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

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Tot Musica

LOCATION:

East District, Brothel

TIME:

???

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson, Takaonna (@AriAriAbabwa)

Pest Control

The limbs hurling out at him were certainly not what he expected. Rather than do something smart like begin singing he whipped his hands out trying to bat them away. During the struggle he’d managed to drop whatever it was he had his hands on. Despite his best efforts he found himself tangled in a mess of limbs in a way wholly unfamiliar to him.

“What the fuck are you?”

He aimed to dig his nails to wherever they could find purchase in the limbs. He took the chance to begin singing with force doing his best to focus on bringing as much intense pain as possible to the one manhandling him.

"ᚷᚨᚺ ᛉᚨᚾ ᛏᚨᚲ ᚷᚨᚺ ᛉᚨᚾ ᛏᚨᛏ ᛏᚨᛏ ᛒᚱᚨᚲ"

The sound of people running filled the halls as it seemed people were either approaching rapidly or running as far as they could from the duo. The sound of pigheaded customers complaining loudly about having their “fun” disturbed could be hear up until the song started changing their sounds into screams.

Fuck not everyone was clear.

 

[BriiAngelic]

CAIO SANTANA COELHO

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Bad Habits

LOCATION:

North District, Lab District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol ( Misuteeku ) Caio

Guide to First Meetings

He was joining the serpents. He didn’t know how fucked up his life had gotten that this was a normal sentence. He was surrounded on all sides by people with the power to turn him into a bloody pulp floating in the sewers. He was lucky enough he was more or less used to fighting, if they got close enough he’d slice them open and rip their guts out.

He took a low breath in as he approached the lab he’d heard about. Drug production, good that’s what he needed to learn. Hopefully he could skate around being noticed too heavily, the one who let him in was interested enough in his power to help him keep it under wraps. He just needed to work the labs, which was kinda what he was aiming at anyways.

He was led in by an unfamiliar face. He trailed behind them not really feeling up to conversation until he found exactly who it was he was supposed to be meeting. Once the stranger pointed out the duo he was looking for he broke off and approached.

“Hello? Uh, are you guys the ones I’m meant to be looking for? Ummm Matchsticks?”

 

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

A Home to All

LOCATION:

North District

DATE:

Janurary 31st, 2014 || Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson, Kisara ( simj26 )

A Pledge to Tender Moments

I don’t run? THAT WAS HER REASONING? Part of him was beginning to see why those two got along thick as thieves. Was there going to be no voice of reasoning here? He sure as heck wasn’t fit for it. He looked on with horror as she declared that she would fight any day of the week. Did this girl even notice what type of atmosphere the north was? There were plenty that would take her up on that offer.

“Woah woah woah. Okay I get it you’re a badass. But even badasses need to treat their wounds before you go taking on the world.”

He felt his face flush as she called him Jackie. That was a new one, he really hoped that one didn’t get back around to Mina and Bash. He could only imagine the teasing he’d get. OH FUCK, no no no he hoped that didn’t get back to His MOM. She’d be the most relentless with her teasing. He almost felt minion might have been better, at least then he’d be able to brush it off as her being a weirdo.

“Yeah, you definitely need some patching up. You’re in luck my mom’s the best. Don’t tell her I told you though or I’ll deny you entry ever again. She’s a bit childish though so whatever nicknames you come up with please don’t share with her. I’m still trying to get her to lose the last one she came up with. If you do then I’ll agree to be your….minion or whatever.”

He started leading the way as he continued their talk. He had misjudged her a bit probably, she didn’t seem too bad. A little crazy, but it wasn’t like she was screaming volatile. Then again he had to remind himself she had chosen to fight an entire gaggle of people, so delinquent wasn’t too wrong probably. He wondered if she’d be more likely to quit with the fighting if she was humored.

“So… milady? Uh wait are you trying to be a milady? Or a Knight? Or… wait if im a minion wouldn’t you be a villain?”

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

CS Link

SCENE:

Guide to First Meetings

LOCATION:

North District, Lab District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 |

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Caio

Guide to First Meetings

At the introduction of a new voice, both of the lab workers turned to address the origin of it. While Rebecca had a scrutinizing look at the newcomer, Sang-Cheol immediately recognized the man as the man from the photo his Professor showed him. "Ah, that's the guy! I'll talk to you later, Rebecca." Getting off the bed, he did a small bow to Rebecca, earning a scoff from his partner. The lab worker made a mental note to give Rebecca a cake and some drugs later on.

"To answer your question, that'd be me," Sang-Cheol said as he walked up to the newcomer. The man looked exactly like the photo the Professor showed him, which was slightly redundant to think about. "My alias is Matchsticks, but since I'm going to guide you around the lab, just call me Sang-Cheol." Giving a friendly smile, Sang-Cheol continued, "You're Snake, right?" If not, then the lab worker would have to deal with a little problem.

Though it was a bit strange, the Professor wasn't the type to bring people into the lab. If anyone else were to come into the lab, they were either here for processing or to destroy the lab. The only people by the Professor were himself, Rebecca, and a few others in the lab. Did that mean the person he was to tasked to guide was important to Professor?

Regardless of that, Sang-Cheol had a job, and he was planning on fulfilling that job. "It's a pleasure to meet you. While I don't know your reasons for joining the Sable Serpents, I hope you enjoy your stay." As he said that, Sang-Cheol extended his hand for a handshake. That last part seemed a little insincere; even Sang-Cheol felt a little nervous that Snake would take it the wrong way. After what he'd seen and experienced, there wasn't much to be happy about in the Sable Serpents.

At least he had the Professor and Rebecca to keep him going. As long as those two were around, Sang-Cheol felt at ease.

Spoiler: Tags

BriiAngelic

 

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Heal Me

LOCATION:

Peyton's Old Apartment, East District

DATE:

Post-Arc 3 || Two Weeks Later

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson, Peyton ( Coyote Hart )

Crash and Burn

He’d been keeping an eye on the place, hoping it was all some form of sick joke. The first three days was denial. He’d glared down anyone who even dared to try to bring up Peyton in his presence. That got old pretty quickly, mainly because a few wouldn’t let him avert his eyes. The next week after that was anger that burned through his soul. He’d paid of a few in the neighborhood to keep an eye on the house so sure that if he came back he’d be the one to punch his stupid face in. If it was a choice between losing his friend to the serpents or losing him to death… well he would have said he’d kill him himself.

He wasn’t sure anymore if that was a lie.

He’d gotten a text and found himself slinking back to a place that had once felt familiar and warm and now only felt distant. He found the door open. Peyton never had been good about watching his back was he? Or maybe Jackson was just willfully blind. After all the other managed to slunk away and become a serpent under all of their noses.

The east was more blind than it would ever know.

He kept his footsteps light as he approached the door purposely blocking the exit. He leaned on the doorsill waiting for a moment in disbelief. He took a small breath in before letting out a sigh. He spoke up with a clear and audible pain in his voice despite the venom that laced the words.

“Really? Just casually returning? I suppose you think your new crew is so strong it didn’t matter if you were leaving obvious openings.”

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth

LOCATION:

Blast Off DVDs, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Shishido Takakazu, Dante Aguilar (@Haze-)

Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth

Tugging at the soiled, soaked undergarments that had hugged onto his face like a creature out of a movie, Tak was entirely unaware of what was going on as the scooter shakily rocked around. It wasn’t until the guttural cackle of Dante’s potential that he finally was able to pull the underpants off his face, stretching like putty before plopping them off his face.

“RAAAAAHHH!” Tak shouted in rage as he finally was able to breathe clean air again, his eyes bloodshot and dilated as he once again was able to see the world clearly. He instantly noticed something was amiss, as his pupils expanded to normal, as he obviously looked around his surroundings. He comically looked to the left and right before looking down and noticing that there was no longer any road under him or any scooter.

As soon as he did, natural gravity once again began to work as they rapidly started to descend, the shock immediately causing the brute to let go of the homeless man’s underpants to instead flail and swing around in Cerberus’ grip like a puppet come alive, leaving the underwear to float through the air by itself.

“KYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!~~~”

A girlishly shrill scream left Tak’s esophagus as they soared to the ground, his stomach clenching as his heartbeat in a frenzy like he was on the scariest part of an amusement park ride. His messy hair was pushed backward, flowing against the wind, allowing the fearful shadow over his forehead to be shown in full glory as his pupils shrunk into tiny dots.

They landed with decisive impact, the ground shaking beneath Cerberus’ feet as she made landfall within the parking lot. Tak hung limply in her grasp; his eyes rolled back as froth flooded his mouth and went down his chin. Tak lay lifelessly on the ground when she let them go, his head bouncing slightly as it hit the pavement.

Like there was a psychic link, life returned to Tak as he planted his hands on the ground and instantly popped up his upper half as Dante noticed the bright neon sign. “Blast-Off DVDs…” He gasped in unison, mouth hanging open as he was surprised they had made it.

He brought himself back to his feet as Dante’s shock wore off, and the chaotic scooter ride took its toll, once again looking like he was gonna spew everything he had eaten today. Tak, in contrast, was much more jubilant, his arm raised up proudly in the air as a cocky grin had decided to take home on his face.

“Damn, I’m good! I’m so good they might as well give me my own T.V. show! I need a limited edition DVD box set too!” He gloated about his successful rush to the rental store as if it was all part of his plan, only stopping his self-praise when Dante sickly commented on that being his last ride with Tak.

“Oi! You should be happy, damnit! It’s my driving that’s gonna save us from paying any late fees!” Tak asserted, pointing the finger at him accusingly. He only held that pose for a moment before Dante talked, regretting not vomiting on him when he had the chance.

“You’re lucky you didn’t." He threatened, crossing his arms as he raised an eyebrow. “If you did, I woulda taken those cheap sunglasses of yours and slid them through my asscrack like a credit card.”

While bickering with Dante was great and all, the fact still remained that they were on a time limit, and both of them were still aware. Tak reached under his jacket, pulling out the DVD. “Alright, time to turn this baby in,” he said, shaking it around in its case to punctuate his point.

He walked towards the small building that sat by itself in the large parking lot, posters and signs for various old and upcoming movies plastered in its windows and by its front door. The general air of it was clearly aged from the cracks and stains in its architecture.

As Tak approached the front door, he focused on the sign hanging in the front door, the words OPEN written in bright white text placed on solid red. They had made it.

The world around Tak seemed to be basked in light as his steps echoed; his expression softened as for once it was devoid of annoyance or malice; he was entirely satisfied and satiated; they had made it.

The sign flipped right in front of his eyes.

His body turned gray, a sheen going over him like he had been turned to stone as he stopped in place completely. Then, a stray wind blew, causing him to fall backward like a statue and land on the ground, rocking back and forth as cracks visibly formed across his body, prepared to break into a million pieces.

The lights inside the store turned off, and shortly after, the door opened. Walking out was a young woman with mint green hair down her back, her bangs kept in place under the Blast-off DVDs branded cap she wore. Including the branded hat, she wore the white and blue striped apron over her red polo shirt and jeans.

Bags were under her yellow eyes as she adjusted her cap, dug into her pocket to pull out a pair of keys, turning around in preparation to lock the door as she looked through the keys.

“Excuse me.”

A voice from behind caused her to pause, head perking up before she turned to look behind her.

Standing before her was a monster, his body engulfed in a vibrant rampaging orange flame, the veins in his forehead protruding outward as his brows were tightly knitted together. His teeth had visibly sharpened as a bright red glow had replaced his eyes, his clothes and hair fluttering within his malicious aura. He looked like a demon, a demon who held a B-movie in between his fingers.

“I’d like to return this DVD,” despite it being a polite statement, it dripped with furor and acrimony, like it was a threat more than a request. Despite the evident hatred aimed directly at her, the store clerk looked at him apathetically, hands leisurely at her sides.

“Sorry, but we’re closed. You’re gonna have to wait until Monday when we open again,” she calmly responded.

Such a formal response immediately broke Tak out of his display of devilish anger, it all poofing away as he was left standing there with a dejected, tired look, blinking at her as he slouched.

“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“...”

Tak had dropped to his knees, gripping the woman’s pants as he looked up at her with tears pooling down his face, his lips unturned in an ugly cry as snot began to run down from his nose.

“PLEASSEE! You gotta let us return the DVD tonight! We don’t wanna pay the late fees!” He pleaded, his grip tight enough to bring creases into her pants.

Despite the absurdity, she was unperturbed, looking at him with the same uncaring gaze.

“No.”

“C’mon! Cut us a break here! I’ll give you a stick of gum!”

“Not interested,” she once again denied him, tugging her leg out of his grip as she turned around to lock the door.

Was this really how things ended!?

 

[BriiAngelic]

CAIO SANTANA COELHO

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Freaks

LOCATION:

North District, Lab District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol ( Misuteeku ) Caio

Guide to First Meetings

Sang-Cheol huh? Well that sounded a little better than calling him matchsticks of all things. Then again he didn’t want to ask what exactly made him get called matchsticks in this place. He flinched when Sang called him snake of all things. Wait? Was that what they were calling him?

He distantly remembered getting introduced to a few serpents and saying he didn’t care for those codenames much. He’d just barely managed to avoid getting too much notice from Beast… he supposed that was what the old man was calling him. Fuck if he wanted to keep it that way but he wasn’t going to be able to change a code name given to him from the head hancho.

“Uhh, yeah but really you can just call me Caio. I’m not big on the code names when I don’t need ‘em so if you’re cool dropping formalities then I am too.”

He listened to his new guide intently working to take cues from his body language. He knew he was new and that if he wanted to keep access to the labs he needed to work over being useful. ‘Sides if he couldn’t manage to get an in with the labs there really was no point in him being a serpent. He cracked a smile trying to be as friendly as possible.

“Pleasure’s all mine.”

He would have explained if he was asked but he had a feeling this dude wasn’t inviting him to share his life story. Then again he guess he wouldn’t be all that interested til he knew someone wasn’t gonna stupidly off themselves with the shit in here.

He’d already nearly managed it with his own power.

Yeah, he didn’t wanna even think about that one.

“What about you, what’s your reason for joining.”

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

CS Link

SCENE:

Guide to First Meetings

LOCATION:

North District, Lab District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 |

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Caio

Guide to First Meetings

"Hmmm, Caio, it is then." Things were looking great. Caio seemed like a friendly guy and seemed pretty casual too. There were a variety of other Serpents that Sang-Cheol had worked with that were a handful to deal with. Other than Rebecca, meeting Caio seemed to be a breath of fresh air. That being said, the Professor did say his codename as 'Snake.' Did that have some sort of hidden meaning, or was it in the metaphorical sense?

With a handshake, Sang-Cheol stretched his somewhat injured arm. "My reason for joining? Well, it's about the same as anybody else." Sang-Cheol admitted. Most Serpents either joined for two main reasons, either for the drugs that Sable Serpents produced or to join the gang to have a sense of belonging. Sang-Cheol was the latter of the reasons, but his reasons were a little different from one of the more bloodthirsty Serpents. "Though, I guess the only difference that sets me apart is that the Professor personally invited me into the gang."

"Well, what that out of the way. Follow me if you will." Gesturing with his free hand for Caio to follow him, Sang-Cheol proceeded to walk down the hall. Sang-Cheol didn't ask Caio for his reason for joining the Serpents out of privacy, but there was a small fact that he didn't really care either. People came in going from the labs. He didn't know if Caio was going to be the same, but he'd assume he'd be like anyone else. Either blend in with the group or die trying to usurp the higher-ups. The latter was seemingly impossible as King often made sure that his rule as the Sable Serpent King was absolute.

"Aside from the clinic you just saw, the room over there is the warehouse. That's where most of the products and supplies are stored. Though I'd suggest, you be careful if you ever need anything. We have some dangerous stuff on the shelves." Sang-Cheol explained as he pointed to the door in the corner of the hall. He remembered the time he first did inventory in the warehouse. A rat suddenly attacked him, and out of reaction, he kicked it away. That rat then knocked over a box which then turned the warehouse into a fridge. Then Rebecca walked in and fell flat on her face from stepping on the ice. She never let him go for that.

"And to the right are the production rooms. Most of the time, we're outsourced drugs from other labs, but we do make our own drugs here." Turning back around, he looked over to Snake. "Are there any questions that need to be answered?"

Spoiler: Tags

BriiAngelic

 

[simj26]

Dagger, Shadow Company

CS Link

SCENE:

Fell And Cruel Hounds

LOCATION:

Actaeon's Rest

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???

Fell and Cruel Hounds

So bothersome, so bothersome. It was all so bothersome. Igarashi Saito had no plans on operating in New Oasis soon. Everywhere he stepped, it was another brand of filth. He pulled his mask further up his face, refusing to breathe in the tainted air of the accursed city. He looked up at the towering hotel in front of him. The golden words arched over the entrance burned bright in the encroaching night. ‘ACTAEON’S REST’. An ironic name. He fished out a pocket watch, and flicked it open. It was almost time.

“Move up, clear out all the civvies,” the helmeted PMC operative beside him ordered, his voice muffled underneath the face-obscuring gas mask he had on. His cohort spilled out of the vans, rushing ahead into the building. From outside, he could just barely make out the shouted orders for the people within to get themselves out of there.

If he had a choice, he would have killed everyone in there. All this restraint was, really, so bothersome. He sighed, and shoved his watch back into his pocket.

“Oi, Saito,” a dark haired Qiling woman called from her own transport. “What the hell are you dreaming about? We can’t let the mooks get the kill.”

“Shut up, Tang.” So bothersome. So bothersome. Being paired with such a hot-headed woman, it was so bothersome. He continued to look up at the building, his violet eyes studying the structure. “I’m thinking.”

His thoughts were once again interrupted when a wailing shriek came from another one of the transports, “KILL, DEATH, STORM THE FRONT!” The bothersome, ear-piercing shriek was punctuated further by a flood of high-pitched cackling. The owner shot towards the entrance of Actaeon’s Rest, a blur of black and red, sprinting up the steps, barging through the crowd of civilians that poured through the doors.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” A hooded man fell in step with Tang and Saito. “She gets kinda excited for these kinds of things, y’know.” He removed his cigarette from his mouth, burnt right down to the orange butt, and flicked it across the street, before breathing out a stream of thick smoke from his nose.

How bothersome. Saito tried to maintain his focus on the building again, refusing to answer the man.

“Sheesh, kinda cold, ain’t he? How did you end up with such a popsicle, Tang?” the hooded man nudged Tang with his elbow.

“Shut up. Let him think.” At least Tang was trying to support him. All the talking wasn’t helping, though.

“Only one way into the penthouse. The elevator is a death trap. If they wanted to, they’d cut the elevator, and kill everyone inside.” He paused, letting his gears churn again.

“But the target probably won’t, right?” Tang filled in for him.

“Will you shut up?” He did not argue, though. She was right. The target wanted them to come up. Cutting off her one reasonable escape was a death wish. This was her last stand. Whatever her plot was, tonight was the last night they could claim this bounty. She either had an in with the government, or she had something else up her sleeve. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen such a brazen location to hide in, and they wouldn’t have received the information that she was.

It was a bothersome job, all things said. He shouldn’t have taken it, but he and Tang really needed the dough.

“Well, in that case, why don’t we enter from the top?” the hooded man suddenly piped up.

“What.” Saito turned to face him with an incredulous expression.

The hooded man chuckled, and pulled back his hood, revealing a shock of messy, albino hair. Tang made a noise that only Saito recognised. She thought he was hot. How bothersome. “Behold! My Potential! Or whatever it is that the kids call it these days.” He clapped his hands together, twisted them, and pulled them apart, forming a frame with his index fingers and his thumbs. He aimed it towards the top of the building. “Shazam!”

The feeling of vertigo assaulted Saito immediately as the scenery changed. He doubled over, and held in the contents of his stomach. “What the fuck?!” He staggered to his feet, looking about his surroundings. He was no longer in the dingy streets of New Oasis. Instead, he was facing them from up high, way above them. He could make out the frame and the yellowish glow of Actaeon’s Rest’s sign as he looked over the parapet.

There was a sound that was akin to someone hitting their palm against the opening of an empty can. Tang hit the ground next to him, and she, too, almost evacuated her dinner from her mouth. She was closely followed by the pale-haired man. He didn’t seem very discombobulated by the travel, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

So this was Sasha Kravinski. That meant that the other one, the madwoman who was now traveling up the elevator, was Valya Konstantin. Saito held back another rush of bile to his throat, and straightened up, tugging Tang up to her feet by her arm.

“Get to work, Tang.”

“Y…you got it.” She was still shaky from the transport up here, but she dutifully readied her hands. She got into a stance, and the eyes on her palms flicked open, their whirling, yellow pupils darting about in the black pools that would have been called scleras. She took in a deep breath, exhaled, then inhaled one more time, before the closed her fists and punched straight downwards. The ground cracked, and then erupted with a colossal explosion.









Her phone beeped, and the screen lit up. She picked it up off the side of the table, and let her eye focus on the digital text.

I have unclasped to thee the book even of my secret soul.

To, perhaps, anyone else, this would be a declaration of unrequited love. To Dagger, however, it was a mark of the night finally beginning. Dagger rounded on her gathered dogs of war.

"Enough chatter. They're here. Kill every single person that comes through those door–”

An explosion from above rocked the penthouse. “What–” her hand had already instinctively snatched up her holstered handgun and her knife beside her. She could hear the debris scattering onto the floorboards on the second storey of the penthouse. She cursed. They had a way in from up top? She should have seen this coming. “You, and you!” she pointed at the redheaded woman (@AriAriAbabwa) and ‘Crow’ ( QuirkyAngel ), “you’re with me! The rest of you, stick to the plan!” Without waiting for them to follow, she darted up the stairs. She halted at the top, her gun at the ready, pointed straight at the clearing smoke and debris.

A masked man waved away the dust as he stepped forwards. “Elise Cutter, I presume. We can do this the hard way, or the ea–”

She fired a bullet straight at his head. His head snapped back, but he did not fall. She pulled the trigger once more, and then another. He took the hits, but his body still remained standing. Before she could let loose another volley, he straightened up.

“The hard way, then.”

Three points of pain struck her body at once. She stumbled and slipped on the edge of the stairs. Her body came crashing down the steps, her white shirt stained crimson from three holes in it.


“That was remarkably easy,” Saito dusted his hands. Tang leapt down the hole she had opened up, followed by Sasha.

Sasha whistled. “Man, this is a cool crib. I’d like to stay in one of these places once. After we get the cash, you best bet I’m renting one of these out immediately!”

Below, the elevator finally dinged, and slid open. Soldiers in black uniforms spilled out, their firearms barking retorts aimed at anyone and everyone in the vicinity.

The One Eyed Bandit @Kameron Esters- @AriAriAbabwa ATurei QuirkyAngel Elenion Aura @Seaquill

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Zachariah C. Locke

CS Link

SCENE:

St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage

LOCATION:

The Open Seas (Day 1)

TIME:

July 2nd, 2022 | Post Arc 3, TimeSkip 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Elias, Zach, Taka, Yushui, Kairong(?), Hiachi, Tak, Sebastian

St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage

Zach whistled as lathered on the sunscreen, spreading it evenly on his arms, face, and any other exposed part of his body. Skincare was important after all. How could a beautician ask their clients to practice basic skincare routines when he failed to do the same? As strong UV lights hit his exposed abs, the pink haired, sunglasses-adorned man reclined in the chair knowing that skin cancer wasn’t something he’d have to worry about in future.

Dressed in only a pair of swim trunks, a thin open shirt, and a small travel camera around his neck like an accessory, Zach Locke intended to enjoy his little 10-day ‘vacation’. Why shouldn’t he? Between his ordinary job working a salon and his not-so-ordinary job as a hitman (mostly for the Phoenixes), he liked to think he worked rather hard to keep his family ahead of the game of life; Both his families.

More than a woman that had walked out as soon as the going got tough at any rate.

Poverty wasn’t an easy thing to get out of; In the world they lived in, the rich only got richer while the poor struggled to remain afloat. Some people spent 30 years and never even managed to build a nest egg for themselves, let alone their families. Zach built 7 nest eggs in 10 years thanks to joining the gang–one for each of his siblings . Well, little Ann’s wasn’t quite finished, but she had another 8 years until college so there was plenty of time until then. Whether they knew it or not (they didn’t) their futures and finances were secure. His dad no longer had to work to access his retirement funds, though the man wouldn’t likely know of it until his death.

And people wondered why he’d resorted to a life of crime? Took any hit job that came to him?

Regardless of the blood that stained his hands, Zach didn’t regret going to Merkola when he was sixteen. From training, to job opportunities, South District’s ‘ruling’ gang had given him a way to support his family; His current way of life. In a strange sort of way, they’d become a family to him as well. Since Lyric’s ‘death’, Zach had spent the first week attempting to cheer up Helva with dubious results. The mercenary liked Lyric a lot, after all; Put a lot of faith in the former Emperor.

Disagreements aside, Zach supposed he did as well.

Reaching for the pamphlet on a small table beside him, Zach browsed the pictures to get a sense of the islands they’d be visiting. Beautiful cliffs. Beach babes. Zach sniggered. He would have invited his gang sister–some relaxation to lighten her mood–to join him if he didn’t think she wouldn’t enjoy the same things he did. No. This was for him. After a casino heist, and an intense job rooming with some killers in Actaeon’s Rest, who could fault him for wanting to splurge on himself a little? Besides, the currently Kingless Phoenix gang was a little too disorganized at the moment to track/reprimand him for all the little vacations he took; Too busy fighting amongst themselves.

Zach had zero desire to get involved in in-family fighting; He had his favorites of course, but he wasn't about to start an internal war, sniping family members, to get one of them crowned.

Greed had ultimately been what caused the Locke Family's downfall from high society.

Hector, YY, Helva, Vulken…It didn’t really matter to him who took the reigns of leadership in the end so long as it wasn’t someone he’d hate; Someone who took the gang in the direction he could not, or would not, agree with. If it was, he’d just leave. Hawk had already ‘died’ once after all. Dying again was just a matter of finding a good time and place. Then again, perhaps Lyric would make like the Phoenix she is and rise from the ashes, born anew to reclaim her crown before all the hot-headed king wannabes tore her family apart. Who knows?

Zach had seen stranger things.

Closing his eyes, Zach laid the open pamphlet flat atop his face as a white bird landed on the deck he currently rested on. Truthfully, he had a couple of other reasons for being on Eli’s fancy ship, but for now, he’d rather not think of them at the moment. “This is the life, eh pops?”

Whether or not the Dragon Fist of the East District responded, or even heard him, didn’t actually matter; They were just strangers on a fancy boat, after all. Zach, at the very least, hadn’t gone out of his way to run into very many Dragon veterans while traipsing the East District’s brothel houses as “Lu”, only really learning about the big names so he could avoid them while pursuing carnal pleasures. For all his lack of fear regarding death, Zach very much valued his life, and, given the Phoenix-Dragon Alliance barely held a couple of months before folks started fighting again, he doubted any form of extended “peace” could last between their vastly different families; The pursuit of beauty was something he could understand.

Stagnancy was all too dull anyway.

miki @AriAriAbabwa @Seaquill simj26 Coyote Hart thebigfella tityanya @W I N T E R

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Takes One To Know One

LOCATION:

East District, 24-Seven

DATE:

November 11, 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Lily

Takes One To Know One

So the doppelganger had followed her into the alley—just her luck. She considered backing up and running away. But Hiachi knew that if she was willing to follow her back into an alley after catching a glimpse of her through a fridge, she would follow her wherever she went to achieve her goal.

Which was… what exactly? She approached her with a hauntingly neutral tone, offering ‘a good time’. Hiachi grimaced at the prospect. Having been raised in the east district, ‘good time’ had a very different connotation. Even as she dug her hands in her pockets and mentioned possessing a physical object, Hiachi didn’t exactly get the message.

“Uhm.” Hiachi pressed her back against the brick wall. “Ma’am, I don’t want to engage in… whatever activity you think I want.”

Hiachi ran back the statement she had made in her head. A good job? That was a stretch. 24-7 paid the exact amount of minimum wage it had to pay her—and even then, her manager would always find some loophole to cut her pay (standing idly too long, not smiling enough, etc.).

That wasn’t the point, though. She wanted her money.

Hiachi held her hands up in front of her, trying to initiate some sort of boundary between her and the dull woman. She was clearly mentally disturbed, or at the very least concussed. She looked like she had fallen in a river. She needed help, and Hiachi was the designated bystander who had to care for her.

“Listen…” Hiachi started, before realizing too late that she had no idea what she was supposed to do in this situation. “...I can get you a doctor or something, if you—um—”

Hiachi sighed at her own words. She was sick of dancing around the issue. Once taking another look at the woman, she decided it wasn’t worth it. Formalities were for the judgemental and mentally sound. Being vague confused Hiachi as much as it did everyone else. So she leveled her shoulders and looked at her plainly.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Spoiler

ATurei

​

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

8 Dollar Jackpot

LOCATION:

Principality Coffee, outside New Oasis

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Sylvie

8 DOLLAR JACKPOT

Sylvie displayed the city in question on his phone screen and placed it down for Hiachi to see. She wasn’t particularly impressed or disappointed, unlike Sylvie. A casino was a casino, just as money was money. However, she hadn’t ever been outside of New Oasis, so the idea of driving somewhere with a man who was essentially a stranger was an odd one. Not to mention that he’d be bringing other, actual strangers with him.

It was enough of a strange concept that Hiachi hesitated. She didn’t have reason to be suspicious of Sylvie, but that didn’t mean she should let her guard down. She would be better off asking questions. She would agree to go, but she had to know more about it beforehand.

“...Okay. That sounds good to me,” Hiachi said as she picked up her drink with both hands and downed a considerable portion of it. She cleared her throat before addressing him again. “How far away is Litore exactly? And how many… uhm. Other people would be coming?”

Spoiler

WhiskeyMarten

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage

LOCATION:

St. Steinburg

PARTICIPANTS:

Elias, Zach, Taka, Yushui, Kairong, Hiachi, Tak, Sebastian

St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage

Is she serious?

Hiachi wavered the thought as she maintained her air of indifference. It wasn’t her problem if the woman saw her gun. They lived in New Oasis. Maybe she’d feel more safe letting someone who can defend themselves handle her stuff. Or maybe she’d throw a fit, and she’d have to ask Elias for help again. Either way, she wasn’t going to juggle for this elitist.

She straightened out her posture and grabbed the bag. It wasn’t that heavy, but she still took a moment to lift it to her level.

And she had asked for her name. Hiachi tilted her head back towards the woman. She knew better than to give up her name, especially while she was in the North. She was sick of people tracing her identity back to Hiachi Ito. She was on tiger territory, so she could use her alias. The only problem was she despised her alias, and the only people who knew that the St. Steinburg was a tiger-run operation were tigers.

Or maybe, she could take a page out of Dagger’s book and use a fake name. She’d have to let everyone know that she was doing that, but it was the best option.

“...Yui,” Hiachi lied, “It’s a pleasure to serve you today.”

She continued her path onto the boat, bag still in hand, and walked onto the boat. Did she know where she was going? No. But she didn’t want to talk to this woman more than she had to, so she would let her guide her to her room when the time came.

Spoiler

QuirkyAngel tityanya

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Double Displacement

LOCATION:

Unnamed High School, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Jackson

Double Displacement

He hadn’t answered her question, but he had offered to let her go. Apparently he only wanted to make sure that she wasn’t injured. It was a weird way of showing it, but Hiachi couldn’t judge. She had her own strange ways of showing care.

So she was finally free. That is, until some reconsidering.

Just as quickly as he had decided to leave her alone, he spun around and trapped her again. She flinched. He was throwing every insult he could at her—and she couldn’t lie and say it didn’t hurt, because half of those things felt true.

But she felt mad. She felt mad that he was putting a microscope on every little thing she did. She felt mad that he kept ignoring the things she was saying, even after he taunted her into it and forced her to speak far more than she ever wanted to.

What was wrong with him? If he really cared about my wellbeing, couldn’t he leave me ALONE?

She didn’t know what to make of this anymore. All the energy she had put into talking to him was spent. All she did was roll her eyes and look at the ceiling, waiting for him to get bored of the back-and-forth and leave her alone.

Spoiler

BriiAngelic

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

12th Bi-Annual Motor Competition!

LOCATION:

Lower Central

DATE:

April 22, 2022 | Morning

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak, YY, Corvo, Hiachi, Kanna, Dagger, Maria

12th Bi-Annual Motor Competition!

Hiachi’s latest vice was signing up for things she didn't actually want to do. When Camila presented her with a job, or when she saw a flier for work that actually required her skills, she would sign herself up immediately. It was only when the time came to actually do work when she realized that it was a poor, poor decision.

She knew that she was never gonna come close to finishing off her debt with side jobs like this. Hiachi was running from the other side—the punishment of being a dead weight on the tiger’s back. Even being faced with the most lenient of repercussions had permanently spiked her blood pressure. The second she heard about actual punishment—the kinds that her coworkers specialized in—she was on her feet and running.

But this job wouldn’t be bad, as far as Hiachi could tell. Automobile engineering was one of the few things that she actually enjoyed.

So, things weren’t so awful. Things would be great if she could find the damn tent.

It was a big event. There were a lot of people and setups, and Hiachi was getting tired of glazing her eyes over the same things, knowing none of them were where she needed to be.

She probably should ask someone where she was supposed to go. But Hiachi hated bothering strangers more than she cared about the integrity of her job, so she continued aimlessly walking around the displays, hoping to come across the right place in time.

It was interesting, actually. Hiachi could have attended even without the incentive of money, even if she knew close to nothing about motorcycles. There were many different models, from futuristic ones that ran on pollution to tiny little scooters like the one Tak had.

…WHAT THE HELL.

Hiachi retraced her steps and stared at the setup. It looked like the scooter Tak owned because it was his, and he was there, at the same place she was again. The mirror that he broke when she first met him had fallen off and shattered, again, and Tak was talking to a stranger.

She stood there silently and came to the quick conclusion that Tak wouldn’t know who she was looking for, and that interacting with him would only get her in more trouble. She had to carry on, hoping she’d find someone who could actually help her.

Somehow.

​

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Play With Fire

LOCATION:

Crown Spire Casino, South District

DATE:

May 5th, 2022 | Evening

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Vulken

Play With Fire

—Sczzt.

Yup. That’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got in this situation.

It all started when I moved to the west and tried to cheat a gang through their casinos. Stupid move—they caught me and put me two million amestriyen in debt.

Obviously I don’t have that kind of money, but I was banned from all casinos in the West. But, there’s the catch—only the West. I tried gambling outside of New Oasis, but… uh… that didn’t work out.

So I thought it’d be a good idea to try my hand in the South. I wouldn’t be caught dead in the East, and the North… We don’t talk about the North.

So here I am. In the South. Forgetting that the kind of people who can survive hurricanes aren’t the kind of people who let their money go easily.

“Cheatin’ bitch!”

“Yeah, it’s gotta be her! She’s the only one drowinin’ in chips!”

“Give us our fuckin’ money back, you little shit!”

Well yes, I was cheating—But they didn’t know that! I really thought I had a better hold on hiding my tactics.

And now I’m here. At the end of my life. Barely making a dent in my debt, never seeing my family again, all because I made the mistake of trying to recreate the gambit that landed me here in the first place.

Hiachi had frozen like a deer in headlights. She couldn’t take down this many people—not even with her gun. And if any of them were HPs, it would be over. She had a non-zero percent chance of living through it. So she froze, pathetically accepting her fate and blaming it on her own stupidity.

But in a flash of fire, her fate had changed. Her aggressors were knocked to the ground, convulsing in pain. Hiachi certainly hadn’t done that, but what kind of person would defend a stranger at a casino?

The kind of person who would promptly pick her up and start running once realizing that some of the guys that had been knocked down were HPs and could fight back. Apparently.

Out of fear or confusion, Hiachi couldn’t tell. But she started screaming at the top of her lungs.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?”

​

 

[tityanya]

𝑵𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐
​

𝒜𝓈: 𝒩𝒶𝑜

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

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

╔════════════════════╗

No good deed goes unpunished Naomi thought grimly as Tak yelled at her. God forbid she try and warn him of oncoming pain. His request for her to wait was steadily ignored as she began rocking the vending machine back and forth. As expected, Tak began to scream in pain and agony. She couldn't help but feel a little bad. She was a drug-addicted criminal, not a sadist. She didn't want to hurt him, but well, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Or well, in this case, roll a vending machine off someone without breaking a few arms.

Tak freed from being crushed to death, Naomi collapsed by his side, breathing heavy. The two were silent for a moment before Tak spoke up, saying that it was good that Naomi was able to get the vending machine off of him. She held her arm out, thumbs up, still too breathless to respond. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour. It was 100% the cocaine--if she had been sober, she doubted it would have effected her as badly. And if she had chosen at the very least Omi's form. That girl was built like a tank--but she couldn't let an outsider know about her power. Stars in her vision blended with the actual stars in the sky, as she looked up in amazement. The real stars were barely visible in this brightly lit alleyway, but it was still beautiful. Maybe later, once she was certain she wasn't dying of a heart attack, she would drive out to a dark place on the outskirts of the Northern District and just look up at the stars all night. That sounded nice.

“...But my hand’s still stuck.” Naomi's recovering mood fell as she shivered in the cold wind that hit them at that very moment."Fuck," she whispered, genuine tears threatening at her eyes. She just wanted to relax. Now she still needed to rescue him from the vending machine. Naomi sat up, holding her swimming head. She turned to face Tak as he covered his forehead with his free hand, stating that he had no other choice. Naomi felt as though time had slowed down as she watched him let go of the magazine and easily slip his arm out of the machine.

She was silent for a moment.

Another moment more.

Then she screamed with absolute rage. The sound echoed off the walls of the alleyway, out into the street where undoubtedly someone else would be able to hear it. But if they were smart, they'd know to stay far away. She wanted to hit the man sitting in front of her, his deadpan face refusing to look at her. She wanted to beat the absolute shit out of him. What was that about! He could have let go, but decided being crushed to death by a vending machine was a better option?

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out all other sounds. She stood up, her face stone cold as she grabbed a loose brick on the street and brought it down...on the glass of the vending machine. The glass shattered everywhere from the force she threw the brick, the sound tinkling in the disgusting alleyway. Undoubtedly, her white shirt was coated in grime now. Who knew if she would ever be able to get it off. She ruined her outfit, nearly exploded her heart, and he could escape the whole time? Naomi shoved her hand in the machine, uncaring that the glass ripped at her skin. She leveled a glare at Tak, pulling out the offending magazine he had tried so hard to get.

She quickly flipped through the pages, checking the ankles of the girls inside. Fuck, there she was. Some bimbo blonde, the complete opposite of her usual look, but what was important was that she knew. The shitty little snake tattoo gave her away. She ripped the page out, crumpling up the girl. "She's a bitch," she growled, throwing the page far away from them. With a smack, she hit Tak in the shoulder with the mutilated book. "Northern justice. Take whatever you want, the machine's fucked now anyways. But be quick, 'cause the cops do care about private property," Naomi said, her previously more formal speech dropping into Omi's drawl. The voice was still Nao's, but the tone and words were not. While Tak might have thought she was shaking with rage, that was only half the truth. She was trying to hold onto Nao's form. Dark hair, dark eyes, 5'8'', tiny waist and giant boobs. she told herself, trying to keep the image of Nao inside her head.

╚════════════════════╝​

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

thebigfella

 

[Elenion Aura]

RAPHAEL SHAW

CS Link

SCENE:

Unlikely Encounter

TIME:

Pre-Arc 2 — September 20th, 2021; 1:00 AM

LOCATION:

North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, August

UNLIKELY ENCOUNTER

Raph recognized the change as they left the relative luxury of Central District—and all its gilded finery—behind, as the North District unfurled its festering, water-logged, moss-laden arms to greet them. Raph smiled wistfully, breathing deeply the pungent air... It was a shitty tenement city built atop a putrid swamp, full of danger and squalor in equal measure, yes... But it was also home.

Making no reply as August exited the vehicle, Raph watched him through the open window as he sauntered up to the dilapidated convenience store, the door hanging askew on its hinges, creaking loudly with each opening and closing. When August disappeared inside, Raph's eyes were drawn suddenly by movement on the periphery. His eyes narrowed at the sight of lurking shadows in the shapes of men, hidden in the shade of a nearby alley. Their eyes glowed like firebugs in the gloom.

It was dangerous to leave one's car unattended in a place like this.

As the shadows encroached, Raph reached casually into his pocket and pulled out a worn, near-empty pack of cigarettes before tapping the last one out and lighting it up. With deliberate slowness, Raph took a long drag and blew the smoke into the night air, letting his free arm dangle out the open window before he leveled his gaze upon the ghouls. The look seemed to carry a message, one that the lurking figures in the alley understood all too well – this was not a mark to be trifled with.

After a tense moment, the nightmen slunk back into the shadows from which they emerged, their eyes winking like little candles as they receded into the darkness. Raph watched them long after they'd gone, just in case—

“Hmmm~?”

Raph started a little as August returned, his eyes flicking one last time toward the alleyway, empty now as it was. He flicked his half-smoked cigarette and his now-empty lighter out the window and turned in his seat toward the open driver's side door. He glanced at the bags of water, then the steaming coffee, then back at August.

"Darling, are you trying to sober me up?" He asked cheekily before cupping the warm styrofoam in both hands and taking his first sip. Shitty and familiar. Home, after all. He took another long, bitter sip as August asked his next question, debating whether or not he was in the mood to relive that particular embarrassment so soon after experiencing it. Sighing, he replaced the to-go cup in the holder and lolled his head against the seatrest.

"Well, if you must know," Raph began, peering up at August's shape in the doorway. He couldn't tell if the other boy's seeming lack of attention was comforting or infuriating. "I was there to meet someone." He rolled his wrist to examine his nails, making a great show of appearing casual about it all. "Long story short, they didn't show. So there I was, drowning my sorrows in whiskey when I received the distinct pleasure of your ever-so-stimulating company. Life has a funny way. ~"

 

[Elenion Aura]

MARKUS WEISS

CS Link

SCENE:

The concrete that breaks our fall

TIME:

January 16, 2010 | Pre-Arc 1

LOCATION:

Paragon Hall, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Isobel, Markus, Roland

The concrete that breaks our fall

Markus grunted as he was suddenly and violently flung across the arena. As he tumbled through the air, he caught a glimpse of the liquid mud that now covered the ground below. Roland had turned the terrain against him, forcing him to adapt his strategy. Fury continued to boil within him, driving him to push himself even further. He wasn't going down, not without a fight. Not until he made this fucker bleed.

Landing hard on the remaining solid ground, Markus winced, his body protesting the impact. He staggered to his feet, nearly toppling as the slick ground refused to hold him. Gritting his teeth, he stared across the arena at Roland. The bastard had made his move, and now it was time to make his.

Drawing upon the bitter cold within him once more, Markus focused his Potential on the mud below their feet. The liquid earth began to freeze, solidifying into an icy cage that rose up and around his opponent. The frost climbed higher and higher, attempting to encase Roland in a jagged prison.

"Enjoy your new coffin, asshole," Markus sneered, panting from the exertion. But he knew he couldn't rest yet; Roland was far too resourceful to be held for long. So, he prepared for the next move, his fingers crackling with icy energy, waiting for the inevitable escape attempt.

 

[Elenion Aura]

SHEN YUE

CS Link

SCENE:

Dissonant Ichors

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1: December 21, 2020 -- Dusk

LOCATION:

Alleyway, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Shen, Raph

DISSONANT ICHORS

Shen watched the young man carefully, taking in his trembling hands, the fear in his eyes, and the sheer desperation that seemed to radiate from him. Shen's eyes flicked briefly to the bat in hand. A threat. But not a serious one. Despite the bravado, it was clear that Darius was no match for him. He was not a threat, just a frightened man caught in a situation far beyond his control.

Making a decision, Shen raised his hand, and a small piece of twisted metal debris from the battle called out to him. It lay nearby, remnants of the railing that had been destroyed during the giant's rampage. With a flick of his wrist, the metal levitated into the air, twisting and contorting under his command.

The metal shot forward, wrapping itself around Darius like a constricting snake. It wound around his arms and torso, effectively immobilizing him but causing no harm as either end of the coiling bonds embedded themselves in the crumbling wall, binding itself and its quarry fast against the cool brick facade.

For a moment, Shen regarded the bound man with a mixture of pity and curiosity. He could have easily killed him, but there was no need. Darius was no longer a danger to himself or others, and Shen had more pressing matters to attend to.

“Stay put, you.”

Just as he was about to leave, the sound of chaos erupted in the distance, drawing his attention. It seemed that the night was far from over, and there were more battles to be fought. With a final glance at Darius, Shen lifted into the air, his metallic threads dancing around him as he soared towards the source of the disturbance, leaving Darius behind to struggle fruitlessly against his metallic bonds as he disappeared into the night.

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Drunk Walk Home

LOCATION:

Central, Alleyway

DATE:

Post Arc 3 | 1:10 AM

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Teddie

DRUNK WALK HOME

She fell on her knees, and she couldn’t even breathe because the tar was still covering her arms. Slowly cooling down from boiling to solid. Hardening over them. Merging with her.

Quickly she had learned the rules of the game—play or die.

Hiachi seethed. The tension on her lung loosened as the tar cooled down. She didn’t even care that it was still tar—as long as she didn’t feel that unbearable burning, she could live through it.

She shouldn’t have given them her name. He started saying it, over and over, making him sound hauntingly familiar. Mocking the syllables that her parents had graced her with nineteen years ago.

She was on the asphalt, on the wet and cold ground again. Something skidded towards her and gently landed next to her hand. It was one of his gloves, the ones that would have normally protected the world from their tar body.

Give them the gloves. Hiachi obeyed without question, verbally or mentally. She just needed him to leave her alone. And then she could get out of there.

She couldn’t die here. It was too soon. She needed to get up. To prove that she was worth more than what everyone told her.

Damn it…!

She held out the gloves to them, offering it at arm's length. Forced to look at how the ugly tar was malformed her. She placed them in his hands as she shivered. The flashes of heat and cold from his body and the atmosphere was making her faint.

You can’t pass out. If you faint, he’ll kill you.

​

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Hide & Seek

LOCATION:

East District

DATE:

June 30th, 2022 | Daytime

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Keith

Hide & Seek

"Oi, stop right there."

The voice had been resolute. Threatening. Like a police officer. But when she turned to look at the voice who had called out to her, she saw a man with long, cherry-red hair. The shade of red that had been her favorite color as a kid.

Even worse than a cop—A dragon, probably. She could tell by the look in his eyes—intent on catching her. Full of ire and focus, locked in on a target. Her. Of course a dragon would be hunting her down—she was in the East.

She hadn’t been paying enough attention. Had she thought about it, she would have concluded that wandering around an enemy gang’s territory was a suicide mission, and she couldn’t let her guard down for even a second. She had been sloppy, ambling around the districts like she wasn’t trying to be discreet.

And now she was here, with a man rapidly approaching her with the intent to harm.

Negotiation wouldn’t have been a bad idea, had his gaze not been so frigid. Hiachi was almost certain that he would instantly try to beat her up. Or worse, taken her hostage for intel.

She couldn’t fight back. If he was as threatening as he looked, she barely stood a chance. Most people in gangs were HPs, and even if he wasn’t, she never beat her NP brother at wrestling as a kid—so that remained a dead chance.

The good news is that Hiachi was considerably fast. She had one of the fastest times for the 50 meter dash in middle school, even though she was an HP and therefore obviously more physically enhanced than everyone else. And if she caught him off guard and hopped over enough obstacles to make it to a bridge in central, she could lose him in the bustle of the city. She was plain enough to pull that off.

Point being, she had enough confidence in her speed to spin 180º and start running in the other direction. In the direction of the stairs, where there were enough sharp turns for her to make a reasonable escape.

​

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Living in the Shadows

TIME:

Nighttime, Pre-Arc 1, June 10th 2020

LOCATION:

Falcon's Perch, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Helva

Living in the Shadows

"A burning-hot coffee coming right up!" Said Charlie, keeping up his upbeat attitude with the nice lady slash potential tip jackpot as he commenced to retreat from her seat once again. He gave a couple more laps around the restaurant, making sure to bring refills for beer bottles as well as new orders, most notably a large family table started to ask for dessert. Sometimes it felt like when one person left through the entrance, two people would get in immediately, by now there wasn't even any more available seats on the inside of the place, only allowing for those outside, fortunately though, Charlie was not in charge of those specific customers tonight.

By the time he finally was able to go to the coffee machine in order to get the lady's new order, the main cook had already prepared the rest of her order. He added everything to his tray and headed immediately for her table, it was imperative to not let her wait any longer than absolutely necessary, the tip was at stake!

"Sorry for the wait, here's your meal as well as the coffee, extra-hot!" He laid each platter individually on her table, appropiately letting the chicken take center stage in the arrangement. "If you need anything at all please do not hesitate to call me, enjoy your meal!" He gave her a little respectful bow as he attempted to leave the table once again in order to continue taking more orders.

Peckinou

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Clad in Golden Dreams

TIME:

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

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

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

Clad in Golden Dreams

"You hardly need to worry about that." A wave of relief took Passeri. In all of her backroom dealings with the Tigers, none had ever offered her such a simple ultimatum. "Kids are the future, right? More than stock markets and business prospects, that's what I'm interested in investing in. That's really what all of this-" She nodded towards the ballroom. "-Is all about in the end."

Even beyond the secretive cadres of the Tiger elite, there was an unfathomable amount of money that ran through the veins of New Oasis. The problem was where it was running to. Every day, the tumours that clung to the city's underbelly swelled bigger and larger, drunk on their self-righteous greed. She and Ezra had caught a glimpse of just how deep those rotted roots had spread, and she had a feeling that they'd only seen the tip of the iceberg.

"I've worked plenty with the city's youth myself, too. One of the newer initiatives I've been trying to push involves the school system in the North!" She recalled the day that she'd spent there, in the company of one Officer Evensen. The event itself had been a bust, but it served well as the seed for something new. "It's only in the early stages now, but we're hoping to roll out some programs to reduce the chance of them turning to drug abuse! The... situation there has always been on my mind, but I did some initial work there last year and it really put some things into perspective for me. These laurels have been rested on for too long. I had a revelation like that. So, just next month we're going to be doing some initial work and..."

Ah. Passeri, proverbially, zipped her lips.

"Sorry, sorry! I got a bit carried away there!" Unfortunately, now wasn't the time for her to be speaking about such pleasantries. "The point is that you don't have to worry about the kids being left out of the picture here. I'd be lying if I said they were my only concern, but they're a priority to be certain."

Beneath the table, Passeri's phone rumbled, and in the concern of her eye, Markus's gaggle of thugs departed. She didn't bother checking his message. Not yet, at least. The fact that he'd dismissed his goons was a sign that he had at least somewhat listened to reason. If he kept it up, she was going to owe him an apology after this.

Spoiler: Tags

Interacted:@Haste @Lucem
General: miki thebigfella simj26 QuirkyAngel Elenion Aura

 

[BriiAngelic]

CAIO SANTANA COELHO

CS Link

SCENE:

Test Drive

LOCATION:

Copper's Bar, North District

TIME:

2019, Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius ( WhiskeyMarten ), Caio

TEST DRIVE

Amazing. He had no spine. This was perfect. He couldn’t ask for a better potential pawn. He ordered another set of drinks and and two orders of cheese fries. He pushed both drinks towards the other with an expectant grin on his face. He would just keep enough near him that the pressure would keep him drinking. Besides if the other got too wasted, well he did order him something to soak it up.

“No kiddin’? Same. My codename also comes from some fucks choosing a shitty half-assed name on me. Don’t go repeating that though Beast will probably rip your arms off if you question his tastes.”

He laughed as he went to grab some fries out of his order. He gobbled up a few with little concern for appearances as he stared down the other with a gaze that was instantly looking for weaknesses. His code name though lame was rather appropriate for someone who was always ready to strike at an opportune moment.

“Though nothin’ interesting is something people say when they’re scared, depressing, or both. Now I betcha you’re both ain't ya.”

He leaned in closer to the other using as much intimidation his frame could manage despite the Cheshire grin on his face.

“I can practically smell the fear on you. It’s funny. You could just remove me as you wished, so what’s with this little meek act?”