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

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Penguin Socks

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1— Early Spring 2002, ~9:00am

LOCATION:

The Zoo

PARTICIPANTS:

Yong-Yut, Markus

Penguin Socks

As with all things, the peace and quiet had to end. Everyone had finished eating, so now it was time to corral the children back into the car, to everyone’s dismay.

In time, everyone was in their seats and buckled up once again.

Another nap passed the rest of the trip by.




hoOOOONNNKKKKK
Taut seatbelt caught a small torso as it jutted forward. Wide, silver eyes darted across the car, catching a glimpse of the outside. Concrete spanned for yards, with the signature parking lot white lines marking it. Her breathing slowed to normal as she looked up to her mom in the front seat who was muttering in another language.

She quickly turned to Markus, pulling lightly at his sleeve over and over. She kept pulling at it even after she got his attention, though she directed him to look out the window, pointing …pointedly.

Large cartoon giraffe and tree signage sat upon the entrance to the zoo. The whole ensemble towered over the parking lot. People were heading in in droves. That probably meant a long wait, but that was a sacrifice Yong-Yut was willing to make.

Eventually, the car parked once again, and Yong-Yut’s hands were shmoovin’, erratically shaking with excitement. That didn’t last for very long, however, as her mom reached backwards to stop her. Yong-Yut lowered her hands to her lap.

Unbuckling and finally escaping the car, she stuck to her friend like glue as they made their way to the entrance.

Decha smiled at the younger kids, casually pointing at Markus. “Which animal’re you most excited for, Mark? I think I wanna see the giraffes.” He chuckled, placing his hands on his hips. “I don't think Silver has a preference.”

“Why go to a zoo when she could just see you, then?” Chet tilted his head as though he was genuinely asking. His brother waved his hand with a roll of the eyes.

Yong-Yut looked towards Markus, eager for his answer. “Are you excited…? For the zoo…” she asked, adding onto the question before.

Elenion Aura

 

[Roda the Red]

Camila Gaspari

CS Link

SCENE:

Money is Not the Only Prize

LOCATION:

Tiger's Den, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Johan

Post-Arc 2, Money is Not the Only Prize

"Well, Ms. Ladille, I'm glad we were able to come to an understanding" Seated over at one of the corner tables of one of the multiple lounges at Tiger HQ, Camila had spent the last thirty minutes having a lengthy talk with a suit-clad. Her name was Carrie Ladille, CEO of a mid-sized company here in West District, a tiny empire sustained by the metallurgic construction of spare car parts. "Pff, don't give me that, this is two steps away from blackmail, you know?". It was just as she spoke, the pair found themselves there that way as Camila had spent the last few weeks investigating the company. By asking around the and user her wealth to sway the workers, the veteran was able to confirm the rumors about a major malfunction in the company.

"Oh don't be like that, I was just worried about the poor workers who might've gotten hurt! Imagine how awful it would've been" She rested her chin above her interlocked fingers "The media would've gone crazy about it, too..." The woman clicked her tongue, knowing full well the power dynamic that had been established here and there. "Yeah yeah, whatever, 3% of our revenue for a year in exchange of you keeping your fucking mouth shut, you happy now?" In response, Camila giggled gently. "Nice to know you're a smart one"

And with that, one of the best deals she had made in a very long time had been settled, a new consistent cash flow was guaranteed for a while, filling up her bank account further with no effort from her part. She laid her back against the chair's rest as she stretched her arms up, satisfied with her personal achievement.

"Oh, shit, got a call, anyways since we're done I'm outta here" Said Carrie as she picked up her phone's incoming call. Camila ignored Carrie's words as she retreated, that was, until the retreating woman started to speak through her device.

"Oh honey~ I'm so happy to hear your voice ♡"

With those words alone, Camila felt like she had been stabbed through the stomach, going cold by the sudden change in the woman's speech pattern.

"Yeah, everything's fine, I had to deal with some people before getting back home, I can't wait to be there so I can see you again"

The Tiger could feel the flames of envy surging within her, she closed her eyes as she reached for the soda can in front of her, a cold drink to placate the burn.

"I also can't wait for tonight...You know I'm more than ready to have our second child"

*CRUSH*

Fizzy liquid splashed Camila's forearm as the now-crushed can spewed the rest of its contents up in the air. The veteran grit her teeth as she cursed the woman with a flood of words no person should hear be said by anyone. "Fucking bitch...trying to flex on me or something? Hope she falls down the stairs or something..." She sighed, now having relaxed a little bit. However, loneliness-induced melancholy started to take over her mind, wondering if her luck could ever turn one of these days.

Slav

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Sabrina Felton

CS Link

SCENE:

A Recycled Dream

LOCATION:

The Sanctuary, Dodgetown, North Distict

TIME:

Post Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Lily, Sabrina

A Recycled Dream

The Sanctuary was a small, yet strangely well known, pub in Dodgetown…if one knew where to look. Criminals frequented it often enough. Thieves, scoundrels, swindlers, and the occasional oddity that wanted a safe place to drink. A villain’s hub to be sure, but for all the dangers that lurked within the establishment, there were certain rules set in place that kept it safe. Not one fought in it–not if they didn’t want to upset the owner and get kicked out. It was a neutral zone. Thievery minimized so even the paranoid kleptomaniac could drink easy knowing his stolen wares were safe–at least for a little while. Assassins could rest in peace without having to worry about being killed.

The Sanctuary. The one safe place in a poor zone where rules didn’t really exist.

Everywhere else in Dodgetown was fair game.

This was where Sabrina began. Before she got into music, she’d been a thief, living day to day stealing the goods she needed from others. The bartender knew her. Even before forming the the Northern Stones, she’d visited the dingy pub often enough. It was here where her high school band performed its first gig and it was here that she returned. Few knew her as the one-hit artist that was pushed out of the music industry by an array of scandals that were no fault of her own. If they did, they didn’t care.

More knew her Stingyray, the obstinate Sable Serpent that refused to do drug runs and only answered gang calls when they appealed to her–the one with the enticing voice that could often be spotted performing in the Sanctuary.

Though, regardless of how people saw her, Sabrina couldn’t care less. She was paid to draw in wandering ears. Chump change compared to what she used to make–and what Yumin had given her for that one restaurant gig–but that didn’t matter. She sang to scratch an itch. She sang what she wanted, whenever she wanted, and no longer had to worry about the opinions of others. The owner didn’t care what she sang so long as provided music for the drab place and helped with the customer base. She wrote her own songs. Practiced where she knew she would always be welcomed and even though she made little money off it, even though she had zero intentions of selling to any label, Sabrina was much happier than before.

Freer.

As she strummed her next song atop a raised and slightly isolated barstool, one of the patrons recognized it started a beat while Sabrina’s voice filled the pub and drew in a small crowd.

​

ATurei

 

[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 kept fidgeting with his fingers. He rationalized that there was no way Charlie would refuse the offer; to Jesper, it sounded like all benefits with no downsides. Yet, he couldn't rid himself of the gnawing anxiety. There is no such thing as 100%. Charlie might find it all overwhelming. It could dissuade him. He might—

"...I'm sorry, Jespy." What...? "I don't think I can take up on your offer." Following that was a simple ultimatum: They cannot see each other again.

"W-Wait!" Jesper, boasting unusual vigor, leaned over the table; he feared his best friend was about to up and leave. "Maybe you're not thinking this through! It won't matter where you live! You're not part of any gang, and I can get my family to vouch for you! Whatever the problem is, I can fix it!"

In an instant, the boy's breath hastened and fell out of pattern. His once snarky eyes melted into one of wide panic. While he always imagined the worst, it was rare for Jesper to see it play out before his eyes. Why? That recurring thought showed in silent mouthing. Meanwhile, he inwardly attacked his offer; which part could have dissuaded him? Was it too much? Too little? Or... is it the fact that I'm a Dragon...?

Jesper turned his head down, falling back in his seat. "You can't just say that... You..." He choked on nothing but dryness. "You're one of my... first... friends... who I've been able to meet up and hang out with." He forced himself to look at Charlie, but it was clear to anyone that he was on the verge of crying. "Please. Whatever it is, I can take care of it. We can pay the right people. We can bring whatever you need to bring. I can't change what I am, but... I'm still the same Jesper you know... right?"

For the first time, something was slipping straight through the heir's fingers.

Roda the Red

 

[Coyote Hart]

PEYTON XIONG

CS Link

SCENE:

Meet and Grit

LOCATION:

The Third Eye, Central District

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 || Morning of July 8th

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Keith

MEET AND GRIT

Peyton hummed a tuneless song while he inputted Keith's phone number. Something about the particular string of numbers and Keith's name in his address book once again sparked a feeling akin to deja vu within Peyton. When he first met Keith, Peyton was struck with a bit of deja vu from his appearance. Now, his full name and his phone number were making him feel the same things again. That couldn't be a coincidence. Peyton had definitely seen Keith somewhere, but now the question was where.

He listened attentively as Keith explained his situation with the Serpents. The first thing that Peyton could think of replying with was, "Spicy!"

It was surprising to hear that Keith hated the Serpents. Peyton could only wonder what 'things' they had done. The Serpents were certainly a rowdy, unpredictable bunch. They could go kill a community of people with zero remorse just for the thrill of it. Peyton definitely disagreed with those bunch, but it still felt excessive to outright hate all Serpents unless Keith was a gang member.

"I promise a lot of the Serpents mean no harm though!" Peyton said, "They just wanna hang out with their friends over beer and chips!"

Besides, Keith was interacting with a Serpent right now with no problems whatsoever. Was it really going to change Keith's outlook on him if he knew that his new friend was a Serpent? Honestly, Peyton was slightly curious. Would Keith spit hate and vitriol at him? If that was going to be the situation, then Peyton was obviously going to say 'sign me up!' He was an unsatiable glutton for punishment and enjoyed negative emotions. Also, Keith was going to find out one way or another, so why not tell him now?

Peyton all of a sudden felt slightly nervous. The words he was going to speak had the emotional momentum like a confession to a first crush. Or maybe like that time where Peyton had to tell the teacher back in third grade why all the chalk was missing. He had to force his words out of his mouth, and they latched onto his tongue, desperate to not leave.

"You do also know that I'm a Serpent too, right?" Peyton pointed a finger right at his own face, a mischievous, shit-eating grin on his face, "And you don't hate me... right?"

Roda the Red

 

[Peckinou]

Helva Linxal

CS Link

SCENE:

To live in the shadows

LOCATION:

Falcons Perch, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Helva, Charlie Roda the Red

To live in the shadows

Helva kept a smile on her face as the manager took their card and money, while most Phoenixes wouldn't do this, Helva wanted to keep a somewhat positive outlook on the Phoenixes and playing nice was something that would make Lyric quite happy. And when their blue-haired boy finally opted to take the money, she gave him one last apology before going back to their business. With their shades on they returned back to their car, and were preparing to start it up, she needed to get out of the area before one of the guys she was taking woke up or the police arrived. While the body corpse she caused was something she should take care of, she had better business to attend to at the moment, besides she could have Yizlo or Hiyma disappear that problem later.

Just as they began starting up their car though, the blue-haired waiter boy returned rushing towards their vehicle, it unnerved Helva just a bit but she rolled down her windows as he began to slow down towards them. When they asked if she was a Scarlet Phoenix, Helva thought about it for a second before confirming "Yeah, I am." still she was now a bit unnerved regardless, she didn't know what to expect cause he wasn't someone who was part of her plan, and didn't know if he was going to turn hostile or not. That was until he went towards the ground and asked if he could be allowed into the Phoenix, a question that took Helva by surprise as she remained completely silent for a moment as she stared at him. After a moment of looking him up and down and contemplating, she smiled before letting out a snicker"Alright then, I could, but you would have to pass my trail if you want me to sponsor you, unless you got a friend that is already a Phoenix then you could ask them, but I doubt you do since you came rushing out to ask me." with a chuckle she then added "But if you want me to sponsor you into the Phoenix." reaching into her glove compartment she grabbed a pen and before reaching out of her car to put her hand on his shoulder and pulling his arm towards him, then writing on his hand an address to a warehouse that she sometimes used as a sorta training area, though it was primarily an area she used to start conducting her trials at and a number to one of her phones. "Tomorrow, six pm, that location, if you can't make it or need to reschedule, then be sure to call or text, though just know I can be quite the busy woman and I don't do trials every day."

With those words said she added "You can get up now, the ground isn't all that clean you know, I'm sure the people you face planted to the ground can testify to that. Anywwways, I should probably go before some trouble arises." With a small smile and a mock 3 finger salute, she started to get ready to drive off, not wanting to be here when the police finally did show up.

[/justi

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

Backroom Dealings

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, June 21st 2022

LOCATION:

West District, Sarizara Restaurant

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Ryutaro, Samira, Jack, Elias,
Alice, Welsha, Dagger, Passeri

Backroom Dealings

“No, I am not avoiding family dinner just to avoid family dinner. Edwin sent you the memo, didn’t he?”

If he didn’t, Elias might have to look for a new secretary. Then again, finding the right secretary, one that could manage his schedule, handle all the administrative affairs, and keep quiet about his “other life” was no easy task. Essentially, he needed someone he could trust. Someone that could cover for him whenever he went out as Elijah Anamnesis. Someone that he knew wouldn’t rat him out to either Walter or his father.

Edwin fit that bill nicely.

Yes, he could always erase and edit the memories of his next secretary, but going through all that hassle when he already had a good one was a waste. Good people were hard to come by, though, if Elias were being honest, he’d grown a little attached to the snarky guy as well.

Phone pressed to his ear, Elias glanced up at the George Tower Building in amusement. The invitation said that the meeting would be held in Sarizara Restaurant on the top floor. It amused him that the rich always seemed to choose the highest places to hold their gatherings. Perhaps they wanted to make a statement. Perhaps they liked to show off their wealth and look down on the less fortunate. Perhaps Ryutaro Hashimoto simply liked Sankai cuisine.

Regardless of the reasoning, Elias had little problem following the trend. He too owned a penthouse, after all. Was it the most financially wise decision? Nah. But it was a nice place he could invite fellow businessmen to and he was confident he could sell it for a good price if it came down to it. His father wanted him to just settle down, get married, and buy a nice little house to raise kids. His father was also a religious, doddering old man who wanted to see grandkids before he died and was holding the inheritance over his son’s head like a bargaining chip.

A little maddening, if Elias were to be honest, but he did intend to humor his old man. Eventually. For now he wanted to enjoy his bachelor life and he still had things he wanted to before adding familial responsibilities to his list. “Yes. Yes. Just tell grandfather I wish him well and I’ll see him next month.”

Elias ended the call before his father could continue to pester him, slipped the phone in pocket, locked his car with the press of a button, and entered the George Tower Building with the air of someone who had business there–which he did. Sort of.

When first received the invitation, he assumed Weiss finally got around to culling those who disagreed with his reign. The idea of the Cold King sitting still and listening to the complaints people had about him was laughable. Possible, but laughable, and retaliation was probable. Accepting the invitation was a risk. Elias knew it. He also knew that curiosity got the better of him. Trap or not, he wanted to see which Albino Tiger was daring enough to take the risk and the problems they had with the organization. It would give better insight on the current state of the Albino Tiger gang structure. It would let him get to know the current Queen of the Albino Tiger gang, Ryutaro Hashimoto, better as person as well.

The invitation had been written by the real estate mongol, after all.

If the King was present with the Queen during the meeting it showed a united front. A mutual desire to listen to the grievances of unhappy gang members, possibly even change things. If the Queen was alone, it showed a divide in how they do things. Possibly more.

Regardless, Elias was here to see the ensuing drama.

Up and out the elevator, upon arriving at the restaurant, Elias showed the hostess his invitation and was led to the private dining area where he could see quite a few Albino Tigers had already gathered: Ryutaro, Samira, Jack, Camila, Welsha, and Alice.

“Greetings everyone, I hope I’m not late.” Generic and untailored, but Elias desired to just breeze past pleasantries and get things started.

It didn’t surprise him that Alice would be present, though he wondered if she was aware of the risk she was taking. He’d felt a little guilty about the role he played in locking away her memories, but seeing as he’d given them back, and even provided her information about the people that contacted him to do the job, he considered them square. He also heard about the Lucky Rabbit Casino fiasco and belatedly received Locke’s text. Hard to receive SMS deep beneath a mine.

He took one of the middle seats.

Chaos Gallant Beann Roda the Red Peckinou AriAriAbabwa The One Eyed Bandit simj26 joshuadim

 

[angel doe]

celestine renee cadieux

CS Link

SCENE:

spotting the wingless

LOCATION:

east district

TIME:

nighttime, post-arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

jozef, nona-me, keith, celestine

spotting the wingless

"That does work out quite perfectly," Celestine smiled, chuckling, "And I am about 85% sure we are getting paid. I cannot remember the specifics of it all. We can worry about that later, though."

Turning her attention back to the other serpents they were meant to be backing up, everything seemed to be going alright. That was until two strangers entered and a wave of dread crashed into Celestine; she couldn't hear what was going on, but she could see how tense it had gotten. The tall serpent then stood, carefully lifting Jozef to his feet, "We must go, there is something wrong."

Without another word Celeste leaped down, hitting the ground with a thud and rolling forward onto her feet. She glanced back up at Jozef to make sure he was following before walking a couple of feet behind Flea and Tick, towering above them. Celestine's expression was completely void of any emotion, eyes cold and piercing into each person she looked at as she assessed the situation.


WhiskeyMarten gxxberkit Roda the Red

 

[The Regal Rper]

(OG) Dante |North | Celeste's Apartment | Home Visit

He understood what she meant. Emotional scars were far more damaging than physical ones. It was the relation to memory and perception that made most physical harm so traumatizing, and it was in the same way, he realized in the same breath she had said it, even as she expressed relief, that he had done just that. Harm to that bubble of trust, he'd need to work his way eventually back into.

He didn't stop the tug Celeste made, to bring him closer. Even if he felt as if he didn't deserve it, or deserved something a bit harsher. A cognitive dissonance internally debating between two facets of himself.

Yet, when Celestine pulled him into that hug and nestled him in it tightly, the warring sense of conflicting emotions he felt at how this had ended, dulled. He felt a brief sense of numbness that broke down into his always stiff, straight shoulders, falling into a state of fragile relaxation and relief as he allowed his shoulders to drop.

Returning the embrace more sincerely Dante sighed.

"If it comes to that, then I will." he said sadly. He opened his mouth to say something else. Though the words never left his mouth.

Mentions: N/A
Interactions: angel doe

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Backroom Dealings

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | July 21st 2022

LOCATION:

West District, Sarizara Restaurant

PARTICIPANTS:

Ryu, Samira, Jack, Passeri, Camila, Elias, Welsha, Dagger, Alice

Backroom Dealings

Cold gallows of air wrapped around the George Tower Building, lapping gently against the cold, modern architecture that was typical of the West District. Central invisibly looming on the horizon, it appeared steadfast, a survivor of the seismic storm which had ripped through the city only weeks prior. But, Passeri knew better. She could feel it, as she and her snowy escort ascended the building, how it trembled in the chilly, skyline winds.

With Central's collapse, she had seen countless dominoes fall. Even now, the distant, click-clack pitter-patter still rang in her ears. Absent were the telltale black dimples, but nonetheless, this was one of them. A great and terrible domino, looming over the West. Those few weeks ago, during that auspicious brunch, she'd glimpsed it on the horizon. Now it was time to see which way it fell.

"Hey, everyone!" She counted heads as she stepped into the private booth. The Queen. His Ace and her plus-one. A tarnished golden goose. That errand girl and her lackey. A friendly face, amongst the stripes. "This is a nice spot! I've been here a few times myself, whenever the Prez wanted to wine and dine someone special." She didn't comment on the food. Try as she might've, her palate had never been sophisticated enough for culinary review.

"Hope you guys didn't start without us. I'm very interested in what's going to come of this." Of course, she would be. Assessing the faults in Markus's chilly reign? That was already part of her job.

"Sorry if you were saving this seat for somebody, Eli." Passeri smiled at the corporate heir, and slipped into the seat to his left. With a nod, she invited Dagger to take the one to hers. She'd shared the trip here with the other woman, and while it had been quiet, she'd been glad for it. It was a coincidence that they'd both been invited to this little to-do, and while she was confident she would've been able to hold her own, she was still thankful for the company.

"How are we all feeling, anyway? I hope nobody was put out of place too badly by the earthquake. Terrible thing." She feigned detachment. It was worse than most of them knew. She already had some idea of Ryutaro's stance on the disaster, thanks to the aforementioned brunch, but the other Tigers were mysteries. She was sure business was booming. There were few things better for their sort of business than fresh, rich ash.

Spoiler: Tags

Interacted: simj26 QuirkyAngel
Relevant: joshuadim Beann Chaos Gallant AriAriAbabwa Roda the Red Peckinou

 

[gxxberkit]

Kiwi Dior Bonheur

CS Link

SCENE:

TSKTBICWLAYLH

LOCATION:

Kiwi's House, West Distric

TIME:

February 19th, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak, Kiwi

TOO MANY WORDS

Akin to a classic ‘displeased librarian’ look, Kiwi tilted her head down, looking past raised eyebrows. Her arms crossed over each other. He cannot be serious right now. Well, to be fair, Kiwi wasn’t completely serious, until she got that attitude in return. Who did he think he was?

Confrontation wasn’t Kiwi’s favorite, but the absolute balls this guy had. In her house? Absolutely not.

One of her hands lifted to point at him. “You on my floor. In my house. Tryna’ play my game. You practically broke my fuckin’ deck”—she flicked her hand up—”and I still let you in!” She made circles with her pointer fingers and thumbs for emphasis. “Tha’ least you could do is pick up some trash for me.”

Tch. Mellowing out, she moved her hands to her hips. Chastising someone that could kill her wasn’t the best idea. It was a little funny, though. She tapped her fingers, looking off to the side. “It’d only take like, five seconds. S’all I’m askin, man. Damn.”

Taking a few steps back towards the hallway to her side of the house, she placed her hand on the wall. “Just pick it up.”

thebigfella

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

H-Eye

TIME:

Post Arc-2

LOCATION:

Red West, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yong-Yut

H-EYE

“I’m glad you saw her, she’ll appreciate that.” Hector shifted around in his seat. He had deflected the conversation away from himself for a moment, but already he had run out of things to say. He’d have to address her words. “I guess it’s just me being selfish, huh? It would be an honour to go out the way she did, saving so many people. And here I am, wishing she hadn’t. It was real fuckin’ admirable, and while she recovers… I’ll just have to make sure it wasn’t for nothing.”

He looked down at himself, at his old shirt, slightly damp with sweat. He could feel his hair clinging to the back of his neck, not being combed in days. “I really need to clean myself up, don’t I?” He let out a weak laugh. It wasn’t very funny. “I’m sorry, Yong-Yut,” he dropped his voice to a low whisper. “You shouldn’t be having to tell me all this, but thank you anyway. I know what I need to be doing, it’s just… The doing it part that’s the struggle. But that’s just something for me to work out, I’m the Queen now, after all. And I’m gonna live up to the title.”

Hector gave Yong-Yut a smile, faint, but real. His eye was slightly watery, but he suppressed any thoughts of crying.

"You don't have to be concerned. Things are gonna be fine."

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

TAR

CS Link

SCENE:

Drunk Walk Home

LOCATION:

Alleyway, Central District

TIME:

I forgor

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Tar

DRUNK WALK HOME

“Well, his game was a bit STUPID then, wasn’t it? Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

Tar squatted down beside the dying man, degloving to cup their hand around the man’s chin. The dripping blood sizzled into them, and his gurgling groans heightened a bit from the sharp pain, but in an instant, they stopped. Tar had swiftly moved to the man’s neck, snuffing all life out with one tight squeeze. To add insult to injury, they then rose with the man still in their hand. The snapping of his neck could be heard as his body was chucked like a doll, landing in a crumpled heap on the pavement a few metres away.

“He wasn’t playing well at all. What a loser.”

Tar sniffed their hand — though any trace of the man was lost under their own repulsive smell — before gloving it again.

“But you played great, Hiachi. You even won! And to see you there all pathetic like that it’s just-”

They shook their head, erupting into a few more laughs, wiping a nonexistent tear from their eye.

“It’s like you’re ASKING FOR A FUCKING REMATCH. ARE YOU, HIACHI?”

Their brief scream seemed to shock even themselves, because they fell quiet, looking off into the distance.

“You’re starting to overstay your welcome, Hiachi, but how would you like to do this again sometime.” They took a step toward her, bending down so she could get a good look at their grin. How lovely was Tar, trying to make her feel like she had any say in this?

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

Tatie "BANDY" Prince

CS Link

SCENE:

We Who Remain

TIME:

Arc 3 — May 31st, 2022

LOCATION:

Shady's Motel (Clinic)

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Bandy, Milo, Gideon, Jericho, Ashley, Callista, Raquel, Faelan

WE WHO REMAIN

Thanks to Boogieman, Jericho and Bandy were two of the first Phoenixes to safely land and book it out of the dropzone.

They were also two of the first Phoenixes from the CDPD catastrophe to arrive at Shady’s where Bandy was carried, bridal-style in Jericho’s arms, through the clinic’s doors.

A rookie ‘nurse’, dressed not unlike a hotel clerk, rushed to Jericho and assessed the gravity of their injuries, his and Bandy’s, and escorted them to a room with another injured Phoenix. This was all before Doctor Slim intervened and limited rooms to those in critical condition. She had concluded there’d be many more to come. And she was right—it took only minutes to confirm.

Bandy received prompt treatment. Though the staff were not professionals—a lot of them criminals—they’d had enough practice over the years under Shady’s wing to get the job done.

He was patched up and chugging a beer by the time the sun set. Shirt off, propped against the headboard, his entire abdomen was wrapped in bloody gauze. His face, taut with a permanent grimace that left no secrets regarding the pain he was experiencing.

Outside of the room, the halls had grown quiet.

“I need another,” he winced, discarding the now-empty bottle of Chorona onto the nightstand, causing another to topple over and clatter to the floor. It shattered on impact, but Bandy could only focus on the pain that he was desperately trying to drink away.

After all, Shady’s Clinic was no real clinic. They didn’t have all of the luxuries of a real medical facility, and so Bandy had undergone treatment without anesthesia, only pain-killers that kicked in after the fact.

BANDY/POST NOTES​

— —POST RECAP: Bandy and Jericho are in one of the rooms at Shady's Motel. Bandy is sitting up on the bed, leant against the headboard, trying to drink his pain away.

— —EQUIPMENT: None.

— —WEARING: still this but no shirt (XX) His abdomen is wrapped in bloody gauze.

(Interacting w/ Jericho)
(Mentioned no one)
angel doe Elenion Aura Coyote Hart Lucem Wxnter Misuteeku Horror ​

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

DARIUS KENNEDY

CS Link

SCENE:

Blurred Borders

LOCATION:

Hartswan Terrace, North District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1: October 25, 2019 -- Night

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Celestine

BLURRED BORDERS

Any conflict Darius had about whether it would be right to accept this dissipated in an instant. How could he be conflicted about something that was never there? He blinked a few times, gripping the wall behind him as he regained his bearings. How was he feeling? The constructed memories settled into his mind. He had walked in with Celeste to deal with some traitor Serpents… It wasn’t a difficult job, and Celeste cleaned up the bodies pretty easily.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Darius felt some aches and pains from the forgotten struggle. His body did tend to hurt a lot. His hands were bloody. He needed to be more careful on these missions, future ones might not go so smoothly. In his stomach he did feel anxiety creep up on him, something he couldn’t place, but Celeste’s presence was soothing.

“Well, that’s all done isn’t it?”

You have nothing to worry about.

“I'm glad I got to work with you, Celeste. We gotta meet up again sometime when we're not doing this. Let me know when you're free.”

Darius smiled, looking at the waiting van. Guess it was home time. He could sit back and relax, until those above him needed his help again, or he needed some cash. He hoped it wouldn’t be for a good long while.

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

This is an Investigation

LOCATION:

Streets, North District

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 | 1-2 Months After

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Peyton

This is an Investigation

The car seemed to careen a little bit as it took a sharp turn. "Are you testing my patience?" Sang-Cheol growled from the front seat. The wheel in his hands whined with the amount of pressure he was holding it with. First Hyung and now Sunbae. What was this, Jiseong? The place that had place, so much emphasis on titles that the entire country operated on it? To his distress, Sang-Cheol withheld himself from absolutely jumping out of the car with Peyton trapped inside it. Listening to this traitorous Dragon would give him some entail, right?

Wrong.

A groan managed to escape Sang-Cheol as he tried to decipher if there was any deeper meaning behind those words. "Bare with it..." He muttered to himself. Sadly, for the scientist, there wasn't anything relatively useful coming from Peyton. Of course, he fucking knew where Snake went. Anyone could connect the dots that Kyoden was the one who kidnapped the former queen. Now this pipsqueak was talking about whatever fucked up, toxic, relationship he has with Raphael and that he became a thirdwheel.

All in all, talking to this thing was a waste of his damn time. There was still a silver lining to this. Peyton was still at the black site. That meant he had a general idea of the building's foundation unless he had the brain that was both small and smooth like a koala. All Sang-Cheol needed to do was try to get that information out of Peyton's mouth and he'd be finally be don with this-

"It's Matchsticks and our destination is hell, unless you shut the fuck up. I'm the one asking questions here." The absolute nerve Peyton made Sang-Cheol run a red light. The sounds of beeping cars faded behind them as the car darted past. Sang-Cheol's hands were shaking out of anger and he wasn't taking another disturbance today. Taking a deep breath, Sang-Cheol spoke. "Now, tell me about the building. From the entrance down to where you last saw Snake. Tell me how you-"

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Sang-Cheol had to hit the breaks in the last second as a car zoomed past them. Unfortunately, due to extreme velocity that the car took, it swerved and turned until it hit a wall. The Head of Lab Icarus hit his head against the wheel, and then recoiled back into the seat. Sang-Cheol laid there motionless until he looked back up. "You're dead motherfucker..." Picking up the pedal, Sang-Cheol backed up the car and then began chasing the fucker who just sped past them. Someone was going to die today and it wasn't going to be by Sang-Cheol's hands.

Coyote Hart

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Operation Burning Heartthrob

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, August 10th 2021

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Vulken

Operation Burning Heartthrob

Charlie let out a long, deep yawn as he gave lazy steps through the streets of South District, his hand scratching the messy ocean-tinted strands above his head. It honestly wasn't the best of days and his energy was somewhat lacking, his muscles were sore and ached with any sudden move, and the lacking hours of sleep built of from the last several days were starting to take a toll on his body as well. It had been almost a year now since he had joined the Scarlet Phoenixes, a starry-eyed rookie that quickly got a brutal beating by reality (it was technically as Serpent, but the symbolism works), letting him understand just what kind of job his really was. Fortunately though, while he's had his fair share of low, nothing had been nearly as punishing or as painful as that very first night.

Now that the first anniversary was on the horizon, he felt like the most adequate action now was to truly show his dedication to the gang, albeit still unable to fully commit to their most unsavory line of work. for the last handful of weeks, Charlie had been accepting one job after another, with barely no time to rest in-between. Night shift at a party followed by a nap which was then followed by a day shift at a small local event, having a quick bite aftwerwards only to head to somewhere else to carry a package, a short moment to sleep so he could head out once again to escort a politician who was heavily criticized for his public opinions in his last public speech. Such was but a glimpse of his recent activity in his day-to-day life, one that was starting to heavily fatigue him, especially considering that trouble was always waiting on every corner, so attackers had been far from a rarity. Still, no way he was going to stop just yet, not until he could proudly show proudly say to himself just how good of an asset he had been to his family as the year-mark hit.

Thankfully, work was rarely ever scarce, in fact even now he headed to work once again, although the details of the assignment were lacking. Vulken, one of his superiors from the gang, invited the boy to a 'special mission' as he said, apparently one that only Charlie could help him with, and with such claims, how could he deny him the offer?

At last he arrived to the assigned location, an unassuming local bar, one that the Rookie had only been too once or twice, each time because of a magical little something known as peer pressure, as Phoenixes weren't exactly strangers to it. "Wonder what kind of job did Vulken sign me up to, well I'm sure it's fine, he IS a professional, after all" He said as to himself as he shrugged, his back now laying against the walls of the establishment.

Nobody Special

 

[angel doe]

jericho s. madden

CS Link

SCENE:

we who remain

LOCATION:

shady's motel (clinic)

TIME:

arc 3 — may 31st, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

boltius, bandy, milo, gideon, jericho, ashley, callista, raquel, faelan

we who remain

Jericho hadn't left Bandy's side since they arrived and had no plan of doing so any time soon. Even when they were treating his friend, he hovered around the room like an annoying mosquito, watching intently and shooing them away whenever someone tried to help him. Rico cared little for his own well-being when his closest friend had taken the brunt of the damage and almost died; eventually, they gave up trying and left him alone.

Now that things had settled down and Bandy was doing slightly less horribly, Jericho started to regret denying medical treatment so adamantly. He had too much pride to call one of them over for help, though, so he gritted his teeth and dealt with the pain. It wasn't like he hadn't been through worse- this was nothing in comparison to other shit that had happened to him.

Leaning back in the chair near Bandy's bedside, Jericho watched as he downed another beer and announced that he needed another one, “Man, I know you're in pain, but should ya really be drinking that fast?" He moved his foot out of the way as one of the bottles on Bandy's nightstand fell and shattered on the floor, “I don't want you to make yourself sick on top of all this."

This time, Jericho leaned forward and propped his elbows on the side of the bed, resting his chin in his hands, “Aside from the pain, you feelin' okay?" He questioned softly, golden gaze meeting Bandy's purple as he tilted his head to get a better look at his friend. This was probably a stupid question to ask, but it was a welcomed distraction from his own pain caused by wounds that he stubbornly refused to get treated.

Besides, the injuries weren't that bad; surely he'd be able to sleep it off.

It would be fine.


Doctor Llamabean Elenion Aura Coyote Hart Lucem Wxnter Misuteeku Horror

 

[angel doe]

celestine renee cadieux

CS Link

SCENE:

home visit

LOCATION:

celestine's apartment

TIME:

evening of november 19th, 2021 || post-arc 2

PARTICIPANTS:

celestine, dante

home visit

"Thank you," Celestine whispered again, finally allowing herself to completely relax once she felt Dante do the same. Neither of them spoke for a while and the silence now was far from uncomfortable. For the first time in a while, she felt safe again.

Celeste wasn't sure how long they had been kneeling there, but eventually, her knees began to go numb and she had to stand up. She took a moment to stretch her legs and then reached down, holding Dante's hands in hers and pulling him to his feet. Without a word, Celestine laced her fingers with his and gave a gentle tug, leading him to her bedroom.

Perhaps she was being greedy, but Dante owed her for what he did, and while she did feel slightly guilty for taking advantage of that, she was not going to pass up an opportunity to spend more time with him. Celeste needed this, she needed him.

Climbing onto her oversized bed, she pulled Dante around the edge of her bed and pat the space next to her, "Please?" Celeste's voice was soft and she met his gaze evenly. Normally she would never plead like this, but she wanted him to hold her, "I want to keep you here until tomorrow, but that would be selfish of me, so..." She trailed off, biting her lip, "One hour, that is all I ask."


The Regal Rper

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

ALICIA MOREL

CS Link

SCENE:

Backroom Dealings

LOCATION:

West District, Sarizara Restaurant

PARTICIPANTS:

Ryutaro, Samira, Jack, Passeri, Camila, Elias, Welsha, Dagger, Alice

Backroom Dealings

"And I thank you for the invitation and your consideration." Alice gave a polite nod. Miss Morel, she thought to herself. She liked it better than the usual pet names. She also noticed her own lack of fear or, well, anything when faced with the Queen. Fact was, the previous one cared about her. Hid the truth like all the others, but cared about her. Whether this man felt any different remained to be seen.

In came the next guests, thankfully alleviating the potential awkwardness of being the lone patron. Alice didn't recognize the woman, but the man was a different story. As he greeted her in, she mustered a smile. "It's been a while, Jack. Things have been as well as they can be." He might have saved her, but Janay's fate was sealed because of his and the others' efforts—and she ended up back here.

It was a strange feeling. She hated the Tigers for what they did. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to hate any of these individuals. She wanted to.

Camila entered. Alice felt her throat clench; in the few times they met, there was an apparent, unspoken air about the girl that she did not like her. Her greeting to Alice, however, betrayed those memories. She spoke cordially. Reason being, that Alice now looked like on of their own. The very people who owned her life.

Unintentional it may have been, those words struck hard. Alice tilted her head down, stifling her scowl. With a sigh, she sat across from Camila, blank-faced. "It has been a while. And let me make one thing clear." Alice released a breath. Her courteous cadence fell akin to a low growl. "I will never be like you or anyone in this room."

She took a sip of water. Alice quietly watched for the others trickling in.

Elias. The man who—at her own desire—made her see the living Hell she lived in. She didn't know what to think of him; she didn't even know why he returned her memories. In contrast to his thoughts, it never occurred to Alice that this dinner held the potential of threat.

Passeri Park. She came in with the same energy she'd seen her wear on TV. They met at the diner of one of Elias' relatives, but weren't familiar with each other. Or at least, Alice never got to know the idol. She could only wonder what went on in her mind to bring her here.

joshuadim Beann Chaos Gallant The One Eyed Bandit Roda the Red QuirkyAngel

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

DEIREST

CS Link

SCENE:

The Dead and The Deathless

LOCATION:

Vandalized Lot, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Deirest, Peyton

The Dead and The Deathless

The locks had been unyielding, jangling within the infinite tangle of her scrambled neurons like a lead weight in her skull. A chainmail woven of padlocks. But as the rifle's butt pressed down on her back, she felt it go further, invisibly reaching deeper. There was a jangle in the traumatic web, and one of the links fell loose. She remembered. Just a flash. An instant. A feeling. She'd been here before. On the ground. Trampled.

"That's some fuckin' shit." The woman slurred into the ground. That was a lie, she knew it. She remembered gravity, there was no Peyton amongst the forces of nature. "M'just looking for help, but everyone's all..." Fucking. Her. The butt of the rifle felt like a white-hot iron on her back, burning with betrayal. She thought that she could trust this one- The slug- and he'd done this to her. Tricked her. Led her into a trap. This was-

"-your fault." She dragged her face out of the concrete. Swimming with derangement, her eyes locked with his. "I trusted you. And yooouuuu..." Pop. Wet and slick, there was a sickly pop as the butt of the rifle broke skin. The woman's muscles bristled with sick, frenzied strength. Her nervous system screamed, babbling inherent riddles of crimson-red pain, and then the rifle slid through her back. Her muscles tore as it went, but, slick from her blood, the rifle's grip abated, and she was able to slither free.

Then, she was like lightning. A cobra on a spring. Only instinct moved her, and then, the slug's brain was on the pavement. A messy tangle of grey matter and bone dangled from her fingertips. The freshly-spilled blood mingled with her own, both eeking out onto the concrete.

"Why... Why Do you keep making me do this? Didn't wanna..." Or did she? They made her. What was the difference? She couldn't remember. "And you." She shambled, unsteadily, to her feet. The word stank of disgust. "This. Huuuurrrrttttsss." Worse than the knives. "It feels wet. Like fire. It's awful." Her voice shook in her throat, and then the wet mess of the slug's skull fell to the ground with a wet *plop*.

She'd kill him. Her body moved on its own. The word felt red. Ragged nails outstretched like claws, she lunged toward the chipper rifleman. Red like her.

Coyote Hart

 

[Peckinou]

Welsha Reaper

CS Link

SCENE:

Backroom Dealings

LOCATION:

West District, Sarizara Restaurant

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila Roda the Red , Ryutaro joshuadim , Samira , Jack Beann , Elias QuirkyAngel , Alice AriAriAbabwa , Dagger simj26 , Passeri The One Eyed Bandit

Backroom Dealings

Welsha was overall pretty happy that Camilia allowed them to join their escort to meet with the Queen, not really because of the company which she was pretty sure wouldn't be pleasant but mostly for the experience of learning more about other Tigers. As Welsha followed Camilia out of the car and into the building she couldn't help but noticed how fancy the place was, though Camilia didn't bat an eye and neither did Welsha, as she had also gotten used to the whole display of wealth thing and would have been more surprised to see it in a shabbier condition than anything else. As Welsha followed right behind Camilia and into the elevator, her ears perked up when she began to lay down the ground rules for what she expected. She kinda figured that any weakness would be exploited but she knew that she had to play her part, but still, she gave a nod to Camilia as she then said "Oh, Of course, I'll go all, Serious Welsha." she said the last part she allowed her hand to move down in front of their face, their facial expression changing to one more serious as their hand went down. Before returning back to her usual smile, but it was way more mild than usual and her eyes began to relax as the elevator came to a halt, allowing Camilia to step off first with herself following in tow.

Welsha had let Camilia do the talking, she figured she would prefer that anyways, and once Camilia was done introducing themselves to the Queen, Welsha gave them a polite wave before following behind Camilia. Taking a seat right next to them but on the closer end to where their purse hung from, and as she watched the conversation between Camilia and Alice she was definitely able to notice the shift in personality for the young girl. While she hasn't been in the Tigers for too long she did learn quite a bit, and Alices shift in personality was something to take note of. When Alice opted to respond albeit a bit hostilely, Welsha couldn't help but let her smile slip into something a bit more sinister for just a second before returning to her regular smile. She figured Alice might become a valuable player in the future or perhaps not she wasn't sure which, but she did know that she was clearly very disgruntled and wasn't even bothering to play pretend anymore, which was a bit unique, to say the least. She figured that speaking with Alice at a later date might be a decent idea, though she doubted that the girl would be all that happy to speak with them considering their attitude shift.

As more players trickled in, Welsha analyzed each one, some were people she had taken note of others were people who she was meeting for the first time. She didn't know what to think of the supposed Idol yet, but she really didn't have much positive feelings for her overall. While Welsha may have not known much about the majority of the players here, she did know that they were people whom she should have absolutely 0 trust in and it would be best to formulate a plan for when dealing with them. But for now, she simply kept her typical smile, one meant to mask her true feelings on the event, as her eyes drifted to many different directions trying to get a read on the many different people in the room as they began to take their own seats.

 

[Roda the Red]

Keith Sullivan

CS Link

SCENE:

Spotting the Wingless

LOCATION:

East District

TIME:

Nighttime,Post-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Jozeph, Celeste, Nona-Me, Keith

Spotting the Wingless

He could feel it, with each swing he made, propulsing him forward, his excitement rose. The thought of fighting the good fight by snuffing out the lives of those parasites was always a more than welcome to Keith, and he got paid for doing so? He couldn't think of anything closer to a dream job if he tried!

Once he was pretty confident on being close to the designated location, he landed on the roof of a three-story building, then walked on the edge until he reached the opposite end, where he was able to take a good look at the location. He squatted down, his arms, still taking on an abnormally long shape due to their recent use, hanged limply, running down the wall of the building. From this vantage point, he was able to scan the figures down on the alley. At least two of them he was able to recognize, they were the dragons that he had been assigned to assist in this mission, didn't know their names, and in fact couldn't care any less about them. That left the others down, some old lady with a couple buff men beside her, and lastly, a pair of thugs. Considering their position and attires, most likely the two thugs were the serpents, with the ones on the other end being the locals aiming to make the rumored deal, which turned out to be true.

At the appareance of a new unknown figure into the fray, one that was past his field of view until now, Keith understood that it was no time to stay idle, conflict was about to begin, and what was truly unacceptable, was that he might not get the honor of starting it. Setting his mind on rectifying this, he leaped forward, beginning his descent from his previous location. Stretching his arm forward, once more he grabbed a hold of a corner from the next building, pulling to lunge himself forwards.

As he reached the apex of his arc, the rookie stretched his arm once more, but this time it was not with the intent of mobility. Taking advantage of night's veil, he was able to get close without being detected long enough for his claws to connect with the face of one of the serpents, the one that had just been speaking with the old lady just a few seconds ago. The sharp, metallic blades sinking into her flesh, causing her to let out a shocked scream of pain in reaction. Keith landed on the ground, past his sword-wielding allies, his arm quickly contracted, stained claws leaving behind a trail of blood droplets on its way back.

"Surrender or die" A curious thing to say from someone who had no interest in mercy from the beginning, something more than evident with just a glimpse of his vitriolic gaze.

gxxberkit WhiskeyMarten angel doe

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

The Ties that Bond Us

TIME:

Daytime, Post Arc 3

LOCATION:

Noodle Nirvana, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Jesper

The Ties that Bond Us

"Jespy..." There it was, that familiar feeling of tears wanting to manifest themselves, it was nothing short of torturous to see one his closest friends in such a state. It almost made Charlie wonder if he had taken their friendship for granted, part of him thought this was going to be straight to the point, Jesper was going to admit the truth, the phoenix then would do the same and their friendship would break, simple as that. It was going to be painful, sure, but it was not going to be a wound he could heal from eventually.

But no, that's not what the boy in front of him had in mind. His determination to keep their bond live and strong went to greater lengths that he could've ever anticipated. That's what truly caused a knot on Charlie's throat whenever he considered on spilling his identity, he didn't want to demolish that commitment. He wanted to reach across the table and hug his friend, to tell him that no such thing as the gangs could get in the way of their friendship. His bond with the dragon felt stronger than ever now, which only made the inevitability of the situation all the more painful.

"I know...I know that you're worried about me, but it's just not that simple" A hand appeared between the two, holding a bowl of noodles, gently placed in front of the phoenix. He gave the waitress a nod, expressing his gratitude towards the service. Once she retreated back to the kitch, the boy looked down, now unable to even look at his friend in the eyes, instead focusing in the colorful patterns of the ingredients atop his dish. "I can't just leave South, I have too many things that I hold dear there...My own place, friends, my job...I can't just leave all that behind, not for a sheltered life surrounded by people who probably wont trust me" He took a deep breath, putting in his best effort to not let his emotions overflow.

"Say, Jesper...You say that people who the dragons hurt deserve it, but..." Once again, he mustered the courage to face his friend. "Then what about the civilians at the bridge last year? Had it not been for the Phoenixes, many could've died that day"

AriAriAbabwa

 

[BluEndings]

HIFUMI BAE

CS Link

SCENE:

[The Longest Days of Our Lives]

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 | June 21st, 2022

LOCATION:

Heiwana Sasayaki, East District | Theater

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Jessamine, Ottilie

THE LONGEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES

He let out a dour chuckle.

“Are my movements truly so easy to anticipate?”

The statement was rich with his usual incisiveness, but stifling like a viscous honey. Yet the critter that would usually lap up such melancholy was nowhere to be seen. It was just the young man in his unconventional draping attire. Only it felt like it constricted tighter than any noose might. There came no sign across his face but the leaking of a wounded soul reverberated just as loud.

“Have you seen this play before?” Hifumi tottered to the simple seats within. “It’s about a girl who learns she'll die after the season’s passing. In her desperation she decides to challenge the sun, so that it might never lower.” He chuckled again. “It’s really rather ridiculous, but I think I’m starting to understand it a bit more these days.”

He turned to Jessamine.

“What do you think?” He queried. “Is there any worth to a struggle like that? Or should the girl just spend the rest of her time as if nothing changed?”

“I won’t spoil the conclusion. I’m just curious.”

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