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

[Coyote Hart]

Gideon Gray

CS Link

SCENE:

Get(ting) Help

LOCATION:

Jiro's Dojo, South District

TIME:

Post Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Hitoshi, Ashley, Charlie, Gideon and Kaede

GET(TING) HELP

Gideon realized that at some point he was going to have to practice the same fighting moves that Hector and Hitoshi were demonstrating. The cane was going to be Gideon's weapon due to his soon-to-be dependence on one, and the sticks that the four men were using were quite similar to a cane. So it was probably a good idea to watch and learn from the pros.

But he wasn't quite sure what he was currently watching. It might've been desensitization from seeing so many powerful fighters out in New Oasis, he had forgotten just how much practice went into honing those skills. And for once in his life, probably the first and the only time, Hitoshi and Hector were on the ground below him, although not due to anything Gideon did.

The wheelchair bound villain was about to make a comment, but then Hector's scowl quickly silenced him. His words fizzled out on his tongue, but they were already halfway out of his mouth. All Gideon could manage was, "I... abvfwygdugvm..."

The nonsensical noise that came out of his mouth caused Gideon to turn a shade red. He shifted in his seat, visibly turning all of his attention towards Charlie and Ashley so that he didn't have to acknowledge either Hector or the loss of words that Gideon had. But as soon as Hitoshi and Hector were prepared to fight another bout, Gideon was going to once again pay attention.

joshuadim WhiskeyMarten Lucem Roda the Red

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

LOCATION:

Central

DATE:

July 12, 2013

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

The adamant hand pushing her away wasn’t enough to stop her from grasping at the air towards the stick. She stood on her tippy toes the best she could and stretched her arm out at it. If he dropped his guard at any point, she wanted to be there to grab it.

His bold exclamation was what made her step back with a huff. Hiachi was an intellectual. That was NOT a chromafury saber, that was a stick. His claim confirmed he was a self-proclaimed superhero, but the full sentence threw her for a loop. Heroes could hold the stick, but not girls!? That sounded fake.

She crossed her arms. “What about girl heroes? If they can’t have a chrom… Chromafury Saber then what do they get?” Hiachi didn’t—couldn’t—show it, but she was haughtily confident in her comeback.

As for his condescending suggestion, well. That was exactly what Hiachi intended to do. “I am gonna play.” To prove that she was on a mission of her own, she fished through her tie on pocket for her coin purse. With two quick tugs, the teal fish-shaped purse escaped the pouch and was displayed in the boy’s face with a jingle of the coins. Her coin purse was her prized possession—something her neighbor crocheted her for her seventh birthday. It was an item she was very fond of, on account of it holding her precious—though scarce—money.

Hiachi wasn’t at liberty to show it to her brothers, since they’d snatch it from her at any chance they got. She barely escaped the takoyaki stand without Kenki egging her on to try and pay for the snack herself. So she was always excited to show off the coin purse when she could.

“I’m a master at the shooting game. I’m gonna win the jackpot.” Pride swelled in her heart again, self-satisfied with her use of above average vocabulary.

Spoiler

thebigfella

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

SCENE:

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 | June 10th, 2022

LOCATION:

Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Bushineko

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

Hundreds. Hundreds and hundreds more squirmed around on the flat of her tongue. Questions, insults, words. How did he know who she was? What was his fucking problem? A look of shock conveyed a few of her thoughts, but words expanded upon none of them. She would expend no more of her breath on him. This man. This craven beast. She glared past the feline's blade, her countenance thick with a grim loathing. Hate. She felt it bubble in her gut.

"Thank you." She spoke to the cat, but her glare did not falter. "If you're going to stay, try to cover me. I'm going to call for help."

When Karne had lunged at her, Passeri had stayed put. Now that his shambling facades of the human form peel themselves away from the earth she, still, stayed put. Within the wreckage of the supermarket her constructs, instead, slid into position. Those that had been knocked clear by his defense twisted back through the air, hidden within the shadows of aisles and the scatter remains of displays. A dozen pointed barbs aligned themselves with the gas-masked man, and lurked.

"You talk too much." She responded, finally, to all of Karne's mad raving. A semblance of composure had returned to her but, beneath her icy words, a cold white flame still burned. A quintet of thin blades appeared before her, and launched. A moment later, her hidden barbs did too.

"Now..." Passeri's hands trembled as she withdrew her phone. As cool as she might've been trying to play it, her mind was racing. Karne's words bounced around in her mind, colliding against the shadows of the lives that she may as well have snuffed out.

Her fingers first dialed the police, but she hesitated. She couldn't, not with him howling about her affiliations as he was. Next, a list of Tigers entered her mind, but she hesitated. Faces that she'd come to rely on. But how many of them could she be seen with? This place was surveiled. A dedicated reporter could've connected the dots, and then she would've been finished. Then, there were her people, the collective of HP talent she'd collected in her three years of touring, but she hesitated. They hadn't signed up for this. None of them.

Someone anonymous. Someone who knew what they were getting into. Someone who was on her side.

Her finger plugged a few numbers into the dialer.

She hesitated.

thebigfella​

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Deirest

SCENE:

The Dead and The Deathless

TIME:

Circa June 2022 | Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Vandalized Lot, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Deirest

The Dead and The Deathless

Lying. Deirest remembered. What that was. What this one was doing. Lying through those teeth of his, dripping wet with her blood. Every word he spoke was slick with deception and farce. The sloppy bite mark he'd left on her wept blood. Hate. Hate. It was a wound in the shape of hate.

She pounced again, shooting through the air without regard for Peyton's explanations. She might have heard his words, but she was deaf to their meaning. Frenzy shackled away her ability to reason, and screamed out only to demolish this thing which was in her way. Somewhere in the depths of her consciousness, a deep sense of urgency rattled. There was somewhere that she needed to be. Something that she needed to do. Some-

Stab.

A fresh drizzle of blood poured from Deirest's shoulder as Peyton's bayonet struck true. The sharp sting of metal was familiar to her now. It was cold. Unflinching. As vicious as the craven maw of fury that bubbled in her gut. Another emblem of hate.

"Liar..." She gurgled, and lurched forward. The bayonet sunk deeper into her yet, and the numb, paralytic grip of Peyton's saliva began to spread through her shoulder.

"LIAR!" She jerked forward again, and the tip of the fat, silver knife slid through the other end of her shoulder. Her arms wormed past the rifle, and went straight for the boy's throat. Bloodied fingers gripped down hard, and her wounds wept yet more blood as her muscles tensed.

"Hate and hate and hate and hate and hate and hate... All of you..." For no reason. She hadn't done anything. "It hurts. Help. You..." Clothes. Bandages. His words faintly echoed in her head. Had that been what she'd needed?

"No, no..." It wasn't. Not those. "You didn't. You just..." Hurt. Hurt. Hurt. Her. Again and again and again. Never again. She squeezed down tighter, but instead, her arm went limp. She couldn't feel it. Not even the pain. It wouldn't listen to her. A traitor in the ranks.

"What's..." She stumbled away from the man, pulling free of his blade. She could feel that numbness spreading further too. She felt cold. Cold like in there.

"HAPPENING?" Deirest screamed, clawing at the spreading numbness as if she could beat sensation back into her traitor limb. She wouldn't go back there. Back to the cold. Back to the dark.

Never.

Coyote Hart​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

Backroom Dealings

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, June 21st 2022

LOCATION:

West District, Sarizara Restaurant

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Ryutaro, Samira, Jack, Elias,
Alice, Welsha, Dagger, Passeri

Backroom Dealings

When Camila addressed him in particular, Elias smiled to show he wasn’t offended, but otherwise remained silent so as not to interrupt the flow of conversation. From trust, to Markus Weiss, to Alice’s emotional outburst, to the Queen who smoothly swept the conversation back to his own propaganda, Elias listened serenely while cutting into the squid that had been brought out thanks to Dagger’s interruption. He wondered if her demand for food had been born from actual hunger or her dislike of the current conversation. Possibly both, though it hadn’t really mattered in the end.

The tide of conversation would continue until everyone had their say.

Well, everyone but Jack and Welsha really, but the former–like Dagger–seemed more interested in food than conversation while the latter would likely agree with whatever Camila said.

Bringing the chargrilled squid to his lips, Elias chewed and swallowed before inconspicuously motioning to one of the waiters while Ryutaro and Passeri debated the finer points of revolution. Not wanting to interrupt their stimulating conversation, he whispered his requests to the waiter alone: a little more sauce, a little less char, and a kettle of green tea to replace his empty sake jug. He also requested for the shattered teacup remains to be cleaned and the white blossoms to be collected into a vase. As lovely as the flowery decorations were, the risk of spores emerging from them while Alice was still learning to control her newly evolved potential didn’t make for a very comfortable dining experience, especially given the current intensity of her feelings at the moment.

Then again, it would certainly make for an entertaining one.

Lips curled in amusement, Elias picked at the sushi with his chopsticks just as the Queen finished her counter by dismissing the threat of the Board, though it wasn’t until Samira’s addition that Elias felt fit to chime in. “Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure about that,”

He had no plans of picking sides in this particular game, but the conversation had taken an interesting turn to the Board, to Roland Dreyer, and Elias couldn’t help but add his input.

He elaborated. “I wasn't present during Mr. Weiss's rise to power, but I've seen some of the memories. Do you think someone who lacks leadership skills, who is as unsociable Ms Gaspari claims, is capable of starting a coup, of rallying all those Tiger allies, on his own? Think about it. Markus Weiss, who has had a strong record of losses against Roland Dreyer, suddenly defeats him in a glorious victory to claim Kingship? Seems a bit unrealistic to me.”

Poison. Elias knew as much from his first meeting, his first handshake, with the Cold KIng. However, the question remained…from where did he get the poison?

“I’ve long suspected that someone in Board has been backing him all this time,” Magnus, in particular. “But, even if that weren’t the case, Markus Weiss, as the current King of the Albino Tiger Gang, is the only one of us that has consistent contact with the association of graduated gang members; Practically an honorary member himself. Do you think he wouldn’t make use of an opportunity like that to build his own line of connections within the Board?”

When his kettle arrived, Elias thanked the waiter, before pouring his own tea.

“Your hand is good, Mr. Hashimoto, I’ll give you that, but I don’t think Mr. Weiss’s hand is any less than yours. Just as you build your hand, collecting pieces, so does he. I suspect the first step of your grand plan won’t be as easy as you make it sound, especially if he has hidden cards up his sleeves. For all his faults, he’s managed to maintain his position for the past 4 years as a pillar of strength within the Albino Tigers, after all. Money is our weapon. That much is true. But, if you compare us to our other 3 District counterparts, you’ll find we’re sorely lacking in terms of fighting prowess…and you intend to remove one of those pillars? Do you consider yourself strong enough to defeat Mr. Weiss? To replace the pillar that you claim to be rotted? Or do you intend to replace said pillar with foreigners? That, in and of itself, would open a whole different can of worms…”

If there was one thing all four major gangs of New Oasis had in common, it was that they were all Amestria-based gangs. Bringing in foreign power, especially for an internal struggle, could be seen–through certain eyes–as cheating. Moreso, if he intended to strike Tiger HQ with said power. If done correctly, Hashimoto could lay waste to all his enemies and nab the crown in one fell swoop. However, using such a weapon opened a hole to exploit, in the sense that it gave Markus Weiss a banner to raise against the traitorous Queen.

Unification against invading foreign gangsters.

It would shift the internal crown struggle to an external one, especially since, if one followed Tiger rules, Markus Weiss was the “legitimate” King for “legitimately” having defeated Roland Dreyer in a “fair” battle in front of the gang.

Elias smirked.

“I like what you have to say, My Queen, and appreciate the warning, but don’t you think you’re being a bit…pushy...on a first dinner? Asking a simple rookie like myself to choose between a King and Queen…” He sighed dramatically. “I’d only come for the rare opportunity to voice my opinions of the gang without repercussions. It isn’t often that someone of my current status gets a say in the direction of the gang, after all.” Being a rookie was Elias’s shield at the moment and he’d use and overuse it if he had to. “Conviction isn’t my strong suit,” Whether it was love or anger, Elias had never been one to let his emotions cloud his judgment. “And, as Miss Gaspari stated, trust is something that is ill afforded in a gang like ours. I’ve only just met you on personal level, Mr. Hashimoto. I don’t even know your potential.” Elias let that simple fact hang in the air for a moment before continuing. “While I like what I see so far, words alone aren’t enough for me to jump into raging tides with you…”

Elias brought the cup of green tea to his lips. Antioxidants to lessen the negative effects of all the sake he’d been consuming.

“That said, I really do find your ideas fascinating.”

To make a gang legitimate was, in a sense, to bind it to the law. Certainly, it would allow criminals to see the light, to operate outside the shadows, but Elias doubted it would net them more money than the superficial legitimacy currently employed by the gang. Crime, after all, was what allowed them to build their wealth; Unimpeded by government regulation of businesses, money flew directly into their hands instead of through the various stopgaps that allowed the government to siphon off their work. Taxes were evaded. Money laundered. Not resorting to criminal activities would make them the same as any other business. Could they even be called a “gang” anymore in that case?

It was the wholly “good guy” move Elias wouldn’t have expected from the Queen of the Albino Tiger.

A whole new direction.

Elias would be lying if said such a thought didn’t get him a little excited, regardless of which side he took in the upcoming storm. At the very least, he was glad he attended the Queen’s dinner instead of his grandfather’s.

“If you can prove to me that you are capable of completing the first part of your plan, I’ll happily assist you with the other steps, My Queen. Until then, you’ll have to forgive me for testing the waters before jumping in. I’m a skittish person, you see. The moments I tend to seize are, more often than not, the ones I’ve created for myself.”

As the new plate of grilled squid was set before him, vase white blossoms collected to the side, Elias glanced at the dull-eyed Alice. Her outburst had been something he’d been meaning to respond to. “Ah, and Alice~ To say you have nothing would hurt the cards you already have in your possession. Just because you can’t seem to see them, and don’t know yet how to play them, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. They’re there, biding their time, waiting to be played.” Some people really did have “nothing”, but Alice wasn’t one of those people. Not that such people were exempt from participating in the game if they so desired either. He wondered how long she intended to play the victim. “Perhaps it is because you don’t yet know what you want that you can’t see all the things you have at your disposal.The game played by the Albino Tigers isn’t even as complicated as you might think. Yes, the lack of rules and endless possibilities makes it incredibly daunting, but it all boils down to simple concepts. There are cards. There are players. The better hand wins. You can be a card, or a player, or even both, but regardless of what you choose, whether you even decide to participate, it’s better to try and enjoy yourself. Everyone loses in the end anyway.”

That was all he’d say on the matter. He’d felt a certain sense of responsibility towards her since he’d played a part in pulling her back into the gang, not to mention a certain promise with a certain blue-haired Phoenix, but she was old enough to make her own choices. Coming back had been her decision. Both times…or so he’d heard from Locke’s summary regarding the Lucky Rabbit incident.

Elias dipped squid in delectable sauce.

@Chaos Gallant @Beann Roda the Red Peckinou @AriAriAbabwa The One Eyed Bandit simj26 joshuadim

 

[Roda the Red]

Keith Sullivan

CS Link

SCENE:

Spotting the Wingless

LOCATION:

East District

TIME:

Nighttime,Post-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Jozeph, Celeste, Nona-Me, Keith

Spotting the Wingless

Yes, there it was, the aggression that came but natural to the vile scum known as the Sable Serpents! Baring his fangs, quite literally so, the man Keith had just hit a moment ago bounced back into the action, aiming to sink his teeth into the rookie's flesh. In Keith's eyes, he wasn't instigating any unnecessary violence, but instead was just skipping the awkward buildup until it happened, they were serpents, after all, violence and rotting their brains with chemicals was the only two things that took permanent residence within their minds.

The boy raised his arms, having little time to properly react to the wild leap. He grit his teeth as a pair of fangs dug down into his forearm, piercing his crimson skin and spurting a small amount of blood. He still wasn't used to pain all that much, or fighting as a whole, for that matter, part of him wanted to scream out loud, the bite painfully carving through his flesh was quite agonizing. However, sheer will and spite fueled his determination to not lose focus. With his free arm, Keith delivered a powerful blow at the man's stomach, a pained groan whistled its way through Tick's closing mouth. Feeling the pressure from the bite remain unchanged despite the previous blow, the dragon opted for opening his hand wide, then thrusting the his sharp, metallic claws into the man, going for a repeated stabbing motion, delivering several shallow punctures on the man's torso, with Keith feeling a twisted joy as he felt warm blood starting to run down his hand.

A nearby motion served as a signal for the cherry-haired man to stop with his attack. A short blade that traveled on a wide arc, managing to gently grace his cheekbone, a contact which would've resulted much worse, had he not pulled his head back slightly just a fraction of a second ago. It was that pathetic worm again, the blonde serpent who liked to play the decent person act.

"YOU."

The dragon's eyes locked onto the repulsive figure, pushing Tick away with enough force to set him back a few feet, being able to easily release himself from the now dwindled jaw lock. Keith growled as his bleeding arm hung limply. It hurt like hell and it made it had to move it, but it would heal just fine soon, so nothing to really worried about. As soon as he was able to catch his breath, he rushed towards the blonde Serpent, claw ready to strike him down.

gxxberkit WhiskeyMarten @angel doe

 

[Elenion Aura]

MILO NAGISA

CS Link

SCENE:

Bedlam Blitz!

LOCATION:

Post-Arc 3 — July 10th, 2022; Early morning

LOCATION:

Whitepeak, South District; Bolt's car

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Hector, Milo, Yukari, Raquel, Zach, Leaf

BEDLAM BLITZ!

Milo backed up when Leaf stepped in, relieved that someone else was taking the lead in this bitter business. Even so, he winced as Leaf let the old man have it, surprised to discover that his fellow Rookie was so capable, and so willing. Disappointing...

Turning his face away he caught a glimpse of the tail-end of Zach's unexpected reaction. Milo cocked his head to one side as he noticed that even now his senior was barely containing a chuckle. Curious... While it wasn't exactly surprising that a Veteran Phoenix might know more about their current mission than a Rookie, Milo wondered what, if anything, about this situation was funny. He didn't dwell on it, though. From what he knew of Zach, he doubted their senses of humor were aligned.

But that did little to answer his questions. Who was this 'Armond', exactly? What did Zach know that the others didn't? Still, he held his tongue, worried that any more slipups would blow what little remained of their current cover... His own curiosity could wait until they had the answers they sought. He only hoped they came quickly, for this poor man's sake. Either that, or Boltius would give up the game all on his own, Milo thought, cringing as Boltius once again opened his mouth.

As Boltius went on and the man began to plead, Milo had to look away. This felt wrong. This was wrong. This man was innocent. Swept up in all this. He didn't deserve to be accosted this way, any more than he deserved to be extorted by overgrown bullies. We are going to help him, Milo thought. It was all he could do to stomach the sound of the old man's voice as it creaked with fear.

With his eyes cast to the road, Milo was the first to catch a glimpse of Hector and Raquel—wonderful—appearing out of the gloom. He only hoped that the two newcomers did not contribute to the deluge of misery the Phoenixes were dumping on this poor man's head.

Of course, his hopes were dashed almost immediately.

His body had moved on its own. The next thing he knew, he was grabbing Raquel roughly by the shoulder.

"That's enough," Milo hissed through gritted teeth. They weren't doing this. Not this way. He wasn't going to allow it. "Let him go."

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth]

TIME:

Nighttime, Post Arc 3, June 20th 2020

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Helva, Pei, Red, Corvo, Eleanor

Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

The other phoenixes present voiced a fair amount of skepticism towards Pei's claims, very much understandably so. Why would they believe the sudden, unprovoked claims of a fellow member who barely classified as a veteran himself. Charlie himself, though? He honestly took the concept for a fact by now, surely at least a handful of the men or women among them was of the traitorous variety, even more so now that he was able to truly recognize the more despicable side of the gangs, rose-tinted glasses be damned. The rookie flinched faintly, caught off guard by the sudden burst of light and loud sounds coming the man's firearms. It was at that moment that he remembered one pivotal aspect about Pei: The guy was utterly demented.

"N-Now, now! There's no need to escalate things like that" Said Charlie as he approached the pair of blonde phoenixes, shifting his palms forward and back successively, signaling for them to calm down. "Why would she come here like that if that was the case? If I was a traitor, I'd try to keep my interactions down to a minimum, really have to go out of your way to come here if it was through that cryptic message you sent, with that said..." He then shifted his gaze towards the little girl in red, his expression now slightly more skeptical about her. "Then you can give as a reason why you're covered in blood, right?" Usually, Charlie prefered to ignore the murderous antics of the gang as much as possible, it didn't do his sanity any favors to remind himself constantly of the horrible people he was associating himself with. But still, even if he was completely insane and also had a fuse measured in nanometers, from what he was able to gather, Charlie knew Pei was no idiot (not entirely at least), so even if small, there could be some truth to his claims which were as explosive as his entrance, therefore he felt the obligation to get to asking the girl questions.

Spoiler: Notes and Notifs:

Tempering: Half-Activation



thebigfella Elenion Aura Peckinou @AriAriAbabwa miki @mechanicalmania

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Searching for the Light

TIME:

Afternoon, Post-Arc 3, June 18th 2022

LOCATION:

Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Hitoshi

Searching for the Light

The exhilaration that Charlie felt as he tore the cars apart as if they were cardboard toys, throwing them around and dismantling them with reckless abandon, it was truly intoxicating. Like a part of him that was tightly locked inside of a metaphorical basement, repeatedly attempting to bash its way out of the scuttle, and now that it was opened, it overflew, with nos signs of stopping on its own. It was the buildup of many things bottling up within him, between the frustration from his existence within the Phoenixes, or recalling past actions, and the impotence caused from failing to truly help those that needed his help when it was most dire.

He rejoiced in letting all those feelings go through violence, free from guilt for that matter, as the hunks of steel lacked the usual feeling of pain that those recieving blows from the boy while in duty felt, although somehow, that said pain sometimes made it all the more exciting, even if it was just a fleeting rush? Oh well, probably not imporant.

A pair of hands crept up from behind him, taking a sudden hold over his shoulders, the unexpected squeeze brought the boy back from his trance in a snap. He gasped, breathing heavily as he looked straight forward, his recollections of the events prior were both pristine and clear, as well as muddy and foggy at the same time, he looked around for a moment, before turning his head back, noticing a clearly distraught Hitoshi. "A-Aniki?" He then noticed a fair weight under his arms, and upon inspection, realized he was lifting a destroyed car. Shocked by the overall sight, he let the vehicle drop from his hands, crashing heavily on the ground.

He turned around, freeing himself from Hitoshi's arms, his eyes somewhat glassy yes collected as he stared at the veteran. "I-I...I'm okay now, sorry" he looked down, checking on his clothes, now completely covered in dust and small particles of debris. He once again kicked a tiny pebble next to him. "I got a little carried away, been a little stressed, is all!" He forced a big smile, attempting to calm down Hitoshi's concerns.

joshuadim

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

To Live in the Shadows

TIME:

Afternoon, Pre-Arc 1, June 11th 2020

LOCATION:

Nameless Warehouse, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Helva

To Live in the Shadows

Charlie let out a sigh of relief, fear banishing as the girl explained the more relaxed approach the Phoenixes had with dress code, it made sense, after all, he needed to keep in mind that he was, indeed, joining a criminal organization. A bit of a chilling thought in retrospective, but it was way too late to be getting cold feet now.

As the girl in the coat made her way out of the building, the boy followed closely behind, humming cheerfully as a personal celebration at the first part of the trial being successfully completed. As the pair went out through the main door, it came to Charlie's attention that the daylight was starting to dim slightly, the sun starting to make its way towards the horizon, soon bringing along with it the cold and dark embrace of night, the time make the boy wonder if that was it for today, that the next part would take place at a later date, maybe even tomorrow, if he was lucky.

But the girl's next command came in right away, signaling him towards another adjacent warehouse, and to fight whoever was in it. "Huh? There? Like...Is it Revenant?" He stopped, knowing that asking such a thing was foolish. Her wording was clear, either the answer was going to be kept a secret, or neither did she know who lied within the walls of that building. He absorbed her words like a sponge, carefully passing them through his mind, giving a careful thought to each of them. The fact they were resorting to the use of a safe word was admitedly quite scary, it meant that whoever he was going to meet past those doors, they were not going to hold back, but if that was the case, so would Charlie.

"I understand...I think I'm good, asking too much would put me at an unfair advantage" He stepped forward, holding his hand on the doorknob, looking behind him one last time, he smiled. "Thank you for the concern, but I will not be uttering those words" He shifted forward, turning the handle with a rusty creak. The door, having certainly seen better days, creaked as well, a far louder sound that traveled and bounced around the large amounts of empty space within the warehouse, echoing ominously.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His steps were confident and loud as he strut deeper within the places, until he saw an open space he found fitting to stand on. "Good afternoon, I'm ready." He said loud and clear, knowing that whoever was around would get the message.

Peckinou

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[A Helping Hand]

TIME:

Sunrise, January 10 2022, Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Kazue

A HELPING HAND

Charlie sighed, leaning his head back as he gazed at the partially cloudy sky, his ocean-colored locks draped over the wall supporting his resting body. The pain was starting to catch up to him, particularly the strong sting from the wound in his arm, it wasn't bleeding much, thankfully avoiding any major veins or arteries, but it did make using it more difficult. He scanned through his thoughts, trying to come up with the most efficient way to make his return to South. It would not be easy in the slightest, as not only was he a very long way from home, but he was not familiar with Eastern territory, let alone after running away for what felt like half an hour in random directions. He could check his location through a phone app, but navigating would still be far clunkier than remembering the route. Taxis were out of the question as well, his current condition would provoke too much suspicion from the driver, so anything other than asking to drive him to the hospital would result in problems, and not in a thousand years would he be as idiotic as to casually step into an enemy district's hospital, let alone while being actively chased by said enemy.

Just as his mind slipped into deep thought, contemplating about the different ways to return home, an unexpected voice spoke to Charlie, causing the boy to become startled and jump out of his position. He instinctively took on a combat stance, raising his arms high, with one leg forward and the other one back. He prepared to strike at the transgresor, trying to gloss over her familiar face.

Wait, what?

As Charlie's arms lowered, his eyes went wider, with utter disbelief as he finally recognized the woman in front of him."...Kazue?" Not in a million years he would've expected to meet with the girl in this very moment. Was this a gigantic coincidence? Or perhaps just another display of destiny's twisted sense of humor. "Uhm...It's good to see you well, uhh..." He was at a loss for words, just how could he do small talk right now? This would've already been really embarassing if it was just another mundane day, but while in the middle of a chase by the enemy? Just what was he supposed to say?!

It was then that a metaphorical lightbulb spawned on top of his head. Rewinding on her words just now, something was really off about it. "Wait a second...Turn me in? How do you know they're looking for me...!" He felt a cold sweat creeping up, a small giggle of denial escaping his lips. "Could it be that you're...an Azure Dragon?"

Please say no please say no please say no please say no.

azenva

 

[azenva]

Kazue Kaneko

CS Link

SCENE:

Helping Hand

LOCATION:

East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Kazue

Helping Hand

Charlie was on edge, naturally. Whatever had happened to him couldn’t have been pretty. Kazue gave herself a bit of her Potential just in case, then approached him slowly, hands held up like a caretaker trying to soothe a scared animal. The healer’s eyes focused on what seemed to be the most obviously injured. Arm. He could lift it without issue, though adrenaline might have masked the feeling of a serious injury. That would be her focus, but she needed him to elaborate.



“Yeah, it’s me. I need to know where to hea—“



"Wait a second...Turn me in? How do you know they're looking for me...! Could it be that you're...an Azure Dragon?"



Kazue stopped mid-request and mid-stride, taking a step back. The Dragon was ready to retreat. Both sides were now afraid of the other. Charlie clearly had the skills to fight and had likely just escaped one, so he could easily overpower her without her Potential. Maybe even with it. Could he have an ability to circumvent her defense? Her semi-confident “Hey, I know what I’m doing here” tone was gone, and now there was a glimmer of panic and hesitation in her voice, no longer a traitorous whisper. “I only know that you’re wanted because of a bulletin on my phone.”



A pause. Kazue took a deep breath. “What would you do…if…I said yes?” The first half of the question was drawn out, each word delivered individually as though speaking too quickly would set Charlie off. The conclusion was rushed through. Maybe if he didn’t hear the question properly, he wouldn’t try to fight?



The cold air held no noise but the awakening city behind them. Nothing passed between them except for clouds of condensed breath. Several, nerve-wracking seconds of frosty silence followed Kazue’s question before the questioner broke the ice with a sigh. It was too early in the morning to try and dance around a question.



“Fine. Yes. I’m a Dragon. But I’m on your side, whatever side that is. What I should do is turn you in, let the interrogators or whoever deal with you, and put this incident out of my mind. I can’t do that. Please, let me help you.”



Still, she did not continue to approach Charlie, frozen still in her tracks.



She was going to be late to work at this rate.

 

[Peckinou]

Hiyma

CS Link

SCENE:

To live in the shadows

LOCATION:

Warehouse, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Helva, Hiyma, Charlie Roda the Red

To live in the shadows

Hiyma was silent when he asked if their adversary would be Revernant only giving him an amused smirk in response, she wanted their opponent to be someone they didn't know, and Charlie had little information on Revernant besides what they looked like. She was also pretty sure he didn't even know her potential yet, which he was soon going to find out, but likewise, she didn't tell Revenant about their potential powers either, but she was a bit sure that Revernant had a good guess as to what sorta potential powers he had, though not to it's full extent. When Charlie began to understand that she wasn't going to answer his question in order to not gain an advantage she couldn't help but chuckle a bit knowing that once he entered he would be the one to be put at a disadvantage. The Warehouse may have had a bit of light coming from the outside but there were absolutely no lights on the inside, and with the sun slowly going down it would only get darker inside the warehouse giving Revenant the advantage as more time went on. She chuckled as he said that he wouldn't be using the safe word and gave a simple response "Heh, Try not to get yourself killed kid." Omniuous words would indeed put into his mind that death was a possible outcome if he refused to surrender out of pure stubbornness.

When Charlie had entered and closed the warehouse door, Hiyma took out her phone, swiping through apps till she found the one she was looking for and opened it, giving her the point of view of all the Cameras in the warehouse. She did a final check to make sure all the cameras were operational and when she confirmed that all the cameras were active she noted down the time the trial started before giving Helva a telepathic message. The Trial is underway, I'll be going into position now. With that said she put her phone away and made her way to the other area that gave her access to the warehouse, unlike the door Charlie took, the one they went to was hidden. She had to grab a part of the wall and slide it to the side, revealing a dark area from her perspective. But if someone were inside of the Warehouse they would only see it as an ordinary crate. Ready when you are. a final signal to Helva to tell her that she was ready to swap out when she wanted to, she knew that Helva was gonna take a while before she actually attacked, and depending on the boys strategy it could take a while before she would need to switch out. So putting one of her feet against the building she opted to surf her phone while she waited for Revenants signal.

[/justi

Helva Linxal

CS Link

SCENE:

To live in the shadows

LOCATION:

Warehouse, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Helva, Hiyma, Charlie Roda the Red

To live in the shadows

As Charlie entered the warehouse he would be greeted by darkness and silence, the only light being the one coming from outside and it was slowly disappearing. His voice echoed throughout the warehouse as he claimed that he was ready, but he was only met with silence. Helva was however, above him on the top shelf of the racks, and was using the crates and the darkness to keep herself hidden. Her footsteps were dead silent as she began to move eyeing Charlie with the same intensity as a predator sizing up their prey. But instead of striking she waited, wanting to add to the sense of unease as the boy began to transverse the place, and with each minute she waited, the light began to fade more and more. Revenant knew what her strengths and weaknesses were, and this area was a place where she held the advantage in no lights, only the soothing darkness with a bunch of cover for her to use so that she could transverse the area without being seen, and when Charlie went into the most open area he would soon learn that she had no intentions of immediately greeting him. Leaving him with two options to either try to find her in a game of hide and seek or wait until she was ready to strike.

 

[Elenion Aura]

JAVI ONEIRO SILVA

CS Link

SCENE:

Walkies ("Dog" Walkers Needed)

TIME:

Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Silva Residence, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Nero, Hiachi, Silva, Nicole, Renjiro, Ottilie

WALKIES ("DOG" WALKERS NEEDED)

"Ha!" Nero laughed without meaning to and felt a little bad about it. "That's true, for sure," he nodded agreeably. Everything he did, he did agreeably. Stepping aside to let Nicole get a little further through the doorway, but continued to hold it open. She ended up stopping short anyway when she caught sight of Ottilie and her suit.

"For sure, for sure." The more Nicole spoke, the better Nero felt about having her join the walkies squad. She was the real deal! Meanwhile...

"I'm sorry I made Nero put you down."

Rocco chittered up at Ottilie, recognition evident in his tiny features. Absent was any sense of concern for the misplaced backpack, if the little construct registered its presence at all. Nero, on the other hand...

"I think she might have left this behind."

Taking his eyes off Nicole and the open door, Nero turned at the sound of Ottilie's voice. Sure enough, there it was.

"No manches," he breathed, eyeing the abandoned bag, his thoughts trailing off as he wondered how, or even if, he could possibly track that girl down and return her stuff. Hopefully she'd run out of gas eventually and return for it once she'd calmed down. Unless—

He whipped back around, hoping to catch sight of her retreating form somewhere on the horizon. That's when he saw it.

Time slowed to a crawl, and for a moment that stretched to the point of breaking, everything was still.

Then came the monster.

Nicole turned, slightly—she had good instincts—as the ground behind her, the sidewalk that led up to the Silva's front porch, began to tremble. She moved to act, faster than Nero had, even without the slightest sense of what was coming for her, but it was already too late. A deafening roar shattered the evening calm.

The ground beneath Nicole's feet cracked open, and with a terrifying force, a great red beast erupted from the depths, spraying showers of dirt, grass, and concrete everywhere. As it surfaced, its jaws snapped open. Without warning, it thrashed its long, armored tail, knocking Nicole to the floor with a sickening crunch, its spike catching on a piece of her clothing.

Nero felt what happened next before he saw it, as his heart sunk like a bowling ball in his chest.

Its superiority asserted over the stranger at its master's door, Tibur prepared to sink back into its burrow-hole, unaware that Nicole was still frantically trying to dislodge herself from its chitinous tailfin.

"Shit! Gimme your hand!" Nero shouted over the cacophony as Tibur slithered back from whence it came, dragging Nicole along with it into the depths.

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Dress Code for Violence

TIME:

Evening, Post-Arc 2, April 2nd 2022

LOCATION:

Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, YY

Dress Code for Violence

“I’ll see you, Lyric. Don’t overwork yourself.”

Yong-Yut would’ve left the office with a smile on her face, had she found it nice to smile at all. She didn’t, though, and instead left with a peppy aura, felt but not seen.

They enjoyed hanging out with Lyric. It was only unfortunate that there were things to be done, and the meeting had to be cut short.

Though, it was about time for her to head home and have dinner with her family… Well, more like lunch.

Yong-Yut made her way through the HQ, her steps echoing in the halls. It was a nice place, you know, considering where it stands.

Scarlet-covered benches lined the corridor, with minimal people— it was quite late, and nowadays, a lot of crime was committed in broad daylight. That's how Yong-Yut saw it, after all.

However, a shock of blue broke the monotony in the hallway. She glanced over, finding that— oh, it was someone she recognized. She waved, though she wasn’t sure he noticed her.

Yong-Yut’s eyes trailed down to the black fabric with some marks and tears in his arms.

“Charlie!” she gasped, more out of concern for the garment than surprise that he was there. It looked like such a nice suit, from a brand she could recognize, and for it to be marked up like that? She crossed her arms, tilting her head. “What happened?”

Roda the Red

 

[simj26]

Dagger

CS Link

SCENE:

Sweet Talkin' Woman

TIME:

December 22nd, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

Park's Safehouse

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger

Sweet Talkin' Woman

The client was out of the building. Her job was done. She had no reason to remain here any longer than she should. Professional conduct would demand that she ensured that Park got where she wanted to be safe, but bodyguard duty seemed unnecessary. She was probably getting a personal chauffeur to ship her elsewhere, wherever it may be. She shouldn’t pry. That was how she decided to play this. Don’t ask unless told, don’t tell unless asked. She remained on the couch, the discomfort sinking in further and further, and even further still when Park’s friend started speaking to her. She didn’t respond immediately. The Grim Reaper, huh? That was just how she looked all the time. Park’s friend wasn’t wrong at all on that front. She allowed herself an amused scoff and a smirk.

“Yeah, not for me.” she said. Without indicating as to what she was replying to, she stood up. “My job’s done. I’m taking my leave now,” she continued curtly. She strode over to her wet clothes and rummaged through it, pulling out the holster with her handgun still attached to it. She tucked it behind her, and balled up the rest of the clothes into a wet ball. She strode over to the elevator.

“Take care of yourself,” she said. The screen of the TV darkened in a moment of transition, plunging the room into pitch darkness, and when it came back on, the elevator doors had already shut, and the white-haired woman was nowhere to be seen.


She tossed the wet clothes into a barrel, and lit up a cigarette. She took in a breath of nicotine, and looked up into the dark skies, the stars blotted out by the lights of the damned city and the pouring rain. She had seen the look in Park’s face. Guilt. Not sure what it was for, but the way her eyes darted between her friend and her, she could hazard a guess. She scoffed again, releasing a cloud of smoke.

There was nothing wrong with using a weapon for its intended purpose. She was just that. A blade in the dark, a gun in the shadows. One of her wolves shimmered into existence beside her, running its fur against her leg. Gunnolf. She patted his head as he gave a whimper. “Yeah, I know.” Park was too nice for her own good. She’d have to keep an eye on that one. “C’mon. There’s a Knight Burger around here that’s still open, I think.”

A happy yelp. She smirked in response. Together, they slipped into the darkness, and there was nothing left, but the pattering rain and the sounds of the city.

Spoiler: tags

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[simj26]

Inigo Han

CS Link

SCENE:

Not Thinking Twice

LOCATION:

Nighttime, Streets of Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camilla, Inigo

Not Thinking Twice

This was getting tedious. He just wanted to go home. Why do they always want to continue the fight? Why can’t they just decide to just run after the first few hits? He even let them get a stab in. They should be happy that they even managed to draw blood from him. He rubbed his fist, and rolled his shoulders as the next assault came at him. The woman with the knife lunged at him once more, knife angled downwards at him. His arm moved forwards, passing under her own outstretched arm, and his fingers closed around her head. Crystals formed up over his bicep, and her knife glanced off the encrusted exterior.

He repositioned the female assailant away from the oncoming projectile, lifting and pushing her struggling form to one side, slamming her into the wall beside him, and with the same white crystals forming across his fist, he punched the rubble. A spear of the same crystal shot through the rubble, like a piledriver, turning it into a rain of stone and cement.

“One more time.” He lifted the woman up, and pressed his fingers into her head, hard. Crystals began to take shape around his fingers. “Leave, or die.”

Roda the Red

 

[thebigfella]

Karne (NPC)

CS Link

SCENE:

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

LOCATION:

Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store

TIME:

June 10th, 2022 | | Post-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Bushineko (NPC), Passeri

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

How she thought she had agency, that time was on her side. She could take her sweet time. She was above it all. She didn’t need urgency. She didn’t need to break her composure or fight for her life.

He was just another thorn in her side, waiting to be plucked, a slight inconvenience, a short stumble on the long path of life.

She was wrong.

His eyes went bloodshot, pupils shaking as his fists clenched.

He was the one waiting for her at the end of the road. She was the one who had been moving this whole time just to reach him, the one that would end it all.

She wasn’t the main character. She thought herself so high above everyone else.

His hand raised, three fingers flicked outwards, so his Con Men moved, dashing forward in a formation, rushing right towards Passeri. Every second she wasted thinking she had the agency to make choices, that she had the time to deliberate, he would put it towards every minute of making her suffer.

“I won’t let you-zarunyan!” The cat shogun shouted, hopping forward as he swung his blade backward in preparation to slice right through them, as stone as they were.

Two of the Con Men stretched their hands outwards, fingers morphed together, swirling and twisted to form sharpened edges. Metal clashed with stone once more, the cat’s swing enough to match the strength of the two faceless bodies.

“Ngghggh!” Bushineko struggled against them, the momentum keeping him stuck in the air as they clashed. All it was just a distraction.

The third concrete mannequin ran past Bushineko, only able to notice from the corner of its eye its mouth opening wide as its focus was broken, and he was quickly punished. Pushed back as the stalemate ended, one Con Man promptly grabbed him before he could land, gripping him by the paw and slamming him against the ground.

Yet, it only bounced off the ground like it was made of cotton and stuffing…because it was. He quickly jumped back to his feet, turned around, and prepared to chase after the third one.

“Stoooooop!”

“Too late.” Karne raised a palm just as the Con Man stopped before Passeri.

“Combust.”

As if it had been inflated by pressurized air, the cement man’s body puffed up just before a cloud of dust plumed through the aisle. Cement shrapnel shot through the surroundings, stabbing through the metal shelf.

It jabbed through metal cans as their contests exploded outward, the glass light above shattered, turning the area dim as glass fell to the ground like hail.

“Iroi-sama!” Bushineko shouted, the dust clearing around him as he held his sword before him, having used it to deflect the projectiles coming his way. His worried gaze transfixed ahead to see if the idol had come out from the direct attack alright.

As he stepped forward, he felt his paw step against something. Cold and wet, he turned his attention downward, and his pupils dilated in terror.

A phone, its screen broken and cracked, the screen behind the glass broken up by bars of black, the numbers she was dialing broken up by dead pixels.

Droplets of blood soaked through the cervices, staining his white fur in red.

“IROIIII-SAMAAAAAAAA!!”

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Dress Code for Violence

TIME:

Evening, Post-Arc 2, April 2nd 2022

LOCATION:

Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Yong-Yut

Dress Code for Violence

The troubled and crestfallen rookie perked up, a familiar voice calling to him, albeit in a somewhat alien tone, far more lively than what was usually expected from that person. "Oh, Yong-Yut!" He locked his phone, quickly inserting it into his pocket, before using his now free hand to gently wave at the veteran. "Good to see you well!" He forced a weak smile, trying to downplay his DIRE CONUNDRUM. It had been a while since he saw her, their own activities within the gang leaving little in the way of overlapping and crossing paths. As she asked with evident worry, the boy sighed once again.

"It's not a big deal, just got back from a job" He scratched the back of his head "I'm fine, nothing happened to me, but..."

He grabbed onto his suit, unfolding it until it was but displayed in full for YY, savage tears and holes riddled the fine, high-quality piece of clothing. Charlie's eyes, now large and glassy, showed complete distress from the rookie. "Some mean guy with claws destroyed my suuuuit!" He shook his hands back and forth, insisting on showing the damage further as the suit wobbled. "They were so sharp not even my tempering could save it!"

He stood up, walking hastily in circles as he held his head with his hands. The suit now draped over his right bicep. "AHHHH Helva is gonna be so disappointed if she if she finds out! And fixing it is gonna cost so much money!" He then stood in place, looking at YY straight in the eyes. "I'm gonna have to live off water and cup ramen for a month!"


Note: Basically the kind of face Charlie is doing.

gxxberkit

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

The Ties that Bond Us

TIME:

Daytime, Post Arc 3

LOCATION:

Noodle Nirvana, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Jesper

The Ties that Bond Us

Charlie's heart was beating like crazy, a vortex of emotions swirling within him as he listened to Jesper explain himself. He plead innocence, or at the very least disassociation with the the tragedy. In a way, the Phoenix felt great relief from hearing his friend deny his involvement, he still held onto a naive hope that Albrecht wasn't quite fully gone.

But how exactly was Charlie supposed to believe him? How much water do his words hold, after revealing to having kept one grand secret all this time, or even more incriminating, was the fact that the phoenix himself was also withholding his own truth. Just where was the guarantee that this wasn't a two-way street?

In what felt like a borderline sadistic fashion, Jesper delivered a simple question, the kind of way in which a person was hoping for a specific answer, with words slathered with contagious anguish. Jesper was so cruel, he made Charlie feel villainous, like a toxic friend who was willing to put an end to a precious relationship due to selfish reasons, while in truth he was hurting all the same. He was biting down on his lower lip, almost to the point of breaking his skin.

"I..." He could barely utter any words at this point, his own glassy eyes now also building up tears, he could remain the composed one no longer.

"I don't think that'd be good for either of us"

just admit it, you coward.

"You'd be better off just focusing on making friends in East "

Say it, let your 'friend' know how vile you really are.

"And I don't wanna be related to gangsters, not even you...It never ends well"

What a wretched, pathetic imbecile.

"It's...Over, I hope you can forgive me, Jespy..." that last name uttered with a broken voice. Tears now streamed down his face as it scrunched up, all traces of stoicism gone as he wept inconsolably.

@AriAriAbabwa

 

[Slav]

Vissarion Argyris

CS Link

SCENE:

Equestrian Diplomacy

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | June 17th, 2022

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri( The One Eyed Bandit ) , Vissa

Equestrian Diplomacy

The golden haired man couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He was all too familiar of the type of games she was playing but he was willing to be nice today. He didn't hold anything against her for being on guard. "It's my job to worry about the future. Strategic planning is vital for survival in the cruel environment that we both willingly stepped into. I won't press any further though, that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about anyways." Vissa tried to be diligent when it came to making sure he didn't make his guests uncomfortable. Even though he had an agenda, he wasn't going to let that stop him from being a proper gentlemen.

His golden gaze followed a blue jay that fluttered by, a smile forming as he watched the beautiful creature flutter away. Such innocence in a city of decay, he was going to try and preserve as much of it as possible. "A tale as old as time. People take advantage of the weak, the constant posturing is something that I do not desire." He turned his attention back to his guest, his gaze settling on his guest. His smile shined brightly again as he heard the news that Passeri provided to him. He was jealous that such a position was afforded to her but he couldn't deny that she was a good choice. She checked a lot of boxes, it would have been hard to ignore her. "Congratulations! That role is befitting of you. I couldn't think of a better replacement." Vissa moved his arms to give her a hug but stopped himself before going through with the hug. He awkwardly lowered his arms as he realized it would have probably been weird to do so. His friendliness could get in the way sometimes.

Red in the face, he turned his face slightly away, agreeing with her. "There is a lot to show you. I do other things than just make money." He said jokingly, trying to take the attention of his awkward congratulation. The gravel path eventually led to his stables, a large building that housed his prized horses. Nothing better to show off than one of his passions. "Animals certainly brighten up the day. I hope you don't mind the presence of horses, they don't talk if that's a concern." Vissa said, his red face disappearing as he regained his composure. Upon entering the stables, one of his horses, Alexander, decided to loudly neigh at him as he saw the face of his owner. Alexander was always one of the more vocals ones. "It seems Alexander is interested in meeting you, he's a big fan of your work." He let out a soft laugh, teasing Passeri.

Vissa approached the horse, petting his mane. Alexander stood their content with the situation, looking over to Passeri. "Horses are fantastic animals, they give off a unique natural beauty that is hard to replicate. I'm sure you could relate to that in a few ways." He said, turning his attention away from the horse and back to his important guest. He didn't know how comfortable she was around animals, so he didn't try and force her to get close. "You can pet him if you want but you aren't required to do so. I won't think any less of you." Even though horses were majestic, if you were unfamiliar with them they could be daunting.

His lifestyle certainly differed from hers and he could tell. It was rare to find somebody who had the same tastes as himself. "Tell me about these concerns of yours. I'll see if I can provide any useful insights, I may be young but I know my way around this city." Learning about her concerns could led him closer to possibly striking a deal or making a connection. He didn't bring her here just for conversation, though he wasn't going to deny that he enjoyed her presence. It wasn't everyday that you got to meet someone like her.

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Dress Code for Violence

TIME:

Evening, Post-Arc 2, April 2nd 2022

LOCATION:

Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, YY

Dress Code for Violence

She covered her mouth in a gasp. Her contracted pupils darted along the scars torn into the suit. As he wailed, she could only stare in shock.

Her eyes trailed with the garment as Charlie began pacing. Her thoughts were only about how much the fabric and tailoring for such a nice outfit must’ve cost. And about how much sense it made that it was Helva who had given it to him.

Poor kid.

She looked up to his face, and then immediately looked away (what’s with all the eye contact?) Her head shook gently, her hands landing on her waist. “No, you won’t.” She gestured to the suit. “I’ll patch it up for you.”

Roda the Red

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

H-Eye

TIME:

Post Arc-2

LOCATION:

Red West, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector

H-Eye

Her eyes lingered on him.



Yong-Yut spent many years hating the man in front of her.

She would never give him the time of day, giving him the cold shoulder any time she could. His face made her angry. He was annoying, foul, and didn’t understand that she just couldn’t stand his existence. He was the worst of the worst.

Yet, here they were.

They sat together in a booth. They were having a conversation. He spoke earnestly, with a faint smile. And she didn’t feel the desire to punch him in the face or avoid him entirely.

Instead, she only wanted the best for him.



She gave him a gentle nod.

“I forgive you.”

It wasn’t for this apology.

“...But, you know… queens don’t work alone. They have their court, and all. There are people you can lean on for support. It’d take a lot longer for things to be fine without allowing help. I'm just saying, you're not so isolated.”

WhiskeyMarten

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Pecking Order

TIME:

Post Arc-3

LOCATION:

DMV, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

YY, Zane

Pecking Order

Ahh, the DMV.

Dull. Boring. For most people, a nuisance.

But for our little pink friend here, an escape from day-to-day life as a Phoenix.

Quiet monotony was always her favorite.

Here she is now, sitting on a stone cold plastic chair. In her lap, a clipboard, along with her license renewal application. She always was a good citizen— besides the gang stuff.

The pen lightly scribbled her answers onto the blank lines.

Around her, people were dispersed, from standing in line to sitting down at each edge of the array of chairs.

She sat in the middle. She'd rather been closer to the edge, but they didn’t want to sit too close to anybody else. As is typical courtesy among civil members of the community.

The minimal noise and distractions kept her diligently working on the paperwork.

If only our good friend knew what would happen next.

BluEndings

 

[gxxberkit]

Nona-me Gregor

CS Link

SCENE:

For Rest

LOCATION:

Nona's Forest, East District

TIME:

March 7 2020

PARTICIPANTS:

Nona-me, Hifumi

For Rest

She let out an amused huff of air. How silly Hifumi was! Her hand landed on his shoulder with a smile. “It’s okay, Princess!” Her free hand took the map from him. “I’ve got it!”

Instead of using it or even just folding the map, she rolled it up like a newspaper and waved it out in the direction of the forest. “It’s just this way. Remember?” She took a few steps forward before pausing to let him catch on.

She skipped onward. “Has it really been so long since you’ve come over?” A disappointed, thoughtful hum followed. “You’ve been awfully busy, huh?” She slowed. It’s not like they’ve ever spent lots of time together, but she didn’t think it was only a small amount.

Her head turned to the side so she could look at him. “Well, let’s make sure you get the rest you deserve. You’re going to love what we’ll make for dinner!”



They eventually made it to the bank of the lake. The water swayed gently, broken by the breeze and a swan on the surface. The reflection of the sky peeked through the trees. She sat down on her knees, and invited him to do the same.

“It might be a minute until supper’s really done.” She closed her eyes. “And, we have quite some walking to do. We can sit for a second.

Do you have anything to reflect on?”

BluEndings