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

[WhiskeyMarten]

DARIUS KENNEDY

CS Link

SCENE:

Crayon sure knows how to pick 'em!

LOCATION:

North District

TIME:

2:30PM ; March 29, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Yuna, Ten (mentioned only)

Crayon sure knows how to pick 'em!

He had overslept. Why the fuck did he have to oversleep. Two alarms and everything. The night before last he had been kept up by nightmares, and though he should’ve been ready for a good long rest as soon as his gruelling day at Lab Icarus was over, he wasn’t. He sat up until the wee hours of the morning, fretting over everything there was to fret about until he dragged himself to his bed and exhaustion overtook anxiety.

It overtook it a bit too well, as both alarms failed, and Darius drifted back to sleep until he woke up naturally not long before the time he was meant to be outside with Yuna.

What ensued was a mad rush around the house, to the bathroom to get a wash, to the kitchen to grab 1 slice of toast that he shoved in his mouth as he set food and water out for the puppy, Fisher, running around his feet. Careful not to lose his footing around the dog, he ran back to his room, his rapid steps becoming quiet as he neared and remembered it wasn’t just his house.

Creeping the bedroom door open, slipping in, and shutting it again so as not to disrupt his partner with the light, he was plunged into the near-darkness as he approached his closet. He was used to the dark by now and slipped on some jeans and a t-shirt. He had a new shirt he wanted to wear, but with the state of his hands, he didn’t have time to figure the buttons out and left it on its hanger with a forlorn look. He looked at the sleeping figure in the bed beside his own or at least looked at where he knew they’d be if he could see in the dark and smiled.

“Seeya later Ten.”

He whispered into the darkness before slipping back out, grabbing his phone and wallet, and slipping into his old yet comfortable trainers. Outside of his apartment building in record time, he ran up to Yuna with an apologetic look

“I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to be late I overslept and I just woke up now and I had to get ready and feed Fisher and- shit.” He wordlessly pointed to the parking lot that adjoined his building as he caught his breath from the ramble he had begun to embark on. He knew this was important and he’d already blundered.

“I can drive you!”

 

[BluEndings]

"NAOMI BLECHER" (MIMI)

CS Link

SCENE:

[Tin and Matchstick]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3, September 29th 2021

LOCATION:

Lab Icarus, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Mimi

TIN AND MATCHSTICK

Because he was ‘told so?’

The will of another then.

It wasn’t her intent to look cross, but it was too late to hide her despondence. To voice anything other than affirmation, while he remained with an expression like so, would be an irrevocable insult. At present, she didn’t have the means of quantifying the weight of his words. The intensity held firm, but the context was unfamiliar. It was a cold wind. Something that chilled the skin, but passed too quickly to contain.

“Mhm.”

It did answer her question, but her restless movements couldn’t combat the fresh sinking feeling. It wasn’t a matter of what she was expecting or otherwise. She had asked. It was only natural to want a response, but was that really true? No matter how many times she moved a leg from one side to the other, the hollow sensation didn’t waver. Apprehension may have filled it to the brim, but it was an empty consolation.

“I don’t think I’m going to be taking any jobs for a while. I’ll probably”—she rubbed her temple—“I might leave the district for a bit. Just to let everything here settle and all that. I’d rather not get dragged into anything unsavory really.”

That was part of it at least.

“But you know,” her voice returned to its disgustingly sweet tone, “if you need help with something, I’m just a call away!” A chuckle passed through her well-meaning scowl. “So long as we’re not talking something super dangerous, my little cuties are happy to assist.” She twirled her finger, and the miniscule golems from earlier responded with a spin. “They’re really convenient for menial labor.”

She rose to her feet.

"Relatively chemical proof too, depending."

Spoiler: Mentions

Misuteeku

NAVIGATE

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Sweet Talkin' Woman

TIME:

December 22nd, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

The Dollhouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger

Sweet Talkin' Woman

An angler's lure. That was what the bright, blinking neon that decorated the casino was. Spinning, metal jaws whirred, ravenous for sweet, paper green, fed to it by endless droves of blinking, witless prey. The casino was a predator, and one of the best in the world, at that.

"Let's go over this again."

Bathed in one of the scant alcoves of true dark that had pooled within the crags of the neon-lit subdistrict, Passeri sat. Tattered upholstery kept her company, tinged with the scene of nicotine and sweat. Dimly, the van's dashboard blinked endlessly, a lone, busted turn signal working in futile to illuminate the van's otherwise bleak interior. Passeri's eyes were dim, the pink light that normally highlighted her features snuffed out and killed, blocked by a pair of contact lenses she had prepared for occasions such as these.

"I don't know where Liz is exactly, but I know they're making her work here." The Dollhouse. That was what she was where 'here' was. It was underground, even by Oasis standards, and seedy enough that even the Tigers had turned a nose up at their business. Part casino, part brothel, and all somewhere that Passeri could not let herself be recognized. "We need to get in, and then get her out. Preferably without a commotion."

"...And they can't know that I was involved. Obviously. So my Potential is out." Passeri spoke plainly, with a point, and uncharacteristically without flourish. She didn't think much of Dagger, her high hopes dashed, but that wasn't the reason why. Those cold, hazy eyes of hers, and her world-weary gait. She could tell when somebody wouldn't bite the bait. Though she had to admit- It was refreshing to just... Let go. For once.

"I'm hardly an expert, so I'm going to follow your lead this time." And this would be the last time, if she disappointed again. "I'd prefer if we did this quietly, but if you want to go in guns blazing, I don't think I'm going to lose any sleep over these kinds of people."

Her gaze turned pointed. Red eyes locked with yellow.

"What's important is her. After what happened at the concert, I want to tie up as many loose ends as I can." Beneath her words, another message went unsaid. This was important in more ways than one, and despite it all, she was trusting her with it.

Her mind went back to the bridge.

"Sorry."

This was her chance to prove it.

simj26​

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

BLITZ (Boltius Beckman)

CS Link

SCENE:

Passing the Torch

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3 — September 28th, 2021 — 5:00 PM

LOCATION:

(Shady's Motel) Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Hector, Reika, Doctor Slim (NPC)

PASSING THE TORCH

It was 5:00 PM and the rain had just stopped.

The dim gray of the sky and the misty veil engulfing the district served as a representation of his mood—Boltius—as he walked, approaching the sector of the South that was known to be Phoenix Headquarters. By the limp in his step, it was easy to guess he was still recovering from the injuries he’d received the 26th.

He was heavy-hearted—chest tight.

Always practiced in proper posture, yet his shoulders slouched, and his gaze was downward fixed.

He was going to see Reika; though, he did not want to see her. Not in the state he was expecting, at least. However, he knew that if he didn’t, and her condition worsened within the next while, the guilt would stack… And he had enough of that to deal with already.

As he neared the sector, the graffiti-dressed buildings and soft red glow of street lights came into view, and he knew he was home—the section of the South that served as the Phoenix’ nest—where their presence was centralized, and where no civilian dared to trespass. As an opposing gangster, to step foot into Phoenix HQ was to request a death sentence.

For the most part, the streets were empty. If he did happen to pass someone by, he knew them to be a fellow Phoenix. On the other hand, if he did not recognize them, he wouldn’t hesitate to make himself acquainted.

HQ was not a building… It was many.


Shady’s, an old motel building, long-ago refurbished to suit Phoenix tastes—the basement shared all the characteristics and functionality of a standard hospital room and more, and it had been dedicated exclusively to Queen Reika’s care. The upper floors, however, remained open to other Phoenixes who needed tending to, but also to any who passed through looking for a place to stay (most often a Phoenix or affiliate, but occasionally a brave civilian or uninformed tourist whose brimming pockets sparked the opportunity to haggle an extra buck in the establishment’s interest).

When Boltius stepped through the doors to the motel, he was quickly greeted with respectful nods of recognition, a few alias callouts, some shoulder pats, and other forms of greeting as he passed through the lobby.

Glad to see them, the familiar faces and comrades, but he kept his head down, offering short-lived smiles of a forced nature to, at least, be polite.

Coming upon a door, hung with an ‘Employees Only’ sign, he stopped to take a breath. He was preparing himself—not that he was new to sights of tragedy… but Boltius had always been sensitive when it came to people he cared about.

Then he pulled it open and descended into the basement, which was being guarded by two Veterans who, by the looks on their faces and their demeanor, recognized him and let him through. One of them punched him lightly in the arm, a sympathetic gesture despite appearances, and, in return, Bolt’s hand came up and slapped the guy on the forehead. The atmosphere felt to lighten slightly, but the weight of the lost Queen was back seconds later to stifle the pleasant mood.

With that, Boltius proceeded.

The stench of antiseptic when he entered the large space that was the basement caused his nose to wrinkle. He could even taste it and smacked his lips with displeasure, shaking his head. And that’s when he spotted Hector. There, beside Reika’s bed, he sat in a cushioned chair, and to see him Bolt’s chest tightened.

His jacket… On the 26th—it was his fault. Or that’s what he believed. The opponent had used his jacket, Bolt’s, to get the better of Hector in their fight, and that was something he just couldn’t let go.

Not without a formal apology.

Maybe then…

Boltius grit his teeth, having quickly torn his gaze away from the Jack to stare shamefully at his own feet.

He felt terrible.

Standing there, he sulked. Frustrated by his actions the other day when he allowed his emotions to take charge… something he did often and always regretted, yet he continued to make the same mistake.

The air was stiff.

From where Boltius stood at the basement's entrance, there was an open lounge space to the left; the flatscreen television mounted upon the wall hummed at a low volume—a sound like that of distant conversation, but it was just actors on a screen.

Also present was a coffee counter set with a pot and an assortment of creamers beside a magazine rack that was mostly bare as if its being there was decided on a half-ass whim that was never seen all the way through.

Around the corner to his left was Doctor Slim’s space, her office.

To his immediate right, there stood a single row of three lockers, a small table for two, and some bags which Bolt assumed belonged to Hector, Reika, the guards outside, and maybe some others. Had he brought anything, himself, it would go there, too. But he didn’t.

He’d come empty-handed.

Lastly, Reika’s bed was positioned at the far right, Hector’s chair beside it. A rail along the ceiling drew a wide U around the bed, equipped with a curtain should privacy be needed.

The steady beeping of her heart-rate from the monitor made Boltius uneasy when it should have done the opposite.

. . . After a moment of just standing there, eyes tightly shut, the orange-haired Phoenix relaxed, exhaled, and slowly approached his Jack, stopping once he was beside him. And Boltius looked upon Reika with solemn respect, saying nothing for a while until…

“Hector, I…” But his words hitched… and a sigh followed. Now was not the time for his apology.

So, “Sup…” he muttered instead, rubbing the nape of his neck with a rough hand. WhiskeyMarten

BOLTIUS NOTES​

— —What he's wearing: Something casual, no jewelry or accessories

— —Tattoo Reference (X)

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

— —POST RECAP: Boltius arrives at Shady's Motel to visit Reika. Unexpectedly, he finds Hector, there, too, and is reminded of his guilt for his actions in Arc 2.

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Tin and Matchstick

LOCATION:

North District, Lab Icarus

TIME:

Pre Arc-3 | September 29th 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Mimi

Tin and Matchstick

Fortunately for Mimi, Sang-Cheol didn't detect her evident vexed expression. Yet, it didn't seem like he was in the conversation. Sang-Cheol sort of spaced out when he had revealed his reasons. It wasn't on purpose, but whenever the Professor came into mind...

Sang-Cheol's grumpy expression returned. He played with the sunglasses that he was holding. "That's understandable. After what had happened, that's mostly a safe move." It couldn't hurt to play it safe. While Sang-Cheol was sure that Mimi wouldn't be targeted, there was a margin of error that he could have been wrong. After all, all he knew was that Mimi stood outside the house. It was possible that Mimi did something and failed to mention it to Sang-Cheol. Though with a sliver of trust, Sang-Cheol gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Though when Mimi next spoke, Sang-Cheol did not miss a beat. "Then, I'll trust you'll come quickly if there's a time." Shooting a smile of his own back at Mimi, he watched her get up from her seat. Having exchanged farewells, he waited for thirty minutes when she was gone. Sang-Cheol threw the nearest object into the wall as soon as that time elapsed. "Liar." He snarled. Heavy breaths erupted from Sang-Cheol's mouth, and the table he was sitting adjacent to felt that wrath of his grip. "You're just like everybody else... You'll all abandon me to fit your needs."

Everyone was out for themselves: mother, Father, Hyung, Isobel, Caio, Boltius, Mimi. Even if things were pleasant right now, all things must end eventually. People were inherently selfish. There was no reason to stay with someone like him. Once he had no more use, he'd just be thrown away like yesterday's trash. It was only natural that in a society full of losers, he would be at the bottom of it.

Just as he was about cause more destruction in the lab, something grasped his shoulder. Turning around, he saw that all his workers were standing nearby. Rebecca shook her head and went to embrace him. He stood there frozen as everyone else joined the embrace. Tears started to slip out of his eyes. "That's right... As long as you guys are here, I'll never be alone." Lab Icarus was the only place that he could truly call home. Falling into their embrace, Sang-Cheol silently cried. "I can do it... I can do it... I can do it..." Even if it meant he'd die, he'd be fine as long as he completed his promise.

Spoiler: ...

Bright.

It was all that Sang-Cheol see as he stared at the light. The prickling sensations of two needles being stabbed into his brain was all he felt.. His body had been sedated, and limbs were tied to the operation table. But he was fully aware of what was happening to his body. The graceful needles plunged in and out his brain by Gerda, the woman he had brought in, whose expression was as dead as a corpse. There was someone else in the room as well.

"Remember this well, my protege. I'm the only one you can trust." The Professor said to him. The doctor, covered in black, stood before him at the side of the operation table. A mask covered his face, and his calm voice sent chills down Sang-Cheol's spine. "Do not think. Do not act. Allow me guide you, and give you purpose in this world." There was a shift in position before the Professor grabbed his hand.

It was warm. A comforting gesture that Sang-Cheol would have grasped if he hadn't been sedated beforehand."I will be your lighthouse in the tumulous seas known as the world. Always remember that no matter what you do, I'll be there for you." The doctor drew on his hand. It was something that Isobel used to do when they were younger. A simple yet comforting gesture that calmed down Sang-Cheol.

"However, you must fulfill our promise, Matchstick. Do you understand?"

"...Yes, Professor." In this cruel world that offered no respite to the losers, he would do anything to pay back the Professor. Even if it meant

Spoiler: Tags

BluEndings

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Behind The Scenes

TIME:

October 6th, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric

Behind The Scenes

And that was match. Passeri lifted herself from her seat, and treaded around the table to join Eric at the window's maw. The city sprawl lay out in front of them, stretching across the horizon in what felt like an infinite mass of concrete and destitution.

"We can agree on that much. Really it's..." She nodded in the direction of the urban sprawl. "...Kind of overwhelming sometimes, just how much needs to be done. But that's why we all need to do our part!"

"As for the topic at hand, I can do you better than just an address. Let me talk to her myself first, and I think I can convince her to turn herself over. She's... Ariel's not exactly thrilled about her actions either, now that she's had a bit to cool down. Give me a week and I think I can arrange things to go as smoothly as possible."

Or more like she knew. Ariel was an emotional woman, but she wasn't an idiot. Passeri was sure enough that if she laid out the terms they'd arranged, she'd have enough of her wits about her to relent. It was just about the best-case scenario for her, too, with the way the cards had fallen. Perhaps in another world, where the two of them had both been a bit better prepared, they could've gotten out of this scot-free, but that wasn't the world they were living in.

Though, Passeri had a scant shred of hope that she wouldn't we leaving this incident totally empty-handed.

"If that's all fine with you, let me say, I'm glad someone like yourself was assigned to this! I know not all of the NOPD would've been willing to be quite so flexible with me. It's a bit forward of me, but I hope we can work together in the future! Between the two of us, I love this city. Really. And I think having a man at the heart of it all could help to really turn it around. Start making a real change."

She gave him a smile, softer than the ones she'd decorated herself with to play hostess.

"I hope you feel the same way."

Roda the Red​

 

[Saturn_moon]

Isobel Pham

SCENE:

Cookies & Cream

LOCATION:

Pre Arc-1: September 30th, 2008

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Isobel

Cookies and Cream

Isobel wished there was more she could say. More words of comfort she could offer her friend as she worriedly watched Sang-Cheol fumble through his thoughts, but words were hard for her these days. It was frustrating having to learn to communicate from scratch again, but she made do and with some people, you didn't always need words to be understood. Giving Sang-Cheol's hand a small squeeze, she opened her other hand and tapped the thumb to her chest. "It's fine." It really was. She wasn't hurt and she was here now. There were much worse situations she could be in.

She never expected to be friends with Sang-Cheol, but after her mother died and she lost her ability to speak school started to feel like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. The bullying got worse and even students who had been nice to her before now looked at her as if she was an injured animal waiting to be rescued. Sang-Cheol was the one exception. He was kind when he could have been cruel and showed her empathy instead of sympathy. It was refreshing.

Feeling the pangs of hunger herself, Isobel gladly followed him along to the cafeteria. Despite knowing the food they would get from the cafeteria would be little more than some form of reheated mush and probably stale bread, she answered his question with a wildly optimistic guess. "PIZZA" She wrote in his palm with a huge grin. "+ DESSERT"

Lucem

 

[First Rose]

Rutheless Julio Hernandez

CS Link

SCENE:

Down Diabolical [1:25 AM || October 2nd, 2019 || Pre-arc 1]

LOCATION:

Novak's Decrepit Mansion, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

| Nikolai | Rutheless |

Down Diabolical

For someone who had been so resentful toward the notion of nightly visitors, it was always so humorously feasible to slide into his bedroom at dusk's first notice of twilight. Frankly, she’s seen Celeste’s quarters to be more fortified; and poor Ruthe, simply couldn’t help herself from the occasion of her quiet sojourn among the shadows of his chambers. Then at the sight of Nikolai’s stereo soundly humming away, surely muting anything audible above the drop of a pen.. Oh, she took haste to take the opportunity. Allowing each reticent step to fall silent along the floorboards, it was an all too easy achievement to promptly find herself nestled comfortably upon the edge of the mattress.

The sudden weight to take the side of his bed was a familiar one, along with the sharp yet delicate feeling of metal soothing across his fair skin to slip a strand of hair behind his ear.

“ₙ ᵢ ₖ ₒ ₗ ₐ ₐ ₐ ₐ ₐ ᵢ ᵢ ᵢ ᵢ ᵢ. . .” She tenderly sang his name through a whisper in genuine hopes to avoid startling him. If only others could realizes her intentions to be so. Though all quite literally were there very few things Rutheless found more delightful than the young serpents, their rhythmic breaths, and cadenced heartbeats, a divine lullaby of their very own. One she cherished much more than many things in the world, as it was the only gentle symphony that tended to lull the constant patter of murmurs beneath her very sub-conscience.

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

CORVO CORDESCO

CS Link

SCENE:

The Enduring Hurrah

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3, Evening of May 27th, 2022

LOCATION:

Red West Bar

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Hitoshi, Hide, Charlie, Corvo, Milo, Rin, Roza, Boltius, Ashley, Gideon, Dimitri

The Enduring Hurrah

Romero unfortunately got little time chowing through the burger; that blue-haired boy was here again, and he dared throw himself at the doberman—again. Growling, he ferociously swerved his head around Charlie's hands to bite and maul and gnaw them with all his rage and might. Not that it did anything to Charlie.

All the while, Corvo kept sipping her glass, not even the slightest bit concerned. "My suit had blood on it," she bluntly answered to his remark on her dress. "

Corvo turned to the other two rookies, listening to what each of them had to say, from the smaller Roza to the more talkative Rin. Alert and rowdy, respectively. "Personally, I didn't mind the speech too much. I can't say the same for Romero; he'd much rather dart out here for a burger than stick around."

It was the light footsteps running after Romero, though, that made Corvo turn seconds quicker. At the first sight of the child, she hushed a sharp "A cuccia." to Romero. In an instant, he stopped trying to mangle Charlie's hands, ceasing his monstrous panting and into a resolute calm. Just in time as the girl, Aoko, caught up with the dog. He did not flinch at all no matter how she tried clambering around him.

Again, Corvo was staring out with her glass of wine.

Romero, unlike his owner, was quickly becoming the opposite of relaxed. His attention drawn to Ryoma's hotdog, which then laid so precariously on his snout, his mouth drooled with saliva as it focused in front of his eyes.

It didn't help that the hulk of a woman came over and put another hotdog on top of the other one, now turning this bout of patience into a game of balance!

Oh, how the doberman wanted to flip out and gnaw through the hotdogs, but at the corner of his eye, he saw his owner glaring from the side, as if sending a stern warning to the dog. But between Corvo's hidden gaze, the child clambering around and on him, the juicy hotdogs tipped on his snout, Romero began to twitch more and more. His eyes widened, and his panting got louder. Then... a whimper.

Romero lied completely flat, drooping his ears and tail. The hotdogs toppled onto the ground, where he gently lapped it up in a much more gentler manner.

Stros Roda the Red RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen

 

[Lucem]

Ashley Hart

CS Link

SCENE:

The Enduring Hurrah

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3, Evening of May 27th, 2022

LOCATION:

Red West Bar, a Phoenix hub in the South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ashley, Boltius, Charlie, Corvo, Dimitri, Gideon, Hector, Hide, Hitoshi, Milo, Rin, Roza, Ryoma, Yukito, Zach

THE ENDURING HURRAH

Ashley felt a familiar burn in his throat as he knocked back another shot. There was a flash of red in his eyes as his body responded to the sudden discomfort, but it vanished by the time he set down his drink. There was already a sizable collection of emptied glasses at his side, and he showed no sign of slowing down. That much alcohol probably would've taken out the average HP, but it'd still take a lot more to give him any kind of buzz. Unless he kept going at this pace, he'd have to wait for his Potential's limit to kick in. Although, he hadn't really been paying attention, so there was no telling when that would happen.

He'd been uncharacteristically quiet. Instead of getting rowdy with the rest of the crew, he kept to himself, sitting at one of the many tables as he drank and watched the others. No matter how much he tried to keep his head straight and enjoy the night, he kept thinking about what was waiting for him after the party ended. Hector's speech didn't really help with that, but it wasn't the Queen's fault he couldn't deal with his own shit. This had been bothering him ever since he heard about the upcoming raids.

Ashley still didn't know too much about what Hector had planned, but he knew that the guy had been constantly fucking with the Tigers for months. After everything that went down last year, nobody could blame him. Hector lost an eye, and Reika was still out of commission. Ash still wasn't over it himself, so he was on board with whatever the new Queen had planned if it involved getting even with the bastards who thought they could get away with what they did. However, that's not what had been screwing with him lately. It had to do with the other mission that was happening on the same day.

Bolt and a few other Phoenixes were going to be attacking the CDPD. It was supposed to be an important step in taking back Central, but Ashley didn't really care about that. He could only think about the piece of shit he used to call his dad. He hadn't seen the man in three years, never giving him a single thought since he joined up with the Phoenixes. Now that there was a chance of his dad being involved in the raid, it was all he could think about.

His head was a fucking mess. He was dealing with a ton of conflicting feelings. Because he wasn't used to problems like this, it was hard for him to sort it all out. He had a grudge against the police, and his dad wasn't exempt from that. He hated him and would never forgive him for what he did. That anger would never go away. However, the moment he thought his old man would get caught in the crossfire during the mission, he actually felt a little worried. That pissed him off. He hated that he felt any kind of concern for him. It shouldn't have mattered, but it did. That was the main reason he decided to sign up with Bolt.

Even after making his decision, he was still frustrated. It wasn't an easy one to make. Instead of going to back up Hector or Lyric, he was letting personal shit influence him. He knew they were tough enough to handle things on their own, but it felt like he was betraying the others. Acting selfish was nothing new for him, but it was different this time.

Dwelling on stuff like this wasn't like him. The fact that he let it bother him this much was the worst part. He wasn't used to this, and he just wanted to be done with it. That was one of the reasons he decided to come out tonight. Even if he hadn't sorted everything out yet, it was better than staying at home. He wanted at least one night where he didn't have to think.

Spoiler: Tags

AriAriAbabwa Caffeine_Obsessed Coyote Hart Doctor Llamabean Elenion Aura EmperorsChosen WhiskeyMarten joshuadim QuirkyAngel RedArmyShogun Roda the Red Stros The Prophet weatheringwings

 

[Coyote Hart]

Peyton Xiong

CS Link

SCENE:

Sir, This is a Hospital

TIME:

Tuesday, September 28th, 2021 || Post Arc 2

LOCATION:

Correspondance Hospital, Lower Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Yuto

Sir, This is a Hospital

Peyton knew what was going to happen as soon as Peyton saw the frenzied look in Yuto's eyes when the spider boy turned his attention towards him. But call it either his terrible self-defense skills or something more causing it, but Peyton didn't move fast enough to avoid the attack.

Peyton yelped when he felt Yuto's sharp teeth sink into his flesh. The initial pain was numbed by the shock of the situation, but when Peyton began to clutch at his bleeding arm, the pain caused tears to spring to his eyes. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Not as much as some injuries he had sustained in a fight, but it was on top of the list for one of the most painful.

"What the hell! Yutes, I didn't actually mean that," Peyton said, the tears blurring his vision as fat drops streamed down his face, "And why did you spit it out?"

Peyton pouted, the instinctive action had been rubbed off on him by Yuto's presence. Ironically, he was more offended than upset. He did after all partially understand on an instinctual level as to why Yuto attacked him. Whenever Peyton allowed his Potential to have the better of him, he often couldn't control himself.

Stumbling to his feet, Peyton went over to the paper towel dispenser, yanking on the plastic arm that disposed the towels until Peyton's uncontrolled force caused it to snap. He brought the wad of paper towels back to Yuto and the body of the nurse. Yuto dazed state made Peyton think he wasn't going to be bitten again, so Peyton was somewhat comfortable with getting close to him. He tore up a bit of the paper towels and offered it to the drooling Yuto while using the rest to messily staunch the wound on his forearm.

"Wow, that hurts," Peyton whined, clutching at his arm. Blood slowly seeped into the bunched-up brown towels, and Peyton's crying served to wet the towel further. Desperate, Peyton momentarily uncovered his arm and licked at the wound, the odd taste of metal entering his mouth. He wanted to apply some of the numbing effects of his Potential on the wound. Unfortunately, though, he couldn't use his Potential on himself.

He cast a look towards the spider silk hammock, and a brief idea flashed through his mind. He gingerly asked Yuto, "Hey Yutes... spider silk is really clean, right? Can I have a bandage or something?"

Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Cookies and Cream

LOCATION:

North District, School

TIME:

Pre Arc-1 | September 30th 2008

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Isobel

Cookies and Cream

Sang-Cheol's concern didn't fade, but he trusted Isobel enough that if she said she was fine, she was fine. "O-okay." He said. Compared to himself, Isobel was strong and could care for problems no matter what. Even if she did lose her voice, Isobel still put up with bullies. However, that did make things a little lonelier. It would be nice if Isobel talked to him occasionally.

Though Sang-Cheol snapped himself out of that depression. 'Actions were more than words.' Or something along the lines. He had heard about that quote somewhere before, though he couldn't remember from where. All he knew was that actions were more powerful than words. That meant even if Isobel didn't speak, it still meant that the action of staying with him meant that she still considered him a friend. At least, that is how he interpreted the quote.

"Pizza? I hope it isn't too cold like last time..." Sang-Cheol thought about it for a minute. The food at the cafeteria was, more often than not low, quality frozen foods that had been a few days expired. They didn't taste exactly good, but the food was food. Anyone picky with it was a fool in the eyes of the poor. However, he snapped out of it at the slightest mention of the most sacred food that left Isobel's mouth. "I-I-I-Ice cream!" Sang-Cheol looked at Isobel with stars in his eyes.

Ice cream was the most delectable food that Sang-Cheol had the experience of having. It was usually cheap too, which made it even better. Having such a sweet experience in his mouth made him slightly water his mouth before he stopped himself. "I can't wait in that case!" With a little more force, he pulled Isobel with him in line. "What flavor do you think it's going to be? Strawberry? Mint? Chocolate? Or..." There was a pause before he spoke about his favorite flavor. "Cookies and Cream?!"

Spoiler: Tags

Saturn_moon

 

[simj26]

Dagger / Alisa Vassiliev

CS Link

SCENE:

Sweet Talkin' Woman

TIME:

December 22nd, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

The Dollhouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger

Sweet Talkin' Woman

It seemed easy enough. was a thought she had been having these days, far too often to be of comfort. As Park explained to her the details of the plan, she studied the building’s exterior. It drew too much attention to be considered ‘underground’. Most of the same kind of establishments, whether it was Ruthenia or Amestria, tended to be less obvious, less in-your-face. An unsuspecting passer-by would walk past tens of these kinds of places without a second glance. Here, in this cancerous cesspool that was New Oasis, it was advertised, set up invitingly, announcing to all that it was beyond the control of the government, of the gangs themselves if Park’s intel was on point. She scanned the entrance. A couple of bouncers stood outside, a rudimentary set up. She could just barely make out one or two cameras directed at the entrance as well.

Going in loud wasn’t an option, according to her client. She suppressed a disgruntled growl at Park’s insistence that they had to execute this ‘without a commotion’. Blood was better than coin in some ways. Still, she thought to herself as she touched the piece holstered behind her, it always paid to be prepared. She could feel the rigid knife touching her ankle, sheathed neatly in her boot, her last holdout. She wasn’t interested in Park’s motivations for this smash and grab. She wasn’t even in it for the money. It was just that, if Park was this interested in running an op with her, she must have either really needed a gun for hire, or it was something else entirely. She couldn’t give a damn.

“Fine,” Dagger muttered quietly in response to Park’s exposition. She drew her black jacket around her, and straightened her white shirt with a tug.. Going in blind was never her first option, but if it came down to it, she had to at least infiltrate the building first, then scope out the place. Going in as staff or security was going to be tough, given her lack of intel. Marching in as a prospective mark, however, that was going to be much easier. These kinds of places were always on the lookout for easy hook, whether it was through women or chips, and looking halfway professional would make her look like tasty prey. She straightened her posture, rolling her shoulders back, and started towards the Dollhouse. She loosened her necktie a little bit more, exposing more of her collarbone, and waved to the bouncers. Time to put on the mask.

“Heeeyy,” she drawled, a lopsided grin plastered on her face. “Working hard or hardly workin’, huh?”

Spoiler: tags

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Essi]

Yuna Lee

CS Link

SCENE:

Crayon sure knows how to pick 'em!

TIME:

2:30 pm|March 29th 2022|Post-arc 2

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Yuna Lee, Darius Kennedy

Crayon sure knows how to pick 'em!

After a few more anxious checks of her watch, she finally saw the familiar blonde haired male run down. He certainly did look a bit messy but she gave him a smirk instead as she took another drag of the cherry flavored cigarette.

“I was worried you may have forgotten about me.” She said in a sarcastically worried voice before waving it off. “I’ll take ya up on the offer to drive there. I appreciate you coming with me to begin with. This dudes such a fucking nut job.” She groaned before taking another hit, “He kept texting me non-stop when I broke it off and being super clingy— Even more clingy than he was during the relationship.”

Yuna and emotions didn’t mix well, she didn’t know how to take them, and she didn’t know how to show them … Unless she was angry of course, that was always an obvious emotion she had first before any other.
She lived by a spanish phrase … In a particular way, ‘Ojos que no ven, Corazón que no siente …’ In other words, Yuna was an asshole.
She pulled out her phone to pull up the address as she rolled her eyes about him, she turned her phone, to show Darius. The address was near the coast of the North side, closer to Bridge Yang. “Ya think it’s doable? Don’t worry about him being violent or anything, I know he has like one DUI, but other than that, I’ve wrestled that prick to the ground so against two of us, he’d be screaming for his mom.”

She bought up his criminal history as if it were nothing, but from gang member to gang member, a DUI was nothing compared to the grueling work they both had to do as rookies.

 

[simj26]

Dagger

CS Link

SCENE:

Catch A Tiger By The Tail

TIME:

Past Midnight, October 9, 2021 | Between Arc 2 and Arc 3

LOCATION:

Markus' Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

???

Catch A Tiger By The Tail

The metal clacked against her teeth. She had thought that looking down the iron sights, down the rifling of the barrel, from the other way around was almost normal for her now. She shouldn’t be shaking this much. She pressed her thumb against the trigger. Would it hurt? Would it even kill her? Would it even give her any amount of pain? She was now one of the demons she hunted for so long. Every passing day, every glimpse of the wolves that followed her, reminding her of what weights were chained to her, every look at Weiss, Park, Minato, everyone else around her, made her wish dearly that she had been shot that day. Was this her punishment? Was this what she wanted for her? A life of always being reminded that she could have saved them? She pressed her thumb into the trigger, waiting for the click, the deafening crack, and the 9 millimeters going straight through the roof of her mouth and her head. From within, a guttural cry, a scream, a gargled, strangled sound rose to her throat, and she loosed it all into the empty, musty room. No one could hear her. The junkies that squatted in the rooms below were beyond their own minds to notice. Even if someone around the abandoned apartments was lucid enough to hear it, it was simply the unfortunate wail of yet another dead body in the dystopia that was New Oasis. Whether the cops would tag and bag her, or whether she would be left to rot for the years to come, it didn’t matter to them.

There was no place for heroes in New Oasis.

The voices screamed, demanding her to do it. Just do it. Just pull the trigger. Just end it all right now, right this instant. There was nothing to live for, no one to live for, nothing at all, no one to mourn her, no one to find her. At the very least, she would reunite with all those people she’d killed in hell. The chorus of voices swarming, swimming in her head was deafening, the ringing in her ears was piercing, and the world in her eyes blurred until all that she could see was the steel barrel of the piece she had stuck into her mouth.

A jagged breath escaped from her open mouth, and she tossed the gun aside, where it clattered against the wall. She drew her knees to her chest, hugged her arms around it, and buried her head within.

Coward.

She steadied her breath, inhaling slowly, then exhaling. She drew her arm across her face, drawing a streak of moistness across the length of her arm. Quietly, steadily, she stood up. She moved over to the worm-eaten desk by the window, and picked up a pack of cigarettes. She tried to light one up, and then froze. Over in the distance, from the window, she could see Weiss’ penthouse. “Fuckin’--” she grabbed her phone, checking it. No messages. “What the fuck?” She chucked the cigarette aside and drew on the shoulder holster and her coat. An attack on his penthouse, and he didn’t THINK to call her? What the FUCK was his problem? She leapt out of her window, and crashed into the pile of trash three floors down. Flicking away a stray syringe that had jammed its way into her shoulder, she clambered out of the trash, and started to run.


She stepped around the body on the ground, tracing her sights on it. She crouched down, her firearm still directed straight at the back of the body’s head, and reached down to touch his neck. No pulse. Fuck. She had no idea who this was, why he was here. Was it a friendly? Was it an enemy? Who the fuck knew? Everyone was fucking dead. Always no intel, always going in blind. The Tigers were good for something, but that something wasn’t providing her with anything she needed to work with. She stood up, and readjusted her grip on her firearm. Where the fuck was the boss?

Movement. She turned, readying her gun. In the mist that the ice produced, she could make out the familiar figure of a man, his shock of dark hair a complete mess. He growled at her, like a beast. She lowered her gun, and approached him slowly. In their delusional states, shell-shocked soldiers were prone to making rash decisions. She could not treat Weiss any different. She stopped in her place when he offered his neck for her.

She hesitated.

Then she spat on the ground, as if he had just insulted him. "Fuck's wrong with you?" she hissed. She had it planned. In his deepest, darkest hour, in the moments after he had suffered every pain imaginable, when everything had crumbled around him, only then would she stalk his very shadow, and only then would she put her knife on his neck, and end him. Now, though, she still needed him to be alive. Until everything in this God-forsaken hellhole fell to the sea, and vanished from the world entirely. Not yet. Her hunt began only in his darkness.

She moved towards him again. She raised one of his arms, slipped hers underneath, then looped it behind his neck, letting him balance his weight on her. “Can you walk? We need to get you to a doc.”

Spoiler: tags

Elenion Aura

 

[Saturn_moon]

Ottilie James

SCENE:

1 February 2022: [Happiness & Prosperity]

LOCATION:

白春花茶莊, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Amari, Isaiah, Jesper, Kairong, Karin, Levi, Meirin, Ottilie, Ruriko, Silva

Happiness & Prosperity

There was a sudden flurry of activity as more and more people started to arrive. One moment Karin was dragging her through the shop to meet Master Lin, the next a beautiful woman dressed in an elegant dragon-print qipao named Meirin had sauntered up and cheerfully placed a red packet in her hand. "T-Thank you?" Ottilie muttered through her confusion. From the kitchen, a tall man with dark hair quietly stepped out carrying trays full of delicious-smelling dishes that made Ottilie's mouth water involuntarily.

Master Lin - or Master Kairong as he seemed to be more familiarly known by everyone - was much friendlier than she had expected from someone who went by the alias 'Fist of the Dragon'. Of course, with a reputation as famous as his, Master Kairong had little he needed to prove. He could act as he pleased and probably still command respect from the room with the snap of a finger.

Taking his cue, Ottilie took a seat across from Master Kairong and his grandson. "I guess you could call it intellectual curiosity." She replied to Elvis' question. "I find HPs very fascinating." She continued, oblivious to how jarring her straightforwardness might be to others. "Their genes I mean. I'm majoring in Molecular Biology, you see." While tempted to go on about her research, Ottile heard her mother's voice in the back of her mind reminding her that not everyone found discussing variations in the atomic make-up of HPs versus NPs as exciting as she did. Picking up the pot on the table, she poured out four cups of hot tea. Offering the first to Master Kairong, she then went around the table, taking the last cup for herself.

Holding it in both her palms, Ottilie gave a small bow before taking a small sip. Despite its faint color, the tea was full of flavor. Fruity, floral, and sweet. It warmed her body and invigorated her senses. "Oh, this is delicious." She blurted, unable to contain her surprise.

Spoiler: Tags

simj26 QuirkyAngel Lucem Doctor Llamabean LXI AriAriAbabwa angel doe Beann

 

[LXI]

Leviathan (Stephan House)

CS Link

SCENE:

Happiness & Prosperity (Dragons)

LOCATION:

白春花茶莊, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Kairong, Meirin, Silva, Amari, Jesper, Ruriko, Ottilie, Levi

HAPPINESS & PROSPERITY

On the way to Kairong's tea shop, Levi had made a stop to pick up Silva, a very lively travel companion. He was no less animated in person than he appeared on his media platforms. A noted and favorable trait of appearing exactly like he does "on camera" were among the fold of reasons why he considered Silva friend. It was only a couple years ago he had plucked the green haired rowdy-man from a cop, who actually had the power to tango with their league, who may or may not have killed him. Can't leave a bro out to dry out and die like that. “Hope you didn't eat already, you know there's going to be a feast there.”

When they entered the shop, it was as bustling as the streets. Familiar red decorations everywhere for the grand occasion and numerous scents aloft of food all kinds traditional to the culture and home of the East. Levi could guess well whose hands were responsible for preparing the dishes laid out, looking forward to trying a plate that would sample each. Most if not all people were wearing some amount of red, though he was amused whether or not people supported any imagery of the tiger for this year. Personally had no problems with it. Wearing a casual suit of predominantly red and tiger head cuff links. There were other small tassels placed about sparsely on what would otherwise be the empty spaces of the suit with dragon and tiger paraphernalia. A plain scarf staple to his everyday attire finished the wears.

Seeing Meirin give Ottilie a red envelope reminded him of his own to hand out. Unlike Marcus, his brother, he was rather generous with his money since he didn't see it the way a Tiger did, not so foolish as to not understand its place in the world, just that he wasn't attached to it. If he thought he could manipulate someone so easily with paper, he'd throw it at them, just as the spectators did when bidding in The Pits.

“Gong Xi Fa Cai~” he greets vibrantly with Silva in tow. He offers the hóngbo to his juniors (in age) as he was taught by his parents since coming into their home. “The food smells wonderful.” So much going into this festivity, he was grateful that his peers who'd been struggling could take this chance to relax more and enjoy themselves. Hopefully, but if anyone needed to relieve stress in another way, like a friendly sparring, he would readily oblige. The energy of the idea was placated with a sigh to gather and collect himself for this peaceful time. There would be plenty time later to exercise his physical prowess, and it would be unnecessary to work up others presently.

“Marcus should be joining us later. Anyone have any new years resolutions?” It wasn't farfetched to reflect on yourself and set goals for the coming year. But it was half jested as it was more a Western idea to have "New Years" resolutions. He still recalls when his parents had him and his brothers and sisters write wishes and resolutions like letters to "Santa" on the Eve.

“Dialogue format”
Interacting with Kairong, Elvis, Ottilie, Meirin, Isaiah, Silva, and others

 

[angel doe]

celestine renee cadieux

CS Link

SCENE:

blurred borders

LOCATION:

hartswan terrace, north district

TIME:

pre-arc 1 || october 25th, 2019 - night

PARTICIPANTS:

darius, celestine

blurred borders

celestine watched quietly, wringing her hands together nervously when the one speaking raised a pistol and pointed it at them. this could very well take a turn for the worst, and she would never forgive herself if something happened to darius. so, once there was a break in the conversation she stepped forward, hands pressed together. "please, that is not necessary," she took a couple more steps, narrowly avoiding smacking her head on a light fixture hanging from the ceiling, "allow me to properly introduce myself. i am called amnesia, and as the contaminated said, we only wish to have a conversation with you."

"why should we trust anything you're saying?" it was a woman's voice that piped up next. she was very clearly not in the mood for this, and more than ready to attack.

celeste forced a small smile as she turned to the traitor that had just spoken, "i am not asking for your trust, just a conversation... preferably one without weapons raised?"

the woman narrowed her eyes in response, "no weapons raised, hm? fine, we can do that." she leaned back in the rotted wooden chair, looking at the man with the gun and nodding to him. he glanced back, scowling and lowering the weapon, but not holstering it.

"well, you have our attention. what did you want to chat about?"

celestine didn't think she would get this far, nor did she think she'd be able to get them to lower their weapons. she was surprised, to say the least, but recovered quickly and forced another smile, "so here is the thing, we have been looking for the four of you. the boss... well, he told us to find you because he has an assignment for you all." celestine began to walk toward them, slowly so as to avoid sending them into high alert again.

"that is a little weird. why the four of us specifically? and what kind of assignment is this?" the second woman at the table spoke up this time, raising a brow and looking up at celestine who now stood directly behind them, stone-faced.

"i do not know what to tell you, that is just what he said," celeste shrugged, placing her hands on the shoulders of both women, "as for the assignment, he said you must atone for your sins. you are traitors to the serpents and we have been tasked with bringing you in, dead or alive."

"what the fu- is this some kind of shitty joke??" the second woman exclaimed, trying to stand up and face celestine, only to be shoved back down so hard one of the chair's legs cracked under the sudden weight, or perhaps that was the woman's shoulder.

celestine continued as though the interruption had never happened, "we would much appreciate it if you would come with us quietly as the last thing we want to do is drag your corpses to the car."

"and why should we listen to you, huh? i ought to kill you right where you stand," the man spat at celestine, gun raised once more and pointed directly at her head.

"this is most unfortunate. i was hoping we could be civil about this," celeste sighed, making a little 'tsk' sound, "you could kill me where i stand, but are you sure you want to risk losing these two because of something foolish like that?"

"what do you-" the man froze when he saw the daggers, long serrated blades held by celestine and pressed up against the two woman's necks.

"why do we not have that chat, yes? we must discuss how you are leaving this building tonight," the smallest smile had formed on celeste's lips as she stared the man dead in the eye, "now, what will it be? handcuffs or a body bag?"

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Saturn_moon]

Isobel Pham

SCENE:

Cookies & Cream

LOCATION:

Pre Arc-1: September 30th, 2008

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Isobel

Cookies and Cream

Isobel didn't think she'd ever seen Sang-Cheol as animated as he was the moment he started talking about ice cream. It looked like his heart was about to explode out of his chest as he placed them firmly in the winding lunch queue.

The cafeteria was a less-than-pleasant place to be in. It was located in the semi-basement of the school and had only a row of half-windows along one wall to light the space. Not that it mattered. Being in the swampy North meant they didn't get much sunlight to begin with. Grey tiled floors set against once-white walls that have discolored from years of grease stains layered with the perpetual smell of old fry oil and burnt meat. It was one of the reasons Isobel and Sang-Cheol preferred to take their lunch in the courtyard. The other reason being they weren't particularly welcomed in the space. Around the room, students had gathered in their little cliques and each claimed a table to call their own. Not belonging to any of the cliques meant not having a table at lunch. From the corner of her eye, Isobel spotted a group of girls glancing smugly her way and she instinctively shrank behind Sang-Cheol in an attempt to make herself less visible.

One by one they moved up the line until they came face-to-face with the dour visage of the middle-aged, hairnetted, lunch lady that was Ms. Danes. Without missing a beat, Ms. Danes unceremoniously dropped a clump of overcooked rice onto her tray followed by a ladleful of what Isobel could only describe as 'brown slop'. "Don't forget to take a fruit cup." Ms. Danes monotoned.

Back at their bench, Isobel stared disappointingly at her tray. It definitely wasn't pizza and ice cream. Glancing over at Sang-Cheol, she wondered how he was feeling. He seemed to be having a bad day and had gotten so excited over the mention of ice cream. Fishing her wallet out of her backpack, she quickly counted the change she had in there. Just under five dollars. Scribbling in her notebook, she turned it over to Sang-Cheol to read.

Let's go.
We still have 40 mins before lunch ends.​

Lucem

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Cookies and Cream

LOCATION:

North District, School

TIME:

Pre Arc-1 | September 30th 2008

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Isobel

Cookies and Cream

The smell of the cafeteria made him cringe. It had never been a good smelling place, especially with the bad equipment and staff. Other than that, it was a rather dreary place to eat in, especially with outcasts like them. Despite that, Sang-Cheol looked around with curiosity with what would be today's lunch. Sang-Cheol shifted when he felt Isobel moving closer to him. Turning his head around, he saw a group of girls giggling to themselves. While he didn't know what their deal was, he felt that it had something to do with Isobel.

A frown creased his lips as Sang-Cheol felt helpless at the situation. There wasn't anything that he could do to scare off the bullies. He could try to set their belongings on fire, but that'd just get him into more trouble.

Though as the line shortened, Sang-Cheol stared at his tray. Unironically, the fruit cup was probably the most edible out of the selection they were given. Even if it was expired, the faculty had enough sense to at least put it inside whatever rundown refrigerator they had in the kitchen. It was to be expected. While the thought of ice cream was nice, it was just a pipe dream. "I-I-It's fine. R-r-realy. T-there's always next time." A glum looked was on Sang-Cheol's face until Isobel tugged on him.

"W-w-what is it?" Sang-Cheol said, unintentionally voicing his disappoinment. He eyed at the notebook that Isobel held out. "W-w-where are we going?" Sang-Cheol said with a confused look on his face. As far as he knew, there wasn't anywhere else to go. It wasn't like faculty cared enough to watch every single kid, but this dingy school didn't really have much to offer when it came to anything else.

Spoiler: Tags

Saturn_moon

 

[Elenion Aura]

MILO NAGISA

CS Link

SCENE:

Building Bridges

LOCATION:

December 12th, 2021 || Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

West-South Bridge

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dante, Charlie, Milo, Yong-Yut, Jozef, Gideon, Corvo

BUILDING BRIDGES

Milo joined Gideon on the food line. He was about to strike up a conversation—about what? The details were still shoddy at best—when he was rescued by the sound of a familiar voice, accompanied by a familiar waterfall of hair, blue like sapphires. Milo wondered if it'd be impertinent of him to ask his friend to pose for a portrait...

"Charlie!" Milo curled one hand into a fist and held out his knuckles for a bump as he waved off Charlie's concerns over being late with the other. "Don't worry about it... I'm not sure how much help we are, anyway. Probably this is a PR stunt and the real work'll get done after we're gone," Milo added, a little sullen. He couldn't help but inject a little pessimism in his voice, even if he wanted to hope that this one was different from the rest.

Realizing introductions were in order, Milo opened his mouth to say, This is my friend, Gideon, when Gideon beat him to the punch. Gideon called him an acquaintance and Milo didn't bother correcting him.

He filled his plate without fuss or misstep, pretending not to notice when Gideon made a mess of things and left it for someone else to clean up, noting it down in his running mental list of things to keep in mind about people, before joining Gideon and Charlie on the grass. Seated cross-legged with his plate in his lap, Milo turned toward the burgeoning crowd of volunteers and superfans that likely flocked to Ms. Park wherever she went. He recognized a few of their faces—Vulken, Yong-Yut—but he paid them not much mind. Even so, Milo thought he heard a pang of jealousy in Gideon's voice. He wondered if he was a fan of Iroi's; maybe that was why he—self-proclaimed "bad guy"—was here doing charity work. Or maybe it was because he wasn't as bad as he liked others to believe.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. No, I don't," Milo answered. Turning to Charlie, Milo inspected the other boy's plate before he took a bite of a hotdog he'd snagged while on line.

Spoiler: Tags

@The Regal Rper
Roda the Red
The One Eyed Bandit
WhiskeyMarten
AriAriAbabwa
@gxxberkit
Coyote Hart
@Nobody Special

 

[Elenion Aura]

MINATO MAEDA

CS Link

SCENE:

Rumble at the Railroad Casino

TIME:

October 1, 2021 || Pre-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Railroad Casino, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jack, Ruriko, Kisara, Minato

RUMBLE AT THE RAILROAD CASINO

”Any challengers?!”

Minato asked again into the microphone of the roudy crowd as he danced around the ring, eliciting whoops and hollers from the bloodthirsty onlookers who, having just had a taste of violence, were already frothing at the bit forr more.

Dressed for the part, the Albino Tiger was sporting chaps, a tassled vest, and a wide-brimmed hat that concealed much of his yellow-and-black mane. He'd been at this gig for a while, now. He had a lot of gigs. After all, it paid well to be everywhere all the time.

”C'mon, now! Don't leave the young lady hangin'! I said, any challengers?!”

He put a hand to his ear and held the microphone out to the raucous crowd, inviting any would-be challengers to step forward and be heard. Meanwhile, Minato was working the crowd. Multiple Minatos, to be precise. They were collecting bets and dolling out winnings.

Suddenly, the crowd parted to permit a large, muscle-bound man to approach the stage. Minatos on the exterior of the cage ushered the challenger in as the crowd roared with excitement.

”We've got a contender here, folks! Show 'im some love!”

The crowd erupted. The uproar shook the timber beams overhead along with the thumping baseline.

”You both know the rules, yeah? No Potentials! And... That's the only rule! Place your bets now, folks!” Minato announced as many Minatos began feverishly collecting bets from the ravenous onlookers, eager to see blood in the ring.

Spoiler: Tags

Chaos Gallant
simj26
Beann

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

DARIUS KENNEDY

CS Link

SCENE:

Crayon sure knows how to pick 'em!

LOCATION:

North District

TIME:

2:30PM ; March 29, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Yuna

Crayon sure knows how to pick 'em!

Running a gloved hand through his hair, Darius made an attempt to neaten his appearance while Yuna spoke. “I wouldn’t forget you!” Though he was aware of the sarcasm, the idea still hurt, “Of course, not gonna let you deal with this by yourself.” It was true, he was there now helping her, but it wasn’t something he wanted to get involved with. He was surprised she wanted his help at all considering how non-confrontational he was. He could only hope it would be a quick job.

Examining the phone, he nodded, though some doubt crept into his mind. “If you can give directions I can get you there. Shouldn’t be too far.” It was reassuring that Yuna could beat him in a fight, but then he realised what that meant. “...You’ve gotten into a fight with him before? It’s fine, we should just head down there quickly.” Not his problem, he’ll just focus on getting her stuff out.

The SUV shared by Darius and Ten sat in the car park beside their apartment building, and it was a death trap. Black but with dashes of spray paint over it in messy patterns, some resembling art and covered in dents and scratches from many accidents. The meek man that had begun leading Yuna towards it was maybe the last person you’d expect to be behind its wheel.

“It’s Ten’s car, really. I just drive it.” He offered no further explanation of the car's state as he unlocked it, opening the passenger door to invite his friend inside. The interior was neat, clearly Darius’s contribution to the car’s decor, not Ten’s.

Once both were seated, the drive to Fog Grove began, and it was clear who bore the responsibility for at least some of the damage to the vehicle. Indicators seemed to be a foreign concept to Darius, or he was just too focused on not crashing into the cars ahead of him to remember them. He’d slow to a crawl at random before suddenly veering through traffic at a high speed, as though he’d only just realised they were in a hurry.

“So, you been with him for a long time or?..” he asked, not daring to turn his head away from the road.

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Rin Chiyase

CS Link

SCENE:

Ballin'

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3: March 29th, 2022 -- Evening

LOCATION:

Old Basketball Court, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Milo, Roza, Rin, Yong-Yut, Hector, Ashley, Libla

Ballin'

Rin gave a cheeky grin as response to Bolt. Though it was brief as the latter didn't take long to pursue the ball. Rin was quick to follow suit. He was more quick and nimble than she was, but every thump of her steps indicated the strength she was using to push herself forward. A call from the spectators in the form of Hector urging Bolt on caused her to chuckle somewhat.

"Hate to disappoint your cheerleaders," The oni challenged, however her eyes remained trained on the ball her, thus far, only adversary.

What drew her eyes away was a quiet comment from one who Rin had forgotten about, given he just plopped down in the middle of the court right at the start. He was writing something, or drawing something. Rin hadn't taken the time to think much of it, until the papers started to take physical form. Her change in expressions pretty much depicted her thoughts in real-time, from confused, to surprised, then to amazed and excited.

"The hell?! You can just make your own team! That's awesome! Can ya' draw anythin' like that?" Rin questioned energetically.

She wondered if he would be willing to draw things for her to fight. Did it only work with simple figures, or could he draw more specifics, like people, animals, or monsters? The question of how durable they were came to mind too, but Rin would hold off on testing that unless one of them grabbed the ball. As it stood, the basketball was closer to the blob team, Milo, and Bolt, so she would have to play offensive-defense.

@gxxberkit (Yong-Yut) @Peckinou (Libla) Lucem (Ashley) WhiskeyMarten (Hector) Elenion Aura (Milo) RedArmyShogun (Roza) Doctor Llamabean (Bolt)

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Rin Chiyase

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Pre-Arc 3: The Enduring Hurrah

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3: Evening of May 27th, 2022

LOCATION:

Red West Bar, a Phoenix hub in the South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Hide, Charlie, Corvo, Milo, Rin, Boltius, Ashley,
Gideon, Dimitri, Hector, Roza

The Enduring Hurrah

"Aww~ Poor guy~" Rin cooed as the dog whimpered, taking the consolation hotdogs after being teased so much.

The tall woman didn't even hesitate to give the Doberman a rub on the head and a few pats on the side. She wasn't as dense as Charlie in this form, but nonetheless she was fearless, or perhaps didn't even consider the idea of potentially getting bit by the dog. There were few moments in her life where Rin was presented with the chance to receive any real damage. A nippy dog didn't exactly reach that threshold.

"He is a dog, after all," She added in response to Corvo's statement about him. "So..."

Standing up, Rin decided to leave Romero to enjoy his meal, and to his fate at the hands of Charlie and the little girl. Her attention then turned to his more extravagantly-dressed owner. The woman seemed well-adjusted to all this. It gave the impression that she was a veteran, someone more experienced with this stuff than the three rookies. Then there was the man that came with the girl, who also held an air of experience.

"You both vets then? What do you do 'round here?"

RedArmyShogun (Roza) Roda the Red (Charlie) AriAriAbabwa (Corvo) Stros (Ryoma)