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

SCENE:

Meet and Grit

LOCATION:

The Third Eye, Central District

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 || Morning of July 8th

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Keith

MEET AND GRIT

"Aww you'd keep me awake while you skin me? That sounds awful!" Peyton said as he deflected one of Keith's attacks with a high kick. There was a look of delight on Peyton's face as he was thrown a barrage of attacks, "It's so mean of you! I'll hold you to your word then!"

Peyton wasn't quite fast enough with his kick, and the maw of Keith's claws grazed his leg, drawing blood. The Serpent winced and let out a small little whimper. The longer the fight ran, the more disadvantaged Peyton was. He didn't bring his gun with him, as he didn't think he'd need it. His rusty martial arts could only carry him so far. All in all, Peyton wasn't going to have the sastisfying fight with Keith that he oh so desired. That would have to wait for another day.

"Hi Vicky! Don't worry about us! Just a nice little spat between Dragon and Serpent!" Peyton waved to Veronica, once again butchering her name. His words left Veronica further flabbergasted, although Peyton had no time to pay attention to her. He was fighting for his life, desperate to keep his life and soak in the unrestrained fury on Keith's face.

"I'm really charmed at how much you're into me!" Peyton said to Keith. He bounced back, light on his toes, "But if I keep playing with you, I'm gonna miss my train! You have my number anyway, we can hang out any time you wanna! So... Catch me if you can, sucker!"

Peyton turned heel and began to run away towards the train station. He turned behind briefly to pull down his eyelid and stick out his tongue at Keith before continuing to flee.

Even as he ran, Peyton let out a tiny little giggle as joy bubbled up inside him. Today was the best! Not only did he get his book signed, he also got a delightful new enemy that was sure to entertain Peyton. Peyton adored Keith. Such a genuine guy who wore fury so well on his face. The hours of teasing him were all worth seeing the fiery hatred as he tried to kill Peyton.

The small Serpent pushed past people on the streets, eliciting a few disgruntled complaints as he tried to evade Keith. Peyton hoped that Keith would give up on the chase, or else feared that this would be the first and only time he'd be able to enjoy that spiteful look on Keith's face.

Roda the Red

simj26 · Jun 5, 2024

Inigo Han

SCENE:

Not Thinking Twice

LOCATION:

Nighttime, Streets of Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camilla, Inigo

Not Thinking Twice

If you cooperate, huh? She would have done well in an interrogation room. Good cop, more so than bad cop. A second date wasn’t that bad of an asking price, either. Sure, he’ll take it.

“Kind of a modernised fairy tale to end in a trade of phone numbers,” he commented drily. His eyes glanced towards the car behind her. Something didn’t sit right with him about the make, and the shifty personnel standing by its side. Not that it mattered to him now. He wasn’t going to ruin a good night for a lady by asking unwanted questions. “Not exactly a glass slipper, but–” he took her phone from her gently, and removed his own from his pocket.

His homescreen lit up, the image of him in dress uniform, next to his two friends, their arms looped around each other’s backs, smiling at the camera. A memory of his duty, and his vengeance. He flicked it away, and navigated to his contacts. He was never much for remembering numbers, his own included. If it wasn’t for the miracle of technology, he would never have managed to contact anyone, not without his pocketbook filled with numbers.

“Right.” He found his own number and began to type it onto the mystery lady’s phone. He shoved his phone back into his pocket, and returned her phone back to her. A second of hesitation, before he draped his coat over her shoulders again, tugging it close so it sat over her snugly. “It’s still cold out. You can give it back to me on that second date. I’ll be fine without it.” He had noticed her shivering. The cold air did not agree with her. Whether because she had grown used to the warmth of the dinky coffeehouse, or that she was naturally unused to the night, he thought it should be part of his responsibility to make sure she was fine.

“Get home safe, alright?”

Roda the Red

simj26 · Jun 5, 2024

Elise Cutter

SCENE:

Telephone Line

TIME:

July 20th, 2022

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger

Telephone Line

When the Princess pulled away, a fear settled in her mind. Had she said the wrong thing? Had she done the wrong thing? Did she misread everything that had been said? What if she left her now, after all that? She didn’t want her to leave. She didn’t want that moment of thinking that she had somewhere to belong, that one second of knowing that she had someone to be with, to leave her. But if that were so, then she would resign herself to it. It didn’t matter. A wraith of a hunting dog like her could never be–

The Princess’s touch banished the dark in her thoughts. Her cool, dainty fingers, soft and gentle caressed her face. The tears welled up in her solitary eye. To be loved, to be wanted, to be held like this- she missed this feeling. The memories of her father, her family, the ones that she had kept in store as ammunition for her hate collapsed on her. Their love, their smiling faces, their foolish ideas of showing how much they loved her and each other, crashed like waves against her walls, materialising themselves as tears in her eye.

She let it happen. She didn’t pull away, she didn’t push her away, she didn’t resist, she didn’t say anything. It had only been leading up to the conclusion to this. She didn’t deserve this, she didn’t want the Princess to suffer this weight forever, a crippled cyclops at the end of her cycle of vengeance, useless and tossed aside, alone and scarred. She wanted to continue building that wall between her and the rest of the monsters in this accursed city.

But that wall had been breached a long time ago, and she had let the Princess’s invaders continue to worm their way into her heart, and now they had driven the stake right into the cold, unbeating heart of the ghost that hid herself within. Her soft, pure lips upon her chapped, cracked ones, a warmth that she had long decided that she would be happy to live without.

Her arms held onto the Princess. She didn’t want to let go. She wanted to stay here forever, she wanted to hold her more, she wanted to love her even more. For bringing her back, for dragging her out of the brink, for being the light in her life, for being the one thing now that she could care about, for being the one person in this damned place that cared for her.

She finally pulled back after what felt like an eternity, the ice thawed from her eye, the usual coldness and expression carved in granite gone.

“I love you too, ‘Seri,” Elise Cutter said quietly, unsure, like a highschool girl who had only just had her first love.

Haze- · Jun 9, 2024

Dante Aguilar

CS Link

SCENE:

Not Quite Pet Sitting

TIME:

☽ Jan 2nd, 2022 || Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

Invaded factory; North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Dante

Not Quite Pet Sitting

His eyes were still pinned on him.

An unhurried glare went up and down with the man’s head as he nodded. Fist twisted tight on a head of hair, keeping the serpent’s eyes up and on his— looking for a hint in there. And making sure the man knew he was looking.

In another time, back at the church, he would’ve had one of the dogs bite off a snake’s head the moment they crossed the line. Tried setting up shop in his home.

He was a ‘professional’ now. Offing the wrong, lowly snake could mean an annoying little drizzle on his employers abode. And that, as he’s learned, only ends in a shitstorm crashing straight onto his roof.

He cut an eye at the man squirming in the shadow’s grasp, thin golden strips of glow focusing on the snake’s face. Leisurely, impartially, gauging— just like Camila who was (he assumed) pretending to be getting busy by his side — “Our only bet…” — Dante corrected, breaking eye contact from the man.

He knew that look. A serpent turned to a worm. The guy was telling the truth.

Dante let go of the man’s hair, flicked nothingness off his hand like he’d been touching filth this whole time. He twisted his lip, almost scowling as he let out a sharp whistle. The dozen gaping maws twisting and whirlpooling around the shadow entangling the man froze at the call, fangs clamped into wide grins, black tendrils already shooting up the serpents’ nostrils, wrapping tight around his throat.

The hound kept coiling around, only letting go the moment he went limp.

“You sure you’ll be fine?” — Dante leaned an elbow into the window frame, watching her on the other side, pretending he was concerned about her and not the possibility of her fucking up the mid-assignment. Which, in a way, was caring about her in some odd way. Lucky him, it was easier to hide that ‘I think you’re unreliable’ look in his eyes under his shades — “Nevermind… Just make some noise if they catch yoy so I know when to come busting in through the door.”

A sigh, a resigned side-eye peeking at her from under the shades, and a slight fistbump on the window frame was Camila’s one and only go-ahead from Dante — “Good luck.” — A blink, and he vanished, only leaving behind a trail of fading strings of shadows and claw marks dug in his place.

He really wasn’t a team player.

Haze- · Jun 9, 2024

F R a N Kイe

Scene:

All That Is Mortal

Time:

July 13th, 2022

Location:

Lower Central District Ruins | Post-Outbreak

Participants:

Stitches, Deirest

All That Is Mortal

There was barely any streetlight left in those parts of town. No, the snapped, bent, delapidated lampposts hung with their cracked bulbs dangling on a wire above their heads. Like looming, metal giants. Their tall necks bare and slit, the dead weight of the head pulling back the neck, wrenched over to show the world the still sparkling wires and innards.

Yet no light.

Whatever light shone through— either from the moon pushing through the clouds, or from an untouched giant the other street over, blinking its dim light at a slant through the holes on the walls— it was just enough.

Enough for her to make out the hooded figure with its arms hanging limp by its sides. Slack-jawed, looking on at her like she were an alien creature.

A worm would have cowered, a worm would have fled. This was no worm.

Enough, too, for them to see her face twisted in pure disgust. To take in every bit of her. From the stains marring her body to the out-of-focus haze in her eyes. The boy stood there stringing out the story, day-dreaming about it. Obsessing over it. Was she fully awake? Or did she just sleep poorly these days? Was the world a blur to her, as it was to him? Was there a reason for knowing the time of day to her, or did she only count the passings of the seasons?

Did the passing of time make her slow, too? Stupid? Shaky?

The woman’s thoughts didn’t align, the body didn’t sync to both hemispheres of their brain. Brother and sister were, for once in a long while, split. One hand gripped at their chest, madly scratching at the stitchwork across their collarbone. The other hand banged and banged and kept banging on the dome of their skull, only stopping to claw at their face.

She just wanted to know how hard Deirest could punch. She needed to know.

“Ke—he~” — They both strangled out a wheezing, disgusting cackle nonetheless, voices intermingling. He wanted to talk her tongue into drying. She wanted to tear her spine out.

Surely there was a good in-between to find that would satisfy both, wasn’t there?

A bandaged hand moved up to pull at the rest of the gauze under the hood, tearing the wet, white strand off and letting them splat on the rubble into a pile. They stuck their tongue out, chomped. Spat the still twitching chunk of meat straight at Deirest’s face, looking down at her with a shit-eating, blood-smeared grin.

“Ng—ho.” — Their response to Deirest’s mercy was gargled out. A red tangle of roots shoot out of their jaws, reeling back in and tightening together into shape inside their mouth— a mock-up tongue, an easy fix. They clucked their brand new prothesis at her, straightened up with a chuckle to pace around. Hefting the weight of the squirming bag of gifts on their shoulder.

“You really are slow, aren’t you?” — They chuckled, hunching over as if they were a highschool girl secretly giggling in the back of class — “You didn’t listen, you didn’t listen…I tried being kind, give ya’ a head start…It’s gonna hurt, y’know? They…they told me to hurt you…”

Their jaw clenched, eyes narrowed, lips twisting and twitching to hold back a smile as they circled around with one hand behind their back — “They told me to hurt you bad…”

They gasped, head snapping a full 180° to look at her with lit up eyes, raised brows — “I know!” — Twisting roots curled around bone, bloating their arm on their way to the finger tips— shooting out between the stitches and latching onto the rim of the railing of debris that kept them above her. A light yank, their whole body pulled toward the roots, landing square on a squat to perch in front of Deirest.

“You…you can…” — They started, already spitting out a chuckle and two just hearing themselves — “You can just do it yourself, can’t you? It won’t hurt that bad that way. And it’ll save me some trouble too! IT’S PERFECT ISN’T IT????”

Stitches threw their arms out, smiled wide, grand. It was their own offering, their own mercy.

“Here,” — They pushed up to a stand, digging a hand into the large sack and twisting it around in there. The sounds of barely gasping life breathed out of the bag, along with the writhe of meat being burrowed into, a gush of blood straining out the bottom of the bag into a sleek line of red drool — “I’ll give you 10’ to think about it. That’s fair, right?”

A weak croak rose from the bottom of the sack, something yanking at their arm inside there, slowly trying to tug its way back down as Stitches pulled their hand out. The countdown began with a choir of a dozen voices, all coming from the same windpipe — “Ten.”

“Nine.” — They pulled. A mass of flesh bulged in the bag like it were a chunk of food bobbing out of someone’s throat.

“Eight.” — Their arm threw back with a rain of blood hurling with it, splattering against the walls. Their arm was kept behind their back, like it were a magician’s trick, even if she could still see the tall shadow of whatever they were holding casted on the walls. Bones snapped; muscles twisted out of rigor mortis behind them— the shadow rose.

“Seeeeven!” — The thing jumped as they pulled it in front of them. It was scaly, armored. Had a big, dislocated jaw. Flies still buzzing into the rotten, bland spots where the scales had chipped off on the chimeric’s head. The roots wrapped around it, swirling in and out of the hollows of its eyes and through its mouth, wrapping back to Stitches' arm.

The thing’s jaw split open, a flash of light shinning through inside it’s jaws. Heat building up around them. Stitches grinned, crossed an arm over the other as they angled the chimeric’s head straight at Deirest. An orange spotlight shone through the jaws of the beast, framing Deirest amidst the rubble.

They’d picked their favorite one out of the bunch, just for her. She should be happy dying like this.

When was the last time anyone’s ever seen a dragon breathe fire?

“SIX-FIVE-FOUR-THREE—!”

BriiAngelic · Jun 9, 2024

Artemis Mac Naught

SCENE MUSIC:

Abnormality Dancin' Girl

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 | December 15th 2020

LOCATION:

Goldshire Streets, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Missy, Eric (

Roda the Red )

All I Want For Christmas Is Your Money

He was only just playing with others? Well, now that was unfortunate. If she lost to someone too inexperienced then her hustle would be over before it could even begin. She felt her mouth twitch almost letting out a genuine frown, but instead she took an inhale in through her nose and puffed her cheeks out like a hamster into a pout.

“Wellllllllllllll if its your first then should I be taking it easy on you?”

She played up her hmms and ahhs with all the air of a ditz. Her moms always told her men were easy prey to a pretty damsel. Need help, but not too much. Be beautiful, but be careful of trying too hard. Tools that would be used to get men to bed them were just as useful to separate a sucker from their money and man did it feel disgusting to use. The urge to cringe only increased as the gawkers to their gamble soaked it all in.

“Woah! A straight flush huh? There we go you got this! I only had a full house.”

She brought all her cards together in her right and discretely swapped a card with her power before piling them in a single pile. She slid her hand left revealing only the cards she needed for the full house.

“Well now that I know I can take you seriously how about we go double or nothing?”

BriiAngelic · Jun 9, 2024

Artemis Mac Naught

Sugar Song to Bitter Step

SCENE MUSIC:

TIME:

??? | May, 11th 2022

LOCATION:

AmaiTherapii Store, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Missy, Jacques (@Mqueserasera)

Contend! Relic Hunter vs Relic Hunter

Today was the day.
March 11th.
A day that would go down infamy.

TODAY SHE WAS GOING TO GET THAT DAMN EGG.

She had managed to pay the bare minimum she needed for the Tiger’s dues. She’d scrounged up rent money. Most of her bills were paid. As far as she knew she had enough ramen to last a year in her home. SO SHE COULD BUY THE DAMN EGG. She didn’t know why this limited edition egg was so fucking expensive but it was the one little joy she’d kept over since moving from East and by god was she not letting the damn price gouging of the West stop her. At worst, she’d beg Cam for as many jobs as she could handle to make up the money.

She had her worst perfume on and practically soaked her blazer in it, a warding weapon for all but the most determined egg hunters. She parted the sees of creepy men with ease as they all seemed to want to hurl from the pure power of the snickerdoodle cookie scent. She let out a smirk as another man ran from her. Her steps brought her closer and closer to the fabled AmaiTherapii Store. Her eyes went to the door steadying herself so she didn’t go in swinging.

Given it was release day she knew there would be precious few left. She knew she should have just ditched work. Still, she couldn’t appreciate the grandeur of the Egg if she was running from the tigers. She looked up and down the plushies Tokidoki Cactus, Bacon Cloud, Gudetama Flan, no no no. Where was it? She knew they had to have at least one.

Then she saw it.

The lone last LAZY TAMAGOYAKI GUDETAMA.

Worse yet she saw another reaching for it. She dug her heels in as she lunged for the toy missing by a hair’s breathe and landing flat on her face on the floor below.

So this is what feeling like an idiot felt like.

She slammed her fist to the floor and whined with the full weight of all the air in her lungs.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GUDETAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

She flung her head up not removing herself from the floor yet evening out her voice as though that would bring her dignity back.

“Please tell me you were just looking.”

AriAriAbabwa · Jun 9, 2024

ALICE

SCENE:

Two Can Cross the Threshold

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Alice, Charlie

Two Can Cross the Threshold

Cheshire's moment of awe was enough to make her error. Each of Charlie's hits landed, and she flew into the approaching rabbits. She cursed as she skid across the 'grass', glaring into the boy's eyes. "Don't pay attention to what's around you!" she shouted to her allies. "It's all fake! Focus on those two!"

"You insult me, Lady Cheshire." The group froze. "I assure you, I am very much real."

Standing between the Rabbits and their hunt was Alice. She had grown; from her filled bust to curved hips on which a hand laid, the other carrying an antique cigarette holder like a fair lady. A red dress flowed around her long legs and billowed on the grass, and blonde hair fell along her exposed back. Imposing on her head was a three-pronged crown of black, heart-shaped gems of ruby at each tip. Perhaps the only recognizable features to the girl was her cheekbones, her blue eye, and the scar running across the other, hidden by a metal rose bound by chain acting as an eyepatch.

"Wh-Who—?"

"I am the Queen of these lands. And you are nothing more than soiled barbarians!" The Queen of Hearts produced and ate through a sugar cookie with the words "EAT ME" in frosting. In seconds, she grew taller and taller until her head protruded the clouds. Taller until the ground beneath her crumbled and collapsed. She caught the land with her hands, steadying herself as the world shook. If the Rabbits were just getting used to Wonderland, they had surely lost their minds. Lady Cheshire fired blindly at the giant Queen, only hearing the bullets ricochet off metal in the distance.

The Queen carved the lands with both arms, bringing trees and oversized mushrooms together in a landslide sandwich. The sun glowed a blinding red, and the gangsters fought and climbed over each other to escape, fleeing from and forgetting about their targets.

Where Charlie stood, though, all was quiet. He could see the Queen and her terrorized victims, but their horror never reached him. "Charlie..." Behind the boy, Alice, in all her innocence, appeared, tears streaming down her cheek. She closed in, gripping him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. This always happens because of my stupidity! You wouldn't be here if I didn't go! You wouldn't have had to put yourself on the line at the mall, and your gang wouldn't have sent you to me if I wasn't who I was. You wouldn't have to run and get shot in the head if I... If I..."

Alice looked over his shoulder at the Queen. "None of this would have happened if I was strong like her." Though she admitted that, she only looked all the more miserable.

Roda the Red

Infab · Jun 10, 2024

Christina Winchester

SCENE:

Bloodlines & Bank Accounts [July 18th, 2022]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Christina, Helva, Karina, Sheridan

Bloodlines & Bank Accounts

Christina nodded when Helva asked if she were an only child. "Oh, yeah. My father died pretty recently, so I was alone here until my mother decided to get in touch with me. She's the only family I have now, besides my uncle out in Calafania. Last time I spoke to him was at my dad's funeral. He gave me the car I have now."

As they walked, listened as Helva spoke in regards to not knowing much about Christina's family. Truthfully, Christina didn't know much about Helva's either. Christina had been raised in Britonnia for most of her life. She knew bits and pieces from her dad, but not much else. The Winchester family history, however, was quite long and storied just like the Blackwood side (which she knew far less about, due to her mother only giving her slivers of it.) However, she'd have to break it down a bit instead of just dumping her entire lineage on Helva.

"Well, I guess I'll start with the Winchester side of the family." she began, as they reached the car. Once she climbed in, Helva entering the Chevelle on the passenger side, she continued. "The Winchesters are old money here in New Oasis, having been around since the 1700s. We started originally making clothing, but my ancestors being mostly venture capitalists, expanded into other things like oil, railroads, firearms, and so on. Some tried to break into the political world, but that didn't really pan out. More recently, with my grandfather, we began to focus more on other commercial items. Ice-skates, penknives, fishing rods, washing machines, cutlery, and other household items."

She cranked the car, revving the engine twice to make sure it was good to go, before slipping on the seat belt and pulling the car out of its parking spot. As she drove, she continued. "What the books and historians won't tell you is that the Winchesters were also tied to the Azure Dragons here in New Oasis. A lot of Winchester money went into supporting the Dragons over the years. My father intended for me to join the Azure Dragons through one of my cousins, I think, once I had grown used to being here. I told him that I didn't want it. I wanted to do my own thing, like what I was doing back in Britonnia before we moved back here. Be my own person, instead of being like my ancestors. Make my own name, find my own people. Not wait to be invited to anything. I wanted to prove I'm good enough to be somewhere, and not just rely on my bloodline or my bank account."

She paused for a second, looking both ways down the street while the car sat at the edge of the parking lot. Waiting for a moment to move into traffic. "Now for the other half of the family, I guess." she said, glancing to Helva, before pulling the car out into traffic. "My mother is from the Blackwood family of Britonnia. They go way back. I think to like... the Dark Ages or something. Anyway, they're mostly politicians and businessmen these days. Some of the family lived here in New Oasis for a while, and that's how my mom met my dad. He said it was at some fancy gathering at a casino over in the West District. Think the place was called the Kaiser's Palace or something. Anyway, they hit it off over some of the games there, and eventually ended up a couple over the next few weeks. Dated for months, eventually married."

"Eventually, mom and dad decide to move to Britonnia to be around her family. Dad's fine with it. I was born before the big move, so I didn't have to worry about getting citizenship here or anything when I came back." she said, with a chuckle. "Anyway, fast forward to a few months ago. Dad and Mom got into a disagreement over some things, which he never really told me about, and he ended up deciding to move back to New Oasis with me. She was fine with it at first, from what she told me. We move back, and knowing how things here work, Dad pushes for me to join the Dragons so that I'd be taken care of. Like I said, I told him no. Then, he has a heart attack later on and dies."

Christina goes quiet for a few moments, before continuing. "...My mother came back to New Oasis about two weeks ago. She had bought majority stock in Bio-Link Pharmaceuticals here in New Oasis, and wanted to visit to keep an eye on things while also being present for the opening of the new Amestrian branch of her late father's private military company."

She looked over to Helva. "She contacted me a week ago, and asked if we could get in touch. It being my mostly estranged mother, I figure she wanted to mend our relationship a bit. I go sure, and she invites me to visit her in Britonnia, once her trip was done. I go, and stay for the week. There, I find out... quite a few things. The real reason she wanted to patch things up wasn't out of love or anything. It was because she wanted to watch me, and drag me into doing things for her. For example, she wanted to make me head of the Amestrian branch of Blackwood. Why the hell would I want to manage a private military company? I'm not a gun person, and I don't want to have to deal with the kind of jackasses that PMCs recruit."

"...Also found out through some of her phone calls and meetings that she was a snake. The Sable kind, from here in New Oasis. She had been one since before she married my father. I'm sure she would have tried to rope me into joining them had I stuck around. I told her no, and not to contact me about anything unless it was a family emergency. Guess she thought she could use her accountant to get in touch with me for the menial things instead."

Christina eventually sighed. "I should have just told her to fuck off, and cut all contact... but it's my mom. I already feel bad for how I left things with my dad... and if there's any part of the relationship that I can salvage with her, I'd love to do it. She, however, seems to have far different plans." Christina then checked her phone, as they pulled up to a red light. Eh, they had plenty of time to get there. "...My question is what's this about money? I have a bank account, which my dad gave me. Supposedly it's separate from everything else the Winchesters have, and isn't supposed to bother Blackwood finances either. A lot of the money I made as a boxer is in there too."

Eventually, she scratched her head before looking to Helva. "I've heard you're one of the most Phoenix oriented people around... and now that I've told you that I'm practically tied to two different gangs in a weird way..." she said, before motioning to the glove box in front of Helva. "...The invitation letter I got from the Dragons is in there. Got it the day of my father's funeral, and tossed it in there once my uncle gave me the car. Haven't touched it since. You can open it and read it, if you want."

She then drew her lighter out of her coat pocket. "If you need me to prove I'm a Phoenix through-and-through, I'll burn that letter. I'm not going anywhere, just like I told Ashley and just like I told my mother back in Britonnia."

YumenoTsukishiro @Peckinou

The One Eyed Bandit · Jun 10, 2024

Passeri Park

SCENE:

Telephone Line

TIME:

July 20th, 2022

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Elise

Telephone Line

"Mmm..."

Rough, but gentle. Dry lips, chapped and uncared for. A firm, yet tender grip. The sensation of her wiry, unkempt hair brushing against her face, and the tickle of her breath as Passeri pressed her lips into Elise's own. Passeri's heart fluttered, and her stomach churned. Her eyes were empty, pressed firmly shut as they were, but the rest of her felt so full. Every sensation, she didn't want any of them to end, and every second she wished would stretch on just a moment longer.

And those words.

She'd heard them before.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousand of times in her life. From so many faces, from so many people. She thought that she knew love. Better than anyone else. Love lived in the spine. Love was an intent. Love was a tool, and Love was a duty.

But, she'd never known this.

"Elise, I-" She couldn't stop herself from smiling. "That's-"

She'd never known how warm love felt.

"Thank you, too... For coming into my life. Thank you so much." She sniffled, and wiped away the last of her tears. "It's really... Really embarassing... How happy I feel right now. If we could stay like this forever, then..."

That wouldn't be so bad.

"Haha... Gosh... I've really never felt like this before, you know? It's kind of a lot, isn't it?" She was still so close. So warm. She wanted to kiss her again. To hold her tighter. To know her better and to see her smile again and again and again until the last of her worries faded away.

But, for now-

"I guess this means we're a um... A thing now, right? I hope Lupo doesn't get jealous..." She really couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Um. Anyway... How about we..."

Slowly, she was starting to become aware of the awkwardness of this all. The clutch, just barely pressing into her, and the van's cheap upholstery doing very little to make the awkward position the two of them had tangled themselves into any less uncomfortable.

"How about we go home? It's been a big morning, hasn't it? I could really use a nap." Really, she wouldn't have minded dozing off right now. Being wrapped up inside of Elise's arms like this was just as comfortable as her bed had ever been, but still, there was a time and place for these things. She didn't want anyone gawking at them through the window, after all. Right now, there was only one person who Passeri had eyes for, and only one person she wanted to see her in turn.

And she was already right in front of her.

Breadman · Jun 10, 2024

Karina Zemova

SCENE:

Bloodlines & Bank Accounts

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Karina, Christina, Helva, Sheridan

Bloodlines & Bank Accounts

"I knew I could count on you." Karina's smile grew ever so slightly as Sheridan agreed to accompany her to be her backup. Not that there was any doubt for his assistance. He always seemed to be one of the more reliable members of their organization. Has to be if he can run an entire business at the same time. That and his other talents.

She left the laptop in the safe and the two Serpents would leave the cafe moments later. Karina was sure that Sheridan had his own transport and she wouldn't mind getting a lift from him, but she wanted to do something more special for their trip. Wouldn't be prudent to ask a fellow Serpent for a favor on a job and to insist he drive them there. Lucky that he didn't have to. Among the instructions she had send to Matilda's men, there was a request for vehicular transport.

"Now where is our transport?" She raised a hand above her brow to block the sun "Ah there they are." A black car rounded the corner and stopped next to them. it was one of the private cars Matilda's PMCs used to travel around town in a more covert way. Both the driver and the passenger were in plain clothes, but anyone with any knowledge could make it out that these two weren't regular people. Normally this would be an annoyance, but Karina thought it wouldn't be a problem this time around. "I took the liberty of requesting some transport for us. Well, just me initially, but I'm not going to force you to walk there or to find your own vehicle." The stooge in the passenger seat had already made it around the car and opened the door for both of them. "Come. I can fill you in on the way." The entire time she kept that same smile.

"How familiar are you with our benefactor from Britonnia, Sheridan?" Karina turned her head to ask him once they were both in. The underling was already back in his seat as she finished her question. "I assume you know the important things. Matilda Blackwood-Winchester. Owner of a handful of weapons manufacturers and the PMC that is so kindly taking us to our destination." She slightly raised a finger as she paused her explanation "Turn on the air conditioning, please. Its an oven in here." She turned her head back to Sheridan "Sorry, some comforts are needed. Now about WInchester. Did you know she has a daughter? Quite a spirited one in fact. Christina Winchester. Two time Britonnia boxing champ and a Phoenix at that." She sounded like she admired the woman.

"Unfortunately mister Wincherster recently passed away and he left Christina with a big inheritance. Now what's interesting is that Matilda knew about his dealings with the underworld. Looking over the books, you'd find plenty of money being funneled to the Azure Dragons through donations, gifts and your run of the mill money laundering. Very competent all things considered. There was a mistake however. They left a paper trail. That money was company money and frankly Mister Wincherster owed his wife reparations for siphoning their company funds like that." She didn't raise her voice, nor seem angry or displeased at the details. In fact Karina was approaching this seemingly business as usual. An other accounting error that needed to be corrected. "He's dead, but that money is still uncounted for. Which brings us to miss Christina." Karina clasped her hands and her smile went away. "That money is going to come out of her inheritance one way or the other. Matilda's legal team is already figuring out how to link it to her father's 'donations."

"I am going to use that as leverage. One way or another, this is going to cause trouble for the Phoenixes. We may be on neutral ground, but things will escalate once the terms are revealed. End of the day Christina will decide the damages. Either lose a promising recruit or source of money." She spoke with confidence and why wouldn't she? By all accounts and measures, they had already won this fight without raising a fist or firing a bullet. "I'm sorry if I bored you with the accountant talk. I rarely get to do anything exciting with this part of the job." Her smile returned.

YumenoTsukishiro @Peckinou

angel doe · Jun 27, 2024

celestine renee cadieux

SCENE:

the DEATH of cinnabun??!?

LOCATION:

north district

TIME:

wouldn't u like to know, weather boy

PARTICIPANTS:

takaonna, celestine

the DEATH of cinnabun??!?

Celestine held Cinnabun gently in one hand and held the small creature close to her chest. With her free hand, she reached out and took hold of one of Taka's hands, giving it a comforting squeeze, "It will be okay. The vet will help her feel better." Celeste reassured her tall friend, starting on their walk to the animal hospital. There was one not too far from where they currently were, so it wouldn't take too long.

As they approached the vet, Celestine noticed all of the people eyeing them warily, some even running away in fear. She ignored them and led Taka into the building, making sure she didn't hit the door frame. Approaching the desk, she cleared her throat to get the attention of the woman who sat there, "Hello, Ma'am. We have an emergency and need to see a vet right away," Celestine gestured to the rabbit in her hand, "Please."

The woman was staring at Taka, but forced herself to look at Celestine and the rabbit, "I'll let them know right away and they will call for you when ready. Name?" She gestured to the bunny.

"Cinnabun."

The woman nodded and left quickly to go talk to a vet. At least, that's what Celeste assumed as she went and sat down, making sure Taka was in the seat next to her, "Now we wait. It should not take too long." She gave Taka's hand another gentle squeeze, trying to reassure her as best as she could.

[/B][/B]

AriAriAbabwa

The One Eyed Bandit · Jul 4, 2024

Passeri Park

SCENE:

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

TIME:

July 22nd, Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

The Hotel Amestria, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Hiachi, Dagger, Ji-Young

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Twenty-seven missing in two months.

It was a small number, given the volume of New Oasis and its gangs. That was why it'd slipped through the cracks which had been both proverbially and literally split open by the earthquake that'd swept through the city months prior. The world went on, yes, but it was an irrefutable fact that in the shadow of disaster, opportunity lurked. Or at least, so it had at the Hotel Amestria.

On the surface it appeared to be quite the story of wonder. A failing business turned around, and within the territory of the infamous Albino Tigers to boot. While Central clamored to recover from the after shocks of its subsequent disasters, the Hotel Amestria stood as a shining beacon that not all was lost. That recovery was possible, and that New Oasis still stood tall as a city of opportunity. A hallmark of Amestrian get-her-done attitude that had enjoyed a few weeks of positive media attention, albeit in the shadow of the usual reports of new causalities that fill the airwaves recently.

Passeri wanted to believe it. Really, she did. In fact, she was almost willing to bet money that of everyone in this damn city, or least everyone in the West, she wanted to believe it more than anybody. She wanted to believe that all this, the sudden turnover made in sync with the disappearances, was just a coincidence, but...

Well, you needed far less than twenty-seven dots to draw a line.

"So, let's go over this again." Passeri made her address, rather awkwardly with her head craned over her shoulder, from the shotgun seat of a luxury car. Sharing the space with her were three other women, each of them Tigers of a different stripe. Some, one, more familiar to her than others, but all still had come at her request. Sincerely, she was hoping that this was all going to be a waste of their time and her money. That this was all just going to end up being no more than a paid getaway for the three of them, and that she'd able to write all of this off as a dead end.

"We're gonna do this in two parts. One, if we're lucky. We don't have any proof of the Hotel's involvement in the disappearances, so the first step will be to blend in and observe. Keep an eye out for any faces you recognize-" Before the ride she'd taken the liberty of emailing each of the women a collection of the missing Tigers' profiles. "-and if you do spot them, either let me know or try to figure out what's going on. I doubt things will be that easy, though, so assuming we don't make any miracle discoveries like finding everyone sipping wine by the poolside, just try to keep your eyes and ears open for anything weird. Anyone who looks shady, whether or not the staff are making any suspicious movements, any off limits areas... Whatever will do."

Outside the confines to the car, a final few spools of sunlight hung in the air. The blanket of dusk lay itself over the city, and the Hotel Amestria's lights flickered on in turn. Cut against the horizon, the building's frame cast an image as inviting as it was ominous. Despite her plan of action, Passeri really had no idea what to expect within. At this point, a night spent chasing wild geese was just as likely as one spent solving a mystery.

"And if you don't see anything... Enjoy yourself! I'll be footing the bills, of course, so cut loose a bit, hey? Just tell yourself you're blending in or something." She was sure everyone could use it after the last few weeks. Hell, it was only after saying the words out loud that Passeri realized how tempting they sounded to her too.

"I booked us two rooms for two, too. Buddy system, you know? Assuming this is, like, a front for an organ trading operation or something, it wouldn't really do for us to be sleeping on our lonesome, don't you think? Dagger and I will take one, and you and Ji-Young can take the other, Hiachi."

She paused for a moment as a valet approached the vehicle, dressed head to toe in traditional red velvet and glittering (and probably fake) gold trim.

"Ma'am?" The Valet introduced himself with a rigid-backed bow as Passeri rolled down the window to greet him. "If you're ready we'll park your vehicle now, and you can start the check-in process with The Concierge. Unless I'm intruding...?"

"No, no!" Passeri responded quickly, waving off The Valet's concerns. "We were just finishing up!" Neatly, Passeri stepped out from the car, motioning for the other women to follow. "Let's get to it, ladies! I hear they do live shows in the dining room. Let's get everything done quick so we don't miss anything!"

Interacted:

miki

YumenoTsukishiro

simj26 · Jul 14, 2024

Elise Cutter/Dagger

SCENE:

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

TIME:

July 22nd, Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

The Hotel Amestria, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Hiachi, Dagger, Ji-Young

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

She curled the brown locks around her finger. It was strange, seeing this colour again. Stranger still, it had never been this colour and this long and unkempt at the same time. She didn't know what possessed her to dye it this way. Part of her wanted to say that it was so she drew less attention this way. Part of her knew that she was doing this for the Princess. A deep, thoughtful growl rumbled in her throat. She was behaving like a lovesick puppy, thinking about things like this. On the other hand, the Princess was all business, calm and composed, taking charge of this operation.

She shook her head and attempted to refocus herself. 27 missing, all incidents localised within Hotel Amestria. Corny name, but the building itself wasn’t to be scoffed at. Regal five-star construction, temporary home to the rich and powerful when they wanted to get away from the dirty streets of New Oasis. The West was always teeming with buildings like these, no doubt funded and paid for by folks with too much money in their pockets.

Call it intuition, call it a supernatural sense from her wolves, but this place didn’t seem natural at all. It felt off. Like it wasn’t supposed to be here. Even as it loomed over them next to all the other looming buildings, it just didn’t feel right to be there. Maybe it was just her paranoia settling in. She was going into this op with no guns, no knives, as per the hotel’s ‘rules’. She felt naked without them.

She touched her eyepatch tentatively. That said, this was a good time for them to get away from it all. A short while from the hell of New Oasis. Maybe something to look forward to. She really hoped that it was just that. No guns, no knives, no hunt for some superpowered freak. Maybe a feeling of a better future, just like this. Just the two of them, away from it all, away from New Oasis.

War was always what she had known, but in the past few days, just being around her, she felt that she might try a hand at something else.

She stepped out of the car, brushing her silk floral-patterned shirt down and held her hand out for the Princess, hesitated, then retreated the hand into her pocket. Out of reflex, perhaps, she had reached out to her, completely forgetting the company they were keeping right now. Better safe than sorry. Her expression hardened as her eye lowered from the Princess' face, and turned towards the entrance of the hotel.

Interacted:

miki

YumenoTsukishiro

simj26 · Jul 31, 2024

Elise Cutter

SCENE:

Any Way You Want It

TIME:

Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Amestrian Roads

PARTICIPANTS:

Elise, Passeri

ANY WAY YOU WANT IT

How do you love a woman who is loved by everyone? What do you get a woman who could have anything in the world if she wanted? It was difficult. Words were so fleeting, so meaningless. Every time she wrapped her hands around her, every second of warmth that she felt from her seemed too short, like it wasn't enough for either of them. For once, after so many years, the future scared her. The longer they remained in New Oasis, the more it chilled her to the bone of what the unknown held for them, for the Princess specifically.

She had spent so much time alone, so much time wishing for someone, something, to end her existence. She wanted to go back to those days, the days of tired existence, never caring, never wanting to know, never living. If there was one thing she hated about the Princess, it was that she brought reason into her life again, a light in the never-ending meandering darkness.

So many thoughts, so many feelings. So many worries, so many doubts. When she invited the Princess to follow her on a trip to mainland Amestria, was it an excuse or a reason?

As the camper van trundled past the rising arm barrier, leaving the ecstatic officer in his booth who was no doubt keying in particularly excited texts to his colleagues immediately after this, Elise could almost taste the difference in the air.

The road that spanned forth towards the Amestrian expanse was familiar, nostalgic even. Even if she had never crossed this way before with her father, just being here again filled her with a type of emotion she couldn't quite place.

She took in a deep breath, and stepped down on the gas, spurring the van forwards. The white creature was a simple beast both inside and outside. A double bed at the rear, a sink and miniature kitchen on one side, shelves built into both, now stuffed with foodstuffs, drinks, and clothes. The Princess probably wasn't used to traveling in such meager accommodations. It wasn't exactly the peak of luxury, even if Elise had tried to get one as comfortable and cozy as possible.

“Holding up okay, ‘Seri? It ain’t a limo, but it ain't no eye-catcher neither. I know it ain’t what you’re used to, but uh–” she paused. What was she even saying? She was clearly aiming to give the Princess some comfort from riding on this beast with her, some forgiveness for having dragged her along for some selfish quest on finding closure. Gods damn it.

“You didn't need to come.” She finally said, bluntly. “But I’m…happy you did.”

joshuadim · Aug 2, 2024

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

Mr. Toreson nodded along to Passeri's comments, swirling a small glass of champagne as he listened to her speak on the continued crises that had ravaged New Oasis; seemingly endless as a march of disasters that had stricken the everyday lives of the people below - a concept that was wholly alien to the likes of his class and his stature. "It makes me more fortunate and grateful for my own position." the portly magnate commented with a chuckle, "I couldn't imagine the difficulties the earthquake has caused." This was not merely an offhand comment, he simply *couldn't* imagine it. He had lived in wealth for nearly his entire life, and thus never had to actually suffer through anything. It was a form of ignorance that even he was ignorant to, as if he was in another world altogether.

"I won't keep you then, Passeri." he then said with a smile, "If you do decide on the song, let me know! I'll have the band match your tune." He then turned to greet a few other guests that were streaming in, leaving Passeri to explore the venue by herself. Many of those in higher society spoke in small groups, as if they were friends reconnecting; they treated this as a social rather than the charity that it had been advertised as, leaving a cynical image that was hidden to the people below. Truthfully, it was one large massage parlour of wealthy egos complimented by fine food and drink.

Which was something that Hitoshi was not a part of whatsoever. He had managed to play his part convincingly enough that he was actually *speaking* to the capitalist gods of the nouveau-rich, allowing his confidence to do 99% of the work in carrying his image and avoiding suspicion thus far. And this is where he was when discussing money with a few businessmen, who listened to this strange man's seemingly poignant words. "See, I look at this cryptocurrency fad as a gateway to endless new opportunities for my portfolio. It's definitely unstable, but the market is always growing larger." Hitoshi spoke, leaning in closer as he swirled his own glass of tonic water. He was repeating some bullshit he had heard on the internet that *sounded* smart, and in turn made him *seem* smart.

"Portfolio diversity is *essential* if you want to survive in this economy. You gotta make sure that no matter if you lose on one, you win in another. Digital currency is no different, and plus - there's hardly any regulation! It's basically free money with no oversight."

The other men around him laughed, sipping on their own drinks as HItoshi snacked on yet another caviar-ladened appetizer. His conversation drew a few extra eyes due to his boisterous nature, and brought in a few more heads intent on listening to the financial wisdom that was being given out. He wasn't exactly being subtle, but his facade still kept him safe from any suspicions... but there was one person who could see right through it as she wandered the penthouse party.

joshuadim · Aug 3, 2024

HITOSHI YAMAKAWA

CS Link

SCENE:

Drink and Drive a Fist Into Someone's Face!

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Kisara

Drink and Drive a Fist Into Someone's Face!

In the early evening hours following a hot summer's day, the rain had just stopped and left the asphalt glistening in the light of street lamps. The world was slick after being washed away of outermost grime, though the stink of modern society remained - its problems and inadequacies - which left those in the streets to deal with it. But at Dale's Roadhouse, on the furthest reaches of New Oasis near the territory of one of its most fearsome criminal gangs, it was liquor and smokes that helped people forget the troubles of their lives. It was a homing beacon for the outcasts and the miserable, for the unwashed and the rejects, and that is where one man stumbled towards.

His foot hit a puddle, splashing water onto his pants - already stained with the battles of a hundred nights of partying - as he stumbled towards his destination. He was already somewhat tipsy, but couldn't get drunk before being thrown out of another place that was a thirty minute walk. A local dive that didn't take too kindly for his loud mouth and outgoing eccentricity, which left him stumbling in enemy territory. Fortunately for Hitoshi, he didn't carry himself like a Phoenix and thus seemed to be a drunk looking for his next fix; not entirely out of the realm of truth, but it was a somber reminder for how far he had fallen from grace in the years preceding.

But Hitoshi was down that hole far enough that he could shove those feelings of shame and guilt deep into a dark pit as he stumbled into the roadhouse.

Many of the familiars in the bar were too busy either watching sports on the few tvs available or chatting to one another to notice Hitoshi's arrival as he walked over to the bar and took a seat. "I'll take a whisky." Hitoshi announced to the bartender with a grin, and tapped his fingers on the sticky wood as he awaited his saviour of choice. To pass the time, he decided to strike up a conversation with the horned woman sitting next to him, stewing in her own little bubble of misery. "Whatcha drinking?" he asked casually to the Serpent, "Please tell me they got good drinks here."

Infab · Aug 3, 2024

Robin Krantz

SCENE:

Blading [November 30th, 2018]

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Robin, Ryutaro, Stratsimir

BLADING

Autumn. A season of changing leaves, cooler weather, and bountiful harvests.

All three of which Robin enjoyed.

As she stood outside the complex containing her loft apartment, clad in warm clothes such as a black turtleneck and a brown trench coat, she gazed upwards towards the sky. Snow was supposedly in the forecast for today. An early sign of the coming winter in December. She liked Autumn, but Winter was dreadful.

However, she wouldn't just be spending her day out in the snow. Her boss, Ryutaro Hashimoto, had a bit of an issue on his hands regarding some business men that have been renting out properties from Hashimoto Real Estate. They're not paying.

That just won't do, will it?

Now, it's time to collect. Tis the season for harvests, after all. Ryu had texted her before, asking that she prepare herself for him to come and pick her up. In addition, he was bringing along another member of the Albino Tigers. Stratsimir Kolev. Big man, former wrestler. Perfect for the job of enforcer.

Her? She was more of the 'eliminator' type.

Robin glanced down to her watch, checking the time. Five minutes. Five minutes until Ryu's arrival. She glanced upwards again towards the cloudy sky.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snooowww.

joshuadim ,

joshuadim · Aug 4, 2024

RYUTARO HASHIMOTO

CS Link

SCENE:

Blading [November 30, 2018]

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ryutaro, Robin, Stratsimir

BLADING

A sleek, black limousine rolled up to Robin some minutes later; its engine purred softly as its chauffeur quickly exited the vehicle, pacing himself so as to get the door for Robin while maintaining his professional appearance. Running was not acceptable, after all, when it came to appearing distinguished. As he opened the door, she could see that the inside was spacious enough to house well more than the trio it was expecting - a little overkill, even - but that was to be expected from one who spared no expenses. Especially when he was constantly working.

"Yes, I'm fully aware of the development costs for that particular lot. The expected ROI across three years of leasing perfectly justifies the expenses." Ryu spoke into his phone, only giving Robin a wave to enter. The real-estate mogul was visibly growing more irritated by the concerns of his chief accountant, who pointed out certain irregularities that came with their recently acquired plot of land. Firstly, it required extensive foundational renovations due to the difficult nature of the soil underneath. Second was the zoning issues that arose from the city bureaucracy in their incapability of screwing things up at the local level.

Neither, however, justified putting off plans for development as he made it so clear: "Listen, either we build a goddamn office complex there or we sell. And I'm not keen on doing the latter after we went through the effort to get it in the first place."

Another short pause filled the air as Robin could faintly hear chatter on the other end, which made Ryu's brow furrow: "Fine. Then I'll get another corporate accountant if you're so inclined to keep to your position."

A bewildered response shouted from the other end of the line, which made Ryu roll his eyes.

"Yes, I'm saying you're fired. If I see you in the building still by this afternoon, I'll be sure to relieve you of your spleen." With a harsh tap, he then hung up and let out a sigh as the door closed and the car began to move again. "Business is always about risk, yet I always find myself dealing with people too afraid of their own shadows. Makes me wonder why they even got into the corporate world in the first place." he spoke nonchalantly, twirling the phone in his hands before turning to Robin.

"Tch. And now there's others not fulfilling their contractual obligations for what they owe."

It was obvious that he was already not in a good mood.

Infab · Aug 4, 2024

Robin Krantz

SCENE:

Blading [November 30th, 2018]

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Robin, Ryutaro, Stratsimir

BLADING

As Robin climbed into the limo, settling down into the seat and folding one leg over the other, she quietly listened in on Ryu's phone conversation. As he finished, she gave him a smirk. He really wasn't in a good mood. Perhaps, however, things could change? The day was just beginning, of course.

"Let me know if you need me to deal with that accountant, would you? I've never been too particularly fond of that one." she said, "The corporate world fascinates me at times. So much stress, being bottled up and kept locked away... I'm surprised people don't just go ax-crazy."

She paused for a minute, tilting her head as she smiled in Ryu's direction. "You, though... you deal with it in your own ways. You're much better off, too." she says, "...You also have me, for certain problems and annoyances."

She then shifted the topic, looking out the window as the car got moving once again. "You're right. The corporate world is never for the faint of heart. Risks are taken, and rewards or consequences are reaped. Speaking of risks and reaping, how much do these business men owe? We could seize their assets, until it equals up to the amount they owe, then remove them. The enforcer could easily do that, once he's picked up. If you're bringing me, however, that means..."

Her gaze shifted back to Ryu. "...You want to send a rather strong message as well." She flashed a grin, before following it up with a question: "Clean or messy?"

joshuadim ,

joshuadim · Aug 4, 2024

RYUTARO HASHIMOTO

CS Link

SCENE:

Blading [November 30, 2018]

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ryutaro, Robin, Stratsimir

BLADING

"If he has any sense of self-preservation with what he knows, he'll be sure to keep his mouth shut. Otherwise... I'll let you know." Ryu stated, casually remarking on ending a person's life. His attention then returned to the matter at hand, which was the broken faith between Ryu and the businessmen that refused to pay their part of the contract. "Collectively? Across four smaller office spaces that have refused to pay their dues, its amounts to two-point-three million in total. But truthfully it's less about the money in this case." Ryu stated, taking in a deep breath.

"It's about the message it gives off." Ryu said, turning his gaze back to Robin. "I'll assume they've hired muscle to try to ward off any collection attempts, given how a few of our agents were sent back to our office scared witless. Though I imagine it's all for show, given we haven't responded yet. Usually these things end up being bluffs, or a card to play to demand lower rent prices... which strikes me as odd given that I've given them the lowest rent rates in that region of the city. If it comes to it, then you can have your fun with them."

The limo came to a gentle stop once again, having driven a few blocks over to collect its final rider.

Breadman · Aug 5, 2024

Stratsimir Kolev

SCENE:

Blading [30 November 2018]

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Stratsimir ,Ryutaro, Robin

Blading

The seasons changed, but the atmosphere in the Bear arms stayed the same. The same group of customers came in every day to pump iron or to run endless routes on the treadmills. Stratsimir made sure to purchase only the best equipment for his customers. From the meatheads to the cardio bunnies. Cross fit fanatics were tolerated since their pockets were the heaviest. He even let the fitness influencers come in and take up space for that perfect vapid selfie. Got to keep the place in the public eye so they could launder money through it after all.

In the back it was another story. A VIP area reserved for special people. The Albino tigers needed some place where their muscle could train and hopefully learn a thing or two from the veteran advice he could give. The gym wasn't his idea, but as soon as he learned that the higher ups wanted to invest into their foot soldiers, he stepped up to take the lead and secure his spot. Lead by example and all that.

The Tigers would enjoy their own private gym with 24/7 access away from the common gym rats. Private locker rooms and showers separated appropriately of course. Higher ranked members enjoyed additional perks such as their own custom order gear. From the VIP area, there were stairs that led to the gym's underground. A ring was in the middle of the underground room, that would serve several functions. Stratsimir would run the ropes to keep his skills sharp, the ring would serve as a place where he also would delegate tasks that the bosses wanted done. Finally it would also serve as a place for disciplinary action.

Stratsimir was in the middle of giving one such action when he got the call from Ryutaro. He gave one chop to a poor man's chest before he answered the call. He steadied his breathing in order to pay better attention to his boss explain what needed to be taken care of this time. A frown formed on his face as it became clear that this wasn't going to be a one man job. Not exactly how he liked to tackle these jobs, but it wasn't his place to complain. Once the call concluded, he called one of the lower rank Tigers and instructed him on how to finish off their guest. He was still owed a pounding with interest over the money he never gave back. Can't let him off easy.

One shower later, Stratsimir picked out the suit he would wear and made his way to leave the gym. On the way out he would walk and give some advice or ribbing to the regulars. The tone changing if they were Tigers or not. It wasn't long before he was outside the building. He would wait about five minutes before the sleek limousine would show itself down the street. They were either going to travel in style to impress or shock whoever owed money. A few minutes in a limo like that wouldn't be bad. Some time to relax before the work picked up again.

As the limo gently stopped the door was opened for him to climb in. A process that would be a bit cumbersome on account of the man's size, but Ryu anticipated that given the amount of free space inside.

"Good to see you again face to face Mr. Hashimoto." Stratsimir spoke as he sat down in his seat "And you must be Robin, yes? Nice to finally work with you." He looked towards his colleague. He had heard of her and what she does. It wasn't exactly a secret what other Tiger members get up to, but some are more talked about than others. Personally he was fine to keep a good relationship with her. "If she's here, then someone owes a lot of money, no? How many heads are we looking to bust?"

joshuadim

joshuadim · Aug 8, 2024

RYUTARO HASHIMOTO

CS Link

SCENE:

Blading [November 30, 2018]

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ryutaro, Robin, Stratsimir

BLADING

"Four business owners who owe me business rent but have refused to honour their obligations." Ryu explained to Stratsimir, "Plus whomever they've hired to scare off my employees that I sent over to collect at first." He took a look at the maps on his phone and zoomed in onto their destination. "It's this building in particular, they all rent from the same complex and thus make up the upper floors of the building - around 6 stories in total." Ryu said, handing the phone over first to Robin then to Stratsimir so that they could get a good view of where they were going.

"On the seventh floor is the office space of a outsourcing call centre, the eight and ninth floors are the workspace of a startup tech company, tenth belongs to a small shipping company which serves as their administrative centre. And the eleventh and twelfth floors are an office space belonging to a pharmaceutical company based in Boustan, with this place here being their New Oasis headquarters for accounting due to the lower tax rates here."

Ryu then leaned back into his seat in the limo: "Any questions?"

The One Eyed Bandit · Aug 12, 2024

Passeri Park

SCENE:

Any Way You Want It

TIME:

Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Amestrian Roads

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Elise

Any Way You Want It

"And I'm happy that you asked me~" Passeri emerged from the rear of the RV bearing with her an air of comfort that seemed specifically tailored to banish whatever concerns Elise might have had in regards to the appropriateness of their lodgings. It was an easy thing to forget- even to those bare few who knew as much of her as Elise now did- but in the grand scheme of her life, wealth was still a new thing for Passeri. Less than half a decade of success had not yet been enough to have her turn her nose up at comforts as acceptable as these, especially when considering that the greatest of them was one that money both hadn't and couldn't have bought her.

"Besides, this isn't that much different from the trailers we use on shoots, you know? And those come with the catch of having the director knocking on your door every other minute. This is much comfier."

Despite the short notice, Passeri had been looking forward to this. Ever since that morning they'd spent together, she'd felt as if neither of them had ever quite had the chance to settle into the new state of their relationship. Going from acquaintances to friends had felt natural, almost, but falling in love with her had been more than that. It had been invisible, so natural that she hadn't even realized it had been happening. It was still new, and it scared her as much as it made her happy.

Maybe scared wasn't the right word. No part of her feared Elise, and the moments with which she spent with her were the ones where fear was the most distant from her, but it was, regardless, untread ground for her. Even if she'd captured the hearts of millions, Passeri herself had never quite loved so deeply, and so sorely, as she did for Elise. It was to the point where she wasn't even sure if she'd had a proper understanding of what love was until now. She'd had both girlfriends and boyfriends before, but all of them had been little more than passing encounters, a month long parody of intimacy at most. She'd been entertaining them, because that was all she knew how to do.

This time, it was different. The burgeoning in her chest told her that much. Never before had she met someone who could make her heart race and ache and flutter and soar quite so keenly as Elise did. Never before had she found someone who made her feel like more than just herself. That was what scared her. She'd never quite had this much to fuck up before.

But not at the moment. For the moment, she was content, and fighting the urge to tell Elise to pull over so she could pull her into her arms. She could tell she was entertaining her worries- fretting as she often did- and she wanted nothing more than to soothe them, but for now her words would have to do. Of all things in the world, a schedule was one of the things she understood the best. She was sure Elise had plenty of stops she wanted to make, and she was hardly going to get in the way of that just because she wanted to give her a hug.

"What's our first stop anyway, 'Lise? Is it very far out? Sorry if I fall asleep on the way there if it is..." Settling back into her seat, Passeri was draped in a fresh set of clothes. They were casual and loose, an outfit that was a touch less immediately identifiable to anyone who might've recognized the name Passeri Park. Not that the fuss back at the booth had bothered her... But she really was hoping to spend as much of this trip as she could in Elise's company, and Elise's company alone.