Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings

[joshuadim]

JACKIE PILTER

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie

THE HEIST

With everyone accounted for in the vicinity, Jackie motioned for everyone involved to follow along as he led them towards one of the several elevators nearby that scurried along the spine of the building towards the other floors. The architecture itself gave the whole place both a feeling of open air as well as a dense hive of activity, merging both concepts together into something that had an aura of familiarity with the office spaces and intimidation through subtle design choices. The elevator itself had a spaciousness inside to accommodate both the Tigers and Jackie as he pressed the button for the top floor and the doors closed. Up to the waist height, the back of the elevator was metallic but the above was glass which allowed a viewing port to observe as they ascended upwards towards their collective destination.

Rows of floors passed by as various businesses, all renting space in the lower floors of the building, went about their daily routines and their workers their assigned tasks for whatever field they happened to be working in. Some were law offices, others were accounting and finance firms, as well as a few other varieties here and there. Jackie remained close to the front of the elevator however, not wishing to observe themselves ascending as he himself had a bit of fright regarding heights. His eyes trained entirely on the door as he ignored the outside world until a ding filled the compartment, signaling their arrival at their destination.

The top two floors were reserved exclusively for the owners of the building, Hashimoto Real Estate, and unlike the various offices down below the spaces here were designed differently. Everything was much more sleek and elegant, and boasted an open office floor plan that removed the need for cubicles and instead allowed "liveliness", as advertised by the company itself regarding its customer relations. On its surface, as the group walked past the open floor to head for the stairs towards the final floor, the business was legitimate in every respect. There were real clients, real money, and real assets flowing through the grips of this place every day. Real estate agents were busy working on paperwork or dealing with accounting problems, and some were even talking with people intent on finding the perfect place to call home.

It was the perfect front for other activities in every sense, as they did everything by the book and within boundaries and regulations. What money passed through here that came from other means didn't even add up to significant rounding errors ultimately, and the various properties that are owned by the company use legal tactics of shell corporations and LLCs to divert attention away from the Tigers operating on them. It was a legal, criminal empire.

Up the steps led to a hallway ending at two large doors flanked by a receptionist's desk, currently staffed by a well to do lady who was currently focused on establishing schedules for the next quarter for her boss. Upon seeing the group arrived she pressed a buzzer: "Mr. Hashimoto, your guests are here to see you." she announced, and a moment later a loud click was heard on the door that signaled it unlocking.

"Showtime then. After you." Jackie then said as he opened the door and beckoned everyone to enter.

RYUTARO HASHIMOTO

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie

THE HEIST

Ryutaro stood at his stone slab and glass executive table, his hands resting on it as he mused over various large documents and schematics before turning his attention to his arrivals. His Chief Technical Officer, Cal Conners, stood at the table's side and observed the Tigers on entry with an emotionless expression that did not betray any thought. He did however offer Jackie a slight nod, indicating greetings towards the large man. "Glad to see you all here. This matter is... delicate." Ryu stated aloud as the doors closed behind them with a soft thud. "Normally we would have a lot more time to plan something like this but our hand is being forced in this moment. I trust that you all with remain confidential with what we will be discussing here." He motioned for everyone to take a seat and enjoy a glass of whatever spirit or alcohol suited their interest, be it gin, rum, or something else. He then cleared his throat and stood up straight to watch everyone. "How familiar are you all with the Poincare-Scholtz Bank?" he then asked as a general question to start things off.

Interacting: Samira ( Beann ), Camila ( Roda the Red ), Sylvie ( WhiskeyMarten ), Jennifer ( Uasal ), Maria ( Shoya )

 

[Coyote Hart]

GIDEON GRAY

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

Upper and Lower Central Districts

PARTICIPANTS:

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

TACTICAL MAYHEM

It could be so easy. With one sweep of the hand, Gideon could project into everyone's minds the same thought with his Potential: "It's him! It's the evil mastermind who is going to make this city bend to his will. If he could cause a fire in the police station without getting caught, then resistance is futile. We should all learn to fear the name: Gideon Gray!"

But alas, Gideon couldn't take advantage of that opportunity. For one, it wasn't his bright idea to pull the fire alarm. Secondly, it wouldn't make sense for every passerby to know his name suddenly. Thirdly, the speech sounded stupid. And the biggest problem with his plan was that it would ruin all the momentum that the Phoenixes had made in taking over CDPD. And so, as Gideon wandered through the halls, he was left with having to project a much more bland voice into everyone's heads:

"There was no email today, this is probably not a drill!" to the officers, and "crud, what the heck is happening? I better get out of here." to the civilians.

It was such a simple and easy thing to choose, and Gideon wrinkled his nose at this fact as he pretended to fumble to prop open the stairwell door and direct people out. All of the preparation that he had made seemed awfully silly now. The script in his pocket folded up in a neat rectangle in case he needed to refer to it, the shirt he got from Suburb Outfitters that he claimed to everyone was Hector's shirt (the shirt felt really out of place now that Gideon thought about it), and the backup plan he had up his sleeve.

Three officers still, oddly enough, jogged back deeper into the building. Gideon's eyes narrowed at them further before he projected a new thought to them.

"My life isn't worth all this shit, especially if there's a fire. Better get out quickly before it's too late. I can serve this country better alive than dead."

The officers hesitated for a moment before continuing on their trajectory back into the building. Gideon clicked his tongue. The pigs seemed to have a sense of duty, even if it meant sacrificing their lives. Gideon's hand twitched towards his satchel. No. He couldn't do it. But it would be problematic for there to still be officers in the building. But then he'd be killing someone... damn it!

Gideon's hand trembled and twitched at his satchel as he tried to make up his mind. But at that point, the officers had already left. It was too late for Gideon.

"Damn it," Gideon cursed. That was going to bite them in the back later.

Although, chasing them down was still on the table. A look around revealed that there wasn't anybody in sight. And the sound of the fire alarm blaring into Gideon's skull was starting to make his ears hurt. It wouldn't hurt to move elsewhere.

After wandering around the floor and ushering a few people who were left out the door, Gideon caught sight of the breakroom. It was one of those really expensive rooms with nice couches. It wouldn't hurt to stop by for a few seconds, right?

As Gideon poured himself a cup of water from the fancy water cooler, he used his walkie talkie to report his situation, "The floor's clear. Nobody's here anymore."

Gideon contemplated whether or not he should report the three officers but decided against it. He didn't want to seem incapable of stopping them.

With his role done, Gideon looked over at the plush, fancy couches. It would still be a little bit of time before the next step of the operation began. He could just relax for just a minute... no. No, he couldn't. He couldn't get lazy now.

But it would only be for one second...

No. He needed to be at the top of his game today. There could be no opportunity for failure.

But this would be his only time getting to sit in the CDPD breakroom! And when in Rome...

No. No no no.

And so, with that simple dilemma, Gideon was left staring at the couch with a paper cup full of water in his hands.

Tags: Lucem Doctor Llamabean Roda the Red simj26 RedArmyShogun Nobody Special

 

[Roda the Red]

CAMILA GASPARI

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Ryutaro, Maria, Jennifer, Sylvie, Samira

THE HEIST

"Hm, I suppose this will suffice" She grabbed her fake identity, hanging it around her neck. She expected as much anyways, not only was she herself secretive about identity also when it actually came to the nitty gritty of her work, but also when the very person employing him at the moment happened to be one of the biggest enigmas within the Albino Tigers.

The group was swiftly guided into the elevator, which headed straight to the top floor. As they rose through the floors, Camila was able to observe through the fancy crystal architecture. What Ryutaro had managed to build was impressive, and Camila could respect that to a degree, all of these offices dealing with what the ignorant eye would think was simple, honest to god real estate business, but the girl knew better than to believe something so naive.

Shortly after, the group arrived to the Queen's office, on their way towards his deck, Camila got a glance of the handsome man with dark hair and glasses standing nearby. She gave him a quick, seductive smile before turning her attention to Ryutaro once again. Flirting could wait, after all.

"Glad to have us, Queen, and don't worry, I think we can all agree it's better if we keep all this under the rug."

As Ryutaro asked the group about the business he mentioned, Camila immediately recognized what he was talking about. She took a sweat on one of the nearby couches and got comfortable as she spoke up.

"Scholtz? Yeah, know them a fair bit, Almerian corporation with banks all over the world, Amestria's branch is well known as a center for the wealthy to funnel money to avoid taxes, anything we should know about it?"

joshuadim Beann Uasal Shoya WhiskeyMarten

 

[Chaos Gallant]

Jack

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 3 [Silence for the Damned]

LOCATION:

Dilapidated Clinic, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charmy, Dagger, Guinevere, Jack

Silence for the Damned

The ride north was silent and uneventful, but pleasant. The only sound accompanying Jack's ride was the sound of Henry's hoofbeats and the flapping of his dark gray duster behind him as they took the backstreets and alleys to the northern district. To his relief the clouds were pitying him today, the overcast skies granting him a bit of respite from the night of drinking he’d had before.

Jack slowed as the old building came into view, 'Well, you've certainly seen better days. Though, I reckon I have too.' He thought to himself with a grimace, as he began to circle the building. He hummed quietly to himself, inspecting the exterior of the clinic for any signs of his accomplices today. “What are the odds they got me pokin’ ‘round on a wild goose chase again. Huh, Henry?” He muttered, the horse only letting out a puff of air from its nostrils in response.
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinkin’ too.”

It only took Jack a few minutes patrolling around the streets to spot what he assumed was the ignition of a lighter, judging by the puff of smoke that followed. “There we go Henry, looks like we mighta’ found somebody fun.” He tugged at the horse’s reins, pulling off into an alley away from the clinic. “Now you just stay here for a minute, ‘n I’ll be back inna’ jiffy.” He assured the horse, hopping off and giving him a pat on the head.

Walking back out into the street, Jack looked towards the balcony he spotted early and lifted himself up by his spurs, floating calmly over to it. Dagger’s form became clearer to him as he approached, waiting until he was certain he was within earshot, “Howdy!” He tipped his hat only a few yards away now.

Spoiler: Tags

The One Eyed Bandit BluEndings simj26 Elenion Aura

 

[Uasal]

Jennifer Weber

https://www.rpnation.com/threads/four-heavenly-kings-cs-thread.503332/page-4#post-11438680

CS Link

SCENE:

Heist

LOCATION:

Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie

Heist

"A bank that also prides itself on top-level security measures as well as gold reserve storage. A bastion and might I add, an extremely well-armed bastion to boot." Moving to a chair Jennifer sat herself down with a glass of whiskey she had poured herself a moment prior. Her eyes focused on Samira and then Ryu before she continued "If you two are planning what I think you two are planning I would strongly advise against it. No good can come from messing with Scholtz, you're kicking a hornet's nest no matter what you do."

Shifting one leg over the other Jennifer lay back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. Markus had asked her to help the queen out on this mission as a favour and a favour to Markus was not something easily turned down. Regardless of Ryu and his own influence. If the plan really was some sort of bank heist as she suspected, things were about to get serious and very quickly at that. Camila was right in the fact the bank was a front for tax avoidance as well as being a wealthy person's choice. Jennifer herself banked with the institute and though she and her family's assets were split among a number of banks, it was safe to say a sizable amount lay within Scholtz vault. Insurance would guarantee a payout sure but it was still a rather risky position to put oneself in knowingly. And Jennifer found it very hard to believe neither Ryu nor Samira held accounts there too.

Shifting her head down and sipping at her drink Jennifer's eyes shifted to the window and then to Jackie "You remember those experimental armour vests you seen last time you came to the the RND department Jackie? Took your rounds like they were 9mm a few times before cracking. Youd need big money to commision them. If you catch my drift"

Beann joshuadim Roda the Red WhiskeyMarten Shoya

 

[Coyote Hart]

Peyton Xiong

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]

LOCATION:

Mysterious Black Site, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Damian, Kinsley, Kisara, Kyoden, Peyton, Raphael, Sabrina, Shinko

THICKER THAN WATER

Peyton was jolted out of his thoughts by a tentacle flying past him. A moment later he realized that it had pierced a man that had been aiming to kill him. Knowing where the tentacle had come from, Peyton tilted his head back to gaze up at the looming, comforting silhouette of Damien. Peyton's eyes glowed like a cat in the darkness.

"Thanks, Damien," Peyton beamed at the octopus man, "You're right. I need to stay at the top of my game today. It isn't like me to be lost in thoughts anyway."

Ever since Peyton had lost his luck Potential, he had found himself thinking less about his actions and spending more time recklessly doing things. Peyton had an inkling that it had to do with his mind deteriorating from his disease. But it had kept him alive when he didn't have luck to rely on. It would be a mistake to regress back now. It didn't matter whether Raph had to endure living here for eight months or not, what mattered was that he was rescued.

In the darkened distance, Peyton saw a struggle brewing with a few eccentric looking members of the black site. The majority of the Serpents in tow advanced upon a blindfolded, tattooed man, leaving behind an opportunity of attack with the flamboyant entrance of the Chessmaster, Romero, and the Peacock.

"Heehee, don't think such flimsy boxes of metal are going to stop us!" Peyton grinned, "Your friend is still screwed! Nice to meet you though, Chessmaster. You can call me Cavia!"

Peyton skidded to a stop in front of the two pawns just as Romero's fog settled around them. Even with the air obscured, Peyton's eyes still shined through with a yellow glow like foglights. He aimed his gun at one of the pawns and fired off a blast, not intending to harm but to break a hole in their defense by shooting aside their sword. Then with a crazed giggle, he charged forward to deliver a brutal stab of his bayonet toward the pawn's stomach. Unfortunately, with the pawn and Peyton's height difference, that was the highest Peyton could aim.

He didn't have a plan for the second pawn. Peyton also didn't have the mental autonomy to shout for others to assist him. If nobody came to back him up, Peyton was going to take on both of them by himself, despite how bad of an idea that was on paper.

Doctor Llamabean Beann Elenion Aura QuirkyAngel Lucem AriAriAbabwa simj26 Kyuubey

 

[First Rose]

Rutheless Julio Hernandez

CS Link

SCENE:

The Sun in the Gutter

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

| Rutheless |Mimi | Orion | Darius | Sang-Cheol | Ten | Yuna | Yuto |

The Sun in the Gutter

A festive buzz chimed at the edge of Lab Icarus as a small body of bikers voiced laughs and quips. Eyes full of haze, noses choked of grain, and mouths brimming with rancid smoke. An unruly bout of serpents they were, no doubt, holding not the slightest intention to exchange anything in return to the lab after sneaking a few crates full of experimental tonics off an unsupervised truck. They cared little for any consequence, as any member of a shameless gang would. Especially not with the serpentine woman at the center of the order. After all, she wasn’t a notorious veteran of the city’s most unhinged gang by displaying modesty. At least not in the most customary respect, she was modest to her comrades, why it didn’t take her long to point out a freighter with a notable amount of drugs within. Her boys had voiced a need for a good time, and what they desired, she’d gladly oblige. In turn, the ransacked goods were thrown open and the band of bikers had themselves stoned in a cinch and the peak veteran of the lot was no feigning exception.

By now, Rutheless couldn’t recall the last time she’d been sober, but as far she was concerned, the high wasn’t nearly enough to sate her. Thus, she found herself planting firm palms against the table’s surface, staring down the shaky individual before her with a cocky glare. Of whom, seemed close to toppling over with any passing moment.. Yet they had both exceeded the same amount of rounds, and the same amount of drugs was clawing at their bloodstream by now; nonetheless only one of them appeared to be standing tall. Much to the surprise of most of the ramping crowd, the forewarning victor apparently wasn’t the nearly seven-foot, broad-shouldered ruffian who currently stood leaning over the drugged rations, complimenting a disillusioned stare of spiraling hues. With a glance down, her static gaze beheld two trails of obsidian-black powder being prepared in soft packs for proper inhalation, and soon enough a hand rose from a comrade to ready their marks... The woman’s smirk only widened at the male’s apprehension, one he could not mirror as an anxious swallow dropped down his gullet.

They waited.

A second more their marks were set, and not a spec of time was wasted before the brute dove his face toward the table. Around them the crowd hollered as he filled both entrances of his nose with narcotic dust. Snorting the contents in a fraction of a moment in a spectacle show. All while Rutheless took her time to inhale the fine trail of powder up a single nostril, displaying nothing but elegance for all each graceful motion was worth, she rose her head high with a cock of her chin as if it was her first round, and slowly the crowd grew quiet. The man met the gaze of the woman with a splay of grit teeth and a contorted expression as Rutheless did so little as to sniffle.

Though the crack of a smile slid across serrated teeth as she spied the waver of his figure. He was envelopped in scars and tattoos, a snake as well shaved into his hair in a potent transparency to his allegiance. And with just as much audacity, he had confronted her so cockily, and now the same male seemed all too close to venting a brunt of bile. Not a moment had even passed before he let loose a violent slew of coughs, black dust scattering across the air as he lost half his footing… then another..

“Shame..” Ruthe mused.

And the man toppled over, not unlike a bag of stones.

The harsh thud upon the man’s collapse sank below the over cry of drugged cheers, money being passed about in hindsight as she flashed the audience a dauntless sneer. If she was any more foolish, she’d challenge the next man who marched his way forward to the other end- the pulse of each ringing heartbeat making the offer all the more enticing. Normally, she’d take the challenge, however, with a sigh Rutheless regressed from the table and made a beeline to the lab’s rear entrance. Unfortunately, she had work today, like always- gang business was prime in spoiling her pleasures, but alas~

She called back to the rowdy bunch with a tilt of her chin, “behave now, boys…” A hand rose toward the already craning migraine in the periphery of her temple. “This shouldn’t take too long..” Slurred voices fell upon incoherent ears as noise slowly filtered to echoes in her wake. The mere halls became seemingly endless corridors, consisting of nothing and no one but static and mist. The percussion of her heels against hard slate was a current, the seclusion held the waves, and happily, she drowned beneath them...

Like all things, however, voices rippled through the silence, resounding against the walls of a hollow mind as if to beckon. Her steps slowed before a hall to a tangent, and a brow lifted as she pinned the conversation. She smiled, one of warmth as she approached, wondering what her young comrades were up to.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]

LOCATION:

Heavenly Beast Plaza, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Wren, Elias, Kenji, Passeri, Isobel, Ezra

Where Giants Sleep

Passeri's phone buzzed intermittently. Messages trickled in slowly, but surely from each of Isobel's hired hands, save for her eerie benefactor. Whether he'd come up dry, or was just playing it close to the chest, she couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but knowing him, she had a feeling it was the latter. Finally, a message came from the Jack herself, calling them to convene on Wren's location.

She was more familiar with some of the day's names than others. Wren, she'd spent some time getting to know in the past eight months. She was a dangerous woman, though her demure demeanour wouldn't betray it. That was the nature of HPs. In this day and age, even the meekest person could hold some sort of terrifying power. It was something she'd been on the receiving end of in the past, and it was an experience that she was not keen to repeat. Thankfully, Wren had proved herself to be a perfectly reasonable lady in the time they'd spent together, and furthermore, somebody with goals not too far divided from her own.

So, she was glad that she was here today. Her partner in crime was a bit more of an enigma to her. She'd hired him on in the past, but had never had the chance to speak with him personally like she had their mutual friend. If nothing else came of today, then she was hoping that she could at least amend that.

Of the lot, the one she was the least familiar with was the Knights' less-than-prodigal son, Ezra. She was more familiar with the rest of his family than she was with him. At the very least, she knew that he'd made a habit of playing lapdog to the gang's King and Jack, which was probably the reason why he was here today. What she didn't know was why he was bothering with this all. His family's lack of fondness was hardly a secret to her, she'd only need to ask around the family about the Knights' youngest to get an inkling of that, but then, why was he here playing lapdog in their name?

She had a hard time understanding it.

The greatest enigma of the lot, paradoxically, was the one that she was the most familiar with. The Yumin heir was just about everything that the youngest Knight wasn't. Even putting their situations aside, his capricious pleasure-seeking was about as far from Ezra's tail-wagging as it could get, and it was something she'd never been able to get a grip on. It often led her to wonder if enrolling under his company had been such a good idea after all. Of course, it sheltered her from Markus's influence to some degree, but she couldn't help but wonder if one day he'd sink the whole corporation to the ground in the pursuit of some anarchistic glee.

Maybe she wasn't giving him enough credit there, but she hadn't gotten as far as she had by assuming the best of people.

Passeri assembled her thoughts as she strolled through the park, largely ignoring its attractions and inhabitants. There was a commotion somewhere along the way, about something she could care less about, and surely a plethora of publically-funded wonders beyond just the park's iconic statues, but if she wanted to stand around and gawk, then she could come back another day.

~~~​

Passeri rounded a corner, and the stone Dragon came into view. A pair of faces she recognized, Wren and Renji, already stood at its base, standing about in the way that only people who were poking their nose around did.

"Hey!" Passeri called over to the two sunnily, breaking into a brief jog to their side. "Nice to see you guys! You got roped into this goose chase too, huh?"

She smiled as she fell in alongside the two, waving lightly to the both of them.

"Secret riddles and mysterious instructions, it's quite exciting, isn't it? It feels like we're in a spy movie. Or maybe that one series, Amestrian Valuables! The one with Rick Jail." She said, polluting the mission's clandestine atmosphere with inconsequential yammerings. "Oh. And it's me-" Her voice momentarily dropped to a hushed whisper, and she shot Wren a wink. "-By the way! Didn't want anybody staring while we were trying to be sneaky, so I threw on some makeup! So to speak. What do you think?"

As inane as her diatribe felt, she figured it was necessary. The lot of them standing around in silence was just about the most suspicious thing they could do. They needed something to fill the airwaves, even if it was nonsense.

Espeically if it was nonsense.

Spoiler: Tags

General: Saturn_moon Kyuubey Stros Lucem QuirkyAngel

 

[joshuadim]

ANYA PERIKOV

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Merrit, Noa, Ryoma, Suzerain

FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING

Noa's approach caught Anya's attention as she looked at both her and the bodyguard she brought along for this trip here. It was a bit intimidating for a civilian such as herself to see additional manpower be brought, but the more people involved the better in this case. And when Noa asked for details she responded in kind: "Hitoshi last night was... bad. Worse than usual." she began before taking another quick drag of her cigarette. "There was something wrong when he came last night... around 9 in the evening. He was hysterical and not making any sense. I've seen him wasted before, but not like this."

Her head then nodded towards the upper floor of the establishment to indicate what she was turning her attention to next: "He went into his room and I heard crashing and yelling. I didn't dare try to check in on him until things went quiet. But when I did check, he was gone. I dunno if he used his ability or... simply went out the window, but he was gone. Haven't seen him since."

"You're more than welcome to take a look around, hopefully you can find something that says where he might've went to." she then said as she walked over to the front door of the bar, unlocking it so that the others could enter.

The interior was cramped, with only a few select seats at the bar counter which signalled just how remote and reclusive this place really was. A faint smell of tobacco permeated the air as the walls were lined with random posters and advertisements from years past. It was an old establishment, but that did not stop it from having a decent selection of drinks lining its back wall with bottles of high end gin, rum and other liquors sat alongside cheaper alternatives such as Vodka from Graad and Messinan Tequila. A single flight of stairs in the back led upstairs towards the storerooms as Anya led the trio inside towards the second of two doors on their right and unlocked it.

"I didn't touch anything, so everything was as it was last night." she then said as she opened to reveal its interior. Various crumpled cans and bottles lined areas of the floor in the cramped space while one corner of the room had cardboard boxes stacked against it. In another was a small inflatable bed where Hitoshi slept, its covers having thrashed about in a messy manner. Various small papers and receipts lay crumpled on the floor, strewn about haphazardly to varying degrees while an incredibly old model of laptop sat closed next to the bed. The window above the bed was closed, allowing for a view into the alley below behind the building where the garbage and other utilities sat.

Interacting: Ryoma ( Stros ), Suzerain ( Ambiloquous ), Noa ( Peckinou )

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Laura Weissman

CS Link

[/url]

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 3: Scene 2 [Hunting Filth]

LOCATION:

Chemical Warehouse, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Silva, Laura, Ruriko, Schroeder

[Hunting Filth]

Well this all seemed interesting... In all the wrong ways. There seemed to be no plan, no information, no one in charge, well there was someone in charge till they just went off into the building and left them here. Well provided he didn't just go somewhere else. At her request for a weapon, the old man seemed to be packing all sorts of heat, but eh the old man needed it more than she did. Though he did loan her a pair of brass knuckles, and offered to take her to a bookstore for better weapons. Well, knowing this city that was just a front. Still could be useful.

"Heh! Thanks, old timer, I'll give these back to you when we are done and I would be very interested in that, I don't much know what sort of weapon I want to use, could use a number of things. "

Next to speak up was a man with a bit of an accent. Huh? Did he just make a weapon out of Pixels? Interesting. Still, he seemed about as clueless as the rest of them. And then was the other girl, she wasn't happy and for good reason. Still, she only knew old man Schroeder thanks to the little morning run, this was all just thrown together very last minuted.

"Er, I don't mind just forcing our way through, but minus the old man there, what do I call you two? I guess we'll be using codenames, mine's Tetra, real name when we get out if you like? Still, I'll follow your lead, well unless you want the brawler going in first, I'm pretty strong and Durable... Well, fire aside."

With that she puts the knuckles on over her top most right arm and fles the other three, rolling her shoulders in kind. "I don't think anyone but you,..." She says of the other woman in the party, "...is suited for stealth, not to mention whatever Jiak is up to. So might as well just get this over with."

Interactions/Mentions Beann Doctor Llamabean Vahn Elenion Aura

 

[simj26]

Lin Kairong

CS Link

SCENE:

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

LOCATION:

Zhànzhēng Resort, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Hiram, Kairong, Kazue, Omar, Ottilie

Ripples of Stardust

“I’m not really a fan of the beach.”

“Ah? Why is that?”

“It’s just not my kind of place.” He held his hand out to shield his eyes from the setting sun’s beams. “The sand gets everywhere, and the grains get all over the car and the house. It’s just so annoying.” He turned towards her, brows furrowed. “Why do you like it so much?”

“Hm,” she tapped a finger on her chin, swinging her legs nonchalantly over the parapet. “Maybe…the crimson of the setting sun simply reminds me of you.”
He stared at her for a second, his words having vacated his tongue, then burst out laughing. She punched him in the shoulder in mock annoyance, but the glint in her eye was more than enough to tell him that she was amused as well.

“If I wanted cheese, I would have gotten us pizza.”

“That does sound nice.” She leaned forwards, her fair features bathed in the red-golden glow of the sinking sun. As he gazed upon her, he acknowledged once more, that no other woman in his life, no other being had ever struck his heart quite as thoroughly as she did. More than just beauty, more than just money, more than anything else in the world. “Hmm.”

“A penny for your thoughts.”

“I just think that…” she continued to look out at the ocean, a forlorn expression beneath her wan smile. He knew what she was thinking. He had not needed to ask. After a moment longer, she spoke again. “I think that we should have pizza tonight, Rong.”

It had been a while since he had pizza. The children seemed to enjoy it, but with age came a certain intolerance to the sweetness of the tomato sauce. Lin Kairong averted his eyes from the beach, and shut the book that had evaded his attention entirely. He had thought to spend some time catching up on his reading, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. He turned his attention towards the crowd gathering upon the resort’s gates now. He had promised to take her here once, when it had its grand opening. She was the one who was averse to it. She had said that home was the most comfortable place for her, and that being with family was as much creature comforts as she needed. Kairong let out a heavy sigh, and picked his tinted glasses out from the visor above him. He pushed open the door and stepped out, affixing his glasses to his eyes.

The people gathered were strangers to him, all but two little ones whom he recognised. The younger generation were either always so eager, or so lazy. He brushed his grey Zhongshan suit down, and approached the two slowly, his arms folded behind his back as always.

“Ottilie. Hiram?” He nodded slowly to each of them respectively. “It is always a pleasure to see punctuality take precedence for the youth.” He glanced towards the protesting crowd. Though they were peaceful now, he could feel the increasing unrest and displeasure radiating from them. They were not dangerous. For now. “After you.” He offered for the children to move forwards first. “Pay no mind to an old man like me for the time being. I am simply here to make sure things go apace.”

Spoiler

YumenoTsukishiro Saturn_moon azenva Vahn BluEndings

 

[azenva]

Kazue Kaneko

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 3, Scene 3 [Ripples of Stardust]

LOCATION:

Zhànzhēng Resort, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Hiram, Kairong, Kazue, Omar, Ottilie

Ripples of Stardust

Five minutes. Fifteen minutes. Fifty minutes. Late was late.
Ice Nouveau, in spite of its name, advertised simple flavors and high quality, when it bothered to advertise at all. Word of mouth often did the job on its own. It was an ice cream truck unlike ice cream trucks, one that appealed to social media over any nostalgia. It also boasted a snake-like queue that devoured time and produced the sounds of crying children. Parked near Zhànzhēng Resort, it was where Kazue Kaneko found herself waiting. Half an hour ahead of time became a few minutes ahead of time became a few minutes late, but she was rewarded for her patience with some beautiful ambrosia.
Kazue put her sunglasses back on and inspected her pink-tinged treat. “Made with real fruit!” according one of the cutesy chalkboard signs. It certainly looked real, miles better than soft-serve or some cheap stuff out of a carton. More importantly, it costed real, especially considering that she had decided to spend one whole extra yen on a waffle cone. Truly, it was a special day. Meandering back to the meeting point, Kazue licked at her ice cream, going as far as taking a few bites at its chunks of strawberry. This was actually worth paying for.
But it wasn't worth the time. Kazue had actually bothered showing up a bit early, but since she had underestimated the power that the phrase "I want to talk to your manager" could have on a food truck, she was now late. May as well not stress it.

Kazue strolled through the door as the last (or second to last? What) person to the meeting spot, with far more calm and self-assuredness than she really should have had, or would have had even a few months ago.
"Hello, people." With her free hand, Kazue gave a small wave. "Sorry I'm late," she continued, showing no real remorse for her delay. "I think the line's cleared up if you all want some, it's pretty good." She gave a slight smile and held up the part eaten cone. "We're just waiting, right?"
Why was she so confident today? Who knows? Was it the social interaction? The sun? The grass? The new hat and outfit?
She could feel the disgruntlement from the two kids (hoodie and jeans? That outfit sounds familiar) contrasting with the unplaceable calm of Kairong. He probably tried to get them to calm a bit. Kazue's turn being annoying was definitely undoing any of that work. Too bad.

 

[gxxberkit]

TENEBROSITY

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 3 [The Sun in the Gutter]

LOCATION:

Lab Icarus, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Rutheless, Mimi, Orion, Sang-Cheol, Yuna, Yuto

The Sun in the Gutter

Darius’ smile was always so lovely to see. It was so soft and full of love, the closest thing to a hug without touch.

As Darius’ hands met their shoulders, their eyes closed for a giggly smile. Their own gloved hands raised up to grasp his arms, gently squeezing in a display of reciprocated trust. Darius began rambling on and on— or, at least, that’s what it felt like. An eternity of listening and holding onto their loved one. Well, listening in the vaguest way possible. Ten did hear Darius, but they went off into their own little world as soon as his hands rested on their shoulders. They swayed back and forth, just barely moving Darius with them.

A melody played in their head, accompanying Ten’s gentle rocking. Fluffy thoughts wrapped around their brain, clouding them from the words Darius was saying. It was probably boring, anyway.

Once they felt that Darius was done talking, they hummed in agreement to whatever he just said, and let go. “Yeah, y-yeah! It’s.. yeah! Dair- dair- dair- dairy, I- Dairy, I wan- I w- W- Dai- …..Dairy, after- you know, after all this, after work, I wa-wa- wan- wa-wa-wa- wan- wa- wanted to—” they paused.

The shadow and clicking heels of a woman rounding the corner of the hallway the two were in immediately took Tenebrosity’s attention away from Darius. Their form lowered and then raised to meet the woman, their arms immediately wrapping around her. “Ruthe!”

Letting go, their head momentarily moved to Darius, then back to Rutheless. “We’re- we- uh-we- we- we’re-we’re-we’re- we’re clea…ning! What are- . . . you doing?” They turned around, beckoning, “Dairy, come- co- come- come- come he- her- he- here!”

 

[Saturn_moon]

Ottilie James

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 3: Scene 3 [Ripples of Stardust]

LOCATION:

Zhànzhēng Resort, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Hiram, Kairong, Kazue, Omar, Ottilie

Ripples of Stardust

Ottilie was too engrossed taking down notes to be preturbed by Hiram's souring mood or the afternoon sun beating down on them. It wasn't until she heard the strange howling noises coming from near her feet that she tore her eyes away from the screen. The sight of the white fox was certainly a surprise. Despite it's small size, it still somehow managed to command the crowd as it paced circles around the two teenagers while keeping everyone else at bay. "Did you know that although foxes share numerous similarities to cats such as their ability to see in dim light, climb trees, navigate using their whiskers, and stalk prey, foxes are actually members of the canidae family meaning they are actually related to dogs," Ottilie suddenly said, barely pausing to take a breath as she churned out the fox facts. "Although there are 37 animals called 'foxes', only 12 belong to the genus Vulpes. This 12 are known as 'true foxes'. You can indentify a true fox by it's flattened skull, triangular snout, and bushy tail." Turning her back to Hiram, she pressed her wrists together at the base of her tail bone and waved her fingers as if to exhibit the presence of said bushy tail.

Squatting down so the fox was closer to her eye level, Ottilie cocked her head curiously at the creature. "Are you a friend or foe?" she muttered inwardly. After pondering her question for a bit, she decided on a course of action that would better help her determine an answer. Clearing her throat, Ottilie took a deep breath, and then let out a high-pitched howl that mimicked the fox's. All around, people stopped in their tracks and turned to stare. Even the crying children put their tears on hold as they watched the strange scene taking place before them.

The howling went on for a good minute before Ottilie had to pause to catch her breath. Only when she did, did she notice something out of place around the creature's neck. "Oh. There's a slip of paper attached to it's ribbon." She pointed out to Hiram. It was at this time that they were also joined by Master Kairong and the veteran Kazue Kaneko. Getting off the asphalt, she brushed off her jeans and gave a polite bow to the two new arrivals. "Master Kairong. Ms Kaneko. It's a pleasure to be working with the both of you today."

BluEndings YumenoTsukishiro simj26 azenva Vahn ​

 

[Vahn]

Omar Ayad

CS Link

SCENE:

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

LOCATION:

Zhànzhēng Resort, East District

TIME:

Hiram, Kazue, Kairong, Omar, Ottilie

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

Omar Ayad had made plans for the future and with certain plans requires acquiring certain loyalties with one of those needed loyalties being the Zhànzhēng Resort. Omar Ayad made sure to fly under the radar of most Azure Dragons, Oasis police detectives and Oasis city officials. It was time consuming to gather more needed influence in other sectors of business and the East District, the various networking, backroom dealings, auctions, buy-outs, friendly takeovers, hostile takeovers, backflip takeovers, phase outs, mergers, creation of shell organizations and even creating non-profit organizations. Research took some time but most plans usually require the needed research to help it bloom into a beautiful flower.

Omar Ayad started placing various random folders into a briefcase before sealing it with a satisfying loud click to lock the briefcase as Omar Ayad took a moment to look at the map of Oasis that he set up in his home. The various pins pointed at certain warehouses and compounds, the various red circles and crosses, the various small snippets of newspapers stuck on the map explaining the horrendous acts of violence inflicted on certain individuals and even certain events that were so unfortunate to never be reported and no one will ever bother looking for ever again. Names of various people from all the gangs that were simply erased and might never be heard from again. Omar Ayad would stop lookin at this map only to notice a shirt on the floor.

Omar would walk to the shirt and pick it up somehow it was missed when he did his laundry earlier in the day only to notice that it had a blood stain on it as he lets out a sigh as he realized it must have been done earlier when he was using his straight razor or better known as a open razor to shave as he makes his way to the kitchen to pick some white vinegar and basin of water. Omar Ayad took some tome to soak the blood stain in the basin with one cup of white vinegar and two cups of warm water as he attempted to dab the blood away but it seems like the stain refused to go away. Omar Ayad kept on trying to remove the blood stain as it took him from ten minutes to thirty minutes until eventually the stain disappeared as Omar Ayad pulled the shirt up from the basin only to see that basin seemed to now be filled with blood. Omar Ayad question how much blood did he lose from this supposed shaving accident as he gently tip the basin of now blood into the drain before walking away to hang the wet shirt to dry a bit before attempting to wash it as Omar Ayad passes by one of the clock hanging on his living room before placing the shirt onto a hanger and letting it dry in his toilet.

Omar Ayad looked again at the clock and decided it was time to dress himself in something formal. Omar Ayad went to his closet and pulled out some clothes. As Omar Ayad dress himself in a long sleeved white shirt, black pants, black socks, and leather dress shoes before deciding to put on some black gloves and wearing the black tailcoat jacket. Omar Ayad also took a top hat to appear like the normal gentlemen who does business in such resorts. Omar Ayad took out a white handkerchief and place it in the chest pocket of the black tailcoat jacket. Omar Ayad looked at the mirror in his room to inspect himself as he adjusted his eye glasses before going back to the room with the briefcase, taking it and also picking up a black derby walking cane as he leaves the house.

Omar Ayad had already a taxi cab waiting for him outside and entered the passenger side. The taxi driver would drive off once Omar Ayad was inside. The taxi driver kept quiet throughout the travel as he was instructed before hand when Omar Ayad made the reservation earlier in the week as the taxi driver felt very nervous through out the drive as the taxi dispatcher had explained that the person he was ordered to pick up was one of the owners of their company and that he wants no talking and for the driver to keep his mind on the road. The taxi would eventually reach the Zhànzhēng Resort only then did Omar Ayad spoke up. " Good to see that the dispatcher can follow orders as well as the driver. I will see to it that you get a small bonus for your time and services for today." With that Omar Ayad would open the passenger door and leave the taxi as he simply closed the door behind him.

Omar Ayad would look at Zhànzhēng Resort and saw the various protesters at the front of the resort but he was not paying much attention to the protesters. A vast resort with so much history baked into it. In a way it was breath taking but to Omar Ayad it was another piece that will fit into his plans as he take note of his briefcase and black derby walking cane slowly edging his way past the protesters and dodging them ever so slightly until he eventual made into to the front of the Zhànzhēng Resort. Omar Ayad would open the front doors and make his way inside to what looks like the front desk for this resort. Omar Ayad would calmly wait for a receptionist or concierge to notice him or approach him only for an employee of the resort to notice Omar Ayad and approach him before the employee could speak would Omar Ayad pull out a business card and hand it to the employee. The business card just says Eastington house and it has Omar Ayad plus a telephone number. Omar Ayad would then reply as if to prevent the employee from speaking. " I have a business proposition and I wish to speak with the manager or owner. Would you so kindly help me? "

Spoiler: Tag

BluEndings
Saturn_moon
simj26
azenva
YumenoTsukishiro

 

[Elenion Aura]

MILO NAGISA

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 1 [PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Florence, Pascal, Gavril, Milo, Dimitri

PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT

Milo shrunk a little as the host gave his introduction, turning away from the camera to hide the blooming redness in his cheeks. Stumbling a half-step forward from the hearty pat, Milo gulped to steady himself. How had it come to this? What on earth was he doing here?!

"I—… Uh..."

Milo instinctively started to respond, without much of a clue as to what he would say, but before he could make anything coherent by way of a retort, the host had moved on. Milo breathed a silent sigh of relief.

With relief came remembrance. He had been on his way to Bolt, to help him stage this insane move of his... A move that Milo heartily disapproved of. A move that he'd asked, no, begged, Boltius to reconsider to no avail. It only led to a fight... And now—Milo gulped; and now Milo was trying to convince himself that he didn't care what happened. So, hey. He may as well be here.

Tired of wallowing in his own problems, Milo allowed his mind to turn to the other contestants in attendance. In their company he felt a little awkward... Two of them were more famous than most people he interacted with on a daily basis, and their presence made him feel even more out of place... Even if one of them was a Scarlet Phoenix.

Milo didn't know Dimitri all that well. He'd watched a stream once, long before he'd joined the Phoenixes and realized that the red-headed starlet ran with one of the most violent gangs in New Oasis. He'd heard of Flo, but content she produced wasn't really his cup of tea. Even so, the fact that they were both here and lined up with him on this stage was more than a little intimidating.

The rest were less noteworthy, at least from a star-power perspective. Eclipsing them all, though, was the specter of Iroi herself. The game and his tiff with Boltius notwithstanding, Milo was here to learn more about the elusive Passeri Park. Beneath the glamour and the prestige, Milo had an intuition that there was something else to her, something more. He'd glimpsed it once or twice by now, and he was here to do some more digging.

"Huh? Oh—" Milo's thoughts were interrupted by the words of another. "—T-thanks," Milo chuckled awkwardly. He'd never been good at accepting compliments. He was relieved when he did not need to come up with a return compliment—he was even worse at that—and instead answered Pascal's question about his style.

"I paint." He didn't think any more need be said on the matter. But he thought that would've been rude to just leave it lie there, and so he tried to think of something else to say, to follow-up with...

"Uh..."

Milo's mind was blank. Luckily he didn't have to wallow there for long. Someone else was calling for his attention.

Milo turned to look over, and then up, at the man with a very long name that he'd only caught a fragment of. "Oh, uh... I guess it's on account of my height," he said and laughed sheepishly before shooting Pascal an almost-apologetic look.

Spoiler: Tags

The One Eyed Bandit
Ambiloquous
The Regal Rper
Anne Boolean
@The Prophet

 

[Vahn]

Schroeder Wildschwein

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 3: Scene 2 [Hunting Filth]

LOCATION:

Serpent Chemical Warehouse, North District

TIME:

Silva, Laura, Ruriko, Schroeder, Jiak.

Dragons Arc 3: Scene 2 [Hunting Filth]

Schroeder Wildschwein was listening and was about to respond to Ruriko comments about getting a fire going and was about to comment only to heard the comment about Grey hairs from Silva and Schroeder Wildschwein first thought was Brat but the Señor Hog comment was pretty good. However he decided to first respond to Ruriko.

"Okay, I can get a fire started. If you want this warehouse torched then let me use my Dragon Breath something not even the King can do."

The march has started as Ruriko seemed to have unsheathed her katana as the group seems to start to move all the while Silva seems to be gravitating around the group as Laura already took his pair of brass knuckles and commented about code names did Schroeder Wildschwein spoke up again.

"If you are planning on code names then I will use what floating boy suggested; call me Señor Hog but for the floating boy "

Schroeder Wildschwein made sure to stare directly at Silva and even point at Silva as he made his next statement.

You may call me Señor Duque Warthog de Junktown and I expect you to use the entire thing floater...Ahh let's call him Floater since he seems to be floating around like a balloon."

Schroeder Wildschwein would simply raise his hand and bend his elbow making an awkward right turn hand signal as if to say he is turning right which would have made more sense if he was in an actual car or vehicle or maybe he is telling them to stop. It seemed like they had moved close enough for what Schroeder Wildschwein was about to do. Schroeder Wildschwein began to aim his six twelve modular shotgun aiming at the windows on the side of the warehouse as he decided to let his intentions known.

Sword girl I'm going to start the fire going. Tetra, Floater prepare to witness my Dragon Breath."

Not even giving a chance for Ruirko to give herself a code name and providing a comical code name to Silva while at the same time acknowledging Laura code name. Schroeder Wildschwein felt the wind patterns, already calculated the distance that was needed and had his special twelve gauge ammunition already loaded into the his six twelve modular shotgun. Schroeder Wildschwein pulled the trigger, the special twelve gauge round traveled through the barrel of the shotgun as it escaped the barrel and made contact with the wind did it ignite. The special twelve gauge round exploded and let loose what only can be described as a sparkle of bright white fireflies flew into the air and hit the windows of the warehouse leaving a bright white light residue trail that made it look like it came from the barrel. However the revolver cylindrical magazine had already cycled to the next round in the chamber of the six twelve modular shotgun as Schroeder Wildschwein pulled again on the trigger as a new sparkle of bright white fireflies flew into the air this time penetrating the already broken window and dropping at whatever was behind or underneath the window. This fusillade continued about four more times after the first two shots as the sounds echoed, the lights shine bright and it lasted only a few seconds. Schroeder Wildschwein would simply stop, flipped the special handle and remove the revolver cylindrical magazine gently dump the spent shells to the ground. Schroeder Wildschwein quickly pull out new rounds to load into the revolver cylindrical magazine and quickly place each round into the revovler cylindrical magazine. Once done, place the revolver cylindrical magazine back into its slot, flip the special handle to hold it and stand up to look at the rag tag group.

I doubt they can put out Dragon breath rounds that contain magnesium pellets. My job is done as my Dragon breath will eventually burn this place to the ground....What are you lot waiting for? An invitation?"

Schroeder Wildschwein would walk back to be closer to the the rag tag group without even acknowledging the fact that he must have misinterpreted Ruriko words about get a fire going .

Spoiler: Tag

Beann
Elenion Aura
RedArmyShogun
Doctor Llamabean

A group of fireflies is called a sparkle.

 

[Stros]

Ryoma Matsuno

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Anya, HItoshi, Suzerain, Noa, Merrit,

FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING

Ryoma was silent for a moment, letting the additional details of the night leading up to receiving the strange voicemails mill around in his mind. His initial hope that the situation would prove simpler and more mundane than it seemed at first glance was waning. Ironically, the new pieces of information raised even more questions than they answered. Nevertheless, he could understand a little better just why Anya had been so perturbed over recent events.

With his focus on the room, he allowed his eyes wander in place of disturbing it personally. A habit he had picked up from police detectives while assisting them in kidnapping cases related to Phoenix family members. Possibly an unknown fact to many outside the organized side of the family, but there were even a few Phoenixes on the force itself. Living lives hidden from public view and private scrutiny. He remained in the doorway for a few minutes, contemplating the motives for Hitoshi's sporadic actions and more importantly where he had vanished.

The floor of the room, aside from the papers and cans scattered abound was barren. Hitoshi's signature pocket mirror was no where to be seen. If he still had it on his person that meant he hadn't a need for it in a pinch. That only left the window as the remaining reflective surface and exit point. This conclusion was not without its own puzzlement. If Hitoshi hadn't been forced to leave, then what had prompted him to depart? Had he not intended on staying very long to begin with?

Assuming his actions weren't merely drunk delirium at work, Hitoshi's actions pointed toward having come to gather something. An item that was no longer present. Unfortunately, there were hardly enough personal belongings in the room to make it apparent what, if anything, was missing. However, there few other possibilities that could explain the crashing and yelling Anya had heard prior to Hitoshi's disappearance.

Ryoma's mind continued to mill over several trains of thought given the mysterious circumstances of the closed room. He had always wondered if Hitoshi truly was the only one with his Potential, or if there were others who could equally access the mirror dimension. To go a bit further off the rails, he even considered whether or not it was even Hitoshi who entered. There were those with mimicry potentials, but that idea eventually lead back to the original question.

What were they after?

After a lengthy and arguably unproductive silence, Ryoma eventually turned to Anya and asked.

"You're certain it was Hitoshi? You got a look at his face, yeah?"

While he had no intentions of chasing the phantoms of his imagination, Ryoma wanted to rule out the more outrageous possibilities. As it stood, the window was HItoshi's only exit point. They would have to pursue him from there, and hope to find some indication of where he went if not a why.

Anya( joshuadim ), Suzerain( Ambiloquous ), Noa( Peckinou )

 

[Elenion Aura]

MINATO MAEDA

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 4 [Puzzling Directions]

LOCATION:

Little Wet Day Café, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kiwi, Matsuda, Minato, Oliver

PUZZLING DIRECTIONS

Minato, spying Oliver as he waited in line at the café, snuck quietly up to his Rookie Tiger—as quietly as he could manage, though it was a challenge suppressing the bubbling giggle in his throat—before throwing his arm jovially around the other boy's neck and pulling him into a boisterous embrace.

”Yoooo~” the Veteran Tiger cooed as his free hand absently started trying to pluck the helmet-and-goggles ensemble, that had become synonymous with Oliver himself, off of the shorter boy's head. ”How's it hangin' homie? How you been? Good? Good. Yo, bro, you'll never guess what I got up to the other day...”

And as Minato launched right ahead into a story of dubious credibility, Minato was sauntering down the sidewalk before he came upon Matsuda and his furry friend.

”Yo!” He waved, flagging Matsuda's attention as he approached. ”Sup, Matsu! Aw, you're takin' your sister for a walk. How sweet!” Minato pointed to Zygarde and flashed Matsuda a toothy smirk. He couldn't resist a little light-hearted ball-busting, even on a job! Speaking of which, there was a job to be done...

Laughing off his own joke, Minato clapped Matsuda on the shoulder, pointedly ignoring the pooch before them, saying, ”C'mon, let's get some grub. Can't work on an empty stomach!”


Once inside, the Minatos spotted each other first.

”Yo!”

”Yo!”

Spoiler: Tags

gxxberkit
Caffeine_Obsessed
Kwayzar

 

[Ambiloquous]

Suzerain Schema

[

CS Link

]

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi (

joshuadim

), Merrit, Noa (

Peckinou

), Ryoma (

Stros

), Suzerain

Eying the two and deciding her shoddy memory was to blame for shielding up—clearly the man knew her and expected the same courtesy from her—she shuffled the cumbersome piece of semi-plastic around to her back and dusted off her gloves. Since the riot shield wasn’t strapped onto her body anymore, it simply slid down her jumpsuit and clattered to the floor. She discreetly kicked it to the side and coughed to redirect any attention.

“Yes, I received a voicemail from a… Hitoshi last night.”

Tilting her head, she scrutinized the suit-wearing figure. He didn’t look all that out of place beside the alleyway bar, so it wouldn’t be strange to assume he had been a patron at Shellac before. He’d certainly gotten to the place before she had, and she hadn’t been slacking on speed.

“Hello, Ryoma Matsuno. My alias is Monohybrid, but my name is Suzerain Schema. Nice to meet you.”

She stiffly waved back to the youthful-looking lady—a wave demanded reciprocation, and she hadn’t addressed the woman at all yet. Before she could decide if asking her if she was a Phoenix was a faux-pas or not, a new arrival squeezed their way onto the scene in a limousine and dragged their chauffeur to their unofficial meeting spot.

As the ponytailed Phoenix(?) revealed knowledge of Bruiser and asked about the final headcount, Suzerain hesitated to say anything. She seemed to have the least information on the missing man of everyone there, and she couldn’t begin to guess how many people’s voicemails the other had harassed last night.

Her somewhat productive train of thought broke when her attire was complimented. Suzerain’s eyes lit up.

“Thank you. I—”

She peeked at Noa’s outfit and tried not to let her voice waver.

“—l-like yours too.”

The colours were a little dull, to be sure, but it wasn’t bad. She tried to brainwash herself. It might even be considered aesthetically pleasing, if she squinted, spun 180 degrees and did a handstand.

When the lady who she now realized was the owner of the bar invited their quartet to enter, she finally gave her fallen shield the attention it deserved and inelegantly squeezed it inside with her. The insides were aged and barely larger than her own apartment, and the smell of tobacco fumes drifting within the establishment caused her to wrinkle her nose. She wasn’t particularly informed on the nicotine-rich plant, but the scent reminded her of its addictive qualities. How would its properties be represented if she merged it with a transmitter? Her mind wandered off on a tangent as the woman finished a tale that depicted an angry drunk who’d gotten himself into a furor all alone and began to destroy his home.

She thought the entire sequence of events sounded much too mundane for a calamity that had called three Phoenixes to the bar, and she had no questions to ask that weren’t due to arbitrary curiosity. Symposia had said something about inquiring about only what was necessary during times of tragedy—and this was presumably a tragedy for the ones involved—so she kept her mouth shut and stoically followed the group upstairs to the residence. As Ryoma quizzed the lady on the reliability of the identity of the individual last night, Suzerain scanned the cluttered environment and noticed the ancient laptop tucked by the bed.

“Can I use the laptop?”

She debated about waiting for an answer since the homeowner was away, then realized there was no rule for this edge case.

Sweeping the riot shield in front of her path to push away the miscellaneous receipt papers and bottles littering the floors, she clomped over to the laptop and squatted down beside it in preparation for her next action. Suzerain raised a finger and… poked it before dodging behind her metal-plastic amalgamation of a barrier, waiting for an explosion or another suitably dramatic act from the device.

TL;DR:

Suzerain introduces herself, tries to compliment Noa's clothing and pokes a laptop.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Pascal Corbin

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 1 [PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Florence, Miles, Gavril, Milo, Dimitri

PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT

Milo seemed like the mousy kind, at least if his reactions were something to go off of. A sheepish chuckle after a compliment followed by having trouble expanding on his livelihood. Well, he had a quirky charm of his own, Pascal had to admit. He waiting with a patient smile, allowing the other to take as much time as he needed.

Gavril actually cut in before the artist could continue. Pascal didn't mind, but he figured Milo was feeling pretty relieved. Another compliment from the newcomer to the artist resulted in him giving yet another awkward response. A chuckle escaped Pascal's own lips as well.

"No need to be modest," he responded. "After all, we're the same height, and only you have the title. You got some height-related Potential? Can you stretch down to impossible heights and shrink to the size of a mouse? Or maybe you'd prefer to keep it secret. That way, you'll have the element of surprise when it comes to the actual competition."

His blue eyes then fell on Gavril. "I have to say though, I thought my introduction was flattering, but yours, Mr. Washboard?" He let out a laugh. "But maybe it's a double-edged sword. The cameras may end up so zoomed in on your core, they won't be able to properly capture any incredible moves you pull off. After what they said about me, I'm just hoping they only catch me from my good side, and I don't make any weird faces mid-obstacle course." He turned his head side to side, holding a hand adjacent to act as part of a frame.

Interactions: Gavril ( The Regal Rper ), Milo ( Elenion Aura )
Nearby: Miles, Dimitri, Flo

 

[gxxberkit]

Kiwi Dior Bonheur

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 4 [Puzzling Directions]

LOCATION:

Akira's Office, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Matsuda, Minato, Oliver

Puzzling Directions

First to show up was Oliver. Being the first to touch Zygarde, Kiwi planted an invisible camera on him, and quickly jumped to it with a blink. Kiwi’s vision followed him inside before she focused back on Zygarde.

Over the horizon came the second one, Matsuda, who plastered on a smile and gave lots of love to the German shepherd, who wagged his tail in response. Kiwi connected a camera to him and switched to it, her voice coming out of the speaker in the backpack. “Ay. You gonna do ya job or just squish my dog’s face? C’mon. Backpack. Get it.”

Then came Minato, well, two Minatos, albeit in different places. This Minato, the one Kiwi could see from the camera placed on Matsuda, pat the guy on the shoulder, which was a perfect time to quickly move the camera on Matsuda to the bee-colored boy. Her eyes —her real eyes— rolled at the second mention of food. Did none of them eat before they got here? Got dam.

“Make it quick,” the loudspeaker went off again, fading as they walked away.


As Kiwi watched, and ‘followed’, as the pair made their way inside to greet Oliver and Minatwo, she swung the camera to the side, catching sight of a white haired, red-eyed, familiar girl. She kept quiet, watching the girl from the view.

The girl passed by with a joyful, child-like skip—slowing to a lax walk when the Tigers neared. Her eyes latched onto each of the passing gangsters for brief moments each, wide and unmoving until they made it behind. She giggled to herself, then skipping ahead once more.

A dumbfounded look came over Kiwi’s face, visible to no one but herself, but it was there nonetheless. Realization swept over her, followed by a squint, and then a ping from elsewhere.

Blinking back to the office around her, she looked around for the laptop that was right in front of her. Remembering that the laptop in front of her was in fact the laptop she was looking for, she noticed a notification from the customer, the source of the ping.

Picking up the burner phone, she dialed the one now in Matsuda’s possession. Upon the call being answered, she held the phone up to her ear.

“Yo. Ya’ll hurry up and get ya food. Guy’s messaged me, ya gotta head to tha’ library down the street. Ya’ll can eat on the way or sum’n. Kay? Thanks.”

Caffeine_Obsessed Elenion Aura Kwayzar

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

DARIUS KENNEDY

CS Link

SCENE:

The Sun In The Gutter

LOCATION:

Lab Icarus, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Mimi, Orion, Rutheless, Sang-Cheol, Ten, Yuna, Yuto

THE SUN IN THE GUTTER

With a patient smile, Darius looked back to Ten while they found their way through their words. Part of him was eager to start filling the gaps for them, though knowing how unpredictable their partner's mind was, the chances of him guessing right were slim. He couldn’t help but feel impatient, he never handled uncertainty well, but he was trying. After all, Ten was so caring about his issues, respecting their stutter was the least he could do for them.

There was nothing he could do to stop his hands slipping from Ten’s shoulders as their shadow form descended, patience turned to bewilderment as they spun on their heel to find what took Ten’s attention away.

“Ten!”

And then bewilderment turned to the all too familiar feeling of dread as he felt a chill rush through his body. The woman approaching… What was she doing here?

“Ten!!”

With a firmer tone this time, Darius took a few uncertain steps, before marching up to Ruthe hoping to hide his apprehension in coming close to the serpentine woman — not like it would stop her from coming close to him regardless. He didn’t think she’d hurt him though, which put her in better standing than some.

“Ruthe?!”

He forwent any physical greetings, instead hugging his arms close to his body, covering the exposed skin between his gloves and shirt as he looked up at Rutheless. An attempt at a warm smile was sabotaged by the scent of a smoky aroma that wasn’t particularly easy on his nose, and his smile briefly turned sour. One thing that came from exposure to so many narcotics was that he could pick up the scent anywhere, and he wasn’t surprised to see it accompany Ruthe.

“Surprised to see you here… Are you on business? It’s great to see you regardless!”

Darius reached out, not for Ruthe but to place his hand on Ten’s arm, in an attempt to subtly pry them away from the veteran. He didn’t believe she could put bad influences in them via osmosis, but he also didn’t think it was unwise to keep them apart anyway.

“Maybe we should uh… catch up sometime?”

A funny statement, as if Ruthe would wait for him to ask.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Meirin Azuza

CS Link

SCENE:

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

LOCATION:

Eastern Edge of Central District, overlooking the SEC Bridge

PARTICIPANTS:

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

The Dragon and the Phoenix

Arms still folded, Meirin watched the Scarlet Phoenixes. And watched them. And watched them. Yet other than speaking with each other, they didn’t cause much trouble. In fact, some of them—the Oni-like woman and the one with the side-cut—seemed to be more focused on their phones than the current tension. It caused Meirin to tilt her head curiously. What could be more interesting than the potential battle that could break out at any time? A game? Cave-whazits?

Whichever the case, they seemed to be having a lot of fun…

However, before she could inquire about it, the guy Shen stabbed pointed her out to the dark-haired shadow user causing Meirin to blink. Did they know each other? Dated? When? Meirin didn’t remember dating Drakken of the Scarlet Phoenixes. She wasn’t the sort to date opposing gang members. She didn’t like complicated relationships. Leaning forward, Meirin squinted.

Hou started to sing, but Meirin didn’t pay it much attention, her mind running through all the men she’d dated in the past, mostly just for fun. Nothing serious. In fact, the moment things got too serious was the moment she left. Dating was supposed to be fun. Love fun. Falling in love a beautiful moment. Yet she was also tired of the constant rollercoaster ride that was her first love. Meirin enjoyed the ups of love, not the downsides…

Then a light bulb came on.

“VULKIE?!” Meirin gasped, the name escaping her lips before she could stop herself, her eyes widening as her hands flew to her mouth in shock. Then, realizing where she was, Meirin’s face flushed red, and she glanced away. She forced her hands to her sides while Kanna stopped Hou’s singing, though her attention was still on the spikey-haired redhead…who was certainly dressed differently than when they dated.

Multiple dates.

It started as a blind date set up by some of the girls at Eternal Night Palace. A favor for Ruri? She wasn’t sure. However, they’d hit it off on the first date (February 14th, 2021) and started a noncommittal, fun-only relationship ever since. If he was bored, he’d text her a random date location and, if she had the time, she’d humor him and vice versa. Simple. Fun. The way love should be.

Not that their fun relationship was about to continue for much longer unless he explained himself. Meirin didn’t like liars…granted she hadn’t told him her gang affiliations either. Could he have known the entire time? Was he a spy? Had he only gotten close to her to obtain information about the East District? About Eternal Night Palace?

She had intended to leave personal dramas for later, but a comment from Dark-haired Shadow-user caused a vein to pop and she couldn’t stop the indignant scoff from escaping her lips. Arms once more folded, Meirin flipped her hair. “Excuse me?! He’s the one that should be grateful I gave him the time of day!”

Feeling her temper rise, Meirin forced herself to breathe before her crimson eyes flashed to Vulken. A hand landed on her hip and her voice was calm, but her eyes told a different story. “Well? Do you agree with her Vulken…or should I call you Drakken? Do Dragons suck?”

Best to clear things out now rather than later. She would not date someone who looked down on her gang. Or on her. She was Meirin Azuza, Warden of Eternal Night Palace, Veteran of the Azure Dragon Gang, and proud of it.

“Oh, and Hou should be able to sing if he wants.”

Her eyes flickered to Isaiah who placed a hand on the rookie Dragon’s shoulder. She pointed to the Oni-woman and the Side-cut girl, who were still playing their phone game, a pleading look on her face. “If they can have fun, why can’t we?”

Personally, she didn’t care for singing much either, but songs were a harmless way to entertain oneself. It certainly wasn’t Hou’s fault if the birds got spooked by…music. If Phoenixes didn't want to sing, they didn't have to, but preventing someone from singing when they were bored just didn't seem right to her.

Which reminded her, during their restaurant reunion, Elias had introduced her to a game show—Passy Park’s Prestigious Melody Onslaught or some such. Insisted she give it a try…which she would be doing…if she didn’t want an answer from Vulken first. Knowing Yumin, he was just promoting another one of his Company’s talents. Meirin rolled her eyes. Elias. Zachariah. Now Vulken. Why the hell were all the men in her life such liars?

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

(mentioned: The One Eyed Bandit )

 

[Lucem]

DAMIAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]

LOCATION:

Mysterious Black Site, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Damian, August, Kinsley, Kisara, Kyoden, Peyton, Raphael, Sabrina, Shinko

THICKER THAN WATER

Damian watched the ongoing struggle with interest, observing the changes in the blindfolded man's Potential as he attempted to chain down the elongated woman. He slowly collected answers for his many questions, trying to satisfy a neverending craving. Unfortunately, the demonstration was cut short when the enemy paused to yell for reinforcements.

Looking over his shoulder, Damian counted a large number of uniformed men, none of them different from the uninspiring fodder that came before. The three individuals accompanying them were a different story, however. Three bodies for the three names that were called, each dressed in a way that made them stand out from the rest. Their appearances alone were enough to draw attention, but their mannerisms were the true highlight. The woman in white was especially alluring.

Damian kept a close eye on Chessmaster, watching every twirl and toss. He watched her flamboyant display of movements, the autonomous pieces at her beck and call, and every other entrancing detail. Without looking away, he turned on his heels and walked forward, leaving the other conflict behind him. His interest in the tattooed man had waned, leaving him with no reason to linger. He was captivated by something else now.

Once he neared Peyton and the armed pawns, Damian stopped his advance. Two tentacles detached from his back, leaving the towers of pulsing muscle to stand at his side, one on the left and the other on his right. Recalling the performance he had just witnessed, he raised his arms. He tried his best to mimic the enemy, striking one pose after the other. First the Y, then the X. The remaining appendages on his back followed suit, bending to copy his human limbs.

"You may call me..." The dramatic pause was important, key to the act. Everything had to click into place. "Kraken!" To accompany his final flourish, the two massive tentacles on the ground presented him, serving as his lovely assistants.

Seemingly satisfied with his recreation of the odd movements that initially attracted him, Damian charged forward once again. With Peyton handling one of the sickly soldiers, he left the other to one of the tentacles following after him. Large enough to ensnare the entirety of the malnourished-looking body, it constricted, applying a level of force that made it seem like the goal was to juice the pawn like a piece of rotten fruit.

As he set his sights on Chessmaster, he noticed that a dense fog had rolled in. It caught his attention for a moment, but it wasn't enough to make him change targets. The black veil was similar to something he could already accomplish with his ink, and he had no interest in things that were standard for him. He only chased after the new and unusual.

Detaching his two remaining tentacles, he left them to handle the other pair of soldiers at Chessmaster's side. He aimed for the commander, reaching out with a pale hand. "Tell me, what else can you do?"

Spoiler: Tags

AriAriAbabwa Beann Coyote Hart Doctor Llamabean Elenion Aura Kyuubey QuirkyAngel simj26