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

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Tot Musica

LOCATION:

East District; Dragon HQ

TIME:

Pre-Outbreak || July 1st, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Llyod ( Jexon Whells ), Yona ( CasualTea ), Jackson

Agonizing Bonechill

They’d lost the element of surprise, and worse yet they had no idea what these others could do. The giggles of the newbie let him realize he was vastly underestimating her ruthlessness. With that bite she’d go far. It only illuminated how his own had dulled. The cold chill shocked him back to the present, there was no room for this hesitation. He brought out his lance ready to follow.

He heard the shouts of Yona before him speaking of making them kneel and saw only the potential for growth. Like the spirit of the dragons had already come upon her. Order through any means… if that’s what she would bring about. An uncut ore who would either flourish and become vibrant or be lost to the dregs.

“She’s new and ruthless, we can complain about her methods later! But for now at least she’s not letting them slip away!”

He lunged forward avoiding the ice and following as closely behind Lloyd as he could. He kept his eyes out for any that were trying to exit whether on their end or the end they came from. He couldn’t let on his power yet without seeing which of these fools were the most dangerous. He caught one in the corner of his eye and lashed out with the lance trying to knock them to the wall.

 

[Jexon Whells]

Scene Director

...

TIME:

Pre- Outbreak: 2022, July 1st

SCENE:

Agonizing Bonechill

LOCATION:

Littleleaf, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson BriiAngelic , Yona CasualTea , Lloyd Jexon Whells

Agonizing Bonechill

It seems Yona had finally dropped her subservient facade once they had been discovered and it became time for action. However, her approach seems feral and reckless, unleashing her power without though or reason inside the tunnel, leaving it all a hazard for Lloyd and Jackson, much to Lloyd's displeasure. Not only that, the crescent shaped ice launched through the tunnel hits boxes, making them spin, topple and shatter on impact with either the wall, ground or even the ceiling. The sounds of shattering ice would also mask the sound of vials breaking that were inside the now destroyed boxes, leaking the contents unto the tunnel floor.

Shortly after, Lloyd would dash after Yona through the tunnels she filled with ice, doing his best to use his body to clear some of the hazards for him and Jackson, who were still in the middle of it. Even though Lloyd is able to ram the ice spikes of the wall, it does not go without scratching up his armour. What's more as that the spikes that were first on the tunnel surfaces, were now rolling on the ground. Despite Lloyd's current weight and strength being able to smash any of them underneath his feet, plenty of pieces would still be around to form a tripping hazard.

Meanwhile, Yona was still chasing the indents, catching up to them too. She would almost have gotten one, were it not for the earth itself suddenly blocking the path between them, with loud slams of each pillar slamming into the opposite side of the tunnel. A newly formed grid that sprung from the tunnel surfaces was now between Yona - and also the approaching Lloyd and Jackson - blocking them from their targets. "Sam, roast 'em!" was what they would hear next, right before searing flames burst violently through the earthen grid.

Whatever the burst of flames would do to the trio would remain uncertain, though only for a short while. What I can tell you with absolute certainty, is that the temperature inside this part of the tunnels would rise significantly. And with that, the drugs that the Serpents were trafficking - now spilled in the ground - would evaporate into the air, turning the tunnel not only into an oven, but a gas chamber aswell. The trio would soon find out what kind of drugs they are, as it would dull their cognition while giving them a sense of euphoria. Since the three are standing in the middle of it, they would be the first to be hit by this newly formed gas. Although, it would not take long after the flames subside that the gas would reach whoever is on the other side of the grid aswell. "It is not looking good for them so far."

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

New Royals

LOCATION:

Kaspian's Club, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Tri

NEW ROYALS

Hector stared as well but was a little taken aback. He let out a laugh. The guy was being
funny, but there was a bit of nervousness too. His next move was hard to anticipate. Hector didn’t think for a moment he had Tri beat, yet.

”You care 'bout all that? Tssk, I don’t.” Hector shrugged. ”Maybe I woulda given them a tip if the service wasn’t so shit, but they did this to themselves. Seems everyone’s forgetting who’s going to be in charge of Central soon.” He crouched down, moving his foot to try and pry Tri’s coin from the ground it was embedded in. Slipping thin metal nails beneath it, he picked it up, holding it to his face.

A weighted coin, typical. He pocketed it.

”Why don’t you pay for it if you’re such a saint? You can buy me a new drink too if you want, if we ain’t playing nice, there’s no reason for me to be sober still.”

 

[CasualTea]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Tot Musica

LOCATION:

East District; Dragon HQ

TIME:

Pre-Outbreak || July 1st, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Llyod ( Jexon Whells ), Yona ( CasualTea ), Jackson

Agonizing Bonechill

They’d lost the element of surprise, and worse yet they had no idea what these others could do. The giggles of the newbie let him realize he was vastly underestimating her ruthlessness. With that bite she’d go far. It only illuminated how his own had dulled. The cold chill shocked him back to the present, there was no room for this hesitation. He brought out his lance ready to follow.

He heard the shouts of Yona before him speaking of making them kneel and saw only the potential for growth. Like the spirit of the dragons had already come upon her. Order through any means… if that’s what she would bring about. An uncut ore who would either flourish and become vibrant or be lost to the dregs.

“She’s new and ruthless, we can complain about her methods later! But for now at least she’s not letting them slip away!”

He lunged forward avoiding the ice and following as closely behind Lloyd as he could. He kept his eyes out for any that were trying to exit whether on their end or the end they came from. He couldn’t let on his power yet without seeing which of these fools were the most dangerous. He caught one in the corner of his eye and lashed out with the lance trying to knock them to the wall.

Scene Director

...

TIME:

Pre- Outbreak: 2022, July 1st

SCENE:

Agonizing Bonechill

LOCATION:

Littleleaf, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson BriiAngelic , Yona CasualTea , Lloyd Jexon Whells

Agonizing Bonechill

It seems Yona had finally dropped her subservient facade once they had been discovered and it became time for action. However, her approach seems feral and reckless, unleashing her power without though or reason inside the tunnel, leaving it all a hazard for Lloyd and Jackson, much to Lloyd's displeasure. Not only that, the crescent shaped ice launched through the tunnel hits boxes, making them spin, topple and shatter on impact with either the wall, ground or even the ceiling. The sounds of shattering ice would also mask the sound of vials breaking that were inside the now destroyed boxes, leaking the contents unto the tunnel floor.

Shortly after, Lloyd would dash after Yona through the tunnels she filled with ice, doing his best to use his body to clear some of the hazards for him and Jackson, who were still in the middle of it. Even though Lloyd is able to ram the ice spikes of the wall, it does not go without scratching up his armour. What's more as that the spikes that were first on the tunnel surfaces, were now rolling on the ground. Despite Lloyd's current weight and strength being able to smash any of them underneath his feet, plenty of pieces would still be around to form a tripping hazard.

Meanwhile, Yona was still chasing the indents, catching up to them too. She would almost have gotten one, were it not for the earth itself suddenly blocking the path between them, with loud slams of each pillar slamming into the opposite side of the tunnel. A newly formed grid that sprung from the tunnel surfaces was now between Yona - and also the approaching Lloyd and Jackson - blocking them from their targets. "Sam, roast 'em!" was what they would hear next, right before searing flames burst violently through the earthen grid.

Whatever the burst of flames would do to the trio would remain uncertain, though only for a short while. What I can tell you with absolute certainty, is that the temperature inside this part of the tunnels would rise significantly. And with that, the drugs that the Serpents were trafficking - now spilled in the ground - would evaporate into the air, turning the tunnel not only into an oven, but a gas chamber aswell. The trio would soon find out what kind of drugs they are, as it would dull their cognition while giving them a sense of euphoria. Since the three are standing in the middle of it, they would be the first to be hit by this newly formed gas. Although, it would not take long after the flames subside that the gas would reach whoever is on the other side of the grid aswell. "It is not looking good for them so far."

Yona Kowloong

CS Link

TIME:

Pre-Outbreak: July 1st, 2022

SCENE:

Agonizing Bonechill "The Switch"

LOCATION:

Littleleaf, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson, Lloyd, Yona

Agonizing Bonechill

With the high intensity in the air, she continued her pursuit ignoring her seniors' thoughts about her and her methods. While they don't enjoy it, this was just how she rolled in her syndicate back in Xia. To her, her seniors are an incompetent duo. If they tell her that the mission was to clear this tunnel again, that means they've done it before. How many more times was the word 'again' used? How many times have they cleared this tunnel? They only seek to accomplish the mission and flush out the Serpents. In her mind, she'd want to send a message to never return and await further destruction on their turf.

Eventually, she came to a stop once an Earth grid was put up. Another potential user. What followed was the callout to unleash the flames that would soon fill the space ahead of her and come her way, along with the drugs turning into a gas. As careless as she was, she would still feel like this situation can come under their control. "Get down!!" She commanded, slamming her hand into the ground which erupted a very thick half-dome shaped wall in front of her that provided cover for her and her seniors behind her. The fire would make impact with the wall and be spread out thin by it as Yona continued to use her potential to maintain the wall until the flames dissipated entirely.

Though, busy maintaining the wall did she fail to recognize that a gas had been produced and was already in their breathing space. She caught a whiff which she thought smelled funny but quickly covered her nose and mouth with her sleeves, shouting at the top of her lungs to overcome the muffled state of her words. "GAS!! GAS!! GAS!!" She tried her best to combat the effects of the drug, trying to keep focus which was proving to become a challenge.

Having already inhaled the gas and her sleeves not filtering enough of the air she breathed, she began to waver. Her eyes felt heavy and her strength draining and her state was becoming lethargic. However, she knew she could not give in. While she did not care about having something to prove, she did not want to be lulled into a vulnerable state allowing them to capture. To combat this, she took one of the ice spikes from the ground and stabbed herself quite deep in her arm making sure to not hit anything vital. She screamed in pain under her sleeve which brought back her senses temporarily before taking her sword with her uninjured arm and coated it once more with ice, more ice than usual. She stabbed her sword into the ground which caused a shockwave so that it would blow away the gas to give the trio some breathing room before violently forcing her sword forth swinging it upwards, unleashing a large ice blade to rush deeper into the tunnel, tearing up the cement in its path and crashing through the grid, its sole mission is to meet the Serpents further down in a very forceful way. Heard of truck-kun?

With those series of events, Yona fell down to her knee, using her sword to help prop herself up as she took a minute to catch her breath. Using her potential was like running. While she could've endured a lot longer, the gaseous drug took quite a toll on her. She could barely think straight. All she tried to force herself to think of is how she was going to kill those Serpents when she got to them. But her thoughts kept trailing off and it would be difficult to keep them in line. Her blizzard finally stopped though so now Lloyd and Jackson can progress with ease without dealing with the cold.

 

[Damafaud]

Tri

CS Link

SCENE:

New Royals

LOCATION:

Kaspian's Club, Central District

TIME:

Post Arc 2, about a month

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Tri

New Royals

"In charge of Central, a beggar clan like Phoenix?" Tri was the absolute calm and cool. Hella cool. Hector didn't get flustered and he had to continue fighting but this was boring. But he had to be hella cool. "They say a starving camel is still larger than a good horse, but it appears that you can't even pay-"

Suddenly, Tri shot Sleeper Agent at Hector. A ping-pong ball sized projectile flew at high speed while Tri finished his speech. "-for a bottle of alcohol. Has-beens who are clinging to the past are a pain."

He definitely shouldn't shoot, but it was boring. Just talking wasn't his style. Still, he was the cool hidden master. After shooting, Tri remained unmoving and his legs remained crossed on the chair. He was cool, rich, and nothing like the poor Phoenix. He sighed with the sigh of the world.

"Really-""HOLY SHIT"

Whatever else Tri had to say was drowned by shouts so much that Tri forgot what he wanted to say next. He just stared blankly at Hector as a result.

Tag: WhiskeyMarten

 

[Jexon Whells]

Lloyd Sorvocah

CS Link

TIME:

Pre- Outbreak: 2022, July 1st

SCENE:

Agonizing Bonechill

LOCATION:

Littleleaf, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson BriiAngelic , Yona CasualTea , Lloyd (Me)

Agonizing Bonechill

Lloyd continues to go through the tunnels to catch up to Yona, most of the ice spikes now ran off of at least one of the walls to provide a safer passage and less hazardous fighting zone, at the cost of some tripping hazards laying about. Just as he turns the corner, he hears an someone shout, after which flames burst forth towards Yona. For a split second, Lloyd was terrified, Yona would be getting serious injuries. That thought quickly faded when she put up a sort of ice wall that was able to partially redirect the flames around her, and block the rest.

While the heat doesn't bother him all that much, he gets a full hit of the vapors from the now evaporated drugs. Luckily for him, it doesn't work as fast or as hard due to his size, and some physiological changes. Yet, it would still only be matter of time before he, too, would be negatively affected. The last blast, caused by Yona, would push the majority of the vapors away, allowing for some clear breathing room. Though the drugs he inhaled were the least of his worries when he sees Yona fall to her knees and keeping herself propped up with her sword. Right there at the front line, where he was supposed to be, so no one else would have to face the brunt of the attacks that he would be able to handle better due to his Potential.

Immediately, Lloyd springs to action. He charges past Yona at an incredible speed, with a strangely monsterous roar. He crashes through the earthen grate that had been put up by their enemies, chunks of it flying forward haphazardly. Lloyd would then lash out to the first enemy he gets his eyes on through the flying rubble, his claw going through the air with incredible power to lacerate anything in his path. Whether or not he would hit anything or anyone does not matter. Lloyd was not aiming for a specific target. In actuality, he was going berserk, lashing out and charging at anything in front of him that is or would be a threat.

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

The Ties that Bond Us

TIME:

Daytime, Post Arc 3

LOCATION:

Noodle Nirvana, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Jesper

The Ties that Bond Us

Bit by bit, the tension in the air seemed to aleviate as the seconds passed, the tips of Charlie's shoulders lowered further, as his back seeked for comfort against the cushioning of his seat behind him. But even so, the guilt continued to palpably weigh heavy on him, a mixture of concern for his treatment towards his possibly former friend, and abhorrent stigma of a liar.

Curious eyes darted towards Jesper's hands, blinking repeatedly in confusion as strange substances were poured over his dish...Was that milk...and soda? Charlie took a moment to lean forward over the table, his elbows hitting its surface as his fingers interlocked. He focused, growing more horrified by the culinary atrocity taking place before him. He opened his mouth, a fraction of a second away from begging Jesper to not indulge on the concoction.

However, something stopped him, a vagrant thought that doubled down on his uncertainty. Yes, the white-haired boy had just insulted cultures and gourmands alike across the globe with a simple action, but memory served well. It wasn't the first time he had done something like that...This was, in fact, the same Jesper he hung around with just weeks ago.

Was it really a comforting thought, though? To know that his friend had always kept such toxic beliefs close to his mind, spoken with such sincerety that one might wonder how they managed to be kept hidden for so long.

"Well...I should get going" Unable to bear any further frustration, the phoenix stood once again, a hand reaching for the inner flap of his jacket, retrieving a bundle of bills which he slid gently on the table. "Sorry that I can't stay any longer, but I...have some work to do". With a weak yet tender smile, he sent the dragon a half-hearted handwave.

"See you next time, Jesper."

Then, he left. No grace or fanfare to his retreat. You could hardly blame someone for not noticing that just moments ago the two exchanged heated words, given how cold and emotionless the phoenix was as he walked out the entrance.

And thus, Charlie returned to his home, the journey back filled with repeating thoughts, both of his encounter with Jesper, and several other events of an adjacent nature to the former. Had he said the right things? Was he really fair to his friend? Only time would tell.

@AriAriAbabwa

 

[Coyote Hart]

Gideon Gray

CS Link

SCENE:

Get(ting) Help

LOCATION:

Jiro's Dojo, South District

TIME:

Post Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Hitoshi, Ashley, Charlie, Gideon and Kaede

GET(TING) HELP

Hector was a monster. It wasn't that Gideon didn't know that already. The Queen had forced Gideon to go through so much hell already, should he really have been surprised that Hector took glee in Gideon's suffering? No, the answer was no.

Gideon jolted in shock when he heard Hitoshi yell. He had never heard the man raise his voice like that. Something was definitely wrong. And Gideon wasn't particularly surprised that Hector was sending Hitoshi into a full blown panic attack.

Typically a true villain wouldn't demean himself into coddling his underlings. But for some reason, this time, Gideon's body moved on its own. He drove the wheelchair through the rubble and pulled out a cane from the backpack attached to the wheelchair so that he could stand up and hobble over. The villain rationalized it as him just being a good Phoenix. Yeah, that was right. The concern that he was feeling right now was because he hadn't yet become a full fledged mastermind-- he was just doing his job as a Scarlet Phoenix.

"Slow down, Charles," Gideon said with narrowed eyes, "You can't calm someone down if you're all agitated like that."

In all honesty, Gideon felt agitated too. If not for his broken arm and leg, he would have been racing around trying to do something. But the past few weeks had taught Gideon to calm down a bit more. Besides, if using his Potential to try to stop the fighting was possible, then this was definitely a worthy time to attempt to use it. Charlie and Ashley were already crowded around Hitoshi, so Gideon stood to the side, a good few steps away from Hector. He leaned heavily on his cane.

"I need to focus on what is around me. I feel the soft breeze of the clothing dissipating my sweat. Ashley has his arms under me, holding me up. His grip is strong and stable, and he won't let me fall. I will be alright. I have my friends with me," Gideon projected to Hitoshi. He wasn't the best at grounding techniques, but he had to at least try, "Try to count down from 100 by 7s. That'll help ground me. 93. 86. 79. 72. 67.."

Fuck. Seventy-two minus seven was sixty-five. This was why Gideon wasn't a math major.

WhiskeyMarten joshuadim Lucem Roda the Red

 

[simj26]

Jessamine Darkness

CS Link

SCENE:

The Welcome Wagon

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 | June 23rd

LOCATION:

Dragon HQ, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Dorian, Jessamine, Keith, Lloyd, Mirza, Pavel, Renjiro, Ruriko

THE WELCOME WAGON

“You're…” What the fuck was his name again? She dug into her memory banks. Red hair. Looked like his confidence was made of wet paper, and his spine of a pool noodle. Keith. Right. Yeah, that was his name. There were better things for her to remember than his name. “Keith.” She started to give a curt bow in spite of herself, before she stopped. She scowled at him. What was he doing? She moved over and circled around him. Her hands hooked over his shoulders and pulled them back, forcing the man to straighten up. “Stand up straight. Is this your idea of a proper first impression?” She skirted back around to his front, and examined him again, before reaching up and brushing his drooping hair back from his face. “Such a handsome view, and you'd cover it up with dreary drapes? Have more faith in yourself, man.” She stepped back, clearly proud of her own handiwork. “You heard what Ms. Ruriko said. Go mingle.” She rounded him again, and slapped him on the back, hard.

She glanced over at the others that had gathered in the meeting room, and cast a look at the snacks and food that their gracious hosts had provided. If the provided sustenance were even capable of being called that. It was a spread, alright, but she could do little else but subject it to a stare that was best summed up as disapproving and disappointed. She made a mental note that, if she ever ended up hosting one of these meet and greets, she'd provide the people with much better. So disappointing was the readied assortment that someone else had to bring in more.

“Jessamine Darkness,” she announced. Having delayed her bow long enough, she finally brought it forth, giving all present a formal and polite bow. “That's the name. I grind the bones of our foes to dust, amongst other things, though you certainly don't have enough of an absence of those around. Keith, if my memory serves me right, has some proficiency in my area as well. Do you not, Keith?”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, despite the minor annoyance that brought me here in the first place. It needs not be said, but I do believe I speak for everyone present that we are in your care and guidance, Ms. Ruriko, Mr. Renjiro, Ms. Kanna, Mr. Silva, Mr. Mirza.” Her eyes almost bored holes into each of them as she addressed her seniors.

@Slav @Beann @tityanya WhiskeyMarten Roda the Red Jexon Whells

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Back in the Game

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 5 2022

LOCATION:

Boustan [About a four hour drive from New Oasis]

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Hitoshi, Milo

Back in the Game

Staring down at the group of hulking criminals, Charlie understood right there and then that every second was precious. He needed to act fast and get Elizabeth to safety, her well-being was the top priority of this entire ordeal, and he was not about to let some random troublemakers hurt an innocent civilian.Thus he charged forward.

It was a great shame that one of them's quick thinking was superior to the Phoenix's, a whip of energy quickly finding itself wrapped around the boy, and before this one could forcefully snap it, a violent swing threw him aside and towards a concrete pillar, the structured was smashed to smithereens as Charlie went trough it, landing nearby shortly after.

Attempting to recover from the blow, a new wave of pain surged through him, as a pair of boots landed with all of gravity's merciless force above them. He could have sworn that he felt his organs inside of him rearrange under the pressure. A foreign language reached the rookie's ears as he gritted his teeth, the words themselve may have been outside of his comprehension, but the tone of the man's voice was good enough to tell what they had in mind with him.

Unfortunately for them, Charlie had no plans of throwing the towel, not when their attacks where equivalent to a caress in comparison to blows he'd taken in the past. Smiling at his attacker, the boy grabbed at his ankles with both hands. The man's puzzled expression quickly turned into one of surprised, as his entire body was effortlessly lifted off the boys chest, now standing over a foot higher, he was given no time to react properly as he was flinged away, landing against the walls of the station on the other side of the rail road.

Pushing with his palms against the concrete floor, Charlie bent his knees back before pushing himself back on his feet. "Gonna have to try harder than that, campadre". Cultural assassination aside, reached out for his weapon of choice for the day: the extendable baton that he always kept secured in a custom-made pocket inside of his jacket. With a quick flick of his wrist, the weapon grew to its full length, showcasing an opaque sheen throughout its dark-tinted steel.

Kicking a basketball-sized piece of pillar rubble at the whip-wielding man, the boy quickly followed behind to projectile aiming to deliver a horizontal blow to his side.

Spoiler: Notes and Notifs

Hypercharge: Half-Activation

joshuadim Elenion Aura

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

To Live in the Shadows

TIME:

Afternoon, Pre-Arc 1, June 11th 2020

LOCATION:

Nameless Warehouse, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Helva

To Live in the Shadows

Things were not looking bright for Charlie, the continued attacks from what he assumed to be revenant were starting to take a toll on him, both because of the accumulating pain from the continuous wounds, as well as the general fatigue from the combat overall. It was true that for every attack he recieved, he was able to give one in return, he was sure that to some degree he must have been able to hurt her. However, in her current state, shrouded in a darkness far more veiling than the one in the warehouse, it was impossible to make a fair judgement on just how much his attacks had affected her so far. He could only pray that by keeping up this rythm, he could come out victorious.

His body tensed up as he watched perplexed at Revenant's impossible display of acrobatics, not only avoiding the large projectile coming her way, but even using it as a stepping stone while in the air. Taken aback by her performance, Charlie had not enough time to dodge her incoming attack, instead insinctively raising his forearm to take the blade head on. The story repeated itself once more, with the blade managing to make a shallow cut in his arm, adding in to the stockpiled pain he was currently suffering. As fresh blood ran down his forearm, a new threat approached.

A wraith-like fist traveled the gap between them in an inescapable amount of time, knuckles bathed in dancing shadows sinking into the comparatively tender stomach of the young man, forcing an agonized mewl out of him, quickly cut short as his voice cracked, most air in his lungs having left from the impact. His free hand took a hold of her shrouded wrist, attempting to push the fist away, but in his momentarily weakened state, it felt like a herculean task he currently lacked the strength to achieved.

Lacking in options, he opted for a more desperate measure. Leaning his head backwards, he threw it forward brashly, his forehead connecting with hers in what sounded like two heavy rocks clashing with each other. Using the short-lived freedom to his advantage, his clutching hand pulled Revenant in, lifting her over his head and slamming her against the ground beside, the floor cracking on impact.

He knew well she was going to quickly retaliate, and thus released his grip on her, skipping backwards to make some space between them. Looking around him desperately, his eyes shifted from side to side in search for any useful item lying about as a result of the destruction both fighters had caused so far. Anything that was large and durable enough could help him better endure the phoenix's relentless assault.

Peckinou

 

[Coyote Hart]

PEYTON XIONG

CS Link

SCENE:

Meet and Grit

LOCATION:

The Third Eye, Central District

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 || Morning of July 8th

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Keith

MEET AND GRIT

As Peyton ran his fingers along Keith's hands, he accidentally was too careless and pricked a part of his finger, causing him to jump in surprise and retract that hand. "Ouch!"

He lifted that finger to his mouth and sucked on the wound, the taste of copper entering his mouth. Yeah, Keith's hands were definitely dangerous. If not for the book signing, the two of them definitely would be locked in a fearsome battle. Peyton almost felt disappointed when Keith pushed Peyton away and the blades retreated back into his fingers.

"Heehee," Peyton's only response to Veronica was a mischievous little wink whilst sticking his tongue out. How funny, for someone to be telling a Serpent what to do. Peyton was obedient like a dog towards those who were mean enough to own him like Yuto and Raph. Otherwise, Peyton was the authority over himself. Nobody told him what to do! He turned to Keith, "You really shouldn't feel so bothered by your hands! Be more like me! The yellow from my hair and eyes comes from my Potential, and I love it! You should love your hands too!"

"They work so well with your hair and eyes! And the sharp edges are so cool! When you visit the North, we really gotta spar!" Peyton said excitedly as he gushed about Keith, "It's just a shame we can't do it right now!"

Peyton still had Keith's gloves, and his curiosity got the better of him. He stuck his hand in the glove. It fit... well, it certainly did fit as perfectly as a glove. Keith's hands were much bigger than Peyton's, and so the ends of the gloves hung loosely. It was slightly damp inside with sweat. Peyton wasn't quite sure what he expected. When he took off the glove, his hand left a streak of blood on the cloth-- he had carelessly stuck his bleeding hand into the glove. Then with a grin at Keith, he stuffed the gloves into his pockets.

"This'll be collateral! I'll give them back when you visit me!" Peyton said sweetly. His frenemyship with Keith wasn't going to the type of surface-level relationship where one party went 'hey we should do this' and the other agrees, only for them to never talk again. No, even if Keith was visiting to kill Peyton, Peyton still was determined for them to hang out.

Peyton stuck his finger into his mouth again, sucking on the blood that continuously gushed out. The line suddenly surged, and Peyton realized, "Hey, guys! We're almost there!"

Roda the Red

 

[simj26]

Inigo Han

CS Link

SCENE:

Not Thinking Twice

LOCATION:

Nighttime, Streets of Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camilla, Inigo

Not Thinking Twice

“Decaf.” A simple enough order. “Just decaf will do.” Still not a fan of caffeine. Not much for coffee either, but this will do. He paused for a second. “And some ice, please,” he added, indicating his bruised companion.

“It's alright. I'm fine. Been in worse.” Something resembling a cruel grin curled on his face, before falling back to a scowl as memories of the attack on headquarters resurfaced. He had never felt such a thrill in his life before, but never had he felt such a burning hatred for someone so specific before. That Woman. His fingers curled into a fist, knuckles white, before he caught himself. He forced himself to relax. He didn't have to bring it up now.

He composed himself, and cleared his throat, brushing down his sweater, allowing a soft, meager smile to alight on his expression, something to calm his companion down. “You gonna give up that name now, or am I gonna have to keep you listed as ‘mystery lady’?” He turned in his chair, facing the dark without. “Lots of people keep secrets here in New Oasis. It's fine if you don't want to tell me. After all, I am only here to make sure you get home safe.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “But it would be nice if I had a name to put on a face like yours.”

Charm wasn't his strong suit. That was Eric's and Se's department. He could certainly try, and he knew that his own pretty, feminine countenance aided a little in that aspect. He had a lot of work to do with everything else, though. As light and mellifluous as his voice was, he couldn't quite keep the interrogative nature of his work out of his tone.

Roda the Red

 

[Tabbystick]

Ayame Kido

CS Link

SCENE:

A Joker’s Paragon!

TIME:

April 13th, 2020

LOCATION:

Littleleaf Zone, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson ( BriiAngelic ), Ayame

A Joker’s Paragon!

Alas, her first attempt at self-promotion had left its target audience unimpressed,

Wait. No no no. That couldn’t be right. Where was the applause and exclamations of wow or awesome or you’re so cool Raine? Perchance, had the man been struck dumb with awe and wonder at her majesty? That must be the case.

Most grown-ups were of the boring variety, but never to the extent of Mr and Mrs Kido. The thrill of her escapades were all but gone, now that they’d ceased their efforts to stop her. She missed the days when she’d return home to a flurry of skillets and flip-flops from the furious couple. It’d been a great way for her to practice evasive maneuvers.

Indeed, it was becoming clear that she couldn’t let this man go. Not until she’d elicited a reaction greater than mere ambivalence. The ever-modest modest Raine demanded to be praised.

“Heed not these hands of mine, kind stranger, for they are but small sacrifices made in the name of love and justice. If you insist upon my treatment, however…”

In a single motion, she covered the distance between the two of them. Little fists pumped in anticipation, she made a valiant effort to stare up at the man, despite the neck pain.

“Then I ask of you first to accompany me on a grand adventure! Even as we speak, there is evil afoot, and as ward of Littleleaf, I cannot rest until all the perpetrators of villainy are banished from the mortal realm.”

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Overcast, In Saline

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 7th [Morning]

LOCATION:

Clemency Private Hospital, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric, Dagger, Kiwi, Dante, Pei

Overcast, In Saline

One. The first breath was sharp and shaky. Two. The second was steadier. Three. She was listening to Kiwi, but she kept quiet. Four. Every time Passeri inhaled, her ribs ached and all of the muscles in her chest protested, but that helped. It made her more aware of her breathing. Before she got to a dozen it had steadied.

"It's fine." Passeri's posture loosened as the panic froze over, and she moved her eyes from behind the cover of her palm. "I'm fine, really... Sorry about that."

It was embarrassing. Both now, and with Elise. She was supposed to be better than this. She wasn't supposed to be such a meek, fragile thing.

"I'm not particularly worried about the healing... I don't know if you've met Knight, but I'll have him pay a visit in a few days, and then things will be right as rain." Whatever gaps in her armour that Karne had pried open, Passeri had now started to seal back up. All of this... She just needed to approach it like she always did. Listen. Respond. There was always a right thing to say, it was just a matter of finding it. For all of the failures she'd committed over the last eight months, she was still good at that.

"Speaking of, um, would you mind doing me a favor?" It was uncomfortable doing so, given the circumstances, but she'd completely missed her window with Elise. Who knew how long she'd have to wait to ask somebody else?

"See, my phone got busted up during the... Incident. That's why I didn't call for anyone. Would you mind picking up one of my spares for me? I've got a um... A friend that can let you into my apartment in the West. I keep quite a few spare phones in my bedroom, so... If I connect you two, would you mind, um... Grabbing one... For me?" There was an awkward, dull pause after that. It wasn't often that she asked for favors. It was so much easier to back everything with the promise of payment.

"Sorry, I know it's a bit of a venture... But there aren't many people I can trust to go rooting through my things like this." That was putting it lightly. Who else even was there, aside from Kiwi and Elise? It was a stroke of luck that one of them had walked in after the other. "I'll owe you one, for what it's worth."

Spoiler: Tags

Interacted: @gxxberkit
Relevant: simj26

 

[Peckinou]

Skadi Hexillia

CS Link

SCENE:

The Devils Twilight

LOCATION:

Warehouse, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Red miki , Vulken Nobody Special , Musai Kameron Esters- , Sable Shugo , ??? Coyote Hart

The Devils Twilight

Skadi was use to not hearing from Helva for a while, typically that was due to her being on some mission out on her own, but it has been beyond the usual time when Helva typically contacts her back, and not only that she didn't even get to hear from any of her Shadow Friends either. The last one she had out was Zulin, and from what she heard he had gotten killed a while back ago, and no other Shadow friend was brought out either, which was pretty much the biggest red flag for her, since one of them should of been out and atleast gave her text confirming Helvas status. Helva usually handles herself quite well and she gave her more time than she needed to contact her, but there was nothing despite the texts she sent asking about her condition. With contact lost, Skadi felt obligated to personally get involved, and with her being Helvas only sponsoree she felt that she might need a bit of help when it comes to dealing with this situation. If the adversary that was able to take down Revernant of all people, then it would be pretty stupid to go in herself without a plan, and that plan seemed to involve calling some other Phoenixes in to assist her, via text message making sure the first lines expressed just how important this was.

'Urgent Request for Immedient assistance, more details will be provided at the soon to be disclosed location - '

She then went on to give the Address to a warehouse, the same Warehouse Helva used to start her Sponorees trials, and the same warehouse where she went on to retrieve the hard drive that carried a lot of information about the different gangs within New Oasis, all made possible by Hiymas work. She had mostly used it to gather intel on the gang Helva went on to investigate, before putting it back in it's hidden spot. While she may still be a Rookie, she was noted to be Helvas Sponsoree within the Phoenixes and had been in the Phoenixes long enough to develop a reputation, and anyone who knew of that reputation would know that it was rare for her to call other Phoenixes for help like this and it was stupidly rare for her to say something was Urgent so she was sure that her message would carry extra weight when it came to expressing it's importance. Now with the message sent, she just needed to wait, so leaning against the front of the warehouse, she pulled out her phone and began surfing that web, expecting it to take a moment before people would start arriving for assistance or atleast she hoped people would come to assist as she really wasn't keen on doing this investigation alone.

 

[Kameron Esters-]

Musai

CS Link

SCENE:

The Devil's Twilight

LOCATION:

Warehouse, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Red, Vulken, Skadi, Sable

The Devil's Twilight

Musai grinned as he read the urgent message from Skadi. "Heh, just in time! I needed to burn some calories anyways. I don't know if it's the cheese or the chips, but I feel diabetic," he mumbled to himself. He quickly finished his street nachos, tossing the empty container into a nearby bin, and headed towards the designated warehouse.

As he approached, Musai couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and curiosity. Urgent requests were not common, and the fact that Skadi, Helva's sponsoree, was calling for help meant that something serious was going down.

Musai sauntered into the warehouse, flip-flops slapping against the concrete floor. He eyed Skadi with a raised eyebrow and smirked, before speaking up, "Well, well, looks like someone finally realized they need the best in the business!" Musai boasts with a cackle.

He approached Skadi with a casual swagger, crossing his arms and tilting his head. "So, what's the deal, Skadi? Urgent business, huh? You know I charge extra for urgency, right?" He grinned, waiting for her to spill the details.

Peckinou miki Nobody Special Shugo Coyote Hart

 

[Kameron Esters-]

Musai

CS Link

SCENE:

TOWER OF POWER

LOCATION:

Maelstrom Tower, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Musai, Sable

TOWER OF POWER

Musai's eyes narrowed as he listened to the man's challenge, his demeanor shifting from playful to serious. The mention of the challengers seeking the head of his master didn't faze Musai; in fact, it only fueled his excitement. The acrobatic display, while impressive, didn't intimidate him either. Musai even began to clap his hands in amusement. "Nice moves, karate man! Nice moves!" Musai quipped, a smirk playing on his lips. "But I thought this was gauntlet, not a circus. Allow me to put things back on track,"

Musai stepped forward, cracking his knuckles loudly. His movements fluid and confident, and his grin widened. His eyes locked onto the martial artist before him, assessing his stance and movements. "I'll take you on, and I promise you, your ass-kicking won't be quick or painless. Let's see what you're really good for, karate man!" Musai he retorted with a smirk as he assumed a defensive yet confident stance, his muscles tensing as he prepared for the impending clash. The prospect of a challenge excited him even more, and he was ready to prove that appearances could be deceiving.

Roda the Red Shugo

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

Something Costing An Arm & A Leg Is Pretty Cheap Compared To Something That Costs Both Your Buttcheeks

LOCATION:

West District

DATE:

June 8th, 2022 || Post-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak, Missy BriiAngelic

Something Costing An Arm & A Leg Is Pretty Cheap Compared To Something That Costs Both Your Buttcheeks

Amid his anguish, a voice came above the sounds of casino chatter and spinning slot machines. Immediately, he categorized the voice as an annoyance, so much so that when his head was raised to look at them, the words were already leaving his lips.

“Drastic measures? I’ll show you drastic measures when I take your head and shove it in my fuckin’ ass--!”

His words stopped as he finally saw who was talking to him. A girl, a real average one at that. Immediately, he felt all his anger fading away and replaced with an uninterested leer. He rose back to his feet, glancing down at the girl with a slight frown and a simple blink.

“They got you dishin’ out warnings? Shouldn’t you be serving drinks or something? Minding your own business? Keepin’ your head down? You'd be a lot more at home wearin' one of them bunny-suits or whatever.” Tak questioned why the woman was out on the floor, getting involved with problems she didn’t have to. He doubted it was her responsibility to be handling the riff-raff.

“Talkin’ to me like I’m some rampaging drunk, ain’t you gettin’ a lil too excited to threaten to kick someone out?” The trashy-looking brute asked, his posture slouching slightly as he stuck a pinkie in his ear, “You just looking for an excuse to abuse your power on a poor sap? Finding some pleasure in being able to sic some randy Tigers on some innocent guy? Somethin’s wrong in that head of yours, y’know that?”

Of course, the irony was lost entirely on Tak, him explicitly being one of the ‘randy’ Tigers who would always be sicced on poor innocent guys. Introspection wasn’t his strong suit or any suit for that matter. The only matter was the one at hand; he was at a loss.

His hand stuck into his pocket and pulled out a few dollar bills; his expression went to a depressive grimace as he counted each singular bill between his fingers, a hand reaching up to rub at his forehead with anguish, “This isn’t even enough for a handful of chips for poker…” he lamented. For a minute, he was stuck in his head, trying to figure out what to do. Was he willing to end on a loss? To cut himself here?

Rationality battled with greed, and it didn’t even stand a chance; most gamblers quit just before they made it big. If he could get lucky, he could turn 1 dollar into 100, then 100 to 1 million.

But he couldn’t do that at any standard playing table; that would take hours. He needed somewhere he could turn this back around in a big way. But, he was left at a loss where that could come from.

Steam was starting to come from his ears as the hamster that ran the wheel of his brain began to get its exercise in, as a thought barely reaching the scope of an idea formed in his head. With a look of realization, he turned to Missy, again acknowledging her existence.

“Oi, you work here, right?” He asked, placing his money back into his pockets, “Feed me some insider information, will ya?”

Despite insulting the woman minutes prior, he quickly turned around and asked for her help as if nothing had happened.

“Is there anywhere I can do some high-stakes gambling? But for someone that doesn’t have any money. There’s gotta be a way for someone broke as shit to make a bit of dough real quick, right?” He questioned, but it seemed he was begging as a small bead of sweat went down his forehead, and visible distress started to show in his eyes.

“You got some in the back, right? You’re just holding out on me! It’s alright, I won’t tell anyone, just lemme take a look! Just a lil peek! And a couple of games!”

He was starting to get increasingly delusional.

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth

LOCATION:

Blast Off DVDs, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Takakazu, Dante (@Haze-), Minato ( Elenion Aura )

Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth

Tak was left staring at the man with black and blonde hair with a look between agitation and….well, Nah, just agitation. Was this supposed to be the “True Blue” hero?

“The fuck type comics were you readin’ as a kid? You musta got the second-hand ones that were already scribbled in,” he stated, crossing his arms. There was no world where someone like that was a hero, at least not a world he would live in. As usual, Tak had just met someone, hadn’t even spoken a word, and had already decided he hated them.

But, instead of being left there to just mean-mug Minato for no real reason other than nothing else was more appealing at the time, a yank on his collar caused him to break focus, his anger turning to Dante instead, “Oi! The hell ya grabbin’ me like that for!?” he shouted, not understanding what was going on as he was forced away, his hand clutched the rental DVD they still needed to return, waving it around as he tried to stomp his feet against the pavement to keep himself from being pulled off.

“We still need to return the DVD! Did you forget!? Lemme go fuckhead! I’m not givin’ up yet!” He shouted in defiance, his clothes threatening to rip off him as he tugged against Dante.

“THIS AIN’T OVER YOU BROKE ASS MINIMUM WAGE BITCH! YA HEAR ME!? I’LL BE BACK DAMNIT! AND I’MMA BRING MY LANDLORDS DOG! SHE’S RABID!” Tak’s fervent shouting contrasted with Dante’s feigned act of giving up, though, at least made the whole thing more believable.

The clerk watched them leave, her focus separated from Minato, who was still trying to talk to her for some reason. Her expression still hadn’t changed; she was entirely apathetic. She wasn’t on the clock anymore and had no reason to be polite and, as such, said nothing.

Unfortunately, she was still being talked to. So, silently, she turned back towards Minato, her lifeless eyes staring at him as if nothing was happening behind them. She was spacing out, and while trying to detach herself from what was going on, she hadn’t even noticed the ominous shadow behind her and felt nothing as she was frisked and plundered.

“...Are you done yet?” Eventually, all that came out of her mouth, the stone-cold heart of a minimum wage worker, was not something easily broken.

---

Finally, out of Dante’s grip, Tak was left rubbing his neck, a clear mark left on his collar. “You’re lucky it’s fuckin’ nighttime! If the sun was out, I would twist your arm off,” Tak complained under his breath, turning to face Dante with a scowl, “The hell’s your problem? Are you suddenly feelin’ up to payin’ late fees? How about you pay my rent while you’re at it, seeing as you’re suddenly sittin’ on cash?”

He still hadn’t caught on that he was just acting. He shifted his hand to the back of his neck, deciding to crack it after it got stiff from all the dragging; he didn’t bother honoring Dante with a glance as he was busy rolling his shoulders.

“How about next time their own their knees, have 'em cup your balls while you’re at it, since you’re so damn proud of yourself,” Tak retorted, placing a hand against the nearby brick wall to lean against it, “All you did was make a phone call and summon one of ya dickbuddies. And for what? So we could come and hang out in an alley? The hell's your plan?”

Dante’s gloating seemed like hot air; Tak’s first thought would always be to beat someone up or bust something down. Nuance was best left to, well, anyone else.


Before Tak could be left to ask more questions that he really shouldn’t have asked, a shadow started materializing, and an always unwelcome voice returned to his head. Before he could ask why the crazy mutt was barking in his head, a pair of dangling keys glinted in his eyes, causing him to smirk, walking over to bump a hand against the shadow’s hand mouth, “At least someone’s useful around here damnit!” He decided she deserved some praise just this once, giving a point over his shoulder with a frown and a shake of his head towards Dante, “Much more useful than the dude over there covered with scribbles and fingerpaints, lookin’ like a fuckin’ 3rd grader art project.”

With that, Tak quickly took the keys from himself, twirling them around his finger, satisfied as if he had done something; as he turned around, pulling the DVD out to hold it in the other hand, he stared back towards Blast-Off DVDs, walking with determination.

“Alright, let's return this DAMN DVD!” He enunciated, and without even taking a second for a plan to come to fruition, he was off, running his way back toward the rental store, leaving Dante to do his best to catch up.

When they returned to the store, Tak placed his back against the wall, peering around the corner to see the clerk's status. She was still there with Minato, though their discussion had at least caused them to move a bit away from the door, just enough to give them an entrance.

Tak clicked his teeth, somewhat annoyed that Dante’s proclaimed “hero” was just nothing but a simple distraction, a simple note of how low Dante’s bar was, before Tak made his way to the door, keeping himself down to the ground.

Stealth wasn’t his forte, and it was clear from how he walked, tip-toeing as if he was in some old-timey cartoon, dragging this on much longer than it had to be until he finally reached the door. He gently jabbed the key into the lock and, with a slight twist, heard the telltale click.

With a gentle push, the door was open, and the darkness of the video store was in front of them.

“Jackpot,” Tak whispered before slipping into the DVD store, but just as he was taking his first steps, something immediately became apparent to Dante and his ability to see within the darkness.

Across the ground, forming squares of grids, were thin lasers, barely giving any glow; the only thing making them apparent were the particles of dust floating through that made them appear at whisps.

Besides the apparent danger, why did a DVD store have laser security!?

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Return To Sender

TIME:

Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

Hotel Gaul, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi Ito, Passeri Park

Return To Sender

"No, thank you. I really was good work tonight, despite the bumps!" There were still a few fries left in the oil-soaked cardboard tray that housed them, but Passeri slid it aside anyway. She usually wasn't one to waste food, especially a rare diet-busting treat like this, but she was honestly starting to feel her skin protest. If she had any more she was rather sure that she was going to wake up with more pimples than a pizza-shop part-timing teenager.

"That said, it's getting kind of late, isn't it?" It'd been a while since she'd checked the time, but it was definitely well past midnight. "You know, I'm not sure if you're much for this whole night owl business, but I'm usually in bed before eleven!"

Passeri slid out from her seat, and behind the counter, the cashier fretted back and forth over whether they should scramble out for an autograph or not. Passeri took a moment to enjoy the ambiance of the empty restaurant. It was a stroke of fortune that they'd gone this long without being bothered, and she wasn't expecting lighting to soon strike twice. All of the morbid business of blackmail and incrimination aside, it really had been a nice night, in the end.

"So, sorry to shoot off like this, but it really is past my bedtime... I'll be in touch, 'kay? A sister of Kenki's is one of mine, too! I'd die of shame if I let you get pulled into the thrall of one of the sleazy fat cats in our little club." Passeri's phone emerged from her pocket, and before she was finished speaking she'd already started dialing some luxury cab service or another. "Get home safe! You should have your pay by the time the sun is up."

And then with a final wave, she was off. Her phone pressed tight against her ear, and she started to chatter at the graveyard shift phone operator about her precise location. Minutes later, a sleek cab appeared as if out of nowhere. The door swung wide, and just before she stepped inside Passeri cast one final "Good night!" over her shoulder.

"My address in the West, please." She stated curtly to the driver, and sunk into the rich leather of the cab's back seat. A nice night or not, it'd been a long one, too. Tomorrow was going to suck.

miki​

 

[simj26]

Elise Cutter

CS Link

SCENE:

Overcast, In Saline

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 7th

LOCATION:

Clemency Private Hospital, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric, Dagger, Kiwi, Dante, Pei

Overcast, In Saline

She snapped around and growled, her hand reaching for her fang behind her, as she edged away from the interloper, stalking backwards towards a corner where it was dimmest. It was a visceral response to an innocent statement from an elderly woman, and to the wolf, perhaps it was the most appropriate response. It was difficult to approach a lone wolf that was licking her wounds, after all. Her lone eye scanned the invader of her temporary den of solitude, studying her for an inch of a threat. She didn’t smell any, didn’t see any, didn’t sense any.

Her muscles loosened, and she straightened up, her hand reaching back out from behind her. “...hrm.” She grunted wordlessly as she returned back to her little hole by the window. She fiddled with the window again, and slid it halfway, giving the old woman an opening of her own to expel her smoke, half an arm’s length away from her. She held the simmering silence for a moment longer, choosing to savor one lungful of poison, before she finally decided to use her words.

“Tastes like shit, both. Much prefer Amestrian Spirits. Or Camel. Belo’s the cheapest, just as bad for the health as Xian. Plus,” she leaned out the window, and shook the ragged carton at the old woman, “it comes with a free map.” True enough, printed across the sad excuse of a box, there was a miniature map of a Ruthenian canal and the countries surrounding it.

She didn’t question the woman’s relationship with Passeri. To be more exact, she didn’t care. She couldn’t exactly tell, but she could smell, past the fog of cheap Chinese cigarettes, that they were related, in one way or another. No one sat around outside someone’s hospital room like that without being close. Her fist tightened up. She should have been here first. It wasn’t a competition with the old woman, rather, it was that she prided herself in her knowledge, of both her hunts and her quarries. To lose the scent so easily…she was getting complacent. It can’t happen again.

She also chose to ignore the old woman’s choice of words. Intentionally aggravating, this one. As far away as she was from understanding the human condition, she could tell when someone was intentionally trying to get on her nerves. Anyone else, she would have left their bodies in the morgue downstairs. Not this one. Passeri wouldn’t like that. “A hundred pardons. Was in a rush. Will remember next time,” she replied to the other woman’s jabs sardonically, her lips curling into a smiling snarl. Father hated it when she did that. Always the downer in briefings. Got a few laughs from Talbain, though.

She flicked her spent cigarette into the rain, and extracted yet another one, just as bent and squashed as the first. “She means a lot to a lot of people.” She placed the cigarette between her lips, but didn’t light it up. “That includes me. Just thought you’d know.” She stared at the falling raindrops, watching each of them fall in torrents across the exterior of the hospital. “I’ll kill whoever did this. They will find the bodies, piece by piece.”

She turned towards the old woman. “So what do you want?”

Spoiler: tags

Roda the Red The One Eyed Bandit @gxxberkit @The Regal Rper thebigfella

 

[simj26]

Elise Cutter

SCENE:

Calling Amestria

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | July 4th, 2022

LOCATION:

Not-So-Abandoned Storefront, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger

Calling Amestria

Elise Cutter wiped her brow with a towel.

She had experience moving heavy objects around, back in the days of gunpowder and smoke, enough that she could get by with a pay for moving cargo at the docks when she fled to New Oasis. Even as a Tiger, even as a strange one that held no debt, and no extravagant amounts of money, the memories of just simple hard work, of just transporting one thing from location A to location B, flooded in, enough to catch her in a moment of tranquility and empty headed menial labour.

That was the nature of a tool, after all. Life without work was empty. A tool was made to be used for its functions, and a tool like Elise Cutter was multi-functional. Even if it was missing a few parts, she functioned well. She did not realise it, but Elise Cutter enjoyed being useful. She hated lazing around, she hated not having orders, she hated stagnancy, she hated not having a function. She was, in short, a workaholic, addicted to needing to keep her hands busy.

She did, however, understand that not all people were built for such a mentality. The Tiger community, for instance, would rather shun work and shove it into other people’s hands instead of undertaking the colossal responsibilities of menial labour. This was apparent with Passeri’s reddened complexion and heavy breathing. Even with the gifts that the curse of being a HP granted, she was exhausted beyond measure. Her comrades used to complain too, and they would take breaks, leaning over a crate of weapons to chat about absolutely anything that wasn’t related to the job at hand. To her credit, Passeri did not do that, possibly because she had realised that Elise wasn’t much of a conventional conversationalist, especially with small talk. Their previous conversation had demonstrated as much.

So when Passeri told her to remove the last package in the van, she had no questions or complaints. It was simply in her nature to comply when told to do something by someone she trusted. She trudged on over to the open van, removing the last package from it, and moved back over to Passeri. She laid it on the ground beside Passeri, and opened it up.

Chinese swords. Dao, if she was not mistaken. Curved blades, and curved handles. The blades look brand new, polished to a sheen, enough to gleam under the light of the overbearing sun. “Huh. Thinking about putting it on the wall behind the counter?” she remarked blandly, and examined the box with more scrutiny. “Didn’t come with a display rack or a frame, though.” She wasn’t going to wonder why Passeri had thought they would make good decor. She straightened up, arched her back, and stretched her arms. More work for her to do, just the way she liked it. “No worries. I can probably make something.”

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Powerful

LOCATION:

East District; Dragon HQ

TIME:

Pre-Outbreak || July 1st, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Llyod ( Jexon Whells ), Yona ( CasualTea ), Jackson

Agonizing Bonechill

He heard the shouts for them to be roasted and immediately knew these ones were sent in because they could fight. It was infinitely easier to fight knowing that these were likely not innocent victims. He dove to the floor covered by the ice dome Yona managed to get up with her quick thinking feeling the heat sweltering overhead. The gas filling the room would have been an issue as well if not for the impact created. His hanging back stopped him from the initial burst of it. When this was all over he’d need to thank her for that considering he would be most at risk for breathing in whatever that shit was.

Fuck. He saw Lloyd trying to go in and immediately was concerned. Yona had pushed the gas back but that didn’t mean that it couldn’t have affected them. He should have gathered something to sample the shit and send it back to HQ but he had no time with the beserker actions being taken.

“COOL YOUR HEAD! We’re gonna be in deep shit if you don’t take some time to evaluate!”

He looked at Yona who’d clearly overextended herself and knew he needed to shift to a more offensive position to cover and hopefully reel back in Lloyd. He brought back up his lance and scanned the area.

“Alright we need to get in there. Are you good to continue after catching your breath or down for the count? Be honest I already have to deal with Lloyd potentially needing to be dragged out of there, can’t afford to push an offensive if you’ll also need support, or else you might get caught in the crossfire.”

 

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Rain

LOCATION:

Littleleaf Zone, East District

TIME:

April 13th, 2020

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson, Ayame (@Tabstick)

A Joker's Paragon!

…an adventure?

He wondered what exactly was going through this chick’s mind. It wasn’t like he could just go kidnapping kids though so he’d have to play along or leave her to her own devices.

…Did becoming a dragon mean he was obligated to be a babysitter?

Well, might as well, best not to piss off the organization just yet. He’d had enough issues with putting his foot in his mouth before with others. With a sigh he rubbed the back of his head at the girls sudden enthusiasm. He wondered just what villains the girl invented in her head. If he had to fight a tree to save a cat he would just take that as the last straw to drop the kid off at the nearest school and let them deal with contacting her parents.

“Alright kid, I’ll bite. I’ll help you vanquish your ‘evil foes’ and then we’re gonna get your wounds treated and find your parents okay.”

He glanced at the card again seeing only socials added on it. Well at least the kid wasn’t giving her name out to every passerby on the streets. He stuffed the card in his pocket in case this somehow became a repeat issue.

“Alright kid. My name’s Jackson. I can’t keep calling you kid so what the heck are you called.”