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

[Coyote Hart]

Gideon Gray

CS Link

SCENE:

Get(ting) Help

LOCATION:

Jiro's Dojo, South District

TIME:

Post Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Hitoshi, Ashley, Charlie, Gideon and Kaede

GET(TING) HELP

If not for being at maximum embarrassment, Gideon felt like his face would've been turned even more red when Charlie got up to help slice his waffles into manageable slices. But thankfully, Charlie did it in a completely nonchalant manner, almost as if it weren't a weird thing to do. Feeling a little helpless, all Gideon could say was, "Thanks Charles."

The rest of the meal went by uneventfully. It seemed that most of the Phoenixes present were too focused on their food to make more than small talk. Throughout the meal, Gideon caught Charlie's eyes several times. After the second time, Gideon realized with a start that Charlie was looking out for him, making sure that he was doing fine. Gideon passed him a thin-lipped smile to signify his gratitude and appreciation towards it.

Heh. So that was all that it took for the Great Eville to break character. Someone cutting up his food for him. How pathetic of him. Well, next time, Charlie was going to find that it was going to be substantially harder to tease a smile out of him.

Wait no. That was no way to think when someone was genuinely trying to help him. Gideon was grateful, and that was the end of the story.

With the meal over, Gideon hung around as he waited for Hitoshi to pay the bill. While the others had the desire to help with the bill, Gideon was content to stick back. He was after all, a lowly college student. The meager wages from being a kill-less Phoenix were barely enough to pay his tuition. And with that, they left to walk to the dojo. Well, for him at least, it was more of a drive. It felt kind of weird having to take up almost the entire sidewalk with his wheels. His driving also left a lot to be desired. But he made it to the dojo in one piece... not that he knew what he was doing there when he couldn't even walk.

Gideon definitely would've been pushed around by muggers and thugs for being wheelchair bound if not for the arsenal of bombs and hijinks that he carried around. He definitely was going to be out of commission from any Phoenix-related activities until he could use a cane, but he could definitely scare off the common do-no-gooder.

Hector didn't seem to mind the fact that Gideon was in a wheelchair though. Gideon watched in amazement, and fear, as Hector turned to face the group and declare a challenge. Against all of them? Including Gideon? It felt kind of weird for Hector to include him in the group. Wasn't Gideon supposed to be the referee? Regardless, he had an idea.

"I don't think I'll be able to put up much of a fight. I think you could just kick me over and be done. Although..." Gideon reached into his pockets to pull out something black. With his arm propped against his wheelchair's armrest, he pointed the object straight at Hector. It was a fucking Glock. "I guess I do still have my neutral special."

joshuadim WhiskeyMarten Roda the Red Sei Shonagon Lucem

 

[Coyote Hart]

SEBASTIAN SE

CS Link

SCENE:

Dissonant Badges

LOCATION:

Back of a Warehouse, West District

TIME:

June 28th, 2022 | Post Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Sebastian, Guinevere

DISSONANT BADGES

It wasn't often that Sebastian chose a murder that he regretted. He was a rash killer, yes, but he wasn't a reckless one. The victims he chose were usually ones he was sure he could control.

Not this time though. This time, he found himself in the middle of a very dangerous scheme. It was a double murder. But with the first victim dead on the ground, the second victim ran around like a headless chicken, screaming bloody murder. Thankfully, the streets were abandoned and empty, and the few occupants paid no heed to the man. This allowed Sebastian to doggedly chase after him like a bloodhound on a scent.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Sebastian said, a sing-song tone to his voice. The energy just wasn't in Sebatian's voice this time though; he was far too worried about consequences this time around. Gratifyingly though, the man let out a delicious scream of terror and began to run faster. It was almost enough for Sebastian to forget that he was making a risky kill.

The two of them flew by neon signs, shuttered storefronts, and vacant buildings before Sebastian's victim turned down an alleyway behind a warehouse in order to try to lose Sebastian.

Big mistake.

"End of the line!" Sebastian shouted. Then, with rather shoddy technique, Sebastian lifted his serrated knife and threw it at his victim. Surprisingly, the cut into his victim's leg, causing him to lose his balance and topple to the asphalt.

Slowing down and catching his breath, Sebastian sauntered over to his victim. His breath was haggard, and sweat stuck to his hair, which began to glow in the dim light. Sebastian's victim, who was whimpering in pain and scootching away from him, was begging him for mercy. The sounds were like honey to his ears. Putting on his most depraved smile, Sebastian said, "Sorry, but this could've been much more painless if you didn't run, you know?"

Sebastian tore the knife out of his victim's leg. The delightful part about serrated knives was how they didn't come out of flesh cleanly. They ravaged and eviscerated as they exited the wound, causing more agony. As expected, his victim screamed, his voice sweet with pain, which Sebastian muffled with a hand. It was a shame, but if he was going to torture his victim here at the back of the warehouse, then Sebastian was going to need to keep things quiet. That would be the least risky method.

At least, that would be, if not for the feeling of someone's presence behind him. Sensing that he was not alone with his prey, Sebastian turned around in order to lament the interruption. But that would be the last thing that he could possibly do.

"Wait, no, I swear it's now what it looks like!" Sebastian said, dropping his knife. His face paled, and the adrenaline that once felt like a fun ride twisted to become foreboding. Trepidation and terror, rare emotions in Sebastian's repertoire, were written clearly on his face as he faced down his fellow police coworker-- Guinevere Blank.

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Drunk Walk Home

LOCATION:

Central, Alleyway

DATE:

Post Arc 3 | 1:25 AM

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Teddie

DRUNK WALK HOME

What the hell!

She wasn’t supposed to be right. She was supposed to be wrong, and the only reason she was right was because she wanted to be wrong and she never seemed to get what she wanted, did she?

That was hilarious! So maybe, Tar was laughing because he realized that too. And they were just laughing. Just a couple ‘o buds. Cracking up at the same cruelly ironic joke.

Their laughter was still horrific, like the sound of drowning lungs, the symphony of all his victims who drowned in the substance that made up his being of agony, like Hiachi might in just a minute.

He knew she could do it. Why did it sting like that? They knew she could guess his name, like he was counting more on her success than her failure, and why was this the first time she really heard that? From anyone, even herself?

But no time for that. It was time to die, and not for her. For him. Her ‘husband’.

She allowed herself, for a moment, to consider the following, as he writhed from the kick Tar had bestowed on him. A sickeningly comforting thought.

Maybe it was comforting because then, it was his choice. He knew his poor wife was in trouble and he was willing to die for it. Maybe it felt nice because if that was true, she wouldn’t have even been here in the first place. If she had a husband, her family wouldn’t have hated her. She would have been home, breathing in the salty air, comforted by the protection of benevolent dragons. Maybe it felt better because at the end of the day, she knew it could have never been her reality. And the reality of this reality crept away from her, the pools of blood retracting back into his body.

But that wasn’t real.

He didn’t want to play. He was a good man. He wanted to save her from the torture she was suffering. A good man is hard to find, and there he goes, exterminated and punished for his goodness.

He shouldn’t have done that. She wouldn’t have died like he was going to. And if she died, she deserved it for being stupid.

Tar wasn’t happy anymore, and that killed the secret feeling of safety that had been gaining strength in the past thirty seconds.

“He… played… play or… die.” Hiachi nodded her head. “We are playing your game.”

The man had been kicked onto his stomach. He held his body up with his elbows. The light was fading from his eyes. She could see them now, widened from shock, his mouth wavering as he tried to spit out words and blood. All he could get out was a groan of pain.

A good person would get up and help him. A good HP would shield the man from the bullets or any other harm and get him to safety.

What would you have done? What was she supposed to do? As worthless as she finds her own life to be, the truth of the matter is she’s far too angry and scared to die.

Her eyes glistened with an apology. Not for what had happened to him, but for what she was going to continue to do. She shook as she lowered herself further and further, averting herself from his gaze.

She felt so damn horrible. And she didn’t speak another word, turning her gaze from whatever fate awaited her dying savior.

Spoiler

@FangS31

​

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

The House Always Wins

LOCATION:

West District, The White Tiger

DATE:

April 1, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Camila, Ryutaro, Jennifer, Alice

The House Always Wins

She was so close, so far. She had thought she was close to freedom, until a pair of gentle hands whisked her away until she was further, further, far away from the exit.

Her protests were weak and pathetic. Melancholic mumbles about ‘no’ and ‘sorry, you misunderstand…’ weakly echoed from the back of her throat. She should have ripped away from the stranger’s grip, but her steps were clumsy and her legs felt weak.

The soft maternal voice led her to another room. Well, mission success, she was out of the tea garden. But now she was somewhere else, that wasn’t where she was supposed to be because surely being in another room was not the answer. She was supposed to exit, not enter.

She wasn’t supposed to be there, was she? Especially not in there. The floor was endless like an endless chess board, black and white and black and white squares. She was NOT a chess piece.

Speaking of chess. Hiachi was kind of good at it, so she was vaguely familiar with the pieces. The one that everyone called a horse was a knight, and the one everyone called a castle was a rook. Anyways, about these chess pieces in front of her. Miss motherly voice was a rook. Not in the literal sense, because that would have been plain weird. But she could tell these things. Crown around her head in the shape of the infamous castle pattern that made everyone call it a castle but it wasn’t. What even is a rook, actually? Why was she a rook? Excellent question, Hiachi. Moving on.

New mister. Briefly encountered before mister. She knew she had seen him before, but she didn’t know where. He’s the queen. No cross above his head. Which is interesting, ain’t it? King-Queen. What the hell was that about?

Hiachi kept rubbing her eyes because she felt like something was in them. Her brain was turning to mush.

“What… How did I do it…”

OH NO. Remember that crime that was but wasn’t but was but wasn’t due to her foggy recollection of events? That was what she was talking about. Because what else would she be discussing?

“I…”

How did she do it? Why did she do it?

“I used my potential. I can see really far. I can see people’s hands. Through the reflection in their eyes. It doesn’t matter if they’re cheaters or not, because I always know the truth. I always win it back. It’s just a basic deduction.” All of the sudden, she was spilling her guts. The answer felt unfamiliar, like that handkerchief trip magicians do. She watched as the colors flooded out her mouth, an unfamiliar tale spun from fabrics of the truth.

The truth of the matter was, she knew. Something felt wrong. But she couldn’t stop overflowing.

“They deserved it. I need money… They have the money they took from others… I have to—“

Uh oh, there she goes. Her throat swelled up to stop herself from giving everything away.

Spoiler

Roda the Red joshuadim

​

 

[joshuadim]

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

​

Hitoshi was practically sweating by the time he had dashed off on Elizabeth's command to find churros, as the task at hand was so easy as to be impossible to fail. For a job like this, he couldn't afford to mess up on getting the sweet snacks as he frantically searched for a stand that sold them. One sold cotton candy, another sold something called "Dippity Dohs" - which were something like little ice cream pebbles served in a bowl - and a third sold various touristy items that preyed on people's desire to buy cheap trinkets to take home with them as mementos. But nothing came across as selling the mythical churro.

He was definitely out of shape - from so many years of habitual substance abuse - to be putting this much effort into something so, in the grand scheme of things, insignificant. But something in him spurred to find those damn churros. But at last his luck had a change of heart as he spotted a small cart in the off distance, closer to the Mesque region of animal displays, that proudly advertised their product: churros.

Hitoshi nearly tackled a few people on the way by accident as he stumbled over towards the cart, breathing in heavily due to his lack of cardio and endurance, and eyed the seller with deep breaths. "Four... churr... ack... holy crap..." he managed to get out for a moment as he put his hands on his knees and bent down to recover his breath. I really need to get back in shape. he thought to himself before managing to recuperate himself enough to string some words together. "Four churros! Fast!" he said, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out some crumpled bills. The man looked at him with some concern before nodding, saying something in his native tongue and pulling out four sticks of the cinnamon covered dough sticks.

But now a second issue presented itself: he had to return them before they got cold! Which meant more running. He was not looking forward to this as he groaned and carried the paper pouches that held the delectable desserts in his hands as he began to stumble back the way he came. Though he hadn't recovered his breath entirely as he walked with a strange gait, trying to recover himself while keeping pace. A bad combination, given his own physical status. He considered for a moment just calling either Milo or Charlie and asking them to come over to him while he sat on a bench, but his train of thought was then cut off by an explosion.

---

A fireball leapt into the air that destroyed the peace and caused absolute chaos among the civilians as they all began to scream and panic, running towards whatever exits of the zoo were closest to them. ...what? Hitoshi thought as he watched the flames rise up, seeing that they had come up near a visitor centre. A switch then flicked in his brain as he realized what was going on.

"SHIT!" he yelled, dropping the churros and running back towards the Graadian exhibits.

He ignored the pain and exhaustion of the mild exertion he had committed to previously, pushing past the fleeing crowds as he made his way towards where Milo and Elizabeth were. The wolverine exhibit was untouched, much to his relief as he skidded from around a nearby pillar and exclaimed: "Oh thank goodness! Lets get outta here-" he said, before realizing what was so terribly wrong.

"...where is she?"

Elenion Aura Roda the Red

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

LOCATION:

Central

DATE:

July 12, 2013

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

Night was approaching—it was easy to tell. The sky was still blue, but there was something in the hue. A darker shade. The slow chilling of the atmosphere to the cold of night, slow as it was. As lifeless as oxygen is, there was a spark of life in the air. A buzzing energy, stagnant and yet ever present.

It was clear: the weather was a result of festival season finally descending on New Oasis.

Cicadas hummed in the trees, beneath the rhythmic drumming from somewhere far off, beneath the bustling of the festival goers. Rows of stands, plastic tables with vibrant fabric draped over them, lined the path. Various traditional games and festive foods were displayed, buzzing with the business of the holiday. Lanterns were strung overhead, softly glowing in the dusk.

There was plenty to see, and plenty to do. And there was nothing Hiachi hated more than being there with her family.

Her face soured as she enviously watched her peers run around in their shorts and t-shirts. Even the majority of the Sankaian kids were dressed in rough-and-tumble clothes. But not her, to her great disdain. Mama Ito was insistent on her kids staying ‘connected to their roots’. Except her older brothers got to wear much more breathable hopi robes, and Mareri got to wear whatever she wanted ever since what happened last year. So Hiachi was the only one suffering in her plum-pink kimono.

To make matters worse, Hiachi was pretty sure that being the only one who her mom could dress up made things a billion times more uncomfortable. It wasn’t just the restrictive garment, it was the way her hair was tied up to it pulled on her scalp, the uncomfortable wooden shoes on her feet, and—most crucially—the death stares she got for trying to adjust everything to be more bearable. She was getting hit with the ‘do you have ANY idea how long it took to put this together!?’ every five seconds, it felt.

So here she was, shuffling her feet across the sidewalk because her legs were bound by her kimono, her countenance grumpier than ever.

To make matters worse, she was being forced to participate in her least favorite activity: socializing with adults she wanted nothing to do with.

“You’ve grown so much!” The woman she didn’t know pinched her little cheek. “Do you remember me?”

Hiachi stepped away from her, her face pulling like taffy until the woman let her go with abrupt shock. She didn’t hesitate when she answered back with a curt “No.” She didn’t know who this was; she didn’t care. Hiachi wanted to go play the shooting game—The one with the heavy toy guns that shot at circular targets. She was good at that, and she won one of those huge stuffed animals when she played last year.

Hiachi’s mom clamped her bony hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry—she’s just shy, and I think she might have been too young to remember you!” She scrambled for a polite explanation of her discontent. “Ahaha…” The grip of her hand was stopping Hiachi’s breath. She clawed at it with both hands, before Hiachi’s mom let go and freed herself from the awkward leaning she had forced herself into.

“That’s alright,” The woman responded, trying to cover up the shocked pause she had committed moments earlier. “She is SO adorable~! Like a little doll!”

Hiachi did not enjoy being talked about in the third person. Or being talked down to. She shot her infamously unnerving stare at the woman, willing her to cease talking.

Her mother swept back behind her, both hands cradling her shoulders. “I know! Isn’t she the cutest?” Hiachi’s shoulders were shaken lightly as her mother encouraged her closer to the woman. “Say thank you, Hiachi.”

Hiachi hesitated for a moment, only submitting when she felt the ice cold sensation of her mother’s glare raise hairs on her neck. “Um. Thank you.”

And that was good enough. The second she uttered her half-hearted gratitude, her mother finally let her go. Hiachi’s decidedly anti-social behavior had served its intended purpose—because her mom was now filling the gaps with colorful opinions, about from the kimono rental service to how much worse New Oasis was from Sankai.

And most importantly, whatever she was talking about, it was so engaging that the two of them forgot about her.

She remembered her chance. Her grand master plan that she has simmered in her brain for the last two days.

Denzou wasn’t here anymore. He went off to ‘college’, which was just a fancy word for more school. Everyone was really proud of him, but that’s not what Hiachi cared about. It was the first time he wasn’t there to boss her around. Kenki was, but as a long-time second in command, he wasn’t as careful.

And moms could talk to their friends in public for hours, even when kids were clearly on the verge of withering away from boredom. They wouldn’t be focused on her.

If she could just distract Kenki. The problem was that even though he was talking to a friend, it would have been hard for him to lose sight of her in a casual conversation. He needed to be absorbed in whatever he was talking about.

Her plan was rock solid. She would bait him, she would leave, and then she could do whatever she wanted. She knew where the games were—that prize was as good as hers.

She walked behind her brother and tugged on his ash gray sleeve. Kenki was used to the song and dance that Hiachi performed, that of which rarely included normal social conventions. That understanding should extend to his friends, especially since Kenki was now the one responsible for his kid sister.

Kenki tilted his head away from the conversation, nonchalantly asking: “What’s up?” Hiachi pointed in the direction of a takoyaki stand, her hand wavering a bit from the weight of her sleeve. “Ah.”

With that simple vocal tic, her fate was sealed. Kenki walked up to the stand, leading his two companions along with a simple nod of the head.

The vendor’s hands moved with quickness and haste, flipping octopus paste into crispy balls of yumminess. Hiachi felt her mouth water, to the degree that she had to wildly shake her head to get herself back in the scheming frame of mind. Still, the scent of oil and seafood made her happy on the principle that she was in for one of her favorite foods. This specific vendor was the only one she liked, and she looked forward to going every year.

Her hands were itching for the small paper box that held the snack. As the trio was handed their treats and told the price they owed, Kenki looked down at Hiachi with a smirk edging at the corner of his mouth.

“Alright, Hiachi. You heard the man. Nine amestriyen.”

Hiachi froze. “What.”

“Give him the money!”

Hiachi squinted at her brother “…Nuh uh. I don’t have money.”

“Yuh huh. Where’s your money, Hiachi?”

While she was acutely aware that he was messing with her, a small dose of panic rushed through her veins. She couldn’t help it. Hiachi hated the idea that she couldn’t make him drop the ruse, and that it felt like she was doing something wrong.

But she had to stay focused. She puffed out her chubby cheeks to keep herself from uttering another word. This is where Kenki would have found something to say that would have blown her fuse, but luckily, his friend was there to save the day.

“Oh no,” he said, stifling his laugh as he slung his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “You mean to tell me you don’t have any money!? That’s totally against the law.”

“What a shame,” Kenki sighed to hide his smile, “My baby sister, off to jail. How will she explain herself!?”

“Huh. She can’t speak to the cops. Everything she says can and will be used against her. She should plead the fifth.”

“She already does that every day.”

Hiachi’s eyes glinted as her brother and his friends started cracking stupid jokes back and forth. It was all coming together. They were distracted, and now she was free to do what she wanted.

As they continued poking fun at her, she silently shuffled away, as she had been taught to walk in a kimono. When she made it past their lines of vision and around a corner, her shoulders relaxed. Sweet, sweet freedom.

It felt much better to be out on her own. While she would have preferred to ditch the kimono, the lack of other available clothes made that impossible. Still, being able to enjoy her time without her family hawking her down was nice.

Unluckily for Hiachi, her short streak of good fortune was about to end. While she swirled around in her mind and munched on her takoyaki, she absentmindedly walked away from the crowd. Which, in most cases, would have been good for her. But where the sea of people parted sat a group of four stray mutts. Downtrodden, yet they still held an air of silent, feverish aggression. Most people had steered clear of them, and rightfully so.

All four of them locked heads with her. More specifically, what she was holding in her hands.

Oh.

Hiachi returned the gesture by staring the pack down, almost like she was trying to telepathically communicate with them. The straight line that formed at her mouth plus her swirling gaze were fueled by the pit in her stomach. Her front of stone-cold malcontent would have been convincing to most.

But the animals could sense her fear. Or rather, the smell of takoyaki was a heavier motivator than the uncanny glare of a child.

Ah. So it seemed it was over for her. She already found dogs scary, and the hardened strays that wandered the streets of New Oasis were practically beasts. And while she was fast, she was practically immobile in her kimono.

She had to think, but thinking fast was never her strong suit.

Spoiler

thebigfella

​

 

[joshuadim]

RYUTARO HASHIMOTO

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers B-side: The House Always Wins

LOCATION:

West District, The White Tiger

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Camila, Ryutaro, Jennifer, Alice

The House Always Wins

"Oh? Is that so?" Ryu's voice spoke at the entrance to the room, having followed both Hiachi and Camila to this quiet place. The girl had spilled the beans on the full effects of his potential, but also on her motivations. He closed the door behind him as to block out the outside world, creating a bubble that insulated them from any other prying eyes or wandering ears as to the conversation that was about to take place. Especially since his own feelings conflicted with the necessity of his job as Queen of the Albino Tigers. On the outwards, he was rather annoyed that such an insignificant gnat thought herself capable of taking down such a power. And then looping around to justifying her brash stupidity in digging her own grave through such delusions.

But another part was rather impressed by the initiative shown in the first place; where Hiachi had taken action, however shortsighted it may have been, to change her situation she went ahead and did. She committed. And she had for the worse done so, given the predicament she was in now. An insurmountable sum of money had been placed upon her neck, strangling her beyond reprieve from its crushing demands. He was not, however, about to let an opportunity slide before him. He knew that the girl had no chance of ever paying even a fraction of such a sum off, as that would leave her working until she either met an early grave or made a run for it (which could lead to the same outcome).

"just know two things. One - your debt is known to the Tigers, now." Ryu stated, though it was unclear whether or not the words registered to an already frail mind. "And two: that debt belongs to me." The final word came laced with a certain venom that one might find within a cobra. Letting off a quick strike and sitting back as it watched its prey thrattle and struggle to even breathe. He then leaned forward, craning his neck down until he was but a few inches from Hiachi's face as to stare straight into her soul - her terrified and pitiful soul - and furrowed his brow.

"I'll be in touch."

miki Roda the Red

 

[thebigfella]

Takakazu Shishido

CS Link

SCENE:

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

LOCATION:

Central District

DATE:

July 12, 2013

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi ( miki )

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

Disgusting flea-ridden dogs. Their skinny bodies were bolstered with the muscle they had grown over their struggles for survival. Their skin hung tightly around their rib cages, concaving. The smells around the surroundings had caused frothy drool to seep through the cracks of their ragged jaws, the growls of their stomach rose and came to completion at their throat.

They knew people meant food, delicious morsels of discarded remnants that would be their full-course meals. Licking clean tins, shoving their heads into discarded wrappers was about all they knew.

Just about. There was something else they knew. They knew if you couldn’t protect your food it would be taken from you. The streets were rampant with hungry strays such as them, they could be outsmarted by pigeons or scared off by more ferocious animals. What you couldn’t protect was someone else's. A human holding food was usually just a game of them waiting to take what they could get, but this human was small, unprotected, it taunted them with an easy meal.

Like a wolf pack, they moved forward, their paws pressing against the concrete as they tensed, multicolored eyes devoid of the vibrant soul you’d find in a house dog devoid from their eyes. The closer they got, the stronger the smell, the deeper rooted their hunger, desperation brought ferocity.

The situation was quickly becoming perilous, with the intensity increasing rapidly. The distant sounds of joy and amusement that came from the nearby festival grounds showed the safety Hiachi had left to be faced with nothing but danger. She was stuck alone, with no one to help her.

In stories, they always talked about heroes appearing to save those in need, protecting people who needed help. However, as the wild dogs approached her, encircling and patiently waiting for an opportunity to snatch the takoyaki she held so tightly, the situation felt increasingly suffocating.

Heroes were just a figment of our imagination, only existing in fantasy.

A small pebble shot through the air like a meteor, bashing against the back of one of the dog’s skull, making its head jut forward with a loud whimper in pain, its upper body crumbling slightly. Immediately the rest of the pack stopped their focus on Hiachi, turning to look at where the rock had come from in a mix of growls and barks.

“In the farthest corners!”

A finger rose up to the sky, the sparkling stars of the sky shimmered high above.

“In the deepest darkness!”

The hand shot open wide, splaying all five fingers, before slowly coming downward. It glided past a vibrant right streak, accompanied by blue borders, compound red eyes like an insect glossed with light as they flowed through the darkness.

“Justice will always find a way to light the path forward!”

Their hands came together, producing a resounding echo, before gracefully swinging to their side. Their white cape, a mere quilt tied around their neck, billowed in the wind behind them. Their shoes stomped against the ground as they got into position, dropping onto one knee, raising their head as one arm braced in front of their chest, the other stretched far backwards.

“Warrior for the good of all! Enemy of evildoers everywhere! The invincible hero! Nembo Number 5!”

Emitting a courageous shout and assuming a commanding stance, the hero announced his presence, commanding attention, fearlessly exposing himself as the target of the vicious dogs that posed a threat to Hiachi. During his introduction, they did not remain still. Instead, they approached him with an intense and desperate aggressiveness, seeing him as a mere obstacle in their pursuit of a meal.

Without a sense of urgency, the boy got up and proudly placed his hands on his hips while giving Hiachi a bright smirk, as if to say, "Look at me!" before spouting more heroic dialog.

“Don’t worry princess! I will rescue you from these ferocious creatures!” He proclaimed boldly, eagerly involving the girl to play along with his make-believe. She should be grateful, getting a fun game and being saved at the same time.

His abundant cockiness would go too far, it seemed, as finally the dogs had enough of them. Their slow approach had suddenly changed intent as they charged at him, barking and biting, prepared to either tear him to shreds or make him run away in fear.

With unwavering composure, the vigilant hero skillfully delved into his pocket, completely undeterred by the imminent danger. He revealed his hidden arsenal, a handful of small, white poppers tightly clenched in his hand, poised to distract his adversaries. They ruffled together in his grip as he rose them above his head, and with a sharp slam they cracked against the ground. The loud sound of their continuous popping reverberated in the area, catching the dogs off guard and forcing them to halt in their tracks. In fact, two of them were so startled they quickly changed direction and fled.

Waiting for this exact moment, he swiftly moved ahead, seizing the opportunity in that narrow gap of time. Without missing a step, he instinctively snatched a nearby stick, determined to arm himself. With both hands tightly clasped around the newfound weapon, he gracefully soared into the air, raising the large stick above his head.

“TAAAAAAKE THIS!” He shouted, as he brought his upper body downwards, cape flapping as the air flew around his body. The stick struck the closest dog's head with force, causing it to instantly collapse to the ground, whimpering in pain. Its paws flailed, and its body twitched in response to the sudden agony coursing through its body.

Feet landing on the ground, the boy’s attention quickly shifted to the other dog. Immediately after striking the first one, he adjusted his grip on the stick and swung it sideways, forcefully smashing it against the second dog. The impact was so powerful that it caused splinters to scatter from the dog's jaw, while its jowls quivered from the sudden blow. Its whole body moved to catch up with the momentum; it stumbled a bit, but as soon as it had control of its body it joined its other dog friends in running away, deciding the food was no longer worth it. They rushed past Hiachi, not even making an attempt to do anything to her as they whimpered and cried like puppies, tails between their legs.

Hoisting the stick over his shoulder, the boy watched as the final dog weakly rose back up to his feet. It stood crooked, head raising to look up at the masked boy silently, drool still dripping from its mouth onto the ground below, causing a growing wet spot. It didn’t make any noise as it stared, its body silently vibrating.

... Then, it finally bowed its head, taking a step back before fully pivoting and sprinting away alongside the rest of its companions. They vanished into a nearby thicket, never to be glimpsed again, leaving no trace behind.

“YAAAA-HOOO!!” An excited shout came from the boy as he raised his stick up in the air, “Another victory for justice!” He joyfully exclaimed. He started to swing his stick around, making sound effects with his mouth, before finally shoving it under his armpit to holster it. He turned to look at the girl he had risked his safety to save.

He smiled at her, approaching with an extended hand, just like he had seen his heroes do on T.V. all the time.

“Are you okay? Were you harmed by those monsters?”

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

LOCATION:

Central

DATE:

July 12, 2013

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

It didn’t matter if she felt shocked, or grateful, or angry with the stranger—Hiachi’s face would have looked the same regardless. Completely unemotive. She blinked in response to his question, feeling no urgency to verbally respond.

Who was this kid, anyway? She knew it was a kid because he was close to her height, and she knew the only people who played pretend were kids. Kids like her older brothers (minus Denzou) always wanted to play superheroes.

While the main difference in this situation was that she genuinely needed help, the concept annoyed Hiachi anyways. After being conditioned into playing boring, unfun roles by her brothers and his friends, she wasn’t too keen on the idea of having to do it during her sanctioned freedom.

But if she actually needed help, did that make him an actual superhero? He had a mask, after all. The one that looked like the same masks that all real superheroes had. The rest of his costume may have been disheveled and made from normal items, but that didn’t make him not a hero.

She was too curious to let it go now. Hiachi shook her head in response to his concern before tilting her head to get a better look at his stick. She reached for it, trying to inspect it. It was easy to deduce that the stick was strong, considering it had been through a whole round of violence and was still in one piece.

“This is a good stick. Are you a real superhero?”

Spoiler

thebigfella

​

 

[angel doe]

celestine renee cadieux

CS Link

SCENE:

blurred borders

LOCATION:

hartswan terrace, north district

TIME:

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

PARTICIPANTS:

darius, celestine

blurred borders

"You do not need to apologize, Darius," Celestine's voice was gentle and she sat back on her heels, "I should be the one apologizing." She went quiet, her gaze lowering to the ground. The shame she felt for what happened ate her alive, but the guilt of putting Darius through all this would be what really kept her up tonight.

He was obviously in distress and Celeste decided now was the right time to make the offer. Taking a deep breath, she looked back up at him, "I could erase the memories if you would like. It would be as though this never happened."

Celestine rose to her feet and brushed herself off, "Let us go outside first, though. You need some fresh air and then you can tell me what you decide, okay?" She started towards the door, leaving a trail of blood behind her, and waited patiently for Darius to follow.


WhiskeyMarten

 

[joshuadim]

HITOSHI YAMAKAWA

CS Link

SCENE:

Get(ting) Help

TIME:

Post Arc-3; 2 1/2 weeks later

LOCATION:

The Old Dojo, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Charlie, Ashley, Gideon, Hector, Kaede

GET(TING) HELP

The place seemed to be a hit, as Hitoshi saw the varied reactions to opening the old dojo up. He couldn't help but smile as everyone seemed eager to get into it, but he was caught off guard at first by Hector. He had strolled on over, and made his intentions clear to fight pretty much anyone and everyone in the room as he primed up his potentiality. "Well hey now, sparring is usually just one on one, ya know? Just to practice and stuff, nothing serious." Hitoshi said with a half-nervous chuckle, but was about to take the Phoenix leader up on his offer anyhow.

Until Gideon chimed in and pulled out a gun. At first it didn't register with Hitoshi entirely as he blinked at first, unsure of what exactly was unfolding. But then his eyes widened and he guffawed: "Wha-!? We're not trying to kill each other here are we?" Hitoshi then said aloud, letting off another bout of nervous chuckling.

"...right?"

Roda the Red WhiskeyMarten Coyote Hart

 

[Roda the Red]

CAMILA GASPARI

CS Link

SCENE:

Everyone's a Critic

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 9th 2022

LOCATION:

Feralia Art Gallery, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Takakazu

Everyone's a Critic

Camila tapped her foot against the large, polished ceramic floor tile, one hand on her hip and the other one drumming her fingers on her thigh in a rythmic pattern. That Tak was sure taking his sweet ass time to show up, it was already fifteen minutes past their arranged meeting time. Worst case scenario he had gotten himself piss drunk last night and slept in, she sent him another message but he had yet to respond, which admitedly wasn't a great sign. If that was the case, then that would mean the end of Tak's opportunity for chasing bigger fish at least when it came from the work Camila gave him, no second chances, it would be back to simple grunt work.

Taking a look around the exhibition, the veteran gave a scornful look at both the works and the people alike. As for the art, Camila simply didn't get it, yes she could see the value in a very detailed portrait or city landscape, but when it came to all the surreal and abstract stuff, she found it to be just a bunch of pretentious bullshit, nonsensical simple shapes and colors used so that pretentious people with more money the could ever know what do to with can act as if their ridiculous prices are somehow justified, spouting nonsense about the human nature and the emotions the artist tried to convey. To Camila, there was no more pure and authentic way to portray the human emotions than with actions, so there was little respect from her for those who try to present it with acrylic on a canvas.

Some of these people were also just too much. That fat lady with the gigantic hat, that lanky old man with the green suit and boots, and especially atrocious, there was this one guy with spray painting all over his attire...

...

...

Wait a second.

A chill ran down Camila's spine as she observed on that man. Hi skin complexion, his hair, his overall build. No no, there was no way. Camila raised her hands to her chest, and used one to pinch the other's side of the palm. She pinched hard, and looked back up again, still the same guy, same , slowly approaching with the exaggerated swagger of a New Oasis gangster. Really finally settled in, the tiger's mouth hanged open, her eye visibly twitching from the shock and disbelief of the sight.

"T...Tak? Is that you?" She kept staring at him for a solid second, her hands reaching up to her face, covering it almost completely, from behind her hand mask, a low, muffled cry of frustration could be heard. She looked at him once again, her expression shifting to that of a fake, fabricated smile.

"Oh I'm so glad you're finally here! I've been dying to check out this play with you!" She grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him behind her as she began her walk to one of the more isolated corners of the exhibition.

Oh this man was going to hear what she had to say.

But then, a sudden voice caused the white-haired woman to stop on her tracks, from behind her was a man who had called out to them, by the look of his clothes, he must've been really damn loaded.

"Excuse me, sir! I just KNOW I've seen you in another exhibition before! Could you perhaps be that one famous critic from Samara?" He scratched his her for a moment, trying to recall from his memory "I'm so sorry I cannot for the life of me remember your name! In any case, I just wanted to say I'm a big fan of your articles"

Camila gave the man a very disturbed look. What the fuck was he on about? Tak was no critic, if anything right now he was just one big clown attracting everyone's attention like moths to a flame.

thebigfella

 

[mechanicalmania]

ELEANORE

CS Link

SCENE:

{=Doused Flames Bring Lost Ashes=}

LOCATION:

Phoenix HQ, South District

TIME:

2019 {Pre-Arc 1}

PARTICIPANTS:

Pei { thebigfella }

Doused Flames Bring Lost Ashes

Eleanore did not think of Pei again for the entire time she was in the building. Why would she have? Good Phoenixes had been lost, swept away by the storm. Holding control of Central had gone from a simple reality to a pipe dream by people who hadn’t yet figured out the damage done, the amount of resources that’d be required just to keep a hold on their own district without any of the other gangs getting funny ideas. HQ had been attacked, it was easy to pick up the feeling that some people. People who didn’t think it was just a coincidence. People who were feeling bruised and would love to find an outlet to get revenge on.

Eleanore had to admit that it did make sense. Hurricanes aren’t known for their surgical strikes, and they had no shortage of enemies who would either do something like this, or find and hire someone who could. But in the aftermath, she felt like some people just wanted something to punch. The concept of it just being an unlucky storm didn’t sit right with those people. The idea that if one of the gangs had their hands on someone with such absolute control of the weather, they wouldn’t have stopped with the Phoenixes, didn’t fit well into their heads. And still, Eleanore had to wonder if that was just her own brain rationalizing, hoping to some extent that this was just random chance and not something someone truly had control over.

It would have to wait. She would have all the time in the world later to examine it, think it through and let new details come to light later on. But for now, parts of the brain that wanted to be devoted to that would have to be re-positioned to the here and now. There were so many problems with losing Central, not all physical. Business deals made in their prime were suddenly shaky as affiliates suddenly felt a lot more shaky in their security with the Scarlet Phoenixes. People who had undergone sponsorships with those who weren’t vetting their sponsorees with care were also looking for exit doors, having joined for the good times that they were suddenly no longer able to steal the glory of. People much more sociable than Eleanore would have to help provide carrots to stay strong with them, and Eleanore’s job would be to provide the stick.

She had a good idea of what she could do on her own, though. Most had ran to maintain their own houses, no one was fully prepared to devote themselves to their allegiance first and foremost. The well being of loved ones and pieces of property, you need a place to rest to get the energy you’d need. Eleanore wasn’t alone in having come without checking anything else, or not having anything else to check, but there wasn’t enough of them to do everything major that needed to be done. Despite her best efforts, even Eleanore couldn’t be everywhere at once. But she’d be where she could, and she’d be so soon.

All the time she was in HQ, no one asked where she was. She wouldn’t have answered.

She had a To-Do list written up, names and addresses, things to secure and things to take out of the wreckage, or things to just destroy before anyone who had the infrastructure to support them now gets their hands on them. Things she was confident that she could do on her own, tonight, and tomorrow too if it takes any longer. She had enough done to finally take a moment for herself, that being a moment at the Roost. Looking over mud and crypts that would be home to moss if left damp, but it was not the worst hit of the Phoenixes. Good. Let them rest. They all dealt with their own crises in their time, to be dragged into this in any form would be too much.

Walking out of HQ well after the sun finally set, she had full intent to head off on her tasks, ignoring anything and everything that wasn’t of import to them. She’d refilled everything, taken one or two stashes to be even more prepared than her normal prepared self, and was all the ready to prop up the Phoenixes in any way she could. That was before she heard a sound that she didn’t expect to hear in front of the HQ, right now. After all this.

A snicker.

A guard more fresh to the outside battalion, not yet worn out by either the circumstances or the view, was trying and failing to restrain themselves from actually laughing, to the ire of those who were well past the point of finding the situation funny.

”It’s like watchin’ a cartoon show half the time!”

It is, is it? Eleanore came to a stop, looking at whatever was attracting the comment, and…

It’s… that loudmouth from earlier, surrounded by some sort of… floating fairy. Did the idiot bring a power generator out here too, just to use his laptop here instead of where ever he (civilian) was supposed to be? It was obvious he had a potential now, at least, so he wasn’t completely worthless, but he was still barely exchangeable with most currencies in any meaningful amount in her eyes. Still, it’s night. You cannot have some unknown freak just standing outside with no apparent cares in the world. Underestimating that sort of idiot… why were the guards still just watching? She must have missed something important, and it was finally beginning to click just what. Joy.

Eleanore didn’t stomp, because any amount of force she set down onto the asphalt would be understating it. On some fundamental level, she knew that they had been waiting for her. If he wanted to, she’d be happy to spend a moment just fighting him for the offense he felt earlier. If he was still going to spew his mouth off about a sponsorship, she’d probably end up treating him the same. But he was going to leave the area before her, and if she had her way, make sure he didn’t come back. She came to a stop about ten feet away, pointing down the road.

”Lights out. Pack it up and move.”

 

[BriiAngelic]

CAIO SANTANA COELHO

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

This Side of Paradise

LOCATION:

North District

TIME:

~2004, Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri ( The One Eyed Bandit ) Caio

Captives of The System

School?

She wanted to use it to go to school? The confusion must have been clear upon his face and he wasn’t bothered enough to try to erase from his expression. He’d only really known kids that were practically tossed at the schools like it was the kid’s actual home. He knew when it came down to it his parents threw him to school so they could get their hits in before having to rejoin society.

“Fun… huh… Yeah, I mean… if that’s what you want to do we can try to get you in?”

He looked her up and down with the realization that she’d admitted to never having gone to school. It was beginning to explain a few oddities he was noticing. Though he couldn’t imagine for what reason she thought those stuffy uniforms were cool, he’d need to get it through her head that looking like a blob wasn’t actually in any way cool.

“Teenager? No, honestly I’m not much older than you…I’m ten too. BUT I turn eleven at the end of the year.”

Rather than let it settle in for too long he spun around thinking of what he could recommend to buy considering her only want seemed to be going to school of all things. Though maybe she needed it if she was going to be assuming anyone with some quick cash was someone she needed to treat like a “sir”. Actually he really just wanted to get a good punch in on both her parents the more he heard.

“Well, you want one of those god awful uniforms and you’ll need one if you want to go to-”

The sound of the growl of her stomach made him stop quickly with his sentence. Her embarrassment only spoke to the shit conditions she was living in. He took a few steps up and swung an arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Just means our first stop is gonna be to hit up a chain to get some burgers and fries then. Unless you don’t like ‘em”

 

[BriiAngelic]

CAIO SANTANA COELHO

CS Link

SCENE Music:

Annihilate

LOCATION:

Copper's Bar, North District

TIME:

2019, Pre-Arc 1

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius ( WhiskeyMarten ), Caio

TEST DRIVE

The smirk that must have taken over his face screamed just how slightly off Caio was at this point in his life. Even with his hand damaged and bleeding all he could think about as the pain sobered him up was exactly how useful this man could be. Such a destructive obvious potential would surely ruin the man from the inside out as he slowly fed him more power until he was hooked.

The best test subject to gather was a desperate one. His own power would leave the man crawling back for more. That destructive broken body of his would cause him such agony that he’d be begging for relief even if the drugs were experimental at best. He took a step closer with a chuckle coming low from his throat.

“Why are you running? If anything that kind of power should be praised. An ideal serpent for sure. Tell me, don’t you ever just wanna see just what you could accomplish with that type of power. Let alone if you let it get stronger.”

He brought his hand closer, not trying to touch the other again just yet but instead to show the exposed flesh left behind as the blood fell from his palm. The damage was clearly bad yet his tone conveyed only sickenly sweet whispers of a promise to do it again if only the other would ask.

“This is what you’re capable of without even trying huh? Imagine if you’d just let loose. Don’t you have someone you want to see scream and cry? Someone who’s just better off not existing in this world? I can help you get that done.”

 

[BriiAngelic]

Jackson Reese Alessi

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Complication

LOCATION:

Peyton's Old Apartment, East District

DATE:

Post-Arc 3 || Two Weeks Later

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson, Peyton ( Coyote Hart )

Crash and Burn

He felt a growl underline his words as he snatched the otter pop out of the air throwing it to the ground in irritation he could do nothing to mask.

“Keep in touch? Are you fucking kidding me? How were you planning to do that when you’re skulking out of here with your fucking tail between your legs like a coward. What you’d pop up in ENP and just go ‘Oh hey how have you been wanna go out for burgers?’ like you wouldn’t get fucking offed for setting foot in there once you betrayed the dragons?”

He heard his words start to raise into what was almost a shout halfway through and dialed them down with difficulty and a tremor in his voice. He hated serpents, hated the idea that Peyton would go to them and decide that it was better. He wanted to scream and grab him by the front of his shirt begging him to be better.

It only got worse as Peyton’s words fully hit him. Once again he was trying to hold onto the words and find any meaning out of them that didn’t just mean that he was just betraying them of his own free will. So even knowing he shouldn’t trust a word that came out of the other's mouth he tugged at the lifeline he’d found in the chaos. He took strides forward grabbing Peyton by the shirt and shoving him back until he was cornered between the wall and Jackson himself.

“You went to save him and he threatened your life? Pey- Pengfei. Why? WHY WOULD YOU GO BACK FOR SOMEONE LIKE THAT? You can’t… why didn’t you come to me? I’ll help you, I’ll think something up. You didn’t need to leave.”

He felt tears begin to fall as the small tremors became worse as he tried to stop any sign of them from showing unsuccessfully. The hands that held the grip of the other's shirt shook knowing damn well even as he pled it was far too late. The serpents may allow people to come in and out but he knew the dragons would never stand for this.

“You wouldn’t need to miss anyone if you just don’t go. Pengfei, please.”

 

[Ramjammer]

I Would Like to See Your Permit.


Lorette Lècuyer CS LINK

Scene: I would like to see your permit.

Time: Nighttime.December 2021. Post Arc 2.

Location: Lower Central District.

Participants: Lorette, Eric.



"Eager to help, are we?" Lorette asked, arching a well-manicured brow. "That's a rare attitude down here." She said as if not quite believing the man.

"I'm here on behalf of Elevation Enterprises." She said. While the organization was real, its intentions were a bit muddy. Sure, it helped to uplift the disenfranchised out of poverty. It also just happened to funnel the most promising of those numbers right into the Tiger's Den. She'd initially wanted to call it 'Lorette's Finishing School for Tyrants.' but the idea had been shot down. She, for the life of her, couldn't understand why.

The man's posture screamed skepticism in the face of her answer, which was correct, but also highly inconvenient. He didn't believe in Lorette's supposed good intentions more than she did. He inched marginally closer as if she may bolt at any moment. Lorette narrowed her eyes and chose to feign offense. The breach of her personal space was treated as no more than a nosy stranger getting too close for comfort and not an officer of the law hoping to catch her in the act of something malicious.

"Could you back up? It's rude to invade a Lady's space." She huffed while taking half a step back to widen the gap between them. Remaining in reach of the man was as foolish as bolting from the scene. Lorette wasn't confident in shaking the man off should she decide to run. At a minimum, he worked in the slums if he didn't live there altogether. He'd have an easier time navigating the twists and turns of the urban maze far better than she would.

At the realization, the clawing in Lorette's skull grew more insistent. With its means of flight being barred, the thing was preparing for a fight. She ignored it to the best of her ability. It may have been part of her, but the monster caged in her head wasn't holding the keys.

Yet still, Lorette couldn't help glancing up at the overcast sky. Nighttime was the worst time to set the damn thing loose. It fed on sunlight, growing more powerful and that much more dangerous beneath the shining rays. In the dark, it was weaker, frail. If she had any confirmation that the man in front of her was perfectly normal, she'd more than be a match for him. Even a sluggish monster was dangerous. But Lorette doubted that the man was ordinary. One didn't survive the urban jungles of Lower without knowing a few tricks and being cut from a different cloth than the rest.

And God forbid Markus was to get word of her rampaging through the slums either. Lorette was wholly indifferent to the young man's opinion of her. But giving him a reason to be angry and the means to discredit her would be incredibly foolish. He was also at his most obnoxious whenever he was right about something. Lorette would sooner receive a sandpaper facial scrub than deal with the Tiger King's gloating.

While any suspicion cast on her may have been a problem, Lorette hadn't done anything to warrant being arrested. Sure, she was a bit sinister and definitely not to be trusted under any circumstances, but those things weren't illegal. If she could convince the man she wasn't a threat, he'd have no cause to keep questioning her. Lorette knew that there was one surefire way to do so. And she wasn't looking forward to it. But desperate times always called for desperate measures. With that in mind, Lorette swallowed her pride before speaking.

"Now, can I help you with anything else, young man? It's freezing, and my joints are starting to hurt. You shouldn't be keeping an old woman out here longer than she needs to be."

Roda the Red

 

[Roda the Red]

Keith Sullivan

CS Link

SCENE:

Meet and Grit

LOCATION:

The Third Eye, Central District

TIME:

Morning, July 8th, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Keith

Meet and Grit

Keith's excitement rose up once again as he heard Peyton's words, once again shocked at how easy it had been to build up a new friendship so far. Truly, he had only joined the Azure Dragons recently yet he was already finding himself with unprecedented himself...Perhaps he was actually somewhat of a friend savant all along, and his own feelings of insecurity had been dragging him down all along?

Well, not really, but it was nice to consider the possibility.

"Oh...Sure!" He said with a tone that was similar to a sad puppy being shown affection for the first time in a while. He told Peyton his number and waited a moment for him to register it, admitedly he had to check his phone to remember it, memorizing long numbers was never Keith's strong point.

Keith kept taking micro steps as the line slowly, VERY slowly, progressed. Malick was known to be a very friendly writer known for easily getting lost into conversations with people, so it wasn't rare to understand that she'd spend longer than most with each person.

Then, a heavy question was asked from Peyton's part. The young dragon could feel a flame starting to burn from within him, once again, the mere mention of the gang was enough to switch the man's mood entirely. "...It's not that I'm uncomfortable with the Serpents" He said, his slowly half closing, his carmine irises glowing with pure contempt. "I just hate them...I'll never forgive them for the things they've done" Despite the generalized words he used towards the gang, it was easy to tell that there was a lot of personal drama fueling those words.

And how couldn't it be, when said drama is the single most tragic thing to have ever happened in someone's life.

Coyote Hart

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

TAKAONNA

CS Link

SCENE:

St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage

LOCATION:

Port, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

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

St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage

Sebastian evaded the Takaonna's bloodshed by the mere fact of his greeting. She was about to grab and hang him in the air like a ragdoll, but hesitated at his calmness. It was a rarity, meeting someone who did not scream or lash out at first glance—such people, she felt, were harmless.

Taka ignored his hand—she couldn't see it. Instead, her own limbs slithered across the cold metal surfaces. Her neck stretched itself to the floor, sniffing like a dog. He asked for her name; she replied by running a hand over his entire front.

She crawled around Sebastian, leaving a trail of her prior victim's blood. As she reached the door, her hand felt the oval-shaped opening. She froze. Taka recognized the shape of the door. She planted her hands on the ground; she felt the rocking of infinite waves. This was the same thing that took her away from home. "Boat..." she muttered.

Akin to a gorilla, the Taka charged back towards Sebastian. Right before crashing into him, she turned towards a wall of containers, swinging her arms and smashing dents and openings into the metal. Various amounts of cargo spilled out. "BOAT!" she cried among the clattering ruckus.

Coyote Hart

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

CORVO CORDESCO

CS Link

SCENE:

Fell And Cruel Hounds

LOCATION:

Actaeon's Rest

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger, Corvo, Musai, Zach, Yushui

Fell And Cruel Hounds

As the remaining operatives dropped, Corvo caught the ever-dashing Dagger in the corner of her eye. She couldn't help the smirk. And so she lives. Part of her had a hunch she wouldn't go down that easily. Regardless, she returned her attention to the more important invasion occurring. Corvo kept firing until the next wave.

And what an entrance she made. An absolute monster of a woman made herself known, slaying one of her own and taking fire at Corvo. She saw blood and guts splatter out—but it wasn't hers. The operative she took as a shield suddenly felt a lot lighter; probably because the only thing left of him was his head. How pleasant.

She'd played too close to the entrance. As the spider-like attacker rushed, Corvo resorted to her trump card: a pouch packed with magnesium powder.

Corvo threw the bag hard against the floor. In an instant, a blinding light pervaded the open area. The Phoenix woman fell to the ground, crawling away amid the gunfire. Into the smoke.

The best way to stomp out a spider was with fire. The kitchen's gas stoves—but the kitchen was too far away, and she doubted they had convenient propane tanks lying around. Her hand reached over her disc explosive; there was no guarantee it would even get close to that thing.

Then she remembered the way this operator arrived: crawling out of the elevator from above.

Corvo felt around the walls until she found a vent. As her vision finally recovered, she took her knife, unscrewing the bottom screws. She crawled inside, taking her lighter to make way.

Through blankets of dust and a stuffy, claustrophobic spelunking adventure, Corvo eventually found her destination. She kicked the grate off, poking her head out to see the elevator shaft. She was behind the enemy, now.

Corvo crawled on top of the elevator, getting to the wire rope. There was no way her little knife could cut all the way through, but it didn't need to. She sliced the surrounding edges, feeling the platform sink by mere centimeters.

Satisfied, she peered through the hatch, catching the backside of their newest foe. Corvo screwed the silencer off her pistol. Then she poked it down and fired blankly at her.

@simj26 The One Eyed Bandit @QuirkyAngel @ATurei

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Jesper Albrecht

CS Link

SCENE:

Rain on the Mountaintop

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | June 28th

LOCATION:

Borgo Orecchiette, Fusilli

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Jackson, Jesper, Pascal, Milo, Gav

Rain on the Mountaintop

Jesper could only scowl at his "friend." Of all the times to belittle him and make him seem like a turd, now was not the time! Jesper's frustrations were short-lived, though. They were dispelled the moment that the virtuous Passeri Park bestowed her lovely voice for him to hear.

His hobbies and passions: validated by the Goddess person herself. Jesper clasped his hands together. "An angel..." he said meekly, eyes shimmering up at his idol.

Jesper inserted himself between Jackson and Passeri. "I LOVE Nebula Express! I bought that album for myself, my mom, and all of the mansion staff!" It was an even more amazing opportunity to hear her talk about the more human side of herself! The way she gushed, the slight fall of her shoulders as she relaxed, the way Passeri let her smile curl into a more natural smile...

Of course, he knew most, if not all, of that stuff already. Not that it mattered; whatever she spoke, he lapped everything up like the superfan he was.

However, her last inquiry caught him off guard. His day? His fire? Jesper chuckled nervously. "Well, if you wanna know, then I..." Video games, chips and soda, never leaving the basement... His gaze drifted away. "I..." Jesper's smile faltered, and his mind went... elsewhere. My God, what is my life? Spending thousands on gacha, binging anime, sitting more in a day than the average office worker...

There was only silence.

The One Eyed Bandit BriiAngelic

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

TAKAONNA

CS Link

SCENE:

Only Human

LOCATION:

Alleyway, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Takaonna, Jozef

Only Human

The Takaonna tensed up. She didn't like him nearing. But she didn't stop him. She groaned again—not out of pain, but as a warning: if he betrayed his word, he would regret it.

When he touched her wound, she groaned again, this time out of discomfort. Jozef would have heard the nearby roof borders crack and crumbled under her grip. One of her arms slithered towards him, slowing near his leg. One wrong move, and she was ready to strike.

Instead, her pain went away. And all she felt was relief; relief that it no longer hurt, and that the stranger told the truth.

Taka released her grip on the structures. She rose high, lacking the hobble caused by the prior attack. She rubbed the wounded area to make extra sure. It did not hurt.

Not a threat... Taka uttered one quiet word: "Wait."

She moved on all fours, climbing down the building like an oversized insect. The cryptid slid into the nearby pond, and for a minute at least, there was nothing.

But eventually, she did emerge, dripping murky water as she retraced her steps. The Takaonna scaled the building once more, reappearing to Jozef, smelling of nature. She dropped something at his feet.

Flopping in front of him was a fish. A largemouth bass, to be precise. Caught fresh from the local pond. Taka stood silently, expectant.

WhiskeyMarten

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

ALICE

CS Link

SCENE:

Silver Lining

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Alice

Silver Lining

"Sure!" Alice beamed, delighted to see him cheered up. Abrupt as this invitation may have been, her motivation was not purely selfless. After all, it was through being kind that her mother's voice repeated itself in her head; kept itself alive in memory.

"When you start rolling a snowball, someone will always appear out of nowhere and help you make it bigger, and in the end, everyone goes home satisfied."

Alice giggled to herself after Charlie. Somehow, this felt different—different from the old men clad in suit and tie from the West. Was it the fact that Charlie didn't need to give vast sums of money just to see her? Or that this was something she had done without the help of her 'friends'? Whatever the case, it was a mystery that was no priority. What mattered to Alice was the present.

"There was also this candy store I found around the block! I never even knew those places existed—maybe we could go there later, if it's to your fancy?" She took a hop and a skip before another idea came to mind. "Oh, and I'll pay for everything." Alice winked; everything in Central costed pocket change, for some reason.

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

Jesper smiled softly. Charlie hearing and acknowledging everything kindly was a fantastic first step; he'd lost years of his life stressing out over the idea of him storming out here and now. Hopefully, this spelled good news for the rest of his plan...

He did not, however, catch onto his blue-haired friend's tone. It never occurred to Jesper that he was anything other than a civilian. And that was the way he took his last few sentences. "I'm guessing you only know about the Dragons through the news... which, I get. New Oasis doesn't have the luxury of unbiased news. But, since I've been a Dragon my whole life, I promise you, whatever these people got, they deserve."

Jesper chuckled at his own words—he was smug. "Being blunt, they're, well, stupid. If you know what the laws and the punishments are, don't break them. If they tell you to stop, you don't run. And if you don't listen, then that's just natural selection running its course. There would be no such thing as chaos if everyone simply fell in line and listened. If you think about it, that's why the police force can't get anything done. They don't do what's necessary to enforce their own laws."

In other words, none of it was the Dragons' fault.

"I mean, there is a reason why my parents established themselves and the company as Dragons. Compared to what the East has, the other districts and their gangs are third world. They'd think a robot vacuum is a dog's bed!" He laughed; light-hearted and oblivious.

"But... I didn't make you come here just for me to talk your ear off..." Jesper reverted to his usual reserved self—as if none of his Dragon pride ever leaked out. He took a breath. "I want to invite you in. As one of us. In the East." In the same breath, he continued. "Now, you won't even need to do anything as long as I cover for you. We can meet up a lot easier, you can live safer, and, well, yeah! I thought about this, and... I think that this way, we won't lose what we have..."

He smiled shyly.

Roda the Red

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

TAKAONNA

CS Link

SCENE:

Pest Control

LOCATION:

East District, Brothel

PARTICIPANTS:

Takaonna, Jackson

Pest Control

She caught him. As Jackson tried digging his nails into her skin, he would have felt the roughness of calluses wherever he touched. She did not flinch. Her grip tightened to constrict him.

Fortunately, Jackson's saving voice escaped in the nick of time. The Takaonna could never have expected the song. The deafening noise loosened her grip, stunning the cryptid into a momentarily limpness.

Of the only senses she could rely on, one of the most vital was gone.

She groaned and cried, but it was barely audible over Jackson's song. She needed to flee—to hear again. Taka felt up the wall, finding the vent that she slithered from. Like a worm, she squirmed and squished inside until there was no trace of the tall lady.

Inside the vents, Taka moved without purpose other than to distance herself from the noise. She clawed and climbed. She popped into a much quieter room, although the song was still faint.

The Takaonna cried. She expressed her anger the only way she knew how: ruthless thrashing. It was remarkable that the place she ended up in was the electrical room.

She smashed against a metal box. Sparks flew and crackled.

Across the brothel, the lights went out.

As Taka emerged from the room, she found herself in a hallway. One full with frightened customers and workers.

Jackson would hear the screams as she trampled over whatever stood in her way.

BriiAngelic