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

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

BTSITRUMYMTO

LOCATION:

A Bar in Central District

DATE:

April 19th, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak, Dante

Being The Smartest In The Room Usually Means You're Missing The Obvious

For twenty-four hours, Hiachi had been left in the dark. She had been sent spiraling into overthought, anxiety, paranoia. Really, was there any word in the sea of synonyms that could describe how she felt during those hours? She waited on bated breath for what awaited her from the shadows. Finally, she would be privy to the answer.

The figure who emerged from the shadows was easily identifiable: the brooding shadow belonged to Dante. His presence confused and clarified at once. Tak never had said it was just them, had he? And yet that was the impression she had. She returned the fist bump with low energy, but she returned it nonetheless.

The interior of the bar had been what she expected. The lights were cold and twinged with green. The wood was painted green, and the leather on the seats were peeling. It felt like it should have been desolate, but that was far from true. There were a lot of people, gruff men in particular, packed in the seats and barstools.

They turned their heads at them—the invading party. The silence that engulfed the ambience was already unsettling.

Hiachi shifted to air out her short sleeves. It felt stuffy all of the sudden. She could have choked on the air if she breathed too quickly.

Everything, all that this event was and would promise to be, was up to the next words spoken.

“If it ain't tha biggest loser in trivia history! No-Nuffin Numskull Takakazu!”

Oh. This wasn’t serious. This was… trivia. This fool of a man was nothing more than an egotistical game show personality. She eyed him. No foul intent—that was just how she looked. But she didn’t do much other than stare.

While she had an inkling of what was going on in the bar, but she still hadn’t a clue what was going on in Tak’s head. She averted her attention to him. Trying to catch a glimpse of him behind the shadow.

Tak moved back before outstretching his arms and forcing Hiachi and Dante into the limelight. “Say your prayers, asshole! Today is the day your 87 game win streak ends, because I bought a pair of secret weapons to bring your ass down!”

She wanted to sigh with relief. Tak hadn’t been possessed (not that she really thought he was, but that had been strange, hadn’t it?). His normal self was back in business, arguing with some guy and antagonizing them in the process.

…This is some bullshit.

She was right, and she prided herself on it. How foolish it would have been for her to believe this was an outing without ulterior motives! Thank god she was smart enough to spot things like these from miles away.

Hiachi fully spun around and headed for the door. Time for a graceful escape!

Spoiler

thebigfella Haze-

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

DOUBLE TAKE

LOCATION:

Shady's Motel, Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Zane

DOUBLE TAKE

"Draken isn't getting another chance in leadership, and I ain't worried. If he tries anything, I'll deal with him, I don't need you stepping in there. The Beckmans are a good family, and I don't want to jeopardize things with Boltius."

Hector wriggled his hand back to his side.

"I'm not gonna forget about Lyric, but it's been rough working with half a team. I know it's time I took her place properly, and then we'll see what I need to do."

It felt dirty to think about sitting where Lyric sat. Would she be proud of him, or horrified?

"Damn it, I just wish things could be better right now."

 

[Roda the Red]

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

Charlie buried his chin deeper inside the triangular gap between his knees and chest, all the while looking down, his eyelids half-closing. He felt a sense of comraderie in Hitoshi's words. A lost, gentle soul caught in a stream of bloodthirst and chaos, pacifist who by some way or another, were pushed into actions of the unsavory kind, going against their true nature.

Or at least, that was Charlie dearly desired to claim, however milquetoast his confidence may be.

"Do you remember, back at the mall? And how they punished us for disobeying the Queen? Well, a lot of people started to doubt my loyalty to the Phoenixes, I'm still just a rookie, after all, who can blame them?" He slid his feet forward, letting his legs bend down, hanging from the edge of the crane. "I wanted to show them they were wrong, that I'm really a Phoenix too, I knew I needed to step out of my boundaries, of my comfort zone...That's why I joined Pharaoh's assault, I knew it was going to get ugly, I knew I wasn't going to like it...But I thought it was my only chance to show them I wasn't a traitor, I really wanted to make them proud" He paused for a moment, the bitter memories flooding back ever so clearer, his teeth gritting frustration.

"I killed someone"

He sent his message, cut and dry, without an ounce of sugarcoat, he didn't deserve it anyways. A strong gust of wind howled through the area, Charlie's emotionless gaze still focused on the city's night vista.

@joshuadim

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

You Know The Rules, And So Do I

LOCATION:

Some Park, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Eric, Hector

YOU KNOW THE RULES, AND SO DO I

"Oh now you've done it!"

A white beast reared as a statue came crumbling down in its path. On the beast’s back, Irvine desperately clung to its thick fur, turning his body around to address a tall man standing in the centre of the park square, who approached while unleashing a ceaseless barrage of taunts.

”...Looks like another one down. You shoulda stayed home...”

The beast leaped over the marble rubble, turning to face its foe on all fours. Irvine looked down, fearing what he might be referring to. Oh sweet, dear Margareta. Part of her body splayed in awkward angles from beneath the rubble, and blood poured from broken skin across her dented skull. The rest of her body already bore several slashes and stabs. She did what she could to shield Irvine, but being an indebted rookie, she’d only receive a pauper’s funeral for it.

”Times are changing. You look old enough to remember when we had it all, well the Phoenix Empire is comi-”

”You LOST it all. You’re the laughingstock of the city, Pharaoh, and it’s about time someone put you down for good.”

The beat roared, shaking the ground, before charging the Queen who remained steadfast in his position.

”AND THE REST OF YOUR FLOCK TOO!”

Even face to face with the beast, whose gaping maw revealed a row of jagged teeth, Hecor was steadfast in his position. He ignored the aching of his torso and arms, which had already met the beast's sharp claws. He stopped taunting the Tiger and started to pool more metal into one hand.

It seemed like Hector had a death wish, but when the beast reached a point where it could maul him, all stopped with a thrust of Hector’s arm in front of him.

It was a solid blade when it was formed, but as quickly as it appeared it had been mangled out of shape. It began from Hector’s hand, and travelled through the beast’s mouth, piercing its thick skull and exiting out the back, where it found its way into Irvine’s chest. The beast went into dying convulsions, and Hector had no choice but to detach the metal from himself, leaving it speared through his quarry.

”DON’T ANY OF YOU FORGET WHO’S RUNNING THIS CITY” Hector leered at nobody in particular, drunk on the frenzy of the fight. A crowd of civilians had amassed earlier but had already dispersed in fear of becoming collateral.

He seemed unaware, or uncaring of the target he’d placed on his back now.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

JOZEF DAALMAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Spotting The Wingless

LOCATION:

East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Celeste, Jozef, [NPCs: Flea, Tick] | Keith, Nona-Me [NPCs: Dragons x2]

SPOTTING THE WINGLESS

He had no regrets, but Jozef could see the pickle he had put himself into even before Keith’s claws reached him. This guy… Jozef knew a lot of monsters, but admittedly his inexperience facing Dragons meant he only really knew the stereotypes. It was the most peaceful district or something like that, so he could be forgiven for being caught off guard by this guy. Not that he’d let it show.

”I didn’t wanna hurt you! But these are my friends”

Jozef struggled against the murderous Dragon. The sudden rush of pain made it hard to think straight, but this wasn’t his first time taking an injury himself, and he was met, thankfully, with relief rather than more pain as he healed his wound.

”I’m just trying to keep them safe. I’m just a healer!”

Naive, naive Jozef. He attempted to grab Keith’s uninjured arm while waving his knife in an attempt to ward off further attacks. Then, he called out to a figure past him.

---

The past few seconds? Or maybe it’s been minutes? Had been a blur. Tick crumpled to the ground. He remember lunging for a bite, and could taste the blood on his fangs, so he must’ve reached his target. Then, he must’ve lost any advantage he had gained. Blood gushed from the punctures in his torso. Someone spoke to him, a lady with a soft voice. He couldn’t die. She had left now. Looking ahead, the scene was a blur, blood loss taking hold of him from the many stabs.

”GET OUT OF HERE!”

Oh, that was to him. He understood those words, and it was like it had triggered an alarm in his mind. Something acting beyond his control. Paths of escape weren’t looking good, but he got to his feet and staggered towards the building the other half of the deal had retreated to. Maybe there was still a chance of support?

---

“FLEA, DUCK”

Flea had been grateful that the first couple of swings hadn’t collided. Don’t let her distract you. She bobbed and weaved, looking for the opening she needed to hop further out of this mess. Only her luck could only last so long. The first mistake was letting her jacket get caught. The second was letting Nona punch her in the gut. She did duck on Celeste’s order as the axe neared her head, but not only did she duck, but she did a mini hop to the side.

Not quite.

The axe blade ripped through her jacket, embedding itself into her shoulder. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Flea was off again, this time kicking against Nona in an attempt to knock her off course and create distance between them. And it seemed Celeste was there to back her up too.

Unfortunately to back the Dragons up, came the two with swords. This time they had no orders, no last warnings. Responding to violence with violence, the younger of the two swiped his blade against Celeste’s torso, following that, whether it hit or not, with a slice in the other direction. The other grabbed Flea, intent on stopping her jumping.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yong-Yut

JUST SWEET ENOUGH

“Excuse me, Sir. Is everything alright?”

A woman sidled up to Hector, peering up at him meekly, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked back through the entrance of the store, perhaps looking for some support from her fellow colleagues, who refused to accompany her to greet this man. As far as dessert places went, this was one of the classier establishments, overlooking the water, and staying open until the wee hours of the morning to house the night owls of the South who were done with clubbing.

Oh, can’t a guy just stand outside anymore? Is that it, huh? You forget who’s keeping your stupid shop above water, woman. He had been particularly high-strung as of late but kept the worst of his remarks inside. He flicked a cigarette onto the pavement and looked in the distance. It was a chilly January night, and this shop was a lit pathway away from the bustling street. It wasn’t a common spot for loiterers, but the staff wouldn’t have been so bothered to inquire if not for the fact that Hector was the damn Queen of the Scarlet Phoenixes. Was he about to start wrecking the place, or give it his blessing? The freshest of the crew was the sacrificial lamb.

”I’m just waiting for a friend if that’s alright with you of course. There better be a table freed up for us when they get here.”

”Of course, mister.” The waitress squeaked and scampered back inside.

He might’ve made a reservation if he’d thought about it, but this wasn’t the sort of place he’d choose. The only reason he was here at all was for her, Yong-Yut, his confidant, and the person of the hour. He wasn’t a present sorta guy, so this would do as a nice treat, and it would be nice to have one of those chats he treasured while they were there.

 

[Roda the Red]

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

Golden eyes studied the movements of the feral beast that proudly stood above all other beings in its vicinity. It didn't seem like it was immediately aggressive, even when its eyes, or rather eyesockets, had made clear eye contact with the Detective. Before going through with a specific intention, he had the urge to simply figure out who or what the creature he was facing was.

Slowly, deep within the halls of his mind, the faint sound of drum roll slowly crept its way up into a grandious crescendo. From there, a colorful stage manifested, adorned with all of the well known staples, ranging from a cheerful audience, podiums for participants, blinding lights and a sketchy-looking host with a charming smile.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME ONCE AGAIN TO ANOTHER BRAND NEW EPISODE OF...




~DETECTIVE EVENSEN'S PROCEEEEESSS OF ELIMINATIOOOOOOOONNNNNN~​

A cacophany of confetti and shifting lights dramatized the introduction, all the while accompanied by a catchy jingle that was sure to appeal to the general audiences. The sketchy host fixed the collar of his shirt with a single finger as he approached the micropone to his lips.

"First question! Is this perhaps a mindless animal, possibly one invoked by a nearby third party? Or Just a person who turned into it?! Azul, be a dear and play the recording, please!" From the large monitor at the center of the stage, it showed the beast, still standing atop the containers. "Well as you can see, dear viewers! The monster in question seems to hold some sort of elevated level of cognition! Its behavioral patterns and body language show that at some points it was in deep thought! Especially when it was contemplating at its own claws! Therefore the conclusion is... TRANSFORMATIOOOOON!"

The audience cheered, absolutely by their excitement towards the conclusion, and not by some sign outside of the camera viewers to signal their cooperation. "Now, second questioooon, is the creature perhaps: The woman in suit? A partner of hers who came to her aid, trying to secure her escape? OR perhaps someone else entirely unrelated?!" Once again, the large monitor showed previous clips, this time, from the woman back at the park.

"Well well well! As you can see, this woman is of quite the peculiar nature! That imposing stature, the confidence in her tone! And most of all, that name-brand suit that would cost me more than my yearly alimony HAHAHAHA! The chances of this woman having backup are certainly not null! She's clearly no random mook, she's a bonafide high rank specimen! But something about her eyes, no looking to the sides even one bit! And the confidence she exhudes...that is the confidence of a woman who can clearly fend of by herself. It is also worth mentioning that, had she taken a considerable amount of time to transform, the timeline would align just fine as well, SO, the chances of the beauty and the beast being one in the same is... VERYYYY LIKELYYYYYYYY!"

The audience clapped once more, however their enthusiasm could've been a bit better this time around, sounds like the budget for this mindshow was not as bountiful as it appeared at a sinmple brain glance, oh well, not a big loss for a show with no real watchers!

"That's all the time we have for today folks! See you all next murder-slash-theft-slash-assault for another episode oooooof...."

He pointed his microphone at the audience, the latter, however, being none the wiser about his clear. That is, until he cleared his throat in a pretty aggressive manner, causing the entire audience to perk up, followed by a-

~DETECTIVE EVENSEN'S PROCEEEEESSS OF ELIMINATIOOOOOOOONNNNNN~

​

Now, back to reality, what were probably a handful of hypothetical mind minutes, were in fact but a few instants, all the while the Beast lunged downwards and into the pavement. Its powerful claws tearing into the hard material as shrapnels propelled everywhere. Eric managed to dodge the sharp asphalt pebbles as they approached. "Someone ought to trim those murder mittens, you'll end up ruining a sofa, and also..."

Thin tendrils crawl their way up from the large orbs in Eric's hands, and with a forward motion of his arms, a dozen of arrows of golden light traveled in an arc, directed towards the general direction the beast was beyond the courtain of dust. "Your joints seem perfectly fine for an old woman" He uttered, keeping an eye up for any sort of change in its behavior as a reaction, at least as soon as said creature was clearly visible. If he was lucky, some sort of indication would prove his hypothesis correct.

@Ramjammer

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, YY

Just Sweet Enough

Was it colder than usual?

She pulled her beanie over her ears, her face flushed. They could see their breath in the passing streetlight.

They wished they'd brought a scarf.

People didn’t usually get ice cream when they were freezing… but it was a nice gesture, and Yong-Yut didn’t want to turn it down. Ice cream sounded nice, anyways.

After all, it was just their face that was cold.

The rest of her body was accustomed to sudden changes in temperature, from instant raises from being in her closest friend’s company, to rapid drops just by exiting the house.

She just hadn’t expected the change in temperature from losing all her hair.

Bald people must be so cold…

She turned the corner.

It hadn’t been a very long time since that first conversation with Hector. It seemed like things had changed in an instant. Like the intense hatred she had harbored for years had just vanished, and now they were on much more friendly terms.

Ugh. She was so cold.

Another turn, and she was on the road to the ice cream place. How lucky that it was only a short walk away.

As he came into view, Yong-Yut waved. “Hector. Hi.” Her arms crossed over each other. “Did it have to be in the middle of the night?”

WhiskeyMarten

 

[gxxberkit]

Reminiscence Dedai

CS Link

SCENE:

What the Dirt Remembers

LOCATION:

East, Heiwana Sasayaki Summer Camp (Abandoned)

TIME:

May 20, 2022 | 9:57 PM

PARTICIPANTS:

Rem, Hiachi

What the Dirt Remembers

There was no glint of recognition in the girl’s eyes, but Rem wasn’t surprised. Disappointed, at most, but not surprised.

A moment of silence passed as Rem watched her movements.The anxious cues given off by the girl were easily recognizable. As it became more obvious, Rem felt more awkward. Would it have been better to just stay in the foliage? At least if she did that, she wouldn’t have had to sit through this.

Rem shifted her weight to the side. She could just leave… But, before she could turn around, her eyes glanced downwards, caught by Hiachi’s steps. Rem followed forward. “Sh— hey—!”

She’d neared just in time to get hit by the splash.

With a suck of her teeth, Rem settled beside the lake. Her hand dove in, searching for an arm to grab onto. Her other hand shielded her face. The water was cold, but it wasn’t as bad as getting an impromptu shower.

She caught hold of the girl’s thin arm. HP strength was a blessing, really, as Rem easily pulled her out of the water. Letting her go once she had made it onto the ground, Rem loomed over the girl.

She stared.

“Are you okay? Maybe pay more attention next time, huh? Or at least learn to swim,” she criticized as soon as she was sure Hiachi could talk. “Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths. It’s also the worst feasible way to die, and it’s easy to get brain damage and other long-term disabilities from non-fatal drowning.

“Speaking of, do you have a headache? Can you stand? Can you sing the alphabet? Is your vision uncharacteristically blurry? And,” —Rem pulled a phone out of her pocket, turning on the flashlight and pointing it at the girl’s face— “how’s this?” After a moment, she put the phone away. She smiled. “You weren’t under there for very long, so you should be fine, really.”

Finally, she stood up with a stretch. “Yeah, you’re fine.” Her eyes shifted towards the trees. “Unless you want to go to a hospital? Which, I mean, I won’t stop you, but you don’t have to. It'd kind of be a waste of money.”

miki

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Return To Sender

TIME:

Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

Hotel Gaul, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi Ito, Passeri Park

Return To Sender

Burger Knight.

It hadn't been difficult to find a link in the chain that kept its doors open into these wee hours of the night. If there was anything that Knight Corp was good for, it was making money, and these party-centric parts of the city were veins that never stopped pumping. No matter who you thought you were, there would always be a point in your life when you were so drunk, tired, depressed, or all of the above to resist the siren call of a midnight visit to the line cook in shining armour.

"Welcome to Burger Knight, home of the Knight Burger..."

Sniffle.

It'd been years since Passeri set foot within the hallowed halls of the Knight's court, and yet almost all of it remained the same. The same plasticky tiles lined the floor, and the same stench of fry oil hung in the air. Of course, this specific establishment was not the one she'd frequented in her youth, but in all of the uniformity that the Knights impressed upon the brand, it may as well have been. The only difference was the shape of the skeleton over which they had stretched the brand's skin.

"You're sure you're fine with this?" Passeri's bemusement was clear. When she'd extended her offer, she had been expecting to fork out for a five-star dinner for two, not a pair of grease-stained paper bags. Not that she was one to judge. When she'd been Hiachi's age, before her trainers and coaches had calculated her diet down to a micro calorie, she would've probably made the same choice. She still occasionally missed those simpler days, chatting with her friends over a pile of Cavalry Fries with her phone in one hand, and a medium Professor Sodium in the other.

Her old friends. That flock of carefree teenagers that she'd once spent so much of her time with. Even once she'd wormed her way into the center of her social circle, she'd never fully felt like she'd belonged. Maybe that was why it had been so easy for her to drop off the map. Once she'd put Brandy Baker into the dirt, it hadn't even taken a year for her friends to stop knocking on her grandmother's door.

"So long as you're happy with it, I guess. Just don't hold back! Let's both go home with full stomachs tonight, okay?" Not that it mattered. Brandy Baker was a ghost that hung over only her. She needed
to keep focused on the task at hand. "Do you know if they still do Cavalry Fries? I used to get a double order of those with my friends all the time. Back in the day, you know?"

miki​

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yong-Yut

JUST SWEET ENOUGH

"Hey, there you are. Yong-Yut! It's great to see you. Happy birthday! Well, a bit late, but y'know."

Hector moved a hand towards her, but moved it behind his head in a less-than-graceful switch, rubbing his hair — fresh today, not greasy. He wasn't used to doing nothing with his hands. Whether it was a warm embrace or a playful headlock, he was better with physical affection than anything else. But he'd done well to keep in Yong-Yut's favour, so he respected her distance, though it did look like he might need to usher her inside quickly, out of the cold.

"Maybe it wasn't my best idea, but it's the only time I'm free." Of course, Hector had slept in today. Nightly hunts in the West District when he didn't have assignments had been wearing him down, and his evenings were occupied by his Queen duties. If not for the occasion, he'd be on his way to the Tiger's den right now to pick a few more off.

"Let's get inside before you freeze. C'mon, they're meant to have a table waiting for us."

Not gentlemanly enough to let her through first, he did twist a spindly arm around to keep the door open a second longer for them to slip through. Immediately they were greeted by staff, who perhaps had been waiting in position this whole time.

"Table for 2? Right this way."

The interior was nothing like the exterior, though still cool, it was far more welcoming than the frigid outdoors. The place was basked in warm lighting, and a pastel colour palette decorated the walls and furnishings. The aesthetic hardly matched the clubs down the road, and might be better suited for a sunny gelateria in a resort town.

They were seated by the window, in one of the prime locations of the restaurant, and menus were placed in front of them. To no surprise, there was ice cream in cones, ice cream in tubs, and even ice cream sundaes. One page was just a long list of flavours.

"Get whatever you want, Yong-Yut. Go all out! I'm covering it."

Hector barely glanced at the menu, leaning back on his chair. It seems his mind was made up already.

 

[simj26]

Elise Cutter

SCENE:

Calling Amestria

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | July 4th, 2022

LOCATION:

Not-So-Abandoned Storefront, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger

Calling Amestria

She laughed. A short laugh, a single sharp exhalation of mirth, and let the corners of her mouth crease into an expression that she thought would have drowned in the flames with the mask of Elise Cutter. “That your kind of pick? Not judging.” She propped up another potted plant and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of a gloved hand. She looked hesitant for a moment, trying to picture herself in the same outfit that the Princess had described to her, and shook her head. “Nah, can’t see myself in one neither. Could probably find someone who could and would in the Dragons’ many dens, though.” She returned back to the van and peered inside. The plants were all taken care of. There were only just a few stray boxes lying about. “I wouldn’t know. ‘Bout the hospital, that is. The patchwork I’ve been getting’s all from street docs. The only paperwork they need’s in green.”

And this was the truth. Sometimes, there wasn’t any anesthesia at all, and she had to grit her teeth, bite down on a wooden plank, bear the pain. It came easy nowadays. Even with the physiology of a HP, suturing up open gashes still hurt like hell, but she’d gotten so used to it that it was simply a matter of staying conscious throughout. The Princess didn’t need to know this, of course. Even as she burrowed underground, seeking ways to make her dreams come through, she was, still, a Princess, just as Weiss was a king atop his castle, just as Hashimoto was a lord in his mansion. She did not need to discuss digging through dirt, blood, and ashes with her.

She leaned against the van, listening to the Princess talk. She was making some good points. Elise knew herself to be cut from covert ops material, but only in the physical sense. Make someone disappear, leave a body in a room with no traces as to who had done it, making sure each shadow was a source of paranoia, those were her specialties. All this actual cloak-and-dagger stuff, though, all the hiding and shrouding of things that shouldn’t be seen, the bigger pictures, she wasn’t quite made out for it. She simply accepted that these kinds of things were for people like the Princess. If she really wanted to kickstart that idea that had been lingering in her head for the longest time, she needed people like Passeri.

Not now, though. She’d have to table that discussion for a later date. She smirked. ‘Table that discussion’. Spoken like a Tiger. They were getting to her. She nodded quietly to the Princess’ explanations, keeping her admiration silent. “Never busy, ‘specially not for you.” Liquidation of assets didn’t take much time. It was the prep work that was usually the one that consumed said time. Thankfully, her various contacts made even that much more bearable.

Wait. What did she just say to the Princess? Her expression shifted, contorting slightly into one of worry, and she was thankful for Passeri’s inquiry about the boxes. “Uh, yeah. Yeah. There’s still the boxes. Gimme a sec.” She tried to play it cool, and retreated back into the van, and gathered up a group of boxes that matched Passeri’s description.

She tried to shift her attention elsewhere. Something else, huh? She wasn’t in the habit of asking for details, but she couldn’t help but feel a little curious about it. She grunted, and clambered back out, bringing the boxes over to another side of the storefront, away from the potted plants. “All set, boss,” she dusted her hands.

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, YY

Just Sweet Enough

One thing Yong-Yut neglected to learn about Hector was how friendly he was. His tone of voice and nearly attempted… handshake? were almost a surprise. She’d always assumed his ego was too big for him to be sociable, though she supposed that she never bothered to give him the time of day until recently. And even still, she should’ve known better.

She gave him a weird look. She was sure Hector wasn’t the kind of person to make reservations, what did he mean there was a table waiting for them? She followed him inside, shuffling past his arm. “Thanks.”

Already, the parlor was much more pleasant than the outside. The cool temperature was manageable, bringing warmth back to her face. She couldn’t help but wonder how cold it was at the back of the shop.

They were led to and sat at a table, and as soon as the menus hit the wood and she’d muttered a ‘thank you’ to the staff member, Yong-Yut browsed the selection.

She hadn’t really expected a menu. Really, this place was a lot fancier than she thought it’d be. The last time she’d gone to an ice cream place, she stood in a line in front of a display. This was much more like a restaurant. Yong-Yut was never very good with restaurants…

She glanced up at Hector’s offer and nodded, knowing full well she wasn’t going to do that. In fact, she’d already settled on one of the cheaper sundaes. “But, what are you getting?” she asked, closing the menu and lightly tapping the plastic. Mentally, her simple order repeated in her head.

WhiskeyMarten

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Return To Sender

LOCATION:

Burger Knight, West District

DATE:

Post Arc 2 | Night

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi Ito, Passeri Park

Return To Sender

Hiachi was none the wiser to Passeri’s discomfort. In the state she was in, Hiachi was reduced to taking everything that happened at face value—no energy to hunt for nuances. So yes, she was sure of her decision, why wouldn’t she be? The whole venture there, Hiachi hadn’t even considered any possible displeasement.

Only when she said, “So long as you’re happy with it, I guess,” did Hiachi realize that Passeri Park had most likely not set foot in a Burger Knight in her whole life. Burger Knight wasn’t a place for the upper class, and hardly the place for any middle class citizen with honor. Burger Knight was like the worse WcDonald’s. Admittedly, the only reason Hiachi liked Burger Knight was because they hadn’t changed their recipes once in nineteen years. If that meant lesser of Hiachi, she didn’t care. Because Burger Knight wouldn’t make her happy, but it would make her not want to die for the time being.

Hiachi raised an eyebrow at Passeri’s next comment. Yes, cavalry fries were a thing. It was ironic that Burger Knight was even named for burgers, since, arguably, the only good thing about the joint were the cavalry fries. The more popular counterpart to the potato were the chicken fries, of which there were seven flavors: regular, spicy, jalapeño, chicken parmesan, cheese, buffalo, and sweet & sour. Hiachi was partial to all of them, since somehow, the joint always managed to keep the ratios of ingredients the exact same. She had gotten used to and grown fond of the tastes. They were just chicken tenders, but they were really good.

But all that was nothing Hiachi would have sneezed at—what really caught her off guard was Passeri’s claim that she would get cavalry fries herself: “all the time”. Passeri seemed like the kind of person who had always had a tight leash. Controlling parents, controlling managers, and the like. She had such a perfect countenance that Hiachi couldn’t explain it any other way.

The insight only led to more questions. Did Passeri want her to know that she was the rebellious type? Or that she wasn’t so much of a diet freak that she was alien to Burger Knight?

Or maybe she just wanted some cavalry fries.

It was funny, though. To think that the same thing Hiachi did with her high school friends was something Passeri did with her high school friends. It probably wasn’t the same, considering those outings had started as Jang-Mi and Thy, and slowly faded into being just Thy. Passeri was the popular type. But a similarity was a similarity.

…Hiachi missed her friends. Not because she felt any sense of camaraderie with them, but rather she missed the time frame that came with it. Locked in a capsule of her mind, behind nostalgia and naivete, Hiachi lived a life where she didn’t have to worry about tomorrow. She was a teenager convinced everything would work out. Despite everything that happened—from ill-willed classmates to meddling mothers—there was an unshakeable voice in the back of her head that believed that everything would turn out for the best.

Hiachi blinked in quick succession to anchor herself back in the present moment. ”...Yeah, they still have cavalry fries. They’ve got the normal fries and the chicken fries. Regular… sweet potato… chicken… spicy chicken… I don’t know if they removed anything since you were last here, but there’s a lot of choices.”

With that, Hiachi stepped up to the counter to face the cashier, who looked a lot less annoyed at her now that she had stepped up and matched their gaze with one of equal exhaustion. This was probably one of the only instances in life where the midnight-shift cashier of a Burger Knight would be pitying her. Granted, she had nearly killed a man thirty minutes ago, so she gave herself a pass.

”Can I have a cavalry order of chicken fries? And an iced tea.”

She turned back to Passeri. She was paying, right?

Spoiler

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

What The Dirt Remembers

LOCATION:

East, Heiwana Sasayaki Summer Camp (Abandoned)

DATE:

May 16, 2022 | 9:57 PM

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Rem

WHAT THE DIRT REMEMBERS

Hiachi wanted to sigh with relief after being pulled out of the water. That could have gone south quickly, in a hauntingly literal sense. But she didn’t even get a second to breathe out apologies before the woman started bombarding her with words.

She spurted facts, criticizing her for her lack of swimming knowledge to checking her vitals. With the tact of an EMT and the knowledge of an aquatic specialist, the result was uncanny coming from the woman who had been napping in the leaves mere seconds ago.

She pushed back the wet bangs that were sticking to her eyelids and combed it on top of her head. Only, her eyes were blasted with the light from a phone flashlight. She seethed and squinted as the woman fussed with the light. As quickly as she had started, she stood up while stretching her back. She’d be fine, she said.

Hiachi remained on the floor. Dumbfounded was the word for it—the last thing she would have expected from this woman was extensive knowledge about drowning and medical procedure. Funnily enough, she was uncannily similar to a character Hiachi had met at summer camp years ago. On this very soil, she had met a little girl who knew everything. For every question she proposed, there was an assured factoid waiting in response. Hiachi had been enamored with her. How was it possible that she knew so much? Could she really answer anything? Hiachi stretched her own tiny mind thin with every question she could possibly think of. Through that, they became friends, of sorts. When Hiachi had eventually run out of questions to ask her, she started being silent. She couldn’t remember exactly how that girl thought of her—since she was as unperceptive as a nine-year-old could be—but she knew she was fond of her.

Perhaps that feeling was what she was chasing by coming here. That fondness, that warmth. The confidence that no matter how she acted, she acted the same.

Once Hiachi realized she had been staring, she looked away in shame. She hadn’t meant to make this woman uncomfortable, especially after everything she had done.

“Sorry.” Hiachi bowed her head, before adding, “You reminded me of someone. Not like—uh. You reminded me of someone from this place. Because I used to go here. Before it became, y’know, like this. For summer camp. Haha. Why’d I say all that … ”

She should have known—when she starts panicking, she either goes silent or starts spilling her guts. Now it was really time to get out of here.

Spoiler

gxxberkit

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

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

Passeri chuckled. That was her job, wasn't it? Keeping people interested. All eyes on her. Though, drawing the eyes of a policeman would've normally earned her a smack over the head from a certain foul-mouthed company president.

What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Great! Let's get things moving, then!" Passeri hopped from her perch, and with a snap of her fingers, brought the rest of her soup connoisseurs to attention. "Hey hey, everyone! Let's get moving! We're opening the doors in five!" Like a well-oiled machine, the kitchen bristled in response. Each of the chefs hefted their posts up, and began to mill out into the front hall, whilst a gaggle of assistants started to rush about, focusing their attentions on all of the final touches that were best left until opening.

"Eric, just follow after Jonas over there! He'll help you get set up. There's like, warmers or something for you to keep your pots on, and then we'll just be ladling it out as people come." Her words were clean and practiced, because they very well had to be. The incidents that she'd been the culprit of during the kitchen's first few days open were top secret. She'd never hear the end of it, especially from somebody as comedically inclined as her favourite pudding detective.

~~~​

Beyond the kitchen's front door, a line had already assembled. It'd only taken weeks for the establishment to become a staple part of the local Friday routine. Amongst tight-knit communities like those in the South, word spread fast, and there were few words that had quicker legs the free food.

She thought it quite admirable. If only her friends in the West could've been so communally inclined.

"Alright, everyone!" Passeri addressed her motley band of tired office workers and plucky volunteers. In addition to the net, her hair was tied back now, too, offering a rare view beyond the obfuscating veil of silver that usually kept her forehead hidden away. "Let's do our best! Time to fill some stomachs!"

On cue, the hand of a volunteer unbolted the entrance and pulled the doors wide. The aroma of a freshly cooked meal wafted from the kitchen's mouth, and then the shuffle of footsteps followed, quickly filling the building with the vim and vigor of a happy, hungry crowd.

"Remember to put a smile on, okay?" Passeri teased, as she joined Eric and the other servers behind the line. "That's the final touch for this sort of thing, you know? Nobody wants a frown as an appetizer."

Roda the Red​

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yong-Yut

JUST SWEET ENOUGH

"Oh, me? Don't matter what I get, it's your special day." Hector continued to lean back, before pulling himself back to a proper seating position with a loud thunk. He hadn't actually looked at the menu.

"I wasn't actually gonna get anything, but..."

Before looking up, Hector already made a guess as to what expression Yong-Yut might have. He predicted a look of disapproval. With only a glance at the menu, he decided, pointing at the thing with the least words.

One Scoop
Choice of flavours

"I'll treat myself, was only just my birthday too. I'm just having a tub of vanilla, nothin fancy.

...

You decided? Remember you can get whatever, doesn't matter if its five ice creams or what."

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, YY

Just Sweet Enough

Nothin’ fancy, indeed.

Yong-Yut’s eyes flickered between the closed menu and Hector. She gave a slight nod. “Yeah, I decided.”

A low, displeased hum followed. She spent a few seconds longer looking at the menu before nodding again. “Just a sundae with the caramel...”

She scanned the seating area for the staff member, tapping on the table. “Uh, Hector?

“Could.. you order for me?”

It was a bit embarrassing being a full grown adult asking someone else to order for you, but there were more embarrassing things in life.

Like being a full grown adult asking your boss to order for you.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

SCENE:

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 | July 6th, 2022

LOCATION:

Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Bushineko

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

Movies were full of shit. Beyond the veil of consciousness, only the void waited for Passeri. Endless folds of bleak, inky black rolled over her, tides of fear and regret. Her life had not flashed before her eyes when she'd fallen, nor when Bushineko had tossed her out from under the shadow of the proverbial executioner's blade.

She would have screamed, if she had a mouth. She would have cried, if she had eyes.

But she had nothing. Nobody. She was alone. Bereft of the faces of her loved ones, fated to perish at the hands of a madman.

While her limp body dangled from Karne's fingertips, her mind swum in and out of the black. Through bloodstained eyelashes, visions of the living world came to her, and within them figments danced. Weary machines and cackling bats, an avenging warrior, and a demon wearing the smile of a boy. Visions of a fading mind. Nonsense static, waffles of whimsical hope bleeding into her eyes as she faded into memory. It was too much. She let her eyes flutter shut.

She was tired. It'd only been a matter of time, leading the life she had. Until something like this took her. Whether it was a frenzied gangster or an obsessed fan, this was always going to happen. Karne had just been the one to draw the golden-

"OOOOOOUUCCCHHH!" Lala's needle brought her back to the world of the living with a painful start. Her body jerked upright, or at least as upright as it could on a pair of shattered legs, and her eyes snapped open. Shock addled her senses, shock which only deepened as she registered that Pei and his band of misfits had not been figments of her imagination.

"I- Who-?" She stammered more than spoke, searching for the words that could quite fully express her surprise. Her wounds still ached, and her heart was still raced, but the cocktail of adrenaline and stupefaction that was running through her veins kept the worst of the pain at bay.

"I-" Only when the initial surprise of her resuscitation faded, would her sputtering cease, and she'd notice the fresh blood which now stained the cat samurai's blade. She blinked, her astonishment only deepening, and then mouthed the only word she could.

"You?" Passeri laughed, coughed, laughed again, and then the swill of blood and mucus that had filled her lungs forced its way up her throat.

"S-sorry." She strained, and wiped the tattered sleeve of her sweater across her mouth. "I'm just-"

Grateful? That was what she normally would've said, here, and then she would've offered to sign his funny little set of armour. Perfect PR. Taught to her by the West's best.

"I thought I was dead." But she did not. The throes of her death had rattled her mind badly enough to mute the part of her which would usually dress this in niceties. It was probably for the better. Blood and smiles did not make for a flattering summer outfit.

"Thank you." She finally, dumbly, stated. "I really-" Thought that this was going to be it. That was what she would've said, if she hadn't been interrupted by another lung full of blood. Casual conversation, perhaps, should not have been within her cards at the moment, but her mind was racing far too quickly for any reasonable thoughts to catch up.

"A-and you?" Her sleeve once again went to her mouth, and she spoke to the shark-toothed man amongst the gaggle of toys. "Is..." Passeri was suddenly struck by the realization that she didn't even know her savior's name. "...He one of yours? W-what happened to the guy? Is he dead?" Hope stained her words. The woman who had spoken them was not the scheming Tiger, ensuring that the threat was dealt with. It was the one that'd been reduced to a terrified, battered prey animal, eyes wide and brimming with fear.

"I..." The thought of the man was sobering. That hateful glare, which she could feel even through his gasmask's thick lens. The unfiltered spite which had stained his words. How effortlessly he'd batted away her very best.

She shuddered.

"Sorry. Again." Her breathing slowed as the initial thrill that came with Lala's injection faded. The rush gone, her words became laboured and slow, strained out between deep, wet breaths. "I'm getting... Carried away. I-if you don't mind... What happened? While I was..."

Dying.

"...Out?"

thebigfella​

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yong-Yut

JUST SWEET ENOUGH

"Just a sundae with caramel?"

I bring you here on my day off and that's all you're getting???

"Oh, is that all? Well, okay then. Whatever you want!" Hector didn't answer her other request but waved frantically, and soon someone came rushing up with pen, paper, and a big, warm smile.

"What can I get you two?"

"Hi, yeah,"

Hector locked eyes with Yong-Yut for a moment. A test? Was he waiting for her to order for herself? He smiled.

"She would like a sundae-" Hector poked the part of the menu that said sundae, "With Caramel." More pokes emphasized each syllable. "And make it quick."

The waitress nodded, writing frantically as she eyed her two customers fearfully.

"Anything for you, sir?"

"Oh." He shrugged nonchalantly. Just a couple scoops of vanilla in a tub, whatever."

She wrote that down too. "Ok, that won't be long for you."

Hector watched until she disappeared behind a counter, and turned to Yong-Yut.

"Nice place, ain't it?" Small talk was hard.

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, YY

Just Sweet Enough

Judgy? Was that judgement in his tone? It felt like judgement, but Yong-Yut wasn’t sure. She squinted.

Her expression quickly returned to neutral as the server came up to the table. For a moment, Yong-Yut’s eyes pierced the girl’s soul, in the same way as a particularly judgy child in line for a register's would, before she was stopped by the feeling of Hector’s eyes on her.

She looked over just long enough to remember that his eyes were green and then broke the eye contact immediately after. What was he waiting for?

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him smile.

Yong-Yut looked back up to the server, waiting as the two finished up the order. A slight wave followed the waitress’ departure.

“Hm?” She turned to Hector. What a weird guy. “Yeah, fancy. I didn’t know there were ice cream restaurants.”

She thought for a moment. “Sorry about that, by the way.”

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Yong-Yut

JUST SWEET ENOUGH

"Yeah, I've never been here before, just seen it around. I guess people like the concept, cos this place is doing well. Social media and shit, ain't it? People like takin' photos of their food and everything looks pretty here." He waved the idea away, going back to his cool-guy demeanour, leaning back in his chair. A few eyes were on the pair. The Phoenixes were notorious enough that most of the stares were of fear or surprise, the ones that were unaware looked disgruntled, unhappy with the disruption to the peaceful environment.

"I don't get what you're apologizing for. You do something? Am I gonna be mad?" Of course, Hector knew exactly what they were apologizing for, but he was curious anyway. He wanted to hear the explanation in their words, not worrying about whether it would make her uncomfortable. Even if they were friends now, Hector hadn't changed much at all.

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Sweet Enough

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, YY

Just Sweet Enough

“Oh, a gimmick place. Yeah, it makes sense why people like it so much.” She gazed over the dining area, settling on one of the onlookers. She cringed. Didn’t anyone know how to mind their business?

They looked back over to Hector with the apology. At his response, her eyelids lowered. Unamused was undoubtedly the look she had on her face.

“Sorry that you were born with the face of a mule.” She decided against humoring him. It was embarrassing enough just asking for his help, she wasn’t going to humiliate herself further.

Slumping down, she rested her head on her hand. Her eyes again scrutinized the wall flies. “It’s nice to see you getting better.”

 

[gxxberkit]

Reminiscence Dedai

CS Link

SCENE:

What the Dirt Remembers

LOCATION:

East, Heiwana Sasayaki Summer Camp (Abandoned)

TIME:

May 20, 2022 | 9:57 PM

PARTICIPANTS:

Rem, Hiachi

What the Dirt Remembers

There was another bout of silence. This time, it was less awkward— to Rem, at least. Hiachi’s eyes, whether knowingly or not, met with Rem’s. And this time, there it was.

Recognition.

Rem’s smile grew. Not a lot of people she’d only met in passing got to recognize her, so it was a little exciting when they did.

Though, it seemed like Hiachi took Rem’s smile for discomfort. Her expression dropped. Was she smiling too much? Note: turn down the smile.

Suddenly, Hiachi was apologizing, earning a confused look from Rem.

Hiachi was so close. Soooo close. So close, Rem couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Ugh.

“Come on, dude,” she sighed. “Heiwana Sasayaki Summer Camp. Yes, I am that same person.

“How can you be so lost when you’re right on the mark?”

With a wave, she sat down beside Hiachi. “I’m Rem.” She extended her hand out to shake. “And, just in case you’ve forgotten, you’re Hiachi.”

miki

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Return To Sender

TIME:

Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

Hotel Gaul, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi Ito, Passeri Park

Return To Sender

They did! Passeri's profile brightened as she took Hiachi's place at the register. There a brief moment of uncertainty, a creasing of the cashier's brow as they wondered, if that woman who had just shuffled up to their register was who they thought she was, and when Passeri's nostalgic thoughts of cavalry fries slipped away. As her eyes met with theirs, she considered that, maybe, discarding her balaclava had not been her brightest idea.

"Uh... Miss? Can I take your order...?" But, the moment passed. The cashier dismissed whatever notion they'd had, and their eyes returned to the till. Nothing so exciting occurred within this court. Really. Passeri Park? At this hour? In this part of the city? Coincidentally right inside of their Burger Knight?

The limited edition Iroi band-tee they wore beneath their uniform itched at them in shame.

No.

"Oh! Yes!" Their ears perked up. On second thought, that voice did sound awfully familiar. "Could I get the same, but with a Diet Professor Sodium instead, please?"

"Coming right up, Maam!" But they didn't want to be a nuisance. "T-that'll be, uh... Twenty-two ninety-nine..."

Only the acrid ceiling light that hung over their till was there to behold the cashier's show of courtesy and willpower. If it could've, it would've surely saluted them, but seeing as it couldn't, it only continued to electrically buzz. Only disappointment awaited them, served in the form of the dispassionate 'Who cares...?', they would receive five hours hence, when they shared the news with their distastefully punk-rock flatmate.

"Right, thanks!" Ignorant to it all, Passeri waved her phone over the EFTPOS terminal, took her drink and order number, and then led Hiachi to the least dismal-looking pair of seats that the restaurant could muster.

"It really has been a while..." As she slipped into their booth, the remark slipped out of her lips. "I can't believe they still have these chairs. They're just as hard and plastic as I remember." Her expression was flat, but her tone was almost giddy. She was getting a kick out of this, clearly. When even was the last time she'd sat down, in public, in New Oasis, and not had a camera shoved in her face within seventeen-point-zero-nine seconds?

She couldn't remember, and if the oblivious celebrity knew of the great struggle of will that had been fought to afford her such a luxury, she surely would've thanked that shy, courteous cashier for it. With money. Because that was the only way she knew how to thank anyone, these days.

"Chicken fries, though. That's new! Is it much different from the nuggets? I always preferred the ones from WcDonald's, myself." Without sauce. Her friends had never let her hear the end of that. "...You know, now that I'm talking about fried birds like this, I'm realizing that my coach would probably, literally, definitely murder me if she ever found out I came here."

The woman was a bigger menace than any Tiger she'd ever met. In fact, just about all of her dance coaches had been. Maybe it was a job requirement.

"So here's to another secret!" She raised her paper cup as if it were a chalice. It was only appropriate, given the halls within which they dined. "Cheers!"

miki​