy— a counterpoint.

More of a strained, fading glimmer with all of that shine put on them.

“Huh?”— His first sight was a very blurry Tak pointing at his crotch.

“Nah, I got that one from your mom. She’s an artist.” — As he’d shamelessly brought up his sister into their usual bantering session, there was that primal impulse of bringing up another man’s mother taking over. He wanted to add something else about his mom being on her knees, another thing about a midget, but he managed to stifle it quiet.

There needed to be a balance. A level of class. Restraint

Dante went stiff as he felt pinpricks run up the spine, eyes widening, the redness beginning to fade away. The yellow spark caught in his eye grew in intensity.

He shook away the goosebumps once his body finished patching up his eyeballs, cranking the neck with one hand as the other one moved to punch one of Tak’s shoulders.

Just a slight bump.

“You would look much better with the right cut, dumbass.” — His words weren’t laced with any snide or mockery, it was just plain honesty. One of the few commodities he could enjoy while being around Tak was the fact that he could be genuine for once. Unlike with any other tiger, Dante had realized that this one was as simple as he made himself out to be.

He reminded him of those old friends he used to hang out with back in the north. Sitting at the crotch of a shadeless tree in recess, just beating each other up because it was funny.

That level of bluntness he could somewhat appreciate.

With one final huff and a sigh, he resumed walking to the kitchen — “Maybe then you’d be getting into someone's pants instead of fawning over one pixel of titty. Fuckin’ dog.”— Then he returned to mocking the soul out of him.

Again, it was all about the balance.

It didn’t take him that long to return to Tak bear-hugging three bowls filled to the edge with popcorn. Different kinds too.

Extra butter on the left.

Golden brown and caramelized on the right.

A weird mixture of both in the middle bowl.

He quickly slid all three bowls down on the carpet with the grace and swiftness of a professional bartender.

“Truce,”— He offered — “Let’s just get this re-watch done with and send this piece of shit back to rental. There’s no way in hell I’m paying for this movie.”

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

TAKAONNA

CS Link

SCENE:

Beginner's Guide to Housekeeping

LOCATION:

Near North-Central Bridge, Upper Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Shinko, Tri, Naomi, Yukari, Hector

Beginner's Guide to Housekeeping

Figuratively or not, a very foul odor had permeated the air.

From the edge of the water, a pair of ghastly pale hands were first to emerge. Dripping water, the rest of the limbs rose, slithering onto land. Then came the head, a ball of murky hair that fell over the front. As the torso followed suit, it tilted its head back, revealing part of the face. In its mouth, stuck like a tumor but held tight with the creature's teeth, was a parcel wrapped in plastic.

At last the Takaonna's legs stepped out of the water, revealing the eight and a half foot slender woman in her entirety. The only thing she wore were bandages wrapped around her body and limbs.

The warmth of the sunlight made her grimace—she normally didn't come out at this time of day, but the "important friends" wanted her fetching this from the water. Whatever it was, it didn't taste like anything important, such as food. Regardless, here she was. And if memory served her correct, they said something about dropping it off in a car.

Well, the Takaonna heard plenty of cars ahead. And to the cars, she went.

The screams pierced the air first. Then the crunch of a car's metal frame, as the Takaonna tore the roof off a poor bystander's vehicle...

WhiskeyMarten Damafaud Astrylan @tityanya

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Matsuda Russo

CS Link

SCENE:

Park-Time Recreation

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1—2015, June 20th (Saturday)—1:00 PM

LOCATION:

Upper Central, Central Park

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Milo, Matsuda, Nanami (NPC)

Park-Time Recreation

Mastuda chuckled, rolling his eyes at Bolt's and Nanami's bickering. Joining a gang huh? Matsu wasn't so sure about that. Gangs seemed... well- they seemed dangerous. Matsuda wasn't too keen on risking his life. He had his brothers to think of afterall. Ryu was busy with his studies- working hard to be the one blessing of this shitty family- and Akio was... well Matsu and Ryu were trying their best to have him live his younger years happily. Always encouraging him to get away from home as much as possible, lest their dad fuck Akio up like he already had Ryu and Matsuda.

As for his friends- well. He supposed he felt the same. It seemed dangerous. What if he lost them? And a life of always being on the run or hiding from the law? What if that sort of life...what if it changed them? Matsuda didn't want to join any sort of gang. He was admittedly quite concerned for his friends, but he couldn't very well express that now could he? So, he smiled.

He was broke out of his reverie by a nudge from Boltius. With a dazed blink, he glared up at him. He barked a laugh, finally a genuine laugh at Nanami's breakdown. When all of a sudden air was being choked out of him. Eyes widening, he choked out a cough, reaching up to tug at Boltius' arm. "I'll.. tell ya-" choke "What's wrong wi-" choke "with em!" He head butted his orange haired friend with the back of his head, spinning around and quickly getting on his feet. Before Boltius could get back up, Matsuda placed his foot on the other's sternum, nearly weighing all his weight onto him. Of course, Matsu had less weight and muscle than Bolt- so he doubted it would last long. With hands on his hips, the duo eyed boy exclaimed with confidence, "you look like a fucking groundhog with that shit on! A square pillow I tell ya!"

With a light kick to Boltius' chin, he ran to crouch behind Milo, hands on his shoulders as he peered from behind him. Laughing, he plucked his own hat off his head before shoving it onto Milo's. He stole the drink out of Nanami's hand before taking a swig. It burned down his throat, but that's what men did right? They toughed it out. Once swallowed he made a disgusted face, before giving it back to Nanami, who responded with a huff.

Suddenly remembering their conversation, Matsu piped up. "Thinkin' about moving outta this island when I'm older. Dunno where I'll fuckin go hah! But it's better than being trapped here." He paused, suddenly feeling uncomfortable at how negative he seemed to be. It wasn't like he hated this place. His friends and brothers were here after all! But.. he wanted- something... more. Hell- he was probably spewing bullshit. "Least out there, there's less risk of a tsunami wiping us out eh?" He cackled.

Spoiler: Tags

Doctor Llamabean Elenion Aura

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Meirin Azuza

CS Link

SCENE:

Spicy Juice

LOCATION:

Eternal Night Palace (Pleasure District), East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Yushui, Peyton, Meirin, Isaiah, Hanji, Otilie, Jessamine

Spicy Juice

Meirin recognized the signs of a tired sex worker.

Whether it was Jun, Daisy, or any of her other friends, lovemaking took a lot of energy, especially when it was with someone they didn’t really love. There were good days and there were bad days. People, from all walks of life, had all sorts of reasons for choosing the sex industry. From needing money like Daisy, to being forced like Jun, to actually enjoying the work like Jackson, Merin had met all kinds. Sex was a lot of fun when both parties were willing. When both at least liked each other, though–more often than not–those in the sex industry, who did it as a job, were willing to work so long as the opposite party was at least tolerable.

Meirin wouldn’t know. The truth was that when she first worked at Eternal Night Palace--so that she might get closer to her sister--she was a cleaner (Lil’ Rin) and, the one time Meirin had first resolved herself to take on a client, she gave him a fist to the face instead of her virginity. Her Dragon letter had arrived the day after. Since then, the only intercourse she had was of her own choosing, whether it was helping to train newbies or experimenting with people that interested her.

Meirin had never actually been a brothel worker, at least, not in the same way Miss Chouchou and Eros were.

However, she resolved to help and comfort people like her sister all the same. Rivals and such made no difference.

Therefore, when Long informed her of their Jade Temple visitor, Meirin happily made her way to the salon where dancers worked the stage and Peyton worked the bar.

Though, the first person she ended up noticing was the ghoulish figure of the Dragon’s Holy Sword.

Merin waved brightly. “Han-Han~! Are you lost again?”

Giggling, the brown haired Dragon Veteran blew her fellow Dragon Veteran a kiss. “Though, if you actually came here for its intended purpose, lemme know~ I'll show you our Book of Escorts.”

The cheery attitude of one of the brothel’s owners seemed to relax the people that tensed at the sudden arrival of the Holy Sword, the King’s Executioner, and they returned to what they were doing--dancing, kissing, eating, fornicating, etc.

Gliding over to the bar, Meirin settled in the stool beside Yushui and waved at Peyton as well. “Evening, Pei. Can I get the Nectar Fuego?”

She winked at the Jade Temple’s newest dancer. “I guarantee it’d give you the heat you need if you’re feelin’ down.”

Meirin might not have the same allure or sexual appeal as her sister and some of her other friends, but she was confident in her own charms. Sorta. Well, even if she didn’t have charms, she had fists, and that made all the difference when it came to protecting Eternal Night Palace. Jun had her strength. Meirin had hers. Two sides of the same brothel coin.

Coyote Hart The Crimson King Seaquill

 

[Sei Shonagon]

Julian Midgley

CS Link

SCENE:

Fireflies for Glass Bottle Hearts

LOCATION:

North district somewhere. Alleyway.

TIME:

PRE-ARC 3. December 18th 2021.

PARTICIPANTS:

Sebastian Se, Julian Midgley

Fireflies for Glass Bottle Hearts

This was the man that had begged him for help just minutes ago. The man that had, with the very same muscles that now laid frozen, knocked him over. At the time he had been pulsating with warmth, reined in only by the confines of flesh and contorted facial features. Now it was dissipating through the blanket of snow below as wine was served directly from the tapped barrel. How curious it was. That this body of liquid that had been aged for so many years could be spilt so easily. And even yet more curious was the reason behind this spontaneous pop of the bottle.

The killer’s demeanour was one of celebration, but what he was celebrating was still unknown to the blonde. Maybe it was just a drunken whim, he wagered at the mirth that tugged on his onlooker’s grinning visage. A grin that was perhaps even more chilly than the death throes that congealed into stillness upon the corpse. Then there was him, wrists deep into the shredded surface of the corpse. Playing finger painting by dipping his whole hand in the paint bucket.

Now that he thought about it this scene kind of reminded him of something else. Julian turned his attention back to the corpse below him and curled his fingers. They met with slimy resistance that couldn’t be more different from the blanket he had once clutched in his palms. The hungry rumble from his stomach cut in to agree to the suggestion of getting food and he folded over the body.

Maybe it really was a drunken whim.

The blonde gingerly wrapped the handkerchief around his hands and gazed up at the back that was offered to him. Surprise shook his lashes before they settled into a smile. One that was invisible to the man that introduced himself as Sebastian as he approached. With his legs hitched up by the hollows of his knees and face breathing down the man’s neck through the crevice of looped arms, he replied:

“It’s Julian.”

How curious. Just like how the corpse had been alive just a few minutes ago, Julian would’ve had no name to respond with to this question if he had been asked this a few months back. But that was life, wasn’t it? Ever changing, ever fluctuating.

“What is ‘tip’ by the way?” He chimed up while they turned out of the alleyways. In the distance gleamed the colourful lights of civilization and food carts, gentle and hazy like the heat that radiated from the body beneath him. Deceivingly so, and not at all like the warm insides he had stirred into a mess.

Coyote Hart

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

JOZEF DAALMAN

CS Link

SCENE:

The Trials of Belial

LOCATION:

Dorm room, New Oasis Central University

PARTICIPANTS:

Gideon, Jozef

THE TRIALS OF BELIAL

“Yum yum yum! Om nom nom nom nom!”

Jozef made exaggerated sounds as he munched on more of the chocolate, thinking that perhaps the demon would notice their sins better if he was noisy about it. He continued to throw the wrappers behind him but soon noticed that he’d inadvertently formed a neat pile, a mistake he rectified by kicking the wrappers into the air, smiling as they rained down into a proper mess.

He turned around to face Gideon as he asked him a question, remembering that he still had to finish his part of the ritual circle. ”Ah! Nearly done! Nearly done!” He mumbled with a full mouth as he resumed drawing the intricate symbols on the ground. Jozef really wasn’t much of an artist, and now that he was hurrying to catch up to Gideon, some of the shapes ended up looking sloppy.

”Hey uh,” Jozef swallowed the rest of the chocolate in his mouth, ”Think we could wing some of these designs? Y’know, like make up our own. A couple smiley faces and hearts might make the demon friendly so then we won’t have to worry ‘bout it taking over.” Sweet, innocent Jozef. Part of him was joking, after all, the whole idea is something he didn’t believe in, but he was being genuine. Nothing wrong with spreading a bit of joy.

”Nah, I don't need it, but if we don’t need all that sauce for the ritual, maybe we could drink some. Remember, gluttony! ” Jozef lipped his lips clean as he stood up, his part of the circle drawn pending approval of his request.