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

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE:

Double Displacement

LOCATION:

High School To Be Named, East District

DATE:

August 2018 || Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson, Hiachi, NPCs a la miki and Brii

Double Displacement

He felt the brushing of a shoulder against his arm and felt like his skin was crawling. He jerked accidentally knocking his elbow into the other. The sound of a thud brought him back to back to reality. He swing back around and found a girl that had to be another first-year classmate fallen to the floor. Fuck his being a goddamn chicken got him into another fucking mess.

He should ask if she’s okay right? What if she was an np, was she like injured? The last thing he needed was to be looking for another school if she cried assault. Wait did it count as assault? He definitely elbowed her. Why didn’t the idiot just tell him to move, wasn’t like it was hard to use one’s mouth. God what was up with those lifeless-looking eyes what was she expecting pity without thinking he shouted at the girl who was still on the floor.

“What the fucks your problem what you don’t have a mouth?”

Well she might have let it slide if he didn’t put his entire foot in his mouth. Great, now he had no one to blame but himself. He already heard the gossip starting, literally. He flung a glare at two nosy busybodies who were a little too quick to flee for his liking. Cool the intended intimidating style was working and now that was certainly going to be spread that he was bullying students. He turned back to the girl.

“Stand the fuck up. Your legs ain’t broken.”

He was just making this better by the second he went and grabbed the book from where it now lay on the floor. A chemistry textbook? Right, because he was supposed to be entering too… she was probably his classmate. He should ask if she was okay but he couldn’t quite get the aggression out of his tone.

“You’re fine right?”

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Double Displacement

LOCATION:

Unnamed High School, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Jackson

Double Displacement

Being knocked into the stomach caught her off guard. But what caught her more off guard was being yelled at by the person who hit her.

What was her problem? He was the one who pushed her! And now she was on the floor in the middle of a crowded hallway.

He commanded that she stand up, and as much as it annoyed her, her main goal remained: get to class. She pressed her palms on the floor of the hallway before pushing herself up off of the ground.

He held out the book to her and asked her if she was alright. She couldn’t tell if he was being sincere—these things were always hard to tell, and the edge in his tone wasn’t helping. All she could manage was a look of bewilderment as she took back her book. Hiachi turned her back on him, leaving the event in the past as she went to sit down in her seat.

But she couldn’t leave it behind. Not when the entire class was murmuring about it. It wasn’t easy to hear, but it was easy to read lips.

”Did that really just happen?”

”What’d she do?”

”He’s scary…”

”That kid is a transfer… Do you think he’s from juvie?”

”I think she looked at him wrong or something. She does that a lot…”

Hiachi felt the spotlight on her, and Jang-Mi wasn’t there to help her hide away from it. It was unnerving. Hiachi spent most of her time out of sight, out of mind. She hoped that everyone would just forget about it.

That boy was really rude. He shouldn’t have been standing in front of a door where people needed to get in if he didn’t want to be bothered, right? He shouldn’t have been so surprised. He shouldn’t have pushed her, and he shouldn’t have then blamed her for falling on the ground when it was HIS fault.

Her face flared up from embarrassment. It was so stupid. She wanted to hide under the lab table.

The teacher tapped her knuckle on the desk to quiet the classroom down. At the announcement of a pop quiz, most people groaned—but Hiachi’s shoulders relaxed. This would all be forgotten once everyone started complaining about how the chemistry teacher was the worst for assigning a pop quiz at the beginning of a new unit.

Spoiler

BriiAngelic

 

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE:

What

LOCATION:

ENP, East District

DATE:

??? || Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson, Devin ( Misuteeku )

What

He smirked as he saw Devin beginning to think things over. And this is why he was the best at what he did. He shrugged off the blazer leaving only the sleeveless turtle neck beneath being sure to leave the marks well on display. If he had a problem with it it wouldn’t have gone that far in the first place. He brought his hand out to grab Devin’s jaw and bring his eyes back to Jackson.

“Devin, cute. So you do like it huh? Then we have a place to start now. I’m Song, but feel free to call me whatever you like.”

He was going to get back to setting the mood but stopped as the other started to talk about being banned of all things. His smirk fell as he tried to get the other at ease once more bringing a hand through the other’s hair.

“Cutie do you really think if you were going to be banned we’d still be sitting here? First off, I don’t intend to bring out a ban against you. Sure I’d probably advise ‘em that you can’t play with our NPs but you’ve done nothing that’s gonna make me ban you from my room. Especially when you listen sooo well.”

 

[Misuteeku]

Devin Cena

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

What

LOCATION:

ENP, East District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Devin, Jackson

What

"I-Is that so." Devin stuttered to Song, the prostitute. Before Devin attempted to leave the room, his jaw was grabbed by Song, and was faced directly at the prostitute. No matter where he looked, all Devin could see was some part of Song's handsome face. Though at a glance, he saw Song had removed his blazer and left the marks he made exposed for him to see. Another flush of red entered Devin's face.

It was strange for Song to refer to his name as cute. If anything, Devin always thought his name had a more masculine tone to it. Though if he were to prefer cute or masculine. "I-I don't think it's cute." Removing Song's hands from his jaw, he took them into his own hands. "My name." Devin clarified. In his view, Devin always wanted to look strong in other's eyes.

If Song was okay with it, then perhaps it wouldn't be too bad to explore this avenue. Plus, the receptionist may god smite her soul, paid for this, and she was probably going to get in trouble for his earlier actions.

"Then what do I do?" It felt like his first day in the Dragons. He felt that he was stranded in a windless ocean. With only a paddle and a sail, Devin didn't know where to go. However, it was Isaiah's advice that finally gave the ocean its desperately needed wind. Go at your own pace and take your time. Those words inspired Devin, even if he felt guilty, so he took those words to heart. He should at least try to take the first step.

With newfound courage, Devin leaned forward onto Song, "Should I try this?" Squeezing Song's hands, he decided to take the initiative. He had only seen this in a few videos before, but each of them was with women. A man's anatomy wasn't too different from a woman's, so maybe he should try the stuff that they do in there. Something a little tame to start with.

Putting one hand around Song's waist, he put the other on the HP's shoulder. He looked at Song and then immediately closed his eyes. Leaning forward, he attempted to kiss Jackson on the lips. However, there were two amateurish mistakes in this attempt. One was that he couldn't see without opening his eyes. The other was that this relied on a lot of trusts for Song to reciprocate this action.

BriiAngelic

 

[Roda the Red]

ERIC EVENSEN

CS Link

SCENE:

North Says No!

LOCATION:

Redwater High, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Eric, Passeri

NORTH SAYS NO!

Eric took a defensive stance as he stared at the drunkard, the north-dweller was taller and bulkier than the detective, but his true physical condition was a bit of a mystery, given the thick clothing he wore on that cold winter day, and more importantly, he didn't even know if he was facing an HP or and NP, although Eric's gut told him that it was most likely the latter. The man aproached a bench that was right next to him, smashing his bottle of liquor against the steel armrest, the sudden sound catching the low gasps of a few nearby students, too stubborn to listen to the Idol's words just yet. The drunkard now wielded what was left of the bottle, only its neck and lest than half of the body, now taking the shape of several, razor sharp yet brittle spikes.

The man lunged forward, thrusting his improvised weapon at Eric, the detective moved to the side, dodging attack, he followed up by taking a hold of the man's wrist, but unlike what the policeman expected, the enemy had another move up his sleeve, delivering an unexpected elbow at Eric's chest. Eric recoiled and let go of the man's wrists, he took a few steps back, feeling the stinging pain from the strike that nearly knocked the wind out of him. Not only did Eric confirm of the man's nature as an HP, as there was no way a normal human could've delivered such an attack, but he was also able to tell that, even in his seemingly drunken state, the man was no slouch when it came to his moves.

And that could not have been any more correct, in fact. The man's name was Kevin Clarke, he was, in fact, several years ago, a fairly well-known member of the North District Police Department, his career was both respected and profitable, in fact, you could say it was TOO profitable. To the point where veteran Sergeant Kristoffer Evensen spearheaded an investigation on Clarke, easily connecting him to a series of illegal drug transactions, which also resolved a recurring issue in the department about missing contraband. This landed Clarke a good five years in prison, and after he got out, no one ever accepted to hire him for work. Jobless and desperate, he took to joining the Sable Serpents, and action that, to this day, still dreads, an unhinged gang full of people ready to kill you for the mere joy of it, let alone having an actual reason for it.

"YA RUINED MY FUCKIN' LIFE!"

The man's words momentarily puzzled Eric, but after a couple seconds, the dots were easily connected. "Oh, dad got you? Well then you definitely deserved it."

The man lunged once again, but the Detective wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice, he was done playing nice. From Eric's right hand sprouted a branch of light of about over a meter in length, and he swung it at Clarke's side, hitting the man with enough force to stop him in his tracks and make him topple over to the side. Clarke quickly got up, not even bothering to give a reaction at Eric's ability, this time, he lowered his shoulders and raised his forearms, taking a stance similar to that of box, he approach the detective, attempting for a grapple. But Eric wasn't going to have any of that, dodging the approaching hand, and striking once again at the man's opposite side. Eric followed up on the attack, reaching for the man's neck and pushing forward, pinning the man on the ground. Clarke delivered a solid punch at Eric's face, but due to the former's now weakened state, the latter was able to power through the hit just fine, delivering a couple punches at Clarke of his own. Eric turned the man around with little difficulty, and with a swift motion, removed his belt from his pants, tightly binding the man's arms behind his back with it, with another hand on his enemy's nape, the detective pinned him down into submission.

With his other hand, Eric reached for his pocket, pulling out his phone, after a quick dial, he placed the device next to his ear. "Hello, this is Detective Evensen, from the Central Department, we have a 22-1301 here...Yes...Yes, the aggressor is under control now" Eric struggled a bit as he communicated with NOPD, as each of his words was partially covered by the screams of Clarke, a mixture of desperation and cursing. "Yes, Redwater Highschool, I'll in the location and keep him under control until you arrive...Yes, thank you" BEEP. Eric checked how the man struggled with the thick belt, but in that uncomfortable position it would be hard for him to properly exert enough force to break it apart, but still, he kept his grasp on him.

Eric noticed Passeri approaching, seemingly curious about the situation. "Sorry for the inconvenience, he didn't seem much for talking, unfortunately." Clarke grit his teet with utter fury. He couldn't go to jail again, this had to be some kind of fucking joke. A rage boiled within him, his muscles tensing up, finding a new surge of power. He didn't know what those experimtental drugs that the serpents gave him were for, but for what it seemed, they had made him considerably stronger. Applying more pressure in his arms, the drunkard tore the belt wrappings apart, and forced his head up despite Eric's pinning. He reached for the bottle on the ground, lunging himself at the first target on his sight, this time it was Passeri, and fortunately, she was able to just barely dodge the sharp glass. Eric's eyes went wide at the sight of the attack, a wild, panicked instinct of protection came over him, after seeing his friend...that special person, being in danger. The detective leapt on Clarke's back, wrapping his right arm against his the attacker's neck, and using his left arm to lock the grapple in place, applying as much pressure as he could on the strong muscles of the drug-enhanced serpent. Clarke struggled, flailing his arms around, even managing to make a shallow cut on Eric's left arm with the broken bottle, but the cop didn't stop, didn't waver until the drunkard's strength started to fade, oxygen-dreprived lungs unable to keep up with the demand. Eventually, the man stopped moving, falling face down on the ground, consciousness leaving his expression. Eric stood up, dusting off his jacket. "Again, sorry about that, wasn't expecting that to happen."

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[BluEndings]

"NAOMI BLECHER" (MIMI)

CS Link

SCENE:

[The Woodsman and The Duckling]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1

LOCATION:

Backstreets, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Mimi

THE WOODSMAN AND THE DUCKLING

Disinterest curdled into disgust.

She did her best to wrench her arm free while touching down against the wall with her other hand. Crumbles of cinder block flaked to the damp ground as the wall curled into the form of a person’s upper torso. It reclined forward to grab hold of the man who had so audaciously touched its creator’s sleeve, and strenuously break off his shameless grasp.

“Would you mind your freaking manners?” Mimi scowled. “The hell would you do if you got that blood on my outfit? Are you ready to pay for it? Are you going to compensate me? For the damages to my clothes and my fragile little psyche?”

She paused.

“Do you live around here?” Her stare staked out her surroundings, and her tone lightened. “I’m looking for a building. The usual amount of gross, but maybe infested with undesirables more than average.” She poked the man on the cheek. “You a druggie? You do drugs? Where do you get your stuff?”

She shuffled in her pockets and tossed a package of tissues at his collarbone.

“You want me to call the cops? You want to go to jail?” She prodded. “Murder is a crime, you know. You wanna be jailed for half your life? I doubt it’s your first offense—you wanna be locked up forever?”

She didn’t let up.

“I may be a kind and forgiving person, but you’re going to have to do something for me.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “I need a guide as equally as disgusting as this drab neighborhood. Otherwise I might never find my destination. So…”

NAVIGATE

 

[BluEndings]

HIFUMI BAE

CS Link

SCENE:

[Whispers at Dusk]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, June 22nd, 2018

LOCATION:

Taiyōkō Shrine, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Mirza

WHISPERS AT DUSK

The glaze over Hifumi’s eyes did well to conceal his soft scorn. Rather than immediately answer the outgoing chimeric’s inquiries, there was a moment taken to survey the apparent hierarchy. It may as well have been an excuse to wait for someone other than the antlered man to step forward. Though nothing of the like would end up happening.

“Of course.” Hifumi ultimately answered. “As you may have been informed, we Bae’s have an extensive history with looking over this shrine.” He began to lead the group inside. “Though we carry some amount of influence, it is unheard of to imagine an attack like this.”

Even after just a few steps in, the damage across the walls would be clear. The fine wood of the structure’s supports were marred and singed while the once stunning thin screens had been torn to unsightly remains. There were plenty of decorative ornaments that had been sent into the floor, either harming the smooth boards, or being shattered themselves. It was an uncouth mess, but thankful free of obvious bloodshed.

“Four members of the staff are uncounted for.”

The hallway’s end divided into a room at each side.

“To the left we have those who were there alongside the newly missing”—all women—”and to the right we have everyone else who was present that night.”

The foremost group was visibly shaken, and huddled together.

The latter was less plainly disturbed, and spaced far more sparsely.

“Then of course there is this.”

Where the corridor reached its conclusion was a wall that had been crudely carved into and etched with pigment. The intricate lines wound and curved into an artful depiction of a wingless dragon eating its own tail with dashes of dripping red pooling at its base. The further down it trailed, the fainter the dye became until it pooled over the decorative cabinet beneath it.

Sitting atop it—a simple mask free of color.

NAVIGATE

 

[BluEndings]

"HANUEL" BAE (HIFUMI)

CS Link

SCENE:

[Clouds at the Summit]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, March 21st, 2017

LOCATION:

Millennium Hall, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Shen

CLOUDS AT THE SUMMIT

With the ceremony now nothing more than a stinging memory of shame, Hifumi had lumbered out, alone. The other Bae’s in attendance had taken leave to pursue conversation and connection. At their instruction, he had been left behind to peruse the impressive gardens that surrounded the domain. It was the perfect area to linger without appearing out of place. There wasn’t much meaning in sticking around when his presence wasn’t demanded, but something about remaining gave him a sense of purpose.

At most, the passing members would give a brief glance at the placid scene.

Except for one particular Yue.

“Ah?”

The hardy welcome had come as a surprise, and one slick with uncertainty. The mortified youth was not in the least bit prepared to unravel the deep and entrenched civic implications of dialogue from the current Dragon King’s nephew. This was the sort of interaction that required a steady mind, and a silver tongue. But without the strong guidance of Hifumi’s father, or the cordial patience of his sister, he was without something to ground his direction.

Worse yet, the affable words that had been shared carried a weight unlike any before.

“Ah, Yue.” Hifumi offered a standard greeting towards one of their status. “You honor me with your words. My abject performance was a stain on tonight’s proceedings. I meant no insult, and wish to provide the assurance that the Bae family will bring no such shame in the future.”

Vomiting up those rehearsed words felt like the worst kind of deception.

“We would be ever humbled for someone of your standing to execute the arts of our family.”

This really was no good. These viscous phrases were starting to clog his throat.

“Pleasantries aside, to what do I owe the privilege of your presence?”

He couldn’t even muster the integrity to look them in the eye.

NAVIGATE

 

[BluEndings]

HIFUMI BAE

CS Link

SCENE:

[The Longest Days of Our Lives]

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 | June 21st, 2022

LOCATION:

Heiwana Sasayaki, East District | Theater

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Ottilie, Jessamine, Dyne, Yushui

THE LONGEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES

With the sun at its pinnacle, so too were the festivities.

From the outside, the city of New Oasis might have been reduced to the unpleasant description of a criminal’s playground. This sort of view was not without warrant, but was far from the warmth that so many of its inhabitants held. There was no disputing that this place was their home and residence. Though, at times, it may be trifled with peril and fright, it was the citizen’s one and only. The dark cloud that obscured tomorrow’s future was never short a single blazing star.

Today the East District celebrated.

Plenty of junctions would be closed in favor of stands and displays, and numerous establishments would be lit with the light of the solstice. Special events with vibrant foods and activities were on the rise for both passersby, and regulars to experience. The openness of the celebration lacked a fundamental dress code, but the streets would be dabbled with plentiful paints and masks.

The downcast rookie was to be found freshly departed from the Taiyōkō Shrine. He had paid both his family passed, and the higher forces, his respects before treading into today's fray. It was yet another solstice he would welcome alone. These days, his father was engaged in delicate matters beyond Hifumi’s interference while his mother’s condition remained constant. As expected, so too was his fiancée bogged down by her family’s business. It was a busy day, afterall.

He wasn’t particularly interested in the food, or much at all really. The day had just been etched into routine. So much so that passing it up felt wrong, and strengthened the somber reality that loomed above. Even if there was no one besides him, Hifumi felt the faintest of comfort by participating in what was once a bright day.

He greeted familiar faces with a smile— fitting of the Bae family—but ventured deeper and deeper so he could escape such thin facades. Though he wore none, he couldn’t help but feel the undeniable itch of a mask upon his face. Like decorative paint that was lathered on far too thick and carelessly.

It was these very same masks that curbed any mounting serenity.

By entering an establishment, Hifumi pushed past the entry curtain and extended the necessary fee.

“Yes, admission for one please.”

In the moment, he held a dull interest for dance, but perhaps a lingering shame had drawn him here.

NAVIGATE

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

In The Tigers' Web

TIME:

June 3rd, 2022 | Post Arc 3, TimeSkip 1

LOCATION:

Nameless Storefront, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Jennifer, Ezra, Elias, Dagger

In The Tigers' Web

“Z!” Elias smiled when the youngest Knight approached, head dipped a bit in polite greeting. He removed his sunglasses, slipped them into the front pocket of his shirt, and held out his hand. “I’m glad to see you are well.”

The last he’d seen his fellow Tiger rookie it was deep in a collapsing mine cavern, after all. There was something a little different about the Z currently in front of him and the Z in his memories, but the Yumin heir couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. He didn’t really have the time to ponder it anyway. As soon as Z arrived, the heavy locks undid themselves and Iori’s cool smile greeted them. Whether or not the youngest Knight shook his hand or not, Elias would step into the furnished basement.

“You seem a little tired, Miss Iori.” Elias blatantly commented as passed the newly named–but not yet revealed–Jack, immediately catching the slight waver of her smile. It wasn’t like the idol slip up her bubbly act, so he could only assume she was a little under the weather. He didn’t know who the special guest would be, but he could only assume they’d be someone with a strong influence on the Weber patriarch. “Please relax. Whether or not he speaks, information will be obtained all the same.”

Though the usefulness of said information was still to be determined. Fishing for memories could be as quick as an instant or as long as hours depending how much he had to flip through. Elias's eyes flickered to the door Jacob Weber was held behind before traveling the basement.

Catching sight of the mercenary behind Park, Elias smiled at her as well, regardless of whether she greeted him or not. “A pleasure to finally work with you, Miss Dagger.” He’d only ever seen the eye-patched woman stand behind Weiss. And Park. An assassin with ghostly wolves. “Please call me Elijah Anamnesis.”

He’d have offered her his hand as well, but hers seemed to be occupied with a weapon and he got the sense that the soldier wouldn’t much appreciate it. Instead, Elias settled himself into one of the sofas, pulling out a pen and notepad from the inner pockets of his leather jacket as he started to jot down everything he knew. Elias had an excellent memory. That said, in order to solve a puzzle, sometimes it was better to have all the information in front of him. News reports. Relevant memories. Wasting 3 days wasn't his style.

Once the masks fell off their faces, identifying the Stewards from his memory hadn’t been difficult either.

The Stewards –Servants of Sleeper

• Beatrice Grant, daughter of Mayor Grant, High Priestess of Stewards, HP
• Jacob Weber, patriarch of Weber family, Steward, HP
• Cillian Crowe, Beatrice’s assistant, Steward, HP
• Quentin D’Arcy, Head Curator of New Oasis Archives, Steward, HP
• Araminta Grant, granddaughter of Mayor Grant, Steward HP

Three Factions: Stewards, 4 Gangs, ???

Notable Events on May 31st:

• Zombie sightings in North District
• Central District-specific mega earthquake
• Kings Fight (Scarlet Phoenix and Azure Dragon)
• 4 Kings spotted in Central District
• CDPD Headquarters attack (Scarlet Phoenix)
• Central Bank Robbery (Albino Tigers)
• West District Casino Assault (Scarlet Phoenix)
• North District warehouse assaults (???)

Ex-King Roland Journal -> Heavenly Beast Plaza -> Sleeper Tomb

Pen rapped against chin. “Hmmm…since we’re all here, just waiting for this special guest to arrive, should we spend time exchanging information? I’ve been meaning to ask you about the events on your side of the spelunking mission, Z.” Violet eyes flickered from Ezra to Dagger. “As for Miss Dagger, I heard you've been tasked with investigating some certain sightings in the North DIstrict. Would you care to share? If it’s too difficult to explain, I specialize in the transfer of memories,” Normally he didn’t go about telling people his potential willy nilly, but in this case, he was more interested in efficiently obtaining/passing information than keeping his oh so mysterious secret, “and, naturally, I’d share what I know as well.”

Offer made, Elias set the pen and notebook down before reaching for a bottle of beer on the table and pouring himself a glass.

simj26 Uasal The One Eyed Bandit Lucem Saturn_moon (or Elenion Aura )

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

TAKAONNA

CS Link

SCENE:

Pest Control

LOCATION:

East District, Brothel

PARTICIPANTS:

Takaonna, Jackson

Pest Control

The blow to the head rattled the Takaonna, both mentally and physically, as her body vibrated with a wavelike reverberation. The chewed food in her mouth spilled out in a goopy mess. She groaned a pained whelp, whipping her arm across the room and sweeping away whatever stood in its path. Furniture clattered and splintered against the wall.

The stun did not last long. Her limbs snapped back like rubber bands, the long snake-like humanoid emitting cracks of bones as she reformed standing straight up—a bear on hind legs. Afterwards, silence. Threat... Bad threat... Kill.

Her head twitched towards the sound of Jackson's footsteps.

Like she did to Shiki, the Takaonna shot her limb out to grab Jackson, wherever it fell.

BriiAngelic

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

TAKAONNA

CS Link

SCENE:

Only Human

LOCATION:

Alleyway, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Takaonna, Jozef

Only Human

The Takaonna reeled her arm back like a fishing line, dragging across the concrete roof. Her head flicked towards Jozef's new location as he spoke. His voice... was soothing. Soft, calm—not too amicable like Kason... Like Kiwi's...

Not a threat...?

Her muscles became less tense, though the pain struck again. She tilted to the side of the wound, groaning drly. Her wounded hip was visible to Jozef, now, unshielded by her hands now dangling at her sides. "What... will you do...?"

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[Silver Lining]

TIME:

Post Arc 1, September 19 2021, Afternoon

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Alice

Silver Lining

Charlie listened to the girl talk about her own situation, and how in an ironic way, it seemed like her own free day was the complete opposite of his own. It sounded she had quite the limiting and strict lifestyle, something that the phoenix could relate to deeply due to his past. In a way, it was a bit nice, even comforting, to know that despite his own day not really being the best, other people get to enjoy and have a good time, especially since she seemed to be such a nice and considerate person, she certainly deserved it. But then, she gave him a proposition, of just spending some of the day together, out of nowhere, even though they had only known each other for several minutes at most. To say that Alice's behavior was unexpected would be the understatement of the century.

Could it be...She was actually asking him out?

He mentally slapped himself with full force. What a foolish assumption to make, she was clearly just performing a display of empathy towards him, although admitedly said empathy was to a worrisome degree. Yet still...Maybe it was because of her kind words, perhaps it was her contagiously bright attitude, or maybe because she was just too darn cute, but the prospect of accepting her offer felt more enticing with every other second of thought.

"...You know what? Sure! I'd love to hang out, if you don't mind!" Charlie pulled out his phone from his damp pants, unlocked it and quickly rummaged through a navigation app, he gave a little nod as he found what he was looking for. "There's a cafe open nearby, we could probably use some hot drinks to warm us up form this cold rain" He looked at his soaked body and clothes, feeling a newfound sense of embarassment at his previous carelesness towards the rain's assault. "...And I guess I could really use a towel, too." He let out a bashful giggle before staring back at Alice once again. "So, what do you say, wanna go?"

He still found it a bit hard to believe that it really came to this out of nowhere, but honestly...He did not mid it in the least.

AriAriAbabwa

 

[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

"Yutes, are you okay?!" Peyton froze when Yuto's wails began. Did he get soap into the eye on Yuto's forehead? He hadn't thought of the fact that Yuto's three-eyed nature meant that Peyton should've washed his hair more carefully. But now that Peyton made the mistake, he didn't know how to mend it. All he could feel was guilt. He was never good at this stuff. So he just shifted from foot to foot, not knowing what to do, as Yuto clawed out the virtual shampoo with water. This indecisiveness left Peyton wide open for the surprise attack that Yuto brought.

"Hey!" Peyton shouted as he felt his hoodie tear apart. His arms immediately crossed around his chest, although this weak attempt to cover himself up left his soft-looking stomach exposed. His blush, which usually was subtle, flared up aggressively, leaving Peyton scarlet from his exposed neck up to his ears. He pouted as water streamed down his burning face, almost as if he was mirroring Yuto's pout, "That was mean!"

Granted, Peyton only needed a moment for the surprise to wear off before he let down his walls and allowed Yuto a glimpse at his body. Peyton hadn't realized that Yuto was a bit upset about the shock of cold water. Instead, Peyton just saw the feint and attack as a spontaneous attack. Or perhaps this was Yuto's way of playing around. Regardless, he was determined to deliver payback.

Taking advantage of the moment, Peyton leaped forward to grab onto Yuto's soaked shirt. It crumbled underneath Peyton's strength, exposing the man's chest. Peyton allowed the torn shreds to fall to the shower floor as he beamed with satisfaction, "There! Now we're the same! And it's easier for me to wash you!"

Peyton hummed in happiness and pumped the body wash dispenser on the wall, rubbing the gel into a lather in his palms before setting his hands on Yuto's chest.

"You have nice skin!" Peyton complimented the spider boy, although that fact did make Peyton incredibly nervous. And so, with his heart beating loudly and a fixated and embarrassed look on his face, Peyton's hand began to trail down Yuto's body, leaving a trail of soap in its wake...

- - -​

The bathroom was filled with steam which fogged up the shower's glass door and the mirror that overlooked the sink basin. Peyton pulled over his shoulders a blue hospital scrub and tightened the waistband of his pants. His head felt fuzzy and fluffy with serotonin. Showers were definitely therapeutic, but this time it felt a magnitude greater in enjoyment. That all was attributed to Yuto.

"How do I look?" Peyton asked, prancing over to Yuto to allow the man's pink eyes to judge him. His dual-toned black and yellow hair was still damp from the shower. The hospital scrubs were a pale blue color, and they seemed reminiscent of the clothes that he used to wear in the past. He missed the weight of his hoodie though.

Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Brandy Baker

CS Link

SCENE:

Captives of The System

TIME:

~2004, Pre-Arc 1

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Brandy Baker & Caio Santana Coelho

Captives of The System

"I'm ten!" It wasn't clear if it was surprise or indignancy that tinged Brandy's voice as she scaled the ladder. Six? She wasn't six! She hadn't been six for four whole years! That was more than old enough for her to be able to take care of herself. "Ten and five months, too! That's basically eleven!"

Brandy briefly considered going on and informing how very much not six that she was, but was quickly distracted as they approached the third floor. Her eyes lit up, whatever mild displeasure she might have felt being immediately washed away by excitement. Her ascent slowed, and after a brief struggle, she wrenched open an adjacent, busted window, and crawled through the now-open gap. She vanished for a moment, before her head popped back out the window, flashing a bright smile at the boy below her.

"Yep, nobody home! Comon' it's nice in here!" That was certainly an exaggeration, but not one that she was entirely aware of. Beyond the old, unlocked and unbolted window, ragged carpet waited. Dim light trickled in through dusty windows, swathing the few pieces of furniture scatted about the room in a cool, grey shade.

"Welcome to my hideout! I like to come here when Mom and Dad are..." As Brandy started to lead Caio about the room, her pace slowed a bit. "Busy."

It was a good thing that she had her back to the boy at the moment, Brandy thought, as her excitement faltered. She didn't want to think about her parents right now. This was the first time she'd bought anyone up here! She wanted to show off!

"It's really cool though! See there's the couch, I sleepover on there sometimes, and I have a table, and I keep some snacks in the kitchen too!" Excited, or at least trying to be, she quickly jogged to the kitchen and scooped a half-empty box of cereal out from one of the lower shelves.

"A-are you hungry? You can have some if you want..." The box rattled as she jogged back over to Caio and offered it to him. It was her favourite flavor, and she'd only been able to buy it because she'd found some change last week, but it would've been rude not to offer! Her parents always shared their treats when they had friends over, so she would too.

BriiAngelic​

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Does This Have Gluten?

TIME:

Pre Arc 1, 2013

LOCATION:

Jiji's Convenience, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Yura Heo, Passeri Park

Does This Have Gluten?

Passeri imagined that the dry, plastic sound of crumpling that the bag of crisps made as Yura plopped it atop the counter was the same one that her hope had made when he'd listed off the price for the pot of exotic fish. One-hundred and fifty? She didn't even spend that much money on food in a fortnight.

What kind of convenience store even carried such a luxurious delicacy? Maybe she'd wandered into some kind of speciality parlour by mistake.

"I... Ah..." Passeri hemmed and hawed as she turned the gaudily labelled package over in her hands. She didn't even need to check the nutritional information on this one to come to the conclusion that it was definitely not in her diet. Cholesterol aside, if her coach ever found out she ate that many calories in a single sitting she'd get stuck on the treadmill for hours.

"I appreciate it! But you don't have to worry about my height. I think I stopped growing last year." Hesitantly, she lowered herself into the plastic seat. He might have offered, but she wasn't terribly keen on imposing. "I'm on a diet at the moment, so there's only certain things I can eat. Do you have any, um, carrots? Or kale? Or acai?" Even as the words came out of her mouth, Passeri already felt embarrassed about it. "My coach gave me a list of things I'm allowed to snack on if I really need to. I was already stretching it with the fish."

His next question came like a jab, neatly poking a hole into the spirits that she was trying so hard to keep high. Why was she out this late? Sometimes she wondered the same thing herself. Not even her drill sergeant of a coach bothered to stay back at the studio this deep into the night. Did she really need to keep at it?

Quickly, she suppressed the thought and steeled herself against the coming wave of exhaustion. She already knew the answer to that.

"Just looking for a snack! The fridge at the studio was empty, and it's pretty late, so I needed to go on a bit of a hunt to find somewhere that was open. I had to run half of the way here just to get here on time!" Now that she mentioned it, didn't that count as cardio? She eyed the bag of crisps again. If she ran back too, maybe she could've justified it. "I'm actually surprised you're still open. Normally nice little places like this close pretty early. Do you get a lot of customers this late?"

@Sei Shonagon​

 

[Saturn_moon]

Ottilie James

SCENE:

Post-Arc 3 [Walkies ("Dog" Walkers Needed)]

LOCATION:

Silva Residence, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Nero, Silva, Nicole, Renjiro, Ottilie

Walkies (“Dog” Walkers Needed)

Despite being friends with Javi for several years now, Ottilie never really had the chance to interact with the older Silva brother. The only other time she had seen him was at Master Kairong's Lunar New Year celebration but there had been far too many things happening then for her to learn anything significant about him.

Standing in the Silva family's living room, she considered the older Silva with bewilderment as laughter spilled from his mouth. It was an odd laugh, best described as something between a chortle and a cackle. It was the kind of laugh that you could pick out even in a room full of people. It had weight to it. Substance. And even though she didn't understand what was so funny, she felt inclined to laugh along.

So she did.

"HA. HA. HA. HA." She shouted through her gas mask while looking at the others present to check if her actions were in line with social protocols. A grin on both Javi and Renjiro's faces but no audible laughter. Maybe the joke wasn't as funny as she had assumed it was. No worries, mistakes were always bound to happen. What was important was the recovery.

"Hello, I'm Ottilie." She greeted while waving one pudgy gloved hand. "You can call me Ottilie. Although some people have also called me Otter or Ottie. That's fine too, I suppose." Remembering what her parents had taught her about social etiquette, she awkwardly walked up to every person in the room she did not know and shook their hands while making almost uncomfortable eye contact with them.

Once she had completed her round, she took a moment to chew over Javi's comment about the necessity of her attire. "There was that one time Tibur accidentally set a field on fire. And the other time when Grio accidentally melted the grind rail at the skate park. But, if you say so."

Taking off the gloves, she reached back to unzip her suit only to find her movement hindered. "Ah. I appear to be stuck."

Elenion Aura Doctor Llamabean Beann Infab

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

DARIUS KENNEDY

CS Link

SCENE:

Test Drive

LOCATION:

Copper's Bar, North District

TIME:

2019, Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Caio BriiAngelic

TEST DRIVE

Sipping nervously, Darius watched wide-eyed as Caio downed the entire thing. He knows how strong it is… right? He sipped more vigorously on the Queen’s prompting, still careful not to overestimate his limits. Despite the taste, he knew the drink packed a punch, and he’d be feeling it before he knew it, especially as he’d already had a drink beforehand. He laughed a little, hoping to ease the tension.

“Darius Kennedy.”

As an arm came closer, one he could feel brush against the fabric of his shirt, Darius wrigged in discomfort, his instinct fighting against his mind’s desire to play things cool. So long as Caio wasn’t actually touching him, it was fine, right? He relaxed.

“All that Contaminated stuff, it’s just stupid names. I didn’t come up with it. There’s nothing interesting about me, honest!”

He took another drink, hoping this would be satisfactory.

 

[Uasal]

Jennifer Weber

CS Link

SCENE:

The Tiger's Web

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Jennifer, Ezra, Elias, Dagger

The Tiger's Web

In just three short days Jennifer had found herself subjected to a hellish amount of torture, something it seemed she and her father were to share in common. The excruciating pain of her rapid, and forcefully enhanced, recovery was only one aspect. Combined then with the sudden management of her father's duties and the increase in said duties as a result of the earthquakes, well Jennifer at this stage was working day in and out, sleeping between destinations. The woman was practically running on autopilot at this stage and her pale complexion and darkened eyes hid nothing of it.

What was even worse though, was the sudden request to assist in some form of questioning. As if she hadn't enough to deal with. Honestly, just where had her father gone off to? It wasn't strange for the man to take sudden leave for days on end but given the current situation, the earthquake and many of the phenomena surrounding it all. Well, Jennifer couldn't help but be a little worried about her old man. Still, it wasn't as though he was so weak as to be killed by such an affair, right? He was likely just out of town on a business trip of sorts. That had to be it.

Arriving late, which was quite out of character for the Tiger, Jennifer finally made it to the mall. After being shaken awake by a guard, she left her vehicle and after a few minutes of fresh air, the woman made her way to the door mentioned in the message. Her pistol was holstered beneath her jacket as per usual. Checking around to ensure no one had followed her, the woman knocked on the door and awaited an answer.

simj26 The One Eyed Bandit Lucem QuirkyAngel Saturn_moon Elenion Aura

 

[Nobody Special]

BASH HIRABAYASHI

CS Link

SCENE:

I Prefer Water

LOCATION:

North District, Mysterious Black Site

TIME:

Post Arc-3 | Chapter 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Teddie

✕ POTENTIALS BANNED:

None

I PREFER WATER

“Oiiii...” He snapped, the deep growl in his tone emphasizing how serious he was as he spoke. “You two so much as fuckin’ brush against each other without my fuckin’ word, an’ I swear I’ll fuckin’ RIP–”

He broke his threat off, clenching his eyelids shut and pinching his nose in frustration with the whole situation. The fuck’re you doin’, dipshit? He ridiculed himself, thinking back to the talk he had with himself the day he found out he would have to stand in Snake’s shoes for a while. Try and behave like they would, you fuck!

Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth to speak again.

“...Just cut it the fuck out. Okay?”

He hoped that would be enough to get the two of them to tighten up. He could only be so forgiving, after all.

He followed Sang-Cheol into the site, his guard instantly switching on as soon as they stepped into the wrecked, blood-stained area. Just imagining the war that must have went on in the place forced Bash to tightly clench his fists for two reasons: the pain Snake possibly could have gone through– and the fact that he missed it.

He nodded at the suggestion that came from Four-Eyes, allowing him to take the lead while he took care of the group’s flank, keeping his fists clenched just in case there really were some lingerers who wanted to try their luck against him.

His eyes continued to trace the makeshift battlefield, before something finally caught his eye. Without warning, he impulsively opened his mouth, breaking any tension that may have been resonating around the trio.

“Oi, shouldn’t there be bodies all over this fuckin’ shitshow?”

Suddenly, Sang-Cheol hit the brakes, and he glanced over at him to see what he was doing as he crouched down. Within seconds, there was a hole in the ground that made Bash’s nose upturn. After what had happened when he, Kisara, Celestine, and all the other dumb-fucks robbed that disgusting East-District whorehouse. The last time he jumped down a hole with a fellow Serpent, he had to survive flames long enough to put the Queen of the Dragons’ head under a pile of rubble. Part of him hesitated to avoid descending it because of that, but the other, stronger half of him forced him to take a step forward, on the hope that there were some more Dragons down there, just begging to get the shit beaten out of them.

Sang’s title for Bash made his eye twitch. In a sudden burst of pettiness, he gently shoved past him, taking the lead of the group. “Don’t fuckin’ call me that. You know what my fuckin’ name is, Four-Eyes. And that goes ‘fer you too, Sludge Freak,'' He growled, pointing a finger at Tar with a scowl on his face. “Quit actin’ like I’m ‘yer fuckin’ Commandin’ General. This shit is just fuckin’ temporary ‘till we get Snake back. Got it?”

With that being said, he sighed and began his leading descent. It was dark, but he wasn’t as nervous as he was when he was alone in those caverns with Kisara. He couldn’t help but take a second to wonder why…

“Any idea what the fuck might be down here?”

Misuteeku WhiskeyMarten

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Carry On My Wayward Son

TIME:

Nighttime, Post-Arc 3, June 25th 2022

LOCATION:

Feralia Art Gallery, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Christina, Hector, Milo

CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON

“Good. I’m glad.” That seemed to be the end of the sentence, but Hector continued after patting Charlie’s shoulder rather roughly. “That you can do this job.” He didn’t answer the question about breakfast with more than a Hmmph. Those who knew him would already have known his answer - he was not a breakfast person. In fact, even the imagery Christina conjured up of a hearty omelette made him feel nauseous.

“You’ll get used to it. Took me a while, now I know the district like the back of my hand. And if you’re stuck for a place to stay, let me know. We can sort something out. No Phoenix of mine is being left without a home.”

Hector looked up towards Milo, walking up to the artist till he was looking down at him. “How are you doing, Virtuoso?” He didn’t smile but lacked the passive-aggressiveness that Charlie received. “Not getting distracted by all the art, are you?” He swung his torch, quickly illuminating a few pieces, and shook his head. He didn’t really get it.

”Not long now.”

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

JOZEF DAALMAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Only Human

LOCATION:

Rooftop, Upper Central District

TIME:

Pre-arc 3 - Night, 26 December 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Jozef, Takaonna

ONLY HUMAN

“Oh dear…”

Jozef tried not to sound too worried, he was surprised he had gotten this far with her. He was prepared to jump off the roof if he had to, but smiled at her, glad she was willing to trust him. He shone a light on the wound and edged his hand closer. It trembled a bit, slowing down.

“I’ll fix that up for you.”

He steadied his breathing, and his hand became still. He knew it was important not to scare her, fear was contagious. Moving not quickly, but with determined movements, he placed his palm over the wound, immediately feeling the sticky warmth of blood. And then he hoped harder than he’d ever hoped before.

Let my gift help you.

He removed his hand as quickly as he’d placed it, and immediately he noticed none of the sticky resistance there’d usually be taking your hand off a wound. Good sign. It was hard to tell in the dark, and his torch moved around too fast as he hastily stepped back. He had hoped the touch didn’t set her off, but he was confident that the wound was all gone.

“I’m sure that feels better now.”

-->

 

[tityanya]

𝑵𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐
​

𝒜𝓈: 𝒩𝒶𝑜

I am here:
With:
Scene: Getting Bigger Means You Get Worse At Hiding Small Things
Time: Pre Arc 1 || 2021​

"When everybody loves you, you can never be lonely"

╔════════════════════╗

Naomi felt as though in addition to her soul, all the color was fading out of her body, turning into a black and white pastiche of herself. Despite his flowery language and theatrics, he did not play off of Naomi's comment about the magazines being tomes of secret knowledge, instead flatly saying what they both knew what they were: dirty magazines. She shuddered and tried not to gag as she saw him pull his finger out of his nose and blow whatever he had gotten away. He...really thought she was a monkey, didn't he? Certainly he didn't think of her as a woman, behaving that way in front of her.

He joined her next to the magazines, peering perhaps even closer than she was. She was, at this point, 80% certain that none of the women on the covers were her, although that meant nothing about the inside. She was too young and stupid at the time to realize that those pictures would circulate for years afterwards, unused photos from shoots being shown off as brand-new. Exploitative industry, that one, although Naomi wasn't much of one to complain. Everything and everyone in her life exploited her, all that mattered was what she got in return for it.

She turned her dead eyes towards the man as he began to read the names of the magazines out-loud. Hmm, an ass man? Shame he didn't meet her as Omi then, she was the one with the ass while Nao had the boobs. She shook her head of that thought, embarrassed. Why did she care what this trash man thought of her? He was still covered in literal trash. But that horrible desire of hers to be loved by everyone was always going to get in the way, wasn't it? She didn't need this man's approval, she just needed to know why he was here. Which, granted, she seemed to have figured out.

She was about to just...walk away when he said the words lace and leather out loud. She couldn't help but glance at the cover, eyeing the gorgeous woman. Not her! Phew, that name sounded a little familiar. Naomi watched the man shoot up, his face flushing as he declared that he would take that one. She stayed crouched near the floor, watching as he checked every single pocket on his person...only to come up empty. The light faded from her eyes once again. Oh no. She knew where this was going. She dodged out of the way as he dove under the vending machine looking for money. Should she...run now? Before he realized he had another option for money?

She had taken one step backwards, towards the entrance of the alleyway, when the man roared a devastated noooo! Naomi was certain that could be heard for blocks around, and would no doubt draw attention. Oh no, what had she gotten herself into? The man fell to the floor, lamenting about how he had spent his $5 on the map. Naomi couldn't help it--she laughed loud, her voice echoing off of the walls of the alleyway, like a whole chorus was laughing at the man's anguish. "That's what the North's like, man. People will scam you for every last dime--you could've asked anyone else where this was and they would've told you for free," Naomi said, her voice coated in mirth.

And then, what Naomi feared would happen happened. He looked over at her, his eyes large and dewy and puppy-like. Oh no, she was easy to manipulate. Her heart wasn't strong enough. And when his voice came out tiny, a giant contrast to his boisterous tone, begging her for the $5, her willpower began to crumble. She was never going to get that $5 back. But it wouldn't exactly kill her. She puffed her cheeks up, her face pouty as she tried to gain the willpower to tell him no. But he looked so sad and pathetic there on the ground...it wouldn't hurt her to give him the $5. "What'll I get out of it?" Naomi asked, reaching into her back pocket to see what she had. Car keys, check. Phone and wallet, no...she had left those in the car. She reached into her front pocket, and managed to pull out a crumpled prize: a $5 bill.

╚════════════════════╝​

((ooc: ))
((outfit))
((Mr. Jones))

@thebigfella

 

[tityanya]

𝑵𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐

As: Elizabeth Norden​

I am here: Port, North District
With: Hiachi
Scene: St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage
Time: July 1st, 2022 | Post Arc 3, TimeSkip 1​

"Make you betray your eyes, when I hide in plain sight"​

After Naomi spoke to that random woman in the crowd, she realized that she was an employee of the ship. She hadn't even noticed the woman make her way towards her, no doubt drawn by the size of Naomi's giant bag, which she was of course going to ask for help with. She watched the woman's face as she looked over to who Naomi was talking about, processing the statement. Yeah, he sure was a lot to take in. She grimaced, before turning and telling Naomi that maybe he was an asylum escapee. A wry smile crossed her face, the only sign of the absolute hysterical laughter her soul was going through. Yeah, that described Tak to a T. "Well, when people start coming up assaulted, don't say there weren't any concerns about that man," she said with a harrumph.

The employee offered to take Naomi's bag, and she handed the handle to her without another word. She hated being rude to people who were just doing their jobs, but well, that was Elizabeth. Employees were mere background players, barely people. But from the corner of her eye, Naomi was watching her closely. That movement...was an awkward one. What was wrong with her back? Was she going to make an injured person carry around her heavy-ass bag? Her soul wept, tempted to just tell the woman she would carry it herself, but she knew better. Instead, she trained her fierce gaze onto the woman, her pale blue eyes boring into her dark ones. "I would like you to walk in front of me, so I can keep an eye on my bag. And what is your name?" she asked, her tone matter-of-fact and to the point, but with that undertone that anyone who worked with the public would recognize as bitch ready to blow up any second.

║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║

((ooc: ))
((Outfit: Same as Picture))
((Catch Me If You Can))​

speak

QuirkyAngel miki

 

[Nobody Special]

TATSUYA TSUCHIYA

CS LINK

SCENE:

Summer Stalking

LOCATION:

Mushi Sushi, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Tatsuya, Guinevere, Kiwi, Takaonna, Akira T.

SUMMER STALKING

“Alright!” The determination in Tatsuya’s voice was loud and clear as he stood in the dark alleyway. After weeks of awkwardly approaching random thugs around the city, playfully requesting information regarding the one they call ‘Inari’, and subsequently getting the absolute shit beaten out of him for sticking his nose in places he doesn’t belong— He’d finally done it!

He finally got a lead!

Or, at least he hoped he did.

Beside the bandaged detective was his cute, cuddly, creepy partner, who had remained by his side throughout every aforementioned ass-beating up until this point. He turned to Guinevere to brief her on what the plan was from here on out, lifting a finger to make sure he had her attention.

“Okay, Guin!” He began, small drops of blood still leaking out of his nostril and onto the concrete below them. “Our target is a ‘tiny, chubby dark-skinned girl with green-brown hair, a cane’, and… ‘weird, brown swirls on her cheeks’? Uh…”

He paused for a second, confusedly peering closer at the notepad he had quickly and sloppily jotted the description down into earlier. Nope, he read that right. “...As the nice woman who told us described her— after she punched me.”

He peered out of the alleyway to point at the shop they were hiding outside of. The sign read ‘Mushi Sushi’, a popular Sushi restaurant known for its option for customers to sit at its sushi conveyor-belt. A perfect spot for a fun date, or even just to hang out with a friend. But now, in Tatsuya's eyes, it was also a place where criminal co-conspirators could potentially use as a hangout spot.

“The girl tends to come to this restaurant on nice days like today, so we’ll wait for her to go in and then sit near her and see what we can figure out, make sense?”

Now finished with the briefing, he patiently waited for his partner’s response. His eyes shined with what seemed to be ambition, but if she were to take a closer look, she would see that it was instead a gleam of a deep, dark obsession.

TATSUYA/POST NOTES

- The date of the scene is Pre Arc-3 June. I'm too dumb to edit the code
The One Eyed Bandit gxxberkit AriAriAbabwa

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