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

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Takahiro Sugita
CS Link
SCENE:
Pre-Arc 1 || Dancing the Night Away
LOCATION:
North District, Ecstasy Nightclub
DATE:
August 17th, 2021
PARTICIPANTS:
Takahiro, Raph ( Elenion Aura Elenion Aura )
Dancing the Night Away
The smile on Takahiro's face only grew, meeting Raph's red gaze. "I don't know, that it is all up to you. You can claim me if you want but you're going to have to work for the goods. This doesn't come for free." Taka gestured to his body, picking up his glass once more. "Besides, the only gaze I want tonight is yours." He began chugging the contents of the glass, gulping it down as fast as possible. He's had enough liquor to make it look like a piece of cake. He slammed the empty glass on the table, deviousness building within his gaze. He let his hand glide on the table as he moved in Raph's direction, gliding his hand up his arm once he reached his corner. "You look like you're ready to get out there."

His gaze was locked with Raph's before moving behind him, moving his hand to his chest. "Let's have some real fun. Show me I'm yours." Taka's voice betrayed everything. He didn't hide his desires, he just wanted to know if Raph desired the same thing. He grabbed Raph's arm, holding firm enough to allow him to tug his partner towards him. "Let's go cutie, can't have you pout here too." Taka said, teasing him as he led them into the chaos of the dancefloor.

The heat of the bodies around them was like an ambrosia, just begging you to have a taste. Taka didn't want just a taste, he wanted the whole thing.

Once he found an adequate place for them, Taka brought in Raph close, taking in his scent. Takahiro had his favorite cologne on tonight. If you were going to dance in such close proximity, you better damn well smell good. The music was louder on the dancefloor, causing Taka to raise his voice so Raph could hear him. "How does it feel to have the best candy on the dancefloor? Hopefully, I'm not too sweet for you." As he was talking, he rested a hand on one of Raph's hips, settling the other onto his chest. Takahiro's blue gaze glimmered, the flashing lights of the club reflecting from his irises.

Taka began to move his hips, getting closer to Raph as he danced. His breathing remained steady, even as he began to move his hips more. Taka's smile never left his face, clearly enjoying the moment. He shifted his hands to his partners shoulders, feeling his chest as he went. He rested his arms on Raph's shoulders, interlocking his hands behind his neck. Satisfied with the positioning, Taka focused on his partner as he danced, matching his movements. He wanted to make this a night to remember.
 
Shishido Takakazu
CS Link
SCENE:
The Idol Fanclub Trials (Pre-Arc 2)
LOCATION:
Highreach, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Shishido Takakazu, Passeri Park ( The One Eyed Bandit The One Eyed Bandit )
The Idol Fanclub Trials
Despite all the incessant exhortation he had received from the club members, pushing him to shake the idol's hand, when her fingers closed around his, he wasn’t surprised by some stunning revelation, like he had become the first person to greet an otherworldly species, or had signed the treaty to bring about world peace. Their hype for such a simple fact was misplaced, incredibly so. All he felt was the slight difference in their body temperatures, the clear contrasting textures and structure between a hand that hadn’t touched lotion since last week, that spent all its time battering through life, and a hand that was properly maintained as part of its lifestyle, living one of security and lavishness, but no less firm.


It was utterly mundane, well of course it was, it was just a handshake after all.


And this idol wasn’t anything more than just a person, like anyone else. What point was there to expect something special in the first place?


Tak’s pondering of where the fascination came from departed as he retracted his hand back to his side, the fact that they had formed a deal naturally brought the slightest bit of a smirk to his lips, he was riding high on confidence. He could taste the free meals already.


At least he could, that was until the faint shimmer of impish origin flashed in Passeri’s eye, the flavor in Tak’s mouth going from the phantoms of high-end cuisine to the palpable astringency of iron as he bit down hard onto his bottom lip, eyes shut tight as beads of sweat began to trail down from his forehead.


“She’s totally planning something that’s gonna make shit more complicated…!” Tak inwardly huffed, his expression not hiding the distaste he had for what Passeri was about to say before she even had said it. Tak had seen the glint she gave many times before over the years from many different people, and it never was a good sign when it was directed at him!


Some monster inside her had decided that it would be fun to make his life into a game, a challenge proposal. A chance to possibly turn things around and save him some precious cash, even going as far as to leave this a couple of dollars richer.


Or work in the opposite motion to put him in ever deeper debt to this woman, who he was starting to believe had more than a couple screws loose, as she talked about a side dish in a sing-song voice like she wasn’t offering a devil deal in this scenario.


“S-Side dish..?” Tak stuttered out, dark crinkled had formed under his eyes as one of the corners of his mouth had curled and began to twitch in a restrained smirk, “I didn’t know I was supposed to come with a menu…Is my life just a la carte?” He responded bitterly to Passeri, the whole point of this thing in the first place was so he could get her help! Why the hell would he agree to some dumb challenge that punished him for that!?


“No fuckin’ way am I accepting that offer! How would I even stand a chance without her help, I don’t know shit about anything! I might as well just tell her to milk me dry right now!”


There was no way he would accept a deal like this! He was setting himself up for failure! It was a lost cause!


…Wait, she said only if he needed help with all the challenges, right?


Tak’s worry instantaneously disappeared as he brought a hand up to cup his chin, pursing his lips as he ran through the numbers once more. 3 challenges, 3 chances, and he only needed to succeed at one by himself to be in better shape than he was originally! Surely, he could at least do one! The chances were like…87% chance in his favor!


That number was entirely based on not a single sprig of science or a smidgeon of math, but it didn’t matter.


“Alright,” Tak snapped his fingers, a confidant glimmer in his pupilless eyes as he grinned. “Ya got yourself a deal, lady! Just don’t be surprised if I get through this whole thing without needing a single bit of your help!” He boasted, overcompensating for just how optimistic he was, but he wasn’t about to let the lady think her wager made him worry for a second.


Of course, unbeknownst to him his whole thought process was always clear on his face.


As they agreed on the spice that would heat the incoming trials to another subtle layer of intensity, a rumbling behind Tak caused his expression to droop, as he suddenly had hands reaching out and gripping him around the arms, shoulders, legs, and even by the neck.


“Eh?” Tak blinked like an idiot, completely oblivious.


The numerous arms came from the fans who had been waiting in line behind him, their furious expressions peeking out from behind Tak as they held tightly onto him.


“YOU’VE BEEN HOLDING UP THE LINE FOR TEN MINUTES, DAMNIT!”


“YEAH! MY FEET FELL ASLEEP BECAUSE OF YOU!”


“MY DAUGHTER NEEDS TO PEE AND YOU’RE JUST STANDING THERE!”


The numerous complaints and anger towards Tak all melded together audibly as Tak was tugged on his back, being dragged back into the line to join the mass of faceless background characters waiting in line.


“EHHHHHHHHH!?” Tak blurted in shock, darting his head around left and right as he sweated profusely, “Oi! Let go of me damnit! It’s not my fault! Blame her, not me!” He shouted but fell on deaf ears as he was pulled deeper into the crowd.


“Hey, are you listening!? Where the hell are you taking me?! OOOOIIIIIII!”

These were his final words before disappearing into the crowd, the focus panning upwards to the sky.









The sun shifted from its position as the bright blue skyline had begun to be dyed an orange hue, the weaker sounds of the crowd and in tandem the more vocal traffic signifying the change in time. The long line that funneled through the plaza had finally dissipated, and the only people left in the area were the handful who were still enjoying the small food stands and booths still spaced throughout.


As the faintly featured silhouettes of civilians passed, moving along with their daily lives, a group of four men stood out at the edge of the plaza. They all wore bright red robes with the praises of their favorite idol, her face bolstered on their backs. Despite how ridiculous they looked, the expressions on their faces were a different story, each of them looked forward with tightly knitted brows, evident intentness on their face as they waited. Manyard was crouched in a squat, while Camelo leaned against the cobblestone bricks of the raised tree bed beside him. The still unnamed baldy stood on the opposite side, hands in his pockets.


And their ever-vigilant captain stood at the helm, arms crossed as he watched the setting sun.


“It’s time,” he whispered, his crimson eyes glimmering from the skyline as his focus moved downward, gaze narrowing at the sight that befell him.


An approaching figure in the distance swiftly made itself into focus as it grew nearer, the headband wrapped around his forehead, keeping his messy black hair out of his face, flailing in the wind opposite to Hapori’s own, but both displaying the shared love of the same musical icon.


He wore a slight scowl, his grayish-blue eyes devoid of any light as the shadows painted his front, shoes clicking against the concrete as he approached, only stopping a few feet away, the faint shifting of his rubble soles against the ground as he shifted his stance to the side.


A view panned across Tak’s leer in silence, before moving in opposite motion across Hapori’s glare as they stared each other down.


“Good to see that you didn’t run away from the challenge, Tak,” Hapori spoke plainly, his countenance still solid as stone.


“Why would I? As a fan, I can’t let you get away with how you disrespected me,” Tak shot back at him, his expression not faltering an inch.


The stillness in the air was unbroken between the outcast and the gang he sought to call his own. They said not a word as there was nothing else to say, only waiting for the one who would allow things to properly begin.



 
HECTOR MOSES
CS Link
SCENE:
Get(ting) Help
TIME:
Post Arc-3
LOCATION:
Kiki's Eatery, South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Hector, Hitoshi, Ashley, Charlie, Gideon and Kaede
GET(TING) HELP

“Great surprise to have her back amid everything that’s been going on.” Hector shook his head after he spoke. How could anything be great after May 31st? How selfish could he be to say that? He did mean his words though, looking to the side at Kaede for a moment. He didn’t elaborate at all, knowing she was likely smart enough to understand his complicated emotions, and not caring much if she didn’t.

The food arrived quickly, and Hector looked down at the plate that was left in front of him. It was toast, just as he had asked for, slathered in a layer of golden butter that had already melted into the bread. He took a bite, not savouring the flavour at all, and then he eyed what the others were eating. The beautifully cooked pizzas, the juicy burger that Charlie was already devouring, the cream being wiped away from Gideon’s face as he tried in vain to eat by himself. Hector set his slice onto his plate with an audible thunk, leaning away from it. Everyone had such decadent treats and he was left with this. Hector didn’t know why he felt so bitter about an ordinary meal, it’s what he wanted after all and he had no interest in anything more, but he had to stop himself from scowling. It was even harder to stop himself when he heard Gideon take Charlie’s offer of help. It wasn’t about the food at all. Remembering his manners, Hector turned his focus back to Hitoshi with a smile.

”Thank you again, Hitoshi. You’re too kind, man.”

He picked the toast up again, showing his gratitude with another bite.

 
Passeri Park
CS Link
SCENE:
North Says No!
TIME:
February 5th, 2022
LOCATION:
Redwater High, North District
PARTICIPANTS:
Passeri Park, Eric Evensen
North Says No!
"Friends?" The word felt foreign on Passeri's tongue. Associates, those she had plenty of. As for allies, she was blessed with a handful. But friends? It seemed like every day, her list of those grew shorter.

"Just friends? Not besties?" Passeri said, and then took up Eric's offer. There was a weak 'clap' as her hand slapped against his, void of the usual firmness that another HP's 'strike' might have carried, but it carried the same meaning nonetheless. "We'll have to work on that! I've never been good at playing second fiddle, you know? I'll be hunting for the promotion, so you'd best be prepared!" Her words came paired with an impish grin. Surrounded by school buildings, it didn't look entirely out of place. If you put aside the pair's true purpose for being there that day, they might've resembled a pair of old classmates, gathered for a class reunion.

Within her pocket, Passeri's phone started to chime.

"Ah!" Passeri's focus snapped away from Eric as she scooped her phone from her pocket. She cast it a quick glance, and then her face immediately turned apologetic. "Shoot, is that the time? My ride is going to be here soon..." In the distance, a black sedan encroached upon the school. "...I guess we got a bit caught up! Give me a sec, okay?"

Hastily, she brought the phone to her ear and chatted with the voice on the other end. The drive's voice, flat and disgruntled, was unintelligible to any would-be eavesdroppers, or at least it was until Passeri started to recount the day's events. By the time she'd finished, it'd elevated to a part-frustrated, and part-concerned state of shock, and you could practically hear them putting their pedal to the proverbial metal on the other end.

"Everyone's always so dramatic about these things." Passeri sighed as the call cut out. "You know, I didn't even tell them about the cut on my face. I'm totally gonna get chewed out for that." On cue, the sound of burning rubber approached the school, and a car honked three times. "I guess that's-"

And then three times more.

"-them."

And then three times more.

And then her phone started to ring again.

"Oh my gosh, I get it." Passeri whined into her phone as she quickly brought it back to her ear. "Eric, sorry, I really need to run!" She spoke over her shoulder as she broke into a jog. "No, not you. I'll have you know I am running right now!" And then again into the phone. "This was really nice! Not the drunk part! The after part! Let's do this again without the interruption! No, I just said, not you!" She continued on, her attention darting between Eric and the phone. Long, silver hair bobbed behind her and her jog turned to a run. "Okay, really though, I gotta go! See you next time! Bye!"

Passeri turned a corner, and her expression fell flat. Friends. Is that what the two of them were now? A glimmer of sly satisfaction lit up within Passeri's eyes.

At least something had gone right today.

 
R6GQoVg.jpg

𝑵𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐
As: Zack Bennett​
Scene: St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage
Time: July 1st, 2022 | Post Arc 3, TimeSkip 1
I am here: Room on the ship > Casino
With: Hiachi​


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

Naomi didn't think she pulled off her lame excuse about the humidity on the ship. Yui was so impassive, so hard to read, that Naomi wasn't sure what she thought. She seemed as though she was slightly less tense? That didn't make much sense to Naomi though, so she dismissed the thought. Yui didn't call her out on her blatant cover-up, so she wasn't going to bring it up again. They had both accepted that it was a flimsy lie, there was no point in trying to force Yui to believe it. Gosh, how embarrassing. Why did that woman have to be so effortlessly gorgeous? Making Naomi break character like that, unforgiveable. Naomi was going to have to find her later and, uh...actually fall in love with her or something. Her face flushed at the thought, but she was opening the door to the room with her back turned to Yui, so she hoped she didn't notice.

As Naomi held out the $50 bill to Yui, the two sat staring at each other in a standoff. No doubt she was thinking about what her next move should be. Naomi waved the bill impatiently, Elizabeth's nature wanting Yui to hurry up. She decided to take the bill wordlessly, bowing her head in thanks before leaving. Naomi didn't say thank you--it wasn't something Elizabeth would do. The tip was thanks enough. As soon as the door closed, Naomi sighed and collapsed into the bed. Elizabeth was exhausting--holding herself up like some precious princess. Even Nao was more natural, less pretentious. Ah, the hat! Naomi lifted her head, pulling the hat off and throwing it like a Frisbee into a corner. Her blonde hair splayed around her on the bed as she stared at the ceiling, contemplating her next move.

Elizabeth was the perfect cover for booking a room and entering the ship, but she wasn't the best for making friends and disarming people. Yui...what would she like? Naomi hadn't gotten much from her, except a complete and utter hatred for Elizabeth. Maybe...something the exact opposite. Happy, cheerful, thankful. It certainly wouldn't hurt to play the exact opposite around her--if that didn't work, she could try something more in the middle.

It was settled, then. It was time for Zack to come out.

~~~~~~~~~

Noam wandered the halls of the cruise ship, trying his best to find the casino. Gosh, was this place a maze. His little puppy dog eyes grew a little dewy. What was happening right now? Ah, wait! There was some sounds that sounded like they could be a casino. He made a beeline that way, and was rewarded by bright, flashing lights. At last! The bright lights of hundreds of machines and the sound of electronic chirping, crowd murmuring, and chips clacking. The casino. Now, he just had to hope that Yui was here--meet her on her own turf, play at her game. So Noam began to wander the casino, trying to spot the tiny girl with dark hair. As soon as he found her, he would sit down at her table to join her.

║▌│█│║▌║││█║▌│║║█║█║▌│█║▌│║║█║

((ooc: Anyone else is free to join the casino scene if they want! :D ))
((Outfit: Same as Picture, minus glasses))
((Catch Me If You Can))​

QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel miki miki
 
HITOSHI YAMAKAWA
CS Link
SCENE:
Back in the Game
TIME:
Post Arc-3; July 5
LOCATION:
Boustan [A metropolis about a four hour drive from New Oasis]
PARTICIPANTS:
Hitoshi, Charlie, Milo
BACK IN THE GAME

Elizabeth took a bit to look at the picture on Charlie's phone of his own stuffed animal, before slowly moving her gaze towards him. She looked rather emotionless as she shrugged her shoulders. "Cool." It was a statement that was devoid of any jubilation or praise, and instead come out more as a courtesy that was expected of her more than anything.

The car took another turn into a large parking lot as a large, ornate sign welcomed them into the Boustan Zoo along with hundreds of other families and groups that were out to enjoy the sights of this attraction. Finding a parking spot snuggled in between two other cars, Hitoshi managed to park the car well enough to allow everyone enough space to get out. "Alright boys and girls, we're here." Hitoshi announced with a grin as he adjusted his cap and looked over towards the ticket booth. The line seemed to be going quick, which made him feel all the more comfortable about getting inside.

"The line isn't too bad for the tickets-"

"No need, I already have entry." Elizabeth quickly stated as she began to walk off towards the entrance of the zoo.

"Ohcrapokay, uh, after her gentlemen!" Hitoshi said as he quickly collected himself and followed suit. On approach, the iron gates of the zoo were wide open with a nicely paved pathway to allow for entry. The young lady quickly showed a small slip of paper she had to the front entry security before pointing to the three Phoenixes: "They're with me." The man gave her a nod and waved them all the enter inside. Greeting them was the main courtyard with various pathways that extended to various exhibits based on shared geography/climate as well as attractions and snack places to chow at.

A small reception area gave Elizabeth the map, allowing her to scan its contents quickly before nodding. "First we are going to see the Graadian continental exhibit. We will spend 15 minutes at each animal showcase before heading to the Eastern biomes and then the sea life aquarium." she stated, almost like a command rather than a plan of action as she followed the signage.

First up was the exhibit of the 'Kaibal Tiger' with an informational sign listing them as an endangered species. There were two of them in the enclosure, one male and one female, and both of whom seemed content to be sunbathing on a large wooden platform in the centre of their expansive and well maintained place of residence.

"It's actually incorrect to call them a species. A subspecies would be a more correct designation." Elizabeth then said as she looked towards the big cats behind the safety of the viewing glass, "A population of the broader Graadian tiger, as it exists in numerous climates and locations - but said population numbers declined because of poaching. They are often isolated creatures, living alone with large spans of territory that cover many miles as hunting grounds and compete with neighbours. Only coming together to either fight for territory or to mate. They can survive for months at a time without a meal due to their adaptive metabolism, as prey can often times take weeks to hunt, and can eat up to 27 kilograms of meat in a single sitting when having not eaten in a while. So it's strange to see them place two of them in a single habitat, but I find it probable that the purpose is that its to breed more for population conservation efforts as one is male and another is female."

Hitoshi looked on with a blank stare at the majestic cats as all this scientific mumbo jumbo flew over his head while Elizabeth spoke. But when she finished he leaned over to both Milo and Charlie to whisper: "...did you get any of that?"


Roda the Red Roda the Red Elenion Aura Elenion Aura
 
HITOSHI YAMAKAWA
CS Link
SCENE:
Get(ting) Help
TIME:
Post Arc-3; 2 1/2 weeks later
LOCATION:
Kiki's Eatery, South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Hitoshi, Charlie, Ashley, Gideon, Hector, Kaede
GET(TING) HELP

Hitoshi couldn't help but let out a dumb grin as everyone enjoyed their food, so much so that he almost forgot that his own food had been set in front of him as he quickly snapped back to reality and took a slice. Biting into it, he relished the simple flavours of tomato, basil, and buffalo mozzarella as he chewed and let out an audible grunt of enjoyment. Gideon now was also getting help to eat his order, which in turn meant that everyone had the chance to enjoy their orders.

Hector spoke up as well as with thanks, to which Hitoshi raised his half consumed slice in return. "Don't sweat it man! Really, it's about time I started giving back. Plus," Hitoshi said before taking another bite from his pizza, quickly chewing before swallowing the food down his gullet, "we still got more to do today!"

He then turned to Gideon and gave a thumbs up, "Though you can't spar, you can be the referee! If you don't mind that is. Someone's gotta make sure we're all doing it fair now eh?"


Roda the Red Roda the Red WhiskeyMarten WhiskeyMarten Coyote Hart Coyote Hart Sei Shonagon Sei Shonagon Lucem Lucem
 
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CAMILA GASPARI
CS Link
SCENE:
"Two" is Company
TIME:
Pre-Arc 1, July 20th 2021
LOCATION:
Camila's Apartment, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Camila, Minato
"TWO" IS COMPANY
Camila listened as her company explained himself on what the use of his downtime usually goes like, most of it was pretty much what she expected, save for the fact he also seemed to be into literature. It wasn't like she thought Minato was an idiot or uncultured, but he certainly didn't give off bookworm vibes in the slightest.

Minato wearing glasses though...Now that was a nice mental image.

But then, there it was, honeyed words, a sigh of reciprocation, if you will. Camila felt light goosebumps as the man kissed her hand. Part of her wanted to skip the meal and pounce on him right there and then. Unfortunately though, things needed to have a certain pacing, couldn't afford to come across as desperate. "Well, I like to relax whenever I can, long baths and walks on the park, for example" She said as the continued to keep her eyes locked with his. "I also like to practice my ballet skills everynow and then...But, yeah, I do like to cook most of the time, it's kind of my Zen time, you know?"

With her free hand, she took a hold of her drink, gently swirling the contents within. "Helps me keep my mind off the stuff that puts a bad taste in my mouth" Her tone shifted slightly, almost to a point of melancholy, as her eyes shifted to observe her own faint reflection on her glass. This did not last long, however, as her eyes once again steered to look at Minato "Also...curious that you're calling me a snack, you might've stolen the words from my mouth right there"

The fish took the bait, now she just needed to pull gently enough so that the line doesn't snap.


Elenion Aura Elenion Aura
 
ERIC EVENSEN
CS Link
SCENE:
North Says No!
LOCATION:
Redwater High, North District
PARTICIPANTS:
Eric, Passeri
NORTH SAYS NO!

"Hoo, is that competitive spirit I spy? I like that attitude" Said Eric, replying to her smile with a relaxed smirk of his own. The clasp of her palm against his felt like the reward for his friendly approach, and it was nice to see her now behaving in a more relaxed manner. The detective still wasn't quite sure how to feel about her, but despite the evidence, despite the possible repercussions, he wanted to at least take this step with her, as selfish as it may be.

He waited patiently as Passeri finished talking on her phone, his thoughts afflicted with a small amount of annoyance by the intruding sound of the cars' horns. "Don't sweat it, you gotta do what you gotta do, I'll stay here until the cops take our guy away" As she started to make some distance between them, he raised his arm, waving her goodbye. "Sounds good to me, throw some lunch into the equation as well next time, though. Take care, Passeri"

Finally, her figure disappeared behind the building, off to whatever other antics the celebrity life awaited her. Eric let out a sigh, part of him was relieved that their anti-drug venture was over for the day. He spared a glance at his injury, his nose scrunching up slightly from the stinging pain, now that he didn't need to play it cool in front of anyone. "Well shit, hope I don't need any stitches" He turned around, heading back on a relaxed pace towards the courtyard, and there he was, the man Eric had fought just a few minutes ago, back to consciousness, his disarrayed jacket and marks on the pillar indicated that he had struggled to break free from his bindings, but unfortunately for him, the chains were simply too thick, it would require an HP of exceptional physical enhancements to break free from that. The detective layed his back against a near wall next to the pillar, the drunk man not even bothering to spare him a glance.

"You know, somehow I almost feel like I should thank you"

"...Go shove a stick up yer ass"

"Lemme add that to the backlog real quick"

He looked up to the sky, smiling to himself in his usual manner as police sirens could faintly be heard from the distance. He may have some things left to do about his investigation, especially his struggle to finally obtain a private interrogation with that ex partner. But at the very least, today was a good day to just leave those things aside and simply make a new friend.

...A friend, that was all he wanted...right?


-SCENE END-



The One Eyed Bandit The One Eyed Bandit
 
Jessamine Darkness
CS Link
SCENE:
The Yeye Home
LOCATION:
The Yeye Home, East District (LittleLeaf zone)
LOCATION:
June 5th, 2022 || Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1
PARTICIPANTS:
Meirin, Dyne, Isaiah, Devin, Sabrina, Ruriko, Jess, Ottilie
The Yeye Home


Jessamine followed her senior Dragon down the halls, noting down the areas of the orphanage within her mind. Perhaps she could assist in kitchen work later. While she wasn’t exactly skilled in the art, she had managed to prepare basic foods before.

“The magic of magic is that there is no such thing as magic. The mechanical features of the tricks are what dazzle and leave the audience guessing, wondering, questioning,” Jessamine rattled off glumly. “The very idea of it being simple genetics that allow the gifted Oners to warp reality to be whatever they want ruins the facade. Everything they do can be explained with ‘Potentiality’.” She made a face that resembled someone who had smelled the contents of a rubbish dump. “It ruins the experience of wondering ‘how’, and the idea of ‘I want to do that too’, because no one else can do it, except another small percentage of an already excruciatingly tiny percentage. What I’m saying is, it just ain't fair.”

Before she could fully lose her temper at such a banal thing, she turned her attention to Meirin's other question.“It is no surprise. I would not divulge my past so readily. My family is…fine,” she finished her sentence quietly, studying the cabinet of cleaning supplies. She reached in, and took hold of a broom and a dustpan. “They provide for me, and allow me freedom. I would be lying if I said that they do not show me their own unique brand of love, or if I said that I do not love them just as well. With regards to my happiness…” She paused. What could she say? What was her response to that? It was her choice to become a better woman– nay, a better person, someone that the world would allow to exist. Was she happy to restrain her violent urges, her foul mouthed tendencies? Was she happy to study, and plot, and scheme? No. Not at all. She was, however, happy that her parents loved her, and she was happy that they would bring in someone like her to their family. She couldn’t answer the question.

Instead, she swept her hair behind her with a dismissive wave of her hand. “A fool’s question! I will not deign to answer such a query. Enough of my family and my circumstances!” She directed the broom’s handle at Meirin. “What of you? What exactly made you decide to run to the Dragons?”




@Damafaud @Beann Lucem Lucem @Saturn_moon @Misuteeku QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel
 
Dagger / Alisa Vassiliev
CS Link
SCENE:
Sweet Talkin' Woman
TIME:
December 22nd, 2021 | Pre Arc 3
LOCATION:
The Dollhouse, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Passeri, Dagger
Sweet Talkin' Woman

She let out a grunt. Whether out of disapproval at Park's comment, or some level of respect for her aim, it wasn't clear. She leaned against the door and pressed her ear against it, ignoring the raised voices with her. Though not satisfied, she finally pushed herself away from it, and pulled over a chair, shoving it underneath the handle, jamming the door from opening. It wouldn't hold against a HP's strength, but it would give her enough time to draw and ready.

Still leaving Park to her heated conversation, she approached the unconscious mass that she supposed was a man, and placed two fingers on his neck. Underneath all that weight, she wasn't sure if he was breathing or not, but he had a pulse at least. She turned his head with the side of her gun, examining where Park's projectile had struck him. Nice shot. Impressive. He'd be waking up with a headache and a sore neck, but he'du be alive.

With an almost expert flair, she twirled her weapons in her hands and they vanished back into her belt, and finally decided to tune in to the conversation, just in time for Park to push her forwards.

Now that she was brought up to speak properly, she found herself at a loss of words. Speeches weren't her thing, and neither was conversation or reassurance. Those were the rest of Olive's thing. She was simply the best tool in the box for dismantling whole platoons. She cleared her throat and coughed nervously. "Yes, we are here to help," she echoed after Park lamely. She wasn't sure what exactly to say. Her job was to ensure the extraction went. According to plan or not, as long as it was going, she was doing her duty.

"It is enough," she replied Park's friend, as lame as her last statement, and completely missing the point that it was a rhetorical and sardonic statement. She didn't like to discuss the details of her payment, and if it were preferable, she'd rather remain quiet the whole time. It would not do, however, if she put on the usual quiet, lone wolf thing with Park's friend, she surmised. She removed herself from the conversation again when Park's friend referred to her by a pet name, and returned to the door, careful to step over the mound of meat that was Park's friend's client.

"I'm thinking," she said in response to Park's request, leaning against the door. The job was to ensure that both Park and her friend were extracted from the premises. She had to see that through.

But what if…

What if she, herself, didn't need to be there? As long as they had escaped, that would be the best option, wouldn't it? Ferrying the two of them out of here from watchful eyes was a task in and of itself, but take the eyes away from them, let them focus on her, and allow the two to retreat in the cover of a decoy… They'd pulled this off in one deployment before.

"Twelve, you say?" She looked up at Park's friend. She straightened up with what barely resembled a grin on her face. "I have a plan." Once more, she pulled away from the door. This time, she moved over to the table in the room, picking up a bottle of whiskey on a silver tray.

She swore she'd never drink. She wrenched the top open. Just this once, she supposed. It will dull the pain that was going to be coming her way. She tipped the bottle into her mouth, and let the burning liquid pour down her throat. She fished out the keys in her pocket and tossed them over to Park, before wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, and setting the bottle down.

"I'm going to go pick a fight," she said simply, marching over to the door, removing the chair from the handle, and opening it, before practically tossing herself outside.


She wouldn't have called herself a convincing actor at the best of times, but when she grabbed a bottle and smashed it over one of the guards' heads, no one could deny that she was either drunk, irate, or both. Maybe it was the pent-up frustration, misery, sorrow, and the need to hurt someone else that wasn't herself, but very soon, she was more or less surrounded by ten or so men and women attempting to restrain her as she thrashed about the place.

Distraction enough for the two to make their escape.




The One Eyed Bandit The One Eyed Bandit
 
'Marianna Venti'
CS Link
SCENE:
Fell and Cruel Hounds
TIME:
Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1
LOCATION:
Actaeon's Rest
PARTICIPANTS:
Passeri, Dagger, Corvo, Lily, Musai, Zach, Yushui
Fell and Cruel Hounds
There were several reasons why mankind had abandoned blades and arrows in favor of the firearm. The gun was a quick and lethally efficient tool, able to turn a person into a corpse with no more than the pull of a trigger. In the world of HPs, that was easy to forget, or at least it had been until Dagger's shirt turned red, and Passeri's blood turned cold.

Three shots, swift and merciless, ripped through the suite.

Dagger fell.

They were surrounded.

This was not part of the plan. Passeri had already known that Dagger was prey as much as she was a predator, but she'd never expected her hunters to be bestowed with such ruthless efficiency. Then again, perhaps that was only natural when one had made game of the Wolf. For a moment, the suite was still. A small militia of gunmen spilled from the elevator, and Dagger's would-be killers stood proudly chatting with one another as if the job were already done. Counting their chickens, and casually disregarding the fact that any proper wolf moved in a pack.

The gleam of silver was the only warning that came before Passeri's attack. A fan of blades danced across the room, closing in on Saito with frightening haste. If she was lucky, they'd run him through where he stood, but all she needed from them was a distraction.

"Cover me!" Passeri barked and broke into a sprint. What blades she'd not sent after Dagger's assailant instead pursued the gunmen that'd spilled from the elevator. Their eyes, hands, weapons, whatever they needed to in order to still their trigger fingers.

Silver blades weaved between the crowd of military men like razor-legged flies, sending rivulets of blood into the air wherever they grazed and knicked the masked men. It was an easy enough thing to avoid, she'd learned as much in her prior expedition into the mines, but that mad dance to ensure one didn't end up with a six-inch deep gouge in one of their arteries did make it ever-so difficult to aim. Or to deal with whatever Dagger's little cadre of helpers had in store for them.

Interacted: simj26 simj26
Relevant: AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa @Kameron Esters- @ATurei QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel Elenion Aura Elenion Aura Seaquill Seaquill
 
Last edited:
Minato Maeda
CS Link
SCENE:
Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth
TIME:
April 3rd, 2022
LOCATION:
Blast-Off DVDs, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Shishido Takakazu, Dante Aguilar
RETURNING BACK SOMETHING YOU DON'T OWN IS BASICALLY CHILDBIRTH
SMASH CUT!

... To a swanky top-floor apartment overlooking the city. Lofted ceilings were held up by tall windows over black marble floors, which were themselves covered by an array of expensive-looking furnishing and cozy, cushioned carpet.

The walls reverberated with the chorus of ULC's signature track, blaring through the speakers, more force than sound at this point.

"Hm, hm, hm, hm water-falls..."

Minato was reclining comfortably on the sofa, the latest edition of "Star Secrets Weekly" balanced in his lap. Behind him, the opulent Western Skyline glowed and glimmered through the tall windows like a field of twinkling diamonds in the night.

The glossy, bold cover of the tabloid depicted the headline story of the hour, a rumored feud between two leading ladies of the latest installment of the Quantum Chronicles cinematic universe. He flipped the page, revealing a tell-all feature on the rise and fall of a once-beloved Magic Castle Productions child starlet turned international pop sensation. He tutted sympathetically. What a waste.

"Hm, hm, hm, hm riversandthelakes hm, hm, hm, hm..."

Across the high-ceilinged room, Minato was engaged in an intense foosball match against himself. The mechanical players spun and jolted on the table as both Minatos issued rapid-fire orders, jerking and jostling the rods with one half of a haphazard, half-baked strategy each.

Nearby, another Minato moved about the living room, fastidiously tidying up. He picked up stray magazines and placed them in a neat pile at the edge of the sofa, adjusted throw pillows, and obsessively altered the mood lighting to the benefit of an unseen audience.

Two other Minatos commandeered the kitchen island, hosting a playful, live-streamed cooking show. One handled the chopping and sautéing, while the other narrated their virtual audience through the process, employing flamboyant gestures and an array of exaggerated, ambiguous, and inconsistent accents.

Suddenly, another Minato swung down from the loft, a grin on his face and a bellow in his throat. He descended like a wildman from a rope taped to the ceiling, landing face-first in a heap by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the bare skin of his face skidding across the polished floor.

The phone rang.

"Hm, hm, hopeless aspirations ~"

Just as the initial peal of the phone ringing began to fade, a Minato wearing a flamboyant magician's outfit strode from places unknown into the living space. He produced a dove from thin air, followed by a bouquet of vividly colored flowers. He bowed extravagantly, even though there was no one applauding, let alone paying him any mind, except a second Minato, who was documenting the impromptu magic show with his phone.

In another corner, a Minato clad in neon-spandex was attempting to teach a yoga class to three more Minatos who seemed more interested in messing around than in perfecting their downward dogs. Each futile attempt at balance resulted in bouts of laughter and haphazard tumbles on the plush rug beneath them.

"Hm, hm, don't go chasing ~"

Meanwhile, the Minato on the couch didn't seem to mind the cacophony, the chaos, or even the phone ringing for the third time in a row. He merely licked his fingers and turned the page of his magazine, humming and bobbing his head to the rhythm.

"You shoot and aim for someone else's— Huh?"

Scooping up the phone on its very last ring, Minato accepted the call with one hand and flipped the magazine page with other. "Yo-yo!" He greeted the familiar voice on the other end of the line cheerily, balancing the phone between his shoulder and cheek as his eyes scanned the salacious article. He half-listened, nodding now to the words the receiver fed him.

"Uh-huh. Uhh-huh. Uh. Huh? Okay. Okokokok, got it, yep no biggie, I'll be right there. Yep, yep, okay, yeah, I know where they're at, sounds good, see you, uh huh, see y—okay see you soonloveyoubyeeee!"

He clicked the call dead, flipped the phone back on the couch, and shut his mag. A fight had broken out somewhere in the apartment—the kitchen, by the looks of those stains—and the Minatos were all over each other, throwing punches and pulling multicolored hair, except for one, who was frantically trying to clean up after the rough-and-tumble boys as they made their way across the room in a cloud of flying fists and flailing feet. Normally he'd have joined in on the ruckus, but not tonight. Not when a friend needed him to do something nebulous and ill-defined. Especially not when that something had something to do with a sweet, sweet hunny.


SMASH CUT BACK!

Minato kicked the stand down on his bike and swung his leg over. He shook the wind and the night out of his shaggy mane before smoothing it down with his hand. He'd parked far enough that he could see the trio of figures standing beneath the fading light of a retro video rental store—he didnt' realize these places were still in business? Get with the times, bro—but close enough that a quick, awkward shuffle of feet was all it took to close the gap.

He started off by acting surprised. "Huh! It's you," he began halfway through his approach. "No way. What's it been, like, five years? Crazy, bro."

Hunny spotted.

"It's me, Lopes! Don't tell me you forgot."

And based on the quizzical look on her face—probably due to the fact that a complete stranger had not only appeared in the night out of the blue, but had taken such a familiar tone with her, as if they weren't only now just meeting for the very first time—the first step in Minato's twelve (sometimes sixteen (very rarely 21)) step approach to wooing hunnies was a success.

Dante and his boyfriend weren't even acknowledged.

 
Last edited:
Takahiro Sugita
CS Link
SCENE:
Post Arc-3|| Confidential Motivations
LOCATION:
North District, Taka's Apartment
DATE:
July 1st, 2022
PARTICIPANTS:
Takahiro, Peyton ( Coyote Hart Coyote Hart )
Confidential Motivations
"How do you like my apartment, I know it's not the nicest but having your own place is great. That feeling of independence is something you don't want to let go." Takahiro said, turning to face his guest. He gave him a bright smile as he began to pour himself a glass of whiskey. He had quite a few bottles leftover from a party earlier in the week, so might as well try and get rid of the supply. He took a small sip, his face twinging a bit because of the bite the whiskey had. "You don't look like a whiskey type of guy, so I'll just get you a beer." Taka turned away from his guest once more, opening his fridge to grab Peyton his drink. Takahiro's fridge was well organized, everything having a place and purpose. In fact, his apartment was rather clean despite how much partying he did. He thought it was best to treat his home with respect, that's why he always kept it clean.

Taka grabbed a beer, closing the fridge shut. In one swift movement, he twisted the cap off, placing the cap in the trash. Before he could hand off the drink to Peyton, he had to do something first. He placed Peyton's drink on the counter, retrieving a small clear pouch from his pocket. "This will only take a moment." Taka's voice was rather gentle, a sign that he was comfortable around Peyton. He poured a small line of the white powder from the pouch, zipping it up as he put it away. "Can't have fun unless you are a little high." After rolling up a bill, he snorted the substance, recoiling back. The blue hue's in his eyes lit up, like he just received the spark of life. "You can have some snow if you want to, my stash is your stash." Taka's bright smile never left his face, grabbing Peyton's drink and his whiskey.

He sat down on the couch next to Peyton, handing him his drink. Taka took a sip from his whiskey, setting it on the coffee table in front of them. "I'm glad you accepted my invitation. We don't hang out that often and I always wanted to spend the day with you. Seeing your cute face around always brightens my day." Takahiro grabbed Peyton by the side, giving him a hug. He didn't squeeze tightly, the last thing he would want to do is hurt his guest. His hand retreated back to his side as he leaned back.

Taka closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a deep breath. "I'm a party animal but relaxing like this is always good for the soul." Once he opened them, his blue gaze settled onto Peyton. "Do you feel relaxed, darling?" He didn't want to be the only one enjoying himself.

 
Shishido Takakazu
CS Link
SCENE:
Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth
LOCATION:
Blast Off DVDs, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Takakazu, Dante ( Haze- Haze- ), Minato ( Elenion Aura Elenion Aura )
Returning Back Something You Don’t Own Is Basically Childbirth


Despite his pleading being entirely and utterly denied by the store worker, Tak continued his coiled grip around the woman’s leg, looking up at her with bloodshot eyes, pupils shaking, “Please don’t lock the door yet! Let’s talk this over!” He continued to beg, hoping to somehow breach the stoic woman’s heart.


Entirely unsuccessful, her keys jingled in her fingers as the loop of the chain hooked around her fingers, prepared to lock the door and finish her shift for the night. Just as she prepared to slot the key into the keyhole, a new voice caused her to freeze, glancing over her shoulder at the second man who had been quiet till now. Compared to the other man at her legs, he was much more intimidating, but that didn’t seem to bother her much.


“Sorry, but it’s against company policy. I’m not about to risk my job just so you two don’t have to spend a couple of dollars.” She calmly stated, despite her deadpan inflection the faintest bits of distaste dripped from her tongue like a venom as her tied eyes went half-lidded. She didn’t care about how bad the movie was, and she wasn’t interested in any sort of deal either.


Tak hadn’t moved from his spot clenched around the woman’s legs, looking up at her with his pleading eyes even if she was clearly avoiding looking at him, staring at Dante instead. It was only his partner in crime’s soft kick that broke him out of the delusion that his puppy eyes would actually go anywhere, prompting him to hop back to his feet and step back to stand next to Dante, matching his nervousness with his own.


“Oi, what the hells is the plan here? How are we supposed to get this broad to look the other way?” Tak hoped Dante had thought of something he didn’t, seeing as he was looking so deep in thought. Surely he had some way to get past this guardian of rental DVDs, that didn’t include just kicking her ass, that is.


There was a prominent impatience in the air as the green-haired woman peered at them, seeing if they had anything else to say before she could finish what she was doing in peace. At this rate, she might even have to get them to leave, and that would be a pain.


“If that’s all…” She trailed off, completely prepared to lock the door, and put this whole weird thing behind her, that hope was dashed as another voice suddenly joined the scene, causing her to slightly raise her head and eyes to perk up the faintest smidge.


Suddenly joining this duo was a third man to make it a trio of weirdos who had decided to come down at closing time. To make matters all the more weird, he talked as if they were old high school buddies. She squinted at him, taking in his flashy appearance.


Tak was so focused on the rental store, he hadn’t even noticed someone new had taken the scene, blinking in confusion as the woman’s expression suddenly changed and her focus was directed elsewhere. His eyes followed hers as he looked over his shoulder, blinking at the new face who had suddenly joined them.


“Who the hell is this fruit?” Tak outwardly asked, raising a finger to point at the man with his thumb, then snapping his head over to Dante, “Who the hell is this fruit?” He repeated his question directly instead of spitting it out to the world for anyone to grasp.


Not paying any attention to the two stooges, Minato had succeeded in getting the woman’s attention, gazing at him from her weary eyes as she formulated her pre-conceptions about the man just from looking at him, but whatever she thought, the main thing was to set the record straight that she wasn’t who he thought before things got weirder.


“I’ve never met you before,” She responded flatly, in her usual cold and callous attitude. As far as she was concerned, this was just someone else who was making her life harder.


 
Shishido Takakazu
CS Link
SCENE:
If Something Tastes Funny, Try It Again
LOCATION:
Central District
DATE:
May 6th, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3
PARTICIPANTS:
Takakazu, Dante ( Haze- Haze- ), Nao ( tityanya tityanya )
If Something Tastes Funny, Try It Again

The flashing lights encapsulated it all.


Desires, dreams. As the colors flashed and changed, as those who had their visages illuminated danced, the skies felt so close. The spectrums of strobe lights were their stars, the disco ball their moon, forgetting what awaits them under the sun.


Escapism. Freedom from all that hoped to pain them, every sip of booze brought them a pleasurable buzz, and every indulgence of narcotics liberated them.


With every flash of light, the silhouettes of people, their hollow shells feasted on outside pleasure. Every glass that reached lips, every pill swallowed. Bodies rubbed against each other, polished nails wrapped around necks, grabbed at hips.


The loud music deafened it all out, its loud bass and astringent tones fueling the flames that kept the bodies moving. All the scenes blurred together in a mess of different people and times, bursts of iridescence being the only sign times had changed.


This disjointed focus was not sustainable, eventually, the view found itself with no other place to go to escape the madness but the small bar nestled in the corner, away from the dance floor. The bartender held a shaker tin between his hands, mixing the spirits offbeat from the music.


The polished steel lid opened, and the amber liquid was poured over clear ice, the force of the flow clinking it against the glass as it filled below the rim. The man behind the bar finished it with a twist of citrus, his seasoned hands swirling it across the rim, spreading its oils aromatically through the air, before placing it on top of a black napkin where it belonged.


Delicately polished nails, their purple sheen glistened, reflecting the lights from above as they dainty grasped the neck of the martini. But, she did not move it, instead, her hands rested where they were.


The still surface of the drink reflected her face, her trimmed black bangs hanging loosely across her face. She bore into her own image in silence, the sounds of rampant music and ecstatic shouts faded in the distance, replaced by the ruffling of the satin fabric of her velvety dress, her hand moving away from the glass to dip away from the table.


It returned shortly after, but it did not return to grasp at the drink, it floated above, her fingers holding something pinched between her forefinger and thumb. She loosened her grasp, allowing it to fall into the glass, not even making so much as a sploosh. It was just another raindrop falling into the ocean.


The alcohol did not fizz, it did not bubble. There was no reaction, as the tiny capsule floated to the bottom of the glass, resting in the centrum. It was bright red, unmistakable. It was only moments later when it was now flowing upwards, only to shift downwards towards the shifting gravity, guided to a pair of plush lips.


It did not garnish the cocktail. It was the other way around, the flavor of booze only was the baking note. The warmth that hung around her throat and collar did not compare to the heat that grew from her chest and spread outward. The cloud of alcohol didn’t compare to the fog that began to take over her mind.


Holding a smile had never felt so natural. A desire to breathe and take a breath that had never been as coherent. It was sobering as it was intoxication. The lights from the club seemed all the brighter, the sounds of music and cheering all the more pleasing. This was not just a club anymore, it had become a Nirvana.


It was a Miracle.


And they wanted it to last forever.










ezgif.com-gif-maker_3.gif





White tennis shoes went down concrete steps with the faintest of clicks, the formerly clean, white synthetic muddied and dirtied by years of use and general uncaring. They eventually reached the bottom, stopping once they departed the final step.


There were only the faintest bits of light that hung outside of buildings to illuminate the way forward insects buzzing underneath the blue-tinted lights. A wide alley shrouded in shadows and gaps.


The faraway whirrs of cars far behind indicated how far away this place was from the main strips of civilization. From the outside, it seemed that there was no reason to walk down such a long and empty alleyway, the only things worth looking at were the colorful graffiti that decorated the brick walls, and peeks of the designs sneaking into the light.


However, this alley had a purpose. One that was revealed in sound. The faintest traces of murmurs, the dull hums of bass that tingled below the feet. Anyone who had lived long enough in New Oasis could know what these signs lead to. The thriving underground nightlife.


“Damn, sounds like there really IS a club down this way. I was half expectin’ the crazy bitch was just luring me into a trap so she could jump me for drug money.” A gruff and dull voice pried the focus away from the dimly lit alley ahead, the same worn tennis shoes from before stepped forward ahead the perspective wormed its way up his body, trailing past the wrinkled layers of clothing he wore to the back of his head, his messy, uncombed, bed hair on full display as he reached a hand back behind his neck to scratch as it.


“...Nah, that would be dumb. She knows I’m broke…then again snorting coke can get you to do some crazy things like kidnap orphans for ransom,” He murmured to himself, even though he didn’t believe that he was gonna get mugged he continued to mumble on, after all, he wouldn’t have come if he didn’t trust the person who invited him. And he definitely wouldn’t have brought someone else along with him.


Speaking of that ‘someone else…’


“Oi!” The messy-looking man snapped out of his cocaine-focused hypotheticals to look over his shoulder up the stairs, pupilless eyes glaring. “Ya coming or not!? Night doesn't last forever, you know?! By the time we get there all the girls are gonna have their dance partners already! It’s gonna be prom all over again!”

 
Dante Aguilar
CS Link
SCENE:
If Something Tastes Funny, Try It Again
TIME:
May 6th, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3
LOCATION:
Central District
INTERACTIONS:
Nao ( tityanya tityanya ), Tak ( thebigfella thebigfella ), Dante
If Something Tastes Funny, Try It Again

Tonight had a beautiful moon, a rare sight for him nowadays. Full and pale, gleaming aglow with a serene ether, basking him in it— a true lover, unlike the overbearing sun.

For him, this would’ve been a night to relax, lick his wounds dry; but when duty called, duty called.

This time around, duty hadn’t called whatsoever, he’d just answered Tak’s call out of force of habit.

He was beginning to half-regret it by now, but he always began to half-regret when it came down to Tak. The feeling would creep in sooner or later. Dante was used to it by now, so he bit down and walked quietly behind him.

He’d feel the thumping on his feet, underground and off-beat— hell, he could almost see the sea of bodies waving around in the whole danse macabre down there.

“Hm.” — He scoffed; a light smile bloomed. Eyebrows then knitting together, furrowed brow, shaky, almost too thoughtful.

It was a beautiful night, sure was. But it was in nights like these, where the music rang loud through the walls and crawl between his heartbox, that he’d feel his mouth dry up and his neck tighten.

Reminded of a truth he’d never gotten off his chest, something pent up years ago. He’d ache the most in nights like these, where he’d remember her face, remember that girl’s name. They were both inseparable back at the orphanage, even through all the shit Dante got himself into back in the day.

He remembers the both of them sneaking into nightlife districts like these. Like a pair of raccoons ransacking the night.

They’d stuff a whole bottle into their jacket and amble back out, they’d spend all day like that, arms at their side like a penguin— there really wasn’t any safe spot to stack them in, not back at the orphanage with all the nuns and nosy foster-siblings.

When the sister’s had gone off to sleep, they’d be taking pulls at it, or at least try to— she’d be daring, pressing the glass loops to his face with this shit-eating, rosy-cheeked grin. He doesn’t even remember her getting one down, not without making a sour face; hell, sometimes even before the bottle hit her lips, she’d be shoving the drink outta her face.

“…” — The two of them had gone from all those things, being ‘sinful heathens’ behind watchful eyes, to a dead drunk Dante holding back her hair as she choked on her own vomit at some underground rave in the West. Both of them still laughing their asses off at it, on top of the world.

A life of vanity, all moon-lust and cheap whiskey. Without claws, without fangs; without having to hide, without the glare of watchful eyes— away from the north and the prejudice of the orphanage.

Where they could be just kids stealing bottles from behind the counter for the next year or so. All day; sun came down, and then it was all night. Until the grimy clutches of an adult life eventually caught up to them.

Her name was Dani.

“…” — Fuck, he missed her.

“Tch.” — Fuck, he loved her.

Every bit of her.

But she was in the past now — “Ya coming or not!?”

“I’m right behind you, asshole.” — The present was annoying.

“No fuckin’ way you made it to prom night, not even in an alternate dimension.” — He scoffs, head locked down and tracing every step down those stairs — “Shit, you probably didn’t even make it into high-school—what’s the square root of ten?”

Dante tried to get him with a sucker punch, a low blow. The square root of ten and the four digits of pi, he recalled that much from high-school. One of the teacher’s had drilled that into him. He had bragging rights. He had a whole sing-song of it burned into his mind.

Ess-Cue-Arr-Tee of ten was: 4.10…

Wait…

“Fuck, what IS the square root of ten…?” — He scratched at the back of his head, feeling the braincells slip out of one ear — “Ah, whatever.”

He fanned him off, got back to walking.

“So, this chick,” — Dante started — “How long have you known her for? And please don’t tell me you’ve just met and you’re trusting her to not roofie up our drinks tonight. I’m already coming down a high after being Cam’s errand boy last night...I’m good staying conscious-sober tonight.”

He had battle scars even tonight, the type that’d make Tak wonder just what the fuck Camila had sent Dante out to do last night.

Right arm in a thick cast, a marker-smush tainting the padded white surface, gauze looped over his neck and holding it close to the chest.

One eye looking lazier than normal, a dark circle surrounding it and a miniscule bulge of bundled blood clotting like it were a birthmark— a red mole.

A good inch or three of scar coming up the side his upper lip, splitting it, driving up to that same eye like a hand reaching to the sun.

Didn’t look handsome under the sweater either, it was all sore muscle and open wound. Still stinging.

Even as he opened his mouth to speak, Tak might’ve seen the ‘snake bite’ on the tip of his tongue. He’d heard about certain places up in the north where, if they’d caught you, the snakes would take a switchblade to your mouth and… Yeah.

Never thought he’d experience it himself. It was one hell of a look later that day when he saw himself in the mirror first thing in the morning.

Dante at least had a bulletproof alibi for all of those beauty marks.

The arm? Rolled off his bike.

The eye and the lip? Splattered right on the floor.

The tongue? Surgically split, it’s a nice look.

At least those excuses kept his sister from having a heart-attack when she first saw him.

Maybe the bouncer would eat those up too.

“Shit, might even take half-conscious-sober if she’s paying for everything.” — He took down the last step with Tak, the booming music was ever so present in the area now, damn near blowing his eardrum out.
 
Shishido Takakazu
CS Link
SCENE:
If Something Tastes Funny, Try It Again
LOCATION:
Central District
DATE:
May 6th, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3
PARTICIPANTS:
Takakazu, Dante ( Haze- Haze- ), Nao ( tityanya tityanya )
If Something Tastes Funny, Try It Again

His brash address of Dante naturally got a rigid response in turn, it was only natural, the science of equal forces.

Despite the weak lighting, the abundance of disfigurements to Dante’s usual appearance was still apparent. Tak hadn’t bothered to ask about them, he had no reason to. Whatever curiosity was in him entirely stifled as he ignored the problems and continued on as normal.

Despite all the injuries he had still invited Dante, and Dante was the one who decided to come. Hell, even if he turned it down Tak probably would have still dragged him over, much better than letting the wounded man sit around and mull over how battered his body was. Tak knew that there were very few feelings worse than being cooped up in your apartment and having nothing to focus on except ongoing aches and pains.

Though, considerations for Dante’s well-being promptly ended when the pale-skinned man decided to jab at him about his school life, denouncing the very concept that he could have gone to prom or even high school at all.

“What the hell does math gotta do anything with me goin’ to prom? You just tryin’ to piss me off!?!” Tak shot back at Dante’s assertions, clear agitation in his face and tone as he scowled at Dante. What the hell was a square root anyway?

He only ended up finding the situation all the more annoying as Dante realized he had no clue what the square root of ten was either, “You don’t know!?” Tak clenched his fist in front of his face as he accusingly shouted at Dante, his pupils briefly disappearing and only leaving whites as he bared his sharpened teeth. It was short-lived frustration, and as Dante brushed it off Tak simply exhaled out of his nose, shoving his hands into his pockets as he turned back around and got back to walking, slowing his pace so Dante could catch up.

As the pair strolled down the alley, their steps echoing off the walls as the music grew closer, Dante shifted the conversation back to why they were here in the first place, an invitation. Not for them both, actually, one that Tak received, and then so humbly decided to extend to Dante without asking for permission, of course, it would be fine to bring him, that’s what he decided. He didn’t think much further than that it would be fun.

“I’ve known here for about a year, I think. I haven’t really been keepin’ track,” Tak casually responded, head tilting upward as he looked up toward the sky, “At first we just had a habit of running into each other, usually at parties, then somewhere along the way we ended up tradin’ phone numbers,” He weaved the story of their connection apathetically, reminiscing about didn’t make feel any better, he had got himself involved with a real annoyance.

“...She’s a bit of a freak...but she ain’t a bad person,” Tak drew out a weak mumble of trust from his lips as he stopped focusing on the sky to look forward. Despite acting as if he had apprehensions, the fact remained that he had come all the way here to meet her, and even brought a friend.

“But, if you do end up gettin’ drugged, just know that it was your choice to drink it. Take it as a sign that it’s time to go sober,” Tak looked at Dante with an awkward half-smile, following up his statement of faith with one of uncertainty, not holding any responsibility if things went wrong.

While they walked and talked, the former distant buzz of voices had gone from whispers in the wind to an evident clamoring, the reverb of bass-heavy music had gone from scant tremors to pulses of undercurrent.

image_11.png

​

Glancing at the neon sign in front of them, the buzz of current running through it barely audible past the loud music, Tak’s eyes slowly traveled downward to the set of stairs that sat before them, it was an underground nightclub, in both the societal and physical sense, it seemed.

Tak placed his hand against the cold metal railing, gritty hands scraping across the unpolished and chipped metal as he walked down the chipped tiled steps, until finally reaching the bottom and turning the corner.

Finally, they had reached all the action, the small line that stood outside of the open metal door, bursts of color visible as it filled the whole room and leaked outside. Standing guard were two bouncers, both of them handling people by looking at IDs, while the outside looked scroungy, the finely threaded suits and glossy black shoes, expensive-looking sunglasses, and earpieces showed that this business wasn’t no ramshackle get together, this was the real deal, hiding where no one would expect, maybe it was just aesthetic.

“I never woulda thought one of the most popular clubs would be in someone's basement," Tak mumbled, looking around as the line quickly moved forward. There already were people appearing from behind and extending the line, continuing to fill the capacity. With two bouncers, it wasn’t long until Dante and Tak reached the front and had to show their IDs.

Tak didn’t waste any time, pulling out his from his pocket and handing it over, it seemed he was too cheap to even buy a wallet. The bouncer simply nodded, handing his identification back and stepping aside to let him walk in.

Immediately, he was forced to take in the abundance of irradiance of strobe lights across the nightclub. The pollution of noise from music and voices was much different when you stood among it. People were everywhere, they talked, they danced, they drank, and the masses of bodies were so thick, the intentionally muted lighting making it hard to make anyone out.

Tak took it all in, standing still at the doorway as his brows knitted together, a single sweat going down the side of his face.

“How the hell am I supposed to find her in this shit!?”

 
PEYTON XIONG
CS Link
SCENE:
Meet and Grit
LOCATION:
The Third Eye, Central District
TIME:
Post-Arc 3 || Morning of July 8th
PARTICIPANTS:
Peyton, Keith

MEET AND GRIT
He hadn't met this man before? Perhaps Peyton was mistaken. It wouldn't be the first time he was. Perhaps it was just deja vu. But for some reason, Peyton still felt like he recognized this man from somewhere.

The young man introduced himself as Keith, and Peyton eagerly took Keith's hand and shook it. "The name's Peyton! Nice to meet you!"

Yeah, Keith definitely was a familiar name. But at the moment, Peyton couldn't put his finger on where. Was he a Dragon? Or maybe a fellow Serpent? A customer at the bookshop that he worked at?

"Seems like Miss Mallick is really popular these days!" Peyton said, following Keith's gaze forward. It seemed like they were going to be waiting well into noon. Peyton also took a look back too, and realized that they were marginally lucky-- there was already a long line piling up behind them. Peyton began gushing about how good the books were, "Her newest book was the great! The reveal of the killer be--"

Suddenly, Peyton stopped himself. Woops. He almost delved into spoiler territory. Instead, he pulled out his copy of the Seventh Howl from his bag and asked Keith, his excitement barely contained, "Have you read this one? I think it's my favorite of her's!"

But now that Peyton looked right at Keith, he noticed the gloves that the man had on. It was a strange sight. Peyton realized that when he had shook Keith's hands, he almost felt like he was going to immediately start sweating. Was the warm fabric of the gloves the culprit? He had to comment on it, "Gloves during the summer? Isn't that super warm? Want some ice cream to cool off? I have plenty!"

Roda the Red Roda the Red
 
MdLJ4uG.jpg

𝑵𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐
​
𝒜𝓈: 𝒩𝒶𝑜
Scene: If Something Tastes Funny, Try It Again
Time: May 6th, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3
I am here: Central District Club
With: Tak and Dante​

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

╔════════════════════╗

Naomi was painfully, irritatingly, agonizingly sober. She wasn't sober very often, and never for this long. She had heard the whispers in the streets for days--a new miracle was going to appear tonight, at this club. A new drug to revolutionize the scene. Naomi was immediately entranced. She had only had Miracle a few times--it was a very expensive, very elusive drug. Very few gave it out for free. She could still remember, even now, how it felt--like simultaneously being high and sober. Pure euphoria, untainted. She was quite lucky it was hard for her to find--the habit would be infinitely more expensive than the cocaine one she had now. But these whispers--a new miracle. What would it be like? Naomi wanted to take it untainted, pure. So she went through the trouble of detoxing for an entire day. No weed, no cigarettes, no cocaine. She wasn't even drinking alcohol--she didn't want anything to interfere with the purity of this new drug. It...sucked. She hoped it was worth it.

The problem with not being sober at a club was that nothing quite hit the same. The lights weren't as pretty. The beat of the music didn't hit as hard. And undoubtedly due to her detox, she had some major resting bitch face that was stopping people from approaching her. So she had sighed, and pulled out her phone. She had one person to call on to liven up a party, no matter how boring it was. Tak. That man was a walking chaos machine, and he could inject life into even the stalest of parties. So she texted him her location with a heart, asking him to come. She then meandered over to a couch close to the entrance, and rested her head back, her virgin daquiri resting carefully on her lap, clasped between her hands. She needed to put herself out there. The drug was undoubtedly already circulating--but the pounding music made her head pound in a painful way. She did have a small baggie of cocaine tucked away inside her bra just in case--no! She shouldn't think that way. As soon as Tak got here, she would be able to perk up and find someone to give her the new miracle. Yeah, that was a good plan.

She wasn't sure how long she waited there. She knew that the longer she waited, the more likely it was that Tak would walk through the door. So she delicately crossed her legs, resting her elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand. He wouldn't be able to find her in the writhing throng of people--so she needed to be alert and find him. She supposed it was a good thing she was sober, then. She wouldn't have been able to sit still on cocaine, and on weed this waiting would have felt like a lifetime. Ah, there! Naomi was always struck by Tak. He had the potential to be so handsome, if he just tried. He was wearing clothes that she could see were crumpled even from where she was, and his hair was mussed like he had just gotten out of bed. She was stricken by the idea of "accidentally" dumping her daquiri all over him. She had a change of Noam's clothes in the car, and she was fairly certain they would fit Tak. She could lend them to him as an apology, and maybe style his hair at the same time--ah, who was she kidding. Tak would probably just shrug off the pink stain on his clothes and continue wearing them. Then she would have to hang out with a rumpled, stained man all evening.

She wrapped her hand around her daquiri, pushing herself up off the couch and taking a sip. Mmm, strawberry. Tak was searching the crowd, undoubtedly wondering how he was going to find her. Well, good for him that she had been so thoughtful and considerate about that and had been waiting by the entrance! She bounced over to him, taking his arm and locking her free arm in his, pressing her chest against his side. "Boo! Here I am!" she said, resisting the urge to spill the daquiri. It wouldn't work. Tak was impervious to manipulation like that. From the corner of her eye, she saw another man standing closely to Tak. Oh lord, he looked like a wreck. She gave him a quick glance before retuning her attention to Tak. Who had beaten that guy up? His arm was in a cast, and his eye was a vivid red from bruising, not from make-up. Why was he at a club? He should be at home, resting. Unaware that he was a friend of Tak's, though, she didn't give him any more attention than that glance. He was probably here for the new miracle, broken arm be damned. No, her attention was on how to convince Tak that he needed an outfit change and his hair combed.

╚════════════════════╝​

((ooc: ))
((Outfit: Red Dress with red high heels))
((Die in the Disco))

Haze- Haze- thebigfella thebigfella
 
SEBASTIAN SE
CS Link
SCENE:
Fuzzy Dice
LOCATION:
On the Road, Central District
TIME:
April 30th, 2022
PARTICIPANTS:
Sebastian, Inigo
FUZZY DICE
So this was what it was like to have a partner in crime. Police partner. Not partner in crime. Sebastian was usually a one-man force in his time at the precinct. His job was a bit odd after all-- a hybrid of a prosecutor and a police officer. Ripe for bias incidents but excellent for making a modicum of justice happen in this nearly forsaken city. But today it was different.

With Eric out for the day, Sebastian had been relieved of his duties as a prosecutor and assigned to Eric's boyfriend... err... his partner. Apparently they weren't a thing even with their chemistry. Honestly, with a fair maiden like Inigo Han, full of dashing looks, locks of smooth snow-white hair, and golden eyes, it was surprising that Eric hadn't been turned gay yet.

As soon as both Sebastian and Inigo got the memo that they would be temporarily assigned to work with each other, there seemed to be a nonverbal agreement that they weren't going to get anything done that day. Honestly, Sebastian welcomed the change in pace. The paperwork and lack of trials were getting to Sebastian. All work and no play made Seb a cranky boy. And so, that was how they now found themselves dressed in civilian clothing at the drive-through at the coffee shop.

"Could I get a caramel macchiato? And a cake pop?" Sebastian asked. He was craned across the central console over Inigo's lap to reach the driver's side window, where he was doing his best to convey his coffee order. The prosecutor knew how much he was in Inigo's personal space, but he just hoped that the more vicious officer didn't mind. Sebastian did his best to turn towards Inigo and failed, as literally half of his torso was out of the window. Regardless, he tried to ask Inigo, "Do you want anything?"

simj26 simj26
 
Leaf W. Natali
SCENE:
. . .
TIME:
. . .
LOCATION:
. . .
PARTICIPANTS:
. . .
. . .

The rain poured; the devil was crying.

The clouds were bloated and grim above him, weeping skies turned a deep, impenetrable black.

It was a widow’s sky, a grieving moon.

His ears were ringing.

His eyes were locked on the rivulets of crimson darkening his shirt. He felt the blood pooling onto the folds, pushed to his skin, yet creeping down, mixing with the heavy rain. He ran a shaky hand through it, with waning, almost feverish focus. Slick at his side, fingers slipped uselessly against it, hoping for a sharp, inebriating shock of pain— but he was too shot up with adrenaline to even feel it.

Nothing.

Nothing below the waist.

One heartbeat, two, and no more; he stood there like he wasn’t there to begin with. His gaze staggered, pupils danced madly, drifting from the blood swirl in the rain and up to the droplets themselves. Not wanting to focus on anything else. He listened. He felt.

The air was thick with the stench of sweat and grime, and blood, bloody metal. Rust. Rust between his front-row teeth. He’d tease it with his tongue, dwelling on it, the taste was beginning to loosen on his mind. Like it’d become familiar, like it’d become the usual.

The ringing became sharp, it jabbed a this ears— a whisper, a promise, an unrelenting promise.

Colorless gleam-drops held a steady, even drumming that drowned out the sound of all else. It thrummed on his shoulders, down the neck— slithering, burbling into the drains of the dark alley where he stood.

He wanted to stay in the gentle white noise of the rain a while longer. Hear it crash and hear it break over the rooftops. He wanted to live in a world without rationale, without thought, just movement.

But that world did not exist.

A hand pealed against the rough patch of concrete, right ahead of him, a splash. The ringing peaked, and he was back in his body, pulled back to the present. He remembered why he was there in the rain, eyes slowly moving down to the shape in front of him.

The redhead only watches him, steady, like he were examining him. He watches him wipe his bloodied nose on a drenched sleeve, watches as he stammers on a shuddering, weak breath, until fear finally squeezes the man's eyes shut. Face wrinkling, caving, like he were about to cry. The switchblade was there trembling at his hand, the same one he’d used to stick him on the gut.

A piercing wail shook the chill air, and he followed it— tramped down the man’s way through the rutted, filthy alley in a sullen, quiet rage. His eyes bared down on him with a killer’s intent.

Almost hesitant, yet he knew. This is what the man in front of him deserved. And this is what he wanted.

This grimy, gut-wrenching, dirty feeling. This was strength, this was power.

This is what he needed.

The man opened his mouth to speak through staggering breaths, bringing the shaky blade up at him. His mouth kept moving. It spoke a language he understood. Shouting. Threatening. Pleading. He didn’t hear a damn thing he said. All noise. All nonsense.

Animals didn’t speak. Animals didn’t apologize. Animals weren’t human, so they weren’t judged as such.

He knew that.

Rabid dogs were put to sleep.

The man lunged at him, rising from the sodden ground on trembling feet. The man with the red hair did not move, he took the blade once again, sat the poor bastard back down with a kick. His head whipped back and slammed against the floor, the blood jet-sprayed, a loud crack silenced the rain.

Now he could hear him squirm, he could hear him plead.

Please?

A restless promise; resentful, like an old, unstitched wound. He couldn’t stop hearing that damned ringing, that quiet hum-buzz, it drowned out his thoughts, it ate and gnawed at his ear— even though it wasn’t there.

He didn’t know when he’d gotten on him, but he was on him. His fists were balled, clenched hard enough for the merest trickle of blood to seep from the gaps. He didn’t know when he'd started, but his hands were moving on their own now.

Pounding.

Over and over again.

Please??

Every hit shook and traveled up his arm, he felt it deep in his bones, like a dog-bite. Lightning, raw lightning, creasing the nerves and tightening his throat. He couldn’t stop. He could only see red, blood red.

PLEASE????

Later, much later, once the rain would ease on them and drag away their filth, to become a morsel, no more than a bare stain on the world's easel— he would look upon his bloody hands with remorse. Guilt. He would feel it throbbing on each individual finger, black-and-blue, clamming his fists shut with a quivering shame.

And he would wonder if he'd made a terrible mistake that night.

It would feel as though his ears would never stop ringing, long after the rain had passed.




Leaf W. Natali
CS Link
SCENE:
Misery Hates Company
TIME:
November 30th, 2021 || Pre-Arc 3
LOCATION:
South District, Leaf's Apartment; Early Morning
PARTICIPANTS:
Little Red, Punching Bag
MISERY HATES COMPANY

A couple of hours before the rain. . .​
“Hrmnn…” — The room tilted as he shot up from the blankets, like a porpoise out the shallow, taking a breath of fresh air, flailing hands. He would’ve had the same braindead face as a porpoise too.

Dazzled beyond saving, still being dragged and pulled at the shoulders by the ever-so-persuading bed-sheets, he squinted at the phone vibrating on the night stand. Leaf stumbled, coming to a vivid, disorienting close-up on it.

A name was written on chalk, stark letters— ‘Red.’

Fuck…

His jaw tightened, looking at the phone like a man on death-row. And maybe he was, really— she wasn’t supposed to be at his door this early in the damn morning, now, was she? Or was she?

Did he do something wrong?

Leaf ran a pair of restless hands through that messy, red mane of his. Giving the thought a whirl, like he were rolling it around inside his skull.

There really was no way of telling with Red. You were either on beat with her tempo— lighting-fast as it was— or you weren’t. That, or maybe she was just messing with you.

It was a thing of logic; he’d convinced himself that it was. If he did exactly as she wanted, the way she wanted, he’d be certain then. He’d be certain that she wouldn’t just amp up his ‘trials’ for the hell of it.

Funny thing is, certainty had nothing to do with logic— Leaf just didn’t know, not at all. That’s a thought he’d spent countless nights, of sleep-strolling and of mindless-wandering, nightmaring about.

He never really enjoyed being at a stranger’s whim; in his mind she could very well turn around and call it today.

“You weren’t ready, you’re not in.”

Today he’d find out, today he’d know.

His face was all pain, nerves and tension as he crawled out of bed. He stretched, rays of light hammered on his eyes, dissipating the fog. The floor had a grit to it, bitingly cold on the feet.

A light, a gloom, something— both gleamy and awfully dark— poured in from a slit in the flailing curtains, angled up to show the full-splendor of the balcony, the only thing fancy about the room. He’d watch the rough latticework of the sliding doors leading to it, squint at the mismatch framing of it, and he’d groan.

Too groggy to make the conscious effort of hissing, clicking the tongue, and cursing up a storm as he’d usually do. It was another one of those days; one of those days where, by the time the sun came down, his hands would have a smell of cigarette and the tip of his fingers’d sting with the bite of a cold one.

He didn’t want to be sober by the end of it, not after what Red would send him out to do. Whatever it’d be.

Leaf stretched, the worries ebbed away and he looked forward, gone full autopilot. Willing the legs towards the door, he leaned on it, the living room made a snap into blurred focus and 20’ was there— leaning on a door himself. The front door, he was looking through the peephole.

He grumbled something, akin to a ‘Morning’ in an alien, estranged tongue from a faraway planet, stealing a quick glance from 20’. He waved him from where he stood — “Yo, man…!”— Scream whispered, urged him over with a hand

“Yeah…Sup, what’s…uhh…What d’you need.” — He wiped the dry crust at the butt of his eye with a lazy hand, flicked it away. His focus drifted from 20’s red, messy mane to the light tapping on the door.

“There’s this little girl knocking on the door...! Can you get her for me?”

“…Get her for you?” — He raised a brow. Was he asleep too?

“Yeah, I think she’s lost...”— 20’ squints at the peephole, drawling —“She’s like, uhhhhh…Cosplaying or somethin’. I dunno, bro. I haven’t seen her around this floor at all, y’know I’m not good with kids— they’re annoying…!”

“I mean just—LOOK AT...Ch—Just check it out, dawg. Her cosplay is all fucked up, the colors don’t match, the-th-the hat’s too big, it’s all eyesore and shit— it’s pissing me off, dude…! Like, fuck’s her problem…!? I would’ve complained if my parents did me that dirty…” — He was getting too hand-gestury with his speech, Leaf knew where this was going.

Leaf ran a hand down his face, pulling, maybe trying to drag the tire out of his system.

He sighed, stepped up, nudging him aside to look into the peephole himself— lo’ and behold, it was Red.

“That’s a full-woman, I know her…”

“Huh?”

“She’s small.”

“Ohhh…!”

20’s head craned back slightly, a long nod and a look of awe, dumb-founded awe. Like he’d been enlightened with the secrets of generations passed.

“Wait wha…?” — He pondered over this revelation.

Leaf looked at him, dead still; only a light twitch in the eye.

“Just leave, man. She’s phoenix.” — His voice was deep from a clinging slumber, hoarse, Leaf was still rubbing the blur out of his eyes as they spoke. 20’ immediately perked up, retracing the steps back to his rooms with the grace of a cat — “Is she nooow? Ha ha—that’s fuckin’ crazyyy, man~”

That weird half-smile of his began forming on his face, the shaky kind, with the feigned chuckles and the head-scratches, the one that isn’t really a smile in any way shape or form — “Y’all have fun, then.”

Leaf sighed, snapped the chainlock free and began to fumble with the handle itself — “Are the others awake, or no?”

“37’s out for groceries, 26’s out there aligning his chakras under a waterfall or somethin’— whatever homeless people from the east get up to nowadays. And you already know where 80’s at.”

Asleep, as usual.

20’ bowed like a showman, rounding the corner as Leaf went to finally open the door for her.

He looked down at her first, trying to read any intent, catch a twitch in her expression, translate any stray thought that might’ve slipped her facade. He came to no conclusion.

“Sorry to keep you waiting…”

He loosened the joints, stretched the shoulders a little more. Wondering if she’d ran up the stairs or taken the elevator.

“Where are we going today? I’m all set.”



 
Last edited:
PEYTON XIONG
CS Link
SCENE:
Confidental Motivations
LOCATION:
Taka's Apartment, North District
TIME:
Post-Arc 3 || July 1st, 2022
PARTICIPANTS:
Peyton, Takahiro

CONFIDENTAL MOTIVATIONS
"Hear hear!" Peyton said to Takahiro, "Your apartment is pretty cool! It's much better than the one I had before!"

Peyton was kneeling at the ports of Takahiro's television, fiddling with the cords of his game console in order to properly attach it. It had been nice for Takahiro to invite him over. Peyton was sure that they were going to have a blast. But there was an ulterior reason for Peyton coming over-- he was exceptionally jealous at how well Takahiro got along with Raphael. He should've been the one in bed with the homomancer*, not this guy! And so he was here to gather intel... but also to have fun.

He returned to the couch just as Takahiro arrived with their whiskey and beer. The hug that Peyton received was firm and gentle, which Peyton reciprocated with arms wrapped around the man's firm yet slender waist. A happy, content smile was on Peyton's face, and he honestly wouldn't have minded if Takahiro squeezed a bit more tightly. But first, before he could join Taka in the games, there was the topic of snow.

"Thanks for the drugs! I promise not too take too much!" Peyton said as he stood up to the counter and pushed a small amount of the coke onto a plastic spoon. Peyton wasn't much of a drug user. When he was a teenager and in the Serpents, he had the lab people to discourage him from going into drugs. And when he was in the Dragons, there were no drugs to speak of. Even now, he was barely delving into experimenting with substance use when he was with friends.

Peyton gave the white powder a carefully neutral look, a spark of curiosity burning in his smile. He pulled up the spoon, opened his mouth, and let the cocaine fall on his stuck out tongue. A bitter taste permeated through his taste buds along with a numbing sensation as the powder dissolved. Peyton forced himself to swallow, then returned back to the couch.

"Alright! Now I'm relaxed!" Peyton declared, snuggling into the couch. There was plenty of room on the sofa, but Peyton's body was still pressed up against Takahiro's, and he even leaned back into Taka's shoulder, enjoying the press of flesh against flesh. "It's nice getting to just hang out with a friend or two, right? Especially with a good book! But a game is nice too!"

But even as he claimed to be relaxed, a word rang in his head. Darling. Was it just a word that was a part of Takahiro's lexicon? Or did he pick it up from Raph? Peyton's eyes narrowed as he remembered he wasn't just here for a good time. He was also here to gather intel and protect his territory.

For now, though, he wasn't going to immediately jump into asking Taka those questions. They needed to have some fun first. And what better fun than some games and alcohol? Peyton picked up his bottle of ice-cold beer and offered to tap it against Taka's whiskey, "Cheers! Do you wanna play a game? Or should we just wait for our high to come?"

((*I meant hemomancer, but I think the concept of a "homomancer" is funny so I'm just going to leave this here))


Slav Slav
 
Omar Ayad : The Black Dragon
CS Link
SCENE:
[Post-Arc 3] Dragon's Teeth
LOCATION:
The Azure Dragon's HQ, East District
TIME:
Pavel, Jessamine, Kanna, Jesper, Meirin, Yǔshuǐ, Omar.
[Post-Arc 3] Dragon's Teeth

Omar Ayad had for some time wondered why the heads of the Azure Dragons were not doing anything to the ever growing problem that was plaguing the Azure Dragons. The problem that has been gnawing at Azure Dragons claws and slowly made its way up to biting off a toe. Not many within the Azure Dragons group would like to admit this harsh truth but the over-reliance of the brothels has grown too large of a problem to hide underneath the rug and has painted an over sized bullseye on a blaring weakspot..

Maybe this is why Omar Ayad had worked hard in gathering people and corporations together to form the Eastington House conglomerate. Maybe Omar Ayad envied what the Albino Tigers casinos were able to achieve but then again the paperwork to allow the gambling ring to operate is one Omar Ayad would prefer not to get into the sticky business of government red tape well not yet for the time being. Maybe Omar Ayad envied the fact that the Sable Serpents and the Albino Tigers had a continuous source of income and customers that could be relied upon to always demand for their services. Even if those services had too much unnecessary risks involved for the businesses to operate.

Alas only thing is for certain ever since Omar Ayad had a hand in forming the Eastington House conglomerate and creating the contracts that binds them altogether that the rumors started to spread about Omar Ayad from rumors ranging to Omar Ayad might be working for the Azure Dragons to Omar Ayad being a hidden billionaire to even rumors about Omar Ayad being an unethical business man. Threats would have been better but these rumors keep on coming faster and faster than Omar Ayad could stomp them out. Maybe it was the stress or maybe the paranoia or maybe the continuous unsolicited calls and visits from crazy entrepreneurs or maybe something inside of him broke
" Fractured mind "
as Omar Ayad no longer looks like the man that he once was.

The being that now stands in the Cloud Citadel grand chamber staring menacingly back at the hand-painted mural of the Azure Dragon circling the heavens as the Azure Dragon leering at the being. The being looked at its own black claws clearly irritated at the hand-painted Azure Dragon that was looking down at him. Walking quietly as the peacekeepers were busy with their jobs as it stares at the screens absorbing ever bit of information and locations of where the security feeds were coming from. This being hid in the shadows where it could, staying as far away from the Throne were the Queen sat as it did not need to be far away to hear the Queens loud voice. The Queens orders seem to be one that Omar Ayad would have liked to hear but unfortunately he is not here in sound of mind. The being would watch as first Pavel Orlov left first and Kanna Katsura followed after. The being would walk silently as a Peacekeeper would look away for a moment as the being quickly inserted a usb into the surveillance terminal and it only took a second to upload the program before taking the usb back without anyone the wiser until everyone heard the third time the door closed and which raise their attentions when they noticed that no one saw who closed the door.

The bright hallways just irritated that being as it followed behind Kanna Katsura as she went outside would the being also followed behind her. Back outside where the nightsky seemed to welcome his return would anyone actually see what this being looked like. Dressed in black tuxedo that seems to be an intricate layer of black leather scales, long black arm warmers with leather gloves with claws attached to them, black dress pants, and black over the knee boots which seems to have sharp claws added to the toe cap of the shoes. Instead of a human head, it has a full faced black dragon mask that conceals the head of the wearer complete with black scales and red eyes. Basically a walking talking black dragonborn dressed in a tuxedo is what most would be seeing right now. In one hand, it carries a briefcase while the other hand was rifling through the coat pocket of the tuxedo to pull out a bronze pocket watch. The black dragon opens the watch to check the time before closing the face case as the black dragon places the pocket watch back into the coat pocket. The black dragon turns its body to the face the direction of the two people present before opening its mouth and uttering the words. " Omar the black dragon reporting in. " It has become very clear to anyone present that the mask can literally move its mouth as if it is talking and the eyes were able to focus on the two present. Omar did a lot of work for this costume or did he?

Slav Slav
simj26 simj26
QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel
AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa
Seaquill Seaquill

 
Takahiro Sugita
CS Link
SCENE:
Post Arc-3|| Confidential Motivations
LOCATION:
North District, Taka's Apartment
DATE:
July 1st, 2022
PARTICIPANTS:
Takahiro, Peyton ( Coyote Hart Coyote Hart )
Confidential Motivations
Taka brought his glass up to his lips, taking a sip before he replied to Peyton's question. "To be honest, I snorted some adderall before you got here so I'm already a bit spacy. Having some conversation doesn't hurt before we get competitive with the game." He said, downing the glass and setting it on the table, rising to get more. Feeling a bit spacy was an understatement. The combination of drugs in his system made Taka more relaxed than usual but also full of energy. He grabbed the whole bottle by the neck, humming as he made his way back over to his guest.

After pouring himself another glass, Taka placed the bottle on the table, plumping himself back down next to Peyton. He let his presence be known, pressing against Peyton as he spoke. "I would ask you some questions about your past... but I know how sensitive those conversations can get." He said, his blue gaze focusing on Peyton as he spoke. "Instead, I want to focus on the present!" A cheerful smile appeared on his face, turning his whole body so it was facing Peyton now. Sitting cross-legged, he gently grabbed Peyton's hands, his blue eyes meeting Peyton's yellow gaze. "So tell me! What's going on in your life? Surely your life can't be boring." Taka let out a small laugh, rubbing the knuckles of Peyton's hands with his thumbs.

Taka's goal was to get to know Peyton as much as possible without making him uncomfortable. He loved to make friends and Peyton quickly rose to the top of the list of people he just had to be friends with. He knew that life in the North could be tough and being in the serpents was even tougher. That's why Taka always made it his goal to help out people as much as possible, even if it just meant being their friend.

"I'll tell you something about myself first!" Taka released one of his hands from Peyton's to grab his glass to take a sip. He was quick about it, eager to get talking again. He grasped Peyton's hand once more when the process was done. "Let's see... I went to an EDM concert yesterday and that was fun. I doubt you'd like, it may be too loud for your tastes. I had to go alone this time because my usual partner couldn't come. Things haven't been the best recently... but at least I still got to have fun!" The joy in Taka's eyes died for a moment before sparking again as he got back on track. The topic was a bit touchy for Taka and he just wanted things to remain chill and fun. He didn't want to bring in his own issues into the conversation.

"After that, I passed out drunk on the couch. Flashforward and here we are now!" His grasp on Peyton's hands tightened momentarily as he felt his energy levels continually increase. Taka had a lot of energy, he tried his best not to overwhelm Peyton. He knew that his attitude could be overbearing, learning how to keep it at bay overtime. Hopefully, Peyton didn't get annoyed by it.
 
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