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

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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
A cyclone, an earthquake, and now came a flood. Was that it? Ryutaro certainly had a way with words, Passeri had to admit. Had she been a few years younger, she might've been swept up in them. But sitting as she did now, she knew one thing for certain. All that glittered was not gold. The tides that Ryutaro spoke of would not be gentle. Revolution was a vicious tempest, not a scenic turning of the tides.

"How auspicious." There was a lot that Passeri could have said. Of all those gathered tonight, it astonished her that Elias, in all his hedonistic ways, was the one who was asking the questions that mattered. Alicia's emotional outburst and Gaspari's superficial approximation of pragmatism were both what Ryutaro needed at a time like this. Open sails, into which he could act as a powerful downwind, guiding them exactly where he wanted them to be.

"Out with the old and in with the new, right? Any good gardener knows that ash makes for the best soil, but what you're telling us is a whole lot of ends. What about your means? You must understand, I'm putting quite a bit on the line by even being here tonight. I'd like a better picture of your plan than just your end game, you know?" The fresh spread of meats and noodles glistened invitingly in the restaurant's lighting... And the shadow of Elise's boot. It all looked awfully heavy, but she couldn't be seen as ungrateful. Daintily, she started to nibble away at her portion of grilled vegetables. Hopefully, she could make them last the night.

"Dreaming of legitimacy is wonderful, but how many bridges do you think we'll have to burn to make that happen? It's hardly just Weiss. How many of the Tiger's foundational pillars would you be able to hack down before we simply collapse? And where, I wonder, will we be getting the materials to build something in their place?" None of this was even taking into consideration what lay beneath Central. She'd only caught a glimpse of it, during that afternoon in the mines, but it was clear to her that Central was anything but fresh, fertile soil. Something rotted and awful lurked there. More malignant than any of the gangs.

"And that's assuming all this goes smoothly, in the first place. Our dear King is one thing, but what about the ones beyond him? There are roots in the Tigers that have been there longer than any of us have been alive. If The Board decides that they aren't charmed by our bold new vision for the Tigers, what then? Do we burn them too? Could we?. They're a mysterious lot, you know, and I for one don't like to engage in gambles. Do we even know what we'd be up against?" That ominous presence that loomed about them all. Masters beyond Kings or Queens. Despite her digging, there was frightfully little that she knew about the Board.

"Sorry if I seem apprehensive... But I'd be lying if I said that I don't have more than my fair share of concerns. I want to believe in you here, so make that possible for me." This all went without even mentioning the obvious or discreet. Should they pull their roots up into the sun, would the other gangs just hack away at them? And what of Central? The Grants, and their schemes that dwelled there, would surely not take kindly to intrusion. "Give us something to work with. What's the first move? And the one beyond that? What pieces do you have in play already? I don't expect you to lay it all out for us, but show us a part of your hand, at least. We need to know what we're getting ourselves into."

She took another bite of her food. That was as far as she could push things for now. She only hoped that it was enough for Alicia, Gaspari and Elias to start doing some pushing of their own.

"Oh, and before I forget-" Passeri bobbed her head to the side, stared at Elise's boots for a moment, and then gave her a smile that was somewhere between warm and not. "-Dagger, do you remember the last time you washed those? I don't really wanna get sick because you kicked in some sniffly thug's teeth last week. Would you mind tucking them away for me? Pretty please?"

Interacted: simj26 simj26 joshuadim joshuadim
Relevant: Beann Beann Chaos Gallant Chaos Gallant AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Roda the Red Roda the Red Peckinou Peckinou QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel
 
RYUTARO HASHIMOTO
CS Link
SCENE:
Backroom Dealings
LOCATION:
West District, Sarizara Restaurant
PARTICIPANTS:
Ryutaro, Samira, Jack, Passeri, Camila, Elias, Welsha, Dagger, Alice
Backroom Dealings
"And rightfully so, you have reservations!" Ryu then said bombastically to Passeri, "How frightening such change can be when the status quo stands before us remains - bringing a comfortable decline. My means, as I have been with business, will always remain pragmatic. I will not lie and say that what I propose won't result in some modicum of violence, I would prefer not. But there will always be those that cling onto the old ways like parasites." The Tiger Queen then scratched his chin, pondering over something: "Did tearing down the pillars of the old, decadent kingdom not result in Graad become a space-faring nation in a few decades? Or have Oranje become a naval superpower after overthrowing the mercantile oligarchs centuries prior?"

Ryu shook his head: "It requires conviction in doing what is necessary, no matter the odds. Had the communards of Graad or the republicans of Oranje simply given up because of fear, their nations would not be where they are today. History would have turned out very differently, but here we are. Faced with the same choice as others have in times past." Ryu turned to Passeri once more and looked at her dead in the eye: "A decisive strike, would be necessary. To instill a new leadership that can then swiftly clean house; to bring others into the new program, or to excise them should they resist." He left what he meant intentionally vague as to indicate that he meant more than simply killing.

"Then there is, as I mentioned before, the new recruitment pools. Samira and I have plenty of contacts in the business world to bring in those with great expertise into the fold. And there is also the matter of money; we have plenty of capital and resources from our legitimate businesses alone to commit to this restructuring. Hashimoto Real Estate has a war chest capable of financing much of what we need to install this new program, along with our other enterprises among the Tigers. These will serve as the foundation for becoming legitimate, as the Mafiosos did with construction work and the Yakuza with credit unions and gambling houses."

"And, of course, there too is the role that you would play as well Miss Park." Ryu then said, leaning in a bit onto the table. "You have a talent for media and relations. You can sell this to the rest of our associates better than even I could. Your pragmatism and idealism makes for a powerful agent."

But there was also the answered question thus far of the Board. Ryu himself was not privy to as much knowledge as he would like, but he knew that they worked from shadows even deeper than his. The unknown was always a greater enemy as Ryu leaned back in his chair. "I know the Board is... frightening, to some. But I think you misunderstand them and their role." he said with confidence, "Their attention is elsewhere, invariably, due to recent events and will be for a while. Should that change, well... it will simply be another obstacle to overcome."


The One Eyed Bandit The One Eyed Bandit Beann Beann Roda the Red Roda the Red AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Chaos Gallant Chaos Gallant QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel simj26 simj26 Peckinou Peckinou
 
ERIC EVENSEN
CS Link
SCENE:
I Would Like to See Your Permit
TIME:
Nighttime, December 2021, Post-Arc 2
LOCATION:
Lower Central District
PARTICIPANTS:
Lorette, Eric
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR PERMIT
The way the woman's face contorted as the Detective showed his true colors was all the confirmation he needed, that her business was as shady as the night that surrounded them. "Yeah, now if you'd be so kind to-" Unfortunately, Eric couldn't follow up on his condescending talk, as a human-shaped projectile was launched at his direction. Even with his great reflexes, the distance was simply too short to properly evade the attack, instead he simply braced for impact as the two bodies collided.

He was pushed back, falling on his rear as his arms tried their best to wrap around the. "Tch" He got careless there, the criminal, despite claiming to be an old woman, proved to be cunning and agile, scurrying away past park's visitors and increasing the gap between the two. He nearly jumped up, breaking into a sprint to catch up with the fugitive. He reached for his phone, dexterously making his way through the menus and contacts, putting the device next to his mouth. "Boss, I have a fugitive escaping by foot, nearby south-west lower plaza, I've began pursuit, requesting back up" A high pitched beep coming from the phone proved that the voicemail was sent. He had no idea how long it would take for the CDPD to dispatch assistance, and really, he didn't even know if he actually needed it, but being careless had been the bane of many an overconfident officer.

Once out of the park, he scanned his surroundings, eyes darting from side to side. With the limited amount of vision that these hours brought, his field of view was less than ideal, the notorious umber the night has had a long history of aiding the lawbreakers, this time being no exception. Unsure of what path to take, he stood in place for a few seconds, thinking on the most likely way might've gone. While there was a distance between them, he trusted that his running speed must be better than the woman's, so it was just a matter of orientating himself, and catching up.

However, strategizing his path turned out to be unnecessary, as screams of fear in the vicinity acted as a natural guide towards his objective. What was the chance that the two events happened to be entirely unrelated? Too low not to check, that was the answer.

Eric broke into a sprint once again, following the terrified voices as a waypoint. Soon enough, he started to see civilians frantically running the opposite way, random passerbys that had their lovely evening ruined by whatever decided to cause chaos and disruption, was it the woman's doing? Or perhaps she was prepared, with allies ready to back her up in case things went south.

His doubt ended up being responded very quickly, albeit not giving him exactly all the information that he wondered about. A beast, close to the size of an elephant, laid standing proudly atop some shopping containers. The creature released a terrifying howl, one that would've made most officers at the department shudder, even the notoriously fearless detective himself found himself feeling a pit in his stomach, as the chilling roar assaulted his eardrums. "Okay kitty" Said Eric, orbs of light now manifesting from each of his fists, he lowered his stance, prepared for the beast's next action. "Get down from there and we can talk it out peacefully, I don't wanna have to get the spray bottle" His words were but a formality, as it was always the same song and dance. He didn't know if he was facing the fugitive woman or someone else entirely, but the clear evidence of the mayhem it caused was enough to make it the higher priority.


[/comment]


@Ramjammer
 
Keith Sullivan
CS Link
SCENE:
Shifting Around The Side View Mirror Is Good Until You See Your Own Reflection
LOCATION:
Azure Dragon HQ, East District
TIME:
Nighttime,Post-Arc 3, June 17th 2022
PARTICIPANTS:
Takakazu, Kisara, Keith
Shifting Around The Side View Mirror Is Good Until You See Your Own Reflection
Keith prepared himself both physically and mentally for his second round, to resume his bout with the despite bubblegum-maned serpent, their bloody duel who he'd not accept as concluded until one of the two parties lied on the ground as a lifeless corpse, and ideally, it would be hers.

Sharp claws at the fingertips ready to puncture and slice flesh? Check, burning will to end the threats ahead? check. Mind clear from distractions? Check. Random hand placed over his shoulder? Also che-

Wait what?

The Dragon hatchling turned around, a man who lacked a proper grasp of personal grooming coming to his vision. He was so caught up on his own vehement aggression, that the fact some civilian was beside him completely went over his head. He could now feel his fury go down a few notches as the man spoke, Keith's eyes darting between him and the vehicle he had apparently crashed into just now. "U-Uhmn..."

A soft cherry pink tone painted his cheeks as he continued to understand the reality of the situation, he could feel the sweat starting to build up on his forehead. "I'm sorry...I-I'm a bit busy right now! I have to go" He tried to move forward, but was taken aback by the impressive grip strength from the unassuming man's hand. "E-Excuse me, I really need to go, I'll sort it out later, I promise!"

He turned his gaze forward once again, the serpent still remained where she stood, it didn't seem like she had much intention of running away, and no way he would let this opportunity pass up because of some pesky inconvenient civilian. "H-Hey, I'm serious!" It was his last attempt before he seriously tried to scurry away from the man's grasp.

simj26 simj26 thebigfella thebigfella
 
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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 grit her teeth as Tak talked back. Now, she was no fool, she was aware that Tak was far from a subservient yes-man who apologized at the mere sight of her discontent. But even she was taken aback by his overwhelmingly dismissive attitude towards his claims "Look if you're not gonna cooperate the- HEY, WAIT UP!" She thrust her hand forward, grasping the air as the underling stepped away. She stayed there, frozen in that position for a moment, she wanted to berate him to hell and back, but she couldn't just do it now all nilly-willy, she had to keep appareances, lest suspicion from the others arose. She knew she should've brought a dog leash for this.

She took a few steps forward, wanting to reach up to Tak, but stopped in her tracks as the rookie striked conversation with an older man. She could only praise that the extravagant critic facade managed to work once again, she was ready to jump in and break end the chatting if she noticed annything going south.

But it didn't, and Tak returned shortly after, bringing intel about an elevator. "What? That doesn't make any sense, the exposition only covers the ground floor of the gallery, everything else is off-limits" Camila tilted her head in deep thought. Not only hadn't she seen Hillclad just yet, but she also didn't hear anyone talking about her being nearby, it's always the same empty praises people spew to fool themselves deeper into thinking they have a keen eye for art. "Wait, didn't that guy, like, whisper that stuff to you? I think we might actually be onto something"

She broke into a confident strut, her heels clattering against the solid marble floor, holding her phone on her hand as her thumb rapidly scanned through the internet browser. She turned 180 degrees, her free fist resting on her hip. "So, aren't you going to follow me, Mr Rishit Nayak?" She gave him a sly smile and a wink, before turning once again, gesturing the man to follow along.

thebigfella thebigfella
 
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
Splitting his chopsticks apart, Charlie aimed to distract himself from the intense atmosphere by going to a bite of his meal. He dug in, pinching on a few noodles, as well as a thin slice of narutomaki, and brought it up to his mouth. The flavors were excellent, the deeply savory and umami broth couple greatly with the fresh, springy pasta. He had to give it to Jesper, while the boy tended to have too many of the instant cup kind, he knew where to find the real good stuff.

He listened to Jesper, by no means surprised no of his first response, it was just more of the same at this point, the dragon attempting to frame the situation in a way his gang was completely innocent and justified for their actions. He didn't want to reply to that, was even willing to move this topic aside, at this rate it wasn't going to get anywhere, that was, until...

"I was there, Charlie"

Charlie's eyes went wide open, he was at a complete loss for words after what he had just heard. "You...You were there...?" He lowered his chopsticks, his head now held by both of his hands, his elbows resting atop the table. "Jesper...I was there that day as well, I still remember it" He looked at his friend in the eyes, a hint of fear coating his expression, not real fear OF Jesper, but rather of the realization of the person that truly was in front of him. "I still remember, the bodies floating on the water, the fearful screams of the civilians, and the Phoenixes gathering around, looking for ways to help...I remember that...one red haired man, desperately clutching to life with a huge wound" He clutched his hands, tufts of hair slipping through his fingers. "Did...did you hurt those people?"

It was one thing to know of Jesper's association with the gang, it was possible to just not think too hard on it, that maybe Jesper wasn't like them, unrelated, not truly copying their actions. But hearing from his own words that he participated in that night, the one the Phoenix still remembers with a pit in his stomach...That simply changed everything.

Now, it truly dawned on him...the fact that the two could actually meet in the battlefield, a most terrifying of a prospect.

AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa
 
Passeri Park
SCENE:
She Has Funny Cars
TIME:
Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | July 2nd, 2022
LOCATION:
Cafe De Lune, East District
PARTICIPANTS:
Passeri, Alice
She Has Funny Cars
It wasn't often that Passeri made it over to the East. Tightly held by the Dragons' regime as it was, there was an air of danger that hung over the district, but not so thick that she couldn't appreciate the beauty. Where the North and South were mired in decrepitude, and the West in corporate bondage, the East instead was blessed with an aura of security. Bright foliage shaded suburban neighborhoods, and pedestrians wandered the streets without the fear inherent to the city's darker corners.

It was too good to be true. She knew that much. The Dragon's vaunted peace came at a price, one that even as an outsider she could spy the shape of. Those drones which flew silently through the upper cityscape, and roving bands of thugs called enforcers below. She wondered just how deep the Dragons' darkness went, beneath this shining facade. What was the full price of this hermit utopia?

But that wasn't why she was here today.

A few stories above street level, she sat patiently atop a private balcony. Tea for two was set, flanked by a pair of delicately decorated menus. She'd heard nice things about the place, and with the offering it made to rent out a private spot like this, it was perfect for what she had in mind this morning: A lovely brunch.

Her dinner with Ryutaro and his fledging band of revolutionaries the month prior had made something clear to her. They were not a unified force, not yet, so if she wanted to understand them, she would need to start with the individual pieces. Some of them were simple, those driven by greed tipped with bubbling spite, but others were not.

She'd never liked Alicia. It was no fault of the girl herself, but instead that gift of Potential that had caged her. It had been easy for her to push the girl cursed with such a thing to the back of her head, as wrong as she knew it. But, that night at Sarizara, she'd seen something familiar. A girl, scared and betrayed. A sprout, finally blooming after being buried in the dark for so long, but the soil she'd been planted in was bleak and tainted.

So here she was. To do what? She was afraid that she'd gone and muddled that up herself. Practically speaking, she was only here to keep her foot in the door. To learn and understand. But there was a blip of something in her chest. Something that she couldn't quite dispel.

"Hey there!" The balcony door clicked open, and Passeri greeted her guest with a small wave. "I hope you didn't have much trouble finding your way up. Hogarth does great work as far as driving is concerned, but he's like a mule if you try to get him out of his baby. Come and take a seat!"

 
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Passeri Park
SCENE:
Calling Amestria
TIME:
Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | July 4th, 2022
LOCATION:
Not-So-Abandoned Storefront, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Passeri, Dagger
Calling Amestria
As a musician, Passeri would sometimes make notes to herself about all of the little noises she heard while out and about in the world. The tune of a particularly charming bird song, or the rhythmic beat of some loose piece of metal, flapping in the wind. This was not one of those noises.

She'd never quite realized just how awful the sounds that came out of ceramics were. That hoarse scraping when you dragged them across concrete, or metal, or anything, really. The note she was making today was to definitely never, never let anybody convince her that sampling a noise from these awful things was a good idea.

"Nnfh!" Passeri grunted as she heaved the potted plant onto the storefront's terrace. An embarrassing glisten of sweat ran down her brow, and she was heaving for her breath much more loudly than was dignified. The whole arrangement towered over her, magnolia branches reaching up into the air, and between the small tree and the tightly packed dirt, she wouldn't have been surprised if the thing was twice her weight, to top.

Not to mention that the sweater probably wasn't helping, either.

So why, why on earth, had she thought it was a good idea to move it herself? While she fought to regain her breath she, too, groped for an answer to this bewildering question, and ultimately came out flat.

"How're you... Doing over there?" She yelled between breaths. Thankfully, she wasn't alone today. Elise, who she'd insisted only worry about unloading the truck for the moment, stood a handful of meters anyway, doing just that. The idiot that had woken up in the morning and decided that it was a good idea to haul around a piece of pottery twice her size and weight had, at least, not been quite so blithe as to not ask for help.

It took her a few more moments of long, mortifying introspection, before she was back on her feet, and back over to the van to collect her next haul. As she observed the pile of merchandise and displays arranged along the roadside, she felt a small pit of dread open up in her chest. Who knew the secrecy could be so exhausting?

"Oh, geez... Did I really buy all of this?" It'd all looked so much more manageable online. Actually, maybe it would've been, if she hadn't had it delivered to some other location, before bringing it here in private.

"Is there much left in there? Please tell me there isn't much left in there." She pleaded to her eyepatched friend, as if the small fortune of junk in front of her wasn't her own fault. "And what do you think the best move is for this stuff? Big things first? Slow and steady? Close my eyes and hope it teleports?"

She was hoping for option number three.

 
Inigo Han
CS Link
SCENE:
Ice Breakers
LOCATION:
New Oasis Police Department Floor 2 Break Room, Central District
TIME:
Post Arc 3 || June 25th, 2022
PARTICIPANTS:
Sebastian, Chikage, Kyoden, Jean, Tatsuo, Yelena, Inigo, Eric
ICE BREAKERS
Paperwork. Paperwork after paperwork. This was how the boss was getting back at him for screwing up the last op. Chikage knew that putting him on more fieldwork was more like rewarding him for bad behaviour. He wanted to get out there, he wanted to actually work, he wanted to bring the criminals to heel.

Instead, here he was, slapped with folders after folders, running through details and checking evidence forms, scurrying from desk to desk, department to department, making sure everything was up to scratch for submission. The Prosecution Office were a bunch of eagle-eyed freaks, and, what's worse, he couldn't blame them for it. Proper filing was what got them through their cases. A single error might spell a victory for the defense, especially the defense of some gang member's vile actions.

To momentarily distract himself from work, he had vanished to the precinct's gym. The burn in his muscles was a fair recompense for missing out on cleaning up the streets of the crawling rats. Today was special, too. They were apparently having some lunch date. Some kind of ice breaker with the new recruits. He didn't have that. He was just kind of…tossed into the precinct, and had to work his way up from there. He envied the newbies. He knew that, given that it was either Se, Chikage, or Eric who set this up, there would be food, and not crappy catered rubbish. Actual pizzas, sides, the like.

Fresh from the showers, he shrugged on a black jacket over his tank top as he approached the break room. He could hear voices in there already. Seemed as if the whole gang was here. He pushed the door open.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, hope you gu–"

He stopped. There, at the corner of the room, sat the scarred woman from the attack on HQ. His face morphed into a scowl as he shut the door behind him. He wanted so dearly to cave her face in right now, but though better of it, especially with Chikage hanging around. He managed a grunt towards Se and Eric, as a way of finishing his sentence, and leaned against the wall.

"What the hell is this?" He growled towards the hat, a joking query inadvertently made to sound more like an interrogation.


Beann Beann @Doctor Llamabean Elenion Aura Elenion Aura Roda the Red Roda the Red AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Coyote Hart Coyote Hart
 
Passeri Park
SCENE:
Equestrian Diplomacy
TIME:
June 17th, 2022 | Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1
LOCATION:
Vissarion's Estate, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Passeri, Vissarion
Equestrian Diplomacy
"Vissa it is, then! Definitely sounds less imposing, doesn't it?" Passeri trailed alongside Vissarion as he led her deeper into his estate. Her attention drifted between the lavish lawns, and the man of the hour himself. Between this and all of the champagne last night, she was certainly getting the impression that he was a man of more classical tastes.

"Indeed there are! Troubling ones, at that. It's still awfully murky to me at the moment, but I've got something coming up in the next couple of weeks that I'm hoping will shed some light on the situation." That dinner which she'd found herself invited to. It was an awfully ominous thing, and frankly, it felt a bit weird that she wasn't the one sending out suspicious invitations for once. "I'll be sure to keep you posted about it, but let's not trouble ourselves with what's going to come in good time anyway, hmm?"

That was hypocritical of her of all people to say. The evenings she'd spent speculating just how deep Ryutaro's ambitions went were without count, but she wasn't going to mention that. Today wasn't about him. It wasn't about either of the men who lorded over the Tigers. It was about the potential that she saw in the one in front of her.

"Don't get me wrong, though, I'm not the kind of girl who wants to keep things stagnant. We're not even a month out from that earthquake, and there's already plenty of rumblings rippling throughout the Tigers because of it. Honestly, you'd be better off calling most of our members vultures, with how they've been swarming over Central's open wounds like they're a chain of all-you-can-eat buffets." It took her back to the mines, as so many things did nowadays. She wondered how the Grants, in that self-assured vindication she'd observed, felt about the Tigers' move into Central. She would've loved to find out.

"Not that I'm much better. I mean that ball was terribly gauche, don't you think? We did end up raising a lot, but the whole 'sequin dresses while grandma is in a shelter' part felt a bit heartless to me." A necessary evil. Maybe she could get away with calling it that. "This is me getting away from the point again, though! I've got some news I'd like to share."

Her next words were slow to come out of her mouth. It was inevitable that people found out about this, but she'd been keeping a low profile about the matter for a reason. Was it really necessary of her to share this so early? To a man she only barely knew?

No, of course it wasn't, but she was willing to make a bet. To show some good faith. She believed that the strongest bonds were built on honesty. So, where she could afford, there would be honesty.

"I'm still learning the ropes here, but, unfortunately, you're chatting with the brand new Jack of the Albino Tigers!" She delivered the news with a flourish and a twirl, which expressed only about ten percent of her feelings about the situation. "As of the earthquake, actually. Here's some other ripe info. You know Isobel? The poor lady who Markus saddled with the title for the last eight months? Missing. And there's more to it than that."

Gravel crunched beneath her feet as she marched forward. This was a lot for her to be putting on the table. She sure as hell hoped that it was going to be worth it.

"I'll share more once we're inside. There were things going with the earthquake that were supposed to be beyond us, as simple businessfolk... But I've at least got a hint about some of it. The concerns I'd like to share with you go beyond just the Tigers." She offered the blonde a reassuring smile, and then trotted a few paces ahead. "-But in the meantime, how about you show me something nice? I'm afraid I've gone and made things glum. And on such a nice day! Surely you've got something interesting hidden in this big old place, right?"
 
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Gav | Central |Rain On a Mountaintop





The various foods served in the hall they presently ate at was given a cursory glance. Gav, honestly, didn't feel like eating, but to enter a host' home and be invited for a meal just to be rejected did not seem wise. If anything was off, there was always the safety of his faith in Altaia stopping him from doing something stupid.

So he chose a selection of three small club sandwiches', a salad, and had himself a drink. He finished his spread quickly, and all while listening in to the conversations of the others.

Milo and Bolt were busy flirting, while their host discussed music with Jackson and Jesper.

Dabbing his lips clean, he considered the which conversation to intrude on, ultimately deciding to impose on the latter. Especially when Jesper's pathetic lapse into silence, provided the perfect opportunity.

The phantom touch of Altaia settled on Jesper's shoulder's shoulders as did the touch to Jackson, but in each case, Gav retracted his inner spirit, as he made his stop by Passeri's side.

"Well, Jesper's shyness on expressing his gaming addiction aside," he threw a wink to the Dragon, a Dragon that, when he had been active on the field hardly knew him but Gav himself knew of based on details from others that had been shared alone. "I only recently came back into the country." And as he said this, he said it with a charming smile.

A smile that was brought on by the loud clack that came as he plopped his chair over into a spot, right next to Passeri- uncaring of dining table etiquette. "I do a bit of vigilante work when I'm free," he said it casually, not like Jesper or Jackson would know his real ties unless Ruri or any of the others favored gushing about him while he'd been away.



Mentions: The One Eyed Bandit The One Eyed Bandit @BriiAngelic AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Elenion Aura Elenion Aura @Doctor Llamabean

Interactions:

 
Hiyma
CS Link
SCENE:
To live in the shadows
LOCATION:
Warehouse, South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Helva, Hiyma, Charlie Roda the Red Roda the Red
To live in the shadows

Hiyma watched as Charlie began processing what she had said, waiting for any reaction that might be a sign that he was untrustworthy or anything else as she waited for him to speak. When Charlie finally did speak and explained his history and motivation in joining the Pheonixs Hiyma listened intently not daring to interrupt him as he talked, by how he spoke he seemed pretty genuine. To her, it seemed like he was either being genuinely honest or he was just an exceptional actor which was no doubt a possibility when it came to the Tigers. Though the story itself seemed like a possibility plus it gave her insight into his motivation, finding his own place to belong to, which was definitely a good motivation to joining the Pheonixs, as it allowed them to fill that gap in their life. When someone has nowhere to turn to the Pheonixs could step in and take that place as their new family, which would typically in turn be rewarded with loyalty. She was definitely going to do more research into Charlie after today's trials were done, that was guaranteed. If the boy was being honest and genuine he would more than likely be a good fit for them but if not, well then that would more than likely decrease his shot.

Hiyma looked Charlie in the eyes for a moment longer before going back to typing onto her computer when she was done, she spoke saying "Well, all i need is your contact information and that will be it, So any questions or concerns before we go onto the next stage?" now done with the Interview stage Hiyma had begun to make her initial impression of Charlie, so far considering his chance of betrayal to be 8% though that could change with the course of the trial. But it did allow for him to move to the next stage which was pretty much the easiest achievement of the trials overall as things were only going to get harder from here on out.

[/justi
 
CHARLIE HUGHES
CS Link
SCENE:
Searching for the Light
TIME:
Afternoon, Post-Arc 3, June 18th 2022
LOCATION:
Phoenix HQ, South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Charlie, Hitoshi
Searching for the Light
"Oh...OH!" He finally made the connection, feeling somewhat silly about his previous misunderstanding. Of course that was the reason, what else could it have been? "Yeah, I uhhh, never really did anything like that before" Despite admiting his lack of experience in the recreative activity of breaking stuff, it didn't seem like it reached Hitoshi's ears, the man instead being occupied by the preparations for their dinner. Charlie perked up, noticing that the man had brought the brand new portable group that the other phoenixes gifted him only yesterday. "Oh, I'm the first you use it with? I'm honored" he hummed happily, approaching the man hard at work putting everything in place.

When Hitoshi grabbed the bat and attempted to hit the ball, the Rookie responded with a silent thumbs up at the sight of the initial failure. Next, when the following attempt landed successfully, the boy gave a few little claps in celebration of the veteran's mighty achievement "Clean hit, Aniki!" He then eyed at the leftover bat, his head leaning to the side as he contemplated participated. He grabbed the tool, getting a good feel of its weight, proportions and stability, as a result of his ability, he had picked up a knack for doing that whenever he came into contact with an objectt larger than a football.

He took a stance, a definitely rusty one, as the boy hadn't wielded one of these since...damn, middleschool! "Hmm, let's see..." He gently lifted the ball, and lightly swing the bat the moment he predicted it would land with the baseball. He hit the air, the ball landing on the floor and bouncing a few feet away. "Oh...ehehehe...Guess that makes it the two of us then" he awkwardly scratched the back of his head, embarassed by his little display of lacking accuracy, albeit not that much considering it was the same case for the two. He tried once again, reaching over to the ball, and repeating the batting process. Once again, he failed, his cheeks now turning slightly pink "I-I just need to get the hang of it, I promise!"

Once more, he made a new attempt, this time, he kept his eyes glued forward, relying more on his sense of timing rather than trying to follow the falling ball with his eyes. The hit connected. The ball was brutally launched forward, causing a nasty indentation in a random car's "Yes!" He yelped as he fist pumped, overjoyed with the mundane success. He reached for a second ball, mimicking his latest method. Once again, it hit, this time with slightly more power, going inside the vehicle by shattering the windshield, bouncing a few times inside until it rested atop a heavily damaged seat.

"Hehe...This is fun!" He turned to Hitoshi, resting the bad over his shoulder and a big smile on his face. "You know...I tend to hide it well but, I usually have to refrain myself a lot when using my strength, I...Well let's just say I've broken things by accident many many times, I've always been ashamed of it" Once again, he turned to face the vehicles "But that's not the case right now, I can be careless if I want...I can break stuff to my heart's content"

A somewhat devious grin made his way into his expression. "I think I'm gonna enjoy this, Aniki"
 
HITOSHI YAMAKAWA
CS Link
SCENE:
Searching for the Light
TIME:
The Day After Get(ting) Help
LOCATION:
Tommy's (Abandoned) Scrapyard, Outskirts of South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Hitoshi, Charlie
SEARCHING FOR THE LIGHT
"That's what I like to hear!" Hitoshi then said, twirling his bat by his side as he then went back to the pickup and turned the volume up on the radio to its maximum. "Alright... LETS TEAR SOME SHIT UP! GET IT OUT OF OUR SYSTEMS!!" the elder phoenix then howled out like a battle cry.


​

An avalanche of wanton destruction of metal and glass followed shortly thereafter, with Hitoshi taking the lead at first as he pounced on top of a nearby chassis and began to pound at its remains without any care in the world. Charlie would join in nearby on another car, though with less force at first as he was getting used to the routine. However, this changed as he got more and more into the groove; eventually slamming the metal bat into the car with such strength that the metal began to dent. Hitoshi increased his own intensity as he went to another car, smashing its windows open before rushing to the baseballs and hitting shot after shot.

Each ball launched gave a resounding crack in the air as they then hit random targets across the junkyard with great force. It was then that he went to the cooler and tossed a soda can to Charlie, and the two chugged the contents before getting straight back into the action. Charlie was getting more and more into it as he grew more and more ferocious and impactful into his whirlwind of chaos. Hitoshi couldn't help but be surprised that such a nice kid could be harbouring such intensity. No wonder he seemed so... off, yesterday.

Regardless, the violence continued as sausages roasted on the grill and more havoc was wrought on unsuspecting abandoned vehicles. Hitoshi jumped atop a large truck chassis that had been left to rust for years now and pretended to use his bat as a guitar as he strummed along to the upbeat tune on the radio, before twirling it about and swinging it onto the roof many times. "FUCK THIS FUCKING THING!" Hitoshi said, venting out his own frustrations. "FUCK THE WORLD! I DON'T WANT TO BE THIS ANIMAL ANYMORE!" he then quoted an old song, as he found it ample in this situation. He following it up by cackling almost like a madman while smashing the roof further.

Charlie in the meantime was also continuing his streak, as he smashed more vehicular corpses and old glass panels that remained. Though he did take a slight break to consume some piping ready hotdogs with the condiments of his choice, which both he and Hitoshi gobbled down along with more cans of caffeinated soda. There was no way Hitoshi was gonna let their energy die down anytime soon, as he felt a shudder pass his body with renewed energy from the liquid chemical broth that was Blue Bull rushing down his gullet. Soon thereafter, they were at it again, continuing the cycle of chaotic destruction once more.

"FUCKING. PIECE. OF. SHIT." Hitoshi said in between swings as he smashed more windows from an abandoned limo, "STUPID. FUCKING. CAR!" He let out another hearty laugh before turning to where Charlie was. But, rather than feeling pride, he felt concern now. Something was different now in the mood, as Charlie continued destroying things. Only now, it was something far, far more intense than simple venting occurring.


Roda the Red Roda the Red
 
Little Red
CS Link
scene:
Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth
location:
The Roost, South District
date:
June 20, 2022
participants:
Pei, Helva, Charlie, Corvo, Eleanore
Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth
Red was caught off guard by the adamant concern of this blue-haired boy. Not quite surprised, but jump-scared.

See, this was the other side of Red’s coin. Looking like a child made it particularly easy to track down predators, but it also drew more attention to herself. Once she considered it, she realized how uncanny it was—if caught, how it would look for a girl of but eleven to be walking around in dried blood. Who wouldn’t guess it was her own? What kind of child could emerge from a bloody encounter with any blood but their own?

Red’s reaction is not gauged on a scale—rather, a graph with a thin function that represents when she acts calm. On a scale of situational appropriateness and her anger, she acts accordingly.

Since this young man clearly meant well, Red was able to scrape together enough composure to not scream his head off. She took his wrists and tried to pry them off her shoulders. “Don’t worry! I’m just fine.”

Red’s face fell in response to Hiyma’s snark—it fell off a jagged and cruel cliff. See—this was precisely why Red preferred Helva over Hiyma. Honestly, was the blood on her clothes so repulsive to her that she had to make that statement? Why, Red would rather show up with a gashing wound than show up late! She didn’t have time to wash the blood out her clothes anyway. These damn city slickers. Wouldn’t know a manner if it slapped them across the face!

Before Red could think about getting more peeved about Hiyma’s comment, she was cut off. A shrill laugh cut through the conversation, the force of its sound causing a breeze to sweep through the roost. It was darker, colder. A laugh echoed from somewhere nearby.

Red whipped around in search of the source, her cape and dress billowing in her circular motions. Her eyes scanned the rafters, entrance, and graves. But there was nothing; nothing but the event unfolding right in front of her.

A gaping hole sank into the ground before them. Red’s breath got stuck in her throat. The voided darkness settled unease into her stomach.

That is, until she saw what emerged from it.

A box-headed tin-foil machine! Why, that was the little robot she had made acquaintances with a while back! Her face lit up at seeing her little friend. He landed on his head with a prompt thunk, going on to wriggle his little limbs. His lack of depth perception made Red giggle, alone.

She wouldn’t cruelly watch on forever, though. Once Red got her laughs out, she would help the little guy back to normal. That is, that was her plan.

The sound of footsteps had been trodding beneath the amused thoughts. Approaching the group, taking advantage of their distraction. She hadn’t seen that they had come so close to her. Right as she stuck out her hand, the whistle of a rocket flew past her and promptly knocked Q-Bot across the room.

She was shocked, and then angry. The insulting profanities struck hatred through her heart.

Red didn’t know who this man was. She didn’t know his prerogative. All she knew was he was talking bullshit, and he had just kicked an innocent lil’ robot across the Roost. Everything else that was happening around her dissolved in the face of this injustice.

She put her hands on her hips. Red looked up at this elf-looking man, eyebrows cross and lips curled into a solid frown. Her stature was far from threatening, but the anger in her eyes was prominent.

“Excuse me, what the—what is your problem!?” Red shouted at him. “What’d you do that for!?”

She had enough manners to keep her reaction intact. But the anger in her heart was wobbling off balance. It wouldn’t matter if it was the worst insult she had ever experienced, or a slightly off-color comment. She would be sent off the side regardless—her red wrath unleashed. And it was only a matter of time.

 
Last edited:
Bushineko (NPC)
CS Link
SCENE:
Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?
LOCATION:
Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store
TIME:
June 10th, 2022 | | Post-Arc 3
PARTICIPANTS:
Passeri Park The One Eyed Bandit The One Eyed Bandit
Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

“Come onnnn….!”

Impatient little paws squeaked against the floor, jumping up and down in a weak attempt to peer over the person in front of them, impatiently shifting side to side to look past their legs, getting a glimpse of the legs of a plastic desk.

His goal was so close being taunted with it made the persona of a noble warrior fall apart entirely, leaving only a childish kitten whose fangs were gritted tightly as he strained his neck, trying to somehow gain the powers to look ahead and see past everyone in his way. Of course, it didn’t work, leaving him out of breath as he stood there, heaving with slitted eyes.


“What is that, some type of mascot?” A man questioned, looking ahead with a furrowed brow and crossed arms.

“Hey, that thing’s pretty cute!~” A chipper college girl commented, pointing at him from the sidelines to show her gal pals, who looked over with bewilderment, the charm seeming to not dawn on them.

Meanwhile, a lady walked past with her cart filled with groceries. Her daughter sat in the front of the cart, legs hanging out, her thumb in her mouth. Her eyes perked up when she saw the blue cat, drool coming out of the corner of her mouth as her gaze focused on it, even as the cart continued to move.

Of course, he was getting strange stares, people looking down at him with confusion and curiosity, stares he either ignored or had grown used to the point he no longer noticed. The most likely reason was that he only had his sights on the front of the line.

“Thank you so much! I’ll treasure this forever!” The man shouted from ahead in the line, looking at Passeri with a bright smile as he clutched the flimsy little cardboard box, making sure to not damage it. Even though he talked with so much passion, there was no love or admiration in his words; he didn’t feed Passeri any energy, and the glint of his eyes spoke of his intention being his own personal gain.
Another scalper, all too common with these types of events. As he walked away from the front of the line, a white paw reached for the golden grip of the blade, the shimmer of the sharpened edge flittering within the lighting as a sharpened gaze narrowed.

The man walked past. And nothing happened; the cat stood with its helmet, placing a shadow over its eyes.

Wordlessly, the blade clicked back into place, and the Playmate raised its head. Now wasn’t the time to punish those who thought it opportune to take advantage of his idol’s kindness.

The way forward was illuminated in light, and as he looked ahead, his slitted eyes widened into saucers, the purple sparkles basked over him, as his expression went from the dignified shogun to a mewling cat, his whole face softening as his upper lip became more pronounced.

Paws squeaked as he walked up to the desk, looking up at Passeri as he was visibly shimmering in joy. He had spent so long indulging in the music of Iroi, understanding the depth of her messages, and admiring her selflessness, but to finally be able to meet her face to face was something that he could have only dreamed of.

He had gone to many of her events in the past but was never fortunate enough to get so close. The effects of the earthquake had lowered her pull just enough for him to have a chance.

“I’m so happy that earthquake happened-zarunyan!” Bushineko bubbled shamelessly as he felt like the terrible situation had given him the advantage, not having to deal with the usual turnout that came with her appearances.

Standing there looking at the idol with wide eyes, he wasn't sure what to say. Before he could even think of something to say, to introduce himself, Passeri said something that caused his surroundings to darken before lightning came and struck him down from the heavens.

“S-S-STRIKING!?”

Smoke puffed from his mouth as he fell to his side, armor clattering against the ground, his yellow eyes rolling into the back of his head.

“She thinks I’m striking-zarunyan!?”

Life returned to his eyes, realization hitting him as a sweatdrop appeared on his face and a shock mark appeared beside his head. He quickly rose to his feet before dipping his head in a deep bow.

“I appreciate your kindness, Iroi-sama! But there is no need-zaruyan! I am nothing but a humble fan!” He tried to recover from his embarrassing display, raising his bow to look back at her. He could only keep the dignified look of a warrior for a moment before it started to physically melt back into the cutest cattiness he tried to keep hidden, sparkles and shimmers emanating from him.

“I’m so happy to meet you-zarunyan! I’ve listened to every one of your albums!” He excitedly shouted, waving his little paws before leaping forward to hop onto the table, the plastic rattling under his weight as his paws squeaked.

“Your music changed my life-zaruyan!” He exclaimed, his body physically brimming with love and admiration for the idol, which flooded into her reserves like rushing water.

As the tiny shogun finally got the chance to look at Passeri truly up close, a realization hit him, which caused the sparkles that surrounded him to disappear, the shot turning into a focus on his face as his gaze narrowed, shadow forming over the bridge of his nose as his surroundings darkened. A glint in his eye as a sound effect played, signaling his sudden realization.

“...They’re bigger in person.”

Abruptly, the energy he was feeding Passeri spiked in intensity.

But something else spiked at the same time. Anxiety, something wasn’t right. The air grew thick with uncertainty. The smells of fresh bread became overpowered with the scent of iron and death.

A paw gripped onto the grip of his blade.






Karne (NPC)
CS Link
SCENE:
Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?
LOCATION:
Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store
TIME:
June 10th, 2022 | | Post-Arc 3
PARTICIPANTS:
Bushineko (NPC), Passeri
Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

“You. You. I hate you.”

Inner thoughts, twisted and strained with malice, echoed through the surroundings. Breathing came out of a respirator, inhuman and disturbing. Reflective green synthetic reflected shelves of canned soup, tubs containing bullion cubes, and other mundane items off their lenses. Such simplistic things had no right to surround a scene that would become anything but. The reflection disappeared as a glimmer revealed glowing green eyes behind the transparent plastic.

“I hate you. I hate you so much.”

Footsteps crawled forward, black boots stained with dried stains of red dust, finding their home in the cracking leather. The ground seemed to shift under their feet, the shelves rattling slightly with each step as if something was moving below.

A gloved hand flinched and clenched at their hip, hanging with anticipation, a serpent ready to strike, fangs as nails. Venom poised to be injected into the pliant flesh of a target.

A target who had no clue they were being hunted.

“I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.”

It’s a thought that continues to permeate their thoughts, dancing and goading them. It was unfair. It was so one-sided it made them sick. They were given orders, but even without being told, they would have done it anyway.

Passeri Park. The famous ex-idol.

Tiger.

Not any kitty cat, either. The Jack.

How? How? How?

She claimed so much fame, so much love, yet she was nothing but a filthy fucking GANG MEMBER.

Just like him, she was less than trash. A person who puts their hand in crime for personal gain.

Why was she so loved? How come everyone was on her side, eating from her hand like disgusting fucking mutts.

This world was wrong. He lost everything and had no choice but to turn to gang life. She only gained and got to get feast and more. So gluttonous. So damn greedy.

He continued to step forward, and people walked past him, though he didn’t even bother registering the pests’ stares. He’d feel them beaming with happiness, wearing their ugly-looking merch, only to be brought back down to Earth as he walked past.

They stared with caution, fear, apprehension. A man who limbered forward, looking ready to explode at a moment's notice. Some contacted the staff, and others reached for their phones, ready to contact the police.

It was too late.

SFX_1.png

Spikes of concrete rose from the ground, jagged and sharp. The wet, sloppy sounds of tearing flesh came before the wet splashing of blood against the tiles. He continued to walk forward, not even looking back.

The focus had no choice but to look over his shoulder.

Bodies skewered on pillars of concrete. They had broken past the tiles to rise to the ceiling, trapping the humans in the way and impaling right through them; blood leaked out from behind the gaps of pupilless eyes, and crimson leaked from their mouths.

Screams echoed, terror, consumed as people began to scatter. Metal cans clung to the ground as people bumped into aisles, rows of glasses slammed against the ground, sending pickles and mustard scattering across the floor as people forced their way past him.

He kept moving. He ignored them; his head had not moved once from his target.

The woman he had only become aware of only a few hours ago. But he had already decided he wanted her dead. He wanted to hear her scream and the blood gurgle in the back of her throat as her innards dragged across the ground.

Nothing would stop him. As he approached the Jack head-on, he thought of nothing but taking her life here and then. Just to give her a taste of the fate she truly deserves.

Death. Like the gang member, she was. She would lose everything. Everyone would lose her.

Good riddance, Passeri Park.

You fucking bitch.

 
CHARLIE HUGHES
CS Link
SCENE:
Searching for the Light
TIME:
Afternoon, Post-Arc 3, June 18th 2022
LOCATION:
Phoenix HQ, South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Charlie, Hitoshi
Searching for the Light
Yeah, life was good. Charlie was truly blessed for the wonderful life the Phoenixes had bestowed upon him. His joy was high, enjoying a great time with a good friend, letting the body go as they went to town with delicious food and drinks. Life wasn't just good, it was exhilarating. With each strike he delivered, the metal felt softer, and the bat felt lighter, the blows were slowly getting less satisfying to deliver, it was boring, he didn't want to be bored, the worst kind of thoughts creep up when you're bored.

"HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?!" He striked again, and upswing that severely deformed the front of the car, toppling it over. The rookie observed his weapon, still standing intact, something that no bat could probably handle. Huh, he didn't recall tempering it, but such was the case, perhaps it was a result of having so much fun? An idea popped into the boy's head, a borderline sadistic grin creeping up from the corners of his mind. The ground below him suddenly found itself under greater pressure, Charlie smiled as he prepared another swing.

Ever since joining the Scarlet Phoenixes, the rookie had never activated his full Hypercharge outside of necessity.

He leaped high up in the air, landing with a blow on another one of the cars. The roof was obliterated by the pressure, a thunderous sound caused by the twisting and contorting metal as doors flew away and glass shattered into countless pieces. "HAHA, YEAH, THAT'S IT" He rushed to the nearest vehicle, mimicking his previous up, straight up sending the car, or rather, what was not the deformed carcass of it, flying up in the air, spining several times before crashing violently on the ground. The boy's breathing was agitated with excitement, his heart beating powerfully, akin to a ceremonial drum.

He dropped the bat, opting to continue his joyous onslaught with his bare hands. He punched, kicked, lifted and threw, all of the heavy objects in Charlie's vicinity were under the mercy of his rough play, like a child with no care for his toys breaking.

"WISH I HAD BEEN HERE LONG AGO, I COULD DO THIS ALL DAY" He rushed once again, aiming to turn more of the rusty hunks of decayed steel into unrecognizable scrap.


joshuadim joshuadim
 
Passeri Park
SCENE:
Lady Madonna
TIME:
June 24th, 2022 | Post Arc 3, Timeskip 1
LOCATION:
Our ✰ Dream Soup Kitchen, South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Passeri, Eric
Lady Madonna
"Aren't I always chipper? That's, like, half my brand, you know!" Passeri quipped as she withdrew from the steaming pot. "Maybe it's the weather. It's actually quite nice out today! My phone told me that the sun's supposed to be sticking around, too. Feels like a rare thing these days, huh?"

She mulled over the detective's brief culinary lecture as he went on, quirking an eyebrow when he sprinkled in his 'secret ingredient'. She wasn't surprised. In her digital exchanges with Eric, she'd figured out that this was what the deadpan office was. The most brazen of all the world's performers: A comedian.

"Actually, I'm kind of an expert on that." Her words turned blasé, and she fixed him with a stare that might've been as deadpan as his own, if not of the unvanquishable bubblegum glimmer in her eyes. "Love tastes like blueberries, don't you know? You totally just ruined that." Love did not taste like blueberries. In fact, it did not taste at all. It was a feeling, one of electricity and shivers, blooming within her back as she took to the stage.

Not that he needed to know that.

"I thought police officers were supposed to be responsible? Can you pay for all those ingredients you just spoiled, please?" Her gaze remained serious for just long enough to where Eric might've wondered that, perhaps, just maybe, she might be serious, before it crumpled to the sound of bright laughter.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm kidding! Even if you did put blueberries in there, I wouldn't make you pay." It didn't even sound that bad. Birds ate berries, right? Surely they would've gone well together. "Were you scared, though? Maybe this whole thing was just a honeypot to put public servants into debt. Isn't that a dreadful thought? Do you think the diners would be in on such an evil scheme? They could, like, blockade the door until you cough up what you owe."

Leaving Eric to focus on his pot, Passeri spent a bit drifting around the kitchen, sticking her nose into places where it shouldn't have been, and generally making a pest of herself. There was a reason that, despite her generosity, most of the veteran volunteers breathed a sigh of relief when she wasn't there for the week.

"Oh, by the way, do you need me to grab the noodles?" She spoke while rifling through some can-laden shelf. "You said they were going in soon, right? We should have a bunch stocked up in the back. Just give me the word!"

 
CHARLIE HUGHES
CS Link
SCENE:
To Live in the Shadows
TIME:
Afternoon, Pre-Arc 1, June 11th 2020
LOCATION:
Nameless Warehouse, South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Charlie, Helva
To Live in the Shadows
The boy smiled with serene relief, his words seemingly reaching the short woman across the table. He sighed, only to then notice the tears built up on his lower eyelids, before rubbing them dry with his forearm. He could only hope that his honesty was clear enough to pass through the understandable suspicion.

"Questions? Hmm..." He brought his hand up to under his chin, hold it gently as he stared at a corner of the ceiling. "Is there any kind of dress code? Do I have to...get a tattoo or something...?" He then gasped "Haircuts are not enforced on guys, right?" He said, looking worried as he hugged a sizeable part of his voluminous mane.

Either way, he ended up throwing a hand into his pocket, rummaging through its few contents until he took a hold of his cellphone. Then opening the contacts to show his own number to the girl. Following by going above and beyond by even telling her his address. Should the girl be good at the local geography, she might've realized that the apartment was within a particularly low-class area of the district.


Peckinou Peckinou
 
ELEANORE
CS Link
SCENE:
{=Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth=}
LOCATION:
South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Charlie { Roda the Red Roda the Red }, Helva { Peckinou Peckinou }, Pei { thebigfella thebigfella }, Red { miki miki }, Corvo { AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa }, Eleanore { mechanicalmania mechanicalmania }
Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth
Eleanore had found a wall to cover her back and had been simply standing. Some of those who entered were lucky enough to receive a nod upon entering, such as Red, but for someone as imposing as she obviously wanted to seem to be she managed to blend rather nicely into the background. One could wonder if that was a learned skill, if it wasn’t for the… bombastic method of entrance that her sponsoree entered the Roost with taking hold of most available brain power. Ah, what an ear grating laugh. It was all she needed to know what this meeting would entail just a bit better, and imperceptibly, her stance relaxed just a smidge at the siren’s cackle.

Her attention stuck more to the hole than the doorstopper- excuse her, the Mighty Super Q-Bot that leaped from it. He wasn’t exactly worth too much of her time to focus on, and having the sanctuary messed with for the sake of flair in the entrance pissed her off, up to and including ignoring the attempt one of the Phoenixes took to help it. Even the cat, one of Pei’s playmates Eleanore could respect on their own, just got a quick glance and a nod before she turned her face back to the hole, looking just a bit more aged and tired than she’d entered. Pei didn’t get the same respect when he walked down the stairs, despite all his clattering and the commotion between him and Q. Even the explosion barely ruffled her feathers, the flames flashing on and off. If the dead could rise, they would certainly do so in the ear of all this.

With calculated precision, Eleanore wiped a bit of the admittedly cartoonish ash and residue from the bazooka blast from one shoulder before turning to the posing Pei. A short breath managed to resteady her. For all the mess, this was something actually important. If not to Pei himself, to the people he’d gathered, and he was taking great pride in that face. Chewing him out for the damage could wait until later. Depending on the quality of his message, he might just scrape by without too much damage.

His monologue was intriguing. He had information? Truly? Some of those people were important, and some of them were the kind Eleanore found reliable. She’d done some poking, but that was more vain than productive. She never thought of herself as too much of a detective. Sure, she ruled out most of the theories that the common Phoenix would gossip about, but all it did was leave her more in the dark about the goings on without the comforting blanket of a reasonable explanation. And then…

A traitor.

Others began chattering. Their own investigations turning up squat, a lack of evidence on Pei’s part. Eleanore snorted slightly at her concerns about the hole not being hers alone, official business and concerns shouldn’t be controlled entirely by the flair. But Pei wouldn’t lie about thinking there was a traitor, and he wouldn’t open himself up to embarrassment by not having evidence to survive scrutiny. He’d lord it over you, drip feed it and call you an idiot for not picking up on it sooner, but he wouldn’t risk being made a fool over it. And given his drama, he might very well want to point his finger at someone here, imitate a pipe smoking detective having cracked the case without the help of a Watson. Serious people here would want him to cut to the chase, looking at him with the standard amounts of disdain and annoyance Pei summons in everyone, including her, but… That would work out just as well as any sentence that included both “serious people” and “Pei”.

So, she’d- Oh, that’s a bit shrill. The first thing to really take Eleanore off guard here was the sudden and apparent attachment Red had with the doorstopper. A quick and sudden reminder that the playmates seemingly had a life beyond relation with Pei. Oh, things are going to get distracting. They already have been. This could’ve just been an email or a text.
“I’ve found a traitor, bang bang, chiching, dig them a shallow grave and be back in time to watch the Saturday morning cartoons with a full night's sleep.”
It’d be less stressful, and more importantly less irritating, even if it was more dangerous.

Her end position is just leaning up against the wall, unmoved for all who couldn't read her mind, mostly relaxed and just staring at Pei. Surprisingly silent for the news broadcasted compared to her job.

I believe you. Apologize or whatever you need to do so we can move on to your point.

 
Hiachi Ito
CS Link
SCENE:
Art of the Deal
LOCATION:
West District, Czar Restaurant
PARTICIPANTS:
Hiachi, Ryutaro
Art of the Deal
She had a nightmare that night. She couldn’t have told you what it was about, but she knew it had been bad enough that she woke up gasping for air—something that she had never done before. Her heart raced, and she had to put her hand to it to confirm she was still breathing and pumping blood. Her strong heartbeat thumped through her chest with the rhythm of life.

For the twenty seconds after she had been ripped from her nightmare—though panicked—she was blessed with not being fully aware of her situation. The unmatched bliss of her nightmare being her greatest concern.

And then it all set in. Hiachi had been on a streak of poor sleep for a week and a half now. The state of comatose that she had felt for a week was ending. She had been picked up off the ground—forcibly—and dusted off, as it were. Her time was no longer her own. She was indebted to the Albino Tigers, and the consequences of that had been made abundantly clear.

The consequence was she was going to be a tool for the rest of her life. Not the most comforting of concepts, but true nonetheless. This all could have been far more comforting had she not been thrust into debt with her barely lucid mind, but she digresses. That’s the way the cookie crumbled.

Now settled in her reality, Hiachi pushed herself up off of her mattress. She wasn’t vying to do much of anything that day, but she couldn’t sit still either. There was lightning itching in her veins, from nothing much at all.

As soon as she got up though, her eyes darted to a slight difference in the slim rectangular room she called home. There was paper on the floor, clearly there because someone had slid it under the door.

She inspected the item. It looked like a normal piece of paper, but that was what was most dangerous about it. She lowered herself to her knees and stared at it. There was writing beneath it, she could tell that much. Writing that was likely addressed to her.

Uncertainty laid before her. God, she hoped it wasn’t Lorette. Not that she wasn’t fond of Lorette, but a message from Lorette meant she was making true on her promise: she had work for her. Work that would involve—well—using that gun she had received two days prior.

What was she complaining for, anyway? What was she, scared?

Of course she was scared. This was ridiculous.

It really must have been anyone but Lorette, as she was the only person aware that she had come into possession of her very own cell phone.

Hiachi flipped over the paper and held it in her hands.


A car will pick you up at your place. Wear your nicest clothes.
-You Know Who​



“You know who”. Well that sucked, because she had no fucking clue who. But the egoism in those two short lines told her enough: she wasn’t to take this lightly. A car would pick her up at her place, and she was to wear her nicest clothes. The real unfortunate news was she had no nice clothes. If the sender meant high quality clothes, that was out of the question entirely. Clean clothes weren't possible either, since the only nice button down she had was yellowed with dirt and a mildew smell.

Well, now she knew what she was doing with her day, at least. Hiachi went to the convenience store that morning, because despite everything she still trusted that all that talk about making good first impressions was true. Was it a first impression? No, but second impressions had to count for something.

There were only men’s shirts, ones that didn’t fit her particularly well. But it was the best she could get. Beggars can’t be choosers. So she paid for the shirt and went home.

The blinds kept the light from flooding in, so she stared into the darkness. This was… she didn’t know how to describe this anymore. The situation she found herself in sounded fictitious. Who else would tag their name as “You Know Who” but a cartoonish villain?

She buttoned the pearlescent plastic buttons of her shirt, her left hand adjusting to the shirt’s switched sides easily. She had a tie as well, and she figured she should wear it. She tied it with ease before her hands fell limp at her sides.

Once it reached the precipice of the evening, she started watching out the window of her apartment. She wouldn’t dream of loitering in the lobby, but she figured she shouldn’t keep whoever was driving her to wherever waiting.

It was easy to clock the vehicle which was meant for her. The car was a new model, sleek and black and faultless despite being as black as it was, and it had tinted windows. Only important people drove in important vehicles such as these.

As she exited her apartment and ambled down the stairs, she could see that some passers-by were gawking at the vehicle. It was an odd feeling. Of course she wasn’t going to be fond of drawing attention to herself after what had happened at the casino, but there was a lightness to the feeling as well. She got to feel important, for once.

She didn’t have to give her name, or her reason for being there. Once the chauffeur caught sight of her face, understanding glistened over his eyes. She was gestured into the car, and was hit with the stinging scent of new leather as she sat down in the back seat.

The chauffeur was wordless, which Hiachi greatly appreciated. As they drove, the buildings got progressively more and more grand. There were small homes of pristine white concrete, then gentrified apartment complexes, and then skyscrapers that stabbed past the clouds and into the atmosphere.

The building they stopped at was all windows and monochrome. Sleek design, modernist minimalism that complimented the hollow nature of the district.

Perhaps this judgment was undeserved, or perhaps Hiachi had enough of gallivanting around spaces wherein she felt displaced. It wasn’t up to Hiachi to decide. It was up to her to decide how she was going to go about finding her mystery summoner.

Hiachi approached the host at the front of the establishment, who had been using his few seconds of free time to fiddle with the toothpicks displayed in a small glass on the desk. “Excuse me…” the voided night shone on her back. Overexposed. Uncertain. Displaced. She was being looked at as if she had no place in there: which she wouldn’t have, if not for the situation. “I think… Er, someone here is waiting for me…?”

She hadn’t meant to sound uncertain; she was uncertain.

joshuadim joshuadim

 
RYUTARO HASHIMOTO
CS Link
SCENE:
The Art of the Deal
LOCATION:
West District, Czar Restaurant
PARTICIPANTS:
Hiachi, Ryutaro
The Art of the Deal

The host at the fine dining establishment, a lanky man with a well groomed mustache, slightly receding hairline, and sporting a two piece suit, took a good look at the newcomer as she made her inquiry, giving an almost judgmental look given the dress code for the dining room. Wordlessly, he looked over to the reservations list on his monitor and looked them over before nodding. "Oui. He is at the table at the back." he then spoke with a thick accent, "Follow me, please."

He picked up a small leather book with him to carry under his arm as he led Hiachi through two double doors and into the main dining room itself. Here was the high society of Amestria, particularly in and near New Oasis, as they dined on expensive dishes that seemed more like they belonged in an art gallery with their presentation than they did on a plate. And given the background of these people, Hiachi was completely out of place as a few annoyed looks were shot her way while passing their tables. She could even perceive some mutterings in confusion as to why she was here.

But it was all made clear when she got a clear view of the Tiger Queen, reading the menu of the place as he remained fixated on its contents rather than even giving a look towards her. The host pulled out a seat for her to take, and when she did he quickly departed to leave the two alone in a tense silence.

Ryu let the silence hang in the air as he silently mused over his options in print, before speaking finally: "I trust the journey was comfortable?" he asked then, almost nonchalantly, without breaking his gaze on the menu.


miki miki
 
Hiyma
CS Link
SCENE:
To live in the shadows
LOCATION:
Warehouse, South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Helva, Hiyma, Charlie Roda the Red Roda the Red
To live in the shadows

Hiyma relaxed in her chair as Charlie went on to ask her a set of questions that she honestly found amusing enough to elicit a chuckle from herself. But after a brief moment, she responded by saying "There really isn't a set uniform for all Pheonixs though Revenant does like their suits so she typically gives her sponserees one, but if someone does tell you there is a Uniform, they are more than likely trying to prank you. As for Tattoos, not really unless you want to, and no to haircuts also though those could vary depending on the Sponsor, though that isn't exactly that common, though you can wear whatever you want and have your hair as long as you want with Revernant." When Charlie pulled out his phone to let her see his number, Hiyma quickly went back to typing on her Computer copying the number down under his file before adding his address as well. Though Hiyma was honestly quite surprised that they did give him their address, to be honest, she was going to find out one way or another but they really made it more simple than usual. After Hiyma was done typing she got up from her seat and gave a telepathic message to Revernant saying Alright we ready and are now en route. She then grabbed a hard drive out of the computer before looking towards Charlie giving him a brief signal to follow her before exiting the room.

When she went outside she was able to see the sun was beginning to set, she smiled a bit before turning to Charlie and explaining what would happen next "Alright my little strong blue-haired boy, your next part of the trial is more physical, you will be fighting whoever is in that warehouse." Hiyma then pointed to the Warehouse behind her, with its double doors slightly open. "You could get hurt but if you ever want to give up just say Falling Star two times, and the trial will stop, and just so you know that goes both ways, when she says Falling Star twice then that means the trial has concluded. Don't be afraid to give up if you have to your well-being is important and Revenant does sometimes tend to get carried away when fighting, there are always other Pheonixs and Revenant we could always point you in the direction of a few of them if you do happen to fail." With that said Hiyma told Charlie "One final thing, please don't bring down the entire warehouse in your fight, knocking down breaking some crates or even making some of the racks tumble down is fine, just make sure the building is intact at the very least. Now any final Questions? If not you are free to enter the warehouse at will and once you enter consider the trial to have officially started.
[/justi
 
Hiachi Ito
CS Link
SCENE:
Art of the Deal
LOCATION:
West District, Czar Restaurant
PARTICIPANTS:
Hiachi, Ryutaro
Art of the Deal

Now she was everything but uncertain that she didn’t belong. Whereas the White Tiger had been an ocean of dopamine and manipulated pleasure impulses, the restaurant was an environment where uncomfortability was fostered. Promoted, even. Hidden behind gilded actors and actresses. Hiachi had just wandered on the set, rusted and dented; displaced.

She followed in each of the host's individual footsteps. Any step out of his would be an outcry, proof of her rebellion, and she couldn’t afford such a blunder in a luxury establishment. She tried to fit in the traces of footprints that were faintly left on the carpet.

She was led to a table near the back, to where her mystery summoner was mystery no longer.

Hiachi stared at the man. Then she kept staring. There were plenty of blonde businessmen in New Oasis, but this one in particular had burned his visage in her mind. She remembered him—the man she had played against in a game of poker. The man she had played and lost to, extremely poorly.

From that, there were plenty of conclusions she could come to. Why she had been invited here. He wanted something from her, just like he wanted her to collapse—a house of cards—in poker. This time, she would have to be on the defense. She couldn’t let herself get taken for a fool again. She would be alert, intentional. She wouldn’t be taken for a fool again.

She tried to forget that this wasn’t her game; nor her turf. The odds were stacked against her in a dance she knew no steps to.

Hiachi looked into the man’s eyes. He was looking at the menu. She read along with him, even though she was all too aware that he knew her potential. Habit, perhaps. Singular lines of long names, in languages she was unfamiliar with. Ingredients she was sure were fake, or at least etymology for a common word like lettuce.

Hiachi wasn’t pressed to mend the awkward silence. When he asked her about how her drive and arrival had been, she felt no particular way. Not at first.

“Mhm. It was nice. Thank you for the…” Hiachi paused, only realizing mid-sentence that she didn’t necessarily want to thank him for a goddamn thing. He was the reason she was here in the first place, after all.

Any anger that could have been behind her eyes was shrouded behind her monotone smog. She turned to the window and stared blankly outside. From where she sat, she could see the world moving on. Within the few seconds she did, she spotted individuals amongst the crowds. People driving fancy cars. People with nothing better to do than strut across crosswalks in ugly designer. One man who was walking a bunch of dogs at once.

“Ah. Thank you for the invitation.” From any outsider, it would have looked like she had lost her words in her nerves. But the truth was imminent in her mind.

Hiachi was, and still is not talkative. Arguably, she is the antithesis of sociable. Talking is amongst her least favorite things to do. But she is curious, and has remained so; and so it has become a great strength and vice of hers. Her distaste for sparking conversation was overridden by her desire to know what the hell was going on, what was happening to her.

“You brought me here.” She was toeing the line, hopefully not crossing too far into the truth that she would fall to her doom. “Why?”

If only she had a bit more tact: she could really benefit from a more digestible demeanor.

joshuadim joshuadim

 
Zentsupa Pei
CS Link
SCENE:
Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth
LOCATION:
South District: The Roost
TIME:
Post Arc 3 || June 20th, 2022
PARTICIPANTS:
Charlie, Helva, Red, Corvo, Eleanore, Pei
Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

Pei didn’t bother to look at anyone directly, as the variety of responses came flooding towards him in quick succession. Everyone ran their mouths, wrestling with their questions and demands. Eleanore was the only one who stayed quiet, her position in the background not lost on him.

She was probably pissed about the hole he had left in the ground. He was gonna fix it later, so who cares? He felt slightly annoyed at how well he grew to read the emotionless woman, to the point he could form one-sided apprehension as her presumed thoughts.

That thought, plus the jabbering in his ear by everyone who thought they had a say in what was going on, caused him to close his eyes, an aggravated twitch in his brow as his sharpened teeth clenched. He could only handle it for so long before he finally grew tired of it, reaching behind his back.

He pulled out a pair of submachine guns from seemingly nowhere, his fingers locking onto the triggers as he raised the barrels into the air and began to fire. The muzzles flashed as gunshots echoed through the area, the cases clattering against the ground.

“SHUUUUT UUUUUPPP! IF I’M TELLING YOU SOMETHING, YOU JUST SIT THERE AND LISTEN YOU FUCKING PISSANTS!” Pei shouted over the gunfire, displaying his hot-headed recklessness as he piled on the damage he was doing to The Roost with his presence.

His shooting finally stopped as the last casing plopped against the ground, smoke coming out from the ends of his guns, and splinters of wood fell from above as bullet holes decorated the roof.

“You wanna hear my evidence!? You wanna know who’s been killing all those Phoenixes!? If you just used your head, the answers have been right in front of you this whole time!” Pei proclaimed. Despite him being the one who invited them all, he acted as if they were inconveniencing him just by their presence.

But, his anger suddenly subsided, a toothy smirk across his face as a shadow cast across his face, “If you want it spelled out for you, I’ll do it for you, dumbshits! The traitor is right in this fucking room! I saved you the trouble and brought them here for you! Be grateful! Kekekekek!” He laughed loudly in his own twisted sense of the humor of this situation, stepping off Q-bot’s head as he tossed his guns to the side, finally walking forward to approach.

No longer was he on a podium talking to the ill-informed masses from his high horse. He walked right into the range where he was no longer safe, his lanky legs striding forward for one person.

When he reached his target, he shoved his hands into his pockets, needing to crouch forward and put his ugly little mug in her face, a devilish cackle coming under his breath.

“You already have the evidence all over you, Lolibaba! You’re guilty as shit!”

With his slitted eyes looking right into Red’s, he boldly proclaimed her a traitor. He knew of her murderous nature; he knew of how quick she was to agitate, and in this position, he would have no chance to react before she could quickly just chop his head right off.

But despite that, he acted without fear, his smirk growing wider after his words, looking at her intently to watch her response. He wanted to see what she would say, what would she do?

He already knew what everyone else wanted: objective evidence. And he’d give it to them.

This was just the beginning, a little treat. Surely grandmother wouldn’t mind if he took a cookie from Red’s basket?


miki miki mechanicalmania mechanicalmania Elenion Aura Elenion Aura AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Roda the Red Roda the Red Peckinou Peckinou
 
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