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

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Fighting A Wild Animal Seems Scary Until You Get Hungry

LOCATION:

April 17, 2022

DATE:

Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Tak, Dante

Fighting A Wild Animal Seems Scary Until You Get Hungry

“Sherbet isn’t ice cream. It’s… more… tangy. I don’t know,” Hiachi waved her hand around, swatting away the mental image of her ice cream vs. sherbet diagram away. She turned her attention back to the poster.

Dante wasn’t wrong—she did want to see them. The only thing that stopped her was the possibility of a crowd. Then there would be no point: she would never enjoy herself if she spent the whole time trying to squeeze past other sightseers. Her vision was enhanced, not x-ray.

Still, there was no harm in checking. Maybe she’d even remember something out of her penguin phase.

“Well, maybe—“

Hiachi could only get two words out before Tak’s comment steamrolled over their conversation. It caught her so off guard that her brows instantly furrowed. She was less annoyed that he said anything than the fact that she couldn’t come up with a retort in time.

She didn’t pick up the conversation after that. Instead, she took her zoo ticket from his hand and shoved it in her pocket.

Regardless of the mishap, she was relieved to finally be out of the eternity-long line. She continued to pick the pebble she found forward, until she had to block its path with the side of her shoe when the trio stopped to look at the map.

The mention of hippos made her skin crawl. She could see it now: the looming shadow of a big-mouthed creature, with small beady eyes and monstrous teeth hidden in the recesses of their mouths. How could she not be horrified? Their bites were almost 2000 PSIs. A hippo could crunch down on a bowling ball like it’s nothing. Imagine what it could do to her bones.

Even beyond just being kind of, a little bit scared (in a minor sense), she didn’t want to go because she knew how it would end up. It would devolve into an hour long debate about the strongest animal in the zoo, or worse, which one they could take in a fight. A boring exercise in futility. Or maybe that was just for people like her, who couldn’t use her eyes to laser beam an angry beast in half.

Her stance on the idea of animals fighting HPs was clear: HELL NO. She crossed her arms and grumbled at the concept. It wasn’t an exercise that would help her—it was only one that would make her feel more and more feeble. Everyone knew this, and there was no point in her being there as such.

Annoying is what it was.

With a huff, Hiachi pushed Tak aside so she could stand over it. Her finger trailed down from the penguin exhibit, past the hippos, and landed on a cartoonish sundae.

“Ice cream is before both of those.” Hiachi tapped the symbol twice before looking up to figure out which path correlated with the map. In the distance, around some of the bends, she could see the telltale pastel blue and yellow stripes on the tent awning of a small, box-shaped stand. “So we should do that first.”

Without conferring with either of them, Hiachi marched off in the direction of her frozen treat-to-be. There was only one exhibit to pass until she reached it: a collection of canaries in a tall enclosement with a large tree. She passed the bright yellow songbirds and walked right up to the stand.

It was an advanced operation, with four separate lines to serve the masses. The wait wouldn’t take more than three minutes.

As she positioned herself in one of the offered lines, she pointed at the chalkboard menu next to the counter. It detailed the treat in the text below: ’Want to cut the dairy? Try out our sherbet! A frozen dessert made of fruit juice and sugar. Though it looks like ice cream, there is no milk or cream! Flavors: cherry, orange, mango, lemon, lime, strawberry, pineapple, rainbow.’

“There. Where it says rainbow sherbet. That’s what I want.”

Spoiler

Haze- thebigfella

 

[Roda the Red]

CAMILA GASPARI

CS Link

SCENE:

Not Thinking Twice

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 6 2022

LOCATION:

Nighttime, Streets of Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Inigo

Not Thinking Twice

As Camila stepped outside, her body was hit by the chilling breeze, becoming of the very first hours of the morning. She had become used to wearing Inigo's coat on their way to the cafe, so now it's absence was plenty noticeable. The pair stepped right beside the respectable vehicle that had come to pick Camila up, and the young man awaiting her behind the wheel.

"Hmm, well, I don't know~." She placed her index finger right under her chin, playing fool while looking to the starry night sky. "I'd say the night went really well, in the end...But, there's still one thing missing in this fairy tale." She took one step backwards, making a arm's-length of between her and the tall stranger. "Remember that telling you my name had a price, right? Well." She extended her open hand, her unlocked phone laying atop, the dim light of the device showing a blank section amidst the creation of a new contacts: Inigo.

"Your phone number and a second date, if you cooperate I'll tell you right here and now." She smiled mischeviously, her business-driven persona brought front and center even at a time where there was no wealth or power to be gained. She was a greedy woman, and had no shame of letting it show.

She looked to the side for a moment, her eyes meeting with Sylvie's, her quick glaring spelling something along the lines of 'I'll kill you if you interrupt us right now'. The fashionable rookie having no difficulty decoding such message.

simj26

 

[joshuadim]

HITOSHI YAMAKAWA

CS Link

SCENE:

Life of the Party

TIME:

Post-Outbreak | July 16, 2022

LOCATION:

Upper Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Passeri

LIFE OF THE PARTY

​

Hitoshi's stomach audibly grumbled as he sat at the counter at Bar Shellac, rubbing his tummy to try to soothe its demands for food. "That's IT!" he then shouted, startling Anya as he made his discontent known. "I REFUSE to be hungry tonight again! I get paid soon... but SOON doesn't stop me from going crazy!"

"If you need money for food, I can give-"

"No. I refuse. Sorry, but I want to stand on my own two feet..."

The news that came to life on the establishment's TV,

"This is Amy McAdams from Channel 12 News, reporting live from New Oasis on the red carpet as a prestigious party hosted by David Toreson is underway to celebrate the continued reconstruction efforts of the city following a devastating freak earthquake that devastated its Central District as well as the city. Plenty of business magnates and celebrities are in attendance for the hottest event of the week as all eyes are drawn to a return to normalcy that we can only hope remains as such." a reporter spoke to the camera as she stood in front of the building that was lavishly decorated for the evening's happenings.

Hitoshi let off a grin as he formed a plan in his mind. He quickly got up and practically sprinted out the door, leaving Anya worried. "He's going to do something stupid..." she muttered.

---

The frantic chatter of paparazzi and shutters of cameras filled the air as more people filed into the building atop the red carpet, a few posing for photos to give the vultures their needs on such an auspicious night. Crowds of regular everyday people also stood nearby to take a glance to people who inhabited a different world from them, allowing but a modicum of parasocial attachment to the life of the privileged. And privileged they were to not suffer the ramblings of the masses as they ascended upwards to the upper floor of the Maginot Tower Residential Complex, with the lavish penthouse at its crown having been reserved exclusively for the party at hand.

Everyone was dressed to impress, where even one outfit was certainly more than Hitoshi's current net worth several times over. Frankly, it was almost embarrassing that - after the commotion in Outbreak - he had not even a dime to his name. He had just paid his medical expenses from the action in lower, and he was certainly hungry. He couldn't even afford the frozen pizzas from the local convenience store; they stared out from their cold prisons in a taunting manner, preventing him from tasting cheesy processed goodness. It was these circumstances that had him sneak into this joint in the first place, as parties like this meant food. Good food. Food that, by comparison, made him look pornographically destitute in comparison by the expenses of their ingredients.

At least he got Anya to get his suit dry cleaned a few days ago. I owe her for that... whenever I get some cash.

But there was also the existence of champagne, which he avoided like the plague from the server that carried around glasses on platters for people to take at their leisure. Even in his current state he would refuse to relapse. Instead, he found the plate on a table that displayed buckwheat crisps with baked brie cheese, black caviar, and chives. He wanted to scorf down the entire thing, but that would give the game away in the first place. And so he settled for just one piece for now, making it seem as though he were simply a normal, regular, not-out-of-place attendee.

---

On the other hand, for Passeri, this was not out of the ordinary for her to be present at such an event. In fact, the door checkers found her name and welcomed her openly as flashes from cameras took her image. One of the workers even had asked for her autograph before she ascended upwards. From the elevator, she was led to the penthouse where she was greeted by the man of the hour: a portly man with an impressive mustache, sporting a fancy white suit from exotic silks and fabrics with patterns that dazzled and impressed many.

"Ah! Passeri Park, lovely to see you here." David spoke, shaking her hand gently with a wide smile. "Glad you could make it. More press attention with you around is always good for the cause of rebuilding."

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[miki]

Little Red

CS Link

scene:

A Daughter’s Eulogy

location:

South District

date:

2021 | Post Hurricane

participants:

Red, Jericho

A Daughter’s Eulogy

Red stared at the plush toy.

She was… confused.

It made perfect sense when she really thought about it. To everyone else, she was a little girl—no older than eleven. Her body was eleven. Her coy smile and tantrums were eleven. Little Red was eleven.

But she was something older.

That still wasn’t the answer, was it? Red bit down on her bottom lip hard, her incisors turning the ruddy pink to white with the pressure.

No one had ever offered her something like this. Her father offered her double-decker sweets as payment for jobs well done, and those twisted men, the most twisted of them all, tried to bait her with shiny new dolls and jewelry.

The fur of this bear had no shine. It was missing some fur in places. Its beady eyes dropped down, the threads loose. The stuffing on the inside had grown firm, yet still reliably squishy and huggable.

It looked like garbage; it looked so loved.

The weight of the decades long lie pressed down on her shoulders. She didn’t know why, why now or why she cared so much, but it felt so potent that the tears started flowing out like she was a faucet.

It made no sense.

She looked at her tiny, pale hands as they shook. She looked around the emptiness of the room, the emptiness besides the man in front of her.

Red took the bear in her arms and wrapped both around it. Its face puffed up as she squeezed it in an affectionate chokehold. Red looked down at the blanket around her, and her tried and true dress—now muddy—below it.

A small laugh escaped her lips. “I’m grown. I’m… more grown than you, probably.” For the first time, even after talking to her dad and to herself for years, she didn’t force the high-pitched saccharine of her normal tone. It was deeper. She almost didn’t recognize it as it came out of her. “I don’t need t… toys, but thank you.”

It stung like a million wasps on her back. She winced as she replayed the moment in her head. It felt like betrayal, and even more oddly freeing.

Another growl from her stomach snapped her out of it. She wiped her puffy eyes as they smiled at him. It was funny to her, in a way she didn’t understand yet. “Suppose my stomach still wants to interrupt... I’ll really eat anything, I just need… real food, for once.”

Spoiler

angel doe

 

[miki]

Melody Tucker

CS Link

SCENE:

A Very Tucker Christmas

TIME:

December 25, 2021

LOCATION:

North District | Melody & Angúo’s house

PARTICIPANTS:

Melody, Teddie, Frankie | Eliza, Angúo, Carlisle, Cassidy (NPC)

A VERY TUCKER CHRISTMAS

All of the sudden, they were here! Melody slid over to greet her family.

“Hello! Yes, yes! I made most, and bought some~♪” Melody hummed as she pointed at the decorations. She swayed over to her makeshift fireplace and pointed at the hanging socks. “I embroidered these!” She pointed to the evidence: light pink strawberry-scented stains visible on the lighter ones. She pointed at the trio of socks that represented the visitors.

“I got everyone a present!” Melody started, trying to guide Eliza’s attention under the hack tree.

“I caught a nice bird—” Melody was cut off, again. “I do! I LOVE holidays—” Melody would have finished, if not for Eliza’s spontaneous memory. Not wanting to interrupt, Melody turned her attention to the little baby. “Hello, little Carlisle…! Can I hold her!?”

A loud shattering sound interrupted her again.

“Ha… Gahaha…” Angúo pointed and giggled at Teddie slinking around. His dilated pupils darted between the mass of Tar, his wife, and their baby. He refused to share what tickled him so, but cackled as if everyone understood. “GAHA! GAHAHAA! Heya, Teddie… Teddie ‘Tar’ Teddie Tucker…”

He tapped his knuckles against his glove, as if he was trying to attempt some sort of handshake. “Howsit… Keheheee…”

Cassidy was still running around in the background. Melody spun in a circle, looking for her daughter. “Cassidy? Cassidy, come meet your uncle and aunt and baby cousin!!”

“AAAAAAAAAA!!” Cassidy screamed. It was impossible to tell if she was high off excitement, fear, or anger at being told to do anything other than what she wanted at the present moment.

Melody smiled wide as her eye stared into wider space. There was so much happening, all at once.

It was perfect.

SLAM!

The door was open again, letting in a draft of chilly air. Melody’s eye darted up. The sight, before they moved, made her smile wide. For a moment, she believed a miracle had occurred.

The whole family. Back together again…!

But then they smiled wide, teeth laced with booze and blood, Melody instantly knew it wasn’t joy. It was their poorly masked anger.

She was certain she wrote down a note for them and left it in the attic! Frankie didn’t like Teddie very much, and she tried her best to respect that. Melody tried her best to consider everything, which is why the idea that Frankie thought her so selfish made her droop like the melting candle wax around her.

Still, she didn’t want to blame them. They had showed up all festive and everything! Carrying a sack like the jolly red man of the hour! She couldn’t ruin it by blaming them for anything.

The accusation made her frown deepen to an upside-down U. This was the last thing she wanted! She had planned out such a nice dinner, and now she had no idea how to fix it.

“I made you a stocking…!” Melody warbled, moving to the side to reveal the final embroidered sock—’Frankies’!

Before anyone could say anything more, Cassidy came bounding from around the corner—as if she had seen their entrance in a vision.

“SANTAAAA!!!” She screamed as she ran directly at them, diving right for their leg. She clung to it, ignoring the blood that dripped on the top of her pink head.

Despite Cassidy not doing or saying anything of substance (beyond proving she had snuck some sugary treat to get this hyper), Melody turned from the sight of her daughter with clasped hands and a shining, inspired eye.

“Cassidy is right! There’s no reason why we can’t all celebrate together!” Melody chimed, stepping back to let everyone see the work she put in. “Holidays are about presents and pretty lights, but they’re also about family!”

Her own words brought a smile to her face. Maybe, she thought, this would be how my family comes together again!

“We… oh, how do these start…?” Melody tapped her chin, trying to channel all the holiday movies she’s ever watched into her present memory. “We should… OH! We should have cookies!” Melody rushed back to the kitchen, grabbing her plate of assorted cookies and gently placing them on the long wooden crate she called her coffee table. “I can get people hot drinks, if you want any…!”

Spoiler

WhiskeyMarten Haze-

 

[angel doe]

celestine renee cadieux

CS Link

SCENE:

friends who slay together stay together

LOCATION:

the tucker's house, north district outskirts

TIME:

post arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

teddie, celestine

friends who slay together stay together

"I appreciate the offer, but you know I would cook for you without pay," Celestine rose to her feet, another smile forming, "You are dear friends, after all. My schedule is rather hectic, but I will always find time for the three of you."

Celeste watched as Eliza returned holding a chipped plate with a beautiful design and collected the meat that had been carved from the man's now unmoving body.

”I think the bastard’s dead… We did it!!”

"We... did it?" Celestine's eyes widened and she clapped her hands together excitedly, "It is always wonderful to see a bad man get what he deserves."

She began to hum as she wandered into the kitchen, washing her hands of the blood that covered them. Looking over her shoulder when Eliza asked for help, "Of course! I would be happy to help find some space for this one." Celestine approached the freezers and began to look through them, still humming.

After some time, Celeste found some free space in one of their many freezers and waved them over, "It looks like there is room in here. Let us get him in here."


WhiskeyMarten

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

To Live in the Shadows

TIME:

Daytime, Pre-Arc 1, June 25th, 2020

LOCATION:

Charlie's apartment, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Helva

To Live in the Shadows

Having spent the last several days mostly resting in bed and lazying around, it was only now that Charlie began to properly move his body again. He felt somewhat sluggish, a sense of regret lingering in his mind, having not performing at the very least some kind of warm-up beforehand. His injuries also didn't help in the slightest, even if they had healed for the most part, what was left was more than felt when running.

Taking a look at his localization device, the person he was looking for wasn't particularly far away, just a few blocks ahead. Given the fact this person was not running away, it opened the flood gates for questions within Charlie's mind. Who was this target of his? Was it someone that slighted the Phoenixes? Perhaps it was someone from within that was just playing along, but if that was the case, why were they so seemingly oblivious about this chase? He also hoped that this altercation could end peacefully, or at least as peacefully as a human chase could allow, he didn't feel like hurting someone who was just trying to get away from him to begin with.

But he had made up his mind already, it was too late to get cold feet or second thoughts. Whoever the escapee, the boy would have them within his grasp no matter what.

Three or so minutes passed, the location of the mysterious person now remarkably close by Charlie's estimation. But nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, or at least that was, until he noticed that the movements made by the tracker were fitting with the people playing football just across the street on an alley. Straining his eyes to observe at the group better, no doubt in his mind that one of the players was his target, but who exactly? Their constant erratic movements made choosing a pretty difficult task.

He sat on a nearby bench, taking in carefully at their movements, as well as taking in their appearances. Some of them certainly looked more fitting to be part of the criminal world than others, so it wasn't going to be an easy choice. Couple minutes later, he finally made his choices, squatting down and back up as a warmup, breathing deeply.

He broke into a sudden sprint, recklessly crossing the street without looking to the sides, a powerful clackson deafening his right ear, from a car that was forced to stop last moment, lest the crashed against the blue blur.

"I GOT YOU!" He leapt forward, grabbing onto one of the player. The two fell on the ground, rolling several times, sending dust up in the air from the chaotic struggle. Several meters away, the two stopped, Charlie pinning down a considerably larger man, the boy's hands pushing down at his shoulders. "H-HEY! WHAT THE HELL MAN?!" Shouted the man, attempting to break free from the tackle.

"You won't get away now!" He smiled triumphantly, before doubt crept into his psyche. "...You're the one, right?"

Peckinou

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Clad In Golden Dreams

LOCATION:

West District

DATE:

June 16th, 2022 | Evening

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Passeri, Ezra, Viss, Missy, Mark, Dagger, Tak, Elias

Clad In Golden Dreams

Passeri Park’s voice called out to a slightly shaken table. The only difference between this one and the others was that it was the ground zero of the explosion of assassins that cursed the ballroom.

The cloth of the table was lifted from underneath as Hiachi’s bulging eye poked out the bottom. The rest of her face emerged, revealing her comically wobbly mouth and glossy eyes. Her tears hadn’t quite stopped, only changed. From trivial panic to the fear for her own life. She never would have looked out on her own—from whence she was content and safe.

As much as she fully intended to hide until the smoke cleared, Park was calling for her.

She peered around her line of sight. There were insects, creeping frost, whipping vines, and projections of pink constructs—but it was clear what Passeri was referring to. Hiachi heard the explosions from underneath the table, and felt the heated blasts revel through winds underneath the tablecloth.

She saw through the destructive flashes of light and smoke, but found no source. The crowd of gilded tables and chairs was blocking her vision. She sucked her teeth as she thought about the solution she had already come to. Being out in the open wasn’t something Hiachi would have ever preferred, but if it meant ending the ordeal sooner, then it meant letting out a heavy sigh and crawling out from underneath. She crouched next to the table and scanned her surroundings.

Across the reformed ice and walls, she saw lots of movement, but nothing that fit what she looked for. She looked to her left, her right, above, behind, and forward, but couldn’t discern. Just to be safe, she did another scan—just in case she missed something in the litany of details.

If only she took that moment to look fully behind her—then maybe she would have caught it before it happened.

When she did her second check over her back, her eyes only caught the second half of the attack. The glint of the blade was in the corner of her eye before she fully turned. She tried to run. Her brain processed it in time to avoid the final consequence, but not quick enough to dodge entirely.

She felt the blade cut through her sleeve, and deep into her forearm. It struck through her tendons like cable wires. Hiachi seethed and kicked at the source of the attack. Twice, she kicked with one leg anchored to the ground and one trying to fend her away. One weak and off target, one solid enough to strike.

It was enough evidence to prove herself as a poor fighter. She felt blood running down her arm, which she vied to stop with frantic grasps from her off hand. With a hard swallow, she resorted to her other defense: flight.

Hiachi vaulted a table to get further towards the other direction. The threat of her pursuer was still rampant, though. And she wasn’t going to run forever.

Her options came down to one. Her draw was slower, but no less accurate. She shot at the hand that wielded the blade. Rapid fire, in succession. If it was enough to knock it out of her hand, she would—

click! click! click!

The empty mag taunted her. Like a stifled giggle at her loss of options.

Hiachi’s eyes darted between her opponent and a chair.

She threw it.

It didn’t have much force behind it, but forcing her to juggle the heavy object would buy her some time. She ducked behind a table at the furthest wall of the construct she could manage. She slunk down, her knees buckling as her back slid down the wall.

Rich red ran down her fingertips as she compressed the wound. It warmed her cold hands, in all of its cruelty. The sliced skin stung, but didn’t hurt. For now. That was for certain.

Hiachi leaned her head back, letting her neck roll. This was just plain horrible. She was equally ready to collapse and to dart away from danger at its quickest telltale signs. She scanned the room, preparing.

There was one benefit to having her back pressed against the wall: She could see everything.

There, from above. Her eyes caught vision of a brewing explosion in the hand of an aged contract killer. There, from the balcony she hadn't been facing.

“He’s deploying from the balcony to your left!” Her breathless shout echoed through the construct.

Spoiler

The One Eyed Bandit Lucem Elenion Aura @Haste thebigfella simj26 QuirkyAngel

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Young Blood

TIME:

Post-Outbreak, July 20th 2022

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Hitoshi, Musai, Daigo

Young Blood

"Wait, what did you just say?" His gaze commenced trailing behind him, all three Phoenixes for that matter, catching a glimpse of a short figure just beside Musai, the little twerp's hand concerningly to his friend's pocket.

Charlie rapidly shifted from looking at the child, then back at the cashier, repeating the same process several times before fully commiting to holding his attention unto the little boy. "When did you- How did you-" He shook his head, slapping his own cheeks lightly twice, he needed to recover from the light stun caused by the massive coincidence. "Look kid, we need you gi- HEY!" One moment the child was there, then the next there was but four people standing in the convenience store. His reaction times being less than ideal on an occasion like this, Charlie rushed out of the store right behind his fellow red-clad friends.

The soles of his shoes screeched against the rought surface of the sidewalk, stopping in his tracks once he noticed the boy's change in direction. "Wait, kid! We just wanna talk!" Not only were his words falling on deaf ears, the kid was making a distance, and he was doing it fast. The rookie needed to pick up the pace, before he would have to return to HQ with the news of a child besting him.

Feeling a strange sense of Deja vu, the young man bent his knees, bringing his torso down until it nearly touched his knees. Veins bulged and muscles tensed as his legs propelled him through the air, launching Charlie towards the child, the speed of his leap far outmatching what it would've been just a few years ago, shortening the gap with the little kid.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise!" He shouted, just as he prepared to perform a second jump, his feet launching off the air shortly after.

Spoiler: Notes and Notifs

Hypercharge: Half-Activation

joshuadim Kameron Esters-

 

[miki]

Little Red

CS Link

scene:

The Devil’s Twilight

location:

South District

date:

June 10th, 2019 | Pre-Arc 1

participants:

Red, Vulken, Musai, Skadi

The Devil’s Twilight

Red never answered the phone—her father always did.

Tobias Schiller stood near the wall, hooked by the cord of the telephone. He always preferred the older models, so he was anchored in one spot. The old man had a habit of pacing.

His back was to the wall. He still fiddled with objects. Toyed with his watch, twisted the straps of his suspenders, loosened buttons on the collar of his shirt. By now, the skin on his neck was starting to sag.

He peered into the hallway mirror. Behind him, the old flowery wallpaper remained the same shade of pale yellow. But he was different. He was getting old.

The creases beside his eyes deepened as he pondered. The voice through the phone continued, detailing a minor issue. From the sound of it, it would either end with a need for violence or a need for nothing at all.

Not his forte.

With a few nods and grunts, he finished the call with a weak formality. The machine buzzed its hung-up tone for the moment before he placed the phone back on the receiver.

He peered down the hall. Darkness tainted his gaze, and swallowed all light within the hazel color. Perhaps, this was, finally, guilt.

His old, creaky voice called into the darkness.

“...Red?”

---

Red twisted her lip as she observed the outside of the warehouse. The dust cloud from her speedy arrival still trailed behind her, so it was likely she wasn’t discreet. Still, it was nice to ponder.

Her father hadn’t told her much, other than the fact that Helva might be in trouble. Which sucked, because Red was rather fond of her. She was one of the few people who really understood them. And more importantly, her! She didn’t grimace at her bloody displays of justice. She kindly praised her for her good work, just as she should be.

Red’s shadow cast over the opening in the warehouse. The menagerie was already there: two older looking guys, and a white-haired girl. Red tilted her head at the sight. She suspected that Helva’s rookie knew what was going on, so she figured she should talk to her first.

Though, habits die hard. Even in the presence of other phoenixes, Red lit up with her sugar-sweet smile. She stuck out like a sore thumb, with her large red cape and toffee-colored pinstripe dress—and in the presence of all this grime! She hoped this ordeal would be over and done with doon. She approached the trio with a skip and a curtsy.

“Hello! I’m here to help out.” Red’s eyes darted between the three, who seemed to be discussing the details already. “...What’s going on?”

Spoiler

Nobody Special Kameron Esters- Peckinou

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

CHIYOME

SCENE:

Growing Pains

TIME:

Post-Outbreak || July 15th, 2022

LOCATION:

East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Xuefeng, Jackson, Kanna, Renjiro

GROWING PAINS

Like a sharp gust of wind on a spring eve, Chiyome launched forward the moment Xuefeng vanished. Her eyes, aflame with murderous intent, were latched onto the man who kidnapped a child in broad daylight. There were few things Chiyome considered unforgivable; the betrayal of a liege, the kicking of a cat, and any wrong done against a child.

The man was surprisingly spry for his age, as expected of someone with a Potential, but Chiyome had years of combat experience on her side. As they both sprinted down the alleyway, she picked up a loose brick from the ground and threw it as hard as she could at a pile of boxes in front of them. She hit the bottom of the pile, and the entire thing toppled over, broken wood blocking the path forward. The man hesitated, slowing down before the makeshift barricade.

Wasting no time, she lunged at the man with her knee, knocking him to the ground face first. Chiyome drew her sword, the steel revealed with a melodious ring, and silently pressed the blade against the man’s nape. With her knee hard against his back, the man had little room to maneuver. And if he did struggle, Chiyome would happily draw blood to remind him of his mortality.

She loomed over the man, a specter of grim death. As per her oath, she could utter no word. All she could do was wait for Kanna and the others to arrive to question the man about Xuefeng’s whereabouts.

Tags: Elenion Aura FabulousTrash BriiAngelic

 

[Elenion Aura]

MILO NAGISA

CS Link

SCENE:

The Guy Who Wrote “Art Is In The Eye Of The Beholder” Probably Did It On The Toilet

TIME:

May 3rd, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak, Milo

THE GUY WHO WROTE “ART IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER” PROBABLY DID IT ON THE TOILET

Over the whole course of this idiotic pantomime, Milo stood completely still. He took a deep breath, shook his head, and sighed. The mark of any artist worth his salt was the ability to work with whatever materials he was presented with, regardless of quality. Milo figured that was to be his test tonight.

His torch-light drifting up in space, trailing up the long, spindly limbs of the woman in the hall who'd given Tak such a fright. Despite appearances, she was no ghost. From Tak's description alone, Milo had pieced together just who it was that he saw. Mrs. Sayako Barker. He didn't have to presume.

Her presence sparked a memory, which ignited the flame of his crusade that had dwindled to mere embers only a few short moments before. New evidence uncovered fresh inspiration. The case was open once more. Still, pieces eluded him. As he tried to suss them out of thin air, Milo peered up at Sayako Barker's sleep-addled face, illuminated against the backdrop of night. Curtained by threads of black, oil-slick hair though it was.

It was only when the looming shape of a woman regained consciousness, eyes squinting and blinking, that Milo noticed that he was still pointing the torch in her face. ”Ah! Sorry." He said sheepishly, and lowered the column of light to the carpeted floor.

”Some storm to have knocked out the power. Does that happen a lot?" He asked Barker casually, even as the gears turned. As the escapade in the halls concluded, Milo ferried himself back to his bedside in the boys' shared dormitory. But no sleep would find him. He wouldn't let it. Nor would he let the others rest. It was time to lay his cards on the table.

One long, protracted monologue later...
”Are there any questions?"

Milo sat cross-legged on the edge of his bed, elbows propped up on his knees, fingers steepled below his nose as he peered out at the semi-circle of faces surrounding him, his features illuminated by the shaft of haloing light which cast strange shadows across the planes of his face. His drawn torch perched in the crook between his thigh. The night had drawn on. The power had yet to return.

He had explained to him the situation as he saw it.

Barker was a prolific artist. Too prolific. Milo's theory? That someone, or something, was artificially suffusing him with inspiration to aid his craft—had been for decades—and was leeching the talent and artistic style of subversive but relatively obscure artists to do it. He presented his evidence, beginning with the beginning. Sazawa, a Sankaiese artist whose short career ended around the time that Barker himself was visiting Sankai. Around the time that he met his wife.

There were many such cases. According to Milo, anyway. But the first, he posited, was the most significant. And this was why...

Sayako was clearly an HP. Her stature was a dead giveaway of that fact. She was clearly devoted to Barker. Enough to commit art theft (of a sort...) for him? Milo didn't see why it was outside the realm of possibility. What's more, she was an artist herself, one who fit the (low) profile of Barker's other victims. She may have even been his first... Making Sazawa his second, after all.

If Milo knew how far-fetched it all sounded, he didn't show it on his face. His eyes flitting from one man to the other, inviting them to challenge his theory. Even as the gaping maw of the hole in the wall, unveiled by the removal of Wretched Heart, stared him[ in the face. Discarded as irrelevant.

”Well? Speak now. Because tomorrow I'm going to prove it."

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

Clad in Golden Dreams

LOCATION:

West District

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | June 16th, 2022

PARTCIPANTS:

Passeri, Ezra, Mark, Jess, Hiachi, Tak, Elias

Clad in Golden Dreams

Amongst all the madness, there were some constants. Hydrogen bonded with carbon. Gravity was correlated with mass. Every action has a reaction.

Tak would be doing something entirely ridiculous.

Still covered in insects from head to toe, the Tiger rookie had walked away from the action at some point in the conflict. He had made his way over towards a nearby broom closet.

A pull of a chain clicked the light to life. The smell of mildew filled his nose as he looked around at the wooden shelves that held various instruments and chemicals. A mop drain sat in the corner, with some buckets propped within it.

“Bug spray…bug spray…” Tak mumbled as he closed the door behind him. The sounds of explosions and gunfire became muffled as he stood within the closet, placing his bug-covered hands on his infested chin as he looked around, like he was shopping for bread.

“Clean-O…Spick and Span….Fantastic-o….” He rattled off the names of the cleaning chemicals on the various shelves, most of them already opened and half-used. Despite how much his eyes glazed over and danced around at the various products, the occasional bug crawled across his vision.

“Damn, nothin’ for bugs. Huh?” He complained before reaching up and grabbing some unmarked spray bottles, “Lemme me just try some stuff out; theres gotta be somethin' these bugs don’t like…”

Without much fanfare, he raised his underarms like he was applying deodorant, spraying himself with the cleaning solution; he set it down and stood still for a moment, waiting for the effects to show.


…Nothing changed.

“Nothin', huh?” Tak breathed disappointment, having to spit out a few beetles from his lips after he opened his mouth, already reaching up to grab another product. He turned the cap and doused the power over himself, filling the room with a white haze, his rampant coughing coming out from the mist; as it slowly cleared, it revealed he was still covered in bugs.

Clearly annoyed, Tak leaned forward, grabbing two products in both hands. He oozed some gel into his hands, rubbing it around like shampoo before gelling it through his hair. He took a foaming agent, giving it a shake as it sloshed before placing it over his mouth like shaving cream, leaving him with a beard.

The bugs were unaffected. Tak’s body visibly twitched with annoyance as his fists clenched. There was a click of his teeth before he crawled up on the shelf, picking up whatever he could and dousing himself in it. Wood oil, sanitizer, drain cleaner, bleach, whatever he could get his hands on. The smell of mildew was quickly replaced by the overwhelming scents of chemicals and aromas of things like lemon and flowers.

Yet, despite being coated in numerous cleaning products and stains, his hair propped up in the shape of towers from cleaning gels, and the barely visible parts of his skin shimmering with polish, the bugs were not relenting.

“That’s it!” Tak shouted, tossing an empty container onto the ground as he growled angrily, “If none of this stuff works, then I’ll have to make my own bug killer!”

He bent down to the side, pulled one of the buckets out of the sink, and slammed it onto the ground.

He grasped a pair of safety glasses from one of the hooks and a respirator, tying it around the back of his neck.

Rubber gloves slid over his insect-infested hands, pulled taught as he gave them a squeaky flex.

He crouched down next to the bucket and began his experiment. He unscrewed spray tops to let the contents drizzle into the container, shook powders into the solution, then stirred it with the end of a broom, double-handed two bottles of floor cleaner, and let them ooze in.

Soon, the concoction he had created began to glow, basking his face in green light. His eyes opened wide in awe as he began to remove his safety equipment, leaning his face down into the mixture to take a sniff.

Immediately, his eyebrows vaporized off, and blood began to pool out of his nose.

With a grin, Tak looked up towards the ceiling. “It’s almost ready!” He leaned backward to pick up the last ingredient he had been saving, the ultimate cleaner that would make this thing a sure bug-kill-all.

His hand rose again, and a small blue bottle of some simple dish liquid was in his grip. With a simple flick of his finger, the cap flipped off, and with a twirl of his wrist, he flipped the bottle upside down above the bucket.

He didn’t squeeze; instead, he watched the slightest ooze drip from the end. Like a string of snot, it slowly dropped downward, the line of connection growing thinner and more stretchy until, finally, the link was lost. The tiny blue droplet fell freely until it landed in the mixture with a slight ripple.

Almost like magic, everything stabilized. The weird color was replaced by a simple, clear liquid, and the ominous glow had disappeared. Satisfied, Tak rose to his feet. “Alright, now all I need to do is lather myself up—” he began, reaching down to pick it up, until his head bumped against one of the mops, knocking it over as it slammed into a nearby shelf.

Knocking in an unmarked bottle, Tak blinked as he watched it slowly bob up and down before sinking like a stone, disappearing under the surface.

“Hm. That ain't good.”


A massive explosion came with a fireball that slammed the broom closet door open. A plume of smoke burst out, birthed within red, hot, and orange flashes. The concussion of the burst atmosphere caused the whole building to rattle. Glasses shattered as they hit the ground and knocked off the tables. Windows rattled as sound waves slammed and bounced against the thick glass.

Tak flew through the air like a ragdoll, spinning around as all of his limbs flailed like boneless. Finally free of the bugs, all that was left on him was scraps and tatters of his clothes and thick layers of soot. His hair burnt with wisps of flames that clung to the tips of his hair, leaving trails of smoke behind as he careened through the air.

His body slammed through layers of foundation and stone, dust and debris flung into the air as he rose out of the ground. Pillars and walkways collapsing underneath each other, like a human wrecking ball, he came right through until, finally, his momentum reached a crescendo.

Gravity brought him right back to hard ground, his back slamming against the cold, hard tile as he groaned in pain, bruises of purple now over his body as he slowly crawled to his feet, rubbing the back of his head, leaning onto a nearby railing to support himself as he grumbled, “Fuckin’ hell…that shit wasn’t any joke. I coulda died.” He mumbled, before coughing up a couple puffs of ash. His eyes turned to look over the side of the railing, seeing chaos on the lower floor, realizing how high he was.

“Crap, I gotta get back down there!” Tak blurted out his head quickly, looking around his surroundings, “Stairs, stairs…where the hell’s the stairs!?” Tak pulled himself away from the railing, dashing around to try and figure out how to get back downstairs.

Only to slow down and walk backward like he was being rewound as he realized he wasn’t up here alone.

Tak’s eyes narrowed at the old man; he would have put his hands into his pockets if they weren’t burnt to tatters as he stared at him, his eyes narrowing into a tightly bound scowl, though he no longer had any eyebrows to knit together in his sternness.

“Oi, geezer.” His words were firm, and his gaze was sharp as his fingers splayed and bent, working out the kinks in his knuckles as he stared the Bombardier down.

He raised a single finger, pointing towards the man, who glared at him with an aggravated frown on his lips. The world around them froze for only a moment.






“Be careful on that balcony; you could fall.”

 

[Peckinou]

Skadi Hexillia

CS Link

SCENE:

The Devils Twilight

LOCATION:

Warehouse, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

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

The Devils Twilight

Skadi watched as Musai came in first she honestly a bit surprised that he was the first to come though she didn't really show it, though she did admit that the guy atleast had a bit of confidence in himself since she was sure he was referring to himself when he meant the best in the business. Of course though he also had questions on why she had called upon his help, something she planned to explain once the other two get here, but as for matter of payment she didn't really have much as Helva was the main money lender and she didn't know what her status is so there wasn't any promise she could give when it came to payment. With a apologetic head bow she said to Musai "Apologies but I really can't afford to do any pay outs as this is more so unauthorized Pheonix Business than regular business. " She didn't know if Musai would opt to stay or not but it didn't take long after she said that before Vulken made his appearance and gave out his own set of greetings. Helva talked about him a few times but she really didn't know him all too well, and when he went on over to pat her head? She couldn't say she expected it but she wasn't completely taken by surprised. She didn't much mind as long as he didn't try to grab or take her hat, before she could speak though the last player she needed for the group had made their appearance.

It was Red, although she never formally met her Helva talked about her, the Red Cloak she wore was typically a dead give away as to her identity and she knew that while she may act sweet and innocent she could turn highly dangerous if you ticked her off. With a nod of acknowledgement and with a four person team now assembled she opted to get straight to the point, "I lost contact with Helva after she went on to investigate and spy on a small gang in Central, that calls themselves the Black Cranes." She let the words sink in for a moment before continuing "Typically I wouldn't be all that worried to much as Zulin, Hiyma or one of her other friends would give me a update on the situation but apparently Zulin got himself killed doing his own little thing and now It's been about 24 hours now and I still haven't received any contact from her or one of her friends." she let out a sigh as she said that part before adding "24 hours without contact is too out of the ordinary so I'm a bit worried now, and I think she either got killed or captured. I called you guys cause I want to retrieve her and I really don't think I can deal with these guys alone if they managed to somehow take down Helva and even if we can't take them down ourselves we can atleast confirm what happened to her at the very least, and perhaps report it to the King so that she can have them handled. " her tone darkened a bit as she said those last words, clearly meaning that if Helva was no more then she could likely get Lyric to help support her decimate the entire gang our of retribution. They were the top gang in the city at the moment and it would only be right to send a message to the other small gangs that you don't mess with the Phoenixes and get away with it.

 

[Roda the Red]

CAMILA GASPARI

CS Link

SCENE:

Taking a Break

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, June 28th 2022

LOCATION:

Camila's Apartment, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Hiachi

Taking a Break

Jade eyes followed the large envelope sliding across the table, a cautiously optimistic look on her face as she lifted it carefully with both hands. She spared Hiachi a glance for a moment, resisting the urge to sigh at the rookie's hoarding behavior towards the entrée, it wasn't like the food was going anywhere. "Well, that's a part of your unassuming look, so it shouldn't bother you." She felt the heft of the package, gently swaying it up and down a few times. "It's not that bad, though. Would probably look okay with a different shirt." The spear-like end of Camila's tail showed up from behind her, slithering over her shoulder and slicing at the tape sealing the envelope.

She carefully opened it, staring unchalantly at the contents withing, then exhaled through her nose. "Alright, everything seems in order, good job Hiachi." She smiled faintly, satisfied with the girl's work. "Do you want cash or bank transfer?"

Her brow frowned, noticing that Hiachi had engrossed herself in stuffing her face with bread. "Hey, have you been eating well, lately? There's no need to do that, you know?" She remarked while pointing directly at the unstable cheese bread tower. She reached for a piece of her own, taking a small nibble of the browned tip. "You look like you haven't eaten in days."

She shoved the envelope aside. Its contents weren't relevant at the moment, she would deal with it in due time. Right now she wanted to deal with that scrawny employee of hers, and hopefully manage to drill some better habits into her by the end of the day.

miki

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Taking A Break

LOCATION:

West District | Camila’s Apartment

DATE:

June 28, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Camila

Taking A Break

Hiachi looked down at her shirt, only to match Camila’s unimpressed gaze. Her jacket was tacky, and looked like it belonged in another era and on a completely different person. The cargo pants were clearly too short for her, and fit awkwardly on her stem-like legs. Her shoes were busted, to the point where the laces were unraveling and the soles cracked.

Most of these weren’t choices—they were clothes she picked up out of necessity. Her shirt was the only thing she actually liked about her outfit. The little wobbling creature was akin to a giraffe, yet clearly not. It looked like a fucked up alien hybrid of a giraffe and a baby hippo. She clutched the shirt, clearly defensive of the creature as if she was the only one who could love it.

The minor issue was dropped as quickly as it came, in favor of more bread. She stuffed another into her mouth, chomping down on the whole piece and swallowing it like it was as small as a chip. It really was delicious—like something she’d find in an underground restaurant designed especially for someone important. It didn’t skimp on flavors, and it was probably better than anything her parents ever cooked for her (except maybe tonkotsu ramen when she got sick).

On her next piece, she took a bite right down the center, pulling a large strand of cheese from the origin. She had to angle her hand far away from her face before she could snap it. She inhaled the long strand like a noodle before continuing the conversation like nothing happened.

“Bank transfer,” she muffled between bites. While tangible cash was well and good, it was easily stolen, easily lost, and easily destroyed. More importantly, she couldn’t use cash for online transactions. How was she gonna pay for the next game pass on Nexus Expanse: Epic Trials with cold cash?

When Camila asked about her eating habits, Hiachi didn’t even bat an eye. “Nope,” she mused, a little relieved that she had saved herself a step towards her master plan: taking the bread bounty home with her. It was eons better than having to ration her ramen packets. “Food is too expensive these days.”

She had to choose her priorities, and nutrition, apparently, wasn’t one of them.

Hiachi tapped her chin as she scanned the basket. She could carry that easily, and with a good piece of cloth, her cheesy carb goodness would be protected from the elements (hungrier people and pigeons). It was perfect. While she normally tried to refrain from stepping on her boss’ toes, she already made it clear she was hungry—and a hungry Hiachi’s priorities differed greatly from the average Hiachi.

“Do you need this basket for… anything else?”

Spoiler

Roda the Red

 

[miki]

Melody Tucker

CS Link

SCENE:

INWRITCILVIODV

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 | 2020

LOCATION:

Central District | Grubtopia

PARTICIPANTS:

Melody, Tak, Cassidy (NPC)

If Nutrition Was Really Important They'd Call It Life Value Instead of Daily Value

Melody only feared what would not and could not understand her. Her baby girl understood her, as she clutched her side to hide from the crowd. Teddie understood her, as they were cut from similar cloth, born with similar biology. And deep down, she trusted that Angúo understood her; in her mission to love and be loved, to protect and nurture.

These people, with their eyes covered by the shadows of their visors, did not understand her.

Melody shrunk back into herself as she continued her wave at the officers. They all pressed their lips and stood strong with feet planted in the ground. Cocked their heads in their directions to silently address her.

She didn’t know what to say or what to do, other than dart between all of them with her eye. Every time they flinched under her gaze, she felt a pit growing in her stomach.

But it was all interrupted by an outsider. Not even a bystander, because she didn’t recognize him from her recent memories. He rushed up so quickly that Melody forgot what she had been trying to say.

He mused about having figured out ‘the system’, to which Melody perked up at. The idea of a ‘system’ hadn’t crossed her mind before, but when it just did, it fit perfectly in the grocery store puzzle. She knew there was a reason why everything was so confusing. Now she just had to learn what!

Melody inched closer to the young man, hands folded politely as she waited for an answer. Cassidy followed, her hands shoved deep into her mother’s jelly sides. The small crowd of workers around the incident backed up, knocking backwards into shoppers who were trying their best to mind their business.

She listened with intent, her pink blob of ‘hair’ bouncing around as she nodded enthusiastically. The final conclusion (her included) brought a huge smile to her face. Saving money… was EXACTLY what she needed!

It was a huge relief. These officers must have been sent to help her, since she was wandering around looking so lost! She felt bad for misjudging them. Maybe Angúo was wrong: maybe everyone in the outside world wasn’t horrified of her, unnerved that she was a freak of nature, and wouldn’t devour her in seconds upon learning what she was!

It was enough to delight her. She felt like sparkles and hearts and little daisies were radiating off of her smile.

“I’m interested!” Melody said, waving her gelatinous hand high (as if they couldn’t already see her). “I love saving money! What do I need to do!?”

The shaken officer shoved the young man off of his shoulder. “The hell!?” As he shoved him off, he discreetly tried to whisper to his partner in misfortune. “...Is this a robbery? Are they attempting a robbery?”

She shrugged back at him, shoulders hunching after she had been grabbed so sharply. “I don’t fuckin’ know… I think they’re both crazy. I think she stole a kid. We call the cops, or… I don’t know, I’m not paid enough for this. We need them out of this store.”

“Alright. You take the jam lady. I'll take this guy.” The officer cracked his knuckles as he moved forward, the neon polyester on his vest reflecting the lights from overhead.

“No the fuck I’m NOT!” She snapped back as she yanked him back by the collar.

Amidst their bickering, no form of security policy was actually happening.

Spoiler

thebigfella

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

All Eyes On Me

LOCATION:

Craig Stevens' Estate

TIME:

Post Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Kiwi, Passeri, Hiachi, NPCS

All Eyes on Me

The words ‘you happen to be all tha’ way on the wrong side of the estate’ struck her as gently as an anvil to the head. Hiachi stared in through the window, deadpan as ever, now aware that she was going to have to sneak past many more potential obstacles to get to the other side.

At least one of her questions was answered: the files were in the study. Begging to be stolen, frankly. Personally, she would have burned the evidence of her crimes.

But she wasn’t there to critique Stevens. She was there to get her job done. Without a complaint, Hiachi got to work analyzing her first obstacle: the window.

From the looks of it, the window wasn’t locked. It didn’t need to be. On the top left corner of the window, she could see it. A block on the inside of the window that matched another on the inside.

She wasn’t super familiar with them, but she knew how they worked. When the window opens, the magnet between the two blocks separates. It trips the reed switch, and then alerts the main system.

As such, the solution to the problem would be easy. As long as there weren’t any extra alarms in her way.

She dug through her pocket for the first of three tools she brought with her: a neodymium magnet tool she stole from the engineering lab after class. It fit easily in her grip, as it was designed to. Hiachi placed the magnet tool above the block-shaped trigger. She gently moved the window open, careful to feel for the moment the magnet connected.

Now assured that she wouldn’t trip the alarm, Hiachi lifted the window wide enough for her to fit through. She maneuvered herself through the opening, careful to make sure the magnet didn’t fall from where she placed it. After crawling onto the floor with soft footsteps, Hiachi crouched herself on the other side of the

She closed the window, and she watched as the magnet fell to the ground outside. A shame for the magnet, but other students lost magnets doing far more trivial things. It wouldn’t be that missed.

Her eyes darted around her surroundings, making sure she wasn’t being watched. She could hear Passeri’s ‘Iroi’ voice from down the other side of the long hall, vivacious and drowning in saccharine lies.

Well, it was clear where she wasn’t going. She darted up the stairs on the balls of her feet, only stopping halfway to make sure no one was in the hallway. Thankfully, she didn’t see anyone yet. She went up the rest of the way before briefly pausing, touching the mic in her ear to jog her memory.

Down the right hallway—right. Where his son’s bedroom was, at some point. Following Kiwi’s advice, she calmly walked down the hall. Mimicking the way she heard other footsteps echoing around. It wasn’t nearly as fast as she wanted it to be, but rushing it would mess her up.

…!

The sound of an unfamiliar voice made her freeze. Out of sheer fear, she dove under the stature of an obnoxiously large vase on the right side of the hallway. She didn’t know who it was, but Kiwi would.

Spoiler

The One Eyed Bandit gxxberkit

 

[miki]

Little Red

CS Link

scene:

The Super Robot Who Can Do Anything!

location:

South District

date:

May 18th, 2022 | Pre-Arc 3

participants:

Red, Q-Bot & Nurse Lala (NPCS)

The Super Robot Who Can Do Anything!

It was a beautiful day outside. The skies were blue, the flowers were in full bloom, and the birds were singing a simple tune.

The beauty reached the stained glass ceiling of Central’s shopping row. It was a popular one with tourists for its novelty, and popular among citizens for odd job opportunities. People were paid to stand outside in cosplay, as silly as it sounded.

The street bustled with life, as visitors and workers worked in unison.

In the middle of it all was a very pretty girl and a very ugly man.

Red frequented the shopping row every once in a while. It was an easy place to fit in. And good hunting grounds, too. She would crush invasive species beneath her heel.

Like this one. He looked older, but not like a grandpa. A light gray stripe cut down the sides of his dark slicked back hair. The purple pinstripe suit was messy, like he just wandered out of a night of blackout drinking. He laughed heartily, slapping a hand full of multicolored rings on Red’s tiny shoulder.

“You’re a very talented girl, did you know that?”

She smiled, as her head was filled with happy thoughts.

I just LOVE executives! They’re so damn stupid, they never know what hits them. He’s trying to scout me. Haha. HAHA! Maybe I’ll slice his face off, this time. Carve down like a stick of butter. Wouldn’t that be fun?

The touch made her stomach churn, but promised to make the blood spilled more satisfying. Every part of him, every skin cell that grazed her, would be dead and gone.

Red curtsied at the man. “Thank you! When I grow up, I’m gonna be a model. My papa says I’m pretty enough.”

He fell right for it.

“Smart man!” He laughed, his gunmetal eyes narrowing down to slits. A single glint shone near the center of his eye. “You know, in Sankai, they’re not as picky about your age. You could become a model right now over there!”

“Really!?”

She saw his game. He’d offer to help her get scouted, and then whisk her away from her ‘normal’ life. Ritz, glamor, haze, and something dark in the depths.

“Really, really! My company specializes in this kind of stuff. We could make you a star, you know!” He offered her an open palm.

Red’s smile stretched wider, to an almost unnatural extent.

Today really was shaping up to be a great day.

Spoiler

thebigfella

 

[Kameron Esters-]

Musai

CS Link

SCENE:

The Devil's Twilight

LOCATION:

Warehouse, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Red, Vulken, Skadi, Sable

The Devil's Twilight

Musai turned his attention towards Red as she made her theatrical entrance. His eyebrow quirked upwards, amusement flickering in his heterochromatic eyes at her sugar-sweet demeanor clashing with the grim surroundings. He crossed his arms and leaned back slightly, his stance relaxed yet alert.

"Hey there, Red Rush! Glad you could make it! Hope you didn't run through any unsuspecting citizens on the way here," Musai greeted with a grin that matched his fiery spirit.

Musai listened, his usual smirk fading into a more contemplative expression as Skadi laid out the gravity of the situation. The mention of no payment didn't deter him as much as one might expect; instead, his gaze shifted slightly, reflecting a rare seriousness.

He scratched at his goatee, then looked directly at Skadi. "Listen, I'm not usually the sentimental type, but Hell-V's a Phoenix, and that means she's family. We don't let family hang out to dry, right?" His eyes, one black, the other a fiery red, gleamed with a mix of resolve and that inherent thrill for the impending challenge.

Musai stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "I'm in, Skadi. Not for the cash—this time it's for Hell-V. Let's just make sure we're not walking into something we can't walk out of. You've got the details, I've got the fire. Let’s figure out where these Black Cranes nest and roast 'em out."

His tone, though still carrying his typical bravado, had an undercurrent of loyalty and readiness to support the cause, signaling his readiness to dive into the fray for his fellow Phoenix.

Peckinou miki Nobody Special Coyote Hart

 

[Roda the Red]

(NPC) Debora Hillclad

CS Link

SCENE:

Everyone's a Critic

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 9th 2022

LOCATION:

Feralia Art Gallery, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Takakazu

Everyone's a Critic

"You really think I wouldn't find out? After all, it was pretty obvious when you- WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!" Debora wasted no time to cover her face with her hands, deeply flustered at the sight of the man wearing his birthday suit in full display, almost proudly so. "W-W-What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you out of mind, you barbarian?!" It took her a solid few seconds to recover her composure, or rather, most of it at the very least.

She peeked through her fingers, managing to limit her sights to just the man's face and his torso, gritting through her teeth as reason reminded her of the issue at hand. "I already know what you're here for, you think playing dumb will work with me? I've dealt with smartasses like you to last me a lifetime." One of her hands gave up on its role as an improvised mask, balling into a fist that shook with contempt.

"Ruining my art, casually baiting me to believe in your lies by giving away but one keyword? Sure, that was very suspicious but I gave you the benefit of the doubt." She then pointed directly at the top of the wardrobe, veins nearly bulging at her forehead. "But stealing my code notes? That was all the confirmation I needed, and don't think I didn't realize you took them while you distracted me with that roach stuff!" She sighed, her second hand also giving up on offering coverage. "To think I was fooled by the dumbest spy in the world..."

She slouched, quite badly so, almost like her entire torso had gone partially limp, her silver ponytail traping over her head. "He he he..." It was soft, almost imperceptible to Tak, but her body language was the bigger tell, her shoulders convulsing more and more as her laughter became more audible. "HAHAHAHAHA!" She threw her body back, her hands bent upward and extended as if they were claws, her right hand now in possession of a small black device with a red button.

"Oh you FOOL, you must be feeling so triumphant now that you got me talking. But who cares? You're still in my territory." She smiled, almost sadistically so, a shadow partially darkening the upper half of her face. "Before you can even take a step out of this office, you'll have a dozen guards dogpiling on you." She took a couple steps forward, slowly, confidently, albeit still avoiding direct contact with the naked man.

"I didn't want things to get like this, but you gave me no choice. I'll do whatever it takes to get those keywords out of that foul mouth of yours, maybe then you'll finally be worth all the trouble, can't wait to see what kind of masterpieces I can squeeze out of that empty head of yours." She continued to giggle, the revelation having possibly messed with something in the woman's brain chimestry. After all these years of plagiarism, of betrayal and manipulation, this was the very first time that she had began to outwardly behave in the villanous fashion that Debora herself had worried about, nobody wanted to see themselves as the bad guy, after all.

But yet, something about it felt strangely...liberating, like a part of her buried right under the surface had manage to crawl out, catharsis was certainly at its peak. "Well, I hope you'll enjoy your stay with us, it's gonna be fun that's for sure...Who's Camila, though?" Amidst her villain monologue, the mention of a third party had casually gone over Debora's head, her attention fully taken by the grand revelation, as well as the unwanted exhibitionism.

CAMILA GASPARI

CS Link

SCENE:

Everyone's a Critic

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 9th 2022

LOCATION:

Feralia Art Gallery, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Takakazu

Everyone's a Critic

Akin to a casting line, Camila's slender silver tail shot forward, just going past Debora's arm. Swiftly shifting trajectory, the spear-like tip circled around the artist's wrist, enveloping it on a tight binding. Debora could barely react and look at the foreign appendage before being yanked forcefully, getting a yelp out of the woman as she fell on her back, the security device escaping from her weakened grasp.

Camila kicked the doors of the wardrobe open, the old wood nearly splintering or falling off their rusty hinges as they reached the highest angle their design allowed. Debora tried to get back up, but a cry of pain followed her hand getting stomped by a now fleeing spy.

"We're getting the fuck outta here now, Tak!" She shouted at her junior, way too focused on making her escape out of the room to even care about the man's nudist disposition. Before she had even reached the door, her tail had already changed target, turning on the doorknob and pulling it open for her. "I'll leave your ass behind if you don't catch up!" She insisted, shouting behind her before making her way through the extensive hall.

"Tch... Y-You bastards!" Debora was holding at her stomped hand, trying to placate the pain, which was accentuated with each pulse of her blood flow. Getting on her knees, and looking at Tak with nothing short of hatred, she reached for the device, slamming her palm on the large red button. Loud sirens echoed through the entirety of the underground facility, earning the panic of the unsuspecting rich ladies and gentlemen at the auction. But to the security of the area, the sound's message was loud and clear, and thus they began rushing towards Hillclad's location, about a dozen guards ready to beatdown the intruders.

thebigfella

 

[King Crimson]

LI DAIYU

CS Link

SCENE:

The Game

LOCATION:

West District, The Precipice

PARTICIPANTS:

Bossy Woman ( BluEndings ), Mugen ( Elenion Aura )

The Game

Minutes passed, feeling like hours in the tiny little room, but no matter how many times she hammered on the door, or how angrily she stared it down, she didn't seem any closer to freedom than when she'd first been locked in here.
"Sucks...this sucks..." she grumbled to herself again, taking a step back away from the door.
She'd tried everything to get out of here.
Everything except for one thing, and it pissed her off all the more that she'd need to use it to get out of here.
"Why's this stuff always gotta happen to me?" She grumbled spitefully to herself.
Her stance widened, her body crouched low to the ground, her feet planted firmly in the earth.
Her unsteady, drunken wobbling was gone, now she seemed stable, steadfast, immovable as a mountain.
"Didn't ask for nothin' too big...didn't hurt anyone...I just wanted to be left alone and drink to my heart's content."
Her legs tensed up like a coiled springs, the stored memory within her muscles guiding her form effortlessly into perfection.
"...And it's not like they can blame me for this, right~? They locked me in here! I could die, for crying out loud!"
“Shut up.”
"No, you shut up! Stupid door, I'm gonna smash you into scrap!"
With that, she took off, her leg swinging from her hip like a javelin, flying forward to take the cheeky door right off of it's hinges.
But then, in her drunken mind, she realized something;
Doors don't talk.
And they don't open by themselves.
Someone was coming in.
And they were about to be in the perfect spot to get their skull caved in.
In a split second, Li sharply veered her outstretched leg straight down towards the ground, sending her drunkenly stumbling forward, as the full momentum of her kick suddenly spiked downward, nearly taking the rest of her with it.
Quickly, she regained her balance, looking on her unexpected new visitor.
She had the look of authority, from the way she stood so proudly, to her sharp, well-cut suit, to her fiery eyes.
And certainly from the way she was chewing out the men behind her.
Hopefully, she doesn't realize how close she came to losing her head.
Li shrank back as the woman's eyes locked onto her.
She was ready to get her own share of reprimanding for that debacle in the kitchen, or maybe some news that she'd be getting even more interest added to her ever-growing mountain of debt.
Instinctively, she threw her hands up in submission.
"U-Uhh hey, look! It was just a little misunderstandin', I didn't know that wine wasn't fer us t'drink! P-Pleashe! I don't got any more mo--!"
But, before Li could finish her plea for mercy, much to her surprise, the woman suddenly bowed her head in apology, and then, offered her a deal.
"Hah? You'll let me go? And pay me triple what I was promised? And all I gotta do is feed some meathead's ego and throw a fight?"
Clasping her hands together, Li suddenly wiggled up to the woman in amorous, sickly sweet drunken affection, like a cat to it's master's touch.
"Aww~! Yer so sweet and kind! Truly the most generous soul in aaall of West District~!"
"Not," she added flatly, the smile on her face quickly replaced with a stern, skeptical scowl.
Teetering a step away from the woman, Li takes the flask from her hip, taking a quick swig of the delicious liquor inside, before pointing a finger accusingly in her direction.
"I wasn't born yesterday, y'know~? I know nobody n' this district asks for somethin' without wantin' more than what they say they want in return~!"
Leaning forward to bring herself nearly nose-to-nose with her new benefactor, Li continues, digging her finger right into the woman's lying heart.
"Sho, spill it. What's the catch here? And don't say there isn't one, cause I won't believe you~!"

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

EUN JI-YOUNG

CS Link

SCENE:

Midnight Reminder

TIME:

October 21st, 2016

LOCATION:

Passeri's Apartment, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri Park, Eun Ji-Young

Midnight Reminder

”Thank you for your hospitality,” said Ji-Young as she stepped into her modest home. Looking around, she couldn’t help but empathize with the young idol about the struggles of getting one’s career off the ground; she had the same exact cheap brand of electric kettle as Passeri did, which helped her beleaguered tea experiences none. It wasn’t a stretch to say that in another universe, Ji-Young could be staring down somebody else wearing a suit and a menacing expression, come to collect on her dues in the dead of night.

She politely declined the offer of tea with a slight shake of her head as she took her seat at the countertop, because frankly she would rather drink sewage water than let her lips be sullied once more by convenience store brand leaf juice. Not that she voiced it out loud, or let her face betray any of her thoughts. She was a professional, after all.

Ji-Young maintained an air of silent menace as she listened to Passeri go on about her various debt collectors. Any of the names she dropped could’ve been Blue Miso, Ji-Young didn’t know. But all of those names were notorious in the debt collection industry for all manner of reasons unethical to the extreme. That the young idol managed to survive this long while owing debts to these people was an impressive feat, and Ji-Young raised her eyebrows in awe.

Unfortunate, then, that her lucky streak would come to an end tonight.

“I wish I could tell you about who contacted me, but the simple answer is that I don’t know,” Ji-Young said, her eyes fixed on Passeri’s own. “They used a pseudonym, burner accounts, and burner phones. There’s no way for me to contact them unless they want me to, much less know where they are at any given time.”

It was easy to drown in her eyes, Ji-Young realized. Perhaps this was how she wrangled the other debtors for so long. Perhaps she wouldn’t mind becoming tangled, herself. But she came here for one thing and one thing only, and no amount of begging or pleading (or pretty eyes) would dissuade her from her goal.

“Miss Park, they way I see it, we can go about it one of two ways,” Ji-Young said, raising a closed fist.

“One,” she raised her index finger, “you pay me the amount of 5000 Amestriyen to fulfill your debt, and we part ways amicably with no harm done on either side.”

“Or… two,” she raised her middle finger, smiling. “I allow you more time to pay your debt, after thoroughly reminding you of the consequences of missing out on a payment.

“Your choice, Miss Park.”

Interactions: The One Eyed Bandit

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

SCENE:

The Idol’s Mask

TIME:

July 31, 2022

LOCATION:

Vernwood Park, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Vander, Sheridan, Melody

The Idol’s Mask

"Well-ma'am-miss-lady-madam-goddess-mylove-myheart-myeverything-Iroi-!"

At the moment, Passeri was trying incredibly hard to keep a straight face.

"Well-yousee-youknow-ithought-iknew-thatyouonlyyouandonlyyou-could-tell-me-umuheremerm-howdoeshowdoyouthinkwhatdoyouthinkof-mymaskyourfaceonmyface-icrossreferenced-fivephotos-tenvideos-twomemories-andmagazines-togetitrightperfectspotonjustlikeyou-and-!"

And she was failing. This wasn't her first time. Looking at her own face like this. It was surprisingly not all that uncommon for her fans to appear before her wearing her own face like some sort of grotesque form of tribute. It was flattering... And also incredibly concerning, especially they were talking like their life was on line. It was uncomfortable, and while Passeri's or rather Iroi's smile remained as dazzlingly unfettered as ever, she could still feel herself shrinking back in her seat.

"Well..." Passeri's tone was as pointed as a pair of pliers. Careful and precise, so to extract as little as she could from the potential maniac before her. The mask was terrible, obviously. On account of the long, sun-blasted line, the thing was stained deep by the woman's forehead sweat, and the cheap ink she'd used to print the thing had started to run, not to mention that her hair wasn't even the right colour, but... She couldn't well be saying all of that, could she? "Mmm. You know~ Besides a few wrinkles... I think it's pretty good! Just like looking in a mirror, rea-"

"You're lying." And then the masked woman's tone dropped like a stone. Gone, was ravenous sense of worship, replaced by pure indignation as disappointment. Passeri couldn't see it on account of the... her-mask, but behind the papery facsimile of her visage, the woman's eyes trembled with tears, her lip quivered with shock, and her nostrils started to flare like an angry bull's.

"Hey, hey, hey, are you fucking with me? Look here? I did it on purpose. Your eyes. They're 2.03% too big. You bitch. You're making fun of me aren't you?" She shuffled forward, the table clattered, and then Passeri very neatly tapped the panic button next to her lap. "Do you even know who I am? I have 23 blogs, 7 fancam accounts, 217 social media accounts, and am the President-in-Chief of your East-East-North-South-West-East-East-Central Fanclub. I'll ruin you, you whore. Apologise. Now. For lying to me. Hey. Hey. Are you listening to me, hey!"

A placid smile met her ravings, paired with a strained response. This wasn't a first. She'd been ranted at and raved like this more times than she could could, though presently, the memory of one incident in particular was starting to bear down on her shoulders.

"I'm very sorry. Now, your time is up, so..."

"Nonononononono, you fuck. YOUR TIME IS UP. ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? I'M GOING TO-"

The woman continued to go on, and Passeri shot her eyes in V's direction. While this was certainly something she could have handled herself...

Well, the President had gone and hired him for a reason, hadn't he?

Spoiler: Tags

Interacted: N/A
Relevant: YumenoTsukishiro @Faker miki

 

[Elenion Aura]

JAVI ONEIRO SILVA

SCENE:

Losers!

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 || June 11th, 2022

LOCATION:

East District, Skate Park

PARTICIPANTS:

Pei, Javi

LOSERS!

Peering after Pei’s fleeing figure, Javi reached down to pick up the now-empty sling—vacated of all its current inhabitants. Dusting it off, he slipped it over his shoulder. Letting it cut a diagonal across the planes of his chest as he rubbed relief into the slope of his neck. The pain now a dull, persistent throb.

"W’sup," Javi answered the diminutive fairy, cutting her a sidelong glance. He wasn’t sure if it was nice to meet her. It’d depend on whether or not she tried to pull any crap on him like the other little dudes in that spiky blonde guy’s repertoire.

Keeping one eye on the selfsame man whose figure was shrinking quickly into the distance, though not nearly fast enough, considering what now hunted him...—On second thought—he wasn’t sure he’d have time to stick around and find out what this one did or didn’t do after all. From all that he'd seen to date, Javi figured the crazy dude probably had something up his sleeve to help get him out of this latest situation. He could've walked away. Could've ignored the storm on the horizon. If only a small, persistent thought wasn't needling him. What if he didn't? This time, what if he didn’t?

"Stay here," He commanded the fairy despite the fact that she wasn’t his. He rolled his shoulders back. Once. Twice. Robbed of his board, he got ready to run... Still, he couldn’t just abandon her there alone, remembering well the shrill warble of in her voice.

"You stay too, Grio. Watch out for ‘er." He said after a brief pause, seeming to speak at nothing at all. For around the two of them sat only blank, empty space.

Just then the air behind Lala’s head began to shimmer. It was like space distorting, as if reality were doubling back on itself, trying to account for the spherical creature’s sudden appearance. To convince everybody that, ‘No, it had, in fact, been there the whole time.’ Despite what one's eyes and senses could tell. Brain-breaking.

The emerald orb’s camouflage peeled away like flakes of dead skin that disintegrated like dust and scattered to the wind.

"Glibber plib?"

It chirruped inquisitively, curious about this new figure. If she turned, Lala would come to find that Grio—the tennis-ball sized sphere of amorphous green goo—was floating right over her shoulder, uncomfortably close. Eclipsing her whole field of view with his stretchy, plastic frog face, Grio leaned closer still. Its gelatinous antennae articulated, converging in her direction with interest, as it beeped and sputtered in its alien language.

Whether she liked her new companion or not, Lala would have to live with it. Because Javi was already gone.

Elsewhere, across the skatepark at around the same time, Luvi blinked slowly the blobby, citrine pearls that were her eyes, affixed on the chivalrous Robot before it as he shook its stubby appendage in thanks, her head tilting this way and that. All the while cooing a soft, trilling tune.

"Coo lala. Trill-illoo, lala loo."

She had no idea what the strange robot was saying. Nevertheless, it liked the sounds he made.

"Pwii pwala-illoo ♪ !" Matching his own excitement—even if she was unsure about the cause—Luvi imitated the Robot's call as best she could. Did she even have vocal cords? She swayed lazily side to side through the air—dancing in her own way—until the Robot's chest opened and he offered it something from inside.

Her 'eyes' widened at the sight of it, like he had just offered it something precious, and not a leftover snack. Nevertheless, Luvi accepted the gift happily. Her amorphous mouth opening wide, like some kind of deep sea fish. Leaning forward and engulfing both the candy bar and the Robot's arm down to the elbow, before rescinding back, sliding off and leaving a trail of blue slime running down his forearm. Through her translucent flesh, one could see the half-eaten chocolate bar being dissolved, fizzling like it had been submerged in acid until it was utterly gone.

She blinked and chirped her appreciation. Until a change, like a tremor, rolled over her, disturbing her peaceful drowsiness. Her neck craned around in search for the source of this new and terrible development.

From there, she spied Rocco. Rocco, whose focus was lasered in on his rival's deft bladework, failed to notice Luvi's attention or meet her gaze. It dared not tear its eyes away, as their battle crescendoed towards its climactic conclusion. Like twin particles of opposing polarity, the pair of warriors charged each other as equals. Their final clash promised to be one of cataclysmic proportions... Or, it would have, had Rocco's enemy not suddenly halted in his tracks, for reasons that the tiny titan could not begin to fathom.

Nor did he let it deter him from his course.

Tap.

Tap.

POW!

Went the sounds of Rocco's feet as he stomped, once then twice, into frame and up to the feline fighter—who was so enamoured by some strange, fat bird in the sky that he scarcely resembled his former, formidable self—and delivered a decisive cold cock to his whiskered cheek. The force sent the svelte samurai ricocheting away, ending their bout. Rocco huffed bitterly. The ending unsatisfying. Mercifully, the creature was not permitted much time to sulk, as the same dread that clutched his azure companion reached his keen heart. He whorled around, searching frantically for Javi first of all. The desire to protect its master ringing like an alarm bell through its mind.

A monster was coming.

In that very same moment, a massive shadow took shape beneath the sweating pavement; it swam through the earth itself in pursuit of the spike-haired man. Jagged, metallic spines—like the fins of a red, angry, mutant shark—emerged on the surface, carving through asphalt like a dance of hot, serrated knives through melting butter. As suddenly as they'd appeared, the spines rescinded, the molten shadow gaining ground quickly until the blacktop was baking beneath Pei's very stride, heat radiating off of the distressed cement in waves... Only for the shape to suddenly disappear. Delving deeper underground.

For a moment, the surface of the skatepark was serenely calm. But for a low rumbling deep beneath the earth, growing louder until it was a roar. A column of heat rose, like something had dragged the earth's core up to ground level, turning the paving red, then orange, then white-hot yellow as the ground swelled and burst like an overfilled balloon, sending molten slag and ruined asphalt showering down from a black smog cloud in the sky.

A shape burst forth from out of that red, angry scar, breaching like a whale does the surface of the ocean; rivulets of liquefied earth trailing down its angular, vaguely insectoid, monstrous form like lava flowing freely over and down, carving veins in the sides of a recently erupted volcano as it thrashed violently in the open air. The creature's mandible clicked, as its sightless, elongated skull of a head swept the skatepark; as greedy, grasping fingers of magma traced their way through pavement cracks, widening and deepening the hole from hell, allowing the monster to prize more of its jagged, igneous form free. Its clicking jaws led it to Pei. Without eyes, it saw him. And it hated him. A low, metallic growl rattled up its throat, ending in an ear-drum splitting bellow as it dove for him, headfirst, clawed limbs splayed wide, mandibles snapping hungrily on the way down.

"SSSSSSKREEEEEEEEEE-AAWWWW!"​

Unfortunately, Tibur's hunger would remain unsated... For now. As her maw descended towards her prey, Javi dove and tackled Pei aside, knocking them both out of the path of her teeth. Instead, she took a man-sized bite out of the concrete, gobbling it like it was rock candy, the paved stones melting quickly between her serrated dagger-teeth.

Javi quickly and unceremoniously disentangled himself and scrambled to his feet, whirling around as he put both hands up in Tibur's face. "Woah! Woah! Hey!!" He shouted, waving his arms back and forth. The command was simple enough: No. Staring up at her crimson-obsidian hammer-head, Javi couldn't tell if his message had been received. The creature reared, mandible chattering, claws kneading the pavement. Javi's breath hitched, sweat beading his brow from more than just the heat. This time, she was big.

The weight of her manifestation felt like a heavy chain tied around his neck. He felt his concentration, his control, beginning to fray... Just as three streaks of light—green, blue, and yellow—beamed in front of him. Tibur roared at her kin, who had arrayed themselves before her in defiance. Seeing them side by side only underscored just how much larger she was any one of them, or all three put together. From tip to tail, a school bus' length, at least.

It was a stand-off. Javi stood between Tibur and Pei (he presumed). Rocco, Luvi, and Grio (with or without Lala in tow; he'd forgotten to keep track of her) stood between Javi and Tibur. Who thrashed and gnashed in frustration. Her roar was met with a trio of cries, as the four creatures squared off. Neither side gave ground, until finally the snarling red devil gave her quarry one last shriek before turning her back and descending into the earth, disappearing underground with one final flick of her whip-cracking tail.

With one crisis averted, Javi had time to let the other crisis roll over him. Staring at the torn up hole in the earth, and the retreating tail and hind limbs of Tibur as she delved through the ground away from him, ignoring his commands, he let his hands fall atop his head, fingers interlaced as he breathed out a woeful, "Fuuuuuuck,"—not again!—before turning his head over his shoulder to peer at the place where he'd last seen Pei.

Another situation demanded his attention. He hoped that, at the very least, this one could be resolved?

In either case, he really had to go..!