Fantasy Tools of the Trade | MAIN

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CHAPTER 1 : THE BAKER
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People say baking is a science. They’re wrong.


Jacob had been a baker for long enough to understand it was art, more than anything. He could envision the properties each ingredient as they piled in the bowl, how each drop of vanilla and grain of flour interacted to create the final taste and texture. Years ago, him and his wife started their first business. Starred eyed, they began humbly and lovingly built a store front. Shirts smeared with paint, they spent the hot summer afternoons laughing and dreaming of the future. Sometimes, when Jacob felt especially alone, he passes where it used to stand. It’s a frozen yoghurt shop now, but the red striped awning and stained windows make it feel like no time has passed at all.

It was 2014, and his wife had been in prison for ten years.

They’d stopped running a storefront and starting running a catering service. Having been offered money to poison and assassinate important clients, they dipped their hands into deep pockets and made friends in high places. The luxury didn’t last. His wife was arrested and he barely escaped prosecution himself. The loneliness is harrowing- any hope of raising a family, gone. Throughout the last ten years, the focus on the group responsible narrowed until it was all he could concentrate on. He couldn’t understand how anyone had the right to shit all over his life like that. They deserved to experience the same hollow pain he felt every night when he kneeled into bed, alone.

Ten years was long enough that people forgot what they’d done. He renamed his bakery and kept under the radar. Not everyone was convinced his wife was working alone, but nobody could prove otherwise. Until today, Jacob was biding his time.

“The speed racks are full, where can I put this?” Muffled, the assistant had to strain to be heard through the face respirator. He was holding a tray of muffins, their descriptively plain tops glistening maliciously. Beads of sweat rolled down the insulated glasses shielding his face from the rising steam.

LATER. ​

The back of Helen Bakery’s sole delivery truck slammed shut in the quiet morning street, the tip of the sun beginning to peak over buildings. Finally tearing off his gloves and mask, Jacob stumbled to the center of the empty alley. Eyes raised to the sky, he let his arms hang as he breathed the cool air. Excitement lit his body and made him feel alive for the first time in years.

AT THE CRAFTER'S CO OP. ​

“As I said, you guys have been such a great help to me. Really.” Jacob smiled so wide he felt his jaw would crack. It took every ounce of will not to lash out at the naive, stupid faces of the crafter’s co op. It wasn’t difficult to make it inside. All he had to do was dish out a sob story about how they’d caught a criminal in his neighborhood, and that he’d brought them a reward as thanks. At the mention of food, he’d been buzzed right in. Gluttons.
“I know it’s not anything compared to what you’ve done for me. But well, it’s the least I can do.” His assistants shifted nervously as they stepped forwards to place the glossy pink boxes on the counter. “I threw in a little of everything. There should be something for every taste,” he coughed, taking in each of their faces. The nerve. “Anyways, I’ll leave you to it. And really. Thank you.”

Driving away, Jacob couldn’t believe it was finally done.

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AVERY
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Avery lurched up, gasping and clutching the back of his sofa. Face twisted in pain, he held the burning side of his stomach. Premonitions came in every form. Sometimes images appeared like a projector in his mind, conveying a scene in precise detail. Other times, it was less direct. A fleeting feeling or blurry impression. This time, the nauseating sensation set off alarm bells. Something was wrong.

Rolling off the chair, he stepped over the papers and documents crowding his unintentional sleeping spot, the layers rustling as he dove for the door. He’d been up until almost sunrise, flipping through possible missions and taking notes on his observations. It was his responsibility to choose ones that paid well and didn’t put his team at risk. Years ago, they had a paper maker responsible for taking the notes, but she’d quit after certain members made her uncomfortable. Fortunately, the rest of his room was pristine, with nothing to trip over. He kept it locked down, both because it contains sensitive information, and because someone was bound to rub dirt over it.

Making it to the top of the stairs, he rested his hands on the railing. Clips and ghosts of past conversations sailed past, but nothing alarming. Repeating this on the next level down, still nothing. Making it to the to the third floor, he heard voices from the kitchen and watched fleeting images of those who’d entered earlier. Following the noise, he burst into the kitchen. Taking a brief moment to take in the food arranged on the table and the empty wrappers scattered on plates, he was flooded with panic. The group rarely shared a room together willingly, so something had to be up.

James, one of their newer recruits, stood nearest the door. Avery grabbed the plate from him.

“What’s going on?” He demanded loudly, raising his voice over the conversations. Until he knew exactly what was causing the premonitions, he couldn’t let anyone hurt themselves. This had happened a few months ago, when a car accident took place outside. He had everyone arm up and guard the door only to find out it had nothing to do with them. This time, something was clearly wrong, and he was determined to be taken seriously until he found out why.

L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel fluticasone NightPhoenix lostwanderer . D O V E Goonfire eggsaladsandwitch Pine
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[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

||"Some men just want to watch the world burn."||

||Interactions: Goonfire ebb ||
||Mentions: fluticasone ||
||Mood: Pissed off, Tired||

Chancellor was scared. It wasn’t because he was in any danger or anything had gone wrong. In fact, that is what it was, nothing had gone wrong in the past few days. The man had become so used to feeling mad or worried that feeling uncomfortable was the norm.
That’s why, when he heard the doorbell ring, alarm bells instantly went off.

Chancellor was lying in bed, shirtless of course, when he heard the familiar chiming. “Hey,” he growled, groggily to his roommate. “Get up, Tin can.” Chancellor picked up a slipper from the ground and chucked it at Rod.
Their room was weird. It was split perfectly down the middle with a line of tape. This was because the two bastards were currently having an argument. Chancellor’s side of the room had clothes and trash piled up on every surface whereas Rod’s side was pristine.
The only reason the redhead was even talking to Rod right now was that no-one else dared to even try to wake the metalsmith up. Wake up calls were the only decent conversation the two were having as of right now.
He rolled out of bed and stood, stretching. Chancellor grabbed a cigarette from his bedside table and lit it with his finger.
He gave Rod a last kick in the gut before slipping out the door.

The firestarter plunked down the stairs, still shirtless and yawned as he buzzed the baker in.
After a brief conversation, he shut the door and stuffed a doughnut into his mouth.
One by one, the team members trickled into the kitchen, some grabbing pastries. Chancellor hoisted himself onto the counter and swung his legs like a child. Smoke coiled and writhed around his head like a snake. Smoke always followed Chancellor, whether he had a cigarette in his mouth or not.
He ran a hand through his shock red hair and scrolled through his phone. He didn't need to touch up his roots for a good while but he dreaded the day he did. 'Maybe I'll ask Theresa.' He thought.

When Avery burst into the kitchen, Chancellor was pissed off, to say the least. Even more so when the psychic snatched away James' pastry. “God, why does everything have to be so dramatic with you?” He growled. The man's hands began to light up with soft pops and he hastily put the phone down on the counter. Chancellor loved his powers but one of the things he loathed about them is that his hands lit up when he was mad. It would be inconvenient for anyone but Chancellor was always angry at something or another.
It was one of his flaws, to put it lightly.​

 

[Goonfire]

Sometimes, people have that feeling, like they’re trapped in a nightmare and can’t wake up. That was the situation for Rodger Solveig on this merry morning, almost a month after the incident. He awoke to the thud of a slipper plinking off the barricade that was his couch. “Why are you telling me? Go answer it, I guess,” Rod tiredly grumbled, peeking over the back of the sofa into the raw chaos that was a bedroom. He usually left answering the door to his friend Chancellor, since it was usually either solicitors or clients, the latter of whom Avery often saw coming and greeted. Having nonverbally declined to answer, Rod buried his face in his pillow; he was far too relaxed to get up now.

Lulling back to sleep, he awoke once more to a jolt to his stomach, a result of Chance’s foot smacking into his solid abs. “Ugh... keep going, get off my property,” he dismissed the glassblower with a hint of sadness and a heavy sigh. The living space was awkwardly divided, with the door on Rod’s side and the bathroom being neutral territory. It simply provoked more argument between the two big brother figures, who fought more like an old married couple nowadays, albeit with no sign of kissing and making up yet.

After he was alone, Rod rose and shambled into the bathroom. He emerged several minutes later, clean, refreshed, and quite shirtless. Chance hadn’t returned yet, which gave the impression there was food involved, likely sugary junk. With nothing more to do, he threw on the first top he could find—a scruffy blue work shirt—and proceeded downstairs. Reaching the bottom of the stairwell, the odor of sickeningly sweet pastries wafted from the kitchen. Hasty footsteps were barreling down behind him, and it nearly took him by surprise when the resident psychic almost trampled him. “Good morning to you too, Avery,” he greeted with a raised eyebrow, entering the kitchen after the door was nearly launched off its hinges by the alarmed man.

Now that Avery had stopped hauling ass, Rod was able to inquire why he was panicked. “Is something wrong? Did you see something?” Outwardly, it merely seemed someone had delivered a massive payload of sweets, but for what? He didn’t suspect anything was wrong with them, so he eyed the dwindling pile of doughnuts inquisitively. “Doughnuts... think of the fat and sugar content. What’s the occasion?” Rod commented aloud with a reassuring arm draped over Avery’s shoulders. At this point, he wouldn’t be surprised if the guy had merely predicted Chance would make himself sick from overindulging in the myriad desserts. On the other hand, it seemed highly unlikely anyone would make an effort to stop that from happening, simply because it was inevitable.

ebb L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel

 

[eggsaladsandwitch]

» ELIJAH;
Time was fickle when you lived most of your existence in a dark room, slumped over a worktable and squinting into the eyes of a creature long-dead. At the time of the aforementioned murderous baking delivery, Elijah had been going strong on restoring a beautiful fox carcass, sent to him by one of the many hunters with which he had formed an... arrangement of sorts. He may well have been focusing on his task so intently, that 24 hours could have come and gone and he would have been none the wiser. Food? Who needed it? Sleep? Sleep was for the weak. Bathroom? Well...
With a soft sigh, Elijah put down his threaded needle, scratching at his face with hands covered in tanning oil and who-knows what else. Sluggishly, he got up from his perch and shuffled over to his window, which he kept open most of the time (an attempt at ventilation), but left covered with a blackout curtain whenever possible. Lifting up the fabric, he flinched at the light that poured into the room, humming at the thought that he really had spent much too long cooped up in his room. He should probably re-join the land of the living soon, he figured. But, ideally, he would do so without smelling like borax. So, to the bathroom it was.
When he stepped out of the shower later, he was greeted to the sound of vigorous scratching at the closed bathroom door. Toweling off his hair, he opens the door to let in a rather worked up tabby cat who starts yowling the second it pushes past the doorway. "'Ey now, hush," he commands, not harsh or stern in anyway, but still getting the desired reaction. Varmint starts purring, rubbing up against his legs as he makes to get ready for the day. Any normal person would most likely be stumbling over the ball of fluff at their feet, but the way Elijah manages to maneuver around the feline is impressive. The two beings behave perfectly in sync, a result of their near-symbiotic relationship for the past few years. Leaving the bathroom, Elijah approaches his dresser, pulling out a pair of overalls and an over-sized shirt that may(?) have once belonged to his grandfather. Once dressed, he bends over to cuff the legs of his overalls, and while he's close to the ground, a familiar weight settles on his shoulder. He lets out a soft huff and stands up slowly, moving to steady Varmint on his shoulder and scritching her behind the ears. As typical, the blonde chooses to forgo shoes entirely as he leaves his studio, padding quietly down the hallway to the kitchen, where he found Chance.
"Mornin'," was all he mumbled to the fire starter, not really sure if attempting to start a conversation this early in the morning was wise. Especially since the redhead scared him, just a little...
Elijah cast a weary glance at the confections that were laid-out on the nearby table. Food had no business being that bright. Or that sweet, for that matter. That was one of the things he didn't think he would ever get used to after joining society--how much sugar these people put in everything. Bypassing the sweets, he made his way to the fridge, pouring himself some milk, and then went about the motions of fixing Varmint her breakfast as well. He sat cross-legged on the floor, holding his glass in two hands as he watched his companion chomp away at her meal contentedly. It was almost peaceful, for a moment. That is, until Avery came bursting in.
Standing up, he quirks an eyebrow when he sees their leader yoink someone's plate out from under their nose. "Sum fella' came 'n left us a gift--and that's right kind of him, I recon... Just ain't never been a fan of sweetnin' myself," he lamented, not wanting to appear rude for not partaking in something so generously provided to them. He takes another sip of his milk before setting down his glass. Varmint, now finished with her breakfast, hops up on the table, slowly but curiously sniffing at the sweets. At this, Elijah makes a rather authentic-sounding hissing noise, frightening the feline into jumping down off the table. "Go'on now, git away from there," he says, once again reigning the cat in without any real force behind his voice. Varmint stalks away, almost pouting as she slinks out the door and down the hallway. "Honestly, who'd ever heard of a cat likin' frosting?" he questions, mumbling as he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, waiting to hear what it was that Avery so worked up first thing in the morning.

»location; kitchen
»mentions; ebb Goonfire L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel

 

[lostwanderer]

t e s s a

At around quarter to seven in the morning, Tessa rolled off her bed and grabbed the first pair of shorts she could find in her room, as she made her way to her bathroom. She washed her face and brushed her teeth before putting on her shorts and tying her inky black hair into a ponytail. Once she deemed herself decent enough for the world, she exited through her window and went down the stairs to her shop. Humming a little tune to herself, she unlocked the door and made her way in, flicking on the lights to illuminate the garden side of her shop. Armed with a spray bottle and pruning scissors, she put on an apron and began to do her work.

About an hour into it, she spotted a delivery truck parked on their street, finding it rather curious as to why it would be there since the nearest bakery was still on another street. Seeing as it wouldn't amount to anything, she didn't give it further mind and simply decided to make herself tea. She began to put away her harvest and washed her hands before taking off her apron and wiping her face on her shirt. She turned off the water before it could boil, poured it into a cup and dropped a green tea bag, letting it steep as she mouthed off a countdown. Once two minutes had passed, she fished out the tea bag and set it aside before stirring in a teaspoon of honey. She took the cup with her as she turned off the lights and locked the door, pocketing her keys and going through the stairs up to the common kitchen.

She came up to find the redhead shoving donuts in his mouth and let him have his moment when she found the innocuous box of pastries, sitting on the counter top, and picked a delicious chocolate chip muffin for herself when Avery stormed in, looking perpetually perturbed by something. She slightly winced at his loud voice, "Well, good morning to you too." She softly mumbled with a frown as she took her muffin and tea with her to the table. She sipped on her drink, indulging in the gentle warmth it provided her as she rested her cheek on the palm of her hand with a sigh. She wanted to get back under her warm sheets, hoping to get some more sleep in but judging from the look on the psychic's face, she knows he had seen something. "So what is it this time?" She blew on her bangs, absentmindedly tracing the design of the cup with her finger, stilling when she heard how the pastries got there. "Hold on, you mean that delivery truck earlier was really meant for us? That was rather sweet of them to do, they really shouldn't have bothered." She looked down on the muffin in front of her, tempted to tear a piece off and have a taste already but her appetite hasn't fully awakened yet so she only stared at it.

code by Ri.a

 

[fluticasone]

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When James awoke that morning, his face was in his pillow, laying on his stomach. A few minutes later, he turned onto his back, trying to ease the gnawing feeling in gut. It took another five for him to realize the it was his stomach telling him he was hungry. Groggily pushing himself to get up, blue gray eyes peered over to the monitor running just a meter ahead. When he went to bed, he'd left his computer compiling a program he'd been working on the past couple of days. Voice thick with sleep, the muttering sounded more like a grunt than a coherent sentence. "Only five percent still." Granted he shouldn't be surprised. He'd started the compilation process only thirty minutes ago.

With reluctance he changed his clothes, tossing the dirty clothes somewhere on the floor of his room. Not that the outfit change looked any different; it was a hoodie almost the exact same shade of gray as the sweater from earlier. As he stepped out, he spotted Elijah going towards one of the shared bathrooms. A miracle in itself, but not one he wanted to witness. Or that was a delusion. At this point he wouldn't be surprised if Tessa had snuck something through the crack underneath his door. James went to the second bathroom, washing his face and brushing his teeth. Still in a daze, he made his way to the shared kitchen, following the scent of food.

For once, James had no prickly statement towards the others as he entered. Possibly because he didn't realize there were even other people in the room. Origin of said food didn't even occur to him as he took a plate from a shelf and placed some of the plainer looking muffins on it. Wordlessly he took his loaded plate to the side, ready to take a piece and get something in his system.

When he tried to reach for muffin, he grabbed air. Looking down, only confusion registered as his hands were empty, even of a plate. "What happened to my food?" [/div]

 

[ebb]

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AVERY
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“God, why does everything have to be so dramatic with you?”

A lifetime of asking himself that same question built up resilience against the confusing nature of his abilities. If anything, the doubt from Chance made him more determined to find the source of the premonition. Subconsciously, he was always trying to do better than Chance. To prove him wrong and gain the upper hand. He knew it was dangerous to the group dynamic, but he couldn’t help it, not when Chance was casually flaunting his closeness to Sunny like he deserved it. Like she wasn’t going to break his heart, and that he ever deserved her in the first place. There were reasons Avery recruited him- he was a strong member of the team, but he had too much to learn about controlling his emotions.

“Chance, you-” Rod saved Chance from the emerging comment as he swept into the room. Rod was a stable presence to their community, and the weapons specialist normally kept Chance in line. The two had been like oil and vinegar lately. Avery didn’t know why they were fighting, but didn’t dig around to check. With the barrage of personal information he had to filter through, he could only focus on so many issues at a time. The two had been friends for so long, they’d make up.

There were more alarming things to worry about. Elijah and Tessa’s descriptions of the delivery seemed benign enough, but he couldn’t shake the gradual pressure that something was wrong. Elijah might’ve overlooked an important detail, being somewhat of a social recluse, but he trusted Tessa’s observations.

“Shh, everyone be quiet,” he snapped, like he wasn’t the one asking the questions in the first place. “I don’t know. I can’t tell you exactly what right now, but something is about to happen. I didn’t see anything, but I’m experiencing sensations to do with-” he trailed off, staring at James’ muffin, and then James, after he noticed seconds later that his breakfast was missing. He thought he would understand James over time, but he remained a mystery.

“-stomach pains…”

Things lined up slowly, but he didn't want them to. Time ticked as he watched the room stiffly, eyes jumping between the faces he'd worked so hard to protect.

L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel fluticasone NightPhoenix lostwanderer . D O V E Goonfire eggsaladsandwitch Pine
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[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

||"Some men just want to watch the world burn."||

||Interactions: everyone ||

“-stomach pains…”
Chancellor's eyes widened in anger and he was about to retort, then he felt it. "Son of a bitch." He didn't want to admit Avery was right, even if it did put him in danger. He straightened before curling back up again, "FUCK." He stood up and growled in pain. The firestarter powered towards the door, making sure to slam into Avery's shoulder as he passed. "Where is that fucking baker?" He roared. Chancellor's hands were now past his control. They were on fire and random objects were lighting up as he stomped past them. He doubled over in pain again. "Fuck's sake!" He punched a wall with his flaming fist, leaving a nasty scorch mark. Chancellor leaned his head on the wall, fuming. "I'm gonna kill him, I swear to god I'm gonna kill him." He stood straight again, fighting the pain. He turned to his fellow members, "It was that baker, It was that fucking baker. I knew I recognised him!" He honed in on his teammates, "How did not one of you fucking notice?" A table set alight behind him.

He whipped to Avery, "Little miss psychic, didn't get her lil visions in time did she?" He wanted to hurt him, badly. He knew he couldn't but part of him didn't care about the consequences. He turned away from the psychic and made his way to the door, battling a new wave of nausea and pain. "Oh he is dead, he is DEAD. I gonna roast him alive. I'm gonna shove a doughnut up his-" He stopped walking. He felt lightheaded. Really lightheaded.
Almost upon instinct, he turned to Rod. He was pale and shaky and his voice cracked. His flames slowly flickered out as he looked at his best friend.
"Tuh... tuh... Tin can" He mumbled and he fell.​

 

[Goonfire]

Rod had microwaved some bacon while the scene unfolded. In fact, that was his entire breakfast. Just... so much bacon.

“So you’re saying something’s wrong with the pastries? And that some stranger dropped them off...” Rod clarified with his mouth full. His chewing stopped and he went slack-jawed as the reality dawned on him. Half-chewed bacon bits spilled out, and the plate fell from his strong hands, cracking on impact with the countertop. “Oh shit... Tessa, get the ipecac. We gotta—oh shit, Chance, wait!” The metalsmith moved to intercept his furious, fiery friend. By the time they made the lobby, Rod could tell Chance’s walk was growing unsteady. Then, the next set of motions was a blur, a flash like lightning. The glassblower dropped, only for his concerned friend to glide under him and scoop him up without a hitch. In those seconds, the bitterness of the past few weeks seemed to melt away for fear of never being able to make amends.

Rod knew time was of the essence. This was no accident. As much as he wanted to stay right there with Chance, he needed to collect the antidote... and the head of the sick bastard who had the gall to commit this atrocity.

L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel lostwanderer ebb

 

[lostwanderer]

t e s s a

Tessa carefully peeled off the muffin lining as she took small sips of her quickly cooling tea, all the while lending an ear to whoever was talking. She briefly glanced at James who only realized that his plate was gone a moment too late, pressing her lips together as to stop herself from laughing before she went back to what she was doing, keeping quiet to herself and mildly cringing at the cursing. Once she saw the flames following Chase, she sighed and stood up to make her way to the fire extinguisher, hosing down the hearth before it could catch onto something bigger or worse, trigger the sprinkler system. She considered giving the source himself a thorough cover as well but thought against it before putting the extinguisher back in its little closet.

"Who even answered the door in the first place?" She rolled her eyes as she tore a piece of her muffin to pop in her mouth, when she heard Avery's warning. She quickly flicked off the piece in her hand and pushed away her muffin, just as Chance began to suffer on the consequences of his actions. She got on her feet, hearing Rod's command, to which she frowned at, "Don't tell me what to do, you big pumpkin head." She grumbled but nonetheless climbed up onto the counter top to reach for the stash of medicine she keeps on one of the overhead cabinets and brought them down, followed by a rather loud thud. "And... Humpty Dumpty fell down." She got down from the counter top with a sigh and made her way to Chance and Rod.

She knew the two were having an argument, something she didn't care to find out, probably a trivial matter, but she always had a thought that in the end of the day, they still looked out for each other. She placed a hand on his forehead, feeling if he had a temperature which she found rather difficult since the firestarter lived up to his name, blinking twice at the realization that he felt slightly colder than usual and checked for his pulse, "He has a steady pulse but his temperature's beginning to drop." She mumbled, "As much as I would try and make an antidote, I'm going to need more information on the poison so I can ensure that I could flush it out completely." She wiped her hands on her shorts, "All I can do for now is stabilize them until further notice."

code by Ri.a

 

[. D O V E]

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Jung Sunny

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Fire of my heart, be a good baby, do what I want.​

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The sun shone very beautifully above the heights of the Crafter's Co-op Building resting in the heart of New York City as its light seeped through a glass window. Its rays gentle caresses against Jung Sunhee's porcelain skin was a reminder that it was time to welcome the morning. The female stirred on her bed as she fought the relentless urge to sink back into slumber. It was a battle so grand yet the winner was revealed when the singer sat up with a lazy yawn and began to get ready for the day.

So far the morning was proving itself to be a typical one. An hour was spent for her personal hygiene, thirty minutes for choosing an outfit, twenty for checking her social medias, ten for vocalization which ridiculously attracted a flock of birds, five for uploading a fabulous selfie and a minute for checking the vicinity outside her room in case a horde of her fans decided to hunt her out again. She poked her head out the door before carefully stepping out and showcasing her long-thought out outfit which was comprised of a black long-sleeved crop top exposing her midriff and a high-waist black tights paired with her killer heels.

The walk to the staircase was a quiet one. She made a quick stop-over in front of Chancellor's studio to see if her favorite glassblower was there but to no avail. The presence of a certain psychic whom she'd usually spot on the same floor was also missing. The singer figured that they were probably off eating in the kitchen along with the others. That is if Tessa didn't perform any strange experiments with the food, Claire didn't ran off somewhere, and Elijah along with James decided to leave their burrows. A deep sigh escaped red lips, one would think that a diva like Sunny would have it easy but not when she's sharing a whole building filled with eccentric individuals.

As she approached the kitchen, Sunny could make out what seemed like the panicking voice of Rod and the smell of fire. The Korean couldn't help but roll her eyes, the two were probably at it again. The two muscles of the group has been quarreling over something petty for quite awhile now. She waltzed into the room like a model on a catwalk accompanied with the bobbing of her blue curls in time with her steps. "Okay, who died?" came her nonchalant question while internally wondering what all the fuss was about. It was right then when her eyes darted to the unconscious body on Rod's arms.

A long dramatic gasp followed as Sunny walked over to Chance and placed a hand on his chest to feel its light rise and drop. She let her hands travel from his chest to his cheek and she felt the drop from his usual temperature. "Hang in there, love." she whispered while her thumb stroked his paling cheek trying to ignite any reaction from the man. The singer then turned to those who were present in the room with a disapproving frown, "What happened to him?" she asked. Really though, she was aware that everyone is after her but was it really necessary to attempt to murder her boyfriend?

ebb L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel Goonfire lostwanderer fluticasone eggsaladsandwitch Pine​

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[Goonfire]

“I think Chance buzzed in that shithead. I... I should’ve come down instead...” Rodger was experiencing the whole range of emotions for a change; anger, sorrow, guilt. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened if he had come down to scrutinize that infernal baker’s every word and move.

lostwanderer

The rich, honeyed voice of Sunny stopped the vengeful metalsmith from gritting his teeth. His head snapped up to see her sashaying into the room. Perhaps she could help... “Sunny, please help me. I’m bringing him up to Tessa’s room for treatment,” he implored, hobbling to the stairwell after the singer had an opportunity to confirm he wasn’t spouting a tall tale. “Some bastard poisoned the doughnuts. I gotta track down baker who brought this food, ASAP.” He was sure this wasn’t Tessa’s doing; in recent memory, the worst she did was spike foods with ipecac or laxatives. This was full-blown poison. Not only that, but the timing of the unsolicited delivery of said pastries was way too convenient.

Having been able to vent just a bit, Rod had the clarity to hope he was wrong, and that the baker wasn’t really out to kill them.

. D O V E

 

[eggsaladsandwitch]

» ELIJAH;
It seemed like everything exploded into movement all of a sudden. The smell of fire still lingered in the air as Elijah poked his head out of the kitchen, following his teammates to the gathering around Chance, who was looking mighty peaked. With a frown, Elijah's eyes followed the conversation, bouncing back and fourth between members, finally landing on Rod, who noted the that they needed to find the sugar-wielding scoundrel soon. "Mm, I'll git on that while y'all take care of Chaince," he said, before taking off back down the hall to the kitchen. He gathered up all the confections, disposing of any remaining pastries before grabbing an empty box and trekking back to his studio.
Once inside, he made his way over to the window, pulling back the curtains and opening it up all the way. Nearby, there was a gilded birdcage, hanging from a post and covered with a dark fabric. The taxidermist removed the cloth, revealing a stationary raven, beautifully preserved mid-caw, poised effortlessly on the hanging bar of the cage. With nimble hands, Elijah opened up the metal door, reaching in and stroking at the raven's cheek with a finger. "Wake up," he cooed softly, and within a few seconds, the bird seemed to come to life, tilting its head into his hand. "C'mere," he beckoned, and the bird hopped dutifully onto his arm, allowing itself to be pulled out of the cage. "Got a job for ya."
Elijah reached over, picking up the empty box from the baker, showing it to the bird now perched on the windowsill. "Need you to find this sumbitch fer me, recon you ken do that?" he asked simply as the bird tilted it's head in response, which Eli took as confirmation. "'Attaboy." With a flick of his wrist, Elijah dismissed the raven. He assumed that, by now, the people of the city were simply used to seeing such a large bird outside of its natural habitat, seeing as how she was one of his most loyal and useful critters. Setting the box down, Elijah left his room again in hopes of rejoining his friends(?) to help any further that he could. He should let them know a search was being mounted, at least.

»location; hallway
»mentions; ebb Goonfire L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel . D O V E lostwanderer

 

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AVERY
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[div class=body]
“Fuuuck,” he groaned, sweat already springing to his skin. Shoving James’ plate away disgustedly, it clattered loudly on the counter. His mind blanked briefly at the implications, then flooded with questions. Who had eaten it? Was this just a practical joke, or something more sinister? Who had sent it? Why? He looked around the room, watching for the signs. A twitch, an expression, a movement, anything indicative of symptoms.

Smelling bitter smoke (usual) followed by a crashing (unusual), Avery watched horrified as Tessa assessed the damage. He nodded darkly, looking down on the unfolding scene and Chance’s unconscious form. If it couldn’t get any more uncomfortable, his ex sauntered into the room like she was entering a movie set.

“Someone brought in tainted food,” he sighed, echoing Rod and finally crouching next to Chance. “Thank you Tessa, do what you can.” He didn’t want to touch him, in case the poison was strong enough to work on contact, so he kept out of reach. “This is a reminder that we need to be more careful, you said Chance rung him in? We can’t just let people walk in here like that, I’m disappointed.” Sucking in air, he stood back up, holding back a lecture on their policy as a organization. This is what happens when you let your guard down. “Good idea, help him upstairs and call me if anything changes.” He purposefully avoided looking at Sunny.

Noticing Elijah slipping out of the hallway, he took his place in the kitchen. Slipping on a pair of rubber gloves from under the sink, he approach the trash where Eli disposed of the pastries. Pinching the corner of a box, he lifted it gingerly, careful to not let any frosting touch his skin. If he touched it directly, he could pick up premonitions. But that would require direct skin contact, and that wasn’t something he could risk.

Squinting at the bottom, he noticed a smudged address on the bottom, stamped on in red ink. “16..-” he leaned in closer, straining to read the text. “1600 N. Main.” He whispered to himself. Sitting back, he debated sharing this information. On one hand, this could be an accident, an oversight by the baker. On the other hand? Was it left there on purpose?

“What are the odds?” He muttered aloud, forgetting James was still in the room.

L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel fluticasone NightPhoenix lostwanderer . D O V E Goonfire eggsaladsandwitch Pine
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[eggsaladsandwitch]

» ELIJAH;
Having not come across any of his teammates on his way back down the hallway, Elijah decided it may be best to return to the kitchen and see if anyone was still around. As he crossed the threshold of the room, he furrowed his brows in confusion at the sight of Avery, clad in rubber gloves, looking over the bottom of a pastry box while also managing to keep it as far away from himself as humanly possible. What a queer guy...
Barely having caught the tail end of Avery's mutterings, Elijah cleared his throat, announcing his presence to their pensive psychic. ''Wh... What're you lookin' at?" he asked softly as he approached, squinting to see the words Avery had been studying. An address? He could'a swore the box he had taken upstairs had no such thing on it... Or maybe he had been so certain there would be no evidence left behind? Scratching at the back of his head awkwardly as he tried to justify his own actions to himself, he leaned back against a nearby counter. "I-uh-sent Briar out lookin' fer this 'baker', think he ought-ta be able to at least scout th' place out fer us?" he reported, sounding a bit unsure of his own actions now that he had to explain them to their front-man. And then, remembering not everyone had the same appreciation for his creatures as he did, he added, "Briar's a bird," feeling a bit self-conscious about how he referred to his animals as if they were people, especially around other people who weren't as... socially adolescent as he was.
"Are ya gonna head over there? Chaince was lookin' real... poorly. Likely should git 'em a cyore d'reckly--I can help, if'n you'll have me," Elijah offered candidly. He truly did want to help in any way he could, and knew he wouldn't be able to sit still and do nothing if he knew one of their own was hurtin'. Having been one of the newer members of the Coop, he was eager to prove himself at any opportunity--especially to Avery, who he figured was probably still upset about the time a few weeks ago an elk had escaped from Elijah's room and made a mess of the place. His helpfulness wouldn't erase the damage the animal's antlers had left on the walls, but it at least could be a step in the right direction.

»location; kitchen
»mentions; ebb

 

[. D O V E]

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Jung Sunny

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Fire of my heart, be a good baby, do what I want.​

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[div class=body]
Surprisingly enough for Sunny, jealousy wasn't the reason behind why her boyfriend was in his best friend's arms and quite possibly at the verge of death. "So you're telling me that somebody accepted sweets from a total stranger and Chance, being the absolute glutton he was, ate them so now he's about to bite the dust because of poison?" the singer asked while slowly withdrawing her hand from the red-head's cheek thanks to Rod's movements. She followed his wobbling form to the stairways and gave out a small nod when the metalsmith asked for her help, "Sure." she added before grabbing the glassblower's hand. Sunny figured that she could help out through moral support while Rod do the heavy-lifting.

The blue-haired female gave out a few motivational cheers as they (mostly Rod) plodded up the stairs with Chance's body. "It feels weird when his hands are cold like this." she randomly blurted out while showing the giant their intertwined fingers, "Chance is usually burning with life. Often literally. I love that about him but sometimes I worry that he's going to end up getting himself hurt like this." she paused to glance at the unconscious subject of her statement. Her lips curled up into a smile before returning her gaze to the stressed metalsmith, "But Chancellor only burns brighter when he gets scorched. So cheer up, okay? He'll get through this."

Shit, she sure hopes Rod will make her a nice jewel or two after this.

Goonfire L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel​

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[Goonfire]

“Afraid so,” Rod retorted, easing up the stairwell. If he remembered correctly, Tessa’s apartment doubled as her botany, while her shop was merely for packing and selling her products. “Oh, you are an angel,” he also commented before realizing the singer wasn’t physically helping. He wasn’t the type to hound people, so he simply let it go and allowed her to prattle dramatically. That, combined with the clacking of stilettos in the echoey brick and metal stairwell, was grating on the upset metalsmith’s frayed nerves.

Coming up to the landing, Rod stopped for a second to adjust his grip on his faint friend. “It really is weird,” he admitted in reference to the cold hands. “I’ll never forget the night the heater in our apartment died last winter. Chance managed to keep the pipes and me from freezing.” He could go into detail, but the fact they had to cuddle was irrelevant and probably enough to make Sunny jealous.

. D O V E L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel lostwanderer

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

||"Some men just want to watch the world burn."||

||Interactions: Goonfire . D O V E ||

Chancellor's eyes fluttered open and he growled, softly. His amber eyes slashed into Rod and he was about to protest but searing pain ripped through his stomach and he winced. The firestarter shivered and nuzzled deeper into Rod's rock hard pecs chest. He hadn't shivered in years. He hadn't felt cold in years. The cold terrified him. Chancellor had never sought Rod for warmth, it was always the other way around.
"Duh-Don't go." The redhead stuttered. "Please stay here." All hatred for Rod at that moment went away. Chancellor's head was spinning and he felt so sick.
"Please don't leave me alone like dad did." His voice was barely a whisper and it kept on cracking. It wasn't the sing-song snarl he usually had.
Tears began to run down the firestarter's cheeks, "I've been such a dick." He looked up at the metalsmith with foggy Amber eyes, "I forgive you, for spilling that hair dye, it's washed off." He wrapped his arms around Rod's neck. Chancellor was shaking. "I just don't want to lose the only friend I have." Tears stained Rod's shirt as he clutched onto it. His voice was more frantic, "Don't go. I don't want to lose you."​

 

[Goonfire]

Rod’s breath hitched as his dearest friend clung to him. He held the poisoned man closer, holding back a sob of his own. “Don’t say it,” he whispered softly and sweetly, barging into the hallway only two doors down from Tessa’s apartment. “You’re gonna be okay. You can gimme hell after this... all you like, because I’ve been a worse ass.” He was trying to restore some of that old fire in Chance’s soul, through a wry bit of humor.

However, something else made the tender smith’s heart break. He had never heard such pleas from the sassy firestarter, and it disturbed his very foundation. “Shhh, you’re not gonna lose me. Hey, hey; look at me... We’re not gonna lose you, either.” It was then Rod realized, as he stood there outside Tessa’s apartment, nothing he did would make him feel better about this situation. He knew his conscience would weigh on him, regardless of whether or not he left to crush that baker’s enterprises.

 

[. D O V E]

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Jung Sunny

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If you want to shine like the sun then burn like one.​

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[div class=body]
Sunny has always knew that her competition for Chance’s adoration was none other than Rod. She noticed the way the metalsmith would look at his best friend, how his gazes and touches would linger. She should know since she has been the receiver of such looks countless of times. However, the singer knew that there was something that made Rod’s different. It holds genuineness.

The singer could tell by the tone of his voice that he’s trying to compete and it ignited something inside of her. It irked her but at the same time she finds it interesting. “Isn’t he a sweetheart? He does the same to me every night.” she countered right before Chance began stirring.

The scene before her made her eyebrow twitch. She silently watched as it unfolded. The red-head was crying and grasping for Rod. Chance was having a breakdown and she’s not the one he was looking for. Sunny hates being tossed to the side like this. She hates not having the spotlight in somebody’s heart.

The female dove into action when they reached Tessa’s room. She opened the door for the three of them then waited as Rod put the shaking man onto a bed. The singer proceeded to sit down and gently place the firecracker’s head on her lap. “Hush, love, you need to save your energy.” she said with a soothing voice while her hands played with the strands of his red hair. “Don’t worry you’ll be okay. We will find the person behind this while Tessa patch you up.” she bended down to plant a small kiss on his forehead, “I love you.” her eyes glinted with a hint of mischief and triumph when she smirked at Rod after.

L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel Goonfire​

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[lostwanderer]

t e s s a

Tessa swallowed back her laughter at Sunny's help, finding it rather inappropriate to do so at a time like this, and let the three of them go on ahead to her room, "The door's unlocked, please don't destroy my room while I'm gone." She called out after them before she made her way back downstairs to her shop to collect herbs that she might be needing. She usually only kept small herbs used for cooking in her room and kept most of them down on her shop. She took some cardamom, astragalus, wild celery and ginseng, placing them in a basket and washing her hands thoroughly before she locked up and took the elevator to her room, the basket tucked in the crook of her arm.

Arriving on her floor, she made a beeline to her room and opened the door to find Chance on her bed, looking almost too big for it, and awake for once, which was an improvement. She quietly made her way to her kitchen to get started with the medicine. She boiled the herbs, along with half a cinnamon stick and a little ginger, until the liquid turned into a deep honey color, in which case she turned off the stove and poured it into a cup. She went back to her bedroom, this time finding he now had his head on Sunny's lap, and placed the cup on the table, "Chance, you should drink this when you can. It should help with your stomach and the chills." She took a seat on her couch, waiting for him to do so.

code by Ri.a

 

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[div class=header]



AVERY
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[div class=body]
Deep in thought, his breath inhaled quickly as Elijah caught him off guard. The kid was unsettling, always reeking of chemicals and trailed by hoards of grimy animals. He kept tally of everything Elijah broke when his animals ate the curtains or knocked over sculptures. Avery had come close to evicting him after an elk had torn through the living space. If it wasn’t for the Painter, he’d have taken disciplinary action.

But now, he was grateful for the backup, and he couldn’t deny the use of brute animal force on missions. Giving him a scrutinizing stare, he shrugged and replaced the box. “Sure, Elijah, that would be great.” Avery tried his best to mirror Elijah’s overwhelming geniality, but it was impossible to match. Unnervingly so. Digging his keys out of his pocket, he tossed them to Eli. “Get my car started, I need to grab some gear,” rubbing his nose, he paced the kitchen. “Bring your strongest work, who knows what we’re walking into. James.” He snapped his fingers in front of James’ face. “You good? We’re leaving.”

Taking the stairs two at a time, he unlocked the storage closet, grabbing a handful of facemask and gloves. Stuffing them into his pockets, he grabbed two small handguns and cradled them in the nook of his arm. He’d likely avoid the action, but giving them to his teammates made sense. Kicking the door shut behind him, he barrelled down the stairs.

____

Dumping the supplies on the back seat, he slid into the passenger’s seat. Looking down, he noticed that Eli didn’t bother to put on shoes. “Jesus-” he forced himself to look away and jammed his elbow against the window. Disgusting. He’d have his car cleaned out later. It was impossible when someone was literally raised in a barn. "Goddamn country ass-" he muttered under his voice. Pulling up Sunny’s number, he stared at his screen, willing himself to type.

“We’re downstairs. Going after baker. You coming?”

Is that too emotional? He worried, hesitating before pressing the send button.

eggsaladsandwitch fluticasone . D O V E

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[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

||"Some men just want to watch the world burn."||

||Interactions: Goonfire . D O V E lostwanderer ||

Chancellor wiped his eyes and grinned up at sunny, "I love you too, Sunshine." He chuckled,
"If I wasn't being dragged to hell right now I'd actually give you a kiss." The firestarter sighed.
He smiled at Tessa as he took the cup and downed it one go. Chancellor furrowed his brows and looked up at Sunny, "Hey Sunshine, I love you to death but you should be out there finding my murderer." He flung a hand to his forehead, dramatically. "Avenge me, my love."
The RedHead laughed before sneezing. He was still colder than usual but he was quickly warming up, "Thank you, Snape." He quipped, cheerily to Tessa.
The fire starter locked eyes with Rod and mouthed, "Don't go." Chancellor didn't to be on the verge of death, let alone dying on his own.​

 

[Goonfire]

In no uncertain terms, Rodger was oblivious that he was even competition. As much as he cared for Chance, he still allowed that line to be drawn; that line that kept him in the ‘friend zone’. So what did he do when Seductress Sunny picked a discreet fight? Quite simply, nothing. He wasn’t there to be in hot competition with his best friend’s girlfriend and certainly wasn’t looking for the signs of such irreverent behavior.

Rod pulled up a chair so he could sit next to the bed. The singer’s display of affection was touching at first, though something about that smirk sent a cold chill running up his spine. The chime of her phone likely de-escalated the situation. “Lemme guess... Avery’s loading up the car and wants to know if we’re coming?” Rod assumed, his voice trembling. “I hate like hell to not go, but maybe... just maybe... it’s better I don’t go. I don’t think I could control my actions if that bastard got hostile.” And so, he remained dutifully at Chance’s bedside, honoring the request.

Tessa’s intervention in the matter was much appreciated. Rod couldn’t properly express his thanks to her, but he had a feeling the herbalist would need a hand sometime. Actions would speak louder than words, so he simply let Tessa offer the herbal tea to Chance. While it was happening, a trickling sensation caused the strong man to reach up and wipe at his face. It was a single large tear that had lurched free of its duct and had begun to stream down Rod’s cheek.

lostwanderer L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel . D O V E