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

[Lucem]

DAMIAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Laundromat Owner Will Die

LOCATION:

Laundromat, West District

TIME:

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

PARTICIPANTS:

Damian, Tri

LAUNDROMAT OWNER WILL DIE

At the mention of Kinsley, Damian tilted his head. Cupping his chin, he thought to himself for a moment before looking back at the King. "Mmm, I know her. I'm quite fond of her and the symbiote. Definitely two of the most interesting discoveries I've ever made."

He'd known Kinsley and the living ooze attached to her body for nearly a decade. Out of all the interests Damian had, he considered them to be his favorites. No matter how much time he spent with them, they always managed to hold his attention, captivating him with new sights and developments. Because of that, he could understand why Tri would also take an interest in them. However, the King's sudden inexplicable desire to murder the redhead and remove the sentient slime seemed to come from more than mere curiosity.

"Kill, hmm? That's rather inconvenient for me. A shame." He would have greatly preferred to keep both Kinsley and her symbiote in the picture. He didn't really care for the idea of separating the two either. Was killing her truly necessary if the amorphous creature was the goal? No, a more interesting subject was why Tri's sudden ascension filled him with such a desire.

"Does that mean the symbiote has some connection to being King then? I don't recall the previous one aiming for it. Or maybe he was just skilled at keeping that hidden. Very curious."

Several questions pertaining to the revelation swarmed around his mind, but when Tri brandished two weapons and proposed a duel, they immediately vanished. Turning on his heels, he stood up, completely forgetting about the washed up victim he'd been so interested in a moment ago. "Yes, let's."

Maintaining his unmoving smile, he reached for the gun. He didn't carry any weapons on his person, but he still had a very keen interest in them, particularly the ones developed by Tri. The one presented to him right now was just as intriguing as the others, fulfilling a portion of his desire to see everything the new King promised to bring to the Serpents. Yes, this was interesting. This was cool.

Spoiler: Tags

Damafaud

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

SYLVIE SLEZÁK

CS Link

SCENE:

8 Dollar Jackpot

LOCATION:

Principality Coffee, outside New Oasis

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3, April 16th 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Sylvie, Hiachi

8 DOLLAR JACKPOT

Sylvie looked down on the girl. He couldn’t help it, she was so much shorter than he was, but he hadn’t meant it to be rude. It felt less like two friends, or acquaintances, having lunch together, and more like he was dragging a little sibling with him. Noting her plain choice of food, he glanced at her in brief puzzlement but decided to make nothing of it — not in front of the cashier anyway. He couldn’t help but allow a thought to enter his head though. Was she scared of him? Was that why she didn’t go for something more? He asked where she wanted to sit, relieved that she made a quick decision, concerned by the silence.

Soon, he had everything on a tray and brought it all over to their seats at the counter. Setting Hiachi’s cappuccino and bagel in front of her, he looked at it again, before sitting down with his meal. He took a bite of his panini, and a sip of his coffee, and then turned to Hiachi.

“You know that you could have gotten more, I am happy to pay for it all. I’m here to help you, we gotta stick together. I promise, even if I don’t look it, I’m in the same boat as you, so don’t be worried please.”

 

[simj26]

Kisara McDowell

CS Link

SCENE:

Rumble at Railroad Casino

LOCATION:

Railroad Casino, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jack, Kisara, Minato, Ruriko

Rumble at Railroad Casino

The doors never stood a chance. A heeled boot crashed through them, sending them flying open, and its owner sauntered in, arms wide and outstretched. “You’ve heard her! You’ve seen her! And if you ain’t, you’re missin’ out!” Her voice was almost as loud as the announcer’s, packing with it all the excitement and expertise of a seasoned hypewoman. She raised her arms up, as if to rouse the crowd to cheer her on. “Let me hear you shout, boys and girls!”

A cold silence flooded across the crowd as all eyes pivoted to stare at the newcomer. Quiet reigned, before someone in the gathering exclaimed: “Hey, isn’t that–”

She directed a finger at the direction of the voice, as if she were holding a microphone. “You’re goddamn right it is! From the depths of hell, rises the one to conquer the beasts and aberrations of this world! The evil conqueror herself! Altogether now! The one!”

“THE ONE!” There was some response, as if the crowd was unsure how to respond, though it wasn’t as loud as she had wanted it to be. Still, even if it wasn’t the whole crowd, it was clear that some of her fans were somewhere in there.

“The only!”

“THE ONLY!” Even more voices joined in with the cry as she angled her body and aimed her ear towards the crowd.

That got the rest going. Just like that, the scattered voices raised together in unison with hers.

“PRIIIINZ GYOUSHI!” Even if they didn’t know her name, the voices of the crowd shot up in wild abandon, their roars and calls of intense emotion joined in with those who did. This was how a real fighter made an entrance, this was how a real announcer made an announcement. Props to their current one, but they ain’t beating her in a game she had been playing for longer than they had held a microphone.

The vibe was infectious, and soon it became palpable. Shouting, cheering, the playful booing and hissing as she entered the ring, it was what she called for. With just those words, she had turned the attention away from the local announcer onto her. The great heel, the King of Monsters, the deep, dark resident of the Kaiten Arena, that was who she was. She sauntered up to the cage, ignoring the fact that someone had already stepped up to the challenge of the one in the ring.

“Ya mind getting out?” She put on the kayfabe as naturally as she breathed, staring down the confused competitor. “That one’s mine.”

“Uh–”

“I’m not asking~” she brushed a hand across his chest, touching where his heart would be. With a gentle push, she nudged him aside and stepped into the cage.


“Hello~!” she waved cheerily to her opponent, as she skipped in. “The crowd’s already introduced me, soooo~” she cracked her knuckles, before she paused. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she looked at her foe. “Heeeey, you look familiar.” She racked her brain for an answer. She remembered seeing that face somewhere before, but she couldn’t place her finger on where exactly. The details were escaping her notice for the time being.

She shrugged and sneered, slipping naturally back into her act. “Well, once I’m done with you, you won’t anymore~”

Elenion Aura Beann Chaos Gallant

 

[Roda the Red]

Camila Gaspari

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers B-side: The House Always Wins

LOCATION:

West District, The White Tiger

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Ryutaro, Camila, Alice, Jennifer

The House Always Wins

The operation had officially commenced, from a safe distance, Camila observed the new Queen and Jennifer take their seats on the table. "Trust" would be a bit of a stretch for the monochromatic tiger, but she knew of Jennifer's abilities and work ethic, so she was confident on picking her for the job...However, she also could not help but worry a bit about the Queen's sudden intervention. She didn't know much about Ryutaro, well of course she knew about the powerhouse that is Hashimoto Real Estate, and that he must have at the very least a very wide level of influence and leverage in order to become the Queen of the Albino Tigers in such a short notice, but was the man himself really qualified for this task? This wasn't something that influence, power or money could help with, the man was just an enigma and the concern was palpable. Regardless, Camila would have to count on him whether she liked it or not.

Thus, she headed over to the bar's counter and picked up a large tray containing nearly two dozens of glasses, each one of them filled over halfway with fancy champagne.

"Welcome~ Would you like some drinks? Courtesy of the house~" With a big, fake grin she attended to the people around the lounge, strutting confidently through the tables as the glasses on her tray slowly disappeared one after the other. What people might not have noticed is that every now and then, her eyes would intently scan around the area, carefully looking at every single one of the guests inhabiting the casino. Any sort of unusual glance, strange hand movement, really anything that could possibly raise her suspicion. There was not guarantee about it, but who knew if someone was helping their target from a distance. If there is something that Camila has learned over the years, is that you never know what to expect when it comes to HP abilities. When it came to casting an ability, you could see any degree of effort in the spectrum, from requiring to draw your own blood or perform a convoluted dance, to as simple as winking a little slower than usual, every ability was different, and spotting them could be quite the challenge. She also kept an occasional eye on the main table, that brat was most certainly hiding something, and honestly...To a degree, she could respect that.

Despite being pretty close to a picture-perfect example of a "proper" Albino Tiger, Camila hated gambling, quite vehemently so. It wasn't exactly because of any moral standing, she couldn't care less that suckers lost their money unfairly, their own fault for losing like that. No, it was the very idea of leaving your hard-earned money up in the air, at the mercy of mere chance, fearlessness without care was just plain stupidity, she got where she was now all because of taking calculated risks, the idea of just casually letting said effort potentially go to waste, it was just a revolting thought. That's why, to a degree, she had a respect for cheaters...At least for those that did it well. They used their wit and talents to toss chance out of the equation, and grab the horse by the reins. Too bad that the tigers were going to make this rider fall in the end, leaving her at the mercy of their claws.

miki joshuadim Uasal AriAriAbabwa

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Hypothermia

LOCATION:

Burned Down School, North District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1: April 4th, 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol

Hypothermia

It was cold.

Sang-Cheol hated the cold. Though it wasn't always like that. Back when he was younger, Sang-Cheol always built a snowman when it was snowing. He would roll it up, decorate with it, and finally have a snowball fight with it. Winter always seemed like a time full of wonder for any child, especially himself. Now all he felt when seeing snow was the cold, dark room of his jail cell. An ever-present feeling that haunted him.

Leaning back against the bench, he looked up at the clear, blue sky. Right now, it was spring. Everything around him seemed to be bustling with life. The bugs started crawling from hibernation, the flowers rose from their slumber, and the sky began to smile again. It was as if the world around him had thawed and was reborn as a more beautiful being.

Everything except him.

No matter how many springs have passed, the coldness that accompanied him day to night never faded away. If he had to guess, Sang-Cheol presumed it was some sort of trauma he developed during his time in prison. The fear of being beaten up by other inmates, being collared up like an animal, and the presence of loneliness accompanying him. Those fears were all mixed into the encompassing winter that swept through the prison.

The North never had any really good facilities. The healthcare was shit, the school system was shit, and it wasn't much of a surprise that their prison was just as shit.

He remembered huddling up on his bed. The sheets were too thin to properly warm him from the cold. How he wished that he could see the flames that ostracized him from everyone else. The flames that gave him warmth were also the chains that bound him to suffer. A small Kindle that symbolized his hope but was tied to his despair. In that jail cell with nobody but himself, Sang-Cheol couldn't see anything anymore.

Though, it wasn't the prison that broke him. It was when he was finally released and saw the clear skies. He didn't know what to expect when he got out, but a small part of him wished that someone would have come to meet him.

Perhaps his father would finally have snapped out of his bad habits. A revelation that made him realize that his family was important, and he rushed over to hug him. Sang-Cheol would have accepted the hug happily. Perhaps Hyung would come back remorseful for abandoning him. Sang-Cheol would have forgiven him, and maybe their relationship would have gotten better. Perhaps Isobel would have returned and given him a faint smile he saw that day. Sang-Cheol would have cried, realizing that he could see his friend again.

None of that happened.

His father died of an overdose.

His hyung moved away to the East District.

Isobel never returned.

The realization that he had nothing anymore broke him. Not one person showed up, and not one person cared about him. In this world, the only person that tries to recover his broken pieces is himself. Knowing himself back then, that was impossible.

If it had been a day later before the Professor came, he would have-

Sang-Cheol shook his head. Why did it matter anymore? The past was the past, and he had a purpose now. He had people he thought cared about him, and that was enough. Caio, Mimi, and the other workers at the lab were enough.

A sigh escaped from the scientist's lips as he got up from the bench. He walked away from the school and left behind an empty cup of ice cream.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Monday Brunch

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | June 5th

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri Park, Ryutaro Hashimoto

Monday Brunch

Rays of sunlight danced throughout the dining room like countless, shimmering threads. It was an idyllic day, such that the coming summer's warm embrace could be felt even through the cool walls of Passeri's apartment. Furnished with delicate finger foods and cool, refreshing snacks as the dining room was it would've been easy to mistake it for a picnic-to-be, set out for someone too busy with the life that allowed them to live such a life of luxury to enjoy a proper lakeside lunch.

If only the circumstances had been so pleasant.

A knot of tension sat within Passeri's chest. Though her promotion to Jack was recent, the meeting of which all of this had been prepared had been a long time coming. Ever since Lucy's flight from the city, only days after her own return, the Tigers' newfound Queen had loomed on her horizon.

"I think that's everything!" Passeri smiled, hardly a hair of the worry she felt visible within her expression. She hadn't been the one to set all of this up, of course. Dispossessed of skill in the culinary arts as she was, Passeri's personal chef was one of her largest crutches for occasions such as this, and her maid was a close second. Even an untrained eye such as hers could appreciate the delicacy with which the day's spread had been arranged.

"You guys can take the rest of the day off!" They were people she could count on, a rare thing in New Oasis, so it was only natural that she'd want them out of the way on a day like this. "You guys deserve the time off, with all the running around I've been having you do today."

The pair exchanged a look. This wasn't the first time they'd been sent off early like this. In fact, it was almost a common occurrence. They knew well that there were certain dealings which the lady of this house would rather not have them privy to, for whatever reasons she might have had, and that keeping their lips sealed about it was part of the job. If they were younger, brasher people, they might've seen fit to snoop, eager to make a quick buck off of airing out a celebrity's dirty laundry, but the both of them were above that.

They exchanged a few brief, grateful goodbyes, and then the elevator slid shut behind them as they departed. Silence took the apartment, now deprived of the sounds of life instilled by the pairs' slow, steady stream of work, leaving Passeri alone with her thoughts.

She took a moment to assess things a final time. The table was laid, her itinerary was set, and if worst truly came to worst, security was on standby. By all accounts, everything was prepared, yet that knot still only tightened within her, pulled tauter and tauter with each passing minute of Ryutaro's approach. She supposed it was appropriate. It hadn't been since her winter meeting with Markus that she'd been so worked up over something as trivial as a meal.

At the very least, she hoped that Ryutaro had more of an appetite.

joshuadim

 

[Misuteeku]

Devin Cena

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Yeye Home

LOCATION:

The Yeye Home, East District (LittleLeaf zone)

TIME:

June 5th, 2022 || Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Meirin, Dyne, Isaiah, Devin, Sabrina, Ruriko, Jess, Ottilie

Yeye Home

"WEEEEEEEEE!"

"Yaaaaay! Again, again!"

"Mr. Plant, here's your tea."

Devin had his hands full. When Meirin volunteered to help out at an orphanage, Devin decided he should pull his weight and help out as well. During the day of the earthquake, he was incapacitated by George, who, once again, sapped all the nutrients from his body and left him bedridden for the day. Devin couldn't tell if that was a blessing in disguise or a time bomb that might blow him up in the future.

Though, he didn't know how to deal with children. "Heeeh, can you please come down? It's dangerous..." Devin said in a nervous, soft tone. When he arrived alongside a few other dragons, Devin didn't know what to do. He had a younger twin sibling, but when they were younger, she was mostly bedridden half of the time. The only thing they did together was talk or look at the flowers he would occasionally bring to cheer her up. That's why his first instinct was to let George out and have him entertain the kids on the pretense of giving him some good fertilizer after.

This results in him becoming a miniature jungle gym with a sentient plant on top. The kids started to climb all over him to check out George, and suffice it to say; they were a little on the heavy side. They started pulling on his hair and shirt and stepping on his legs to reach up to George. He didn't mind that. What he did mind was how George was taking it. The kids were also pulling on his vines and pinching his leaves. The plant had a belligerent attitude and often caused trouble for Devin.

Thankfully, George seemed to be well-behaved and was surprisingly playing around with the kids. Devin didn't know the plant had this side to him. To Devin, George was a pet he couldn't get quite the handle of and often suffered the repercussions of it. It restored some hope that perhaps George would calm down the day and become a little more reserved. Though a thought suddenly struck him. What if George was feeding off his stress and misery at the moment? That's the reason why he was behaving himself; it was because he was sucking the joy out of him!

"Please be careful." Devin already felt tired. He could tell this was going to be a long day.

Damafaud Beann QuirkyAngel simj26 Lucem Saturn_moon

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

ACCESS CODE

LOCATION:

Internet

TIME:

Post Arc-2 |

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Timothy [NPC], Kiwi

ACCESS CODE

"...What's that?" Timothy gave him an odd look as a notification popped up. Sang-Cheol didn't entirely understand why the computer made a strange sound and lights erupted when that pop-up happened, but it seemed like Timothy disapproved of his lack of digital literacy. His worker shook his head and started to type up a response. A good squeeze on his shoulder made him cough up what he was thinking.

"That... It was a notification. It looks like our hacker friend has taken the bait." Timothy winced before Sang-Cheol let go of his shoulder. Looming over his worker's shoulder, Sang-Cheol's eyes perked up as he read the message.

"So they're willing, right? She better do her money's worth. Tell her the details, Timothy." Or, in this case, type them to her. Timothy gave him a nod before rapidly clicking the button on his keyboard.

Anonymous:
I'm looking for information regarding a group affiliated with the government.
They're known as stewards.
Any information regarding them would be welcomed.

If he had any luck, then the hacker would be able to scrounge up some information regarding the stewards. Those bastards that decided fuck his day over were going to pay. Additionally, he needed more about their research. There was something about it that he needed to gain.

Spoiler: Tags

@gxxberkit [/USER]

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Yuto Nishimura

CS Link

SCENE:

Tutor Turmoil

TIME:

Pre Arc 1, 2020 || November 15 || 6:45 pm

LOCATION:

Lab Icarus

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, Yuto

TUTOR TURMOIL

Yuto giggled, his chin resting on the other's shoulder, still clinging onto him like saran wrap. "I could be!" a pondered for a second, lips pursed in thought. "What kinda dog do you think hm? A Pomeranian?" He imitated little yips like how a small dog would. "Oorrr like a pitbull? A big bad wolf?" Sucking in a big breath, he barked it out, though it sounded more wheezy than he intended, Yuto cutting his barking off short with a few dry coughs. Licking his lips, he pouted, before finally tearing himself off of Raphael's back.

He trotted to face him, plopping himself down on the floor with his legs crossed. He looked like a child waiting for story time, the way he looked up at Raphael. He tilted his head, a teasing smile on his face. "Alone again I see.~" he sighed wistfully, hands coming up to cradle his own face in mock sympathy. "Poor Raphy-Raph just can't seem to keep anyone around him. What a lonely lonely boy.~" Yuto immediately broke the facade, breaking out into a fitful of giggles, swaying on his ass and holding his stomach.

Yuto sprung up to his feet, the tile cold against his skin. He ignored the urge to shiver. He slapped his cold palms onto Raphael's cheeks, a serious expression on his face. "Don't tell me you killed them you rude rude man!" of course, if Raphael did- Yuto wouldn't really have an issue with it. But! it was a matter of principle! Killing was bad! as people would say.

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura

Spoiler: Previously on Tutor Turmoil

Yuto's Post
-
Raphael's Post

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Carry On My Wayward Son

TIME:

Nighttime, Post-Arc 3, June 25th 2022

LOCATION:

Feralia Art Gallery, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Christina, Hector, Milo

Carry On My Wayward Son

Art! Oh the human expression, something so alluring yet confusing, something we might never truly understand down to its very simplest element, yet the sight of it is capable of touching the heart of even the most cynical of individuals. The strokes, composition, rule of three, color harmony among many others deeply-considered factors neatly put together into magnificent paintings, all scattered throughout the grand halls of the art gallery. The blue-haired phoenix, however, could not get a single thing out of the piece he was staring at if his life depended on it.

Had he happened to be a machine at the moment, his gears would screech and smoke would start coming out from his head.

He shrugged, not stressing much over his lack of comprehension towards the enigmatic artwork. He was not here to look at the pretty paintings anyways, he was here to make sure nobody tried anything funny with them. Jasmine, the reliable job broker in the Scarlet Phoenixes, had reached to Charlie the other day for a job offer. Over the course of a week, the famous artist Debora Hillclad was opening her art exhibit on central district. Originally, the event was meant to happen on the first week of June, however, the destruction caused by the earthquake pretty much cancelled the whole thing altogether. But still, Hillclad was adamant about keeping the event going, insisting on still making it happen later in the month, this time the entrance being free for everyone, claiming that she merely wanted her art to lift everyone's spirits after such a tragedy.

And thus, Charlie was given the task of looking over the exhibit during the closed hours over the week, taking a few other Phoenixes of his own choosing to cover his back. His first choice was Christina, Ashley's new sponsoree. He was excited to getting to know what was essentially the one under one of this best friends' wing, but also thought it was a good opportunity to try to...well...persuade her that taking lives is not the only thing a phoenix has to do. Next was Milo, if only because he simply could not let his artistically-inclined friend out of it, and also it was just nice to spend time together that wasn't just because of both being friends of Boltius, (No hard feelings Doctor Llamabean ). There was also Queen Hector...Who decided to join on his own...Charlie's guilt was still lingering within him, so he wasn't exactly ecstatic about the news, but he could not reject his superior's choice.

Charlie caught a glimpse of Christina as he patrolled the area, eagerly hopping towards her, taking a seat on a nearby bench. "So! How are you holding up? It can be a bit hard to stay vigilant this late, but you get used to it!" It may have been a bit hard to see in the dark, but he was patting the other side of the bench, inviting the hatchling for a short break.

Note: The whole gallery is pretty dark, all the phoenixes were given flashlights for patrolling the gallery, the place is fairly large, but mainly composed of narrow hallways.

Infab Elenion Aura WhiskeyMarten

 

[tityanya]

𝑁𝑜𝑎𝑚 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑜

I am here: Nikolai's Mansion
With: Nikolai
Scene: Revenge Best Served à La Mode
Time: 6:15 PM || November 7, 2019 || Pre-arc 1​

"Everybody gets high"

〖 Noam shrugged as Niko sighed fuck the media. Noam was honestly inclined to agree. But Niko thought on Noam's words, and Noam could see his friend growing more and more pleased at the concept. Noam reeled back as Niko jumped to his feet, the motion smooth and fluid and seeming as though it was instantaneous, but simultaneously that it had taken a thousand years. Niko's sudden coordination was only a fluke, however, and Noam reached his arms out to catch his friend as he stumbled. Niko caught his balance, however, and began pacing the room as Noam lowered his arms and leaned back in his chair.

Noam grinned wide as he heard Niko musing out loud. Of course his idea was perfect! They just needed to decide what horrible things to do as that two-bit fashion designer and model.
Noam sunk into the chair, staring idly at the ceiling as he contemplated the revenge. A lot of dark ideas came to his head. Things that would absolutely ruin that bastard forever. When Niko stopped before him, his intense blue eyes staring, Noam jumped and sat up straight. His action inadvertently gave Niko the perfect purchase onto his skull, his palm covering Noam's forehead as his fingers dug into his skin. Despite the minor pain, Noam couldn't help but feel...excited. Niko wasn't one for physical touch. Just this simple gesture made Noam...happier than it really should have. Did that mean Niko trusted him? Didn't think he was too dirty to touch or something? The world turned a little rosy as Niko talked about breaking into the other designer's company.

But when Niko straightened up, he seemed to have lost his momentum. He groaned, collapsing dramatically into the couch again. Noam was still cruising on the rosy power. "Don't give up just yet, Niko! We'll have to do something that'll absolutely crush him. Something illegal he could never recover from, if you catch my drift. And the model, well, reputations are important for models. She'll be the easier target of the two. Ruin her reputation, ruin her career. The two will go down in flames for messing with you," Noam said, taking on Niko's earlier manic energy as his voice got higher, his hands gesturing wildly. Getting into his studio was an excellent step one. Maybe he could burn it down while he was there.〗

"why the hell can't I?"​

((ooc: ))
((outfit: same as picture))
((Everybody Gets High))​

talk think

Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[Misuteeku]

???

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Blood Stained Girl

LOCATION:

Alleyway, South District

Time:

Pre-Arc 1 | ???

PARTICIPANTS:

Raquel, Hector

Blood Stained Girl

Smoke and debris covered her vision. She didn't have enough time to cover her face as shards of floor and wall sliced her body. One of her eyes was cut as the debris flew past her face. Some of it even embedded themselves into her flesh like small pins. The cannibal felt pain prickling all over her body and, along with her previous injuries, made her pass out. Her consciousness blinked in and out, but she could hear Hector's voice.

Something about it touched her. The way he called out to her with a voice filled with concern. When was the last time she heard a voice like that before? Days? Weeks? Years? The answer escaped her, yet it was obvious at the same time. To be cared for, to be with someone. It was something that familiar, yet foreign to the cannibal that lived amongst the trash.

That being said, instead of responding to Hector's question, she gave a question to her. "Did... I get him?" After all, that was the entire reason for bringing her here, wasn't it? Though, her eyes felt heavy. While her body regenerated itself, her body failed to rejuvenate her energy. She tried to fight back the growing darkness that began to fill her vision. "Am... I... Accepted?"

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Matsuda Russo

CS Link

SCENE:

Puss Gets the Boot

TIME:

Post arc 3 - 14th June 2022

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Matsuda, Tak, Kiwi, Hiachi, Yura

Puss Gets the Boot

Matsuda's brows furrowed in concern. Kiwi seemed a bit... panicked? On edge? it certainly seemed like she could use a glass of water... maybe a hot cocoa? That always soothed his nerves. Something warm and sweet. Too bad he didn't have a hot cocoa making potential.

Before he could voice his concern, Matsu jumped, head snapping towards the door. He flinched at the loud voice, his long limbs sinking into the couch. If Matsu thought he was a mess, this guy took the candle. None of what this man said went through to Matsuda's mind. What was he blabbering about? He shook his head, averting his eyes to his lap, his fingers fiddling with his rings.

He flinched as he assumed he was acknowledged. After all, he was the only one wearing a mask. Fuck no, he would rather be ignored entirely by a guy like him. He seemed like he would beat anyone to a pulp if they even looked at him! Matsuda wished he could shrink into a mouse right now. No- a fly! Yeah a fly. He could escape through a window- leave behind everything in this god forsaken-

The duo eyed boy snapped out of his thoughts with a blink. No. He was in a gang now. He had to be strong. He couldn't be such a wuss. With hesitation, he rose up a hand in greeting, his muffled voice coming through. "I'm uh.. I'm Matsuda. Matsuda Russo. Just- Just call me Matsu." He laughed, the sound coming through nearly as heavy distorted breathing instead. Fuck's sake- it sounds like he was hyperventilating!

he cleared his throat and straightened his back. Confidence. This was what he needed right now. Like a Matador in a ring with the Bull. He smiled- though he had no idea why he did- it wasn't like it could be seen. Maybe it was just a habit. "Dont'cha think its a bit rude to act like I'm not right here? You should speak to me directly you know? Introduce yourself or.. uh.. stuff like.. that.. hah." He rubbed the back of his neck, skin flushed.

Spoiler: Tags

Sei Shonagon @gxxberkit miki @thebigfella

 

[joshuadim]

RYUTARO HASHIMOTO

CS Link

SCENE:

Monday Brunch

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ryutaro, Passeri

MONDAY BRUNCH

​

At six o' clock in the morning, sharp, Ryu awoke from his bed with the vigor of a young man. Despite closing in on 40, he still was in what one might consider to be peak condition thanks to years of continued work as well as diligence in maintaining an important routine. And his dwelling, with all its intricacies and means, helped to keep this cycle going. With its sleek and modern design, he integrated automated routines for efficiency as he multitasked. First by doing his morning exercises while the espresso machine ran freshly grounded beans over a chilled steel ball to preserve the flavors after brewing as well as to quickly cool the brew for immediate consumption. With a build in personal gym at his penthouse, he made sure to do his push-ups, crunches, and stretches first to warm-up and get his blood pumping. Once the expresso finished, he drank the shot, took a moment to read the headlines in the paper, and went back to finish his early exercise routine.

He then moved on towards a wooden training dummy to prevent his skills, and years of experience, from dulling. It was important to always stay on top of the game in any way he could, lest he risk falling behind and failing to realize his goals. That prospect was simply unacceptable to him. But there was also the matter of dealing with early morning matters related to his real estate empire, which he dealt with through integrated speakers in the house. On this day in particular, Cal called to speak on the matter of the Heist.

"Boss, I have good news." Ryu's chief technical officer spoke aloud, his voice filling the gym area in the call. Ryu did not immediate respond as he let out quick breaths as he moved his arms like a rapid current in between and through the wooden outcrops that jutted out of the wooden dummy; blocking and striking in a potent mix of adaptive and fluid defense and offense. "The paperwork's gone through. Didn't take the city government much convincing. G&G are officially out of the here."

Ryu stopped for a moment and stood straight, taking a deep breath: "Good. Very good."

In truth, Ryu was understating the immense value that had been just put into his hands. The freak earthquake in Central was a perfect storm of coincidence, as it opened up entire new avenues of development. And, that was not to mention, that G&G had given up their own property rights to valuable plots in Central which included the very city center itself. Where once an older skyscraper stood, would now develop into and become the symbol of his own ambition and power. The beginnings of a new order. He effectively owned, legally, the most important regions of the Central District. And with the city desperate for reconstruction work by this point, Ryu was the civilian government's saving grace much to their benefit and detriment.

"You have an appointment at 1 with Mister Walker regarding-"

"Have Alicia reschedule that. I'll likely be busy today." Ryu then responded, returning to his sparring with the wooden dummy as he began to strike and block again. Practicing these moves were almost like breathing to him after so many years, a reflex that was activated without thought.

"Ah, with Miss Park at 11?" Cal then mused, "I'll let Alicia know then. You do also have a dinner reservation at Sordia with Mister Galloway regarding leasing space in the coming developments in Central; at 7."

"That I will make. Thanks Cal."

"There's also the other matter. Jackie's been running through contacts regarding those weapons from the bank. He found the man who likely trafficked them, but it'll take some time before we can actually talk to him or even set up a meeting. He's very suspicious of people he doesn't know."

"Mm. Still, try. More of those weapons will be useful in the coming efforts."

"Will do. Have a good day sir."

The line hung up and the apartment returned to silence, leaving Ryu to battle with his imaginary opponent as his hands and arms impacted with the wood. Following this, he took the time to sauna, sweating off any excesses he might have accumulated the previous day, before taking a proper cold shower. He ate only a slice of toast with some cream cheese, as he didn't want to fill himself up just before the brunch he had been invited to. Internally, Ryu mused as to what Passeri could possibly want with him that would warrant such a meeting. Did she want to introduce herself to him? Or to try to gauge him?

He didn't know Passeri outside of her existence and popularity in her profession, which seemed odd given her current position in a gang. However, she seemed capable to pull her weight. However, he couldn't simply judge right now; he reserved those for until he actually spoke to the woman.

---

As the time to leave arrived, Ryu put on his usual lavender suit and green undershirt; he had considered earlier to wear a different color, such as black, but decided against it. It would seem too formal given the occasion. And so, on approach to Passeri's building of residence, he signed in with the front desk and was directed towards the elevators. Ascending, Ryu felt no anxiety but instead a continued wonderment as to what exactly this whole thing would result in. He would be approachable, as always, but given his newly minted status of Queen he had to stay on guard. And retain a position of strength.

Entering Passeri's residence, he took a moment to quietly observe the surroundings before approaching the lady herself with the faintest of smiles. "Miss Park. A pleasure to meet, at last." Ryu spoke with an outstretched hand towards her.

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

SYLVIE SLEZÁK

CS Link

SCENE:

Add Image

LOCATION:

Eminence, West District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, August 1st 2021, Evening

PARTICIPANTS:

Sylvie, Kiwi

ADD IMAGE

Girl? Aha. Haha. Though he safely assumed it was just the way she spoke, Sylvie did wonder for a moment if it was a joke, a misidentification, or a jab at him. He didn’t think he was the epitome of masculinity or anything, but he didn’t think he presented himself with any ambiguity either. He had no time to comment on it when Kiwi slung the stick over her shoulder, gasping at what he thought may have been something more serious.

Ha.

He was starting to get her style now and laughed with her. Not too much laughter, but a polite but genuine chuckle would suffice. He did glance down where Kiwi pointed, adding, “Hey, hey, I would be more than happy to escort you to your car- If you’d like of course!” As he spoke, he took the offered handshake without a thought. He took pride in his strong, but not overwhelmingly HP strong handshake, one of confidence.

“Yes, of course, the website.” He began to walk, taking it a bit slower than usual out of consideration. “Not my forte, but I did what I could with it. It’s important-” Through the automatic doors they went, Sylvie nodding to the people by the entrance, “-important that we have it since everything is online. Have you ever been here before? Beautiful isn’t it.”

Sylvie stopped in the middle of the lobby, people bustling around them. Panthera Tower was always a busy hub for leisure at this time, with all the clubs, restaurants, and casinos on various floors. “Maybe better to admire when it's quieter, come over in the afternoon and I can give you full tour.” He continued to lead Kiwi through until they paused again to wait for the elevator. “How long have you been doing this website work for?”

 

[Kameron Esters-]

Musai

CS Link

SCENE:

Accidental Rumble: Scene 1

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Tri, Yuto Nishimura, Kaiga Nisemon

Accidental Rumble

"Heeeey guys, we got ourselves some new meat!"

"Calm down! We get new arrivals every day! And nine times out of ten, they're going to die today too. They usually do."

"Not always! ...Some are half dead. Better than being full dead, y'know?"

"Besides, if they loose, that just bring us closer to our freedom! ...Ore better food."

"Or beds."

"Or even just blankets. No...PILLOWS!"

"Oh yeeaaa!"

"Yea,yea!"

"Fucking! PPPPPPILLOWS! WHEW!"

Everyone in the cells began to chant "Pillows" over and over again.
------------------------------------
Musai sat in his cell, wearing only a pair of tattered, leather pants that were torn down at the hems. He was shirtless and most of his upperboddy was surrounded his shadow, only his eyes being visible. "HEY! Can you guys shut up a second! Where's your common decency at? I know we're a bunch of barbaric lowlifes but that doesn't mean we can't show a little bit of class! Please..."

With that, everyone falls silent. Only the wound of the water reverberates through the area.

Musai clears his throat before speaking "So...New meat. What're you guys in for, hm? Assuming you guys are criminals like a majority of us."

Misuteeku Damafaud Caffeine_Obsessed The Crimson King

 

[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, girl, you might’ve.”

Hector could still hear him yelling in the distance. They weren’t out of the woods yet, and with the fire that was starting to spread, they were on a time limit now. Shaking his head clear of distractions, he looked over to the man that the girl had already feasted on. It only took a sharp swing from his machete hand to sever the head, which was all he needed to bring back to the bosses. To save it from being consumed in the fire, the head was tossed out the open door.

“Don’t worry ‘bout that, ok? I’m gonna get you outta here.”

Even with her healing abilities, Hector could see she wasn’t holding up all too well, and throwing caution to the wind, he picked her up in his arms, noticing the size difference more now. He wasn’t trying to size her up though, just needed her out, and so he left the burning building, laying her to rest in the darkness of the street.

“Stay there. Don’t move.”

With that, Hector disappeared back into the building. If the blood-stained girl could hear their target’s screaming through the flames, she wouldn’t for long as it quickly died down to nothing. Minutes later, Hector reemerged, dragging a very dead, dismembered corpse by a charred collar. Barbecue.

He dropped it on the ground, landing with a lifeless clunk.

“There. We got him.”

 

[Infab]

CHRISTINA WINCHESTER

CS Link

SCENE:

Carry On My Wayward Son

LOCATION:

Feralia Art Gallery, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Christina, Hector, Milo

Carry On My Wayward Son

An art exhibition. Christina had been to several over the course of her life, dragged there by her mother whom had a taste for the finer things in life. Beautiful paintings and sculptures, meticulously crafted over the course of hours, days, weeks, or even months. Wondrous expressions by the artists, invoking emotion and deep thoughts from viewers. At least, that's what her mother explained to her long ago. Christina just liked a few paintings and statues here and there. Never really bothering to really think about what she was looking at. A trait she had acquired from her father. Still, she admired the dedication to the craft, and the time and effort put into making the pieces. Talent too.

She stood quietly in front of one particular painting, about five feet wide and seven feet tall. The painting was hung on a white wall, all by itself with a simple rectangular lamp jutting out from above it. The golden light was shining down upon it, allowing one to gaze upon it and see all the details. It was quite colorful, with a vast array of shades melding together in a large square ocean. Christina cocked an eyebrow as she looked it over, a hand shoved into her jacket pocket while the other held onto the large black flashlight she had been using to see through the dark corridors and rooms. I could splash some paint buckets on a tarp and probably the same result.

Charlie's voice soon drew her attention, however. Forcing her to shift her head about as he settled down on a simple metal bench in the center of the room. She knew of Charlie through Ashley, her sponsor, but had never directly interacted with him before today. The same went with the Phoenix Queen, Hector, and Milo. As a new member of the Phoenixes, this would be a learning experience for the next year or so. As Charlie tapped the bench beside him, Christina turned about and strolled over.

“I'm doing alright.”, she responded, “Grabbed a black coffee before I got here. Stuff was strong enough to wake the dead, so I'll be good for the night.” She arrived at the dark colored bench, sitting down next to Charlie and crossing a leg over the other as she let her hand rest on her knee. “Have you seen the others? I've been sticking around this area, since there's like... two or three ways in that I've seen over here.”

 

[Astrylan]

Yukari Niyami

CS Link

SCENE:

Beginner's Guide to Housekeeping

LOCATION:

Upper Central; Near North Central Bridge

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 -- August 2019, Sunset

PARTICIPANTS:

Yukari, Hector, Naomi, Paris, Taka

Beginner's Guide to Housekeeping

Yukari inwardly shakes his head at Hector. That's because you go looking for it, while I don't. He stops himself. At least not as often. He continues looking around as Hector continues on about being bored, and ready for something to happen. Watching as a sheen of metal exits Hector's skin and begins taking form, his head whips around as metal screeched and someone screaming could be heard along with it. Yukari dashed towards the sound, easily outpacing Hector. He didn't immediately engage - as much as he wanted to - and instead went around the side, almost laughing out loud at Hector's attempt on sounding commanding.

The cause of the ruckus was some... extremely languid humanoid. "Ugh, not the best of memories, but not the worst, I guess." Reminded him of that horror movie made years ago, before HP's became a thing. His father, a sucker for classics of any genre, had watched it once, and Yukari had gotten a glimpse. He had nightmares for days after that, and his father was scolded almost non-stop for a week.

Murmuring about the irony of monster movies and HP's, Yukari stopped after getting about 20 feet from... whatever it was. "I'd advise you to follow his... ahem command. We're both quite bored here, and wouldn't mind a fight." The fur on Yukari shifted, and turned a more golden-tan. His eyes now catlike, and the hair on his head becoming more brown than the rest of the fur; looking very much so like a mane. His claws got thicker, larger, and sharper, while his sense of smell and hearing were slightly worse than in his earlier form. In turn, he was now stronger, and his bursts of speed were quicker, albeit shorter. "That's not a threat by the way, just a fact."

 

[Misuteeku]

???

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Blood Stained Girl

LOCATION:

Alleyway, South District

Time:

Pre-Arc 1 | ???

PARTICIPANTS:

Raquel, Hector

Blood Stained Girl

When Hector left, her eyes felt heavier all of a sudden. The exhaustion swept over her body and lulled her into unconsciousness. She felt at peace for some odd reason. It was as if her body felt lighter.

An odd scene appeared before her. She was inside a field of flowers. All the eye could see were flowers. They were so colorful, so vibrant. It was as if the sea of stars had painted itself down onto the earth itself. Then something started tugging on her shoulder. The girl looked down.

Right beside her was a young girl. If she had a younger sister, she felt like this girl would be around her age. The young girl kept on tugging on her sleeve. "Come on! Let's play!" With that, she dashed into the flowers. Her tiny frame disappeared into the flowers.

The older girl felt the inclination to follow her. And that she did; she ran into a field of flowers. Chasing after the laughter that the young girl leaked out, she too slowly grew a smile. The laughter was infectious and familiar. It reminded her of something she had long forgotten. Past the daffodils, after the lilies, and finally at the daisies. In one movement, she caught the younger girl's hand.

Together they tumbled to the ground together. Laughing and screaming along the way. The girl wanted to stay like this forever.

"Hehe, looks like you caught me." The young girl said to the older one. A smile graced the older's girls mouth as she turned and-

The younger girl was red. Red everywhere. Somewhere along her stomach, her intenstines were showing. The flowers around them had turned red as if soaked in blood. Despite the grevious injuries, the kind smile still remained. "But why did you eat me?"

The bloodstained girl stared in shock as the little girl opened her mouth for the last time.

"Ophelia."

The girl awoke at a start. Immediately, she looked down at her hands. Blood stained them. Then she looked up. A barbequed corpse stood defiled and eaten right in front of her. The sweet taste of blood soon made it recognized as it dripped down her throat.

"Urk..." At first, something stifled at her mouth. She covered her mouth with her bloody hands. The sweet aroma they gave off made her want to gag but not vomit. "Aaa, aaaa." Then a sob came out. Soon, that was all she could do as tears fell from her blood-drenched face.

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Beann]

RURIKO IKEDA

CS Link

SCENE:

If It Means A Lot To You

LOCATION:

East District

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 (31st MAY 2022 @0200)

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Ruriko

IF IT MEANS A LOT TO YOU

Silva and Ruriko were gliding just over the treetops when the shockwave of the explosion caught up to them and gently roused a flurry of leaves.

Over his spare shoulder—as Ruriko occupied the other—he spied the rising mushroom of smoke and grimaced, “Ay… We’ll ‘ave to pour one out for the ‘omies who didn’ make it. Te unes, hermosa?”

Unbeknownst to him in his distraction, Silva began to angle downwards. Toward the trees.

As an unfortunate result, the hoverboard was swiped out from under his feet mid-travel—his uninjured eye widened, the other one too swollen to function—and the two of them were abruptly swallowed.

The way down stung from the prick and slap of branches, but ultimately they softened the landing. Or…

Silva pushed himself up on all fours to find that it had, in fact, been Ruriko who softened the landing. His landing.

A moment of pause stretched, Silva blinking.

Then, horrified, he screamed, “GUAAAAAAH!” Immediately, he scrambled and began scooping Ruriko back into his arms, “HERMOSA, DON’T BE BROKEEEEEEN!!!!!” Her phone and katana had become separated from her in the fall, but Silva’s pixels swam at his behest and swiped them up in passing as a separate portion of pixels once more formed a platform beneath his feet and took them into the air.

Ruriko’s vision blurred in and out; what felt like mere seconds were actually minutes. First the destruction of the lab, then the night sky, then — trees? Leaves? Silva? Pain radiated throughout her entire body yet at the same time she was completely numb to her surroundings. For a brief moment, her vision refocused on the night sky once more, she strained on the stray pixels that gravitated around.

“...Silva?” Her voice was weak, barely loud enough to be heard over the wind and pixels that carried them. “You…but…coma…? …When?” Ruriko’s head was swimming with questions. When did her friend wake up? What was he doing? He should be in physical therapy. Nothing was making sense. She groaned in pain as she turned her head slightly to see the dozens of lights over the central district. Many were flashing bright colors and unbeknownst her, the heart of New Oasis was just getting a handle on the chaos that ensued earlier.

As she stared wearily at the city below, her eyelids grew heavier each passing second. Was she dreaming? She could have sworn Silva was in a coma — she had dropped off flowers for him last week. Did Shuwei return yet from his mission? Ruriko sighed in pain as she realized she must have missed her dinner plans with Shen tonight. “Hurts,” head hurts.

“Eh?” Silva thought he heard her say something, but the howl of wind in his ears was overzealous in the pursuit of recognition.

“Don’t te preocupes, hermosa!” Ruriko’s phone in hand; he tried her pincode once and got nothing. Her katana pursued them, sheathed in a saya of glowing cyan. Then, a second attempt at her pin bore the fruit of access—for he’d watched her type it in earlier that day—and Silva quickly navigated to Ruriko’s messages, clicking the top-most inbox under the name “Isaiah”. Only Silva didn’t know anyone by that name.

Scrolling and scrolling, squinting his one functioning eye to peruse the message history, he managed to eventually put two-and-two together.

Tapping his thumb across the screen, Silva typed up a message to this ‘Isaiah’ character—known more familiarly to him as ‘Fade’—that read: “coming your way, she might be broken ” and, with it, the attachment of a selfie showing Ruriko in his arms and the luminescent haze of city lights beneath them dappled across the black canvas of night.

— — —​

He’d gotten tired along the way. Ten months in a coma will do that to you, but so will getting your ass knocked around in a Serpent factory and falling from the sky, but what can you do?

The streets were dark and empty, portions of the road cracked, making for a more efforted trek than Silva appreciated. Passing intervals brought subtle tremors underfoot, but he had not the energy to pay them a mind, stopping only when the beaten path challenged his balance, a loss of footing here and there, slow and sluggish in his steps, the scraping of metal across pavement as he dragged his feet.

Ruriko’s cell was also on its last breath, the battery flashing red. He checked it briefly, following the GPS, taking Ruriko to the location provided by Fade.

Before he knew it, he stood face-to-face with an apartment door—the correct one he hoped—and gave it a few taps with his foot. “Ehh- Did, uh… someone order… …” He was too exhausted to finish the quip, sighing with a groan and loll of the head.

Lucem

 

[The Crimson King]

Kaiga Nisemon

CS Link

SCENE:

Accidental Rumble

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kaiga, Sang-Cheol, Tri, Yuto, Musai

Accidental Rumble

Water - Nobuo Uematsu
The pools of water that permeate from the eroded walls and ceilings of the sewer system begin to ripple and jump, droplets dancing through the air as vibrations cause the condensation to defy gravity. The sound of the fight that would soon end, a cacophony of bludgeoning sound that seemed to almost drown out the sound of the roaring audience, continues to gradually intensify over the course of the last five minutes, reverberating down through the sewer cistern and into the holding cells. The cheers grow louder, but are abruptly silenced when a piercing noise, and a short, forceful quake erupts from the caged fighting ring. The audience sounds disparaged by however the fight has developed. What sounds like dozens of fragile objects impacting on the laminate floor of the ring are followed by more displeased exclamations from the crowd.

Huge currents of air seem to swim through space as the sound of bone impacting against bone seems to just continue increasing in volume. For the second time, the crowd is completely silent. An eternity in sixty seconds passes. The sound of glass exploding, and then, the abrupt announcement of the end of the fight only rubs salt in the wound. The crowd once again voices their displeasure at the result of the battle, but are quickly swayed by the promise of a soon upcoming follow-up bout. The sound of a large door being wrenched open by a mechanism causes the North Underground's prisoners to once again begin to hoot and holler. Some even catcall the prisoner, who seems to be escorted by the entirety of the security detail. Despite being handcuffed, in what look to be barbells with a chain connecting them, she walks at her own pace, unafraid of the guards, their Potentials and their firearms. She's covered in heavy bandages, cuts, bruises, and her clothing is heavily saturated with blood, but, her expressionless face doesn't falter at all. At most, she seems tired.

"Why the long face, your majesty!?"

"Someone tore her up real good."

"She looks like she could use some T.L.C.!"

"MUST FEEL WEIRD BEING COVERED IN YOUR OWN BLOOD FOR ONCE!"

"So much for the undefeated champion."

Each prisoner seems to have their fill of laughing at her. She stops in her tracks before the barred door of a vacant room, and is nudged by the guard behind her with his rifle, but she only takes a moment to glare at her fellow indentured warriors, her singular eye a bright ruby, like the blood that stains her, before stepping into the cell. If looks could kill, she'd be an atom bomb. She takes all the time she needs to enter the holding cell. The door slams open and shut, and is promptly locked by the guards' key. Normally, she would be a rather sore loser, taking out her frustrations on the material. But, strangely, she can't seem to feel angry. She lies upon the ground, resting her restrained arms, and whispers to herself, grinning wide,

"Wood for the fire. Meat for the grinder. There is more today. A lot more. That... is... good..."

She liked the taste of this bittersweet loss. She shuts her eye, and rests comfortably on the hard floor of the holding cell, embracing the earth like a luxurious bed. She has become comfortable, living out of this cell, for the time that she had spent here. How long it has been is lost to her, or, rather, trying to recall the amount of time always ends in failure. She isn't frustrated, being 'trapped' in this place, devoid of natural light. She makes a circle with her hands, and the handcuffs rupture with an audible sound, like an hour passing on a analog clock, their individual components reject one another as they are pulled apart by her Potential. She smirks.

Such cheap toys.

The metal scraps that remain of the handcuffs fall to the earth, and begin to turn to dust, flowing into her fingertips like a river going upstream. An intense feeling of relief washes over her, her body relaxing. Unbound, she begins to laugh raucously, relentlessly, drifting off to sleep.

Outfit- A white straightjacket jumpsuit with the sleeves cut off. Covered in bandages, such as the bandage covering her right eye, rather than her gadget eyepatch, and her hands, wrapped for fighting. Her feet are also wrapped in bandages, but, only because she refuses to wear shoes.

Kameron Esters- Misuteeku Damafaud Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

In The Tigers' Web

TIME:

June 3rd, 2022 | Post Arc 3, TimeSkip 1

LOCATION:

Nameless Storefront, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Jennifer, Ezra, Elias, Dagger

In The Tigers' Web

They lost a Jack, one with an incredibly useful tracking potential, and got a Webber patriarch in return. At least, that was what Elias got when Passeri finally messaged them to meet; Their one gain from a haphazardous exploration mission in which half the crew didn’t understand the true purpose of. Only time would tell whether that particular tradeoff proved profitable.

Then again, it was hard not to notice which Tigers were missing and which weren’t once he returned to HQ. Sighing sadly, Elias didn’t know the exact details that resulted in Isobel Pham’s lack of return, but he knew Markus Weiss was unlikely to go out looking for her…least of all a Jack that went out of her way to do something behind his back. One of the civilians he’d brought on his rescue chopper had spotted the Tiger King’s escape from Upper Central and, if his suspicions are correct, did Iori even want Mouse to return?

Intergang dynamics were quite complicated, especially in the Albino Tiger gang.

Turning the wheel, Elias slid one of his older cars into the parking lot of a mostly barren strip mall before stepping out the vehicle looking a little…different…than he usually did. Leather jacket. Ripped jeans. Sunglasses. What was the point of interrogating someone in a suit and tie, after all? It wasn’t hard to guess the sort of things Elijah Anamnesis would be called for. His first actual “gangster” work since kicking a door down in Upper Central mall and Elias supposed he just wanted to try looking the part for once; Match with his fellow rookies.

Though, he wouldn’t deny he quite enjoyed searching through his wardrobe for a proper “gangsta” look either. A call back to his high school theater days.

Besides, he expected Passeri would be the one doing most of the talking and he was only there to step in with his potential if negotiations failed. His only task was probably to stand there and look intimidating until she was done, though there was plenty he could do to Jacob Webber…if given time. Alter his memories, make him believe he was a Tiger so that his skills and funds could be used for gang benefit, send him back to the Stewards as spy/double agent, etc.

It all depended on the creativity of his fellow Tigers.

Elias was only here for information on a supposed 'god' and an enjoyable time. "Where to go, where to go~"

Wandering the–mostly–empty storefronts, Elias subtly checked the memories of any esoteric shopper he passed, not limiting himself to humans, and deleting all the unnecessary memories when he was done. Birds. Bugs. His stint with Araminta’s 'children' made him all the more aware of the little creatures that made their homes where people did not notice and, after an xxx amount of time, Elias eventually found himself outside of a locked basement of a nameless, 2-storied store owned by one Passeri Park. He checked the time to make sure he was punctual.

Then he knocked on the door.

simj26 Uasal The One Eyed Bandit Lucem Saturn_moon (or Elenion Aura )

 

[Saturn_moon]

Isobel Pham

SCENE:

July 2019 | Pre-Arc 1 [Coffee's On Me]

LOCATION:

Tigers' HQ, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Matsuda, Isobel

Coffee's On Me

People filed through the ritzy lobby of the Tigers' headquarters, coming and going with a quickened pace, purpose, and clean efficiency. The elevator dinged signalling it's arrival and the doors slid open for a group of men and women dressed in sleek business suits. Probably c-suite executives from one of the many businesses the Tigers work with who were here for a meeting. Sometimes it was easy to forget that the Tigers were not just a highly functioning megacorporation but also one of the four most dangerous gangs in New Oasis.

Tucked into a corner near the side entrance, a pair of amber eyes flited from person to person, studying each and every face, searching. Even in such an open space, Isobel had still managed to make herself inconspicuous enough to avoid attracting the attention of those around her. Although, she might be doing too good of a job at that. As two figures passed by, one accidentally walked straight into her. He stumbled back and looked down with a look of confusion and genuine suprise. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I totally didn't see you there." He said half in awe as if she had suddenly materialized out of thin air. Isobel shook her head and waved him off, happy to skip the apologies and return to anonyminity as soon as possible.

"Who was that?" The other asked as they continued on their way.
"No idea. Probably a new rookie."

Isobel stuffed her hands deeper into the pockets of her signature oversized demin jacket and focused back on her mission. Her most recent job had involved tracking down a man by the name of Russo. Your cookie cutter good-for-nothing who had gambled himself into inescapable debt with the Tigers. It was a straighforward job and took Isobel but a minute to pinpoint his location; He hadn't even made a run for it when the collectors showed up at his door. Normally, she would have considered the case closed were it not for the unexpected actions of the man's middle son. The veteran had watched the scene unfold from the roof of the apartment block next door and felt a strange sense of deja vu when the young man jumped to his father's aid. Unable to put it out of her mind, she'd dug deeper in to the young man's background and found their situations to be similar in more ways than she would have liked.

Walk away. She'd told herself. It's not your problem. She'd reasoned. And yet, as much as she tried to keep his suffering at arm's length, it continued to plague her thoughts and sleep. Was it empathy or guilt? Who knows, the line between the two were rarely clear.

A gentle tug at her senses and her eyes immediately snapped to the main entrance. Breezing through the glass doors with an air of nonchalence and a mop of black hair was her target. Found you. Without hesitating, Isobel strode forward through the crowd, making a beeline for Mastuda Russo.

Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[Lucem]

Ashley Hart

CS Link

SCENE:

Get(ting) Help

TIME:

Post Arc-3; 2 1/2 Weeks Later

LOCATION:

Kiki's Eatery, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ashley, Charlie, Gideon, Hector, Hitoshi, Kaede

GET(TING) HELP

As the two-wheeled bullet of a machine came to a stop, so too did the gentle, jet-like whine of its engine. With a quick kick, Ashley let down the motorcycle's stand and threw a leg over one side to meet the other. Briefly looking over the nearby flock of Phoenixes through the tint of his visor, he stood straight and removed his helmet, freeing his crimson-dyed locks.

After locking everything up, his gaze settled on the group once again. Scratching at the faint dark circles beneath his teal eyes, he watched as they exchanged greetings. He figured he'd be late, but he didn't expect to arrive dead last. Even the guy in the wheelchair showed up before him.

As he strolled up to the table, he saw Gideon's little collision with Charlie. Honestly, Ashley felt a tinge of guilt seeing him like that. That was usually the case when he remembered how quickly he healed compared to others. While he was up and about, his friends were still fighting to get out of hospital beds. It messed with him a bit, but he tried to keep it off of his mind. Today wasn't about that, and he knew that Gideon was a tough guy. With any luck, he'd be back on his feet in a week or two.

Approaching from behind, Ashley placed a hand on Gideon's shoulder. "Relax, Mocha. Takes more than that to rattle him." His gaze flitted from the dark-haired Phoenix to Charlie. "Ain't that right, Blue?"

After acknowledging his friend, Ashley gave him a good look, taking in Charlie's appearance. "Jacket looks good on ya." He nodded approvingly, glad to see Blue rocking the gift so well. As he did so, the claw necklace dangling from his neck bounced gently against his chest.

"Same with the hair, Toshi. It's a good look." He flashed Hitoshi a grin as he turned to look at the older man. It really was nice to see him like this, and not just because he was able to clean himself up appearance-wise. For a long time, Ashley had been worried about Hitoshi, and it felt like things were finally starting to head down a better path. There wasn't any chance of him missing a day to help support and celebrate.

As Ashley finally took a seat, he waved at Hector, greeting his sponsoree brother. "Good to see ya, Shades. Been a while. You holdin' up okay?" He hadn't really gotten a proper chance to catch up with the Queen that much since all the crazy shit went down. Today would be a good opportunity for all that stuff.

Finally, he took a look at the one unfamiliar face. He didn't recall ever seeing her around, but if she was here, he figured she was a good friend of Hitoshi's. That's all that really mattered. A friend of Aniki's was a friend of his.

"Name's Ash. Nice to meetcha."

Spoiler: Tags

Coyote Hart WhiskeyMarten joshuadim Roda the Red Sei Shonagon