Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings

[Beann]

RURIKO IKEDA

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 2 [Matter of Time]

LOCATION:

Eternal Night Palace, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Reveler, Dante, Meirin, Ruriko

MATTER OF TIME

Ruriko raised her eyebrow as she looked between Callan and the copy he created of himself. “You know, you could have just called or texted us,” she pointed out with a shrug. “I’m fine though, if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here.” Even at the slightest headache, Ruriko would have called out but seeing as she was perfectly fine and she was also trying to avoid Kanna as much as possible, she stuck through even the most boring shift today. At least she had Callan and Meirin to talk to pass the time for now.

She glanced over to Meirin as she gave a little more detail about the murder she heard about. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly when it was revealed that Silence got into a fight and ended up being the victim. Casualties weren’t uncommon in New Oasis, especially when one was affiliated with a gang but it was still upsetting to hear about the death of a Dragon. “That’s a shame,” she muttered, her gaze lowering so as to not give away much of the emotions she was feeling.

“Hmm?” Ruriko looked back up to Meirin as she switched to the topic of the bridge. She let out a long, annoyed sigh as she recalled the events that happened. “Kanna and I — and I guess Jesper — were chasing a suspect. Turns out he wasn’t alone and they caused quite the commotion on the bridge. Couple of Phoenixes were on the bridge at the same time and Jesper being the fucking dumbass fired at them on accident — I think. Anyways, the birds attacked Shen on sight when I portal’d him in and Shen lost his control.” She sighed once more, shaking her head. “It really was all some big misunderstanding — but if those damn birds weren’t on our bridge, they wouldn’t have lost theirs.”

It seemed quite a bit happened that night for the Dragons and as chaotic as it was, she was relieved that the past week had been somewhat quiet. However, she knew the peace wouldn’t last forever, there was still the matter of the Scarlet Phoenixes to deal with and who knows what else. Well, it was their job to enforce the peace after all.

Spoiler: Tags

The Regal Rper QuirkyAngel Mqueserasera FabulousTrash

 

[Beann]

KYODEN

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 2 [The Bounty]

LOCATION:

Slums, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, Kyoden, Sang-Cheol

THE BOUNTY

Kyoden crouched down quietly next to Raphael and Sang-Cheol as they observed an inconspicuous building across the street from a slanted rooftop. He really didn’t understand the appeal of gaining the higher ground, wouldn’t that draw more attention to them? It wasn’t like he was going to complain though, he was merely following Raphael’s lead and the man was known to settle himself in uncommon places. Rather than take notes on the house they were observing, Kyoden held his phone out to text his cousin, Urien.

Hamburgers tonight? (:

He wasn’t sure what his cousin was doing at the moment but it was always Serpent business anyways. Urien never stopped working it seemed, earning a respectable, yet terrifying light to most of the gang members. Kyoden, on the other hand, kept mostly to himself, not wanting to draw much attention to himself. Unfortunately, it just so happened that he drew the attention of the Serpent that was most known for drawing attention. Well — not unfortunately, he considered Raphael a good friend, no matter what others thought about him. This is why he agreed to accompany Raphael today when he asked — or… when he didn’t ask. The interaction was mostly a blur to him, his memory retention wasn’t that great as of late but he recalled the Serpent saying something along the lines of ‘come join me to make sure I don’t kill Sang-Cheol’.

Friends were supposed to be there for one another, right? Which was exactly why he was here in the first place. That was the truth…kind of. Raphael had his eyes set on a group of former Serpents, competing against Snake’s experiments and goals. Unfortunately, Kyoden knew the exact group they were hunting down, and his loyalties forced him to choose one over the other.

A loud voice broke through the silence and eerie atmosphere, causing Kyoden to look up from his phone with an eyebrow raised. He looked over to Raphael who already started to make his move, leaping from the rooftop down to the ground. “Uh, after you,” he gestured for Sang-Cheol to go first. As he waited for the scientist to hopefully land gracefully near Raphael, Kyoden sent a text to an unsaved number.

“2 doses not enough, adding 1 more.”

With that sent, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and jumped off the building too, landing behind Raphael and Sang-Cheol.

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura Misuteeku Caffeine_Obsessed Tobi Naefaerne

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

TAZZ (Ft. Camila)

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 4 [Hostile Agenda]

LOCATION:

West-Side, Central

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Matsuda, Camila, Chou

HOSTILE AGENDA

<<< Remember

Why he was walking, August didn’t know, as he had no idea where they were to be meeting up.

When Camila’s text came through, he narrowed his eyes at the screen of his phone and pursed his lips. Ruminating on the past. Recalling when she’d told him of Painstake Gaming’s developments. Then, thumbs dashing across the keyboard, he spammed emojis galore, typed a message, sent it, and clicked the link she’d forwarded.

(The message: ” I see. Anyway, I’m heading there, now. See ya.”)

Google Maps loaded up and, on the screen, he saw a place of residence. A fenced-in two-story home, beautiful backyard dappled with well-kept shrubbery, and a two-car garage off to the side but within boundary of the fence.

He figured it must be the home of their client’s offender.

Also… he was moving in the opposite direction. And so, with a pinched-lip expression, he walked a U to turn around, disappeared down an alleyway, then never popped out.

When next he could be seen, he was wearing his mask, goggles, and beanie, and traveling by rooftop whilst intermittently checking his phone.

Camila—a.k.a. “Lilim”—”Mothman”—and a fella aliased “Smog”. Glancing at his phone, those were the people he’d be partnering with for this contract.

His foot met with a slick-wet concrete ledge and pushed off, bounding him over an alleyway-gap and onto an adjacent building.

He knew Camila well. They’d been friends since high school. But this Mothman and Smog, he knew nothing of but the pictures they’d each sent into the group chat for easy identification.

Coming upon an architectural masterpiece that was much taller than he possessed the desire to scale—out of sheer laziness more so than incompetence—August diverted his mode of traversal back to the sidewalk. Leaping from the roof of the building he was on, he descended its length at a rapid pace, whizzing like the rain past several story windows—his hair and clothes whipping and dancing in pursuit—but before he reached the ground, a vortex of wind manifested beneath him and lowered him slowly.

From there, he walked at a steady pace, paying no mind to the wary glances in his direction.

A few cars on his right, across the lane and stopped at a red light, August recognized one particular vehicle, at which he double-glanced before stopping to stare, but only briefly. It was Camila.

How convenient, he thought, and stepped onto the street.

Better than walking in the rain.

Close enough to reach the door handle, August instead poked his head in front of the windshield and stared through the tint of his goggles at the two women. He tapped on the glass, gestured for Cam—who jumped from her seat slightly at the ominous sight of a drenched August staring down at them—to unlock the door whether it be locked in the first place or not, then moved to occupy a seat in the back.

Settling in, he slapped his hands on his widespread knees, taking up the entire space, and looked between the two. Unfortunately, he didn’t know that Moth’ would be unable to read his lips through the cloth of his mask.

“Howdy-doo, mates~ Bit wet out theh, yeh?” He didn’t need an answer. “You two’ve not met with Smog, ‘ave ya?”

“Fucks sake Taz! You almost gave me a heart attack popping up like that.” Camila stopped looking at August for a moment, staring at the transit lights turning yellow and then green and stepping on the gas. “Not yet, I already sent Smog the location we were supposed to meet up, I’m assuming he should be there soon.”

As she spoke, August stared out the window.

Just then… he narrowed his teal-blue eyes, noticing a tall character of black hair with upswept ends trudging along the side of the road that matched the image of Smog. And with that, August stuck his head up front and pointed at the man, “‘S ‘at him, no?”

He stared for a moment.

Deciding with confidence that the person was, in fact, who he thought it was, he rolled down one of the back windows and stuck his head out.

“SMOG!” he called loudly as the car moved. “JUMP IN, YEH?”
Clothes Reference

Spoiler: Tags

Caffeine_Obsessed
Doctor Llamabean
Roda the Red
Taigakitt

>>> To The Next Post

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Acacia Fox

SCENE:

Tiger Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

NPCs

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

The Tigers were here. That much was apparent by now; it was only a matter of time before they honed in on the mall. Acacia sat still in her seat, taking a deep breath. Her eyes fluttered shut, and soon voices filled her mind. Acacia's Potentiality, Mental Web, allowed her to establish psychic communications between several people at a time, lasting throughout the whole day. It was through this that she heard the first news of their presence.

A woman's sharp tone graced their ears. Elias Yumin is here with some other guy, and for some reason, I doubt they're here for shopping.

Noted.

By contrast, a boy's monotonous voice cut through. This blond dude is with Alice; might be a Tiger. He slipped by us... and I think he knows we're here.

A lighter, female voice interjected with a joking tone. First day of actual trouble and you guys are already screwing up! You gonna take him out?

Then again, the boy spoke once more, could just be that he's a passerby. He knocked over a rack and now he's helping her up... I might be overthinking...

You two don't make a move just yet; not until I tell you to. Acacia sighed, nervously tapping her fingernails on the desk. Lana, keep us updated on Alice's location until we discern Blondie's intentions.

Alright.

Rodger dodger!

GENEVIEVE DE LA CROIX

SCENE:

Tiger Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Elias ( QuirkyAngel )

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Elias's approach towards Genevieve did not go unnoticed by her, and neither did Ronald's departure for that matter. She knew she was coming towards her, appearing all the more pleased by it than anything else.

"And that's a wrap for now! We'll continue the photo shoot in 10 minutes, alright?"

The model briefly turned her attention way to the camera man. "Gotcha." The crew followed her gaze to the man that had approached—and, realizing who he was, made the wise choice to not interfere and keep distance.

Genevieve bore a shining smile to her countenance, and though she held her own gloved hands at the front of her waist, she did not take Elias' hand. "Sorry!" she simply said. "Company rules: No physical contact with anyone outside of the work. But I had no idea you were a fan!" Her hands clapped at the side of her face, amazed that one of the Yumins appreciated her work! But there was a curious glint to Genevieve; naturally one would be curious. "So what's the CFO of Yumin Entertainment doing here? I never would have thought to see you in a place like this."

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

SCENE:

Tiger Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jack ( Chaos Gallant )

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

"Welcome in, sir!" The shoe store Jack had stumbled into was bustling with customers and an active staff. With shoes on display that lined the walls left and right, one would find that about every pair was ridiculously expensive.

Behind the busy staff, a man slipped into the employee-only door at the back.

Aside from the hustle and bustle of such a store, there was only calmness. Well, mostly calm, if not for a young woman who appeared no older than 20.

"$80? You're telling me you just slapped on rainbow neon colors and called it worthy of $80?!" The store employee chuckled nervously, trying to usher the girl to tone it down. He glanced at his passing co-workers—only receiving a look of pity from them before they escaped to help other people.

The energetic girl waved the pair of shoes in front of their faces. "Like, someone would have a really bad sense of fashion to get this! Like, imagine if someone wore..." The girl's gaze froze, landing on a certain someone in the crowd. Grinning, she ran over to Jack with her arms out at her side. She grabbed him by his wrist, dangling the pair of shoes next to his Hawaiian shirt as if posing for a photo. "It would fit perfectly with what this guy is wearing!"

Alicia Morel

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson ( BriiAngelic )

Happily Ever After

<<< Remember

Alice stared at his outstretched hand almost curiously. A thought occurred to her: How many people in her life held their hand out to her, like a knight to a princess in the storybooks? No occupied command or visual nod to get up and move; not taking her arm to hoist her up. It was a small thing, but it stuck out... Without wasting another second, Alice took Jackson's hand and pulled herself up.

"Thank you, Mr. Alessi." She'd mostly calmed down at this point, but couldn't help the frown as Jackson elaborated on the situation. "So those types of people exist in Central, too...?" Alice's gaze went to the floor. A part of her felt disappointed; thought that their vacation in Central would have something else waiting for her than her work in the West. "Both, probably." Alice answered to Jackson's guesses. She hugged herself, twisting slightly from side-to-side as she spoke. "There wouldn't be any other reason for them to follow. That's what all my friends tell me..."

Her friends... Usually they'd take care of people like this, but they were back home in the West. Mr. Hat? He was away at the moment, leaving only his sister... but it didn't feel right to trouble her over this.

Alice removed her hand from her pocket, refraining from the phone.

At Jackson's last remark, she momentarily paused. "Goodness, don't even think about 'slugging' them. Violence is never the answer; did your parents not teach you that?" Alice huffed with a puff of her cheeks. Not that her brief lecture lasted any long, as the gravity of her situation didn't loosen any further. "Indeed, let us lose them instead..." Alice looked towards the exit to the department with a faint smile. "The place we're staying is near here, actually, in the back of the Honeycomb Cafe. I'll be safe there—the manager is really friendly."

>>> To The Next Post

 

[BluEndings]

CHARMY DEVLIN

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Alice, Elias, Jack, Charmy, Jackson

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

This truly was a quaint little place.

Though the tail-end of the conversation did spark interest, Charmy chose to bench that particular trail for the time being. She returned the man’s greeting with her own—a curt smile and a small motion of her hand—and then continued to saunter the fringes of the store. Her pace had softened. In fact, all purpose vanished from her movements.

She steered around rack after rack, and shelf after shelf. Not in any particular pattern. Occasionally she’d pick up an item, turn it, and give it a look over. It was pretty clear she was just browsing, but every now and then the glistening color of her eyes would peer to the ceiling. It was subtle enough. Yet if she were truly being watched then her intentions were obvious. She was noting the cameras.

It didn't take long, considering the place's size. So when she was satisfied, she fell.

It was near the center, but off-set just enough. There wasn’t the slightest bit of grace to it. Her first leg found itself off the ground, the second quickly followed and finally her head planted itself firmly against the floor. It made a most unpleasant sound, but it was almost entirely drowned out by the multitude of things that proceeded to collapse around her in response. Her body jolted as each and every one practically buried her, yet failed to flinch at the small bed of shattered glass by her face.

Her eyes were closed.

NAVIGATE

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 2 [The Bounty]

LOCATION:

Slums, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, Kyoden, Sang-Cheol

THE BOUNTY

'How did I get here?' Sang-Cheol had many questions when he ran the circumstances in his head. After burning down the dock, his salary was shredded into fourths since he caused property damage on Serpent territory. Now how did that equate to getting roped into this hunting squad? Sang-Cheol didn't know either as one thing happened and then another, and now he was with Raphael and Schrodinger's amnesiac. While he was slightly interested in the former lab scientist's research, Sang-Cheol was unsure if it was worth seeing Raphael.

There wasn't anything that could calm Sang-Cheol down whenever he was in Raphael's presence. The only thing that could potentially calm him down was if he set everything around him on fire, but that would involve having a prior panic attack. Though, Sang-Cheol was mentally preparing himself, so he wouldn't suffer from another paycheque cut.

As of now, Sang-Cheol was still as a statue facing away from Raphael's general direction. Ever since he followed Raphael and Kyoden, he had not spoken a single word. Nothing betrayed a hint of fear as his expression and body were still, but Sang-Cheol had a crisis in reality. If he didn't have his sunglasses, everybody would have noticed how widened his eyes were. Even when he heard maniac screaming in the distance, Sang-Cheol remained still. Though, Sang-Cheol jumped when Raphael jumped down to greet the maniac. There was a moment of silence before Sang-Cheol heard Kyoden offer him to go first.

"...What," Were the first words Sang-Cheol had during the entire exchange. There was a moment when Sang-Cheol stared at Kyoden. Whether it be a look of betrayal as if Kyoden sentenced him to death, fear because Raphael was down there, or anger for being ordered around. It was up to Kyoden, though he would probably forget anyways, to interpret this as Sang-Cheol took a deep breath. He slowly walked and jumped down Raphael but made sure to stay the farthest away from him.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masker Concertgoer K, Minato

All Proceeds

Passeri switched her phone into speaker mode as the younger woman wandered into the room, and set it down on a nearby table, and then mimed a greeting towards her. She continued to return the girl's silence for a few moments, until it became readily apparent that Dagger would be getting back to her no time soon, at which point she extended her one of her usual sunny greetings.

"Heya!" Her voice was as chipper as her eyes were bright, both of which locked onto the box that Fahru had wrapped between her arms. "Got something for me there?" She inspected both the box, and the other woman, looming closer and closer to the two of them as she made discerned exactly why they'd appeared before her. She stepped away from the great, glass screen that overlooked the stadium, leaving a perfect view of the sea of human bodies in her wake.

"Ah! Does this have to do with that job I gave you?" With how tightly the girl was clinging to the object, she figured it was important, and what was more important than doing a good job? That was adorable. "Is it a box of tricks? A demo?" She hoped so. "I hope so!" She was ready to be blown away! "Go ahead and blow me away!"

She was genuinely curious as to what exactly the young woman had come up with. It was woefully hard to find HPs like herself to work with outside of New Oasis, and even harder to find ones that you'd ever actually want to work with. So today was the time to make up for it! Pressure to the max, Fahru!

Spoiler: Tags

Refaulted QuirkyAngel simj26 Mqueserasera azenva Elenion Aura

Masked Concertgoer T

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masker Concertgoer K, Minato

All Proceeds

It was time.

Finally, finally finally finally, it was time. He'd had to prepare on much shorter notice than he'd thought. He'd thought that he'd have to wait at least a few more months... Or more like a few more years to get his chance. It was hard to leave New Oasis, especially for a guy like him, but he'd been sure he'd get there eventually. He was fighting a war of love after all. But then... Oh, then, it'd happened. That stars had aligned, and fate itself had cried out to the heavens, that finally, finally, it was his time.

He hated that he was forced to skulk like this, but what choice did he have? The tickets for general entry might have been free, but the backstage passes had been expensive as ever. He wasn't worried, per se, but ah, gosh darn it, all he wanted to do was proclaim his love to the heavens. The heavens that had favoured him. But here he was. Acting like a rat.

He peered out of the tiny storage closet which he'd made his home, filled with all the sports-related junk and clutter that normally littered the stadium.

It'd been hard to find this gap. He'd had to mill about the stadium grounds for hours to find even a tiny crevice in the web of patrols and security cameras around the grounds. He honestly thought it was a little strange. This wasn't his first time sneaking into a concert, even a big one at that, and things were never this tight. There were even wolves! Wolves!

Ah, but actually, that made sense, didn't it? They were guarding a treasure, after all.

Okay. He slipped out of his hiding place, and into the empty stadium hall. He'd spent long enough waiting to get a handle on what he needed to do. His love, his dear, his Iroi was sequestered away at the precipice of the stadium, so there was where he needed to be.

Ah... Soon, soon...

Spoiler: Tags

Refaulted QuirkyAngel simj26 Mqueserasera azenva Elenion Aura

 

[simj26]

Kisara McDowell

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 2: Scene 2 [Tailing the Dragon's Heart]

LOCATION:

Shaded Alley, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Anna, Tri, Yuto, Kisara, Bash

Don't Go Tailin' My Heart

It didn't hurt as much now, she supposed. There wasn't any lasting damage, but the scars would be almost permanent, according to the doctor. She traced a finger lazily over the warped skin on her chest. She was rather proud of these, she thought. She would have wanted something else to have given her the scars, maybe someone, or something strong enough to actually hurt her proper, not guns. They would have to do, though. What was a warrior, what was a monster, rather, without its scars? Its record of all the battles that it has fought across the years needed to be written down, not only on paper, but across the tapestry that was its body. She let out a low chuckle. Yes, yes, this was what it meant to be a great monster, a kaiju! The real adventure of Prinz Gyoushi starts here! The evolution to Kaizer Gyoushi, even! She always had that name planned for herself, but she had always felt that she needed to climb ever higher, that tower in the distance, to reach that particular name. One day, at the peak, above all that stood beneath her, above all that had challenged her, she would stand there, and roar her name into the skies, a roar that would pierce even the heavens above, and be heard even in the deepest canals of hell. She rubbed her chin and grinned, then winced. Her face was still feeling a bit sore. She never figured out why it did, and the broken nose had almost nearly healed pretty much a day after- it never really bothered her enough. Maybe her face was just feeling a little tired. She traced the scar again. Maybe she could even get a tattoo for this and the one at her back. The face of a demon, perhaps? Would that be too much? Would that be too on the nose? It would be a bridge that she’d have to cross when she got there. If she ever decided to visit that bridge anyway.

When Goat Anna finally decided to furnish them with the details of the operation, she whipped out her phone with one practiced motion. A swipe here, and the press of a button there, and she captured an image of the image of the prized gem in the possession of the Dragons. She gleefully made some more swipes on her phone, and then opened up an app. Another few more keystrokes, and she sent out a lively Bluebird post. She, thankfully for the group, did not give much information on their latest activity for the day. She stuffed her phone back into the non-existent pocket of her pants, when everyone else started chatting. She wasn’t built for strategies, this much she knew. She was always of the idea that, if she were ever hired for a heist, she’d be the one blowing up the safe, or wrenching the doors free from their hinges, and, maybe, punching everyone that tried to stop her. She simply had to return the favour to whoever did whatever it was to her face.

“I don’t think–” she started when Tri offered his advice, but was cut off by her Senpai’s own growling outburst. He had been looking quite moody in the past few hours. Did something bad happen? She didn’t want to ask. Not yet at least. In her experience, she thought it best to leave him to cool off first. Maybe after he had eased his mind a little by venting his fury out on some unfortunate people, she would approach him. As much as she wanted to hug him, brush his hair, and tell him that whatever was bothering him shouldn’t effect him as a person in the slightest, this was probably not the time. The one that Tri had called Arachnid (wasn’t that a spider or something?) did, however, make a comment, to which she responded with a flippant backhand straight into his stomach, as if to indicate that he should shut up about it.

“I don’t think Tri’s idea is, well, a very smart one. Sayin’ the name straight up would probably arouse a lot of suspicion. I may be stupid, but…” she thought for a second, trying to find a way to finish the sentence, until at last, she shrugged, “I may be stupid.” She glanced up at the rooftops that towered over them, “Though I think the one part where he mentioned a distraction would be great. I just don’t think Arachnid could stand up to getting flung around by me, no offense,” she added quickly, as she turned slightly to Arachnid. “Ya think I could just start a fight with the guards outside? Maybe call them some funny names? Seein’ as I only just joined the Serps, I don’t think they’d recognise me neither. Senpai, they’d probably recognise on sight, and I dunno about Arachnid here. And your mask, Anna, very niche, very nice, very vogue, really suits your complexion, but I think there aren’t a lot of people who wear masks like that here in New Oasis. Not quite hard to pinpoint who it is. So– and I don’t mean t’ brag– I think I’m the best fit for giving them the old one-two while you guys sneak in.”

The One Eyed Bandit Nobody Special Caffeine_Obsessed Damafaud

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

ROCCHI (Nakazajo Chikage)

CS Link

SCENE:

Insufficient Details

LOCATION:

Lower Central District (Mach Sling)

PARTICIPANTS:

Chikage, Jaimme, Billie, Odessa, Yuudai, Carter (Pending)

INSUFFICIENT DETAILS

<<< Remember

“Permission for Unit 2 to scope the perimeter?”

Chikage spoke into his walkie, “Go ahead.” He always loved hearing Billie’s voice over the radio, like sunshine seeping through grey clouds. He related her to the beautiful globe thistle, durable and prickly, and necessitating gloves when pruning, but absolutely stunning in full bloom. You don’t reach blindly for a globe thistle, else you wind up getting pricked.

A gentle vibration shook his pocket, and he retrieved his phone to answer the incoming call. “Hello?”

“Sir, are you available?”

“Go ahead.”

“Okay.” A brief pause, accompanied by the sound of ruffling papers. “Alright, Officer Kiane Dancy came around and filed three police reports detailing the appearance of the culprits involved in the stolen firearms case. She, out of the eight officers to arrive on the scene, is the only one that has come to. The rest are still unconscious or…” It was clear that the speaking officer was lost for words, but Chikage didn’t have time to wait around.

“Get on with it,” he bit sharply.

“Sorry! Right, okay… Um, so, the first file lists the alias 'Chronicle'. It’s written that the subject appears male, young adult, light-skinned, around-to-above-average height, with medium-length, grey hair. It’s also listed that this specific subject was seen carrying around a camera and taking pictures of the scene in the middle of gunfire. Also, jewelry. He was wearing a lot of jewelry... and... If it's of any importance, she mentioned that he was extremely handsome.”

“Move on,” said Chikage.

Another ruffling of papers, then the officer started on the next file. “The next file lists no name or alias. Um… reads young adult, light-skinned, appears male, around-to-above-average height… The subject was wearing a mask and bucket hat that concealed the entirety of his face, so nothing on that… Oh, but it says here that… I guess… he was kissing people? Okay, she wrote that anyone he managed to kiss was rendered catatonic, so there’s that.”

“That’s disgusting,” Chikage commented, wrinkling his nose at the idea.

“Last file. We’ve got a Sophira Wise. It says here that the subject called herself ‘Sophie’ and kept shouting information about herself at the scene. It lists young adult, rosy complexion, average height, red eyes, and short, orange hair. She was wearing a green tracksuit at the shootout and apparently kept handing people button-pins. Dancy wrote that the girl was very peppy and that she kept… glitching out or lagging.”

Chikage raised an eyebrow. “Glitching out? What- What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure. I guess like… when a DVD is scratched and the movie won’t-”

“Alright, what else?”

“...Uh… Oh, right, a satchel was recovered from the location of the shootout and, in it, were several polaroids. We’re assuming they belonged to one of the culprits, probably this 'Chronicle' guy. Detective Lyons is checking them over now.”

“Have him send them to me.” With that, Chikage ended the call and surveyed the area before returning to his cruiser where he sat down in the driver's seat and began organizing the files from before. Moments later, a ding from his phone signified that the pictures had come through, and he began looking them over with a careful eye. Buildings inside and out, fences, parks, people, random structures, animals. The pictures were of anything and everything, but Chikage was most interested in the buildings... Perhaps they could help him to pinpoint a location of interest...

Spoiler: Tags

Taigakitt BriiAngelic @FangS31

El'Liberators

SCENE:

Insufficient Details

LOCATION:

Central District, Upper Level... Random warehouse...

PARTICIPANTS:

Chikage, Jaimme, Billie, Odessa, Yuudai, Carter (Pending)

INSUFFICIENT DETAILS

Somewhere in Upper Central…

Armed goons stood at every overhead door of the warehouse—there being five total and only one of them open to allow the entry of a white van. Rain rapped against the windows, tapping a rhythm you could only notice if you really paid attention.

“You’re good, keep it comin’,” called a random nobody, pistol on his hip. He guided the van, checking its sides to make sure it wouldn’t scrape the entry jamb, then held up his hands in a halting gesture once the van was all the way in and the door was clear to close.

The engine remained idle as someone exited from the driver’s end.


“Whooo~” he sang, slapping the vehicle’s side, “It’s all here, baby.” Chronicle proceeded around the back of the van and was met halfway by his passenger and partner in crime, Noctic, whose face and head were completely covered by a mask and bucket hat.


Noctic pulled the van’s back doors open to reveal two large, wooden crates occupying the cargo compartment.

A group gathered around, the steady buzz of chatter filling the air, then grew quiet all at once before dividing in two as an orange-haired, broad-shouldered man came through. He wore a suit, biting a cigar. Behind him followed a woman in bell-bottom khakis and white button-up shirt.


“Good job, boys,” said Quintus, who then gestured for someone to unload the crates. A handful of goons jumped to action and began doing just that.

“And you said explosive rounds?” Ms. Khaki inquired.

Quintus nodded. “What’s not explosive will surely penetrate HP flesh. You’re welcome to test one out.”

Chronicle cocked a brow. Noctic lifted the rim of his hat and turned his nose up to do the same, showing his concern.

Ms. Khaki scoffed amusedly but declined. “No, I have other plans.” Lifting a hand, she snapped her fingers in the air and a man emerged from the surrounding characters, holding a suitcase, which he handed to her, only for her to hand it to Quintus.

“The product is yours once we’ve counted the cash,” Quintus told her, handing the suitcase off to one of his own goons.

Meanwhile, a loud rumbling tore into the parking lot outside, and everyone within the warehouse readied their weapons. Noctic climbed some shelves to the platform above and peered out the windows, spying a familiar sports-car that he knew to be Synchrony.

“False alarm,” he told the men and women down below, then looked at Quintus, ”It’s your daughter.”

Not by blood, but he practically raised her.

”Good.”

​

Their client and client’s posse was gone now, leaving only members of Element Liberation inside the warehouse. Each overhead door was still guarded, a goon at every left and every right, and the van was also gone, along with Chronicle and Noctic.

Synchrony and Quintus sat across from each other at a small roundtable, Quintus with one foot propped up on the table, hands folded over his stomach.


“You want me to what?” asked Synchrony.

“Beast is what they call him.”

“Yeah, I know what they call him. I’m not an idiot, but why? I thought you didn’t want to get involved with any of the royalty gangs.”

Quintus took a puff of his cigar and let the smoke dance off his upper lip, allowing a brief silence to come between them. Then, “Things change,” he said. “It’s time to expand.”

Apprehension transformed the young girl’s face. “...Right…”

Spoiler: Tags

Taigakitt BriiAngelic @FangS31

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[Caffeine_Obsessed]

HIDE ISHIDA

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 2 [The Bounty]

LOCATION:

Slums, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, Kyoden, Sang-Cheol

THE BOUNTY

Hide nearly leaped ot of his own skin as three strangers- from out of no where mind you- landed right in front of his eyes. What the fuck?!?! If he were high at the moment, he would have nearly mistaken them as fallen angels or those TV superheroes he was always obsessed with coming in to save the day.

... Except that he recognized one of these "angels". This man was in fact- nothing close to either of them.

Hide grit his teeth in annoyance, his eyes shifting ever so slightly to the other two black haired men he didn't recognize. No matter the past- he knew these guys were dangerous. A risk. Pests he had to get rid of.

He growled under his breath, trying to be careful of keeping his voice quiet, He narrowed his eyes at one man in particular, "Raphael...." His voice then abruptly rose to a deafening shout, "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU DOUCHEBAGS WANT?!" Considering he knew one of them was a Serpent, it was likely that the rest of them were too. Did Raphael tell them about Hide? He wouldn't see why he would have- Hide considered himself pretty infamous anyhow eheh. He smirked lightly at the thought, though quickly snapping himself out of it to address the situation.

"DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! IF ANY OF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT LAYING YOUR GRUBBY SERPENT HANDS ON ME- I WILL BEAT YA TO HELL AN' BACK WITH MY CROWBAR TILL YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A PUDDLE OF GUTS AND BLOOD! You fuckers.."

Saying this, Hide reached behind himself to place a twitchy hand under his shirt, near his waistband, where said trusty crowbar was tucked away. He really didn't have time to fight right now- but he didn't want to die either. Especially not from his enemy gang. He would die of embarrassment before dying by their hands!

However, this still left him on edge, his breath panting and chest slightly heaving from restlessness. He couldn't take any risks.

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura Beann Misuteeku

​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Matsuda Russo

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 4 [Hostile Agenda]

LOCATION:

Westside, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Camila, Chou

HOSTILE AGENDA

<<< Remember

He really couldn't stop thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong. What if Matsuda never made it home? What if he never pays off his father's debts? What if he never saw his brothers again? What if no one took care of his sweet baby Astrid- his electric guitar? He could physically feel shivers run down his spine at the last thought. Maybe this idea wasn't such a good one to take after all...

However, before he could even think to make his escape, someone was shouting his name- errr.. alias. He jumped at the sudden voice, his panicked eyes shooting to the source. Oh... he guessed this was his "colleagues" car. Well... it seemed it was too late to back out now. Shaking himself of his negative thoughts, he stepped towards them- only to realize the vehicle was still moving.

Despite everything, he couldn't help but feel an excited grin spread across his face. He was quite a lazy person- sure- but he always enjoyed a thrill! Joyous laughter bubbled out of him, and he darted towards the moving car the white haired dude had poked his head out of.

Now on the street, he let himself fall backwards, catching himself on his palms as he hoisted his bottom half up, quickly yelling in warning, "HEY! MOVE OVER FOR A SEC WOULDA?!" Despite his probing tone, his actions left no room for questioning. Still on his palms, he lifted the rest of himself off the ground, vaulting his body feet first through the still open window.

In spite of his tall and somewhat large frame- he made it through flawlessly. Landing on the seat, Matsuda let out a few pants of exertion, giving his comrades a two-fingered salute. With a cocky smirk on his face, he spoke- still a bit breathless, "Heya." Then he winked.

Spoiler: Tags

Doctor Llamabean Roda the Red Taigakitt

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[Refaulted]

DAEMON ZEPHANIEL

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masker Concertgoer K, Minato

ALL PROCEEDS

"Hey, grab that!"

"You, kid, bring me some extension cords."

"Mind grabbing me something to drink? Make it fizzy!"

"Take this box and leave it with the tech guys."

This was one way to get a month's worth of exercise condensed into one singular, hectic day. When he had been appointed to helping with this fundraiser, Daemon had no idea that it would be this crazy. He had never been to a concert before, but he had definitely heard of how crazy they could be. Swarming fans, overworked employees/volunteers, and of course the energetic main talents. It was truly a sight to behold in the flesh, even if he had little time to marvel at it all. As soon as he had arrived, he had been set to work, carrying assortments of boxes and equipment from one place to another and helping set up a few stands and lights where he was needed. Frankly, it was like any old day for him.

But he wasn't getting paid.

When he was reminded of the precious time he was using up here, he frowned a little bit. He was genuinely happy to help as it was all for a good cause. The turnout was crazy, and people were spending money. Everything was working out fine. But he was missing an extra fifteen hours of pay he would be making today if he was able to go to his jobs. His supervisors had of course allowed him the day off, either because of the good cause, or perhaps some meddling from unnamed parties. Still, he wished he could get out of here early enough to pick up a shift. Working an overnight wasn't out of the question. He would have to pick up some energy drinks, though, and he was unsure if he could spare the money for that from his budget.

As he was running through his expenses in his head, he was distracted for a moment by a head of purple hair, and looked past the bustling bodies around him to see Fahru bent over a box of little knick-knacks that he had gotten for her earlier. While he knew time was of the essence, he couldn't help himself but pause and watch her work from a distance. The swirling colors that spun about from her always amazed him, no matter how many times he saw it. And as they danced around in the box, he noted the concentrated look on her face, before it began to fold into one more upset, like she was unhappy with what she had created. He watched her grab the box and begin to make walk away, and he was inclined to call out to her, wonder what was wrong.

But he had no chance. Suddenly, he felt two prods in his sides, and his mind immediately assumed the worst. It finally happened. A member of another gang was striking out at him, the easiest target in the entirety of the Albino Tigers. And there was nothing he could do about it. He was going to die here in the most pathetic way possible. Not even two decades old, poor beyond poverty, and without even any family around to come to his funeral. If he even got one.

But his thoughts of his pitiful demise were very quickly interrupted and shoved out his mind as a familiar voice shouted into his ear, causing him to actually yelp and drop the box of equipment he was carrying onto his own feet. As pain exploded in his toes, he groaned as he pulled his feet out from underneath the box. It wasn't anything serious, but he knew they would hurt for a while, which was horrible if he was going to keep walking all day.

Turning around, he sheepishly looked into the eyes of Minato, the faintest hint of a tear appearing in the corner of one of his thin eyes. "M-M-Minato, sir, you really-" But the gang veteran was already overpowering him with conversation, speaking faster than Daemon could even keep up with before his phone began ringing. Daemon watched him pick up the call, and stood awkwardly there for a moment while Minato tried to handle whatever was happening on the other end of the line before he knelt down and began to pick up the box he had dropped. he was almost done collecting everything before the phone was flung in his face, and he winced before he answered. "H-H-Hello..." It was all he managed to get out before Minato pulled it back and continued his conversation.

Spoiler: Tags

The One Eyed Bandit Elenion Aura Mqueserasera simj26 QuirkyAngel

 

[simj26]

Lin Kairong

CS Link

SCENE:

A Brief Meditation

LOCATION:

白春花茶莊, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kairong, Shen, Hadrien, Omar

A Brief Meditation

“Pardon,” he raised his hand, but the attendant seemed to have ignored him. He cleared his throat, and tried again, this time, a little bit louder. “Sorry, excuse me, pardon.” It did the trick, this time. The young lady turned around from the shelves, her expression, one of annoyance. He duly ignored it. Once, he supposed, once in a time long past, he would have broken something, and made a mess. It was, in his age, unwise to do so. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Huang, is he here?”


“Mr. Huang?” the girl looked at him quizzically, her mind wandering for a second, before she nodded in realisation. “Oh, you mean the old man? He passed away a week ago. He was barely hanging on, from what I was told. His son owns the shop now.”

“I…see.” Lin Kairong nodded his head slowly. She had said it in such a matter-of-fact manner, that it took him a moment to register what she had just said. He turned around, and slowly walked out of the door of the tobacco shop. He had wanted to purchase something, but the news had soured his mood greatly. He leaned against the wall outside, and gazed around the neighbourhood. It was as lively as always. Once, he would be just another face in the crowd, mingling with his rowdy friends, talking, chatting, punching each other in the shoulders. Now, he stood out. In his traditional clothes, his wrinkled face, his grey hair, and his formal walk, even as he strolled between the alleyways. Even in a time and age where everything and everyone was dressed in garish manners, he was the odd one out. “I see,” he said quietly to no one in particular. “I am the only one left.” He was reminded of the times he had made bets with his friends, daring the other to go first. Once a humorous joke, now one in bad taste. He would have made one last punchline, that none of them ever paid up, if he didn’t feel so tired.

He should probably make his way back to his shop. He had left Karin in charge of the place while he was gone. She was a hardworking girl, that one. He could trust her to hold the fort while he was gone, at least for the business. Still, he didn’t wish to leave her alone for too long. It was about to become quite busy. Not as busy as it would have been in the days where tea was the ‘in thing’, as the youth would call it, and it was an easy job for just one person. He could not help but worry anyway. He adjusted his grip on his plastic bags, and set off on a swift stride down the winding pathways of the district.

He passed many places that he once knew, now refurbished, renovated, into great buildings, each one brighter than the next. Buskers and performers dotted the streets, and men and women touting services to massage parlours, and foods in restaurants, and all the other noise. So much had changed, yet so little had done so as well. It had been the same thing for a long time, ever since the first time he came here. He politely nodded and refused as one of the ladies offered him a discount for their restaurant’s newest dish, and when it became apparent that he was only trying to find his way home, the other would-be assailants chose to ignore him. Perhaps, once, he would have been annoyed at this. Now, he was just simply glad that he could have some personal peace and quiet.

He arrived back at the lane with his cosy shophouse. Even after all the years, the black signboard that hung above the entrance, with the intricate, handwritten name in bright gold, never lost its sheen. White Springflower Tea House, was what it translated into. There was no Amestrian translation written underneath it. With the population losing its touch with its roots, he often wondered if eventually, one day, the art of the language would be lost to time. As he neared, he caught sight of two gentlemen, one entering the shop after the other. He quickened his pace, and ducked into the shophouse. “Welcome, wel–” he stopped short when he recognised the faces on the would-be customers. “Mr. Ayad, Mr. Gauthier,” he greeted them with a short bow. “Karin,” he called over to the part-timer, who darted over to his side. For someone who was not gifted with a Potential, she was quite nimble on her feet. “Take this to the back, dear. You know where to keep them.”

“Of course, Mr. Lin.” She took the bags from his hands, and with that, she was already gone, with the sound of rustling plastic and the clattering and thunks of the groceries being stored telling of where she had disappeared to.

“Come, Mr. Ayad, Mr. Gauthier, allow me to show you to a table…” He trailed off slowly as his eyes passed over the dark-haired Shen Yue upon one of the mats. His demeanor shifted slightly, from one of a teashop owner, to a member of the Dragons. “Young Master, my apologies,” he bowed again, this time, a little lower than the first. His demeanor, once again, made another, imperceptible shift. “Mr. Ayad, Mr. Gauthier, would you like to be seated together, or separately? We have not gotten our customers coming in just yet, so it is, as you say, free seating for now.”

Elenion Aura Slav Vahn

 

[Tobi Naefaerne]

Alexander & Auvura

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 4 [Home Cookin’]

LOCATION:

Lyric and Alex's Townhome, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Alex, Ashley, Auvura, Corvo, Lyric

HOME COOKIN'

After a long morning of prep work for his dishes, Alex found himself ready for some form of distraction. To that end, he thought of one of his favorite past times: Theft. Unfortunately, if he left the house right now, Lyric would probably disown him. But luckily for Alex, Auvura was here. It wouldn’t be the first time Alex asked of Auvura’s services, nor would it probably be the last.

“Hey, Auvura, dinner won’t be ready for a while. Care to look at the stuff I took from a warehouse a while ago?”

Having been sleeping for a considerable amount of time Auvura had been at the house for several hours, having arrived earlier in the morning to ceremoniously pass out of their couch. Still, she never was one to sleep that deeply and suddenly jolted awake when Alex spoke up. “Huh?!” She said, eyes wide with temperature dropping sharply. “Oh, hey.” She mumbled before running a hand through her hair and stretching. She looked up at Alex for several seconds as if processing what he was saying. “Yeah….” She let out having only heard part of it after jolting awake.

Alex gave a wide grinned smile at Auvura’s response. “Excellent!” was the only word Alex offered as he clapped his hands together. “Then I’ll meet you upstairs. I have the stuff in my room.” Without saying much else as the enthusiasm filled, Alex turned and made his way to his room, calling Ventisca, his snow leopard, to follow him up. Before even grabbing items for Auvura to look at, Alex manifested a wooden chair with armrests and cushions for the diviner to sit in. After that, he held the ivory claw and waited to hand it off.

Getting up Auvura spent the next two minutes stretching before expelling some of the essence. It coiled around her and danced before quickly flowing back into her body. Rubbing her eyes she shuffled up the steps and into the room Alex went into. Seeing the chair already in place she looked over to the claw. “That's it? Oh boy, I do love foreign objects.” Auvura chided out taking her place in the chair. Taking her gloves off she got herself situated before holding out her hand palm up. “Alright, drop it in my hand and make sure I am not disturbed. Breaking the connection before it's done is probably gonna result in me bleeding profusely and being insanely angry. I uhh, dont know how long this is gonna take.” She finished before readying herself.

Alex raised an eyebrow at the foreign object's remark. He could’ve said something, but it feels too casual for how the two of them usually interacted and too dirty. “Well, like usual I won’t leave your side until it’s done and over with, I just hope the chair is comfortable enough.” And with that Alex gently put the claw in Auvura’s hands, making sure not to make contact with her himself. He knew the trance would kick in, so he kept focus on the manifested chair while walking over to his hammock and getting himself situated to watch over her, his back to the window and Ventisca at his feet.

AriAriAbabwa BriiAngelic Lucem Mook-LandStrider​

 

[The Prophet]

Ra Yahya

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 2: Scene 1 [The Child]

LOCATION:

The Markets, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ra, Dyne, Julien

THE CHILD

Ra considered all of New Oasis peaceful in comparison to his home, but nowhere in the city was as peaceful as the East. It was a result of intensely strict control, but the exotic looking man considered it vastly preferable for the civilians over gunfire. That didn't mean he couldn't try to ease any grievances he stumbled upon. He did it before joining the Dragons, and he saw no reason to stop. "While I harbor little love for the smells and rain, it is not too bad. It is nice to not get soaked considering. Thank you, Dyne." He answered Dyne, motioning to her shield and their situation.

So when Ra found himself in the markets of the east, arm locked down by one of his fellow rookies, he was on the lookout. the noises and smells were quite strong in this area; perhaps he should take his hounds here one day? Pondering this, the sound of distress made the jackal ears atop his head flick to attention as Ra moved to look towards the trouble. "Something has gone wrong." Sure enough, an older looking man was distraught over the derelict state of their stall and remaining produce. As they approached Dyne did the talking and clung closer to his much larger frame, Ra placed his free hand on the stall itself and surveyed the area.

A wooden board on the stall began to morph, glittering as it turned to a pure gold and dividing into ten even pieces. As the hardened gold turned liquid and flew through the air to snake around his free arm like jewelry, Ra let the remaining three pieces combine and fall softly in the old man's hand. As a mark resembling an eye carved itself into the given gold, Ra smiled. "Be at ease, sir. We will correct the issue, and in the meantime I will pay for the damages and use of a part of your stall. Thank you for the wood, kind merchant." pointing a sharpened nail at the offer in his hand, he stepped forward slightly. "It is as my companion says. If you have any information that might aid us, pray tell. Do not leave anything out, but take care not to ramble."

Listening to the merchant, Ra kicked up an overturned cabbage and brought it up to his nose while looking around. The rain and market were likely to mask most scents, but perhaps he could pick up a scent from when this character caused such trouble. It did not hurt to try.

 

[joshuadim]

HITOSHI YAMAKAWA

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 3 [Shopping Spree!]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Reika ( Taigakitt ) , Charlie ( Roda the Red )

Shopping Spree!

<<< Remember

Hitoshi was half-asleep as he sat in the front of Reika's car, the lone passenger, as they sped off to their destination for shopping. The very tangible aura of liquor from last night felt pungent in his own mouth, leading him to pop a mint to try to cover it up as best as he could but it only made it into a *minty* liquor smell now. A conspicuous pair of shades covered his eyes as well, as they showed extensive signs of weariness as well as general physical exhaustion. Last night was a hell of a party, especially with the amount of produce that had been available to keep him going way into the long hours of the deep dark. But now he needed to try to at least stay partially awake for his main task for today: spending money! In particular, finding something nice for Alex, considering he had lost someone close to him just recently.

Heading to the Central District was quite a throwback however, given the Phoenixes' previous dominance of the region. HItoshi had been there during the gang's golden age when they ruled over this part of the city as well, but that was a time long past. Much like many other things. It was best not to reminisce, he had learned, and instead delve into the joys of electrochemistry! Which meant booze. And drugs. Copious amounts of both. In a sense he was still riding the *lightning* though that would soon wear off too. He'd get another hit tonight regardless so he didn't worry about the aftereffects.

When they arrived and the car came to a still, Hitoshi lazily managed to dismount from the vehicle as stretched as if a cat would after sleeping. His joints felt as though they were being cramped for a bit for the ride over. He did notice however another good friend had joined them onto this venture out for wanton and reckless spending of cash! "Charlie-chan!" Hitoshi practically yelled aloud with a grin plastered on his face, "Good to see you my boy!" He then gave a slap onto his back before looking around. Both Reika and Charlie had asked what to do first, which meant he had the initiative.

He placed a hand over his brow as if to shield it from the sun and squinted his eyes. His functional neurons sparking as hard as they could to generate ideas. He then remembered Alex's likes and interests and an idea snapped into his head. "Well how about... one of the smaller stores? They usually have less customers so we get more browsing time for ourselves! I'm thinking... if memory serves me right there's a store full of handmade stuff in one of the more tucked away areas." he suggested with a grin.

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[The Regal Rper]

Callan (Dante) | East | The Palace

The fact the illusion worked in deceiving Meirin into thinking it was solid was good. Wouldn't do him any favors in a real fight since anything would just go right through it- but still, it gave him the power of deception at the very least.

Ruriko's response of simply sending a text to check up on them, for the first time probably since they'd ever seen him- and to Dante's own minor surprise- dug up a keen feeling of distaste. Yet the look vanished, before it had fully formed, and was traded for a more neutral look, with a much smaller smile. It wasn't so much that he couldn't have- it was more just the personal code to see that they were at least alright.

At the very least if he had been turned away when coming here, he'd have the answers himself to know whether they had suffered something serious or were avoiding him for security purposes.

While the situations weren't comparable the idea did remind him to easily of the one time one of his cousins had vanished. When they had failed to return home on time as had been expected- and the result had been someone else responding for them. Had it not been for his cousin Jessica's friends running around to look for them when she'd been kidnapped to give them the details- getting her back alive would have been a whole different story.

Given the nature of Dragons in general if anything had happened to either of them, the fact he was an outsider would mean he'd get ignored or someone else could respond for them. Being in here in general, Guardian's abode, had also required security precautions. He didn't know Guardian's range, but he knew from experience living here briefly after graduating high school, that Guardian could enter electronic devices like a skilled escape artist entered banks or places of value. Having his personal phone on would be a death sentence- they'd be able to dig through everything and find the truth out in moments, the alternative had to be used instead. That's more or less what made this visit a bit of a necessity-- he had to take necessary precautions to protect his own ID, while also gathering information. Yet he wasn't here to just to gather information. It was also to check up on the individuals in the Dragons he felt were as close to the word 'friend' as they could ever possibly get, without knowing his true identity. Even then, he was keenly aware of just how fragile that word was given his status and their circumstances.

All and all, Dante found the current direction of the conversation somewhat enlightening. It was informative despite everything he was missing to get the whole picture. It at the very least painted a vague figure on the portrait that he had to guess at to decipher its true meaning. It was clear the Dragons were having troubles- and from the reserved response Ruriko gave to the details of what had happened to Silence- it was a problem they had not completely solved and certainly weren't all yet aware of.

Seeing the opportunity, Callan spoke and said a very simple thing. "I'm sorry." And he genuinely meant it. The small neutral smile that Callan always wore, shifted to one of a deeper empathy as his expression took up a more empathetic understanding.

Yet speaking just then to express his concerns wasn't the only thing. The illusions he created persisted so long as his sound could be heard. Meaning any that heard his voice for even a brief moment, could be affected.

The illusion of himself touched Ruriko's shoulder gently as he gave her his condolence and gave that shoulder an affectionate squeeze and a gentle rub on the back of camaraderie- while the original himself reached out and placed his hand over hers, and giving a gentle pat of affection.

He didn't really need to know how well Ruriko knew Silence to understand that simply hearing how they were gone affected her. Their interactions over the past weeks, days, and months had given him a good idea of her nature in general. It was easy to read what wasn't being said when you had an understanding of the person on some level.

That was why he'd been carefully avoiding the obviousness of what he hadn't been saying to them all this time. Soon enough though he pulled his hand back after giving Ruriko's an affectionate squeeze when she turned her attention to Meirin to respond, I'll have to start giving them something. Or else the suspicion towards me will pile on if there aren't seeds already.

His ears however, couldn't help but pick up the subtle shift of fabric, the soft sound of weight on leathered cushions shifting, just a short distance away nearby.

Someone listening in? Or a customer?

It didn't matter right now. All he had to do was be cautious of what he said. He knew about the bridge, that was practically public knowledge. The King of Dragons descending from above to rip apart the bridge South-Central Bridge was news he'd heard about days prior without even needing the text message from his crew. Though the names Ruriko had listed off had triggered an alarm in his mind. Too bad he couldn't ask about it. Kanna he knew, they'd interacted in races and though they hadn't talked recently these last few weeks- he knew who she was- but why did she say that Jesper had been firing on the Phoenixes?

He knew a Jesper, but he couldn't be certain if it was the Jesper Albrecht. Son of the Albrecht family. Pretty big name in Oasis and Amestria in general given it was the largest and most influential tech company in the country. A company that was in Dragon territory, that did work with the Dragons selling drones to them for their use as far as he was aware- drones Guardian controlled.

He was jumping to quickly here, there were things missing. He had to think about this carefully. If Guardian wasn't a real person like he'd thought- granted one with the ability to manipulate electronics and utilize the internet like their play thing- then...Guardian was a manifestation of someone's power- which meant the real body had to be somewhere safe- Jesper, whoever this Jesper was- must be the one controlling Guardian.

Calmly, he took a sip of his drink.

The Jesper he knew he'd known for years. Five now, going to six. They talked a lot when they had free time and gamed just as often- specifically on weekends which were particularly set up for his personal down time to do other things instead of investigating and working.

Was it possible? He couldn't be certain. Yet he couldn't rule it out. Not with his experience in the masks people could wear, being a prime example of that himself. Jesper being Guardian was a possibility. With what Ruriko had just said he was certain of it, the question was- was it the Jesper he knew, or someone else entirely. He knew the one he gamed with wouldn't have lied to him about that- as he'd tested him on it more than once or twice to see if he'd just listed out a name at random. The same goofy, cuss-slinging, hardcore gamer boy he'd known since before he was even with the Tigers was an essential omnipresent digital demigoddess...

...It was hard to imagine given his personal experience with his Jesper compared to the one Ruriko had mentioned gunning down gang members- but it didn't surprise him. Well, it did, but not by much. He'd grown numb to those a long time ago.

It hit him just then that his Jesper had never really told him his last name before- then again, he'd only told Jesper his first name, at least the real one.

So many things to consider. So many possibilities at what this meant.

The look of thought on his face as the conversation had lulled was noticeable. And he was aware if he remained silent the other two might try to pick out just what he was thinking. With Ruriko stuck on the job and Meirin probably busy he couldn't suggest they go out anywhere, plus with someone sitting nearby he couldn't exactly broach into any topics he might've wanted to hint at regarding his interest in showing them what he looked like.

"Hm" he hummed after all had been said and done. "You two really do sound swamped with work these days" he sighed. "Well, I'm at least glad I got ta see you both with my own eyes. Better than worrying if I'd eva get ta see mah precious defenders again. Whatever happens with those birds, do be careful- the two of ya."

This duplicate vanished with a thought and the comforting presence his illusion had been providing Ruri- vanished in a puff of smoke as well. "I care about you both dearly", and at this statement he reached out and touched both Dragons with a hand before pulling back with a meaningful small smile as he sighed, slowly sitting back up and pushing the bang that fell out of his eyes and over his shoulder.

That was no lie. He did care about them. Ruriko and Meirin were such sweet individuals, and it was a misfortune life could have not played a better hand to have had him met them in a much different way. He often felt this with a lot of people. With Auvura, Alice, Ezra, Young-Yut, and others. He wished things were different, but wishing as a kid had gotten him nothing- hoping hadn't made having to move out of town the next day change- and believing in good faith, while present in most was just not enough to throw his own life away. At least there, he knew the feeling was mutual amongst all three of them.

"It's why I didn't bother wastin time with a text when I know how private you Dragons tend to be." He continued. "I thought it'd be better come here n maybe take you two out for a bite but, when you're both so busy..." he let that trail off- then Dante pulled such a pout. Lips protruded slightly, eyes staring at his drink as he leaned over it, a curtain of red-orange hair falling over one side of his face, his long bovine like ears drooping down as the one visible eye narrowed to maximize his dour mood.

It would be a shame to leave so soon after he had just gotten here- so in part he was projecting that as he pulled his little frown. He may have gotten something out of this little trip with that nugget of info on this Jesper being the one behind Guardian, but that was all hypothetical till he had more information. Besides- he wanted to cheer both these two up- leave at least some kind of happy memory or cheerful mood booster.

Something that made his next visit better for when he did show them his real form.

"Wish there was some way I could lift this drab atmosphere" he sighed, the one eye flicking over to the two of them before he looked back at his half finished drink. "Doubt you all are in the mood fer a party?" He smiled with a touch of impishness- though it was hard to tell if he was joking or serious given his visible eye had turned into a draconic slit at the question. "You know how good I am at being a pick-me-up, mmm Meri? I don't know if Ruri's had a chance to experience me in action. Could be just what you both need...yknow, without the excessive alcohol or sex...this time at least." He smiled sweetly. Cutely.

Somehow the most sinister thing so far. "Unless...?" the question a hiss that ended as he took a sip of his drink from the straw- brows waggled at one Dragon, a wink was fired at another- and a nefarious grin emerged as his ears perked and angled in their direction.

"What say you darlins?" his tail flicked. "Let your friendly visiting demon take your mind off things?"

Mentions: Mqueserasera AriAriAbabwa

Interactions: QuirkyAngel Beann

 

[Taigakitt]

Error 404
Location: Undercity of Central
In Scene: Kanna ( FabulousTrash ) | Isaiah ( Lucem ) | BriiAngelic​

<<< Remember

Parts of conversations as Isaiah and Kanna traveled down the sidewalk towards one of their insider informants:

“...Did you hear about the North shootout–”
“What about that fire at the docks!?...”

“...I almost crashed into that ice wall…”

“...That one bar is almost rebuilt!...”

“...I managed to save everyone!...”

“...My sister was on the…”

“...Mach Sling is in shambles…”

“...That pumpkin head showed up…”

~Xavier Langston’s Apartment~​

The man muttered to himself, pouring over a litter of papers on the kitchen table, his hands pressed to the papers as he stood, cigarette on his lips.

The doorbell rang.

They were here.

A sigh as he ran his hand through his tousled, gelled back hair as he pressed the button that allowed them up.

The knock came to the door.

He slinked over to the front door and opened it, stepping aside to allow them in quietly.

“You siblings?” He attempted to start a friendly conversation.

GM Note: A collab for this scene is an option to keep the conversation going.​

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

JESPER ALBRECHT

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 1 [Charity from the Upper City]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Akira, Helva, Jesper, Lucy, Dimitri

Charity from the Upper City

<<< Remember

Oh damn, you got busy on a sunday? thats not how it works Ten-Ten, lmao (jk)

I actually finished season 2 the other day, that part when (Spoilers, Ten-Ten, dont read lol) Bargus sacrifices himself on the airship, I just could't stop weeping <sobbing emoji>

lmao !!!! i i havent warched it but i tired listening to it !!! i iddn’t get vety far tho : ((((((((

also !! i can’tt read, charlei, remember ??? x3 im blind !!! i listened to it >: 3 rebel
oh spekaing of !! will tyr to get to a plqce i cna use voice-to-text soon im soryr : (

nice going Charlie, you spoiled one of the saddest scenes to Ten-Ten!!!
but,, ahh im getting all sad remembering that.. . . Bargus my man,, I was wishing so hard he'd make it ;-;
but after season 2 there's gonna be a episode ur gonna REALLY like, Charlie!

and lol whats got u all wrapped up today Ten?

Being glued to his phone uninterrupted, Jesper could at least feel some semblance of enjoyment out of chatting with Charlie and Ten. With that engrossing him for a solid period of time, this (un)fortunately meant he was totally oblivious to the odd stares from two Phoenixes.

Eventually, Jesper stuffed the phone in his pocket again. The momentary joy he got from the device began dissipating as it usually does. The music still went on, and people still danced the floor. The phone wouldn't keep him occupied through the entire feast; then again, neither would dancing or finding any of the pompous-looking attendees to spark a conversation with. Not to mention, he doubted many of the guests would dare act normally around an Albrecht...

With a sigh, Jesper looked up at the balcony where his mom sat. Her gaze no longer focused on the dance floor, instead engaged in chat with Tina. Of what nature, he could not tell from his angle. But, despite their maid keeping company, his mother's solemn countenance earlier did not escape his mind. And here he was, sitting around and doing nothing just to squeeze in time on his device... If I remember correctly, she likes the crème brûlée, doesn't she?

Jesper rose to look for the dessert table. They hadn't begun serving the entrées yet, but they usually set out the sweet things first (the desserts were the only good thing about these parties in his eyes). One glance around later, and he quickly realized that about everyone else was taller than him... One short grumble later, Jesper stood on the chair to peek over the rest of the guests. Usually, the food tables would be separate from the dance areas, so go across from the square, and...

There!

The boy made his way over to the dessert table, where a whole array of sweets awaited. Few other people were there, seemingly with similar ideas to avoid the showy dance to gorge. With the amount here... it wouldn't hurt to take a little more than one, would it?

After setting a plate with one crème brûlée aside, he began his arduous journey of taking two of... every option on a tray for himself.

gxxberkit Roda the Red

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[Elenion Aura]

SHEN YUE

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 2: Scene 2 [A Brief Meditation]

LOCATION:

白春花茶莊, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Shen, Kairong, Hadrien, Omar

A BRIEF MEDITATION

"The prevailing thesis on the origins of the phenomenon now known as Homo Potentialis—published fairly recently in a prestigious scientific journal—ends on a rather sobering note. The publication posits thusly: in short, whether its origin is genetic, biologic, or uncanny in nature, Homo Potentialis is undoubtedly the next step in human evolution. The question one must now ponder is this: what will the next step be, and when will the other foot fall, if it has not already? With all that is now known about a Homo Potentialis' capacity for widespread destruction, what sort of beings could arise in their wake? They may likely no longer even be human, instead more akin to walking forces of nature, capable of wreaking havoc and ruin on a scale as of yet unimaginable. We are not ready, and it may already be too late. The next wave may already be upon us."

— Excerpt taken from a recent article published by the New Oasis Times, author unknown​

“Hm...”

Shen's eyebrows knit together in a hard line, his face now pinched in apparent concentration. He was leaned forward on his mat, both hands working to try and balance a small, metal spoon on the knob of the teapot that the hostess had set out before him when he'd arrived. This was his fourth time attempting the feat, and by the way the spoon wobbled every time he attempted to pull his hands away, it would have likely not been his last if not for the sudden arrival of three men. Two of them Shen had never seen before in his life. No... That wasn't quite correct. They were—he squinted, letting the spoon fall back to the tray—somewhat familiar. Like faces he'd seen once in a dream. He smiled at them both plainly in turn. The third face belonged to Mister Kairong, though now more wrinkled and age-weathered than it had been when Shen was a child.

“Mister Kairong.” Shen stood up to be polite, but he did not bow. “How are you? How long has it been?” Shen asked both questions in quick succession as he stepped over the tea-setting he'd been provided to join the three men at the threshold, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked, much in the same manner as Kairong himself. It was not such a leap to presume where he had learned the gesture. He let his eyes wander around the place as he awaited his teacher's answer. There was a strange kind of wistfulness that came with visiting a place one knew well in youth, and finding it at once utterly unlike one remembered, and also exactly the same. Shen felt much the same way about Kairong himself. Certainly, the signs of his age were apparent, and yet he did not notice the lines in his cheeks, nor the crows' feet around his eyes... Nor the heaviness behind them. The face that peered back at him was the one that belonged to Lin Kairong. Wasn't it?

“It is just as I remember it!” Shen said smiling, gesturing with one hand to the tea shop that encompassed them. It was warm, and soft, and quiet... And it was also undeniably different from the tea shop Shen had visited in his youth with his mother and father. In small ways, and perhaps some big ones, too, the place had changed, though Shen did not like to think of that, let alone speak it aloud... At the mention of preparing a separate table for the other two men in their small circle—Mister Ayad and Mister Gauthier, Kairong had called them—Shen chimed in again.

“Please, join us at my table!” Shen offered and waved a hand back to his mat and the tea setting and the little metal spoon that he'd been unable to balance on the teapot. He found that he was hoping wholeheartedly that they would accept his offer, forgetting, it seemed, that he was the Dragon King. Refusal was hardly an option.

Spoiler: Tags

simj26
Slav
Vahn

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[AriAriAbabwa]

CORVO CORDESCO

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 4 [Home Cookin']

LOCATION:

Lyric and Alex's Townhome, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Alex, Ashley, Auvura, Corvo, Lyric

HOME COOKIN'

​

"Mm." The grunt was all she dignified to Ashley's greeting, not even turning to meet him. She seemed to leave it at that, going about the apartment and handling everything that wasn't held down, only to leave them back where they were. One step away from Ashley, though, and she continued. "Romero's outside; the only place he can't destroy other people's property. I'm not sure if he still hungers for this place's furniture, but I don't feel like finding out." Corvo headed over to the tame lions, moving past Ashley as she pet them gently. Finally, her gaze met his, keeping a silence—up until the air fell awkward. She then offered a smirk... and walked away.

Corvo went to pacing the halls, keeping her footsteps slow and quiet as she immersed herself in the homely environment. Despite the walls housing the leader of a gang, there was an odd sense of calm to the air. Well, to Corvo, at least; it was far more cozy than her own apartment. Resting her hands in her pockets, she continued on, eyeing each object and decor to their finest details.

Rounding a corner, however, saw the jump of an ever familiar man. The very sight of him brought a curling smile to Corvo's lips. Vulkie ~

"Do they even know you're here?"

A moment of silence in thought. "I don't know," she casually remarked. If Draken was already out of the hospital, that must've meant Yong-Yut, the amusing no-touch Phoenix, was around. "I hope you liked the roses I sent—even if they happened to go black. I grew them myself." Corvo stepped around Vulken, continuing her gradual stroll through the apartment. Not two steps forward, though, and she stopped abruptly. "The ride here wasn't too eventful, I imagine?" she nonchalantly asked, still looking ahead at the blank wall.

Outside, Romero sat at the door, barking and howling.

Lucem Nobody Special

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall - Stacy's, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Alice, Elias, Jack, Charmy, Jackson

Happily Ever After

“My apologies, I had no idea…” Elias said in reply to Genevieve’s refusal, dropping his hand and running it through his locks in an embarrassed manner. As if to make up for his mishap of not knowing her company’s ‘policies’, the young CFO shot the dark-haired model a charming, albeit slightly sheepish, smile. Elias Yumin it is. “Such a shame too. A beautiful lady like yourself isn’t allowed physical contact with anyone outside of work?”

Apparently, he was more well known than he’d given himself credit for and, while that itself isn’t a terrible surprise given her line of work, the size of his family business, the relative wealth of his family, and the fact that he made little attempt to hide his appearance, it was always a bit awkward being called out as such while doing work for the Albino Tigers. There was a reason he endeavored to keep his gang life from touching his personal life, after all. Having one of the upper echelons of Yumin Entertainment being tied to crime was bad for business.

Not that it was typically a problem for him. Potential aside, money swept most things under the rug.

A casual brush against one of the cameramen while he’d been waiting for the shoot to end told him all he needed to know about Genevieve de la Croix anyway. Well, not all he needed to know, but enough to fake being a believable fan at least.

“That sounds awfully strict. Not that I can blame your company for being protective,” He winked at her and, in answer to her question, leaned in close as if sharing a secret, lips almost touching her ear. Almost. “There are many things people do not know about me—one of which is that I do enjoy shopping for myself every once in a while~”

Elias straightened and shrugged, a playful smile on his lips as he lifted the plastic bag he’d been carrying which contained a box of creme puffs. “But I was actually looking for a friend of mine when I saw you and, as a fan of your work, I just had to show my appreciation somehow.”

Forcing physical contact with Genevieve would’ve been simple. He could even make it look like an accident…though he didn’t want to hurt his reputation too badly, especially with the camera crew still present…and with a semi-famous model mired in a lot of drama as well. Walter would be annoyed. Wouldn’t dare fire him though. His father…might actually be amused? The retired old man had nothing else to do but interfere in his adult son’s love life, after all.

Then again, what’s a wealthy heir without a scandal or two?

“Would you like some?”

He nodded to a nearby bench. “If not, may I buy you a drink? I don’t intend to take too much of your time, since I can see you’re still working, but too much work can cause you to lose your luster. Besides, I’m familiar with Ms Fox, whose products you seem to be modeling for and–”

Elias frowned when his phone buzzed, shooting the model an apologetic glance as he fished his communicative device from his pocket and peered at the caller ID before bringing the phone to his ear, turning away slightly. “Yes, Ronald?”

“What’s taking you so long? There’s too many people in here, I don’t see her, and I could use another damn pair of eyes!”

“I told you I’ll join you in a bit,” Elias replied, a bit of exasperation in his tone . “Why not shop around? You’re in a clothing store, after all. Buy something nice for Alice once we meet her.”

“Why not just jack the building’s security room and check the cameras? I know for fact that you have the map to this whole damn mall memorized, Anamnesis.”

“It’s better not to draw more attention to this than necessary,” But of course, ‘necessary’ depended on how long they took. Mr. Hat, with his ability to turn himself and anyone he touched invisible, was always one of the more elusive members of the Albino Tiger gang. If they were going to use their eyes to search for Alice, it was best to do it while Mr. Hat wasn’t around and didn’t have his potential active.

Not that Elias needed to see Alice himself to locate her. So long as he could acquire the memories of someone who had, it was enough. “We’ll find them eventually. But if you’re worried, we can have some of our ‘friends’ keep an eye on the building’s exits. That way we'll be aware if they decide to leave.”

Their ‘friends’ were, of course, ordinary mall-goers whose memory Elias had adjusted and were now aware that an awful ‘Mr Hat’ had kidnapped Alice. The ones willing to help, at least. His potential altered their memories, not their personalities. Given enough time, he could have the entire mall helping him in the search for Alice…though the thought of that was far too messy for his liking. Far too taxing as well. He’d rather be selective of the ‘friends’ he’d made.

"We should probably find the time to check up the others as well. Ms Fortune especially. You know how accident-prone she is."

Quickly hanging up before Ronald could complain, Elias turned back to Genevieve De La Croix and smiled. Ten minutes was plenty of time to try and make a new ‘friend’. Well, 8 minutes now. “Sorry about that. So, what say you, Ms De La Croix? Shall we make the most of this unexpected meeting and get to know each other a little better?”

AriAriAbabwa
(mentioned: BluEndings , Chaos Gallant )

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

CLAIRE MAXWELL

SCENE:

Tiger Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charmy

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

The little thrift store was never exactly the most bustling of departments within the mall. Business was okay; things rarely happened here. For Claire, it was the perfect little hideaway for himself. It especially came in handy now, with recent happenings...

Claire just got off the phone as the woman entered his store, and he gave his usual spiel. She wandered around, looking through each shelf and occasionally browsing an item here and there. Nothing out of the ordinary. Claire went back to reading his manga.

And not even a panel later did panic fill his heart to what sounded like utter destruction. Which, it was.

Everything collapsed at once. The lady customer who entered not too long ago now lay down, covered in broken glass, motionless... What happened?

Claire, utterly stunned by the sight, took half a minute before he rose from behind the counter. "Miss! Are you okay?" he cried out, rushing over to Charmy's side. He dropped to a knee beside her, checking if she was even conscious.

BluEndings

 

[azenva]

(definitely not) Kazue Kaneko

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri ( The One Eyed Bandit ), Daemon ( Refaulted ), Sabrina ( QuirkyAngel ), Dagger ( simj26 ), Fahru ( Mqueserasera ), Masked Concertgoer K ( azenva ), Minato ( Elenion Aura )

All Proceeds

Aug. 23, 2021
You missed the con.

yeah ​

Why

got busy​

That’s all you have to say.

yeah​

Well then.

You owe me.

ominous

alright then​

Sept. 20, 2021
So remember what I said when you skipped out on the convention last month?

that whole "You owe me." thing that you never brought up again or​

That.

You're going to the Iroi concert.

With me.

the concert’s in south right​

Yes.

sorry i can’t go​

Why

busy​

Give me a reason.

i did​

too bad


Kazue lowered her phone and buried her face in her hands.Sept 26, 2021
In spite of her best efforts to convince her sister Ayame that she wasn't able to attend the concert, Kazue found herself escaping the rain by being tossed into the fire. What did she have to not die?
• Her escape vehicle (bicycle) was at the ready (on the back of her sister's car.)
• A foolproof, nay, bulletproof disguise (facemask, sunglasses, obnoxious amount of Passeri merchandise) was prepared and currently equipped.
• No weapons.
• No plan.
This was gonna go great.

...

As Kazue finished up her third prayer of both the drive and her sudden religious awakening, directed at whatever deity up there was listening, the car turned into an underground parking spot and slowed to a stop. Ayame hopped out and started stretching, having spent "like, fifty hours driving around." Kazue simply unbuckled her seatbelt and slumped down in her seat, so that her eyesight was level with the glove compartment.
All she had to do was blend in with the crowd. Really, there was no need to worry. Everything would be just fine, and there was no way that that thought would bring bad luck at all.
After a good minute of staring directly ahead and just about convincing herself that the concert wouldn't be her last day alive, Kazue's thoughts were interrupted by her sister's voice. "You ready down there?"
Kazue finally found the strength to get up and crawl out of the car. Taking in a deep breath of sweet parking garage air, she walked over to the bike mounted on the back of the car, where Ayame was waiting, and gave the front wheel a spin. There was a gambling metaphor there. Probably.
With a note of resignment in her voice, Kazue turned and looked up to face her younger sibling. “Let’s get going.”
"Wow, you sound even more tired than usual. Heh, let's go then."

...

The path to the main event, from leaving the safe haven of the garage, to escaping the bag check bottleneck, to watching her sister casually throw away money at vendors like it was confetti, all blended together. Tied together by that all too familiar knot in her stomach.
She finally decided that the current environment was too much. Excusing herself by claiming to want to take a break from walking, Kazue wandered off alone, after agreeing to meet up when the opening acts finished.
Putting effort into finding somewhere to relax defeated the point of the act, so she just found a corner, folded up her raincoat to act as a cushion, and sat down on it. Kazue was now sitting alone in an odd spot, wearing an outfit clearly meant to conceal her identity, and glancing up between peeks at her phone. This was the opposite of blending in. Good work.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

ANNA GARDENER

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 2: Scene 3 [Tailing the Dragon's Heart]

LOCATION:

Shaded Alley, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Anna, Tri, Yuto, Kisara, Bash

Tailing The Dragon's Heart

Anna could already feel a headache brewing.

She had no idea how she was supposed to handle this situation. Did she have the right to tell one of her superiors that she, in fact, did not want to follow his suggestion? No no, forget that, did she even have the guts? Granted, she was hardly afraid of Tri, and Bash had already done half of the job for her, but...

Anna spent the time the other Serpents committed to bickering amongst themselves to trying to evaluate the things. She was surprised that Bash of all people was in the mood to cooperate with her, but even with that in mind, her analysis concluded that she had far too much on her plate here. What was he going to do, after all, punch the gem's potential away? Tri was a little better, what with that bag of tricks of his, the one problem was that she never had a hint of a shadow of a whiff of a crumb of a clue as to what was inside of it, as well as what was going through his head. The other two, Yuno and Kissera if she recalled correctly, were arguably the worst of the lot. Considering that she knew exactly nothing about either of them, except that they both stuck out like sore thumbs.

Ah, there was the headache.

"I uh-" She started, finding in a gap in the other Serpents' collective diatribe to say her piece. "I already have an idea, sort of. Yuno here is already ahead of me a bit, but..." Anna flexed her fingers, and then sunk them into one of the adjacent walls. "I'll be making a way up that all of us can use, then we'll start sweeping the place from the top down. No need for the uh... Loud."

That probably wasn't a good explanation, but she hoped that they'd be able to piece together her stammerings and actions to figure out what she was getting at. She withdrew her hands from the wall, revealing a freshly formed handhold, and then went on to make another, and then another, and so on and so forth as she made her way up the length of the structure.

Once Anna had clambered onto the building's roof, a brand new ladder had been installed into the wall below, much like the many, many others she'd littered about the city over the years. In the near distance, the lights of the Platinum Rabbit were perceptible even by daylight. Beaming neon cut through the sunlight, declaring it as somewhere where the fun never ceased.

"We have a clear path to the fifth floor from here." She explained once the rest of her gangmates had joined her. "I could get us up to the sixith from there... But I think it'll be safer to just find a staircase." Anna finished, and let an empty silence occupy the rooftop. "Er." She wasn't sure what came next, as far as this leadership stuff went. "...Roll out?"

Spoiler: Tags

Damafaud Caffeine_Obsessed simj26 Nobody Special

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