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

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Matsuda Russo

CS Link

SCENE:

Park-Time Recreation

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1—2015, June 20th (Saturday)—1:00 PM

LOCATION:

Upper Central, Central Park

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Milo, Matsuda, Nanami (NPC)

Park-Time Recreation

Matsuda couldn't be any more emotionally scarred than he could be right at this very moment. He spent all night playing his guitar, longing for what his father had once again snatched away from him. He missed his school life, he truly did. Well- not all the lessons and homework- but he missed his music class. Before he was taken in by the boys in blue, Ms. Harada,- his music teacher- was preparing them all for a concert coming up. He was so excited for it, he kept trying to perfect the strings til his fingertips went numb. But that didn't matter now.. He was out and he was never going to play In a concert again... at least- in school that is. Sometimes he wished his old man never existed.

However, back to what emotionally scarred him. When the morning sun had risen, and he was too tired to keep playing, he went Into the bathroom to get ready for the day... only to find his youngest brother, Akio, blasting a video of Matsu as a child, singing (more like wailing) "I'm a gummy bear" butt naked, on top of their dinner table, holding a corn on the cob as a mic. Akio was sitting on the toilet, obviously expecting Matsuda to walk in, giggling hysterically and shoving the phone into Matsu's hand then running away. "AKIOOOO!!" Matsu yelled in rage, shutting the phone off (consequently ending the embarrassing video), and chucking the stupid phone into the hallway wall. Matsuda was sooo getting him back for this. Though he supposed he deserved it, he assumed his guitar playing had kept them up all night now that he thought about it.

Sighing, he ruffled his hair and went back in the bathroom to get ready for the day.

--

Having gotten up early, he called up the only person who he assumed would be up at this time- thanks to his peppy ass attitude with early mornings. Luckily, his friend answered on the second ring, his loud voice nearly blowing up Matsuda's eardrums as he flinched away the phone from his ear. "HEYY MATSU!~ Whatchu doing up so early huh?!" Matsuda shook his head, a fond smile on his face. "I would ask you the same thing- buuut I think I already know the answer hahaha!" He heard laughter on the other side, "Oh y'know- this and that! so- what's up?! ya ready for today?" Matsu smiled, his feet finally arriving at the small coffee shop around the corner. " Yepyep, just wanted to know if you're up for a lil coffee before we meet with the others. Whaddya- " Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a loud shout from his rambunctious friend, "YESS! OF COURSE! I'll be there in five!" Matsu, shocked, sped up his words in a panic before he was cut off- Nanami having hung up on him mid-way. "WAIT WAIT BUT I DIDN'T EVEN TELL YOU WH-... Goddamnit Nanami. " Despite his exasperation, the duo eyed boy smiled and shoved his phone in his pocket before getting his order and waiting for his friend to arrive.

--

Dull steps walked down the sidewalk, leading to Central Park. One pair being slow and lazy, the other seeming to have no pattern of steps at all. Nanami was sipping his third cup of iced coffee (extra whipped cream) and walking beside Matsuda with a skip in his step. Matsuda took a look at him, noting his danger-prone friend had his usual bandaids and stickers on his face. Nanami was never one to be afraid to express himself. Matsu shook his head and smiled to himself, a hand carrying a small brown paper bag, and the other holding a cup of caramel iced coffee (with extra whipped cream as well thanks to the influence of Nanami) near his face.

Bag still in hand, Matsuda attempted to wave at his other two friends, a too wide of a grin spreading on his face. Nanami rushed ahead before him, wrapping both Boltius and Milo in a tight hug. "HEY GUYS! Oh man am I PUMPED for this!" He then chuckled, his arms tightening around them. Matsu nodded his head in greeting, holding up the paper bag. "Got us a lil grub beforehand. Never can get too much sugar y'know?" He winked before finally coming at a stop before them.

Spoiler: Tags

Doctor Llamabean Elenion Aura

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Yuto Nishimura

CS Link

SCENE:

Accidental Rumble

TIME:

September 17, 2021 | 5:45 pm | Post Arc 1

LOCATION:

In a Car

PARTICIPANTS:

Yuto, Sang-Cheol, Tri

Accidental Rumble

Darkness was all he could see. His head was throbbing like a thousand drummers were pounding against his skull, sending shockwaves of pain shooting down every nerve ending. Yuto let out a low groan as the hammering in his head refused to cease. What happened? where was he? Why couldn't he see anything? It was only until that last thought that the three eyed man realized his eyes were closed. With great effort, Yuto opened his heavy eyelids, immediately wanting to shut them once again as light entered his retinas. He groaned once again, lifting his forearm to cover his face. As he tried to get up, he collapsed once more, a bump or something knocking him even more off balance.

He let his head fall to the side, his eyes blearily inspecting the area. He was... in a car? Despite his vision going from blurry to clear, panic shot through him. He sprung up, a gasp leaving him as his hands frantically latched onto the seat below him. Nononononono this can't be happening! He couldn't go to jail- he- he couldn't! He- It took a couple seconds of panicked breathing for him to remember what happened before he had awoken. There was a fight... a fight he no doubt started.. there was fire... cops... and he was with.. with who? It was with... Yuto's eyes shot up, his memory quickly coming back to him. That's right! He was fighting Sang-cheol! That grumpy man... and then... then those horrible nightmares came up... (Yuto refused to remember those "nightmares" were in fact his real memories) oh no.. that meant- that meant this Sang-cheol had seen him break down... he'd seen a part of himself Yuto never wanted anyone- not even himself- to come to the surface! Oh fuck- what was he supposed to do?!

... he couldn't let him live. No one was supposed to see that side of him- Yuto didn't get upset! He only had happy memories he didn't- He had to get rid of him...

A loud whimper left Yuto's lips before he could stop it, another small bump in the road causing his splitting headache to thrum further. His hand shot out to the glass window, his nails scraping down it to distract himself from the pain, as his other hand clawed through his hair. He muttered under his breath to himself, "Fuck... make It stop..."

Spoiler: Tags

Misuteeku Damafaud

 

[Coyote Hart]

Peyton Xiong

CS Link

SCENE:

Chill and Relax

TIME:

Sunday, June 6th, 2021 || Pre-Arc 1

LOCATION:

For Vacancy Bar, Eastern District

PARTICIPANTS:

Dyne, Jackson, Corvo, Hector, Izumi, Peyton, others

Chill and Relax

"Oh," were the words that escaped Peyton's lips. Faris's words seemed a slight bit ominous, as if he were suggesting that he was going to take out the other members of Dyne's harem. When he looked over to Dyne, he saw the man who Faris was glaring at conspicuously shift his body to block Dyne from view of the large newcomer of a man.

With the song finished, Peyton picked up his book once more to attempt to read it. However, in the back of his mind, he questioned whether going to the bar was a good idea. He only got through a few paragraphs at most before Faris returned to the booth and took a seat across from him. Peyton put a bookmark on the page that he was at, closing the book and turning his full attention towards the bartender.

"Love?" Peyton responded. He turned once again towards Dyne, taking a careful look at the woman. Fair skin the color of fine china, ruby red eyes that worked well with her scarlet colors. A long giraffe-like neck ordained with jewelry. Was she pretty? Yes, Peyton admitted with a blush on his cheeks. Did Peyton in some way feel attracted to her? Perhaps. Did Peyton feel attracted to her in the same way that Faris likely did? "No, I don't."

"She's pretty, but I won't add more competition to the pot," Peyton said, turning his attention back to Faris. The pink on his cheek spoke of a different story despite Peyton's genuine answer though.

Peyton couldn't help but watch the squabble between the two people at the door with mirth. Dyne's laughter sparkled in the air as she began on a new unfamiliar song.

"It seems you all are super crazy about her," Peyton commented. He used his tongue to scoop a bit of his snow cone into his mouth, enjoying how the grape flavor diffused on his taste buds. "And do none of you guys get along with each other?"

Damafaud @BriiAngelic Elenion Aura WhiskeyMarten AriAriAbabwa

(Hey uhhh why does Faris's CS link lead to Jesper??)

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

ALICE

CS Link

SCENE:

Silver Lining

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Alice

Silver Lining

Even the sheltered Alice could tell he was unwell. She kept her eyes trained on him as he excused himself out of her umbrella, rushing towards the overhang of a store front. She remained still for a moment, watching him with concern swelling in her gaze. As Charlie looked away, so did Alice. She had to be elsewhere; Mr. Hat specified that she be there on time! Yet, she couldn't budge from her position, nor anywhere that she couldn't see the boy. Alice took a breath.

She had time.

"I've never been caught out in the rain like this." Alice entered the same shelter, folding her umbrella and leaning it against the wall. She waltzed to the edge of the cover, holding one arm into the weather. "It makes the whole city look empty and dreary, but... in a way it's kind of beautiful. Seeing everything wash away, the roads essentially becoming rivers—and your thoughts get swept away by the current as do all my worries..."

Ah, she was rambling again! "I suppose I'm just trying to say that it's very pretty!" She pointed in a direction, giggling. "You can even see a rainbow over that tree!"

Alice looked back at Charlie, smiling gently. "I'm sorry! I probably shouldn't talk like this after you got super drenched!" Instead, she rose, rubbing her arm against her clothing as to dry it off. From her purse, she retrieved a rolled up bag of gummy candy, popping a strawberry-flavored bear into her mouth. She looked back at Charlie. "You want one?"

Roda the Red

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[Late-Night Chase]

TIME:

Nighttime, Post Arc 1

LOCATION:

Aksher Co. Offices, Sound District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Minato

Late-Night Chase

A second cold chill ran down Charlie's spine as the mysterious figure answered in such a nonchalant way. For the blue haired boy, checking on them and making sure they were safe, or dead, was top priority, so checking the conference room was next in his list of thing to do...

With that said though, the intruder would be extremely idiotic to think he could just run away like that.

Quickly grabbing one of the office chairs by the backrest, Charlie rose the object over his shoulder, casting a quick tempering on it before throwing it with moderate strength (Can't afford to damage the place much).

The chair connected with the intruder's back in a fraction of a second, causing a loud bashing noise. Charlie was confident such a hit wasn't lethal, this guy must've been an HP if he managed to take down both of his co-workers, after all.

Once he managed to catch up to the location of the impact, the sight that he came across to was far from the expected: The man was now quickly dissolving into a steaming puddle of sludge, both flesh and clothing melding into the amorphous mass. Seconds later, the sludge finished evaporating into the air, not leaving a single trace of its prior existence behind.

T-There is no way I just killed him, right? He thought, before shaking his head in realization that, well, that's not really how humans die. This must've been the man's ability coming into play, which could only lead to bad news. Not only did this mean that the Intruder was still around, but this also barely gave any information on what Charlie was facing. Still, his priorities had to remain the same nonetheless.

With a light kick, the door to the conference room opened violently. Even with the low amount of lighting in the floor, Charlie was able to easily spot Will and Jess laying on the floor. He gasped audibly before rushing to the pair and quickly checking on their pulse. A huge weight lifting off his shoulders as he confirmed they were safe, well, as safe as a person with a severe concusion or a broken jaw could be. They needed medical attention, but they could wait. Now, it was time to chase down the rat.

Quickly sprinting out of the room, Charlie resumed his relentless charge around the floor, quickly meeting with the intruder again...Or rather, intruders? Charlie rubbed his eyes and looked again. That was certainly the same person he saw before just...Twice. No time to think, though, he had to strike and do it fast.

Before the intruders could react, he quickly rushed into the closer one, swinging his pipe upwards diagonally at him. The strike connected, his weapon going right through the torso like a dull knife through butter. Just as the fight-or-flight response started to kick in for the second one, Charlie instantly followed up, using the momentum of his first strike to transition it into a roundhouse kick into his chest. The impact sending him flying and aggresively impacting against the wall. Both intruders quickly started to dissolve into sludge identically to how the first one did.

"Tch! Looks like they're clones" Said the blue haired boy to himself. The risk now had suddenly skyrocketed, the clones were rummaging through files and it was a matter of time before whatever other clones scattered around found anything majorly incriminating.

The hunt was on, but could the hunter be quick enough?

Elenion Aura

 

[Elenion Aura]

RAPHAEL SHAW

CS Link

SCENE:

Why Not?

TIME:

Post Arc-1 | September 25th 2021

LOCATION:

North District, Lab Icarus

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, Sang-Cheol

WHY NOT

Raph hated the Serpent labs. Lab Icarus in particular. All the poking, and the prodding. All the time he’d spent here—from the moment Caio had dragged him, half-dead, from out of that ‘other’ lab ‘til now—had done nothing for Raph but sew a deep-seated, and only somewhat justifiable, distaste for doctors, hospitals, and the like.

And yet, he’d never missed an appointment. Not one. He’d played the part the good little guinea pig for years, all because Caio had asked him to. And as he stood there in that familiar lobby and awaited the man he’d come to see, Raph wondered, if given the chance to start all over again, would he do things differently?

The answer was an emphatic 'yes'. Obviously. But, also…

The boy Serpent took an obnoxiously large bite out of the apple he'd swiped from one of the other labs' staff (not like they could've stopped them if they'd tried). He wasn't even particularly hungry. Somehow, it just felt right. Besides, he was quite sure that eating on the premises was frowned upon, if not expressly forbidden. And, much like his hatred for the labs, Raph also—and nearly equally—hated following the rules.

He was still chewing when the sound of a muffled explosion was swiftly followed by the sound of doors opening. Sang-Cheol appeared, crossing the threshold into the lab's modest waiting room.

Raph had lied.

Caio's wishes weren't the only thing that had cowtowed the worst of Raphael's dark impulses when he was due for a check-up. Another reason was this: Sang-Cheol was here.

“Hello, darling," Raph cooed as he tossed his apple, not even half-eaten, in the general direction of the nearest waste bin. “Straight to business, then? Already? Not going to ask me about my day? Tut, tut. Your bedside manner could use some work, as always. ~"

The other reason Raph didn't mind the labs was Sang-Cheol, the intelligent, insane steward of Lab Icarus was here... And he was positively terrified of Raph, himself.

Spoiler: Tags

Misuteeku

 

[Roda the Red]

CAMILA GASPARI

CS Link

SCENE:

"Two" is Company

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, July 20th 2021

LOCATION:

Camila's Apartment, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Minato

"TWO" IS COMPANY

"Oh sweetie, I'd never! If anything, I'd rather have you wide awake tonight"

With her not-so-subtle remark out of the way, she proceeded to work on their drinks.

She kneeled over and opened the liquor cabinet beneath the bar. Reaching for her trusty cocktail shaker, a bottle of gin and two bottles of vermouth, one sweet and one dry. Reaching over to the kitchen, she grabbed one of her kitchen knives, a small cutting board and a couple oranges resting atop an aluminum fruits basket, as well as retrieving some ice from the fridge's dispenser. After making short work of the oranges and crushing the ice, Camila put all of the ingredients into the container and shaked somewhat vigorously, and poured the content out into a couple of martini glasses that she had prepared chilled in the fridge.

What, did you really think she didn't plan this date from the very beginning? How naive.

She walked towards Minato with the cocktails and handed him one of them before taking a small sip of her own

"We probably shouldn't start with something too strong, don't you think?"

She turned around once again, heading once more to the kitchen, but this time putting on the apron hanging on the side. And no, she was not wearing JUST the apron, no need to voice your disappointment, it is noticeable.

As she gathered the ingredients for tonight's dinner, Camila turned her head once again towards Minato

"Mina, would you be a dear and set up the table? The dishes are over here" She said as her tail extended towards one of the upper drawers, coiling itself around the handle and pulling the drawer open.

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

https://www.rpnation.com/threads/four-heavenly-kings-cs-thread.503332/post-11167008

CS Link

SCENE:

[Silver Lining]

TIME:

Post Arc 1, September 19, Afternoon

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Alice

Silver Lining

Unexpectedly, the girl with the umbrella quickly followed suit, taking shelter under the overhang as well. Sort of a weird choice since she was indeed carrying good protection against the rain, perhaps she was just really THAT wary of it?

He carefully listened the girl speak about the rain as she allowed it to fall on her arm. Her words were certainly strange, the way she spoke was most unusual compared to the majority of people in the city, she even mentioned that, as weird as it was, that she had never been caught out by the rain like this before, perhaps she was from one of the rich families from west? Charlie doesn't recall ever meeting her in the past. Still, despite its oddity, the way she referred to the mizzle was somehow endearing, with a sort of contagious optimism.

As the girl offered him some candy, Charlie couldn't help but start giggling on the spot, the contrasting behavior to his own crestfallen attitude got to him, alleviating his own mental cloud if only just a bit.

"Sorry about that...Thank you" He reached for a purple grape-flavored gummy bear, quickly disappearing into his mouth. The flavor and texture were both great, it definitely was from a good brand.

"I'm...Charlie, by the way, nice to meet you" With not much else to do as he waited for the rain to stop, he decided that it probably wouldn't hurt follow up on the small talk with the girl, she certainly seemed like good company.

AriAriAbabwa

 

[Elenion Aura]

RAPHAEL SHAW

CS Link

SCENE:

Omnia et Vanitas

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 || May 2021

LOCATION:

???, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, Kisara

OMNIA ET VANITAS

The world is cruel, and so to survive, one must be crueler.

Raph had lost count of the times he’d been taught that particular lesson in his short, miserable life. The flavor had changed. There were little variations here and there. As if the universe itself was getting bored of telling the same story over, and over, andoverandoverandover again, and was actively trying to spruce things up. But that didn’t change the bones of the lesson beneath all that gilding. No matter how hard he’s tried to escape it, Raph was beginning to understand that this was his fate. As words that had once been spoken to him rang yet again in his ear.

This world was not made for the likes of you.

Luckily, Raph had plenty of time to ruminate on his own poor fortune, and even more time to stew in his own misery. After all, today was a lab day. And lab days meant… Not much, really. Tests, tests, and, wouldn’t you know it? More tests! Just to shake things up. It was all rather tedious. But it wasn’t like Raph had anything better to do with his time, anyway. He was an infant. A newborn. A toddler still learning how to find his footing in this world of super-powered assholes. A world he hadn’t been born to. A world that didn’t belong to him, or rather, that he did not belong to…

Raph was bored. Which explained well enough this latest spiral he was experiencing. Too much time alone with one’s thoughts and things start to get morbid. He has found himself, in that particular moment, ‘in-between’ tests. The very notion infuriated him. It was like being treated like a fragile ornament. Easily shattered, handle with care. The lab-workers tip-toed around him, incessantly asked him if he was ‘okay’, or if he ‘needed a break.’ As though he ever needed a break, as if he’d break, at all. They thought him fragile, but they were wrong. They were all wrong. The truth was, he was strong. He knew he was strong. Stronger than all of them, stronger than everyone. And…

There was still more.

Raph could feel it, like a locked chest inside his mind. All that he needed to do was find the key. Then he’d show them what true power looked like. He’d show them all, right before they died, their mistake. Give a wretch a taste, and he’ll devour the whole fucking cake.

But, for now, as he was—as Sang-Cheol and his little gaggle of minions liked to say—‘between tests, Raph would do nothing. Nothing but sit there, in that small, sparse room. Alone. And seethe.

Only... He wasn't alone for long.

In fact, Sang-Cheol's portly crony had scarcely shut the door before the visage of a man's face assaulted Raph's senses. He knew it well. He'd seen it in his dreams for a long time, now. It was the face of the first man he'd ever killed. Raph sat up as he looked the spectre in the eye. It was a good face. A young face. Raph had never seen him before that night, or perhaps it had been day? It was impossible to tell in that underground hell-hole what the world above was like. The waking nightmare did not speak—it never did. It simply stared. Raph stared back, his face hard, even as a cool bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck.

If you'd wanted to live so badly, you should've fought harder and killed me, instead of the other way around. ~

The apparation vanished, and its grip on Raph abated. He let out all the breath from his lungs, a slow, shaky stream. How long had he been holding that breath, he wondered. He wondered why he cared about some poor, dead schmuck after all this time? And if Raph didn't care, which he did not, then why was that pesky ghost still poking around in his skull.

Perhaps he needed a hobby. Raph huffed. He was already tired of this 'break'. Shoving off the wall he'd been perched against, he made for the door. He'd find the nearest freak in this den of freaks and force them to do... Whatever it was they had left to do, and then he would go home, to his dirty, empty, lonely one-bedroom and do nothing.

He really did need a hobby.

With a bit too much force, Raph threw open the door that led out into the lab's main foyer and was met with yet another familiar face.

He paused, blinking. Something wasn't right. Something about seeing her here did not compute, exactly, in his brain. It took it a while to catch up. Finally, he said, "Oh. It's you." Then, after he'd confirmed that she was not in the company of He Who Would Not Be Named, Raph smiled viciously.

"Hello, darling. ~"

Spoiler: Tags

simj26

 

[Elenion Aura]

SHEN YUE

CS Link

SCENE:

The Koi Pond

TIME:

2021

LOCATION:

Park, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hou, Shen

THE KOI POND

Shen enjoyed parks. He enjoyed the trees. He enjoyed the way the wind whistled through their branches. He enjoyed the flowers, their fragrance reminding him of the last vestiges of the spring and summer months that had passed, before the watchful autumn closed in, and winter to follow.

There were many parks in the East, the most beautiful of all the Districts! Shen enjoyed them all, and he frequented them often during his days meandering around the city, shirking responsibilities that others likely would've killed for. One in particular, however, he enjoyed most. It was well-kept, clean, and had a little pond that Shen liked to visit on days when he missed his mother. He thought he remembered her taking him here, once. Perhaps. Or perhaps that had been a dream.

In either case, that bridge—and the little koi pond it traversed—now reminded him of good times. Of warmth, and family, and love. Shen enjoyed it very much. So much, in fact, that he was on his way there, now, only to find upon his arrival that the bridge itself was occupied. There stood a man peering over the bridge into the placid waters below.

Shen approached quietly so as not to disturb him, hands resting comfortably against the small of his back. By the time Shen stopped and turned to look at the koi himself, the two were quite close. Shoulder-to-shoulder they stood in silence. Shen watched the koi, as did the stranger. Not once did this situation strike him as even a little strange. In fact, Shen found that he was happy. To see another like something that he liked felt warm, but a different kind of warmth from the kind he felt when he stood here, staring at the koi by himself.

“Do you think they have names?” Shen asked, thoughtfully. He did not look up from the pond, nor did he feel any great need to elaborate. He had thought about this quite a lot. Naming them. He had, in fact. Though, sometimes he got them mixed up. Somehow, Shen didn't think the koi minded if he called them the wrong names, sometimes. Maybe they didn't have names at all. But he had named them for himself, because he could not rightly ask a koi what it would have preferred to be called—no matter how much he might've liked to—so his only option was to settle for naming them himself.

Unless someone else came along with a better idea for their names. That would be good, Shen thought. It was only then that he turned his head to acknowledge this stranger on the bridge.

For no reason at all, Shen smiled.

Spoiler: Tags

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Hou

CS Link

SCENE:

The Koi Pond

LOCATION:

Park, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Shen &Hou

The Koi Pond

"Whoa!"
The voice beside him startled him. Hou jumped sideways, hit the stone rail with his back and tipped dangerously towards the water. Then he realized, if he fell in, he would scare the koi! In an impressive feat of acrobatics, he twisted in midair, hooked one foot through the pillars and rolled, somersaulting back over the rail, onto the path and finally, landing on his rump unceremoniously at the stranger's feet.

"You're quiet!" Hou laughed as he looked up, taking in the sight of the placid and serene man who couldn't have been much older than he was. He'd been standing so close.

Hou threw Shen his best and widest grin, picking himself up off the path and going back to stand beside him again, looking down into the water.
"Names huh? Well idk about your fish here, but fish where I come from can't talk...OH! You meant did someone give them names."
Hou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"No clue. My mom used to take me to parks like this when I was little, I guess I just wanted to try and feel something like I felt back then, you know?"

Then his eyes widened and he looked over at Shen as if his new acquaintance had just come up with the most brilliant of concepts.
"Hey! Do you wanna give them names?"

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura

 

[Elenion Aura]

RAPHAEL SHAW

CS Link

SCENE:

Unlikely Encounter

TIME:

Post Arc 1/Pre Arc 2 — Sometime After September 17th, 2021

LOCATION:

Geronimos, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, August

UNLIKELY ENCOUNTER

Raph felt a pang of regret at the back of his mind as he heard the Tiger say his own name back to him. It reminded Raph of how foolish he’d been, and how foolish he continued to be the longer he let this little scenario play out. This was dangerous territory, he was entering tonight. And not the fun kind of danger, either. At least… Unless…

“I was getting there." Raph retorted with a little faux-indignation as his fingers found the right place on the console. “Eyes on the road, speed demon. You don’t have to fuss over little old me." Raph said, without realizing that August had not, in fact, taken his eyes off the road. Perhaps he’d only wished that he had.

Then the car was quiet, and cool. And Raph felt all at once an impossible calmness wash over him, as though a great current had arose and swept away all the toils of the past day, week, month, life. Out to sea. Raph floated there above the brine, as his eyes fluttered closed.

He was drifting, now. Aimless as the ocean-borne breeze, meandering along still shorelines. He thought he heard a voice, there. Calling to him. Beckoning him deeper into unconsciousness. Beckoning him home.

Then another voice cut through the quiet of that shore and roused Raph to wakefulness by the sound of his own name, his name—the last heirloom of his wretched first life, a vestigial limb that tethered him to a place, and a time, and a memory that he believed he’d buried long ago. Why was he thinking like this? Why here? Why now? Why were his thoughts so suddenly loud?

Loud enough that he’d all but forgotten to try and listen as August recounted the history of leather to him. Did Raph look like the kind of person who cared to hear random tidbits of trivia? Or did August simply not care? Would he have launched into this pointed, and yet purely pointless, tirade if anyone else had sat in the seat that Raph now occupied..? Raph didn’t know which possibility he preferred.

That, of course, was a lie.

“Oh, yes. Neat-o, indeed." Raph snarked sleepily. His eyes were starting to feel heavy again. He thought he might slip, again.

He was.

He did.

And when his still-sloshed mind had at last coaxed itself into some twisted facsimile of wakefulness, it latched furiously onto the first-and-last thing it heard. Something about preferring big spoons.

“Oh, that’s a relief. ~" Raph teased, missing the context of the statement by leagues. He started to fade again, resting his chin in his palm and his elbow on the belt molding that coated the lower part of the window.

“Hm? Who cares?" Raph shot August a look. He hadn’t noticed the red light in question, but he also didn’t think it much mattered. They were through it, now. No harm, no foul, and all that.

After August struck him with the flurry of questions, Raph did his best to hide the fact that his mind was turning over in his skull trying to process them all. He ended up answering them in reverse order, if he answered them at all, before posing a question of his own. He’d come this far, hadn’t he? Might as well go all the way.

“Oh, well. For starters, they have excellent benefits," Raph deadpanned, half-wondering of August would believe him, before providing a more ‘accurate’ answer. “Because I wanted to, and I do what I want."

He was suddenly awake, now. Alert. He sat forward in his seat, half-turning so that he nearly faced the driver’s side head-on.

“Why did you really come back for me, hm? Don’t feel me the ‘goodness of your heart’ line, either." Raph paused, then went on, suddenly struck with inspiration, like a bolt of lightning.

“What is it you think you stand to gain by helping me, hm?"

RAPH NOTES​

— —What he's wearing (X) + his jacket has come off & his t-shirt sleeves are rolled up past his shoulders

— —SCENE DESCRIPTION: After an unlikely encounter at a bar called Geronimo's which consisted of August and Raphael clashing with some Albino Tigers, a very drunk Raph finds himself in the front seat of August's car.

Spoiler: Tags

Doctor Llamabean

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

Osamu and Mina's Party Bash

TIME:

September 25th, 2021 | Post Arc 1

LOCATION:

Osamu/Minato's Crib?

PARTICIPANTS:

Osamu, Minato, Matsuda, August, Elias

Osamu and Mina's Party Bash

Crack!

Straightening from his hunched position over the pool table, Elias reapplied the chalk on this cue stick as Ronald groaned and downed another shot of alcohol. Several onlookers that were watching their game whistled. Had Elias missed, fouled,or failed to pocket, he would’ve been the one taking the shot, as per the little addition they’d added to spice up the 9-balls match. Drinking games were a given in a party with tons and tons of alcohol, after all. Gambling as well since all those invited to the party seemed to have a lot of spare cash to spend.

“Sheeeesh, if I’d known you were thiiiisss good at the game, we coulda made a ton’a money off it.” Ronald’s worlds were slightly slurred and his face flushed, but. to the NP’s credit, he was still standing.

“We still can,” Elias lined his next shot . “Only if you feel like working though.”

“Makin’ money ain’t work.”

Crack!

Balls 4 and 5 were pocketed consecutively. Elias smirked as he handed Ronald two more shot glasses. “I don’t think you’re aware of how ironic that sounds.”

Though nothing quite beats the irony of walking into a room full of Minas after suggesting to Ronald that they congratulate one should they encounter him. Encountering didn’t look like it would be much of a problem. At all.

Elias, for his part, had spent a good portion of the party introducing himself to those he didn’t know, shaking hands with many, many party guests–the ones that didn’t know about his potential at least–as well as a good number of Minatos before finding himself at a pool table with Ronald. Minato's table? Osamu's table? Or just a decorative part of the venue they'd rented out for the night. Whichever the case, alcohol loosened tongues nearly as much as a bit of memory alteration did and the joyful ambience of the party made people less guarded, whether Elias used his potential or not (he did if he could get away with it). That was how he’d learned that Janay Fox had a sister who helped him into the gang…one who happened to disappear around the same time Janay did. He’d also learned that all of Doppleganger’s clones had various different memories depending on when they were created and what they experienced…though there were certain memories they all shared, by lieu of being derived from the same Minato, as well.

Turning to the nearest Minato, that may or may not be a clone, Elias smiled and spoke conversationally. “As a newly minted veteran Tiger, what do you think? Do you consider the act of lining your pockets to be work?”

“Fuuuck that!” Ronald scowled as he emptied the shot glasses before setting them on the counter...a bit harder than necessary. “Someone needs to make ‘im drink so that I can get a turn!”

Shaking his head, Elias chuckled as he circled the pool table and considered the ball positions. Should he continue to force Ronald to drink, end the game so that they might do something else, or miss so as to make the game more entertaining? Choices, choices~ "Even if you do get a turn, winning won't be easy if you've got wobbly hands, Ron." Winking, Elias leaned against the billiard table and angled his next shot so that he could get the 6-ball, which was the next lowest ball in play. "Beating me will require a bit of creativity."

Whether chasing Alice or playing a game of pool at a random party, if there was one thing Elias had in common with Weiss, it was that he too liked winning. The difference, Elias supposed, was the sort of games they played.

Elenion Aura Doctor Llamabean Caffeine_Obsessed Slav

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Matsuda Russo

CS Link

SCENE:

Osamu's and Mina's Party Bash

TIME:

September 25th, 2021|Post Arc-1

LOCATION:

Osamu's Crib

PARTICIPANTS:

Osamu, Minato, Matsuda, August, Elias

Osamu's and Mina's Party Bash

Matsuda was in the process of psyching himself up, bouncing on the balls of his feet in front of his bathroom mirror. This was such a shitty idea... He knew. But- it was a sure way to get somewhat familiar with the Tigers right? Maybe if he somehow got higher in the ranks by association, he could get out of his stupid debt faster. Though- there was not much he hated more than sucking up to some rich pricks who got their money from their fucking bloodline.... Those born rich. He envied them no doubt- but at the same time... He hated their guts.

The duo eyed boy sighed, ruffling up his hair as he stared at his frowning reflection. He could always just- go through this whole thing keeping his head down, doing whatever he needs to rather than making himself known. Hell- who was he kidding? Matsuda was never known to avoid trouble~ Besides. This was a party! Tiger or not- there was bound to be some kinda fun!... right? Matsuda shook his head, refusing to overthink this thing any further. He was going. That was that.

He donned on his brother's reading glasses, a self assured smirk looking back at him. He was originally going to opt for a disguise but- why the hell should he cover up his usual good looks? This way- it was kinda like Superman and Clark Kent! He wore glasses to hide himself, right? If he was being honest- Matsu had no idea how that worked for him. He had to have some kinda mind control for that bullshit to work right? Anyhow- he doubt it would be any effective but- why not for the hell of it?

--

Despite being late, there were still lines of people pushing their way into the stupid building. Matsuda groaned to himself, crossing his arms in frustration. There was no way he was going to wait in this fucking line. Besides- What if there were bouncers or something at the entrance waiting for him? He wasn't necessarily invited after all... He just heard it from gossip and word of mouth- which deemed to be true. Biting his lip, he straightened his shoulders and shrugged past the line with the utter most confidence he could fake- muster up! Despite nervous sweat making the back of his neck chilled, he thought he feigned it pretty damn well. But what else did he expect? He was Matsuda damn Russo after all!

As he made his way to the door, he squeezed himself into a big, close knit group, throwing his arm around some random stranger- acting like he knew them his whole life! Those in the group didn't seem to mind nor care- simply sparing him a glance, then going back to whatever they were talking about and laughing. Matsuda was safe. He kept with them, just following their every step. They had to know where this thing was- right?

--

As they finally arrived at where- he assumed- the party was being held, he separated from them. His eyes inspected the place, looking for any sign he could be found out- or even looking out of place. After a bated breath of nothing happening, no one recognizing him or realizing he didn't belong- he exhaled a big breath of relief. A confident smile took over his face. Now... just what could he get up to before he was found out?~

Spoiler: Tags

Slav Elenion Aura Doctor Llamabean QuirkyAngel

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

SYLVIE SLEZÁK

CS Link

SCENE:

Osamu and Mina's Party Bash

TIME:

September 25th, 2021 | Post Arc-1

LOCATION:

Somebody's crib

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Elias, Matsuda, Minato, Osamu, Sylvie

OSAMU AND MINA'S PARTY BASH

Sylvie breathed in the crisp night air as he strolled down the street. A party hosted by and for Tigers? What a perfect opportunity to make some new friends, some new connections. Networking is extremely important. Perhaps he should've been a bit nervous, waltzing up to the premises like he was somebody important, and not just some indebted rookie. What if he got turned away? But he felt no fear.

He had certainly made an effort though, not like he wouldn't make an effort for any occasion. A classy outfit, quite simple but unmistakably Sylvie Slezák. Expensive cologne and perfectly styled hair. He didn't expect most people to know his name, but one day maybe they would. His look didn't need any improvements though, he felt impeccable. He clutched a gift bag, containing a bottle of red wine he had procured from behind the bar at his parent's club. He was ready to impress.

He realised immediately upon smoothly entering the crowd that was being led to the penthouse by Minato that he may have misjudged the atmosphere. In hindsight, he didn't really know what to expect, but in his mind, he had hoped for something a little bit more... upper-class. He wasn't to be deterred though, he wasn't just here to small-talk with a bunch of rich people. He could have plenty of fun as well. And there was just the perfect guy to have fun with.

He approached Matsuda from behind, getting his attention with a tap on the shoulder.
"Ayy Matsuda! You made it!" He knew Matsuda was interested in getting into this party, just like he was, and had been looking out for him specifically. And it looked like both were fortunate enough to make it up into the penthouse with the crowd of partiers. He watched the crowd descend upon the supplied drinks, and remembered his own. Raising the bottle from the bag, he showed it to his friend. "Gift for the party. I did not know what sort of party to expect, really. Let's enjoy it!"

With the confidence of a seasoned partier, and not a 20-year-old pretending to be a big shot, Sylvie made his way through the crowds to open his bottle of wine and grab a drink.

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

HIDE ISHIDA

CS Link

SCENE:

Hazardous Chance

TIME:

Pre Arc 1- 2019, September 18

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, Hide

HAZARDOUS CHANCE

As Hide tried to calm his racing heart, out of nowhere- a guy came skidding next to him and his fucking hiding spot. What the hell?! Every muscle in his body immediately tensed up, expecting a fight right away. After a bated breath- and a moment to convince himself not to blow a fuse- Hide whisper yelled at his new assailant, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?! Who the fuck even are-" He cut himself off, quickly peeking above the car before ducking back down. He narrowed his eyes at the black haired man, scoffing.

He didn't have time for this. As tempting as the thought of smashing this guy's face into the grimy ground was- he had business to attend to. The best kind. Revenge.

Huffing out a breath, he moved past the newcomer, but not before shoulder checking him on the way. He whispered under his breath, "You're lucky I don't have the time to fucking kill you..." He peeked over the side of the car, nodding to himself in confirmation. It was clear. No more lurkers fucking walking around. He glanced at the guy who stole his hiding spot, a glint shining in Hide's glasses. A small, barely noticeable, devious smirk took over his face, before he got up and bolted across the street.

Leaping, he attempted to do one of those rolls he saw on a spy movie once... and failing. He rolled, yes, but that was before he landed straight on his back, having failed to do the rolling forward of the action. A scowl formed on his lips, before he got himself up, brushing his front of dirt. He rolled his eyes at himself, annoyed. Why did he even do that? It wasn't his fault anyway- the- the wind made him fall back. He could've done it if he actually wanted to. A clench of a jaw, then he moved forward. He pressed his back to the warehouse wall, a few feet from the actual door.

...Alright it's not like he had a plan- once he got here, he didn't necessarily work out how he was going to get inside without getting killed first- but it's alright! In true Hide fashion- he would just wing it! His impulsiveness had never done him wrong before!

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[The Hellion Charge]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, May 2021

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hide, Charlie

The Hellion Charge

-South District, 3 PM-

In one of the several tables laying around above the barnished oak deck of the outside section of the Jazzy Roast Cafe sat down the pair of Scarlet Phoenixes: Charlie and Hide, the former having invited the latter over for some coffee and pastries as well as just generally have a fun time...Or at least that's what Hide thought.

Hide was one of the very first people Charlie started to sincerely consider a friend ever since he joined the phoenixes, so naturally spending time together was a real joy! But alas, this was naught but a plan to ease the heterochromatic lad into a proposition...

"Thanks for coming, Hide! We haven't seen each other for a few weeks now so I'm happy that we could meet right now" Charlie took a bit of his chocolate-filled croissant as he pondered on how to proceed with his next words.

"Although...I may or may not have one extra little reason as to why I called you over..."

He took a sip of his coffee, nervously expecting Hide's reaction, as he was aware of his..."Dramatic" tendencies

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

TAZZ (August August)

CS Link

SCENE:

Osamu and Mina's Party Bash

TIME:

Post-Arc 1/Pre-Arc 2 — September 25th, 2021: ??:?? PM

LOCATION:

Osamu and Minato's Crib, ??? District... Drink station...

PARTICIPANTS:

Osamu, Minato, Elias, Matsuda, Sylvie, NPCs

OSAMU AND MINA'S PARTY BASH

As August neared his destination, Osamu and Minato’s flat, he donned his mask and dark sunglasses, and with a tiny black rubber band he pinned what of his hair was long enough into a frayed topknot—sloppily done and without much concern for what others might think (which would probably span somewhere along the lines of total dork).

As for the flimsy plastic bag, he wadded it up and tossed it in a bin in passing. It was already filled to the brim with trash, but it wasn’t his job to change it, and who was to say when he’d cross another?

Coming upon the tall building, checkered with black and lit windows, August took to a small crowd and moved amongst them, following them through the building until they merged with an even larger crowd waggling about the lobby.

“Nice hair,” someone told him sarcastically.

“Thanks, mate,” said August, giving his topknot a flip of the hand. The sarcasm was, indeed, not lost on him, but he was without the need to mind it, and offered only a polite nod to the stranger.

He recognized a few faces despite making no conscious attempt to. He wasn’t here to mingle—not that he was opposed to small-talk. No, in fact, August loved to small-talk. But right now, once again, he was more interested in Osamu’s inventory. Depending on how the night went would determine whether or not he left the flat empty-handed. Maybe he’d get a stroke of moral goodness and decide against it. If not that, then perhaps the opportunity to swipe a precious valuable would never safely present itself. Or even the case could always be that Osamu had nothing of interest at all.

He shrugged at the thoughts, then perked to attention at the sound of a familiar voice, Minato’s, addressing the group. Minato, but August knew him better as Doppelganger—or Doppy.

“Ay-yo! Everybody!”

The garbled mashup of conversation flowing through the group settled quickly and Minato continued, telling them to follow him and offering some guidance in case anyone got lost.

If he was being honest, there were more people than he’d anticipated and, looking around with a gaze of indifference, he noticed a few out-of-place individuals by the cut of their cloth. Knock-off name brands. He had a good eye for them. After all, he wasn’t an appraiser for nothing.

They eventually made it to the top two floors and everyone filed into the penthouse. August was directed by a Minato to a vast array of beverages and mixes—bottles of different colors, sizes, and shapes, emitting a gentle glow by the LEDs backlighting them, lined upon shelves of an expensive Darkwood behind an equally extravagant personalized counter-build.

He studied the hardwood with a glint of interest in his teal eyes, overlooking the drinks completely.
Slav Elenion Aura QuirkyAngel Caffeine_Obsessed WhiskeyMarten

AUGUST NOTES​

— —What he's wearing (CLICK HERE) + Surgical facemask, tinted sunglasses, and has his hair tied into a sloppy topknot (reminding of the green of a pineapple)

— —Call him Tazz! (Those who know his real name are: Isobel, Camila, Lucy, Markus, Elias, and Raphael)

— —SCENE DESCRIPTION: August arrived at the party with the most recent group led by Minato. He's standing by the drink station and admiring its build.

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

BLITZ (Boltius Beckman)

CS Link

SCENE:

Fraudulent Meeting

TIME:

Post-Arc 1/Pre-Arc 2—2021, September 21st—After 4:00 PM

LOCATION:

Central District, Plaza...

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Sang-Cheol Misuteeku

FRAUDULENT MEETING

Boltius used his gun to navigate the game options on the screen, aiming at a label that read: “Team Survival”, and he responded to Sang-Cheol with a laugh.

“Hah, man, I ain’t ever been good at this shit, so you ain’t gotta worry.” Adding, “That settles it then… DDR next.”

The game began with the garbled, phlegmy cries and howls of senseless zombies blaring through the machine’s speakers, the words First Wave in bold, bloody red spelling out across the screen before fading out, at which point Boltius took aim at the first zombie he spotted and fired.

The game was a poor simulation of real-life shooting, but it was fun nonetheless. By the time it was over, they had completed six waves, and when their scores appeared upon the screen, Boltius saw that he had lost.

“. . . Damn.”

“Well, that was fun,” said Sang-Cheol with a confident grin.

Boltius shrugged, “Yeah,” snickered, “Keh, better luck next time,” then racked his gun and turned away from the game with hands tucked deep into the pockets of his sweats.

“Looks like you’re a natural, dawg,” he said supportively. Looking back at Sang-Cheol over his shoulder, he asked, “You know how to shoot for real, though? Like, you ever held a real gun?... I never fucked with’em much but I still think they’re cool… for what they’re worth.” He walked as he talked, facing forward again with the Dance-Dance Revolution station in his sights—currently, it was occupied by some kids.

“I’ve shot- what, like… maybe one or two before but I couldn’t tell ya the first thing about’em. My mom’s a freak for’em, like how some people collect… fuck, I dunno- marbles? Dominoes? Wines?...” Boltius nodded to himself, “Yeah, shit like that.” He paused momentarily before continuing, “What about you, bro? You collect anything? You got a job? A woman- er, unless you’re into dudes—which is fine. I’m just throwin’ words around, don’t mind me. Gotta keep the chat flowin’.”

BOLTIUS NOTES​

— —What he's wearing (X) + His usual bling/jewelry

— —Tattoo Reference (X)

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

— —Bolt's Apartment (X)

— —SCENE DESCRIPTION: Several days ago, before the events of Arc-1 on September 17th, Boltius was approached by a stranger seeking his friendship. This stranger wrote up a contract agreement, which Boltius signed promising he would meet the stranger for a fun day on the town, that day being today.

They've just finished playing a zombie-shooter game and are now making their way toward Dance-Dance Revolution.

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Why?

LOCATION:

North District, Lab Icarus

TIME:

Post Arc-1 | September 25th 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Raphael

WHY

Sang-Cheol eyes trailed the soaring apple as it landed in one of the bins. He would have to ask Rebecca to dispose of that bin after Raphael was gone. Looking back at Raphael, Sang-Cheol could already tell he was perfectly fine. Tip-Top shape even. The could not be said for Sang-Cheol as a shiver ran down his spine. The hemomancer called him ‘darling,’ something he wanted nothing to do with. Something else troubled him.

“Bedside manners?” Sang-Cheol muttered to himself. What did that exactly mean? Why were there manners for the bed? Was it like table manners where they were a sure way to eat at the bed? Did Raphael eat his food while in bed? If so, that was incredibly unsanitary. There were a few picture books that showed a sick mother being cared for by her children in bed, but Raphael didn’t fit that description.

Sang-Cheol shook his head to get rid of the unnecessary thoughts.

In any case, he was still in trouble. He still needed to deal with Raphael. Faking a sigh, Sang-Cheol turned around. “What’s the point of asking about your day? My lab isn’t a cafe to chat in, Raphael.” Sang-Cheol said cooly. “If you’re here for a check-up, let's get it over with.” Walking over towards the door he just came from, he opened it. There was an unoccupied room with medical equipment nearby.

“If you would please follow me, we’ll begin the examination immediately," Sang-Cheol said. In the corner of his eye, he saw Gerda walking up with a dopey smile on her face. That was until she noticed him and immediately turned back around and ran the other way. That fucking coward. Why couldn’t any of his workers handle Raphael other than himself? He would have to deal out punishment at a later time.

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura

 

[simj26]

Dagger

CS Link

SCENE:

0: Zero

LOCATION:

Knight Residence

PARTICIPANTS:

Dagger, Ezra Knight

0: Zero

"'Dagger' is fine." There was no point in formalities. Probably a leftover habit from one of his previous instructors. The military one, most likely. Or probably drilled into his head by all those psychopaths that demanded respect from others without actually showing any work for it. She hated that attitude. ‘Ma’am’, ‘miss’, whatever. Even back then, she hardly got called those. A lowly Corporal at most, she was never referred to with any inch of respect, and she was perfectly fine with that. Just Dagger, Elise, or Cutter, when her dad wasn’t around. She didn’t like being in a place of power, she wasn’t better than anyone at anything except killing, and that was nothing to brag about. There were plenty of other killers out there, each armed with not just weapons, but also powers beyond human reckoning. It was just a guessing game at that point. Whoever moved first or whoever could counter the opponent’s moves better. On the battlefield, a skewed chessboard could always be tilted back to equal grounds if one knew how. She supposed this was what she was planning to teach the young man today.

She turned around to see the Knight whose face she had burned into her memory, then burned the dossier for in a makeshift fire. She wasn’t expecting him to be a giant, or half-way well-built, but he was lean and had put in some work into his body. Good enough, she supposed. She moved towards one of the tables. Even in combat boots, her steps were light and silent. She picked up one of the rubber knives. “I’ve read your files, and looked up some of your previous mentors. I don’t like to waste time, so I assume you are at least okay with melee combat. Your…benefactor has put me up to make sure you know how to survive in an urban environment, and for some reason, I’m his best choice.” She spun the knife in the palm of her hand as she leaned against the table. “In this crapshoot session we’re gonna call a ‘lesson’, you’re going to have to learn to stop thinking like a soldier. Think like a cornered rat, expose your opponent’s weaknesses, go straight for the jugular, use everything you have at your disposal to come out on top, and then some.” She caught the knife’s grip in mid-spin, then waved it towards the room. “How many weapons can you see in this room?”

@Lucem

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

FRADULENT MEETING

LOCATION:

Central District, Plaza

TIME:

Post Arc-1 | September 21th 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Boltius

FRADULENT MEETING

So this was a video game. Sang-Cheol was left with a deep impression by this experience. To think that video games would be so... fun. Perhaps it was because he was playing it with Boltius, or the fact that fucker Timothy didn’t go easy on him whenever he did try to play a game, was that it? Maybe this small outing wouldn't be so bad if this kept up. Either way, it seemed Boltius also had fun which meant the plan was going smoothly.

“Have I used a gun before?” Sang-Cheol clenched his fist behind his back as he considered his next move. It seemed that Boltius was a lot more observant than he appeared. It looks like having a dumb name didn’t mean that the person who possessed it was dumb as well. Putting that correlation aside, Sang-Cheol had to think deeply about his next move. He couldn’t exactly say that he gained his firearm experience from hunting down Hubert; his workers helped him surround the drug addict with M16s.

As he followed Boltius to the DDR, Sang-Cheol responded, “Well, I have experience on how to handle a gun. The neighborhood I live in is bad, so I have to arm myself whenever the need arrives.” Not the exact reason why he picked up firearms, but it was close enough. It wasn’t like the North District was the most stable environment to live in. Though, he would need to avoid answering if Boltius asked where he came from.

“What do I collect?” Damn, why was Boltius asking him all of the hard questions? A small flush rose on Sang-Cheol’s cheeks as he looked away from Boltius. “I collect coins.” Following Gerda’s advice, Sang-Cheol acted bashfully as if the question embarrassed him. It had great results before, so he just had to keep it up. Though, it genuinely was embarrassing for him to reveal a childish hobby.

“Other than I work a normal office job, though if I’m seeing someone….” there was something Gerda said about this situation. If he remembered correctly, he was supposed to do this?

“I’m not currently seeing anyone, but I am available.” Sang-Cheol winked at Boltius. Fuck, the mental damage. This better fucking pay off. Otherwise, Gerda was going to get gutted when he came back.

“Oh, looks like it’s our turn.” Sang/Cheol said as he quickly changed the topic. Getting on the platform, he inserted the money into the machine. “This is my first time playing this game, so please go easy.” This time there was no former experience to rely on.

Spoiler: Tags

Doctor Llamabean

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Loud and Proud

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, Late June 2021

LOCATION:

Some Streets, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Yong-Yut, Ten, Hector, Darius, Sylvie, Celestine, Amari, Peyton

Loud and Proud

“Here’s all the information on the parade, including a map!”

“Thank you.”

Placing the pamphlet in their bag, Yong-Yut waved goodbye to the person sitting at the information booth in front of her.

They turned around to the crowd. Deep inhale, deep exhale. Pride had been something they’d wanted to go to for a while, having been out for a whole 10 years. Though, they’d never got the chance to go, with excuses ranging from prior arrangements to straight fear of the amount of people. She could already figure it’d be a very overstimulating experience.

Yong-Yut awkwardly pulled out her phone as she stepped away from the booth, checking her messages from her cousin, Chet. He and Decha had already arrived at the festival without her and were now deep within the mob of rainbow people in the thin alleys on either side of the parade.


tell us when ur here yy

Here.​

we’re up near some bbq vendor ^^ ‘hot streaks’
right side

Okay. I think I’m gonna look around first.​

aw our lil yy is growing up
okay well we’ll tell you if we move
we ly

Mhm. Ily2
…I’ve been grown up for 8 years​

Looking up from her phone, she’d reached a crosswalk. Looking around, she took a step on the crosswalk towards the right side of the parade. Loud floats promptly marched down the road right in front of her, making them quickly remove their foot from the ground. Yeah, maybe that was a bad idea. Instead, she moved forward on the side of the parade she was already on.

To her left were buildings with booths placed right in front of them. Mostly information and protest booths, with the occasional food vendor spread out in between. Her eyes scanned the sidewalk in front of her as she moved closer to the metal fence on her right. They placed their hand on the fence for a split second before immediately taking it off from the heat. “Ow, ow,” she hissed. Another bad idea.

TENEBROSITY

CS Link

SCENE:

Loud and Proud

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, Late June 2021

LOCATION:

Some Streets, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Yong-Yut, Ten, Hector, Darius, Sylvie, Celestine, Amari, Peyton

Loud and Proud

Ten’s gloved hand traced the burning metal of the fence on their left that blocked the people on the outskirts from the parade. Along with the rainbow floats and faces to one side, on the other side of them held pride-themed booths and stalls —along with their boyfriend of two months. Their right hand gently grasped Darius’ left as they walked, before Ten abruptly stopped in their tracks and turned to the parade.

Slightly shaking the fence, they leaned over it to wave at a float that carried two men and a lot of advertisement for some manga. “Dairy, loo- look! Look, my- my- my- m- my- my fri- friends! They- they’re on the-the- they’re- they’re on the float!” Turning around to face Darius, they continued, “They- they said I could pla—y for th- them in a few months!”

They gave a gentle gasp, quickly brushing past Darius in order to get a better view of a booth dubbed ‘Fruity Floss’. Grabbing onto his shirt and tugging it, they pointed over to the vendor. “They ha- they have cotton c- they have cotton candy!”

With a thumbs up, they smiled towards him. “Do- d- do- don’t you wo—rry, Dairy! I’ll- I can- I’ll- I can pay for everything!”

Skipping forward into the short line in front of the vendor, they looked out from behind the person in front of them and admired the wide arrange of flavors plastered onto a poster. Most, though not all, of the flavors were named after identities. Cute. "What- what- what are- wh- what are you getting?"

WhiskeyMarten angel doe Coyote Hart

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Penguin Socks

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1— Early Spring 2002, ~4:00am

LOCATION:

Tales and Tails

PARTICIPANTS:

Yong-Yut, Markus

Penguin Socks

The waiter gave a surprised hum at the boy’s assertiveness. While Markus was ordering for himself, they scribbled down the order with a nod. Picking up the adult menus, they gave a short wave to the group, and walked off.

Chailai sighed and interlocked her fingers. “Markus,” she began, her voice dripping with a sickly sweet tone. “You know, you don’t need to do everything for Yong-Yut. She’s a big girl.”

Her eyes moved from Markus to Yong-Yut. “She can’t rely on other people forever. She needs to learn how to do things herself and to be less incompetent. It's good to learn new skills, isn’t that right, Silver?”

Yong-Yut slid down into the booth, avoiding looking at her mom.

“...Otherwise, she’ll end up a waste of space. I don’t think you’d like a completely useless friend.”

Chailai smiled at Markus before turning back to Decha and Chet, promptly moving on.

Yong-Yut reached over to Markus’ shirt, eyes staring blankly at the table. She didn’t understand. She knew that it was some sort of insult —or at least, she figured it was an insult, as it was the same tone of voice Chailai always used to insult her— but she didn’t understand why. It felt bad.

…But it was fine. She only had to listen to it until they got to the zoo. Then they could split off with one of her cousins. She nodded to herself, sitting up.

Using her spare hand, she reached over to a crayon that came with the children’s menu and began roughly coloring on it. Simply waiting idly for the food to arrive, listening to the mindless chatter of her relatives. It was all small talk, anyway.

Elenion Aura

 

[Coyote Hart]

Peyton Xiong

CS Link

SCENE:

Loud and Proud

LOCATION:

Central District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, Late June 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Yong-Yut, Ten, Hector, Darius, Sylvie, Celestine, Amari, Peyton

Loud and Proud

"Some things just don't change," Nai said. Beneath the mask he wore, Peyton was sure there was a wistful smile. The Serpent slipped a straw beneath that mask, using it to suck hot chocolate out of a paper cup before recoiling with a pained expression on his face, "Blegh. Too hot."

Peyton turned to his childhood friend with a happy little grin, remarking, "I think I like it this way."

"We could be together more often if you hadn't betrayed us," Nai said, a taste of bitterness in his words. Used to the blunt way his friend phrased his words, Peyton simply laughed it off. Besides, Peyton knew deep down that Nai physically couldn't blame him for his betrayal.

Regardless of who they had become, the two West District natives could always count on being with each other during pride.

The two of them stood in the middle of the festival. Sights and sounds bombarded them from all around, a nearly overwhelming experience for the two introverts. There were food stands selling delicious-smelling delicacies. Small multicolored tents sold various wares crafted by those who fell under the LGBTQ umbrella-- pottery, paintings, manga, books, you name it. A colorful array of people marched down the street, their heads raised high, proudly showing off their bodies as they were. It was so loud, that even if they had covered their ears, the sound of the parade would still march on.

Out in the distance, there were just a few people protesting, threatening impending fire and brimstone. Although far away, Nai glared at them. Peyton thought the pink-haired boy looked quite like a cat stalking a canary.

The annual Central District pride festival was a big part of Peyton and Nai's identities. They were fifteen when the two of them snuck out of their homes and took a train to the festival. Even after getting in trouble, they kept going together year after year. It didn't matter that now the two of them were technically enemies.

A particular stand caught Peyton's eye, and the Dragon ran over to it, followed closely behind by Nai, whose skirt billowed as he ran. It was a tent selling manga and light novels. Excitedly, Peyton picked up one of the books and began to turn through the pages, quickly flipping through the first chapter.

"Holy moly, this is the new release that I was looking for! Where did you even manage to get this, I heard that they were sold out of the next three volumes until next year!" Peyton gushed to the lady selling the books, who had a bewildered look. Peyton's excitement and dedication to his novels were definitely second to none. "Can I pay you to allow me to just sit here and read through these?"

But Nai wasn't the type that was interested in that stuff. He turned away from Peyton and said briskly, "How about we split from here."

The pink-haired tailor instead went over to the metal fence that barred them from where the parade raged on. He could probably find a different way around the fence, but that was slow. Nai was an impatient man. So, wrapping his hands around the colorful button-up that he had made for this occasion to protect himself from the heat, Nai leaped onto the fence and began to climb.

Spoiler: More Information

Tags: gxxberkit WhiskeyMarten angel doe
Nai's theme is Telecaster B-Boy