Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings

[QuirkyAngel]

Meirin Azuza

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Helva, Hou (inactive), Isaiah, Kanna, Maho,
Meirin, Ra (inactive), Rin, Shen, Soren (inactive), Vulken,
Yaroslav (inactive), Yong-Yut, Kaede

The Dragon and the Phoenix

As the car zoomed down the streets of Central, swerving and maneuvering to keep up with the flying kings, Meirin kept her eyes locked on the battle up ahead, her grip tightening on the vehicle’s grab handle. Every blurred building they passed, every bump they encountered, went ignored as the Warden of Eternal Night Palace watched the intense fight of gang leaders. Little discussions were held that, unfortunately, made little progress as there was little trust amongst the members of opposing gangs and no one could really make head or tails of what was going on anyway; Only a shared belief that something was wrong.

Meirin rubbed her head trying to recall what it was about the battle that had racked up her dubious instinct. “If they were shaking hands, then randomly started attacking each other, something must’ve caused it…”

A ‘ripple’ of unease.

Meirin had briefly felt it, like a warning, before chaos sounded and the battle began. Strangely enough, it felt a bit like it had come from underground too, but that made no sense, so she dismissed the notion to the back of her mind for now.

“Ya know, I think–”

The sight of Shen crushing Lyric within a case of metal halted Meirin’s words. There was no time to think. Knowing how Phoenixes are, and their strong sense of loyalty, killing the Phoenix King would undoubtedly solidify the growing animosity between the Scarlet Phoenix and the Azure Dragon Gang. Meirin instinctively knew this…and so her following actions were instinctive as well. Rolling down the car’s window, Meirin climbed out so that she stood atop the speeding vehicle, her brown hair blowing in the wind.

“Undo my illusion for a bit, Izzy!” Meirin called before jumping into the air.

Whether or not she was still invisible, Meirin didn’t know, but the giantess of the Azure Dragons trusted their illusion-master Ace to act as needed. The girl grew and grew until she was the height to reach the Kings, heedless of how tall she’d gotten which, unfortunately, meant she had no idea how long her stamina would hold out either. Paying little attention to the small things beneath her feet, Meirin passed Markus Weiss of the Albino Tigers and Tri of the Sable Serpents without so much as a glance, each large step causing the earth to tremble as she made her way to the airborne kings.

“Shen!!!” Her voice boomed.

A large, looming hand reached out and giant fingers wrapped around the metal cage that constricted Lyric, thus encasing Lyric in her large grip as well, though whether the Sleeping Giantess meant to assist Shen in crushing the Phoenix King or tug the Phoenix King from the Dragon King’s metallic hold was unknown (even to Meirin at the moment). She simply wanted to talk to her gang leader. Big as she was, he would surely notice her now. “Is this the battle you wanted???”

The more Meirin looked at Shen–mainly his listless eyes–the more she felt something wasn’t right…and now she could finally put a finger on it. Many saw the Azure Dragon King as a monster. To the regular citizens of New Oasis, he was a thug who did whatever he wanted. Even to some (within the gang itself) he was simply power to be exploited. However, through her few, yet meaningful, interactions with Shen Yue, Meirin learned that–as airheaded and oblivious as their dumb king could be at times–he saw the Azure Dragons as his family. As much as he loved to fight, he wouldn’t have left the battle to act on his own; He valued peace. He was a good person-a benign ruler. He wouldn’t attack a member of the Azure Dragons without explanation or reason. He’d listen to them, just as he listened to Yo; To Meirin’s headstrong opinions about why sex workers needed to be treated better, especially within some other Dragon brothels belonging to some less scrupulous Dragons (like Jiang Shi).

As for changes in his fighting, well, she’d know for once she went head to head with him. The only way Meirin knew how to wake someone up was with her fist, after all.

“What are you fighting for?”

The thrill of the fight? Peace? Control of central? Looking at Shen Yue at the moment, Meirin wasn’t sure. He didn’t look like he was enjoying the fight at all and his usual grin, when fighting a strong opponent, was nowhere in sight.

@Peckinou @SilverFlight Lucem FabulousTrash @The Prophet EmperorsChosen Elenion Aura @LXI Nobody Special @L.Amour gxxberkit @The Suspicious Eye Damafaud

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

TAZZ (August August)

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]

LOCATION:

Mysterious Black Site, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Damian, Kinsley, Kisara, Kyo, Peyton, Raph, Sab, Shinko

THICKER THAN WATER

Death. Rot. The kind of stench that made you want to pull your teeth out; it reached his nose with gangrenous fingers, stirring a sickness in August as the Takaonna slinked past. From the pit of his stomach, a queasiness rode up and knotted in his throat.

Using the collar of his turtleneck, August covered his nose—his expression, wrought with poorly stifled disgust—and he stepped a generous bit aside even though she’d already gone, as if he expected more of her to come slithering by.

He watched through pinched eyes, with an edge of revulsion marked in his gaze, as she patted down the pearlesque newcomer, who starkly contrasted herself. She slathered her hands across his pale face and August’s brows went up at that. He looked at the others, none of whom paid him notice, and wondered if they were all actually seeing the same thing…

And then she was off, Taka.

Seeing the darkness of the hallway wrap around her gangly silhouette, August wondered if the feelings that Taka ignited in him were a product of his pampered life in the West. But that couldn’t be it. Right? Any sane person’s lip would curl at an olfactory offense of that caliber. Not that he thought this lot was sane.

Mach Sling appeared in his mind then, and Raph with it. As Peyton spoke to the newcomer, inviting him to join them in their exploit, August recalled all of the chaos from that night. The animated rivulets of blood around his ankle as he dangled upside down, concrete reaching up in jagged shards around him as his body broke against it with harsh impact, and the necrotic hands around his throat.

He’d thought nothing of Raph then. Raph who was just another drawback at the time in this life of unfavorable consequence. That was until Geronimos. If not for their rather unlikely encounter that night, August never would have thought to seek out the Sable Serpents following the assassination attempt on Markus.

It was a long shot, but if things went according to his plans, then…

“You coming along, right, Au–” Peyton’s voice cut short, and that’s when it clicked. Unsolicited recollection—as if a switch had been flipped, but August hadn’t been the one to flip it—and he looked at Peyton, unsure-like. He studied his face briefly… The eyes were different; the hair, too. And the years had shaped their features in different contours. But he was sure now…

Pengfei Xiong.

August shrugged. Pain shot from the back of his head to his temple, some down his neck. “Dunno.” He lied. That’s when the newcomer, Julien, said something that turned Kisara sharp on her heels and had her pouncing upon him with great fervor.

So, he knew Raph? Raphy?

August didn’t move. The sooner they found their companion, the better. He would let Kisara work her rage.

AUGUST/POST NOTES​

— —What he's wearing (See post image) White turtleneck; Teal jacket; White pants (smeared with blood); Black shoes; Earrings

— —POST RECAP: August remembers Peyton.

(Interacting w/ Julian, Peyton, Kisara, Taka)
(Mentioned Raphael, Markus)
Coyote Hart simj26 AriAriAbabwa Sei Shonagon Elenion Aura ​

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Nico Charise - NPC

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 3 [Whole World Blind]

LOCATION:

Lucky Rabbit Casino; bar

PARTICIPANTS:

Casey, Mector, Alice, Dante, Hide, Mizuya, Raquel, Zach

Whole World Blind

Casey and... He stifled a laugh. Mector. His mother must've hated him. Regardless, Nico leaned his head in his arms like a tired student, listening intently. Though the slight twitch when 'she' lacked knowledge of him was apparent—this first thing the former star needed to correct. "Nico!" he shouted suddenly, throwing his finger out where it booped Casey's nose. "Nico is Nico! The cutest in the West!" he said with an obnoxiously cutesy tone. "From the world famous boyband, Based? Hm? Hm?" Nico budged closer to Casey, expecting some sort of recognition.

Regardless of her reaction, Nico relaxed himself, swinging back to his original spot on the stool. There was something more important to focus on, after all. "And by Nico's guess, the girl you're talking about Miss Wonderland! It's no wonder you've heard a lot of wonder about this Miss Wonder to have you wondering!"

But it was Mector's lure that Nico bit. Just as he expected, Nico's whole demeanor changed the instant he realized the two people were potential moneybags. Nico's soft palms hugged the sides of his face. His lashes fluttered up at the 'cousins' as he smiled innocently.

"Well, it's perfect that you two came here!" Nico hopped off the seat with arms freely at his side, leaving the empty glass on the bar. "If you were wondering why this place is called the Lucky Rabbit Casino, it's all her! The main attraction—an experience you won't find anywhere else on the planet. It's so divine, you'll want to come back for more and more. And I can get you in with a first time visit discount! How about it?"

Spoiler: Notes

Nico - #F47A94

Roda the Red WhiskeyMarten

 

[The Regal Rper]

(OG) Dante | Rabbit Casino, West | The Princess' Penthouse

He nodded in understanding-- so she had more important things on her mind then was the thought that went through his mind as the mention of her future with the Tigers. As they continued their dance and he watched her hype herself up next for whatever it was she wanted to say, Dante waited patiently. Listening to everything as she spoke.

"You don't want to be like Markus" he said gently, even though he understood what it was she meant he needed to clarify, stop that line of thinking before it took her down a path he'd have to see come to an end later.

"But I understand what you're really trying to say. Trust me," he gave her hand a squeeze, an affectionate one at that, almost empathetic in a way yet despite the tenderness of that brief moment he maintained their dancing to the song that was on play. "We share that in common." Though he didn't elaborate on how or why, or what he even meant. Instead he followed up with, "Do you have any place in mind we could go to to continue our talk? I'd rather" his voice lowered as he leaned, pulling her closer so they could spin, "we not do this when anyone might be listening."

"M-Maybe backstage? It's not far from here, we could go there to talk my staff wouldn't bother us. I could talk to the security--"​

He hushed her with a finger lightly tapping her nose. "Thank you dear, I'll make the preparations for us then, Morgana" his finger went up to the earpiece as he said her name, "bring us down, preferably outside of the crowd. Lisandra, Nilin" he said after giving those instructions. "What's the status so far? Do you recognize anyone from the list I gave you of potential threats?"

And as he relayed these messages Morgana, brought both Alice and Dante down on a small stage with a catwalk that led back down to floor level where the rest of the occupants mingled. To their far west from that very catwalk, past a sea of bodies, Hector and Charlie interacted with Nico- not that Dante knew or his cohort of allies either. His attention turned to Alice's personnel, four security guards in suits, two of which he immediately recognized, all of whom had been keeping an eye on the dance in the air and were now waiting for both of them not far from the catwalk's end.

Nilin was the first to reply.

"Nothing strange yet. Aside from a few odd entries, but in this business yknow how it is. I spotted a couple- red head, guy with her has white hair, glasses- being led to the elevator to another room, led by one of the Casinos workers from what I picked up in passing. Things seem tame so far."

"They always tend to-- Lisandra?"

"Nothing yet." His co-star replied. "But me and the girls are keeping our eyes open for anyone that approaches your direction, we'll inform you if anything strange happens. The twins are itching for something to happen anyway, so I'm sure you'll both notice if anything gets heated."

He nodded. Taking Alice's hand he walked with her side-by-side down the catwalk till they reached her guards.

Hidemi snorted when he heard her request, even as he followed both Alice and Dante to the location. Alice for once leading the way, where Dante had been doing much of that for the dance, she now marched a beat towards backstage. It was clear the Tiger found this to be quite amusing from the way he was grinning as he walked alongside them. As a Senior Security Officer, he couldn't really allow such a request to happen under his watch. The Host would throw a hissy fit, and would dock his pay considerably, not to mention, punish him with cleaning the toilets by hand, with nothing but a toothbrush, if anything were to happen to the Princess.

He grabbed Dante's wrist- and smiled widely when both he and Alice were stopped. "I can't allow you two to go into the backstage room alone, without any personnel present." He said in a low voice, leaning into Dante's ear even with the coverage of a new song drowning out most noise- at least to anyone that wasn't Nilin.

"Then you can stand right by the door- that should be fair, I think. Besides what does it matter if I go with her backstage?" Dante asked. "She doesn't mind, do you?"

To which Alice shook her head, a frown crossing her features.

It was tempting, it really was. He'd been at this job for six years now, watching over the Princess before she even started sprouting into adolescence. Some part of him had always found her submitting nature boring, he could see with a glance in that one good eye of hers- that she really wasn't interested in being delayed with the trip.

At the same time he had no interest in being punished if anything were to happen. He hadn't been on duty the time Alice had skipped out, but he was now- the last group of Senior Officers that failed to notice the Princess was gone before it was too late had been punished, and he'd seen to some of that himself.

But there was something about that look in her one good eye, he couldn't help but find almost too amusing.

"My eyes are up here, handsome." The comment hard to ignore when Dante was using a finger to lift his head back up to his level.

He let the wrist go and Dante smiled as Hidemi's grin turned into a sneer.

"I still can't let you go in there alone, Princess. The rules--"

"Are for her benefit." Dante responded in her defense. Not surprised by the strong pushback, Markus and the staff wanted to make sure they didn't lose Alice again- and from the way people had flocked in now that she was running things again, it was clear he knew at least that his trophy had an effect.

"ALRIGHT PEOPLE!" Lisandra's voice made it to the speakers, breaking the tension of the exchange. "Whose up for a dance?"

A round of applause and cheers went into the air.

One of the officers behind Hidemi snorted. One female officer rose a brow and tilted her shades down to stare at Alice with a questioning look.

It had reached a standoff- and was taking up too much time, minutes, at least three had already gone by.

"Hidemi, eyes up." One of his coworkers responded. And when he looked, there were certainly a few glances going their way. Not the kind that spelled bad news or were a problem but it was clear a few people had finally noticed the tension between the performer and his small group of guards.

"We'll escort you." He said quickly, moving past Dante and leading Alice with a hand at her back. The remaining three guards stepping around Dante, Alice and Hidemi by extension.

Dante chuckled. "No problem, and I'm sure you'll be waiting outside too."

---

Upon reaching backstage before entering the rather large room left for Alice to get ready, Hidemi made another attempt that a guard be present in the room with Alice during her meeting with Dante. Despite being a Tiger, it was clear that there were some precautions not being taken lightly anymore since her vanishing act last time. Especially since it had been one of their own whom had led her awry in the first place.

For once, Alice's expression twisted into a cold scowl. "Can't you leave me be for one moment? Do you think I learned nothing from this?" She ran a hand over her scar and the slashed eye. "I promise, it's just a conversation between friends..."

"If it's a conversation, then I don't see why we can't be present for it." One of the female agents replied. Still not giving in.

Hidemi however had gone silent as a new argument began to brew. He stared at Alice silently for a few seconds, and then grinned.

"Hold on" he rose his hand to silence the others. "What's this really about, what are you two actually going to do in there. No conversation between friends requires this level of secrecy."

"Oh my stars" Dante groaned. "Look this is getting ridiculous, you really want to know what's going to happen, she wants a show. She wanted to talk to me about some personal stuff. Alright, now just leave us alone."

He didn't even wait for a reply, he turned, opened the door and walked inside. "Alice? Coming?"

"If you go in there with him, we'll break the door down and drag him out and then you can have your conversation, out here." Hidemi said with an amused smile. "You forget, you can give us orders, but we don't have to follow them all the time. Unless you plan on kicking us out" he said looking her in the eye, "I'll do my job."

Alice glared at him, then wordlessly, she turned her back to Hidemi much to his amusement as he watched her march into her personal stage quarters and slam the door.

"Hold on" he said grabbing one of his colleagues by the shoulder. "Ten seconds then we bust the door down. I want to see what'll happen if we play up the act a bit. She's putting a front but it'll crumble when we bust that door down."

They both heard him say it. But Dante had already transformed the second the door shut.

"You know what, I'm feeling nice." Hidemi laughed. "I'll give you fifteen seconds."

Yet the performer had already grabbed Alice by the hand, pulled her to his side and then with a clatter of noise tossed aside everything on her desk and threw her onto it within the moment the door closed to the second Hidemi began talking after it.

In the span of just a few seconds, Dante had Alice pinned to her seat on her makeup table and was leaning in to whisper as his head flicked from her to the door.

"This is bad." Obviously. "We need to get them to believe--[/color]

"Nine SECONDS!" Hidemi called through the closed curtains, behind the door. "Then we come in and you both come out, Princess. If you really got the guts to deny us, kick us out! Then I'll take you seriously."

"That we're not doing anything- he suspects something, we have throw them off and then to get them to back off, like he said--"

The door rattled violently with a firm, solid strike that caused the curtains to shake.

"Don't damage it too much guys, boss will be pissed if we cause reckless damage." Hidemi told his goons as they began taking shots at the door. It was clear they were merely doing it to intimidate Alice. In a way it was also showing her that without any real authority, this was how the Tigers would treat some of their less fortunate members. Or how they treated members they suspected of being capable of doing their business harm.

"Kick them out." He told her. Hand taking hers and giving it a squeeze. "You said you wanted to make them see you for who you are, not what can do." His voice was calm but it held a seriousness to it. "This might be that chance. Make them see you're not a pushover. Kick them out for disrespecting you, and I'm sure that will get someone like Hidemi's attention."

One of the females bursted through the door in an instant, but Dante was already prepared for that.

A flash of sickly green light was already emanating from his leg when he moved away from Alice and he span around and kicked in her direction before the woman- now in a chimera like form of a Tiger, claws, stripes, fangs-- was sent right back out the door when she leaped towards him. The blast of energy knocked her backwards and sent her sailing right towards another teammate that Hidemi sidestepped to watch them slide across the ground in a heap.

A second later a door of green energy appeared to replace the door.

"Alright enough of this." He said with a sigh.

His teammate slammed a strike on the energy door and it did nothing but resist. Brushing his partner aside, Hidemi's body gained an outline, and then he touched the door- that strange outline reached out and painted the door a dark swirling grey and the second he stepped through, he was inside the room. The one coworker that hadn't been bawled over by Dante and wasn't recovering, followed him-- but they paused.

The kiss didn't break when they entered, it stopped a few seconds after. And when it did, a pop as their lips separated, Dante looked into Alice's eyes as he parted and sighed, he'd asked her- warned her after kicking one of the guards out what he was about to do- but still it was ashame it had to escalate this far. Staying where he was with Alice pinned to her seat on the desk and her mirror behind her, he looked at Hidemi's reflection and said to him, "You really can't take a hint, can you?"

Hidemi stared for a second, as he watched for Alice's reaction and then he smirked. Nudging his guy out of his stupor he nodded to Dante. "Care to explain, Princess?" He asked. Hoping to see what she'd do now that the jig was apparently up.

And Dante looked back at her- he was still in front of her, still leaning closely towards her- hadn't moved away after the kiss. "She doesn't owe you an explanation, does she?" And to sell it, he kissed her on the cheek, then on the jaw, just so he could toss a scathing glare over his shoulder at both guards. "If she wanted to satisfy some curiosities of her own," he said, "then she has a right to.. "Are you going to let them treat you like this?" He asked, turning his attention back to her.

Hidemi waited for a second for her reply, and depending on how long that took, he nodded for his guards to separate Dante from her.

Mentions: WhiskeyMarten Roda the Red

Interactions: AriAriAbabwa

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Alicia Morel

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 3 [Whole World Blind]

LOCATION:

Lucky Rabbit Casino; Alice's Penthouse

PARTICIPANTS:

Alice, Dante, Charlie, Hector, Hide, Mizuya, Raquel, Zach

Whole World Blind

Dante took the reigns after that, and things went... hectic, to say the least.

She just wanted a moment to talk. To think her own guards would cause this much trouble—this wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to return to a new normal. And this? This was the same. Same, same, same.

15 seconds. What were they to do with that time? Sing the alphabet? Alice's thoughts ran rampant, yet none of it reflected to reality. Her mouth opened and closed. Silence, save for Dante and the guards' cacophony.

The door rattled violently, enough to bring Alice into the moment once again. Her mind ran blank, only focused on Dante. Kick them out? "I can't. They won't listen to me..." She flinched at every strike at the door. Her breath felt nauseous. Images of the mall flashed in her mind, only to be immediately suppressed by Alice. Was this really the normal she wanted to return to?

Mr. Hat—no, Janay wouldn't allow this... what happened to him?

The door burst open, followed by Dante's backup plan. Alice curled up on the seat. He told her earlier he'd have to do something drastic. He couldn't have meant... "Don't kill—!" The guards broke through, and she was silenced by Dante's lips.

What? What is this? Alice froze. She knew the answer—had read this happening in all sorts of storybooks. But this wasn't a storybook. This wasn't the prince she expected. This wasn't him. "What..." was all she stammered.

Hidemi asked her something. Dante did, too. She knew what they said, but the words didn't process.

It was all too much.

Taking the silence as an answer, Hidemi's guards separated Alice from Dante. She couldn't feel her legs, but they moved stiff. Everything passed in either a blur, or as if minutes passed. Dante kissed her. More than once. Her first. Why? Why couldn't it have been...

Her face scrunched up. Tears welled in her working eyes. Alice dropped to a knee, and the guards tried dragging her up. They brought her to Hidemi.

It was all too much...

She bit her tongue. But it bled. She glared up at Hidemi with her twisted snarl. "Leave. Us. ALONE!" Her hand moved first—right across his face. Her palm stung.

The sound of skin on skin was like a thunder echoing. He stumbled, his attention more on Dante in that instant before it'd snapped back to her when he'd finally noticed her movement too late.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Snapped his colleague but before he could say anything towards her—Hidemi's hand came up in silence.

As he turned to look back at Alice, it was clear his cheek was already swelling and the red mark from where her hand had struck was clear against his pale white complexion. "I think that's enough. She clearly wants to be left alone with him." Eyes looked Jasper up then down, a sense of repressed amusement crossed Hidemi's features, "fling" he decided, "let's go. No more violence—he can stay as she requests. She's made it clear that she has some sort of spine, at least." He told them.

The rest of them were still dazed clearly by what had happened, they merely stared between Alice and Hidemi before slowing backing away from Dante. "If you need us we'll be outside." Hidemi stated as the last of his group followed him away.

Though frankly with the door tore open, being outside hardly mattered much anymore. Dante, didn't seem to mind it though. Wordlessly, he grabbed the fallen door and placed it back up in its frame. Then wisely, kept his distance from Alice, knowing her fury was partly directed at him as well.

I'm sorry, she finally mouthed. Why couldn't she say that? Why did he retreat, looking so thrilled about her unwarranted outburst? Alice stared at her hands. Shaking, unsteady hands. Why did she do that? Why did her guilt flutter away so quickly? And why did it feel... good?

She knew why. This was what she wanted: control. They listened to her... Was a little force all she really needed?

Alice finally looked back at Dante, and the memory of what happened just a minute ago flashed back in mind. Her face flushed bright pink and with bewilderment. "Why did you do that?!" Another question she knew the answer to. Not that it soothed her. "That was my f-first k-ki..." Her throat closed on her words. She turned aside. "You're not who I wanted to do it with..."

... What was the reason for going in here, to begin with?

The Regal Rper

 

[The Regal Rper]

(OG) Dante | Rabbit Casino, West | The Princess' Penthouse

The pounding in his heart, finally settled once she made that smack. There were a lot of ways Hidemi could have played things out. Starting a major fight in the Casino would lead to chaos and in Dante's mind that was the last thing he wanted- the last thing he needed to happen. Some part of him, felt like something bad was coming- and any wanton chaos that could add to this pit in his gut, would only lead to not just his endangerment but Alice's also.

So when Alice made her mark and smacked Hidemi, he actually had stopped breathing for just a moment as he watched for Hidemi's reaction. And the seconds that ticked, for him- were agonizing.

What if I was wrong?

What if he hit her back?

What if one of the others hit her back?

Despite being held back, due to complying to them rallying him away from her, he knew what his reaction would have been. And he knew it would have meant nothing good.

So he was glad his hunch was right, that Hidemi finally backed down, and from the reaction of the other guards- Alice's violent display, had finally rang something in their skulls.

He didn't even know he'd been holding his breathe till after he placed the door back in its frame, moved to lean against the opposite wall from Alice, and let out a quiet, barely audible sigh.

She had done it. He'd been expecting that kiss to possibly be the thing that pushed her towards the edge- in truth he was glad it worked.

But there was also that sense of guilt that struck him like a bat to the face that he couldn't quite shake off. He was about to open his mouth to tell her just what was on his mind in regards to what had just happened- specifically that kiss, when she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry", his face drooped at her remark towards what he'd done. "I really am." His voice was sincere. "I didn't mean to ruin something like that for you- no excuse comes with tainting what could have been a good memory for you and for that I truly do apologize. I only did it because..." and then trailed off into a pause.

It was strange seeing an orc turn greener with embarrassment.

It had been the spur of the moment kind of decision. There could have been other things he could have done to make them think they were 'doing' something. Promiscuous positions or clothing undone-- but he'd done none of that. Instead he'd taken the initiative and merely done what instinct had drawn him to.

It was rare to see Dante pause like that, even rarer for him to display genuine embarrassment- he looked at Alice and found it hard to look at her as this realization occurred to him.

He'd been advising her on bettering her own observation over the last few months since their training began- to pay attention to how people talk and how what they say conflicts or matches with what they do- this was a moment to get some experience. He normally had the answer, only ever paused if he was thinking- at least when it came to their discussions in private. And he always, kept eye contact when they did- but being asked about why a kiss, Dante here, stumbled.

To the two it might have been an easy answer: To motivate her to do what she needed to do, but here as he stumbled- that simple answer which appeared so easy, was now just a little more complicated.

At last he said: "It seemed like the right call at the moment. But it's no excuse, and I apologize for putting you through that." He sighed as he used energy from his arm to grab a wooden chair, pick it up and sit down.

"Stuff like this is common." He said, dropping some reality on her. "In each gang there's a different role you've got to play. In the Tigers its sort of like politics. Complicated and messy, you avoid the people you can't handle and focus on the ones you can. In your case, you want to force a change in perspective, you want control. To get that, you'll need to do things like this." Laying flat in explanation her original question.

"You'll need to start leaving your comfort zone. I wouldn't suggest joining on tasks or anything that would put you in harm's way- but if I'm being frank, the only way to expand your view is to leave this place. It won't mean you won't have eyes on you when you're outside, but it at least means you'll finally be able to see things out there for yourself. You'll have to push and keep pushing- use your powers sometimes if you have to get make the stubborn listen but--" and here was the warning"you cannot cave in once you start, you can't back down Alice." Dante stated clearly. "The moment you do, it'll be like starting from scratch all over again. Or worse, they won't give you a chance to again. If there's someone that can teleport then there's probably someone out there that they could use or hire to make you fall in line again. I'll help you" he said as he rose. "I just need to warn you that although I took the initiative and did something unsavory, you'll have to do things like this more often in the future. I promise, if I can avoid it, something like this won't happen again." he reassured her. "I wouldn't want you to go through what I did with someone I once thought of as a close friend- and I have no interest in taking advantage of your faith or trust. Just tell me how you want to proceed, and we'll go from there."

Mentions: N/A
Interactions: AriAriAbabwa

 

[Stros]

Ryoma Matsuno

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Sajeem, Noa

FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING

I should really stop letting others have the first blow.

Casting doubt upon his tradition of fighting etiquette. Ryoma picked himself up and out of the remains of what was once a likely popular gambling table. Moving a hand to his right abdomen where the blow had connected earlier, he greeted the familiar pain of bruised ribs with a grunt. Looking to the thug who had landed the blow on him, the man returned his gaze with a wide grin of satisfaction.

Then again. They always get so arrogant.

Dragging himself to his feet and dusting the wood chips and debris off his pants. Ryoma counted himself lucky that the brawler didn't seem like a professional fighter. While he wasn't certain how the guy's Potential worked, he was certain if the guy been trained to throw a solid punch, he likely wouldn't have a few sets of ribs anymore.

Ignoring the dull pain that flooded his right side, Ryoma rolled his shoulders a bit before then loosening up his neck. It was never a good idea to fight without first warming up, so Ryoma would extend his opponents "fun" while Tyr took care of his own. Though, he would make it a priority to avoid taking anymore blows like he had just done.

​

Removing both of his hands from his pants pockets, Ryoma seemed ready to take the two seriously. However, when he refused to bring up his guard again, he earned the annoyance of his two contenders. Letting the two fighters run him down as before, when their next pair of swings and blows cut through the air, they would soon realize that Ryoma was deceptively fast and nimble for his size.

Proceeding to dart and weave almost effortlessly around their attacks, it appeared as if he had suddenly awakened a sixth sense for danger compared to before. Though, quite unlike the reflexive abilities of Noa's bodyguard. Ryoma had something possibly a little less reliable, but far more valuable. That being a wealth of fighting experience.

Always maintaining the same amount of distance between him and his opponents, Ryoma began to run circles around the thugs as he got a feel for their speed and reaction times. It was just an added bonus that as they continued failing to land blow after blow, their anger and annoyance grew. All the while their stamina and endurance were being tested and drained. In such moments, Ryoma was glad he hadn't forgotten to keep up his roadwork ever since his days as a professional boxer. Every morning before sunrise he would be out hitting the road until the sun was high in the sky.

To further stir their indignation, when he could catch the words of an insult or taunt escaping their lips, his fists which still hung idly in front of him would flick up and land a jab when they least expected it. Smiling to himself, Ryoma wondered if he didn't make the great Ali proud in some way by mimicking his fighting style.

As the charade of a fight dragged on, it became easier to keep them at a distance as they began to show signs of being winded. Ryoma had kept an eye on the brawlers bat wielding friend the entire time. Aiming to keep them disorganized.

Whenever he could sense their movements coordinating an attack, he would immediately shift his position up close to either the left or right of one of them. Making it impossible for the other to intervene, and making it seem that the one who failed to land a blow up close was the one who jeopardized their plan.

​

With his body warmed up and primed for action from the short dancing rehearsal, Ryoma picked the moment the two stopped to catch their breaths to make his move. Dashing towards them, and in the process cutting short the distance he had so preciously maintained earlier. Ryoma's guard all of a sudden reappeared as he made a beeline for the man wielding the bat. Despite his fatigue, the bat swung true as previously but cleared through nothing but air as Ryoma ducked down low underneath it.

Bringing up his left, with the power of his legs, Ryoma's body "hopped" off the floor. Driving the fist up with the full force of his body, it connected with the man's jaw, sending his head careening back as his neck struggled to keep his skull attached to his body. Unsure whether or not the man was an NP or HP, Ryoma exercised caution and pulled his fist. Letting only the raw power generated by his legs and bodyweight to deliver the KO.

As the man's legs buckled in his brain's effort to process the blow to his chin, he fell to one knee. With a clink, his bat raddled against the floor as Ryoma's feet reunited with it. Immediately, his head darted out of the way of a haymaker thrown by the brawler in the heat of the moment. The pairs teamwork had been interrupted by Ryoma's sudden offensive in conjunction with their somewhat gassed state. Having no choice but to back up his friend, while trying to take advantage of Ryoma's momentary static position, the fist was fatally easy to telegraph.

In the next instant, the man's face would slam into the hard knuckled surface of Ryoma's right. His own momentum doing much of the work, as Ryoma landed a near flawless counter right after executing a textbook Gazelle punch. Knowing of the man's Potential, Ryoma held back less and followed through with the punch. Still yet not using his full power, the blow nevertheless sent the brawler in full reverse, as his head and back slammed into the floor behind his legs.

While normally it would have been acceptable to capitalize on the moment and inflict further punishment on the goons, Ryoma instead took a step back. Dropping his guard, he began to bounce in place, building upon the fighting rhythm he had established for himself in the minutes long melee. Waiting to see if his opponents would get back up for more, he cast a glance towards their Leader who seemed mildly disinterested. Shifting the gaze to Tyr, Ryoma checked to see how the bodyguard was holding up.

Sajeem(@joshuadim), Noa(@Peckinou)

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

"BANDY"

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

CDPD-HQ, Upper Central District — 2nd Floor, hallways

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Ashley, Gideon, Tatsuya, Inigo, Eric, (NPCs)

TACTICAL MAYHEM

“That's where I'm headed, too!” Callista chirped.

Bandy kept walking, a sarcastic hum in response. He heard the light clack of her heels following behind, lacking a certain zing they’d previously held, as if representing of her mood.

The silence dragged on for maybe a minute before Callista spoke again, asking softly, “You're not really going to leave me all alone to fend for myself, are you?” And Bandy smirked to himself, thinking it a joke. The girl wanders into dangers herselfs then expects protection?

As they came upon a T-section in the hallway, Bandy ran a hand along the wall and stopped to check both ways. No signs of police, not even a sound indicative of conflict ahead.

Bandy took the left vein, disappearing… Moments later, though, he poked his head back around, having realized Callista was no longer following him, and he blinked oddly at her, noticing her withered behavior all of the sudden.

What’s she doin’? Bandy narrowed his eyes, watching curiously.

After a heartbeat or two, Callista moved, and like a boy caught red-handed stealing a cookie from the cookie jar, his spine stiffened, hands flat at his sides, and he quickly hid around the corner with his back against the wall.

Calibrating… What am I doin’?

…

…

Callista rounded the corner, but by then Bandy was halfway down the hallway, cupping a hand over the lower half of his face, cringing. What the fucks was ‘at about? he asked internally, lowering the hand when Callista nearly reached him, playing it cool.

They walked a few paces.

“Are you still upset with me? I've never had a man give me the cold shoulder before, so I'm not sure what to do…” she said. Bandy didn’t respond—with his eyes, he glanced awkwardly to the side, wondering when she did anything to be upset about, and what he did to make her think that way. “I don't like it... S-So... forgive me right now or I will blow up all the files in the captain's office!”

Bandy promptly stopped at that, gritting his teeth beneath an irritated twitching brow. Inwardly, he cursed; cursed down his frustration, as he didn’t particularly get off on hurting a pretty lady’s feelings.

Following a brief moment of self-pacification, purple eyes drifted down to see the fabric of his shirt pinched between Callista’s fingers. Then, meeting her eyes, “You’re a delicate little flower, aren’tcha?” he pried her grip away by the wrist and held her hand at shoulder-level. “Listen…” He took a breath, sighing. “I ain’t a hateful guy. I can get along, alright?... But this-” Bandy gestured up and down at Callista, “-whatever… this?... is?... Take a breaks, yeah? Chill out?”

He released her emphatically, took two steps back, hands rising in forfeit. “Not so much to ask, hm? You don’t knows me; I don’t know you. Let’s not make shits personal.” The words came out matter-of-factly. “Now… We’s on the wrong floor. Gotta go up.”

Turning away, Bandy proceeded forward, stopping only to await Callista. “Match my strides, beautiful. Don’t wanna leave ya all on your lonesomes to fend for yourselfs… Or was it somethin’ else you said?”

BANDY/POST NOTES​

— —POST RECAP: Bandy and Callista are making their way to the third floor, looking for Chikage's office.

(Interacting w/ Callista)
(Mentioned no one)
Nobody Special Roda the Red Coyote Hart Lucem simj26 Damafaud Wxnter ​

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]

LOCATION:

Upper Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Kanna, Meirin, Shen
Helva, Kaede, Maho, Rin, Vulken

The Dragon and the Phoenix

Yong-Yut tried to keep her eyes on the road, but she couldn't help but peek up at the rearview mirror to look at the duo in the back. They seemed to be getting along okay enough, and she didn’t think the Dragon's Ace would suddenly attack Kaede, but, well… it’s better to be safe than sorry. The road was bumpy, but the road to trust was bumpier.

She spared a momentary glance to the Dragon beside her. The confusion was shared, presumably with everyone within the car. Trying to make heads or tails of the situation was probably impossible at this point with how little they knew. They returned their attention to the road, swerving around a scared pedestrian just in time.

Suddenly, the sound of air speeding past the window filled the car. Following it was the thumps of someone on the roof. Yong-Yut looked back over to Meirin, confusion turning into shock as they watched her leg lift out of view. The woman started yelling out something —only "iz" being audible before nothing else came out— and jumped off the car.

“What the fuck?”

They shoved their foot into the gas pedal, speeding after the now-giant woman. Once they closed the gap between the car and Meirin, they skid to a stop. It was impossible to not hear what Meirin was trying to say, but it was also impossible to not see what she was doing.

“Please, both of you stay on the ground, if you will.” She turned backwards to face Fade and Kaede. “I won’t do anything to alarm.”

Yong-Yut kicked the door open and got out of the car, making their way on top of it. With a jump —and rearranging her scarf so it was around her arms— she attached the fabric to Meirin’s clothes and flung herself up. Eventually, they got up to her clothed shoulder, crouched down and holding on tightly.

Once she had her bearings, she turned to Meirin. “What are you doing?” Their brows furrowed, a look to Lyric showing concern. They stood up the best they could, holding themself up with cloth. The Phoenix King seemed to writhe about in their grasp.

But, being able to look at the Kings so closely made it much more apparent something was wrong. And, with Meirin’s huge face being close, it looked as though she felt the same.

Wrapping a small section of Meirin’s clothes around her feet, Yong-Yut used it to balance across the giantess’s arm. A bad idea? Maybe. But they felt as though they needed to get closer.

“Lyric?” she called, unknowing if she heard them or not.

She neared the restrained King, crouching down next to her. The scarf around her arms attempted to shove itself into any crooks of the metal it could find. With Meirin’s grip on it along with Shen's, it wouldn’t be too much help, but Yong-Yut didn’t want to risk the King being crushed so helplessly.

QuirkyAngel Lucem Sei Shonagon Elenion Aura
uhh Damafaud and EmperorsChosen too just in case

 

[Elenion Aura]

MINATO MAEDA

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 4 [Puzzling Directions]

LOCATION:

Little Wet Day Café, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kiwi, Matsuda, Minato

PUZZLING DIRECTIONS

Minato was beginning to remember why he didn't read books.

As the last of the books was deposited on the floor, with nary hide nor tail of a clue to be found within, Minato sighed, scratched his head, and tapped his foot all at the same time. He was getting antsy. The day was practically brimming with energy, he thought. There was bound to be excitement and fun around every corner. Every other corner, that was. He'd rather be anywhere than here. He was about to throw in the towerl, pack it in and go home—there'd be other jobs, after all—when Matsuda chimed in from behind him.

”Huh?”
”What's that?”
”Alpha—?”
”—betize?”
”Put 'em in order?”
”Wha..?”
”How come?”
”I'M ON IT!”

One industrious Minato took the instructions and ran with them. Whether he was into the idea of solving the obvious riddle or just keen on getting out of the library was anyone's guess. With some delayed help from his fellow Minatos, this main Mina arranged the books in alphabetical order. When he'd finished, he stepped back to admire his work as the rest of them crowded around. Another read the titles aloud.

”Deductions... Empire of Words... Extraneous Mentions... Imagine my Apollo... Insignificant words... Petty crimes and other trivial pursuits... Superficial... Tell of my story... This is neither here nor there... Your love, my life..?”

Apparently these words, said in this order, meant nothing to him. Neither did they seem to spark any epiphanies in any of the nine other Minatos in attendance. One turned to Matsuda with a blank look and asked, ”What now?”

Spoiler: Tags

gxxberkit
Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[Lucem]

Fade (Isaiah Spade)

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Helva, Kaede, Kanna, Maho, Meirin, Rin, Shen, Vulken, Yong-Yut

THE DRAGON AND THE PHOENIX

As the car barreled down the street, chasing after the Kings and the destruction that trailed behind them, Isaiah was reminded of the incident that sparked their conflict. He remembered the bridge between districts being torn apart, as well as the many people who suffered as a result of the Steel Tempest's actions. He also remembered the regrets that followed. Not just his, but Shen's as well.

He couldn't claim that he understood his King well. Despite his position, he was no one of importance, having little insight into how Shen thought and felt. They'd known each other for almost a decade, but the connection between them wasn't strong enough for him to truly understand the core of the eastern ruler's character. However, he was always watching, keeping an eye on him from afar and from up close with small gestures of kindness. He observed and listened to Shen, as well as the people who knew him on a deeper level.

He was aware of the many times Shen consulted Kairong after the fall of the bridge. A man without regret would never think twice about his past actions, so the fact that he sought counsel let Isaiah know that he felt some level of remorse for what he'd done. So why was Shen repeating his mistakes and letting the battle endanger the civilians around him? Had he decided that there was never anything to repent for, or was there truly something wrong with the Kings?

Before he could give the matter more thought, Isaiah noticed Meirin climbing out of the window. Without any time to advise against it, he simply did as she asked, removing the cloak on her presence as he briefly muffled the sound of her voice. The second it seemed like a name would slip from her lips, the word was overpowered by other noises, ranging from the rumble of the engine to the creak of bending metal.

There was no time to be concerned about Meirin almost revealing a clue to his identity, as the Sleeping Giant quickly grew to a massive height and took hold of the captured Phoenix King. Yong-Yut followed soon after, scaling the woman like a skyscraper. Both tried speaking with their respective leaders, and all Isaiah could think of was the potential danger they had placed themselves in. But they weren't the only ones with their lives at risk.

Exiting the car, Isaiah took in his surroundings, watching as people desperately attempted to flee from the ongoing war. To help them find their way out of the chaos, he looked to the sky and filled empty space with large, bright arrows, each pointing toward safety. He didn't have the means to physically move anyone, so unfortunately, that was the best he could do. That, and something else he still didn't have full confidence in.

Taking a breath, he concealed his presence and then zeroed in on both Kings. Now that they were still, he had the chance to focus. He concentrated on the space around them, creating two illusory layers that would isolate the effects of his Potential to them and them alone.

He could not measure up to either King in terms of strength. He could not force the city itself to bend to his will, and he could not swing a massive weapon with ease. However, if some outside force really was influencing their actions, then this was a battle of the mind. That was one area where he did not come up short.

Overwriting reality with his own imagination, he placed several images before the Kings. They were human-shaped figures with familiar faces, Phoenixes on one side and Dragons on the other. People they were close to, people they knew well. They surrounded the Kings, their visages creating a prison akin to a hall of mirrors.

The only information he had on the Phoenix King was data anyone else could obtain, but he had seen and heard plenty enough at the meeting to create a believable recreation of her circle. Every last person who stood on the South's side of the boundary line appeared before Lyric, including Alex. Isaiah had known the Jack of the Phoenixes for quite some time, and that connection proved to be extremely useful for this situation.

The apparitions that appeared in front of Shen were similar. Several Dragons stood before their King, watching and judging along with Meirin. And then they spoke.

"Is this really your will? Or is it someone else's?" Distinct voices echoed in their minds, repeating the question as they awaited an answer.

Among the gang members, two from each side stood closest to their respective Kings. For Lyric, it was her Jack. For Shen, it was Ruriko, the one who managed to pull Shen out of his rampage from last year.

"Is this really what you want?"

Isaiah listened for an answer just as closely. He wanted to believe in Momo's observations and Meirin's gut feeling, but he didn't let his hope for a peaceful resolution cloud his mind. If war really was the outcome Shen desired, then he would have to do what was necessary.

Finally, his whispers reached Meirin. "I'm trying something on the Kings right now. If it doesn't work, be prepared for whatever comes next."

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura EmperorsChosen FabulousTrash gxxberkit Nobody Special @Peckinou QuirkyAngel Sei Shonagon @The Suspicious Eye

 

[Wxnter]

Callista Reinhart

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

3rd Floor, CDPD-HQ, Upper Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Ashley, Boltius, Eric, Gideon, Inigo, Roza, Tatsuya

Tactical Mayhem

There was that dreadful word again. Delicate. It was the word her father liked to use before he struck her violently for being too soft, too kind, too weak. Delicate flower — a beautiful object that served no purpose other than to be admired and discarded once it withered away. Now her father was dead, sent to hell by none other than Callista herself. Gone were the days of her being a young, naive girl who cowered in fear and waited for crumbs of affection. There was nothing she despised more than a man making her feel weak.

The softness in her gaze faded, her expression hardened, and her red eyes flashed with resentment — not towards the person who stood in front of her, but towards the ghost of a man who still haunted her memories after all these years. Her father was akin to a deranged puppeteer, and she was his unfortunate puppet. My little marionette, he liked to call her. She still shuddered from the memory of him calling out to her in a sweet yet twisted manner.

Callista's initial reaction was to open her mouth and retaliate, but there was that whirling sensation once again. Bandy's features became a blur of red and purple, and his next words registered in her ears as a series of jumbled words, completely incomprehensible. She was still dazed as he let go of her harshly, the warmth of his hand fading from her skin as he moved away.

"I... understand." Two words were all she could muster as she cradled the wrist he held moments ago. It didn't hurt, it was merely a force of habit she'd acquired from the countless times she'd gotten hurt at the hands of a violent person. For a moment she forgot herself, and she stood there quietly with unfocused eyes. She swallowed nervously as her mind relived a tragic memory from the past.

Ever since the car accident that took the life of her father years ago, her potential had become unstable, and symptoms manifested whenever she used it. She suspected there was a psychological reason behind it — guilt, shame, trauma. The last few years felt like she had been traversing a dark tunnel, waiting to see the light at the end of it, but to no avail. Even in hell, her father was determined to make her life difficult.

Stay dead, old man. I would do it again. Callista bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows.

“Match my strides, beautiful. Don’t wanna leave ya all on your lonesomes to fend for yourselfs… Or was it somethin’ else you said?”

Bandy's voice brought her back to the present moment, and Callista dropped her hands. She gave him a blank stare, devoid of any feeling. "Thank you for waiting." Her reply was oddly curt and polite, her face lacking all the animation that it held previously. She walked forward with a slight stagger, but soon enough she was moving with the same pompous attitude and confidence as before.

Callista didn't slow down as she neared Bandy. She avoided his gaze and walked past him, their shoulders brushing lightly. "Forget what I said in a moment of weakness... I don't need your help. If things take a turn for the worse, you may leave me and save yourself. Truly." Her voice was calm, and her words genuine. She only seemed too tired for the usual antics.

A crimson butterfly emerged and led the way. She walked up the stairs quietly, step by step, her hand gripping the handrail for support. Her complexion had paled slightly, and each step felt heavier than the last. She released a deep breath as she stepped into the third-floor hall, but she didn't stop there.

Callista trudged forward, past the remains of a previous battle that took place there, until finally, she was standing in front of the door to the captain's office. She gave Bandy a brief glance before looking away, a strange reluctance to meet his gaze. "After you, hm?"

Interaction: Bandy Doctor Llamabean
Lucem Coyote Hart Damafaud simj26 Roda the Red Nobody Special ​

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

"BANDY"

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

CDPD-HQ, Upper Central District — 3rd Floor, Chikage's office

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Ashley, Gideon, Tatsuya, Inigo, Eric, (NPCs)

TACTICAL MAYHEM

“Thank you for waiting.”

That put a confusion into Bandy, eyebrows knitting, upper lip curling slightly as he flinched his head back. Where had the girl’s pompous, witty spirit gone? He wondered.

She brushed him by, taking the lead, which now left Bandy at the rear, trying to understand the roller-coaster dynamic of their interaction so far.

“Forget what I said in a moment of weakness…” she started, heels clicking on the tile. “I don't need your help. If things take a turn for the worse, you may leave me and save yourself. Truly.” There it was… So, that’s it. Bandy was no fool.

And yet he struggled to find the right words to reconcile, letting silence solidify itself like a brick wall between them as they walked.

— — —​

Moments Later…

They both stopped outside the District Captain’s office, Bandy staring at Callista, but Callista avoiding his eyes, a fact which he noted with squinted skepticism and pursed lips.

“After you, hm?”

There was a pause before Bandy gripped the door-handle. Another before he clicked his tongue. Then a final stretch before he said, “...Don’t mind if I do,” and opened the door, turning to hold it agape so that Callista could follow through, shutting it behind her when she did.

Somehow, he’d sought the Captain’s office with a purpose, but only found himself irritatingly absorbed in routes to freedom from Callista’s cold shoulder. But why should he care?

“So… Guess weee…? Start snoopin’.” Bandy stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged awkwardly, commencing a slow stroll around the office, purple eyes flitting now and again toward Callista. If beauty had standards, and it surely did, then she met all of them.

Inwardly, gritting his teeth, he cursed. You fuckin’ simp. Admonished himself. And a harsh sigh escaped him, boots squeaking as he halted with a half-stomp and threw a hand to the nape of his neck, downcasting his troubled gaze. “Hey, so…” His tone was wrong… “Y’know, if you don’t likes bein’ called delicate- or whatever- then…”

Mmmm. Shut up, Bandy.

“...I dunno? Maybe don’t act it?... I mean, isn’t that what the whole missin’ sister things was about?”

Shut the fuck up.

Bandy’s hands became somewhat animated as he continued, slow gestures, something he usually did when uncomfortable. Moving again, he made his idle way over to the District Captain's desk, a wide thing with a smooth, glossy surface; organized. “Then the fendin’ fer yourselfs- Moment of weakness~?” He scoffed, “Was there some other queues I was meant to pick up there, or?... 'Cause I'm a bit confused, Miss Blow-up-the-captain's-files~”

...When he'd opened his mouth, the plan had been to apologize.

BANDY/POST NOTES​

— —POST RECAP: Bandy and Callista have arrived at Chikage's office on the third floor. After strolling around the room, Bandy proceeds to argue with Callista despite intending to apologize for something he'd said.

— —CHIKAGE'S OFFICE: The office is a wide, open-spaced room and very tidy. [X Reference X] Apart from the work space, there is a bar and lounge area.

(Interacting w/ Callista)
(Mentioned no one)
Nobody Special Roda the Red Coyote Hart Lucem simj26 Damafaud Wxnter ​

 

[Sei Shonagon]

Kaede Shimokōbe

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]

LOCATION:

Eastern Edge of Upper Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

a bunch of names

The dragon and the Phoenix

It would seem that they were running out of time, in more ways than one. Heads were scrambled for theories, and sombre glances assigned mute curses to the road ahead. The road that they made short work of in speeding trails while no solution glimpsed at end of it. The figures of the kings loomed above them as green traffic lights for all transgressions and Yong-Yut slammed the pedal to the metal.

The whole ordeal of the giantess descent, or was it ascend, passed by unremarked by the man who occupied himself with his nails. A draft whipped through the rolled-down window and tousled his few precious strands to no avail. It was not enough to budge the teeth that steeled themselves upon the plate.

Nor was it enough to alert the eyes that locomoted pictures behind a focused gaze. He recounted the scene from the implosion with extraneous details and all. The handshake, the look in their eyes and the sudden switch that had been flipped on to prompt hostility. His brows conformed to the confusion that overtook him. Flipped? A new memory made itself known to the man with a stark reproduction of the shudder. One of a ripple that seized control of unwilling limbs. The man's eyes widened.

Control. Were they being controlled? Kaede braced himself in a palm on the car seat in front of him while they skidded to a halt. Wheels smoked from the abuse as dragons and phoenixes emptied out of the car alike. There was the sensation of the solid ground underneath his feet and then the thoughts that ticked into overdrive in Kaede's head. Out of all possibilities- this was the one that stuck to his cogs. Why not, he reasoned, he already knew it was possible from the simple observation of her current state.

The knowledge did little to bridle the derisive tug that plagued his mouth corner. Look at that, how the mighty have fallen. But the glee died off in the same second that the screams phased back into focus. Dark eyes surveyed the stage and bristled up at a cowering form amidst the chaos. A child had gotten lost in the commotion and frozen up on the ground before the display of unimaginable power. Or was it the unimaginable helplessness that invoked the trembles?

The sight earned a click of the tongue regardless of the man who steered his steps towards him. His back pocket strained over the shape of the knife and eyes flickered back to the spot where 'Iz' had disappeared from. From one target to another. Kaede scooped the slobbering whelp up under his arm and made rounds of her companions with her gaze. The giantess, Yong-Yut and wherever the illusion man had tip-toed off to. Tick, tock. Her wrist chafed right up to the watch in sweat. It conveyed ten minutes. Ten minutes left.

Did it matter if her identity was revealed? She had always been so careful. Always paid special attention to the bodies that she used, returned them to their rightful places if possible and erased any trace of her presence. If she attempted it now and to the person that she intended it for- she would be putting herself in harm's way.

But wasn't she already in harm's way?

Had she ever not been in harm's way?

Maybe this was what the illusionist had alluded to in his question. Kaede shot his scarf-wielding companion a meaningful look and hoisted the child up in a renewed grip. The pair scurried down the street and into a nearby store where the people had taken refuge. He relieved himself of his burden, the second life that he had endangered besides his own, and tagged out. A little more at ease knowing that she had at least accomplished one good deed.

"Tag, you're out".

A disoriented figure started to retrace its way back from afar. Public bathroom spinning and escalators seemingly endless in the climb back up to the surface. Yong-Yut's phone blinked inside the pocket of the man at the café:

'Sender: Yong-Yut
Receiver: Kenny
Message:
Get your ass fucking over here and take care of Sommy if anything happens. Intersection of xxxx you orangutan.'

tldr: Kaede theorizes that the kings are being controlled, rescues a kid and leaves her current possessed body in a café before tagging back to her own body.
gxxberkit Lucem QuirkyAngel Nobody Special

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

COLLAB: BOLTIUS & DYNE

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

CDPD-HQ, Upper Central District — 2nd Floor

PARTICIPANTS:

Ashley, Gideon, Dyne, Tatsuya, Eric, Inigo, Boltius, Callista, Bandy

TACTICAL MAYHEM

Oliver Lawless, without his bat, was virtually useless. The fight against Ashley was his loss, he could accept that… All that remained in his mind, now, was the desire for a smoke break, which he’d hoped to secure by making a quick escape. But that was before the collapse… When the floor caved in, gravity gripping him by the ankles, Oliver had made a scrambling attempt to climb free of descent.

— — —​

“No fuckin’ way,” the Ace whispered, still glaring hard confusion at his intimate partner of many months now; Dyne. He brought an arm to his face, shielding his nose from the still-settling dust of the crash. Is she a cop!?

The woman's gaze flickered over. Her lips curled into a smile. She had hit the jackpot. “Hello, Hotshot. So this is what you do for work?” What better candidate was there to prove her allegiance than her own Phoenix loverboy?

— — —​

What of the third floor was not immediately impacted by Ashley’s vicious breakthrough hung sloped, jagged portions desperately clinging to the third floor like sinewy tissue clings muscle to bone.

Oliver fell gracefully nonetheless, hands finding purchase in a crack in the tile tongue that swallowed him into the cavity. Hoisting his weight, feet back then forward, he swung himself out of the collision course on-way to Ashley and Inigo, landing beyond their reach.

Dyne whirled on him then.

Oliver’s knee hit the floor with force enough to twist his face. Both hands reached for the pain on instinct, wrapping around the portion of leg above said knee, and he found that he was now stapled to that spot.

Dyne spoke to him with a voice soft, apology twinkling in her eyes. “Sorry, for the interruption, darling, but the hostage situation does leave a bad taste in my mouth… do kindly sit this one out.” Oliver offered a nonchalant glare in response, saying nothing. Not that Dyne cared. With that, she made it clear that she wasn't a police officer, no?

— — —​

Gaze abruptly stolen, confusion blended with piercing focus as Bolt’s eyes found Roza’s limp body sliding up to his feet. She stopped a foot short of him, leaving a clean trail in her wake; a strip of creamy yellow paving through the white blanket of dust sprinkled with crumbs of debris.

Dyne, and whatever relationship she and Boltius had, was immediately forgotten.

Boltius shut off his potential, reverting to a normal temperature, and scooped the unconscious Roza into his arms, jumping back when Ashley and his opponent’s battle commenced.

Looking her over, noting her injuries, Boltius held his breath. On the exhale, a stifled note of exasperation— “Uh.” —for he was suddenly all too aware of his medical inabilities. Think, Bolt, think. A list of options unraveled in his mind. A short list, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Roza’s safety was all that mattered.

Orange eyes flitted once more toward Dinara beyond Ashley and Inigo’s fight. And, “DYNE!” he called out, hoping to inquire about any potential medical knowledge she might have.

Dyne turned at that with an alarmed expression. Oh, it was over. That revealed her identity– and others have heard it.

The unexpected sight of an all-black-clad officer coming into view at the end of the corridor, however, erased Bolt’s initial concern, and he switched up. “LOOK OUT!” Hurriedly, but tenderly, he fixed Roza up against the wall and kicked off into a sprint before the rest of six officers finished stepping around the corner.

Spreading themselves thin, four of the armed troops took aim at Dyne, Ashley, and Bolt, having determined friend from foe before revealing themselves. Unfortunately, Ashley gave scant room for a clean shot, lest Sergeant Han fall victim instead, so the one officer made an adjustment, eyeing the spot between Bolt’s eyes through the sight of their MP7 as Bolt advanced, darting through the two-man fray as the sound of crystal striking metal rang loud, Inigo’s sword against Ashley’s baton.

The remaining two officers, each wielding a unique weapon of unknown caliber, both more armored than the others, charged in, head-long to meet Boltius halfway.

That’s when Dyne kicked a somersault into the air, landing behind Oliver. Her other leg, boosted by her Potential, nested a kick at Oliver’s butt that sent him flying, flying toward those aiming their guns at her. Several grunts and gasps of surprise erupted from them as they were forced to unfurl and clear away from Oliver’s path.

Dyne flicked a helpless glance at Boltius. “You and the Phoenix just got me into hot water, darling. Could you help me get out of here, at least? The Police wouldn’t believe whatever I say now.”

Concentrating on the threat ahead, Boltius went hot. Though, he couldn’t release the heat in waves lest Dyne fall victim to burns, so he kept it close, offering no response as he passed her by. Only a glaring glance that told he had questions. Dyne let out a sigh inwardly. Really, how she wished he was just a little bit more stupid.

Like two starved canines in the pit over a meaty bone, Boltius and the closest of the two officers, a masked individual trailing a kabutowari behind him, abruptly clashed, commencing a fierce back-and-forth, blow-trading brawl.

The second of the two seemed to hang back, a tall and lithe character.

Boltius pivoted around the armor-clad officer with a spinning back-fist but struck air as the officer ducked and whirled on him from a crouch. An HP, no doubt.

Every hit the officer blocked melted his armor little at a time.

— — —​

Meanwhile… The four gun-men at the hall’s end, where Oliver Lawless now stood brushing himself off, couldn’t take a shot without risk of hitting their comrades, but held their aim despite it. The one particular soldier who’s sight held Dinara: Oliver Lawless, without warning, jerked the MP7 from his grasp.

“Officer Lawless?” The soldier’s tone rang clear with uncertainty. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off by the sudden, grating reverberation of gunfire unleashed toward Dyne, and not a second thought of it. Bullets rained like no tomorrow, yet none even grazed the young woman-

“OW!” Well, almost none.

Dyne glared at Oliver with indignance. She had built an attractive field in a ring around her person, attracting bullets everywhere but the center. Everywhere, including the floor, where some ricocheted and hit her right on the foot. A hole gaped through her heel. The bruised skin under flashed purple.

“Really, being a civilian here is just awful!” Dyne kicked rubbles up and over. They shot at a ludicrous speed at the police crowd. Not lethal, but enough to threaten and to buy time with their appearance.

Oliver shielded his face from the flying detritus. The others, too.

“One crossfire, and you got the police after you.” Dyne, again, forced Oliver to kneel with an attractive pull on one knee. With her remaining free mental space, she placed a repulsive field at his gun trigger to prevent its fire. A third one, she forced a general pressure on the rest of the police, with a look so desperate and exasperated. “Really, darlings, and I suppose you can’t let me out and over since we don’t trust each other now.”

Public opinions still mattered. On the high chance they didn’t manage to kill every officer here, an investigation and a visit to her pub was only a matter of time. Thus, she needed to be what she needed to be; someone merely forced by the situation.

At this point, Sergeant Han was reeling from a nasty head-butt against his opponent.

— — —​

Boltius clocked the masked officer across the jaw with a snarl—sent him stumbling back—and followed through, reaching, fingers finding purchase in the gap between chest-piece and undershirt at the collar.

The shirt caught flame almost instantly, licking at the officer’s neck and chin. A muffled scream at that.

But the second officer struck then. She’d been seeking a sure opening, and apparently found it when Boltius showed her his back as he slammed his immediate opponent against the wall.

She lifted a pistol-shaped object, flat of barrel and white, and fired something. A silver disk that blinked a red eye and whirred with the sound of a small fan—that, upon closing the distance, suctioned to the back of his jacket and sprouted two rods.

The red eye ceased to blink and glared consistent. And when it did, Boltius went down fast, both knees hitting the ground in perfect unison as electricity wholly enveloped him. His teeth bared in a shut-eyed grimace, body wracked with pain, and his hold on his potential slipped, causing his temperature to rise on its own, as well as throughout his whole body. He exploded with flame, ultimately destroying the weaponized disk to his fortune.

The sprinklers overhead activated, but not just because of Bolt. Ashley’s baton, too, as Sergeant Han became partly engulfed in fire. And water hissed into steam from the intense heat emanating from the Ace’s prone form.

Dyne's expression shifted as the sprinkle suddenly rained water over her. She had the police to worry about, but that was not the only issue. The issue was, she was wearing white, she had her mind already ensnaring Oliver, preventing his gun from firing, setting the attraction ring around her, and pressurizing the police.
It was not worth dividing her concentration to ward the rain.

So, Dyne merely stood still, uncomfortably drenched, watching the police warily. If another HP was in the mix, she would be in for trouble.

As for Boltius, he struggled, arms trembling as he barely managed to lift himself to his hands and knees. Sh-Shit. The temperature within the hallway rose in increments of 1° Fahrenheit per second, which didn’t seem like much… except he was already well over 1’500°F when it started. But he tried… His limbs were numb, muscles spasming, and foam drooled from between tightly grit teeth, so tight that they squeaked and crunched against each other.

Barely managing to turn his head, through the veil of mist, he could make out the hazy silhouettes of Ashley and Inigo, one pinned beneath the other—he didn’t know which was which, but faith in his comrade told him.

“C’mon. C’mon.” Boltius spat, his voice a guttural growl, the words barely intelligible. Every ounce of his willpower was thrown into regaining a controlled state over his potential, lest he cook himself alive.

Whatever that disk had released was no ordinary electricity. That much, Boltius was sure of. Every muscle in his body was pulsating, the veins in his neck bulging as if with an overflow of rapid coursing blood. Straining, groaning, he pushed to a crooked kneel, one hand’s knuckles flat on the floor for balance, and he sought Ashley again.

“R- RIOT!” Ashley was the only one who could get close enough… but he was still occupied with the Sergeant… For the now, it seemed Bolt’s opponent had fallen back, likely not eager to fight blind. The other, the masked character, was out cold just within arm’s reach of Boltius, kabutowari lying loose in his unconscious grasp.

But the steam cleared sooner than later. The water to the sprinklers was evaporating before it could leave the pipes.

CAUGHT UP TO THE PRESENT​

Down the hall, the only officer not under the pressurizing effect of Dinara’s potential, she bit free the pin to a grenade. And she tossed it; an action Dyne noticed just a bit too late. Her heart skipped a beat. If she redirected it wrong, the police would die. A trampoline-like force bounced the explosive up where it exploded harmlessly on the floor above.

"Ah-" That mercy loosened her pressure over the police. Dyne hastily tried to reapply it but–

The police gathered their bearings and unleashed gunfire upon the Phoenixes, Dyne as well. Sergeant Han was no longer within sight, sent through the floor to the ground level, so they were without risk of friendly fire, save the unconscious officer beside Boltius but… by this point, the man was a slowly spreading puddle of charred meat and black goo comprised of boiled blood, plastic, and melted flesh, all of which danced with writhing flames.

No qualms for civilian's life! If she really was a civilian caught in the crossfire, having resentment wouldn't be strange now. Dyne gave up on any suppression and expanded her ring of repulsive force into a sphere. Bullets avoided her like rain sliding off an umbrella.

Unbeknownst to them, each bullet that passed through Boltius’ heatwave—Bolt who was closest to the police—was compromised, softened if not entirely melted, but those that reached Bolt’s flesh splatted like paintballs upon his now coiled form, a conscious decision on his part to protect his face and weak spots from injury. However, the guns were merely a distraction. Suppressing fire. Meant to call attention away from the potential neutralizing disks—which, in Bolt’s case, had been only partly effective due to a malfunction from his heat.

Only a heartbeat had passed since the commencing of gunfire when the woman discharged two of the disks, one after the other, at Dyne and then Ashley, preparing another for Bolt, for they could not advance so long as his heat kept up.

Her instinct screamed. Ignoring the searing heat, Dyne expulsed herself backward, away from the disk and the fight.

C'mon! Fuckin' reload! Standard guns weren't known to be lethal to HPs, but they sure as hell kicked. Under the current circumstances, they were even less effective, but the sheer number of them was damned annoying, and Boltius wasn't longing for a splash of melted metal to the eye, so he maintained his balled up, half-kneeling position and waited, slowly regaining feeling in his legs.

BOLTIUS/POST NOTES​

— —Current Temperature: 1'780°F and rising at 1°F per 1-second. The heat drops in temperature by half every 3-ft.

— —What he's wearing (Click) Black Coat over an orange/grey/black Jacket + Matching Shorts w/ black leggings underneath; Orange sneakers; Black flat-bill cap; No gloves, harness, or jewelry as seen in the reference image... (Boltius is covered in shiny, silver splatters of melted bullets)

— —Boltius' Tattoo Reference (X) His tattoo is currently hidden/unseen by his clothes...

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

— —POST RECAP: This post details what Boltius and Dinara did during the events taking place between Ashley and Inigo in their previous collab. Boltius and Dinara fend off a six-man unit of police, and Bolt's potential goes haywire after he's hit by a potential neutralizing disk, which also partially incapacitates him.

(Interacting w/ Tatsuya, Inigo, Ashley, Dyne, Oliver)
(Mentioned no one)
Nobody Special simj26 Lucem Damafaud Wxnter Roda the Red Coyote Hart ​

 

[BluEndings]

OUROBOROS

SCENE:

Azure Dragons Arc 3: Scene 3 [Ripples of Stardust]

LOCATION:

Zhànzhēng Bay, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Mirza

RIPPLES OF STARDUST

Zhànzhēng Bay | Boat​

The one dubbed ‘Cetus’ tensed up as Mirza’s restraints hit the floor, but the green-haired woman’s stocky laugh sliced the atmosphere back to a hushed standstill. The remaining fright existed as the stifled whispers passed between the restless shifting of those seated. A mix of impatience and uncertainty toiling away into a monolith of unease. The kind that was backed by security but flourished without direction.

“Oh sure.” Her eyes barely took in the array of individuals, both bound and not.
“It’s nothing illegal—we are technically here under Mingze Sieh’s request.”

Her masked associate gave her a long look, but it failed to stall the passage of her words.

“Some are just troublemakers like you, who we’re holding onto until the event’s over.” She motioned for Mirza to follow, and began heading deeper into the boat. “The rest are here willingly. Ones who have shown similar discontent with the state of the district.”

She stopped.

“More accurately, the state under the Azure Dragons.” She tapped the base of her mask. “Given the… sensitivity that comes with rebelling against an established power, anonymity is kinda obvious, yeah? That’s really the only reason we’re here.”

“Huizhong’s kid just wanted a bit of insurance is all. Our group fit the bill when it came to anti-dragon sympathy. The buzz around the name has diminished, so it seemed as good a time as any to pop back up. Especially with the disquiet the Dragon King caused with the whole bridge incident.”

“Right now there’s a portion of NPs looking for security that the Dragons can’t provide. That’s the case ‘cause they’re looking for security from the Dragons. The Azure does a great job keeping the other powers at bay, but who keeps them in check on this side of the bridges?”

“Those kinds of thoughts are growing by the day.” She huffed. “It’s why Ouroboros was founded to begin with. Not as usurpers or executioners, but as champions against mounting corruption—both real or perceived. Nobody here believes they stand a genuine chance against the Steel Tempest, but it’s not a confrontation we seek.”

“It’s assurance.”

NAVIGATE

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]

LOCATION:

Heavenly Beast Plaza, Lower Central(Beneath Dragon Statue)

PARTICIPANTS:

Wren, Elias, Kenji, Passeri, Isobel, Ezra

Where Giants Sleep

Elias was not a fan of insects. He wouldn’t go as far to say he despised them or anything like that, but when bunches of creepy crawlers were surrounding and crawling up one’s leg, it couldn’t be called comfortable to say the least. He wasn’t like Araminta who possessed a potential to communicate, or possibly manipulate, bugs; The temptation to just kick the vermin off and stomp on them was strong. However, Elias held himself back.

Atlas wasn’t giving him the opportunity to do so anyway.

Diving out of the way of the finance minister’s charge, Elias ducked an arc of lighting and fired a couple of return shots while simultaneously activating his potential. Invertebrates they may be, insects also possessed memories for him to read and manipulate. Animal memories were less complicated than human ones, but that, in turn, made it easier for him to adjust and alter them to his desires as well. Creating a false memory of ‘friendship’ with the critters, Elias planted it into any of Araminta’s ‘children’ that he felt brush against his skin. Continuous movements shook off some others as Elias dashed and rolled behind yet another pillar.

He slipped bishop’s mask on his face. A full costume made for a better disguise, but a good mask might still confuse some cultists.“Well, I’m rich. I’m the future heir of a multi-billion dollar company. I've got the potential to peer into the lives and experiences of others…"

Between blades, lightning, and many, many bugs, dodging them all was becoming less and less feasible. Battle-wise, thinning out the numbers by taking out Araminta Grant first was more efficient…but it wasn’t as if he couldn’t make use of the living creatures she called to the fight as well. Catching an approaching beetle with his free hand, Elias scanned its memory, looking for any useful information. Creatures living in the mine likely knew its many pathways and, more importantly, an alternate way out. A key. Anything really.

“...So I know many secrets, some of which are worth quite a bit~” Elias continued talking and firing bullets , mostly to distract the couple from the fact that searching and shaping the memories of Araminta’s approaching “children” that he came in contact with. “Surely my life is more likely to better the city of New Oasis than my death. I create jobs. I feed the economy. Money makes the world go round, you know, and I possess a lot of it.”

He glanced at Araminta who was covered in insects, donning them like a living armor of bugs. From what he remembered, she was capable of ‘seeing’ through the eyes of her insects. Could she see what he was doing? If he altered the memories of her insects, would she be affected by it? Which held greater sway: her control or the memories he wove into them? Elias was curious to find out.

“Pray explain to me how waking up an ancient, sleeping god from their slumber is good for New Oasis. I’m genuinely curious.”

He really was. After all, it wasn't every day one found a cult ritual being performed beneath the city.

The One Eyed Bandit Lucem @ Saturn_moon Kyuubey Stros

 

[Stros]

KENJI & WREN

Collab Post

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]

LOCATION:

???

PARTICIPANTS:

Ezra, Elias, Isobel, Kenji, Passeri, Wren

WHERE GIANTS SLEEP

Wren hadn’t been expecting to stare back into the intense yet solemn gaze of hers. It was calculating always, especially more so during times that required use of her potential. But to have that potential completely thrown back at her at full force? Those eyes narrowed. That had been the least expectant thing of this entire escapade. There weren’t many hard counters like this that she encountered. Sure they were out there but the probability of crossing their paths was usually slim to none. Kenji was an obvious exception. Readying herself for the backlash, Wren grit her teeth for a moment before putting her entire lithe frame into a more lax state. The most devastating damage would happen if she tensed and locked her body up when it hit.

Wren felt it like an explosion had gone off within much too close quarters and it took no time to send her flying upwards through the manifested mirrors. They shattered from the impact which elicited a small whimper to tumble past her lips with each gouge from the shards that pierced that pale skin. If that had been the only injury the white haired woman received then this would’ve been a walk in the park. Instead she heard the damage her body took before she felt it. There was a crack, a splintering sound ricocheting through her body, like bones on the verge of wanting to snap as her spine was rammed into the upper balcony above them.

She choked back a noise, not wanting to sling any insults out as she descended back below to the dirty ground to land in a heap upon it. Fistfulls of dirt and gravel filled her hands as she curled them towards her palms to test how well they were still functioning. The only thing she could feel was a painful throb coursing down her back like a river of lava that was trailing along every vertebrae. It was sickening and nauseating but Wren managed to stand once more after brushing off and emptying her hands.

___________________________________________________________________________​

Those eyes narrowed, filling with spite, as she stared back at the battered reflection of herself. She was fully aware of the situation now and any chance of a mistake like that happening again was in the negatives. If the SOB wanted to play a cute game, then he’d get one. It wasn’t as if she had any choice but to play along. There was no way to escape currently so they were all at the whims and mercy of coming out on top or falling victim to becoming blood sacrifices themselves. Uncharacteristically the corners of her lips trembled until they stretched out into a smile that was filled with newly found verve.

As Mirage peered at his hands, more notably, his fingernails within the mirror, Wren readied herself. That already bloodied arm rose in anticipation and Wren felt his nails cleanly cut through the surface of her skin as if it were nothing but wallpaper with no backing instead of the intended target of her face. That smile barely shifted through the attack, plastered there and fueled by the pain, as the man disappeared from view.

___________________________________________________________________________​

Kenji was her best bet here. His physical and combat prowess greatly dwarfed hers even if it wasn’t outrightly obvious from his more lackadaisical attitude. He just needed the right push or motivation.

Pivoting in place, Wren turned to face Kenji and reached out to grab him in an embrace that almost seemed romantic. Her fingers curled along his bare upper arms, tugging him slightly closer while she fought the urge to trace the outlines of that sleeved tattoo that was now beneath her hand. Instead she focused and peered up at his face with a mischievous look. A knowing look, one he’d be all too accustomed to. She leaned closer, completely blocking out anything from her peripherals. All she saw was the entirety of his face. His eyes, nose, cheeks, and lips. It would’ve been intimate if there hadn’t been a more underlying intent tied to the action.

“ Reenergize. Focus. Fight. “ She said the three words one after another, holding eye contact with him the entire time as she concreted each separate command.

After giving those arms a squeeze, Wren released him and stepped back, that gaze ripping from his face and quickly darting about around her. She leaned down and retrieved the two knives from her boots once she deemed it was safe to do so. The silver glinted as they appeared, the metal still wet from their swim below. She gripped the handles with practiced hands, easing into a stance that would give her ample time to react in case it was needed.

___________________________________________________________________________​

"The last goes without saying…"

The emotionless words left Kenji's lips as he stared back, down into the wells of Wren's azure eyes. He could feel something slowly taking hold of his body following the brief moment. The subtle sensation of goosebumps swept across his skin, as his field of vision narrowed and the effects of Wren's words began to take a hold of his mind.

As was typical, Kenji otherwise showed no reaction to being suddenly commanded by the puppet master herself. Truth be told, he disliked being made to do as others ordered. It reminded him too much of his past. However, in the situation the duo had found themselves in, the lazy samurai didn't protest. After all, the sensation overwhelming his body was slowly taking away the colossal pain pulsing through his skull. It was no longer merely simply a migraine that was the culprit.

Kenji had traced Wren's trajectory in the blast and had slammed into the upper balcony alongside her. Though, unlike the devil tongued woman, his weight had prevented him from mimicking her impact. In place of his spine, the top of Kenji's skull had been driven full force into the stone. Momentarily losing consciousness from the impact, he hadn't even recalled sailing through the air or afterward landing on the ground like a sack of potatoes.

The only events known to Kenji were the sudden realization of being surrounded by mirrors, an explosion, and then waking up to the warm sensation of blood running down his face. It would have been normal for him to have been concerned over this fact, perhaps to display fear even at the prospective injury. But Kenji had experience with injury, with blood, and in place of shock or hesitation cracked a smile.

___________________________________________________________________________​

It was almost akin to breathing clearly after having been unable to for an extended time. The present moment was crystal clear, his senses as sharp as the edge of his Mugenjin. As adrenaline began to pump through his veins, the head fog of days without sleep disappeared. An old hunger for battle stirred somewhere in his mind as well, as it had been the first time in quite some time that he had taken a direct blow. If anything, he was beginning to feel more "alive" than he had in the past three months.

It was no longer an option to simply stand by.

The last words he could manage before going completely silent were to make Wren aware of one fatal flaw he had noticed about the mirrors that encompassed them.

"Above. Where they converge. That's the weak point."

The words flowing as emotionless as before, yet deafened by his ability to the ears of Mirage, presented themselves as a piece of advice more than any formalized strategy. If the fight dragged on and didn't seem to be turning in their favor, Wren would at least have a last ditch option.

___________________________________________________________________________​

As the sensation passing through his body began to further manifest, Kenji's limbs began to act of their own accord. Akin to moving through a day to day routine on autopilot. He took the Mugenjin and slipped its sheathed through the loop in his pants. Once snuggly secured at his waist and behind his back, before he even realized it, Kenji was sprinting towards the nearest mirror that held the reflection of Mirage.

If not for his potential, the sound of crackling bone and cartilage would be audible as they strained under the sudden pressure of force which hadn't been encountered in years due to the ever present, numbing, comatose state of chronic insomnia. Whether remembering how to handle the stress or being the result of Wren's words, Kenji's body soon caught up to the demand as he cleared the distance between himself and the mirror in seconds.

It would be more accurate to say that he had bounded across the distance versus sprinted, but nevertheless Kenji's body channeled all the built up momentum as he leaped, into a flying kick. Directing that energy into the mirror ahead of him, it all but shattered completely, straining to its very limit to remain a solid mass. As Kenji kicked off of the construct, he could hear the light whispers of a taunt in his ears as the sensation of metal ripping his skin was felt across his back.

Ignoring the sensation and words, his body reacted immediately without him needing to issue an order. With its revitalized, and seemingly limitless energy and agility, his foot dragged across the ground before swiftly arcing up behind him and cleaving the air where the mirror man had previously dared to attack.

Sensing the man had managed to evade the blow, Kenji noted the man's speed and reaction time. With his body training its focus to the other side of the glass dome where Mirage once again appeared. Kenji's mind remained of single purpose. Having already analyzed their surroundings, he had come to the conclusion that the mirrors were simply too tall to destroy all at once without a suitable ranged capacity. Short of Wren's potential, the situation left only himself on the ground to lead the offensive.

___________________________________________________________________________​

Alongside Kenji’s advances, Wren made attacks of her own. It would be more beneficial that way since their opponent was hopping from mirror to mirror for them to span out and assault different points. Wren thrust herself forward and let her knives make a strong impact with the middle of the mirror. They plunged through and a spider web like pattern cracked its way across the mirror's surface before it shattered completely. She then darted back into the same place she’d started. Those eyes darted about, picking another one that was completely opposite of Kenji’s target and did the same thing once more in the hopes to finally catch the HP who was toying with them like mice in a labyrinth. Only there was no cheese.

At the present time, there simply wasn't enough information to form a confident battle plan between the two of them. They needed to first gauge the man's Potential, alongside his strengths and weaknesses. How much delay was there in shifting mirrors? How vulnerable was he in comparison to them? More importantly, how long could he hold them captive? Whatever had been set in motion prior to their arrival likely promised more trouble with time.

Kenji considered all of this as he gave his body over to the invisible force driving it to ceaselessly dash headlong towards Mirage. The row of mirrors to his right turned into a blur, as his reflection faded into his peripherals. In the next moment, the heel of his boot was slamming into the mirror where the man had just been. Driving it into the glass construct with even greater force than before, Kenji felt it break through to the other side as the mirror buckled under the force. Twisting his body before the momentum fully transferred, Kenji then drove his other boot into the mirror behind him.

Regardless of who you are, it's human nature to take the path of least resistance.

Despite not yet understanding fully how the man's Potential worked, Kenji looked to take advantage of this simple principle. Whether it was favoring to attack your enemies from behind, avoiding patterns of movement or keeping your weakness in your enemies blind spot. In spite of anyone's enhanced strength, speed, or potential. They were ultimately still plagued by their inborn human tendencies.

Spoiler: Tags

Kyuubey QuirkyAngel Saturn_moon Stros The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Wxnter]

Callista Reinhart

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

Chikage's Office, 3rd Floor, CDPD-HQ, Upper Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Ashley, Boltius, Eric, Gideon, Inigo, Roza, Tatsuya

Tactical Mayhem

As she sauntered into the office, she immediately made herself busy by browsing the cabinet. Stubborn as ever, Callista had made up her mind to give Bandy the silent treatment he deserved until it was time for them to part ways. She had swallowed her pride — something she rarely did — and asked for his forgiveness, yet he only returned her kindness with cold indifference to her feelings. Her pride was wounded. He was a horrible man with no consideration for a maiden's heart.

She opened one of the drawers, and a portrait of a man caught Callista's attention, momentarily distracting her from Bandy's insolence. She picked up the picture frame and studied the captain's features, running a finger along the glass. He's a very handsome man... I wonder if he'd be opposed to dating a Phoenix? She smirked at the thought, but her smile disappeared the instant Bandy began to speak, her expression turning sour. She placed the frame back down and rolled her eyes.

Callista listened to him quietly, a deep crease forming between her brows. She felt the urge to retort — to argue with him and put him in his place — but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of her. Her eyes twitched as he continued to yap like a noisy dog, but she only continued to browse a stack of old newspapers like it was the most interesting thing in the world, humming sarcastically as he did with her back then.

“Was there some other queues I was meant to pick up there, or?... 'Cause I'm a bit confused, Miss Blow-up-the-captain's-files~”

Callista slammed her hand down against the pile of newspapers. "You talk too much. Should I put you to sleep?” Her voice was calm and controlled, yet filled with venom, a smile too sweet plastered on her face.

Then, a light bulb went off in her head, and her eyes glinted with mischief.

Callista took measured steps towards Bandy, stopping when their faces were inches away from each other. Placing a gentle hand on his chest, she looked deep into his eyes, before leaning into his ear, "Or perhaps… you'd like it better if I shut you up with a kiss?" Her lips curved upwards into a wry smile, her fingers slowly trailing down his arm in a feather-light touch. “We’re all alone here… Imagine all the fun we could — “ Callista paused, and her gaze streamed downward where she felt the cold surface of metal around his finger.

Hm? Another pause, and finally, realization struck her.

Callista's eyes widened with horror when her brain finally identified the object she was staring at. It was a wedding band. On Bandy’s finger. Which meant he was married. She jerked away from him, the realization sending an electric shock to her system.

“You’re married?!" She flushed.

Before Bandy could utter a response, she turned around swiftly, too flustered to even look in his direction. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red as she cupped her face in humiliation.

I almost lured a married man into adultery…

Chagrined, she moved back towards the cabinets and began to open the drawers, suddenly finding a miraculous interest in browsing the files. She cleared her throat, picked up a random folder, opened it, pretended to read, but her focus was entirely elsewhere. What started off as a harmless prank ended in an embarrassing situation for Callista, and she cursed inwardly as she buried her face in the folder.

Interactions: Bandy Doctor Llamabean
Lucem Coyote Hart Damafaud simj26 Roda the Red Nobody Special ​

 

[Saturn_moon]

Isobel Pham

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]

LOCATION:

Heavenly Beast Plaza, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Elias, Ezra, Isobel, Kenji, Passeri, Wren

Where Giants Sleep

Isobel was falling. Again. It came to her attention that this was a predicament she found herself in far too often and it was very much posing a threat to both her sanity and her health. She and Crowe hit the ground hard, but she'd somehow managed to wrangle herself into a position that meant Crowe ended up taking the brunt of the impact. Allowing the momentum to carry her forward, Isobel got up to her knees, arm poised in front of her face with blade in hand. Just one, for the other was now wedged cleanly in Crowe's wing.

Before he could get up, she surges forward only to be stopped by his massive black wing sweeping out at her. Leaning all her weight back, she dropped into a slide that carried her under his attack. As she did, she stuck her blade out and took another swipe this time at his torso. While she heard the grunt of pain as metal cut through skin, she was unfortunately not as quick to get back up this time and the next thing she knew, Crowe had dropped down on her. A knee pressed on her abdomen, and hands clasped around her neck. His taloned feet reached out and pried the blade from her hand. "You picked the wrong people to mess with." He spat as his grip tightened, cutting off her air supply.

Isobel tries to force him off but he was much stronger and with every passing second her lungs were deprived of oxygen she felt her body grow weaker. Her vision started to blur at the edges and all she could see was Crowe's face with his beady yellow eyes and black beak staring down at her. Fight. She told herself. This is a stupid place to die. She pushed once more, tried again with her legs but still he didn't budge. Her consciousness was slipping and a smaller voice at the back of her head asked Who's going to help them if you're gone?

It doesn't matter now. Her heart slows, winding down like a music box, a season at its end.
The last breath passes her lips accompanied by a murmur. And then, silence…

...

...

Cold air rushes into her lungs and Isobel is left gasping as the weight above her disappears. Her vision returns but the world is still spinning. Rolling onto her side she sees Crowe busy dodging Passeri's scythes. Isobel feels a laugh bubble up within her but as usual, no sound escapes. Not to mention, her throat hurts like absolute hell. Still, she doesn't think she's been happier to see the pink glow of the pop star's potentiality.

Clambering back up on to her feet, she picks up her knife on the floor and draws a second from the sheath at her thigh. Her breathing is still labored but she pushes on anyway and falls into sync with the scythes taking swipes at him.

"You really don't know when to quit." Crowe growls. "Don't you see, without the Stewards, none of you would be standing here to begin with."

Amidst the fighting, the shaking of the room does not relent and insteads intensifies. The tall stone pillars quaver and cracks begin to spider web up it's foundation. Time was ticking although whether it was evident to anyone remains to be seen.

The One Eyed Bandit
Lucem Kyuubey Stros QuirkyAngel ​

 

[Sei Shonagon]

Julian Midgley

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]

LOCATION:

Mysterious Black Site (hall 1), North District

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Peyton, Kisara, and Takaonna

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]

A sudden pivot of heels alerted the blonde to gaze down the hallway. Strawberry blonde hair fluttered behind squared shoulders- shoulders that marched right up to him to loom over the jailbird. The gentle curve on lips remained undisturbed in the shoreline it posed to placid lake eyes. Hand on collar, evoking nary a breeze to ripple it, and the jaws that snapped shut, bouncing off his composure. "You have good ears!" Was the plea that he chose to beam in staunch contrast to her demands. The threat fell on deaf ears but not on blind eyes, the latter quick on the uptake of the red spot that adorned her waist.

"I would tell you-" His gaze idled back to the mint boy and the red stains that saturated his palms. "But I don't think you would find it." Julian punctuated his harsh assessment with an eye smile and waved his finger in the air. "This place -you see- didn't look like this before," A hypothetical line was drawn from bedazzled ceiling to carpeted floor. -All in stark contrast to the cell he had originated from. Dingy and barely fit to house the cockroaches that roamed it.

It was quite a conundrum, indeed, how his surroundings had warped to this dimly lit and cosy hallway. One that spoke nothing of the horrors housed within it. Icy visage sized the group up at the tune of humming birdsong, meant to coax budding flowers out of their shells. Instead of flowers, he was faced with four barren stalks that were on the verge of withering. Julian patted the whitening knuckles of the demon "-It's an illusion, one might say".

"Besides, this place is full of traps. It's better if I lead the way rather than tell you, take it from someone who has lived here for-" The blonde counted the months on his fingers by folding them down one by one "-Six months? Four? Somewhere around there~". His lips curled back to glimpse sharp canines, pearly and solid unlike their wavering trust.

Julian tilted his head and nodded to their wounds "Can't have you dying before you reach him, right?". The skin on his hand began to crawl with small bumps that inched along veins and out into fingertips. Nails split from their beds in a crack and reared fuzzy ebony heads that took to flight in celestial wings. Spun from the finest spider silk and jaws equipped with staples- one of his finds from trading with the other prisoners.

"Don't be alarmed, I only intend to help." A big ask of someone who was bleeding from their fingers and caused the air to be abuzz with insects.

Spoiler: Tags + clothes + tldr

clothes (since i forgot to give a description of them) x
Julian tells them that the place is full of traps and probably an illusion. He offers to stitch them up.
Coyote Hart Doctor Llamabean AriAriAbabwa simj26

 

[angel doe]

celestine renee cadieux

CS Link

SCENE:

serpents arc 3: scene 2 [hunks in the city]

LOCATION:

central district

PARTICIPANTS:

jozef, tri, nikolai, celestine, markus

hunks in the city

celestine made eye contact with tri as he double winked (blinked) at her, visibly confused, "i do not think that is a good idea..." she trailed off, nervously fiddling with her vial of poison. the idea of using her potential to mess with the memories of so many innocents made her viscerally uncomfortable. she took a step back towards jozef, averting her eyes away from the serpent king.

"i am sorry to go against your wishes, but adding to this chaos seems counterproductive, and the civilians getting caught in the crossfire have done nothing wrong," celeste's gaze darted between the ground and tri anxiously as she spoke, "i will be assisting jozef with helping the civilians. please allow us to help them."

celestine could feel herself quickly growing impatient waiting for a response from the king, but with that came waves of anxiety, biting her lip and hoping he didn't strike either of them for their disobedience; she kept herself positioned slightly in front of jozef, her entire body tensing as she prepared for the worst.

maybe celeste was paranoid, but it was better to be safe than sorry, right? besides, if anything did happen she would rather be the one taking the brunt of it instead of jozef.

WhiskeyMarten Damafaud Elenion Aura Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

"BANDY"

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

CDPD-HQ, Upper Central District — 3rd Floor, Chikage's office

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Ashley, Gideon, Tatsuya, Inigo, Eric, (NPCs)

TACTICAL MAYHEM

Callista’s hand came down harsh upon a stack of newspapers, and Bandy tilted his gaze in an abrupt fashion as his mouth clamped shut, adopting a shadow-casted glare, stern of expression.

“You talk too much. Should I put you to sleep?” That smile of hers kindled something in him. The question went unanswered, but he brought his right hand up to hold his jaw in dramatic, sarcastic contemplation as he thought about what to say. For some added sass, he even cocked his hip, left hand still propped atop that neat stack of papers.

Then he opened his mouth and said nothing, losing grasp on whatever witty retort had risen in his mind when the girl approached.

She stopped close. Letting his arm fall, Bandy’s eyes instinctively found her lips, then drifted down to the gentle hand on his chest and back up. “Can I help-”

Callista leaned into his ear, whispering sweet threats. More sweet than threatening if you asked him. Her fingers, so light and silky across his skin as they trailed down his left arm. Her breath, warm against his cheek as he turned his head as if seeking the fulfillment of her offer. And yet he, once again, was no fool. No, Bandy knew Callista’s game, how she toyed with him.

But just like an addict knows the needle is bad for them, his hand almost found her hip, fingertip barely grazing when… he felt her pause, heard her breath hitch ever so slightly.

A shift in atmosphere.

“Hm?” Bandy followed Callista’s gaze down to the wedding band on his finger.

. . .

“You’re married?!” Her shock caught Bandy by stifled surprise—he stood nonchalant as she turned and hurried away to rifle through some nearby cabinets. See, he’d been under the impression that she had already noticed the ring… The fact that she hadn’t made things complicated.

Due to some bruises from his past, Bandy only allowed himself to be tempted by home-wreckers, women who laughed off his potentially being married—even though he wasn’t—for it served as a deterrent for his feelings, weak to a pretty face as they were. What could he say? He was a romantic of sorts… A loyal, familial type who, at one point, only ever wanted to make that special person feel cherished and worthy of it.

Just a normal guy, was all.

. . .

Bandy watched Callista with eyes of a new quality. Dull.

“Married…” he started, scoffing as he inspected the ring. “Somethin’ like that…” Married to the past.

Stepping around the District Captain’s shiny desk, he flopped himself, sprawl-legged, into the Captain’s chair and began idly twisting himself side to side. His fingers interlocked and rested upon his belly, index finger tapping the opposite knuckle. “Gots a kid, too. Wouldja believe ‘at?” His eyes flitted toward the blonde for her reaction, but only briefly. Sitting up, he pulled open a locked drawer to the Captain’s Desk with easy force, being an HP, and observed the contents with partial interest. “Never was the family likes, y’know?” He lied. “Or the one womans type a’ guy.”

Inside the drawer was a journal, a set of keys, some paper-clipped receipts, and a metal box, all of which Bandy started to unload onto the desk without an especial regard for either article.

He fiddled, first, with the box—a dented thing with one corner chipped of paint, showing rust. It was locked. “But, ay- I pay’er bills so what’s she got ta complain about?” With two hands, securing the thing in his lap, Bandy pried the locked box open and it gave with surprising ease, spilling its contents onto the floor, a clatter of seven phones of varying make and model. Burners.

BANDY/POST NOTES​

— —POST RECAP: Bandy and Callista are snooping through Chikage's office.

— —CHIKAGE'S OFFICE: The office is a wide, open-spaced room and very tidy. [X Reference X] Apart from the work space, there is a bar and lounge area.

(Interacting w/ Callista)
(Mentioned Chikage)
Nobody Special Roda the Red Coyote Hart Lucem simj26 Damafaud Wxnter ​

 

[angel doe]

amari

CS Link

SCENE:

dragons arc 3: scene 1 [securing the future]

LOCATION:

east district, tech expo, private meeting room

PARTICIPANTS:

sophia, jesper, kasumi, amari

securing the future

amari stood still as a statue beside jesper with her hands clasped behind her back. she narrowed her eyes as roy announced who the perp was and then introduced some woman named 'jane something' moments later. amari had never seen or heard of this woman until now and she had to wonder why that was the case; surely mrs. albrecht would have told them about this jane lady, or was that information not important enough for them to know? regardless of why mrs. albrecht failed to mention jane, amari still hated the woman. something about her just felt... off.

when kasumi spoke next and shared the information she had, amari immediately went on high alert. their nose twitched as they took a step closer to jane, glaring at her, “now, why would ya lie about somethin' like being in the security room?" amari raised a brow at the stranger, “that seems a little silly, don't ya think? lyin' during an investigation, i mean, and one involvin' important stolen property and a murder at that."

a venomous smile spread across amari's lips, her head tilting slightly to one side, “but i'm sure ya got a perfectly good explanation for that." despite having no idea whether what kasumi told them was the truth or not, amari trusted her more than she trusted this random woman. besides, she had a bad feeling about jane as soon as she met her; she had no problem going along with what kasumi said.

AriAriAbabwa azenva FabulousTrash

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

EUN JI-YOUNG

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 3 [The Faceless Fox]

LOCATION:

Akira's Office, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

| Pablo | Akira | Ji-Young | Dante | Welsha |

The Faceless Fox

Three types of people made a job harder for Ji-Young than it should: elders, children, and elders with children. She followed a code, and as ruthless as she could be, she relented in the face of wrinkled age or innocent youth. With the right words and the right posture, the promise of a bloody threat was more than enough to convince them not to miss another payment. She didn’t listen to the part of her that was disappointed with the lack of bloodshed, dwelling instead on the memories of a young girl who lost her family, lost her home, and lost her innocence.

But this time, the man called Gunboat gave her plenty of excuses to put aside the young girl and revel in the fight. He was a family man, yes, but he had that black sand, a clear sign of a Potential. A powerful enemy. A threat. He was right; Ji-Young couldn’t afford to hold back. It didn’t matter that she felt a small spark of warmth at his words. He would kill her because it was his job, so Ji-Young should thoroughly incapacitate him because it was her job to return to Akira with the money.

He rushed at her, black sand shaped into a blade slashing at her eyes. Only it wasn’t a direct attack, but a feint. Ji-Young saw how his body caught itself at the last moment, the blade missing her by mere inches. She grinned. She wasn’t going to give him the chance to follow it up with whatever he had up his sleeve.

Ji-Young willed it, and the wind answered. She kicked off backwards, letting the wind carry her farther than her feet ever could. Only then she saw what Gunboat’s true attack was– a flurry of iron sand. Instinctively, she knew getting hit by that would cripple her. True enough, she looked and saw the jacket on her left shoulder shredded, the sleeve hanging on by ragged strips of cloth.

Her grin widened. She slid the jacket off, revealing a white tank top that clung to a lean, muscular body molded by years of training and surviving on the streets. The chill of the club’s air conditioning bit into her skin. The wind flew around her like a loyal hound, waiting on her command. The cameras whirred, and she could somehow feel them focusing on her.

A man’s wounded pride was a dangerous thing, but she was grateful for it. Anthony meant for her to end up crumpled on the ground, dead, and Akira humiliated. Instead, Ji-Young would use it to elevate herself to greater heights.

Her body knew the motions; show respect with your left hand clamped on your right fist; bow slightly, but never keep your eyes off of your opponent; return to your previous stance, hands on the sides, and declare yourself, your allegiance, your intentions.

“My name is Eun Ji-Young of the Calico Agency. It is a pleasure to be fighting with you. Here I come!”

And with the strength that only an HP could have, she grabbed a nearby table and threw it at Gunboat. Taking a page from his tactics, Ji-Young then kicked off and dashed forward, hoping that the table would block his vision for a moment. Regardless of whatever Gunboat did to the table, Ji-Young would gather the winds in her fist and smash it through, hoping to catch him straight in the torso. If nothing else, the resulting blasts of wind should take care of the iron sand if he wished to retaliate with it.

Interactions: Nobody Special