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

[Slav]

Vissarion Argyris

CS Link

SCENE:

Clad in Golden Dreams

TIME:

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

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

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

Clad in Golden Dreams

Vissa watched the bubbles rise to the surface of his glass as he listened to Passeri. Her reasoning left him... unsatisfied. He understood how the Tigers could be a springboard for a career but that couldn't be the only reason. This circle was riddled in betrayal, violence, and disloyalty. There were much more sane options to use to advance your career. Working for the Tigers felt like a walk through a minefield. You were eventually going to step on one. He was expecting the question to be presented back to himself, raising the glass to his lips before responding. "I like to think of myself as a prestigious man. Well known in certain circles and industries around the city." Before he continued, he chugged the rest of the champagne, his attitude changing. He gently placed the finished glass onto the table, moving it away from the edge as to not make a mistake.

"I wasn't born rich or prestigious. I was born dirt poor, having to make something of myself in this god forsaken city. The only culture that exists in this city is structural degradation, moral decadence, and violence. It's not pleasant to me in the slightest."

Vissa's mood had visibly changed, becoming more serious, the smile fading. If he had the opportunity, he'd burn this city down and rebuild it from the ashes. Only then would it be a city of the ages. He knew he shouldn't be open about his feelings, especially to those he didn't consider friends nor trusted yet. He just couldn't help it sometimes. The feeling always gnawed at him and he couldn't hold it back all the time. "At first I did it for stability. Some of my businesses are known for circumventing the laws. Joining the Tigers gave my businesses security that a legal business doesn't have. It also gave me advantages that legal businesses do not." Security was why a lot of people joined the Tigers. Protecting your business is the goal of most entrepreneurs. Fulfilling it early on makes life easier in the long run.

His golden gaze stayed on Passeri for a few moments, before falling back to his now empty glass. "Now, I'm only in the Tigers for one reason... power." He said, waving over another waiter to his side. This time, Vissa didn't even have to ask for his next glass of champagne. With a now full glass placed in front of him once more, he turned his attention back to Passeri. "I wanna shape this city to my vision. Turn it into my ideal society. I don't want people walking on sidewalks plagued with rats, I want them to be walking on polished stones without fear." He brought his new glass up to his lips, taking a small sip. He had plans for this city, he didn't just want to accumulate money and sit on it. Greed only gets you so far in life. "In order to enact change requires power and power requires... money. The only universal language that everybody speaks is greed. Everybody is greedy, some are more forward about it than others." He didn't have many reasons to talk to Passeri. The only thing keeping him at his seat is his drive for change.

"I spend a lot of money improving local businesses, infrastructure, and education in the West. The only recognition I get for that is building violations." Vissa said, softly chuckling. Trying to do things yourself is frustrating, especially if it feels you are against the whole world. "I'm not like you, I get ignored when I walk into a room. The only thing people know me for is this." Vissa said, gently picking up a fork. Within a few seconds, the fork slowly turned into gold. Vissa bended it, placing it in front of Passeri. He usually didn't like showing off his potential but he wanted to make a point. "I don't command true power... but I want to. I can't do that being a civilian." There wasn't a lot he desired. That's why it made it so important that he fulfilled this one.

Interacted: The One Eyed Bandit
Mentioned:

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Matsuda Russo

CS Link

SCENE:

Coffee's On Me

TIME:

July 2019 | Pre-Arc 1

LOCATION:

Tiger's HQ, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Matsuda, Isobel

Coffee's On Me

He blinked in confused surprise, staring down as she drew letters onto his hand. The sensation gave him goosebumps, but he knew he had to focus in order to notice what she's doing. Matsuda smiled once he realized what she had spelled, glancing up at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Isobel huh? A pretty name for a pretty lady." The spiky haired man winked, laughing.

He watched as she made hand motions with curious eyes. He stayed silent for a while, simply staring at her hands as his mind had gone blank in his confusion. Matsu gasped, finally registering that she was signing. He pointed his finger with an outstretched arm, his jaw hanging open and eyes widened in shock. "Oh! You're deaf right?!" He furrowed his brows in thought, tapping his chin in concentration as he mumbled to her shoes. "Wait- no... that's not-.. but wait- don't deaf people sign? But it seems like she can hear me perfectly fine..." His heterochromic eyes brightened, an accomplished grin on his face as he snapped his fingers. "Mute! You're mute aren't ya! What're you doing Matsu- of course she can't answer ya..."

He chuckled, an embarrassed smile on his face. Matsu's eyes tracked her finger again, scrunching his eyebrows in confusion. Was... he okay? He should be the one asking her that, she's the one that hit the wall! He snickered again at the memory, squinting his eyes in amusement. Or... was she asking if he was alright... in the head? Like- mentally? He was silent for a moment, before smirking, his hands held up in a sign of yielding. "Hey, I can assure you I ain't no psychopath or nothin', if this is about the uh- laughing... earlier." He looked to the side, thinning his lips to suppress another giggle at the reminder.

Spoiler: Tags

@Saturn_moon

 

[Slav]

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 )

Dancing the Night Away

Taka was slowly becoming enchanted, forgetting about the the bodies around him. He smirked as he felt Raph squeeze his hips, enjoying the attention he was getting from the taller man. "You're so feisty tonight." Taka said, relishing the personal attention that he was receiving. The tug only made Taka more captivated, feeling his body get hotter because the closeness of the pair. He slowly shifted both his hands so they were under Raph's shirt, feeling his chest. He made sure to feel every dip, slowly gliding his fingers as he did so. He could feel his desires swelling up as if his battery was being charged. There was only one thing he was focused on tonight and that was the man in front of him, Raph.

While in this trance, Taka didn't notice the figure behind him. The smaller man was jolted from his trance as the figure had grabbed his rear, seemingly for no reason. He turned and swatted the hand away, a look of frustration appearing on his face. As he turned, Taka noticed that it was the man that he turned down earlier, only this time the blonde seemed rather intoxicated. "I told you off already so back off!" He didn't take kindly to being grabbed without his permission but who did? Taka glared at the blonde as he dared to speak, trying to justify it through his slurred speech. "Ah, come on. I can't take no for an answer. Nobody turns me down like that." The blonde's answer revolted Taka. You can't just have your way all the time. People like this needed to learn about some decency.

He interlocked his arm with Raph's, grabbing his hand. He gave it a light squeeze, indicating that he was nervous about the situation. Taka didn't like using his abilities unless necessary and he certainly wasn't strong enough to be physical with others. He tried his best to avoid fights, hoping that the blonde would just leave him alone. "I already have a partner and I certainly wouldn't leave him just because you said so." He tried reasoning with the blonde but his drunken state made it impossible. "You can ditch him, it's not like he's a good dancer anyways." His insistence was beginning to push Taka towards the edge. He just wanted to have a good time tonight. The last thing he wanted was to be harassed by a drunk loser. The audacity of people was on display that night and Taka was having none of it.

 

[Coyote Hart]

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

Peyton's face reddened even more when Takahiro encouraged Peyton to devour him. Embarrassed and agitated by the lascivious smirk served to him, Peyton had to turn his head away as he tried to regain his composure. With the good feelings of the drugs beginning to take effect, it was a difficult task. As surprised and flustered he was by Takahiro, Taka's responses also elicited a great deal of respect from Peyton. The two of them seemed to share quite a few commonalities! It seemed like they both enjoyed the thrill of being dominated, even to extreme points that would horrify most. No wonder they both gravitated to Raph. It was nice knowing that Peyton had a kindred spirit.

This time, when Taka's hands rested on his waist, Peyton was prepared and the touch didn't send tingles up his spine. It was nice of him to reassure Peyton that fun-sized was okay. And although he couldn't agree with Taka on sharing Raph, it seemed that they were at an impasse unless Peyton actually decided to hurt Taka. But that was dangerous, cause hell hath no fury like a Raph who had his toys played with. Regardless, Taka's hands were calming, easing the violently jealous urges boiling within him.

"Hmph," Peyton pouted, visibly unhappy with this resolution, "I guess we have to deal with this some other way. Maybe we could instead become super good friends and make Raph jealous of us?"

Despite his attempts of intimidating Taka, Peyton didn't really dislike the guy. He seemed amicable and hospitable, not to mention fun. Besides, it would be messed up to ruin relationships over someone as mean as Raph.

"Cause I think I like you too, Taka! We both like mean people after all! I mean, just that little bit from me was able to make you this pent up! It would be a shame not to be friends!" Peyton declared, "I would like you more if you left Raph alone, but oh well! I guess it can't be helped!"

On a whim, Peyton lifted Taka's shirt, exposing the smooth porcelain skin beneath. Taka's cologne wafted to Peyton's nose as his face neared Taka's body, sweet and floral. If he got Taka into the frisky state he was in now, Peyton thought he ought to take responsibility in some way. That, and the drugs also began to make Peyton's mind messy and restless. Opening his jaw wide, Peyton clamped his teeth down on Taka's abdominal muscles. His teeth sank into Taka's flesh, not hard enough to break skin, but enough to hurt. When he pulled away, an angry red ring of teeth marks outlined where Peyton had bit.

"I guess I could devour you if you wanna! Just tell me if you ever want me to stop!" Peyton said. Consent was key, as Peyton had learned during his time at the Eternal Night Palace. Peyton's hands slowly undid Taka's belt. He was nervous at this change in pace, his limbs abuzz and butterflies in his stomach. For the longest time, Peyton had been the type to prefer being dominated. It felt nice to be used-- sitting back as someone whittled him down. Now, in the dominant position, Peyton felt like a fish out of the water.

With a clink, the buckle of Taka's belt was undone. The zipper went down next, allowing Peyton to pull down Taka's pants. With that, Peyton's face vanished between Taka's legs. Hopefully, this would satiate Taka a little. It was the closest thing to actually devouring him after all.

Slav

 

[Coyote Hart]

Gideon Gray

CS Link

SCENE:

The Trials of Belial

LOCATION:

Gideon and Jozef's Dorm Room, New Oasis Central University

TIME:

January 11th, 2022 | Post Arc 2

PARTICIPANTS:

Gideon, Jozef

The Trials of Belial

It was almost impossible to imagine that gentle, soft Jozef could grab Gideon so suddenly. Gideon's eyes went wide as he was manhandled by his roommate-- no, his possessed roommate. Gideon wondered if the ritual circle that he casted would even protect him if the demon decided to attack. Hastily, Gideon realized that he would rather not test it out. But almost immediately, Gideon began testing the demon's patience.

"Don't you dare call Jozef foolish," Gideon said coldly, his eyes burning daggers into the demon's eyes. For a moment, Gideon was about to back up his statement, but he was forced to open and close his mouth like a fish. Could he really say that Jozef wasn't foolish? After all, he did join the Serpents, a gang of general no-gooders. So instead, Gideon decided to focus on the other part of the demon's statement. "But yes, I agree that Jozef takes good care of himself. Don't you dare go snorting any cocaine or something foolish."

But that had all been mere asides to the more pressing matter-- Gideon had to pay up for his requests. Nothing in this world came free after all. Super villains in media all had their sometimes tragic and sometimes horrendous sacrifices for power, and now it was Gideon's time to pay up. The part that he didn't understand though, was how was he supposed to pay up but still take over the world?

"I would gladly offer my soul," Gideon said austerely, "However, do you have loans? Like car loans for the soul? Or could I give you my soul and lend it from you like a book from the library? See, I need my soul to actually spread evil in this world."

Gideon fumbled around with his words, his worry for his lack of knowledge in dealing with this situation mounting with every pitiful excuse. Perhaps there was something else that he could use to delay paying for the power?

Ah! That's right! This demon's name was Bechamiel, after all. As the demon was named after a sauce, it was likely that he was a foodie. Perhaps that was the way to his heart? Gideon put up a cold and calculating expression as he laid out an offer.

"How's this," Gideon said, "I'll take your power out on loan, meanwhile, I can offer some delicious sweets until you can claim my soul. I work at a coffee shop, and I should be able to bring back some cake every so often."

Despite the emotionless trade offer, Gideon was sweating on the inside. Negotiating with a demon didn't seem like a good idea, and if this went south, Gideon didn't know what he was going to do. And it was a pathetic offer-- what kind of demon would even be interested in sweets?

WhiskeyMarten

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

The Idol Fanclub Trials

TIME:

Pre-Arc 2

LOCATION:

Highreach, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Shishido Takakazu, Passeri Park

The Idol Fanclub Trials

It didn't take long for Passeri to start questioning why she was bothering with all of this. She'd gotten swept up in the moment. That was the answer. Sometimes the spirited mask that she wore as Iroi took the reigns, and led her into silly little situations like this. She could hardly be annoyed about it. It was good for her image to occasionally indulge in the outlandish, but she still couldn't defeat the feeling that there was probably something else she could be doing, rather than playing referee for the world's dumbest-stakes game of trivia.

The event over, the plaza now stood empty, haunted only by the comically solemn silhouettes of Scruffy, the Captain, and his band of merry men. It would've made for good TV, if only Passeri'd had the foresight to schedule all of this to be filmed. At least way, she'd be getting more out of this than a bag of snacks and a drink.

What would that even total up to, anyway? Ten dollars? I she thought of it that way, she was doing all of this for less than minimum wage. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if the Tigers' debt slaves went home with more than that.

"Looks like we're all here, then!" A vignette of orange light lapped at the edges of Passeri's figure as she emerged. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of extending out my reservation on the space for a bit. We wouldn't want anyone wandering in on things when they're getting good, would we?" Or bad. Really, she just didn't want any ambitious paparazzi snapping any misleading photos of her meeting up with this group of dudes under the light of the setting sun. She could already imagine the headlines.

"So, now that we're all here, what are we gonna be doing anyway? Surely you've not timed this to sunset just to ask him what my first, second, and third albums were and then head on home, right?" She'd honestly be a bit disappointed if that were the case. As flabbergasted as she continued to be by all of this, she was still just a teeny-tiny-widdle-little bit interested in seeing what the captain had in store.

"If you want, I can help you guys set the stage~" With a flick of her wrist, a rose blossom of pink light emerged from her palm, muddling with the sunset's orange. "I emcee at events every so often, you know, and I think that a bit of running commentary could really help spice things up." The neon glow of Passeri's Potential drifted across the plaza, and brushed at the edges of the Captain's fingertips. "I you want, I mean. I wouldn't wanna impose on your show."

A pair of eyes that were just barely holding back sadness looked up at the Captain as the rose, and envoy of her goodwill, bobbed in front of him. Even if she cared as much for Scruffy's fate here as she did for that nurse on that morning soap opera she couldn't name, she wasn't the kind of person who half-assed things. Even stupid-ass things.

So here she was, giving the puppy dog eyes to a man she'd only met five hours ago. She really needed to make sure the press never caught wind of this.

thebigfella​

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

H-Eye

TIME:

Post Arc-2

LOCATION:

Red West, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector

H-Eye

"Yeah. For you," she confirmed.


Silently, Yong-Yut followed Hector around the bar. They stepped up to the counter, Yong-Yut staring at the bartender while he exchanged words with Hector. When offered to get something herself, she held her hands up to her chest, shaking her head. “I had some tea on my way here.”

She watched as Hector stepped towards a bar stool, promptly changing his mind and walking another way. A hint of confusion flickered on Yong-Yut’s face as she watched him turn, but she followed quickly behind nonetheless.

He sat down, and she did too.

Her legs crossed on the booth bench she sat on. She drummed her fingers lightly on the table in front of her. She wasn’t sure how this conversation was supposed to start. Her eyes lingered on the glass of water.

“It’s been hard on you, huh?” Once again, she stated the obvious.

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Lucem]

Ezra Knight

CS Link

SCENE:

Clad in Golden Dreams

TIME:

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

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ezra, Elias, Hiachi, Jesper, Jessamine, Markus, Passeri, Tak, Vissarion

CLAD IN GOLDEN DREAMS

As he listened to his dinner partners give their reasons for involving themselves with the Tigers, Ezra thought of how best to answer Vissarion's questions. Until recently, he had no reason of his own for risking his life on a daily basis. He was just puppeted by another person's will, same as always. He now had a proper motivation, but it was difficult to determine how much he should share.

When a moment of silence provided an opportunity for him to speak up, he looked at the man with the golden touch in his eyes, a tired and almost self-mocking smile now working its way across his face. Unlike usual, the expression revealed a touch of newfound confidence that had been discovered in the wake of the disaster that befell New Oasis. He wanted to be honest with his feelings, conveying them through appearance and words as best as possible.

"As much as I wish it were true, it's just the opposite." In part of being honest, he wanted to clear up Vissarion's misconception that he'd never have to work a day in his life. It was an understandable one, considering where he came from, but Ezra felt it was important to let him know that his silver spoon came with a terrible taste. "All I've ever done is work. Me joining was just another job."

His parents never believed in handouts. No such thing as allowance or throwing prestige at people who hadn't earned it. His exceptional siblings would make that hard to believe, but his lackluster abilities and current situation were proof enough. A stable job with decent pay and an apartment with low rent were all he managed to earn for himself before being thrust into a life of chaos. The benefits he enjoyed now were only to make sure he survived comfortably as he endured whatever the underworld had in store for him. All so he could carry out orders.

"Until recently, I didn't really have any motivations. I just went through the motions and did my best to stay alive." Alive, but not living.

"I don't want to go back to being what I was before." A hollow puppet on strings. "I want to help my friend. Her and as many other people as I can. That's it."

Compared to the other two, it wasn't a particularly grand ambition. But it was his. He wasn't going to give it up for anything.

Slav The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Lucem]

Isaiah Spade

CS Link

SCENE:

If It Means A Lot To You

LOCATION:

Isaiah's Apartment, East District

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 (31st MAY 2022 @0200)

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Ruriko

IF IT MEANS A LOT TO YOU

His lips curved into a slight smile as Ruriko regained a bit of consciousness, his relief more abundant than any of the other newly shifting emotions at that moment. "Sorry, just me." That more or less summed up his feelings on just about everything lately, but it was far from important.

"It's Isaiah. You're in my room right now. Try to get some rest. I'll be back in just a bit." It was good to know that she was still somewhat aware of the situation, despite her current state. Now that he was sure of what the symptoms and injuries were, he could do more to help her recover.

Leaving Misty to watch over Ruriko, Isaiah immediately went to the kitchen. After setting aside a pot of water to boil, he opened his cupboard in search of some emergency medicine. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to find.

Withdrawing a glass container, he poured a small amount of a crushed beige root into the pot. In the past, he'd met with an associate who specialized in using their Potential to grow herbs that could cure certain afflictions. It was a good thing he had the sense to request a small stock for whenever he needed it. If he hadn't had any in storage, getting Ruriko the help she needed would have been very difficult.

When the root had been fully boiled and strained, he killed the flame and poured the golden brown liquid into a cup. As he made his way back to the bedroom, he watched as a pair of black ears perked up at his return. Not much time had gone by, so Misty was still in place at Ruriko's side.

The scent of the medicinal brew seemed to grow stronger as he came closer, the warm aroma carried by the steam. Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, he used one hand to help raise Ruriko's head as he brought the drink to her lips. "This should help."

Spoiler: Tags

Beann

 

[Lucem]

DAMIAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Laundromat Owner Will Die

LOCATION:

Laundromat, West District

TIME:

Wednesday, December 1st, 2021 || Post Arc-2

PARTICIPANTS:

Damian, Tri

LAUNDROMAT OWNER WILL DIE

As the bottle soared and both duelists readied their firearms, Damian recalled old, static-filled voices that set the scene of two outlaws preparing to draw their weapons of choice at the exact moment the rising sun spread light across the horizon. Like his time spent with the samurai, his current situation caused memories of broadcasted dramas to vividly echo in his mind. And just like he had been during that encounter, he was greatly looking forward to the chance to reenact the scene that only ever existed as crackling words in his ears until now.

When the bottle smacked against the ground and signaled the beginning of the lawless duel, Damian watched with amusement as the unidentifiable smoke began to fill the room. Things had quickly become even more interesting than he anticipated, and the delight was evident as the corners of his sewn-on smile stretched a bit further.

As Tri took off, so did Damian. In an instant, his massive, dark frame vanished from sight. With a single bound, he'd attached himself to the ceiling. Scuttling above as the suckers of his twin tentacles kept him from descending, he aimed his remaining two appendages to the ground. Shortly after, a black, obscuring haze began to fill the room as inky smoke left the tips of his massive limbs. It mixed with the already existing fog, adding to its chaos.

Once again, he had done his best to imitate an opponent of his. While it likely didn't have the same effect as Tri's concoction, it still obscured the area quite a bit. Although, it wouldn't cloud his own vision. His eyesight was quite good in the dark.

When he eventually spotted his mark, he took aim as his other limbs allowed him to blitz across the ceiling. "Draw." Having given the necessary line, he fired.

Spoiler: Tags

@Damafaud

 

[simj26]

Dagger, Shadow Company

CS Link

SCENE:

Fell And Cruel Hounds

LOCATION:

Actaeon's Rest

PARTICIPANTS:

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

Fell and Cruel Hounds

“Oh, come on. You couldn’t possibly be trying to shoot me agai–” Saito started, before crying out in pain as summoned blades snatched several drops of blood from his left arm. He released a torrent of projectiles straight at the nearby window, and ducked into cover behind a chair, just in time too, as said furniture had its stuffing quickly emptied by the blades sliced through it with high-pitched hums. Tang was barely even inconvenienced by them, using whatever kung fu thing she had learned to sidestep and deflect them with her bare hands and feet. She was a bothersome partner, but she had her uses.

“Where the hell is your partner, Kravinski?!” he shouted over the cacophonous cries of the firearms below.

“She likes to make an entrance!” Kravinski replied, almost as if he was enjoying the chaos. He had also decided to take up a corner, attempting to avoid the blades. “Besides, those mooks down there’d only get in her way!”

Good fucking hell. At least the good news was that they managed to take down their target. They could get the hell out right now, and they’d still get paid.

He barely even finished that thought when Tang suddenly piped up. “Saito?! I think Cutter’s still alive!”

How bothersome. “Could you please give me some good news next time?” he sighed. Of course it had to be New Oasis that was giving them the most trouble

“WHAT?!” Tang shouted over her shoulder, deftly parrying another blade, and leaping over another. From the looks of things, they were properly pinned down, even with Tang’s skills. “It’s kinda loud in here! You gotta speak up!”

“I SAID– oh, nevermind.” Saito clutched onto his wounded arm, and started to think. These blades were clearly under someone’s control. He hadn’t managed to catch a sight of who it might have been, but it was not the idiot who tried to shoot at him. Neither was it the pyromaniac that he could just barely see from where he had been.

“On the bright side, Saito! It looks like Val’s about to make her entrance!”



She had worse, no doubt. She could still remember the searing pain of knives and bullets carving into her body. None could compare to the hatred and fire that burned her alive with each passing day. It had, however, been so long since she had been shot at, much less injured by a bullet. She had taken this unwanted gift for granted. She was weaker than she had ever been. She cursed herself for her own ineptitude, for her own weakness, for her own overconfidence. Such arrogance came before such a fall.

She grit her teeth, and punched the ground, pushing herself up with a groan. She cannot lose here. She could not lie face down in her own blood, letting her own wolves do all the work. She was the pack leader now, and she had to carry herself like one. Even without anything or anyone else to live for, even without prey to hunt, this greying wolf had to survive. She had to carry that weight with her to the end. To accept defeat like this was not in her cards. Not in the dice.

She waved away any attempt from Crow and Park as they backed up towards her to aid her. She had prey to sink her teeth into. “Good work,” she grunted towards both of them as she staggered off twoards the smoke. She hurled her handgun at a nearby operator in the enshrouding smoke, striking him in the helmet. Without pause, she lunged forwards, taking hold of his rifle and wrested it out of his hands, before placing a shot straight through his exposed face, punching a hole through his features.

“Keep killing. They’re running out of bodies.” Her thirst slaked for the time being, she backed up towards Park and Crow again. She paused, then raised her rifle, and fired another shot, sending another operator skidding towards them, face down.

“Then, we can focus on–”

From the smoke, from within the elevator, a sharp cackle rose forth, interrupting her sentence. An operator had only just turned his attention away from Cordesco to face the source, before a barrel was shoved into his face. The sharp crack of the gun seemed to ring louder than the rest of the others in the suite, and the now headless operator crumpled onto the floor.

“Useless! Useless useless useless!” The screeching voice, like nails upon a chalkboard, was punctuated with an accompanying cackle. Almost like a spider, a new face entered the arena, contorting and crawling down from above the elevator doors, and dropped down onto the floor. With sick, wet cracks from her joints, she straightened up, her dark, matted hair spilling about her like a shroud.

Her arrival now made clear, she rushed the first opponent her crimson eyes locked onto- Corvo Cordesco. The meat shield that the woman held onto was quickly made into just meat as her double-barreled weapons rendered the man into mulch.

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

 

[Beann]

RURIKO IKEDA

CS Link

SCENE:

If It Means A Lot To You

LOCATION:

East District

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 (31st MAY 2022 @0200)

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Ruriko

IF IT MEANS A LOT TO YOU

“...’Saiah…?” Ruriko blinked slowly as she echoed the name, her vision granting her a brief moment of clarity to confirm her caretaker’s identity. “Mmm…” she mumbled in acknowledgment and let out a tired sigh. It was beyond her as to why she was in Isaiah’s room but given how badly her body ached, she was at least grateful she wasn’t on the streets. How did she get here in the first place though?

Mmrp?

Turning her head to the side, she came face to face with a familiar black cat. “Plague, buddy…” she chuckled weakly as she lifted her hand slowly to scratch behind his ear. “Wait…” Her face scrunched up in suspicion as she tugged on the cat’s ear, causing Misty to bat her hand away with their paw. “You’re ‘spose to be missin’ half an ear…” Ruriko squinted further to get a better look at the cat, “...not my cat.”

The feline confirmed her accusations with a simple meow, just in time for Isaiah to return to her side. “Tea…?” She sniffed the air around her but it wasn’t the familiar scent that accompanied Ojiisan’s tea. Regardless, her mouth was dry and a pot of tea would surely do the trick so she took a long sip of the drink.

And fought the urge to spit it back out.

Her eyebrows furrowed in disgust at the medicinal aftertaste as she gulped harshly. “Ugh…” she coughed a couple times before shifting her gaze to look at Isaiah. “Poison…” Despite the taste though, the drink did warm her chest, causing her to weakly take another sip. She breathed deeply as she let her head drop back down on the pillow, staring at the blurry ceiling above. Her head continued to pound and her body ached ten times over but she could feel the properties of the tea taking effect quickly.

“Thanks…” she spoke softly. “You’re…a good friend…’saiah…”

Friend.

That word didn’t sit right with her for some reason. They weren’t enemies though. Ruriko brought her hand to her forehead as a heavy throb passed. Then it dawned on her, her most recent memories rushing back like a flood. “Dating — ugh –!” She sat up fast at the realization but immediately plopped back down, groaning in pain, the side of her body radiating from the beating she took while semi-conscious back in the lab.

Lucem Wxnter

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park & Jennifer Webber

CS Link

SCENE:

In The Tigers' Web

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | June 3rd

LOCATION:

Nameless Storefront, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Jennifer, Ezra, Elias, Dagger

In The Tigers' Web

"There's no need." Jennifer's gun wriggled impatiently within its holster. She held her tongue, but there certainly were bells jingling within her head. With each word that came out of the Tigers' mouths, it became clearer and clearer to Jennifer that recovering her father wouldn't be the only job she needed to see done today.

The idol and Yumin, she was confident she could handle, but the wolf and Knight were different stories. Maybe on their own. Maybe in a more open space. But here, she was boxed in. Maybe that was the idea. She knew the Tigers to be many things, but lacking in caution was rarely one of them.

"I don't doubt that my father did something to cross you all, but I'll hear his side of things before anything else." If the idol were to be believed, then that door was all that lay between them. With that bridge crossed, things would be different. Alone, both she and her father were dangerous people, but together they were more than the sum of their parts. It wasn't something the Tigers, with their webs of betrayal and deception, could possibly understand. That would be the element of surprise they needed.

"Alright, then!" A thin smile hid the suspicion that was bubbling in the back of Passeri's mind. This was going smoothly. Too smoothly. The Webber heiress hadn't even raised her voice at the news of her father's kidnapping. She supposed that running an arms manufacturing empire did demand a certain level of composure, but this still hardly seemed to her like the reaction of a daughter concerned for her father.

But then again, who was she to judge anybody about that? Maybe it was just the lack of sleeping catching up with her.

"Follow me, then." Passeri's body felt heavy as she stepped away from the table. That was how it always was, wasn't it? It was after the taste of rest that the body realized how desperate for it that it really was. "He's in here. Sorry if he's in a bit of a rough shape. We've been giving him food and water, but, like, you can't make a horse drink, right?" And this was a horse that had decided that death was better than dishonor, too. "So... If you've prepared yourself, then-"

"I'm ready. Let's get a move on." A tick of annoyance dripped from Jennifer's voice, and her gun bristled in anticipation.

"Right..." Passeri strained out an answer and inserted a thick, iron key into the door. It groaned wearily as it swung wide, and revealed the bound body of Jacob Webber within. First, his eyes creased with irritation, but that quickly faded into surprise as Passeri allowed Jennifer through the door.

"Father..." Jennifer gave the bound man a pitful look as she stepped into the room. A mix of fury and shame twirled within her. How dare they? How could he? The indignity. He'd sunken so low.

"Hey, dear." Jacob flashed her a smile. Was he acting tough? Or was he really just that full of himself? Jennifer knew it was the latter. "Mind giving Papa a hand?"

Jennifer sighed. It would be two against seven, if you counted the hounds. They'd need to be smart about this.

So it was a good thing that she was.

"Seventeen. Twelve o'clock." She murmured, just loud enough for her father to hear. A glimmer of understanding twinked in his eye, and he quickly answered with a nod. "Park, I-"

Jennifer's words were interrupted by the deafening clap of her own handgun. The was a searing flash of heat as she discharged the firearm without even drawing it from her breast, but it had saved her the time she needed. The bullet flew blindly from her coat, but quickly righted itself as Jacob's Potential seeped into it. It spun unnaturally, just barely grazing against the cold concrete of the cell, and then swung straight into Passeri's ankle. Blood splattered across the already ragged-looking carpet of the basement proper, and Passeri let out a yelp of pain as her leg fell out from under her.

Jennfier's arm closed around her neck before she fell to the floor, and then she felt the cold press of steel against her temple.

"Hah! Just like we practiced!" Jacob goaded from his seat.

"Fuck..." Passeri winced. Frankly, she wanted to scream. She was used to injuries this... Bloody. "Just when I thought we were getting along..."

"You're going to let us go." Jennifer addressed the room, and pressed the gun barrel deeper into Passeri's head for emphasis. "Yumin. You untie my father. Knight and Dagger. The both of you leave, now."

Jacob, quite smugly, observed the pair of women at the door, and then addressed the rest of the room with a laugh.

"I'd listen if I were you. When people say they wanna pick their favorite celeb's mind, I don't think they mean picking up their grey matter from all over the floor!"

simj26 Lucem QuirkyAngel @Saturn_moon

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Sunday Roast

TIME:

October 21st, 2021 || Pre-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri Park & Markus Weiss

Sunday Roast

Watching Markus struggle his way across the tightrope of civility was almost as sweet as the wine. The winter chill of his glare be damned, a certain amount of satisfaction fluttered within Passeri's chest at the Tiger King's relent.

"You know, it's a good thing that I'm actually pretty boring, then. Aside from variety shows, I don't think I've played any games since I was a little girl." A casual riposte glanced against the teeth of Markus's words. As determined as he was to turn this into something unpleasant, Passeri wouldn't be having it. It'd be an insult to the meal. "Actually, I used to play one just like this. A friend of mine and I would both lay candy and treats out on this old, shoddy table, and then we'd act like it was a feast."

She'd always bought Fruit Twists. For him, it'd been Serpent Tails.

"But I guess that's not terribly important. You remind me of him a little, though. His table manners were awful too." Not that she could talk. Despite how delicate her utensils danced in her hands now, there had once been a time when she'd shoveled cereal into her mouth with her bare hands. "We were great friends, the two of us. For years. Do you know why? Because we trusted each other."

Even dyed in honey-sweet nostalgia, the implications of Passeri's words were clear.

"It's not quite the same as what we had, but I think that you can build some of the strongest bonds of trust on vulnerability, and there's nobody who I'm more vulnerable to than you." One of the most telling signs of a feline's trust- house cat or big cat- was the exposure of the stomach. She'd done enough playing coy.

"Maybe Akira or Yumin could do a better job at airing out my dirty laundry than you could, but you do realize that you've got my career- my life, really- dancing in the palm of your hand, right?" If he had such a need to be on top of things, then she would let him. "But, you know, I'm really quite good at dancing because of that. Have you ever watched one of my shows? I'm pretty proud of the dance routines. What do you say I do some choreography for the both of us?"

Passeri took a long, delicate sip of her wine, allowing the Tiger King a moment to absorb her offer. In spite of the atmosphere that Markus was quite intent on spoiling, she had a feeling that the pair of them both wanted the same thing, and that thing started small. As small as two joined hands. Every chain needed to be forged from the first link.

Elenion Aura

 

[tityanya]

𝑵𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐
𝔸𝕤: 𝕆𝕞𝕚​

Scene: Coolness as a Rule
Time: Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021 || Post Arc-2
I am here:
With:

"You know once I start, I cannot help myself"

≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎

Naomi and the driver stared at each other for a moment, at a silent impasse. "Yeah, that's trash?" he asked, causing her to roll her eyes. "Do you have a place I can put it?" she asked, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. Tri answered instead, saying that she could put it in the seat pocket. Good enough for her! She stuffed the used tissues into the pocket, before sitting back in her seat and taking a deep breath. She was calm. She was collected. She was cool.

She nodded at Tri's words about getting Paris or whoever she was with to stop her. That was easy enough, it just needed some coordination beforehand. "If I threaten to kill someone, try and stop me." She was going to make a real effort at it--anything less would be noticed. Tri probably wouldn't be pleased if she had given him the reputation of someone who was all bark and no bite. His next words, spoken in a deep voice, took her by surprise. Death threats as a treat? She laughed at that, savoring the feeling of amusement after such a hard crash. "As a treat," she echoed, her voice perfectly mimicking Tri's. "Maybe you can touch grass too, as a treat," she joked, her voice her own. It was a softened version of what she really wanted to tell him--to get off the internet! He sounded like one of those "cool moms" that was trying to use the "hip new lingo" to relate to their kids.

She asked about who they were drowning, and Tri laced his fingers and smirked, looking very pleased. All they needed in the back? Oh, that totally meant that there was someone bound and gagged in the trunk right now. It wasn't the first time Naomi had been in a car with a captive in the trunk (sometimes her own car was the one being used), but it was still a little shocking to find out. This whole time while she had been ugly crying, there was some guy in the trunk listening? Ugh, how embarrassing. She laced her fingers on her knee and smirked back at him, doing her best to mirror his body language without outright copying it. "Always well prepared, boss," she smiled.

The car made its way to an abandoned parking lot, the apparel store it belonged to decayed and grungy. The perfect spot to drown someone, really. Naomi got out of the car and followed Tri to the trunk, her heels echoing against the pavement. Her face was cold and impassive when Tri opened the trunk--she knew what was expected of her. It was time to strike fear in the heart of their captive. The tattooed man bound inside flinched, a combination of the light and no doubt the icy expressions on his captors. A tiger, Tri informed her. Did her friend Tak know him? Would he be sad that he was gone? Would she have to look him in the face and pretend she didn't know what happened? She swallowed hard, forcing her emotions down into a deeper part of her conscious. Those thoughts weren't helpful. Her friendship with Tak was forbidden, too--one that carried a high penalty. This was what happened when you were on opposite teams.

Naomi glanced over at Tristan, who was bust filling a bright yellow kiddie pool with water. The sight brought a smirk to Naomi's face--what an undignified way to die. Kidnapped by a madman and drowned in a tiny pool in some shitty parking lot somewhere. "The serpents aren't fond of trespassers on their turf, silly man," Naomi purred at their captive, running her fingertips along his cheek. He flinched from the gentle touch, no doubt expecting worse. She laughed, a sinister hime-style laugh that expressed no real mirth. "Don't worry, as long as you don't struggle, I'll be gentle," she promised, tapping her index finger on his nose. Even if she had been aware that Tri lied to her, and the man had been kidnapped from the Western District, she would have acted the same. This was serpent business, and she knew what was expected of her. She just had to seem business-cool while she did it, whatever that meant.​

((ooc: ))
((outfit))
((Discipline))

@Damafaud

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

JOZEF DAALMAN

CS Link

SCENE:

The Trials of Belial

LOCATION:

Dorm room, New Oasis Central University

PARTICIPANTS:

Gideon, Jozef

THE TRIALS OF BELIAL

Is he buying it? He’s really buying it.

Jozef heard Gideon go from a fierce defense, trailing off to something less threatening. He hoped this was still fun, still what Gideon wanted to happen. Of course, there was no real danger, but he didn’t want to take it too far. Right now though, Jozef felt he could keep rolling with it.

“Cocaine. You mortals, so pathetic.”

He assumed demons had much better stuff down in the fiery depths. Gotta have some sick parties going on with that many sinners.

“My power in exchange for your soul… Which you may hold onto until it is my time to claim it… No mortal shall be a threat to you. And I will take these baked goods you offer.”

That seemed fair, and maybe Jozef would benefit from this after all, though it wasn’t like he didn’t have access to yummy cakes already.

“Just one detail to iron out. The body of Jozef Daalman shall be my vessel on Earth, and his soul will be taken with yours.”

Is that how souls worked? Truth be told, Jozef didn’t know what souls were. Do people die without souls? Ah well, Gideon’s reaction should tell it all. Jozef held out a hand for a handshake, to bind the agreement. He hoped it wasn’t obvious he was coming up with it all on the spot.

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Guardian

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragon's Teeth

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 - June 6, 2022

LOCATION:

The Azure Dragon's HQ, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Pavel, Jessamine, Kanna, Jesper, Meirin, Yǔshuǐ, Omar

Dragon's Teeth

Jesper was epic gaming. He broke a 20 player killstreak and achieved the epic victory royale. He absolutely clapped the cheeks of those kids and filthy casuals, who by now were accusing him of cheating. Stuffing his mouth full of nachos with melted cheese dribbled on—getting all over his fingers—Jesper spun back in his gamer chair, cheering. He uttered something, accidentally sputtering bits of chewed food out.

He glanced at the time. There would be no more "one last game" for today. As addicting as this was, he had work to do.

Pushing against the desk with his feet, Jesper boosted himself away to a table in the center of the basement. There, another set of monitors lay dormant. He smeared his greasy, cheesed fingers across his pants.

Jesper put the headset on, and his world faded away...

From the ether, Guardian appeared out of pixels. Hovering, he remained in silent stasis as four drones flew in. They orbited Guardian, keeping their barrels hot and loaded.

Finally, he opened his eyes, each a glowing magenta. He looked at the gathering of fellow Dragons. "Guardian, reporting."

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

CORVO CORDESCO

CS Link

SCENE:

[Pre-Arc 3]Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Helva, Pei, Red, Corvo, Yukito

Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

Emerging from a corner of darkness, red hair casting a shadow over her face, Corvo approached the two arrivals. She had arrived not long ago, descending into the Roost as silent as could be. And under the shadows, the creases in her countenance faded away, leaving only her lasting smile.

It was fanciful, knowing the call was not to do with her clandestine affiliation.

It wasn't even that she had anything to do with the disappearances; the idea of her cover being blown because of another's actions would have left a bitter taste in her lips. And it wouldn't have been because of her appreciation for wine. "I presume the message was not a solo call, then."

thebigfella Peckinou Roda the Red

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Jesper Albrecht

CS Link

SCENE:

The Ties that Bond Us

TIME:

Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

East District, Noodle Nirvana

PARTICIPANTS:

Jesper, Charlie

The Ties that Bond Us

The full script—rehearsed and memorized over the past few days—vanished the moment Charlie sat beside him. A tense nervousness took hold of Jesper's thoughts. Yet, he remained eerily still, staring ahead. He couldn't meet Charlie's eyes. He didn't want to see the empty gaze that surely matched his listless tone.

"Yeah... Yeah." Jesper felt he had to say something; answer his friend. "So... I am a Dragon, but...!" He winced. Jesper couldn't even register what came from his mouth. "But I never had a choice! My parents are both Dragons, and it was kinda the place I grew up in, I didn't even know people had to join until I was, like, 10! I've never done anything bad to people who didn't deserve it, I was doing stuff that my dad told me to do! And all we do is keep the peace, it's not that bad..."

It felt like a weight off his shoulders, but simultaneously, a sickening dread emerging in his stomach. "And—And, I wasn't trying to hide it from you, I—I was just... I know it looks bad, but..." In the next moment of desperation, he latched onto the next idea without a second thought. "If you think about it, it's the other gangs that are much worse!"

Jesper sighed, part relief, part worry. All he could do now was wait for Charlie's response.

Roda the Red

 

[thebigfella]

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 Idol Fanclub Trials

As the potent tension permeated through the air between the idol fanatics and the nappy-haired challenger who was trying to return to his spot that was supposedly right by their side, the return of the iconic cheery sing-song voice of the idol who this whole dilemma was wrapped around suddenly appeared, shifting the focus and the mood with just her presence.

The members of her fan club’s attempts to be cool suddenly melted away as each member, barring their ever-so-vigilant captain immediately straightened up their posture, getting up from whatever position they were in before dashing beside their captain, standing proud as they were soldiers during roll call, shoulder to shoulder.

In comparison, Tak could only slouch in her vicinity, a slim frown forming on his lips as he glared at her from the sidelines in his sloppy posture, “Took her long enough,” He murmured under his breath, still not showing any appreciation for the idol taking time out of her life to ‘help’ him in his time of need.

Still, despite his bitterness about the whole situation, Passeri raised the question he had been hoping to get the answer to hours ago, what the hell were these trials supposed to be about anyway?

Just as he was hoping to get an answer, the obnoxious superstar had to put her own two cents in, seemingly wanting to get more involved in whatever shitshow was about to happen. He already opened his jaw, prepared to detest the suggestion, the last thing he wanted was to hear whatever ridiculous commentary she was going to supply to this already ludicrous challenge, but before he could utter a single word the sudden glimmers of light at her dainty little palm made him go quiet, lips shutting closed as his gaze narrowed sharply.

“She’s an HP?!”

To anyone else, this was common knowledge, however, Tak as out of the loop he was in the woman’s career this was a bit of a shock, one that piqued his curiosity, if only a bit. He could at least say he was less surprised by how popular she was with a little trick like that.

“She just brushed it against him on purpose…” The strained acrimony brewing up from Camelo’s vocal cords shifted the focus away from Tak’s thoughts back to the members of the fan club, the blonde looking at the captain with bloodshot eyes.

“She’s giving him a look like that? Is it alright if I kill him?” Manyard added on, standing next to Camelo with his dilated eyes just as decorated with red veins as his partner, teeth grinding against each other as they walked on helplessly to their captain being the focus of Passeri’s attention. Their enthusiasm before had completely disappeared as if a line had been crossed.

Meanwhile, the third member of the idiot troupe in the background rubbed the top of his bald shiny head awkwardly, watching the two’s furious reactions with bewilderment, “Weren’t you guys happy for him a couple of hours earlier?”

Compared to the transparent and visual reactions of his juniors, captain Hapori looked at Passeri with his usual sternness, even as she hit his psyche with an attack that would crumble any normal man.

“Do what you please. It’s the least I can offer you for taking time out of your busy schedule to witness this event,” He responded politely as always, nodding his head in affirmation, before turning away from the idol and crossing his arms, eyes focusing off in the distance.

“Each trial will be taking place within the vicinity, only a short walking distance from each other,” he began his explanation, turning around slightly to look at the others with a furrowed brow, “The specifics of the first trial will be revealed when we get there. Follow me.”

And with no more disclosure, he began to walk off, his red cloak and headband blowing in the wind. His followers didn’t hesitate to rush after him and catch up.

As for Tak, he stood there for a moment, staring at their backs with apprehension.

Just what did he agree to?

---

His question would be answered after only a short walk. He stood ahead of the group, eyes trailing upward from the brick walkway below to reach the mass of people standing in front of him, melding together in a mass of faceless bodies, all standing outside of a store with its doors wide open. Through the smallest gaps between the mob, he could make out the interior, its full capacity, and the reasoning for the large backup outside apparent even from this distance.

Tak’s jaw hung wide open, left eyebrow twitching as both his pupils had shrunk into tiny dots, he had thousands of thoughts going through his head at this moment, but they all jumbled together to output as one loud vocalization out of his throat.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?”

“A toy store. This crowd is because soon it will be receiving an important shipment.” A calm assessment entirely juxtaposed Tak’s blurted bewilderment, the messy-looking brute snapping his head around to look at the captain, still no less confused.

“Huh!? A toy store?! A shipment!? You ain’t makin’ any damn sense!? What does this have to do with being an idol fan!?” He spat out his questions in a flurry, but all he received was a pitying shake of the heads of his contemporaries, chuckling under their breaths at his foolishness.

“Hmm? You don’t know? Well, allow us to clue you in,” Manyard began, responding to Tak is a cocky holier than thou attitude that would have earned him a punch to the face in any other scenario.

Camelo quickly stepped forward, using his elbow to shove the shorter brown-haired boy out of the way, “Today is the re-release of the limited-edition “Lucidity Tour Iroi’ figure!” He excitedly explained, ignoring as Manyard gripped onto his arm and struggled to move it out of the way.

Despite getting a proper explanation, Tak looked at them as if they were fuckin’ with him.

“...Are you fuckin’ with me?”

See, he even asked.

“You tellin’ me all of these people are lined up out here for a… damn toy?” He weakly tried to avoid coming to acceptance, faced with the reality of how many people were obsessed with this idol he couldn’t see the smallest bit of appeal in.

“Of course they are. This is a big thing, you know? It’s been years since the last figure went on sale, the second-hand prices are crazy high!” The still unnamed bald member explained, looking at Tak with a raised brow, clearly suspicious of Tak not understanding the excitement.

“If it’s such a big deal, then why aren’t you guys in line?” For one, a reasonable question came out of Tak’s lips, as he looked at the fanatics with a raised brow, he knew they wouldn’t miss out on a chance like this.

“Well, that’s because…”

In unison, each member brandished their ownership of the limited edition figure, holding it delicately between their hands, still kept in mint condition inside its cardboard packaging.

“We got it during the original release, of course!”

Tak couldn’t help but clench his fist and keel over, a mix of anger at how dedicated these guys were, and annoyance that he didn’t see this response coming coursed through him, “Shoulda known…” He exasperated through clenched teeth. He held this position for a long while, until a spikey-haired shadow loomed over him, causing him to raise his attention upward.

The deep crimson stare of Hapori bore down on him, watching him expectantly, “Now that you’ve seen the trial grounds, I’m sure you understand what you must do.”

Tak was silent, staring at the captain silently as he still hadn’t caught on to what he was supposed to do.

“To prove your love for Iroi, you must get through all of these lesser fans and claim one of those figures for yourself!”

Tak blinked, then blinked once more.

“...Eh?”

He slowly rose back up straight, turning back to look at the massive field of idol fans standing in his way. His job was just to rush through all of these people. Well, that was easy! If there was anything he was good at, it was getting people out of his way!

A grin came across his lips, raising his hands to crack his knuckles as he seemed excited for the chance to have a good reason to set himself loose on some civilians, even though there were a bunch of women and children in the crowd it didn’t seem to deter him.

"Too bad for ya MIss "Washed-Up Pop Idol." Looks like I ain't even gonna need any help! I can feel my wallet getting 15 dollars heavier right now..." Tak internally gloated about his expectations to win Passeri's wager, even before he had done anything.

“Oh, I should mention,” The captain’s voice broke Tak out of his narrow-minded focus, dismantling the ominous air he was building as the red-haired man leaned over his shoulder to whisper into his ear.

“The shipment was supposed to come when the store opened about 8 hours ago, but a delay made it late….” He trailed off, raising a finger to point toward the crowd.

“So, many people in this line have been waiting here longer than 24 hours.”

Tak glanced over at Hapori with a confused scowl, but as soon as he looked back toward the crowd ahead he immediately understood what he meant.

The formerly faceless inhabitants of the horde of people now had defined features, glowing red eyes, and sharp-teeth mouths that drooled saliva from the corners. The sounds of their ferocious growls in the distance as Tak’s eyes glazed across their monstrous expressions as if he was looking at a pack of wild, hungry, starving animals.

Suddenly, all the confidence that was running through his veins before sweated out of his body, as his face concaved on itself like he had eaten something extremely sour, perspiration pouring down his forehead.

“Iroi.” The captain’s voice tore the focus away from Tak, as he and his fan club members walked towards the sidelines, away from the challenge ahead.

“The trial starts on your command, it’s only right. You are our emcee, after all.” The captain offered her the honors, dropping his head in respect as if he was some lowly servant.

Once she kicked things off, it would be time to see what Tak was capable of.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

H-Eye

TIME:

Post Arc-2

LOCATION:

Red West, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yong-Yut

H-EYE

Hector placed the bag at the end of the table, where it flopped against the wall, and he was free from the greasy smell. Yong-Yut had asked him a question, and he looked down at the glass he cupped with two hands. He felt a warmth in his face as he turned slightly red. Coming down here was a mistake, with everyone around. Now would be the time to call her a bitch and send her to go do something at HQ, though YY was not one to talk to like that and he knew it. He’d say it in his head.

“It shouldn’t be. If she could see me now she’d be disappointed.” Hector glanced up at her, itching at his bandages. He didn’t need to specify who he referred to. “I just- Maybe I’m just not ready for all this. Everything that’s happened is my fault anyway.” The words spilled out now, like water through a broken dam.

“I’m meant to be her right-hand-man, the one she could rely on. And I let her sacrifice herself while I was busy just… Fucking about.”

That kid with the drawings. The one who occupied much of his time that afternoon. His face hadn’t left Hector’s mind, not for a second.

“But hey… This is what I always wanted, right? And here I am, sitting here when I should be back out there making things right.” Hector took a moment to take a long breath, sipping his water. “Did you go to see her yet?” Swiftly, he moved the topic away. He had said too much, too loudly.

 

[Elenion Aura]

SHEN YUE

CS Link

SCENE:

Clouds at the Summit

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, March 21st, 2017

LOCATION:

Millennium Hall, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Bae Family (NPCs), Shen, Others?

CLOUDS AT THE SUMMIT

Shen was thinking about nothing at all. His mind was as calm and as placid as the surface of the still waters before him. His heart, as ever, was quiet.

When Hifumi spoke the first time, Shen smiled. He agreed! It was lovely.

Before he knew it, Shen was thinking about his mother. He thought of the time he'd spent here with her, of the many quiet hours they had shared in this sacred space. Shen thought of how it was funny, in a way, how the spaces one once shared, where one's presence might still be felt, eased the sting of their absence, if but a little.

He stared long into the waters, eyes tracing the paths of the koi as they swam round and around, until the sound of Hifumi speaking a second time pulled his attention away. Shen looked at the boy beside him, head cocked quizzically to one side. He stared for a long time, too long for politeness' sake. As the silence settled over the secluded sanctuary once more, Shen turned his gaze back to the koi, and in a quiet voice he answered.

"No," he said with a confidence that could have easily been mistaken for naivete. Perhaps was naivete. Then he added, "I think that fate is what we make."

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

In The Tigers' Web

TIME:

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

LOCATION:

Nameless Storefront, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Jennifer, Ezra, Elias, Dagger

In The Tigers' Web

Elias wouldn’t go as far as to say he expected the current events, but he wasn’t surprised by them either. Were he in Jennifer’s shoes, he might’ve done the same. Well, perhaps not as dramatically as Miss Webber, but he knew where his loyalties lay…and it wasn’t in a gang he paid his way in for sheer amusement. Then again, who knows? Perhaps one day the organization of Tigers would grow into something he could align his life with.

Optimism only hurts those that expect too much.

The sound of a gun going off marked the beginnings of a plan gone awry.

As he watched Jennifer take Passeri hostage from the comfort of his seat, the young CFO of Yumin Entertainment could only let out a sigh. It amused him that the Runner would select him, out of all the people present, to remain behind and untie Jacob Webber. Did she think he was the weakest? Or, perhaps, she thought he was the most negotiable and easy to deal with?

Both would be fair assumptions.

Elias glanced at the other Tigers, mostly to gauge their reaction to the sudden turn of events, before shrugging and setting his cup of cold beer to the side. He then proceeded to (slowly) stand up and do as told because…well, why not? Whether the Webbers escaped or not mattered little to him so long as he got the information he wanted. He valued the life of Passeri Park, who was a talent of a profiting associate company, more than the life of Jacob Webber, who he had no business dealings with. In a strange sort of way, he considered the idol to be a friend as well; A member of the same organization that he shared similar spelunking experiences with. Incredibly close? No. But it wasn’t as if he had an army of “close” friends to compare with.

In either case, Elias didn’t particularly enjoy seeing her blood; Anyone’s blood, really, so not having to watch torture was a boon a sense. It made things more interesting as well.

“We wouldn’t want that,” Elias agreed amiably as he stepped past the two women at the door to the bound Webber patriarch, dropped to one knee behind the chair, and started to “work” the knots. “Fortunately for you two, I do value Iori's life more than any sense of revenge, prisoner, or any dubious information Mr. Webber might possess.”

As he worked, Elias’s knuckles deliberately brushed against Jacob’s fingers and the memory manipulator used the opportunity of physical contact to subtly delve into the Steward’s memories. There was much he could do in his current position–erase, delete, edit, etc. He could rob the snowed haired man of his memories, or even change them to suit his needs…but his time was limited. There was only so much time he could buy, talking and “struggling with the knots”, before it became unbelievable, and he wouldn't want Passeri to be shot, so he simply copied and transferred (into his mind) any wisps of memories pertaining to the Sleeper and the Stewards he could find. Relevant memories? Irrelevant memories? He’d dive into and unravel them later. “Haah…sorry. Knots tight enough to keep a homo potentialis bound are quite difficult and my scouting days are long behind me…”

Moments passed like an eternity while Elias “struggled” with the ropes until, at last, they were undone. "There you go. Release Miss Park and I, at the very least, won't stop you if you wish to leave."

He got what he wanted. Not as much as he wanted, possibly even nothing useful, but he'd take what he could get given the circumstances.

No promises in regards to the others.

"But are you sure this is what you want, Runner?" Violet eyes settled on Jennifer as Elias stood, playing with the ropes. "Once you walk out that door with your father there won't be any turning back. Threatening the Jack of the Albino Tiger organization, stealing away her prisoner… surely you don't expect the gang to take kindly to your transgressions."

Well, no. If buying one's way into the Tiger gang was as simple as a membership fee, Elias was fairly certain that buying one's way out was possible as well. Just a matter of finding the right Tiger and the right price. Of all the four gangs in New Oasis, The Albino Tigers were probably the most “reasonable” in terms of financial negotiability so weaving one’s way in and out was just a matter of skill. Not to mention the entire mine exploration had been done on the former Jack's–not the King’s– jurisdiction in the first place. Did the Cold King even know about it?

Elias glanced thoughtfully at Passeri, who had suspiciously earned her title around the time Mouse was taken, before looking back at Jennifer with a charming business smile on his face. “Not to mention Dagger’s ghost-dogs probably caught your scent the moment you entered this basement.” Even if Dagger had left the room (if she had left the room), there was no way to know for certain whether or not her ghostly dogs remained, poised to attack. If the mercenary were smart, they probably were . Not that Elias would know. He didn't know anything about his fellow Tigers' general response to hostage situations. Give in? Fight back? He'd never actually worked with Dagger before, after all, and Z was rarely aggressive unless his other personality emerged. “Escape from the jaws of the Tiger is probably futile in the long run, especially if you intend to continue business in the West District, so wouldn’t a proper trade between Tigers be more preferable? I have nothing against the Webber family, you know, and I would hate to see us part on bad terms.”

Placing a casual hand on Jacob Webber’s shoulder, Elias kept his eyes locked on Jennifer while he waited for her response, prepped to move in the event that she fired. Or tried to run away with Passeri. He’d give her props for putting her and her father in a better leveraging position. The offer to negotiate wouldn’t have been made otherwise.

That was just how business worked.

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

 

[simj26]

Dagger

CS Link

SCENE:

In The Tiger's Web

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | June 3rd

LOCATION:

Nameless Storefront, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Jennifer, Ezra, Elias, Dagger

In The Tiger's Web

”Do it.” That would have been the words right out of her mouth for any other Tiger being held hostage. Who cared if they died? One less in her way, and one less hostage to hold in front of her.

But now, in front of the injured Park, she found the words intensely difficult to spit out. If anything, seeing Park injured and in the grasp of what was now an enemy, the swirling abyss began to wrap around her mending mind. She found herself cursing her weakness again, to have kept her eyes off the Weber woman for a second had been a mistake. Being unable to protect another person under her charge, this was all too familiar a feeling, and one that she had no wish to experience again, no matter the circumstances.

She raised her hands in a show of surrender, and took a step back. Gunnolf bared his fangs at her side, and attempted to move forwards, but she gently nudged him with her foot. He backed off, slipping back behind his pack leader. “I will kill you,” she snarled quietly, in some agreement to Yumin’s statement. “I will tear your throats out, and I will make sure you will be an example to the rest of the gangs, Tigers or otherwise.” She took another step back, nudging Gunnolf again. “We’re going, Gunnolf.” She turned around, paused, and cast one last look at Weber.

“For what it was worth, your services had been passable.”

She was not a fan of using her Potential for something like this. To depend on it so much was a sign of weakness - but every soldier needed to use every tool in their arsenal if they had to survive.

From the darkness, two other wolves materialised from their ghostly forms, and bounded out, flanking both the Weber patriarch and his daughter. Alpha brought the man low, his weight bearing down on the man and his fangs closing around his neck, ready to bite down, while Akela’s own closed around Jennifer’s arm, throwing the gun’s aim off Park’s head.

“A pack hunts together,” she muttered quietly, as Gunnolf joined in with the dogpile, slamming his body into Park and Weber, bowling all four of them over. She followed suit, clambering over the pile of bodies, and started to pry Park out of Weber’s hands.

Spoiler: tags

The One Eyed Bandit Lucem QuirkyAngel @Saturn_moon Elenion Aura

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Sweet Talkin' Woman

TIME:

December 22nd, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

The Dollhouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger

Sweet Talkin' Woman

"I'm going to start a fight." The sound of bare-knuckle brawling and clattering furniture was not quite enough to cover up the sound of Passeri's blithe complaints.

Lisette remembered this well. The bickering. The low, frustrated contempt for anything short of perfection. It wasn't a side of the now superstar idol that many ever got to see. She doubted that there were many people who were as familiar with Baker's shortcomings as she and Ariel had been.

"Keep your head down." The silver-haired woman spoke over her shoulder. "Her little stunt might not have drawn everyone over to her, and we're gonna look even more suspicious trying to sneak out while there's a distraction going on..." The rest of the brothel's clientele bristled around them, roused from their private and not-so-private bedrooms by the escalating brawl. A few emerged, some with the dignity to first clothe themselves and some not, but fortunately, for the first time that Passeri could remember, they looked straight past her.

In this dank, sad little establishment, the attraction was whatever was most thrilling, and right now that was not a pair of shifty-looking women skulking about the dark corners of the room. It was the one-eyed wolf laying into each and every bouncer that came her way.

As the ambiance of the room shifted from one of lurid whispers and passionate cries, to one of whooping and jeers, the pair of ex-idols sidled along the outskirts of the room. Occasionally, another body would push past them, rushing over to the mounting commotion around Dagger, but none of them deigned to halt their advance. As bothered as she was by the woman's spontaneity, she couldn't argue with results.

"You know, this is actually going pretty well." Lisette commented as they started their way up the stairs. "I was expecting us to get tackled to the floor by this point. That was what happened the last time one of the girls got out of line."

"...Yeah. Maybe I was a bit too harsh earlier. I mean, it is working out, isn't it?"

"No shit?" Lisette arched an eyebrow. This was a change. "I was expecting you to be prepping a lecture. I still remember you going off on Ariel whenever she improvised during a show."

"Mmm, well... Ariel was..."

"Ariel?"

"Ariel."

Cresting the stairs, the pair gave one another a look, before abruptly sharing a laugh. Even in the moment, Passeri knew that it was crass. While Dagger was exchanging blows downstairs, here she was, having some approximation of a pleasant conversation. She'd have to apologize for two things, now.

"Enjoyin' yerself, ladies?" A voice from the right, laden thick with a southern drawl interrupted the pairs' moment of levity, only a moment before a boot crashed into Passeri's stomach. Her body fell hard and heavy down the stairs, tumbling down with a series of dull thuds. A few vain splutters of her Potential flared inside the palms of Passeri's hands, but taken off guard and off balance, nothing took root.

"Shortcake!" Lisette yelled, before being shoved aside by a rough, weathered hand.

"Y'know, I thought somethin' was up. There's always someone tryna be clever in holes like this."

"Listen, Keith, it's-"

"Shut it, Liz. I ain't no rat. Let me take care'a'things and I'll make to the Boss like you had nothing to do with it."

"You know... It's rude to ignore people." At the bottom of the stairs, Passeri recovered from her tumble with a deep wince. HP or not, that had hurt. "How about I cut you a better deal? You get out of the way, and you get to go home tonight without any bruises."

The words coming out of Passeri's mouth surprised her. She sounded just like one of those thugs that'd run the streets when she was a child.

"Oh ho! Cookie's tough, is she?" The man scoffed. "Ain't you ever seen that one movie? I got the high ground here. Best ya just come quietly. M'sure you look good under that mask. Maybe you and the Boss can work somethin' out."

Passeri felt her stomach turn. This was the kind of person that Lisette had been stuck with for the past... God knew how long. She might have only come here tonight to tie up a loose end, but a pit of genuine outrage was starting to bubble inside her gut.

"Okay. Fuck you, then." She spat, eliciting a bemused chuckle from the man, and a look of flabbergast from Lisette. "Forget the deal. I hope your health insurance is shit."

"Yeah? Why don't 'cha show me wh-" The man started, but Passeri didn't need prompting. There was a flash of pink beneath her shoes, and then she flew up the staircase. It was enough of a surprise to take the man off guard, and the both of them barreled over as her body slammed into his. Her Potential sparked between her fingertips, primed to explode, but the element of surprise could only take her so far. Before she could blast him back to the cesspool he'd crawled out of, a sharp elbow crashed into her jaw, sending her tumbling off his form.

"Heck, chick! You don't mess, do ya?" The man got to his feet while Passeri's vision swum. "Guessin' you're an HP then, huh? Tough luck. If it were one'a the other blokes you would'a been off scott free. But me, well, I ain't go down so easy." Even if his Potential had been housed firmly within the ninety percent, he was still tough enough to tangle. That was how he'd gotten into this line of work.

"Oh... Shut-"

Crash.

While Passeri willed her wits back together, a shower of glass exploded behind the man's head. He flinched, if only by a millimeter, before cursing over his shoulder at the now broken bottle brandishing Lisette.

"Shit, Liz, you turnin' stupid? Didn't I just tell ya to let me take care'a'this?"

"Yeah, well... I just..." Lisette gripped down hard on her stump of a bottle, and the man turned towards her.

"Just what? Wanted ta' earn another month downstairs?"

"No. More like..." The room flashed pink. "...Buy a second?" Then, there was a sick crack, as one of Passeri's constructs crashed into the back of the man's knee. In a flash, his leg fell out from under him, and he fell back down to join Passeri on the ground. This time, he wasn't fast enough. Energy flowed through Passeri's fingertips, and then a blast of raw, violent energy consumed him.

It was a good thing he was an HP, after all. That meant she didn't have to hold back.

"That was stupid." Passeri groaned as she, once again, struggled to her feet. "Do you have any idea what could've happened!? He could've-!"

"Hey hey hey!" Lisette cut her off with a smug grin. "It is working out, isn't it?"

Passeri could only answer with a look of sheer incredulity. She couldn't tell if she'd missed this or not.

No, actually, she definitely hadn't.

simj26​