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

SCENE:

Happiness & Prosperity

LOCATION:

白春花茶莊, East District

TIME:

February 1st, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Amari, Jesper, Kairong, Levi, Meirin, Ruriko, Silva, Ottilie

HAPPINESS & PROSPERITY

"Happy New Year, Mei. You look wonderful." Isaiah's lips curved into a small smile as he greeted Meirin, complimenting the outfit she decided to wear for the occasion. While some chose not to worry about their attire, stopping by in casual clothes, his friend had clearly put in a lot of effort.

When it came to his own outfit, Isaiah hadn't gone for anything too fancy, but he still dressed appropriately for the time of year. A golden dragon stretched across his chest, standing out on the nearly all-black tangzhuan as it danced around flaxen knots. A tiger probably would've been more fitting, but opting to use his gang's symbol felt right, especially in this environment. Also, if he really wanted to, he could morph the embroidery to take the shape of this year's zodiac in an instant.

Taking the offered bags, Isaiah shook his head a bit at Meirin's offer. "I appreciate it, but it's more than enough if you just enjoy yourself." This was supposed to be a day for relaxation and celebration. He didn't want to cut anyone's enjoyment short by bothering them with work on a free day.

"Unless you really want to help with the dishes when this is over." The joke was accompanied by a brief chuckle, and the playful tone in his voice remained as he set the gifts on a nearby table. "There's plenty of food, so eat as much as you like. It's a party, after all." The main dishes hadn't been served yet, and there was no end to the food that had already been laid out. He was counting on a lot of hungry people to help get through it all.

With his hands now free, he reached for the teapot on the silver tray. Like he'd done many times before, he poured the contents into two decorative cups. As the rich, sweet scent wafted through the air, he offered one to Meirin, keeping the other for himself.

"Thank you for everything this year." The words casually slipped out as he watched the small ripples in his drink. Meirin had done many things worthy of gratitude, but there was one incident that stayed at the forefront of his mind. She was the one who pulled Reveler out of the wreckage at the Platinum Rabbit. If not for her, there was a chance she may not have come back at all. Isaiah would always be grateful for that, for what she did for Reveler and Kairong. However, he didn't want to bring down the lively atmosphere with a somber topic, so he chose not to specify what he meant.

"I hope the next one brings you good health and good fortune." He raised his cup to her before bringing it to his lips.

LXI

The One Eyed Bandit · Sep 14, 2022

Passeri Park

SCENE:

Behind The Scenes

TIME:

October 6th, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric

Behind The Scenes

Tick. Tick. Tick. The grandfather clock that adorned Passeri's living room punctuated each second with an agonizing, mechanical point.

She'd been so careful, and for so long. Where other Tigers had freely stalked the underworld, she'd had to crawl and skulk in the shadows. Like a slug in a den of cheetahs. And yet, here she stood, waiting for a dinnertime appointment with one of New Oasis's finest, ready to be questioned like some sort of common crook. All because some people couldn't handle their drinks or their petty spite.

Part of her regretted not getting back at either of those two trainwreck women when she'd had the chance.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Passeri took a deep breath and studied her doorway. It'd be fine. By all means, they should've been interviewing her as the victim, but it still didn't play well on her nerves to have any of the fellows in yellow poking around her business.

Tick. Tick. Ding-

The chime of her doorbell interrupted the ticking of that incessant clock.

-Dong. Passeri rose from her seat, and glode across her living room in one, smooth movement, summoning and dispelling one of her constructs to ferry her to the door as possible.

Ding-

Before the bell had a chance to chime a second time, her hand was already on the handle, and she'd pulled the door wide. She put on a gleaming, synthetic smile, and waved her guest through the doorway in a hurry.

"Officer! Thanks for coming at such an awkward hour. My schedule has been packed ever since coming back to the city." She stepped away from the door, and let him towards the dining room, where a light spread of snacks was laid out.

"Make yourself comfortable! I'm sure you've got an even more packed schedule than mine, so I took the liberty to set out some snacks for us to enjoy while we handle... Well, I'm not one-hundred percent on what that is just yet, but I'm sure it's not allergic to cheese and crackers!" Passeri herself slid into one of her dining room chairs and snatched up a breadstick, which, rather than finding its way to her mouth, danced daintily between her fingertips, and was quickly employed as a pointing stick.

"I hope none of the boys downstairs gave you too hard of a time. They're always so cagey about letting anybody in. Ever since that one time when-" Passeri slapped her breadsticks against her lips, as if to hush herself, and then gave Eric an apologetic squeeze of the eyes. "Sorry! I don't think that's important. I can't imagine rambling makes your note-taking or... Whatever the procedure is any easier"

She shuffled her chair forward, and then pointed her breadstick at the dead-eyed policeman.

"So, ask away, Mr Evensen! I'm an open book."

RedArmyShogun · Sep 14, 2022

Roza Grigorievna

SCENE:

Phoenixes Pre-Arc 3: The Enduring Hurrah

LOCATION:

Red West Bar, a Phoenix hub in the South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Hide, Charlie, Corvo, Milo, Rin, Boltius, Ashley,
Gideon, Dimitri, Hector, Roza

The Enduring Hurrah

Evening of May 27th, 2022

With the party, barbecue, or whatever you wanted to call it in full swing, Roza was not too surprised that someone decided to be a bit nosey. More so with it being that rambunctious Oni girl. Unknown to the other party, Roza had been aware of her sneaking around and decided to play it no mind as her right hand lingered under the table for a brief while till a small snap could be heard, a blade being sheathed more likely than not as her hand returns back after the other has her bit of fun with her shoulder touch in an attempt to startle her. Being met with a silent stare as she looked at Rin.

"Hmm... My face is always like this. Though yes as much as I can I aim to avoid the crowds. I'm afraid I'm not one to care for drinking and arm wrestling like you seem to be. You stand out as much as I do, if not more so. With as loud and friendly as you are it wasn't hard to spot you when I did go to get my burgers." With that all said, she looks up at the other and motions with her head.

"I rather you sit next to me than stand behind me if it's all the same to you. I promise I don't bite.. Without cause at least." With that she turns her attention back to her two burgers and picks up one talking as she did so, "If I use my abilities long enough, I could eat five of these."

QuirkyAngel · Sep 14, 2022

Elias Yumin

SCENE:

Love at Yu Min Cuisine

TIME:

February 14th, 2022 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

The Quirkforce, Samira, Minato, Passeri, Alice, Pascal

Love at Yu Min Cuisine

Elias watched Alice’s response even as the desserts she ordered were being brought to their table, from her sidelong answer to the way her eyes sparkled at the treats; Overall, she didn’t seem extraordinarily depressed or broken given all the revelations. Perhaps Alice was more resilient than he’d given her credit for. Or, perhaps, the happiness had become a mask she wore while she sorted out her feelings.

One could never tell with people.

Elias glanced at the waiter he knew to be Pascal Corbin, a long-time veteran and debt collector of the Albino Tiger gang; Only idiots hired people they didn’t know the background of, after all. How someone had managed to work in the gang for so long and never managed to reap any benefits–despite not being an NP–was beyond him, but there were all sorts in the world. Some knew how to play the game. Some didn’t. Some, like himself, just like playing their own way. It surprised him more that Alice didn’t seem to recognize Pascal given how long they’d both been in the same gang, but then, he doubted the girl even paid ‘membership fees’.

Elias, for his part, simply flashed his credit card when his collection bills came in–something he’d normally leave to his secretary…if such transactions didn’t require secrecy. Of course, whether he was Elijah Anamnesis, rookie of the Albino Tiger gang, or Elias Yumin, dutiful son and CFO of Yumin Entertainment, there was a time and a place for each role.

“I need nothing else, Mr. Corbin. Please keep up the good work–,”

”Hey, yo! Great party,” Minato plopped himself in the seat Zach just vacated. ”Hey princess! I—”

Doppelganger placed his ambiguous order.

Amused, Elias shook his head before glancing at Pascal. “Just get him the house cocktail and tell the bartender to stick a little umbrella in it.” Violet eyes darted back to the duplicating opportunist who had just stolen Zach’s seat and smirked. It was the idiot’s fault for leaving the table. “Thank you, though it pales in comparison to the one you and Osamu threw last year. Alice was telling me about her discomfort in having so many eyes on her–a sentiment I can wholly understand. Anyone with a certain degree of wealth, status, or fame will have eyes constantly watching them. It can get quite bothersome.” Though Elias knew that wasn’t what Alice meant at all, he danced around the topic like a skilled weaver wove their thread; Only those who knew Alice’s role in the gang would understand the hidden meaning. Then again, he wasn’t exactly avoiding the topic either. He was simply…testing the waters.

Next came the arrival of two more Veteran Tigers–the idol and the wine trader from Telabiim.

Elias lifted his wine glass and smiled welcomingly. “Not at all. How could the arrival of two beautiful ladies be an intrusion?” He glanced at Pascal, subtly requesting more chairs before looking back at the couple. “It’s good to see you again, Miss Park. I hope your dining experience has been enjoyable. Yours as well, Miss Calrissian. ”

Since Alice was asking to shake Passeri’s hand, Elias set his glass down, stood, and held his hand out to Samira. “Let me be one of the first to offer you my heartfelt congratulations for your promotion in our little…kitty club.”

As he did, the corner of his eyes picked up the pink hair of someone who had obviously not gone to the bathroom and Elias stiffened in surprise at what he saw–Meirin, in a green dress, seated a couple of tables down next to Zach. How? Why? His ex-girlfriend wasn’t the sort to attend upscale functions like these…let alone one hosted by his family. Did they know each other? Meirin’s sister, Miss Chouchou of Eternal Night Palace, was there as well. More importantly, what the hell did Locke think he was doing clinging to Meirin’s arm like that?

Questions after questions bubbled in Elias’s mind, but professional that he was, the young heir of Yumin Entertainment forced his stiff smile to relax and a majority of his attention back to the extravagantly dressed, foreign heiress of a prominent wine trade. To all of the Tiger entourage at his table, really.

Certainly, it didn’t pay to be a wallflower, but at the moment an invisibility potential would be nice.

Elias knew–just from closely watching them–that Passeri Park, who used to be Brandy Baker, didn’t think too highly of Alice. However, he also knew her to be a hard worker. A professional who wouldn’t do anything to tarnish her image or disappoint her fans…especially when the press had been invited to cover this event as well. Probably. If not, he’d have to make sure certain information was edited out before they became released. The press had been invited to write their raving review of Yu Min Cuisine’s food and music after all, not make things more difficult for his (sometimes temperamental) stars. Unlike the newer talents he was promoting–because he could–Passeri Park, so long as she worked with them, was one of the more invaluable assets to his father’s company…which would become his in due time.

When he decided he was ready to tie the knot, that is.

Repressing a sigh, Elias sat back down and picked up his fork to try some of the desserts Alice had ordered. “We were actually discussing the disadvantages of…fame…when it comes to maintaining a private, personal life. I don’t suppose you two would have any advice in that regard?

Our☆Dream Entertainment was doing well enough that Elias mostly left it alone and there wasn’t any advice he could give to someone who worked in the Entertainment Industry long before he had anyway–least of all when his job was in the finance sector. If anything, he ought to be learning from Passeri Park about the business. He hadn’t even known about her Tiger ties until two years ago–when he joined the Albino Tiger gang–but he simply accepted it, like he’d accepted every other affluent family with gang ties. These days, very few wealthy people got where they were without dipping their hands into at least a little mud, and his own family was no different.

Elias was no different.

Whether a figment of the past reared it's head at him or not, Elias had already made his choice 7 years ago. This was where he belonged. One way or another, Alice would probably have to make her choice as well. Time only ever moved forward, after all.

Roda the Red · Sep 14, 2022

CHARLIE HUGHES

SCENE:

Enduring Hurrah

LOCATION:

Red West Bar, a Phoenix hub in the South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Hide, Charlie, Corvo, Milo, Rin, Boltius, Ashley,
Gideon, Dimitri, Hector, Roza

ENDURING HURRAH

Charlie listened to Hector's short speech as he downed his glass of mango juice. The boy had a generally positive opinion on the new Queen, even if he wasn't at times all that supportive of his more... Extreme beliefs regarding the actions taken, but all in all, Hector proved to be a very dedicated member of the leadership, and his words this time around had an infectious energy.

Still... At the same time, this all felt so wrong. What real good could be gained from attacking two important places in the city simultaneously? Was this really just a display of ego and dominance? Would they really... Go so low as to do such a thing? People are going to die, and most likely not even for a good reason, just once again, meaningless killing...

He slapped his cheeks, he had gone through this already, he had made up his mind that he would join the attack into the tigers, Charlie needed to recover the trust of the phoenixes.

That didn't stop his hands from shaking by the thought of it, tho.

It was time to go outside and get some fresh air, clear the mind and all that. As he walked out of the bar, his gaze quickly caught size of Rin, the rookie that he had encountered a couple times already while on the job, they even got the chance to spar a few times, and Charlie certainly enjoyed when he was able to fight someone that matched his brawn! Aside from that, Charlie had a pretty optimistic view of her from what he was able to get so far. The girl had her heart in the right place.

"Rin! It's been a while, hasn't it? Things sure are pretty hectic in there, aren't they?"

His glance quickly shifted, though, as he noticed that Rin was actually having a conversation with company. The blue haired boy wasn't quite sure he had seen this woman before. She didn't have the friendliest of looks, to be entirely honest, but that was something Charlie had gotten used to a lot for the last year and three quarters.

"Hi! I'm Charlie, or Temperer, whichever you prefer. I don't think we've met before, haven't we?"

In Scene:

Caffeine_Obsessed

Interacting with:

EmperorsChosen

RedArmyShogun

Misuteeku · Sep 14, 2022

Sang-Cheol Man

https://www.rpnation.com/threads/four-heavenly-kings-cs-thread.503332/post-11433369

SCENE:

Cookies and Cream

LOCATION:

North District, School

TIME:

Pre Arc-1 | September 30th 2008

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Isobel

Cookies and Cream

"Isobel... When are you getting here?" Sang-Cheol muttered to himself. He shyly looked down at the ground and swung his legs in wait. They were supposed to meet at this bench every time and get lunch, but she was no where to be found. Perhaps, he came a little early... Or did she grow tired of him? Was he annoying? A hindrance? Boring? Hyung would always say that to him whenever Sang-Cheol tried to walk up and talk to him. Maybe, Isobel thought so too.

Sang-Cheol sniffed at the thought of losing his only friend. Everyone at school either bullied him or ignored him due to his timidness. Isobel was practically the only one he could talk with thanks to her quiet nature. She was quite possibly that only person that would allow him to be her friend. But now, he screwed everything up. Sang-Cheol didn't know exactly how it was his fault, but he felt that he was. After all, that's what hyung usually says whenever something goes wrong.

Tears started to come up as the thoughts started compile themselves. Maybe, he was just an inherently bad person to hang out with. That must be why hyung and Isobel didn't want to hang with him. The hopeless him couldn't hang around with good people like them.

Crossing his arms and putting them onto the table, he stuffed his face in them. "...Waaaaaaaaah." Sang-Cheol cried to himself. Why did he have to mess everything up? From being unable to read to being unable to lure someone into alleyway for hyung to shank them. He couldn't do anything right despite being an HP. His potentiality was as good as having a lighter in a rain storm. Absolutely useless.

Saturn_moon

Roda the Red · Sep 14, 2022

ERIC EVENSEN

CS Link

SCENE:

Behind the Scenes

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric

BEHIND THE SCENES

By the way she adressed him and behaved after welcoming him, Eric was able to easily conclude that Passeri did not recognize him whatsoever. Not that it was surprising, though,
as not only his looks were fairly different as to that of a decade ago. But even back then she was probably not even aware of his existence.

As he walked inside, Eric took a subtle look at the inner architecture of the penthouse, it already looked fancy from the hall, but the inside was just on another level. Must be nice to experience the luxuries of stardom.

"Snacks? Well I sure did not expect to be treated like royalty when I came here, appreciated" His trademark subtle sarcasm was back in his intonation. He took a sit on the opposite end of the table. He stared at the assortment of cold cuts laid in front of him, getting paid for snacking sounded plenty tempting right now, but unfortunately Eric had decide to stay as professional as possible this time around. The food could certainly wait.

"No need to worry, I think those fine gentlemen down there loved me, must of been my natural charms" From his his fanny pack, he retrieved a notepad and a pencil. It is true that technology had rendered things such as that mostly useless, but it had been the way his father teached him how to do things, and only the complete termination of notepad production would make Eric change his ways.

"So, as you may imagine, the police has opened an investigation about the concert, or rather, the strange outtage that happened. Even with the questionable weather, we believe that the lightning might've been an attempted sabotage, if that is the case, we need your cooperation to keep everyone safe, someone could've gotten killed from the fallen debris, after all. Earlier today I took the liberty of making a little investigation around the stage..."

Eric took a moment to check on his notes from the scene, prepairing the next few pages to write down whatever the girl had to say.

"Do you know of anyone who might've tried such a thing? Also, from what I've heard, it seems like security was particularly heavy on this concert, do you perhaps know anything about that?"

The One Eyed Bandit

Stros · Sep 15, 2022

Ryoma Matsuno

SCENE:

Phoenixes Pre-Arc 3: The Enduring Hurrah

LOCATION:

Red West Bar, a Phoenix hub in the South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Hide, Charlie, Corvo, Milo, Rin, Boltius, Ashley,
Gideon, Dimitri, Hector, Roza

The Enduring Hurrah

As the fading hours of daylight continued to wane on South District, a lone figure made its way down the empty street leading to the Rest West Bar. It had been roaming around the adjacent blocks for the past half hour now, listening to the echo of music and cheers from all sides of the establishment. The figure soon revealed itself to be Ryoma Matsuno, as he sauntered into view towards the center of the festivals. Ryoma had made time to get away from his daily duties in order to be there, though he'd come out to the area less for the promise of entertainment and more because he had expected to find trouble.

For the moment. It seemed that his misgivings had pleasantly disappointed him.

It was a warming scene, as Phoenixes both new and old shared in a moment of peace and each others company. Ryoma tried to recall the last time he'd made it to a gathering, as he stood idly to the side, with hands in his pockets. A sense of nostalgic longing told him it had been quite some time, and reminded him of his younger days. He had been to his fair share of celebrations, often preceding a treacherous dive into enemy territory. Now mere bittersweet memories.

As such he hadn't needed the full details to understand the occasion, but Cotorra had kindly filled Ryoma in the last time the two had found a moment to chat. This would likely be the last celebration for many...

A voice that called to him pulled Ryoma from his darker reflections.

"Oji! ... Oji! ... Ojiiiiiiii!"

He couldn't tell where the voice was coming from until a figure ducked out from underneath one of the gathering tables and darted for him. Clamping to his pants leg before looking up at him, Aoko greeted Ryoma with a big smile in between breaths.

While of no actual blood relation the young girl had taken to affectionally naming him "Oji", during his visits with her father. Ryoma knelt down in response only for the girl to detach her short arms from his leg and to wrap them around his neck. Ryoma scooped her up in his arms before starting to make his way towards the grills, where he had spotted her father a moment earlier.

All the while, he listened intently as she buffeted him with a myriad of updates about the time since he'd last seen her. Of most importance was of how much taller she was now, and how she could read books all on her own.

In Scene:

WhiskeyMarten

Mentions:

The One Eyed Bandit · Sep 15, 2022

Passeri Park

SCENE:

Behind The Scenes

TIME:

October 6th, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric

Behind The Scenes

Passeri leaned back into her seat, and let the breadstick go limp in her fingers. It seemed like he was the stick-in-the-mud sort of policeman. This would've been so much easier if he was one of the usual pigs that she could hurry along with some buttered words and glittery bribes.

She let out a sigh, and mulled over the officer's questions.

"The whole event was a bit of a mess, I'll confess to that much." Passeri cringed. Just how so much managed to go so wrong in such a short timeframe astounded her. New Oasis was as full of surprises as ever. "I sprung for the deluxe pack on the security, like you mentioned- You've got no idea just how bad it can get if a crazed fan has the wrong potential, believe me- but even that wasn't enough to keep a lid on everything."

None of that was a lie, even if it wasn't the whole truth. Even as a hardened vet of both the Tigers, and even worse, the entertainment industry, an involuntary shudder shot up Passeri's spine whenever she thought of what the shitstorm cocktail of obsession and superpowers could turn a person into.

"I wouldn't call it sabotage, though. More like... An overflow of emotion~?" Passeri flourished her breadstick, and shot Eric a wink. "It's almost enough to make me proud! That's what music is all about, after all~ Making people feel something~"

She cleared her throat.

"Sorry! Rambling again. The um- The perp- Is that how you call them?- Did kick up a bit of a fuss, but they didn't hurt anybody." Nobody for which getting hurt wasn't part of the job, at least. "So- At least I was told- The sec' decided not to chase them down when they scrambled off. It's just their job to keep a handle on things, you know? Not go around playing vigilante."

"As for why nobody called the police on the day..." Passeri braced herself. She was skipping ahead a bit, but when it came to this particular band-aid, she wanted to be the one in control of ripping it off. "The show has to go on, right? Maybe it was a bit selfish of me, but there was a lot riding on that concert. It was for an important cause. To me, at least."

That much, at least, wasn't a lie.

"Having the fellows in yellow roving around the venue would've totally killed the vibe, and then who knows what the spon's would've done! All any of them care about is their brand image." She could feel a headache coming on just remembering how much of a pain it had been to get the corps on board with a charity project.

"That's not like, criminal neglect or something is it?" She put on a worried look, and started to fiddle with her breadstick nervously. "My wrists wouldn't look good in cuffs, I swear."

QuirkyAngel · Sep 15, 2022

Zachariah C. Locke

SCENE:

Phoenix Pre Arc 3: The Enduring Hurrah

LOCATION:

Red West bar, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

A whole lotta Phoenixes

The Enduring Hurrah

May 27th, 2022

“--so while I was fighting the whirling winds tryn’ to save this kid, something struck me from behind! I ain’t see what it was. I lost my footing. Them winds just tossed me ‘round and ‘round, somewhere faaaaaaaaaaar away, and next I knew, I laid on the ground bleedin’! My body grew cold, my heart gave out, and I knew, I just KNEW, I was dead. Saw my life flash before my eyes and everything!”

Zach clutched the front of his shirt–in the rough location of his heart–for dramatic effect as he retold the same story for the fifth time to the fifth group of phoenixes he’d encountered since the party started. Seated in one of the smaller tables outside Red West Bar, the pink haired man's words nonetheless drew the attention of curious onlookers–all Scarlet Phoenix gangsters, of course. Some recognized him. Some didn’t. Some thought that he had been dead. Some knew otherwise. It didn’t matter as Zach told the same story to any that were willing to listen…and even the ones who weren’t.

“What’s death like?” one of the younger looking phoenixes asked.

“Awful! Cold! The worst feeling in the world...a whole lotta nothing! For days I just laid out there…dead…BUT THEN,” Zach jumped on the table. “One day I saw a phoenix! A GODDESS! She took the form of a gorgeous lady and told me my brothers needed me! Something BURNED within me then and there–a POWER I never knew I had! Then…BAM!!”

Zach struck a pose, spreading both arms and lifting one knee (see Black Butler Phoenix pose) to finish his tale. “I came back to life and went to look for you all!”

Few clapped, some laughed, and a good many scoffed. One of the scoffers called out, “That’s a damn unbelievable story!”

Zach rounded on the nameless phoenix–whose name he really ought to know if they were ‘family’, but, alas, far too many Phoenixes to remember--jumped off the table, and tossed his arm around the dude’s shoulder. “What’s so unbelievable, my man? Look! I’ve even got proof!” Fishing a photo from his back pocket, Zach showed it to his fellow Scarlet Phoenix. “This is the goddess!”

The scoffer squinted. “...looks like an ordinary woman to me…”

“She a GODDESS. My goddess!” Zach kissed the photo before putting it back into his back pocket. “I keep it as a good luck charm.”

Some of the guys in the back whistled.

“Sorry, Babes~! This means I’m taken~”

Peals of laughter and faux disappointment followed as Zach called for more beer to sooth his parched throat. Sitting back down in front of his half-finished burger and newly refilled tankard of beer, Zachariah Locke, who was finished with his story, let his eyes wander his surroundings; Eyes that could see a lot more than the average eyes. With his potential activated, he could pinpoint the location of every phoenix that attended the new Queen’s gathering. He could even see, through the walls of Red West bar, Hector in his usual seat.

Zach rolled his eyes. Golden Age?

Such an exaggeration. Since when did Hector become so verbose? Zach’s memory of the ‘golden age’ of the Phoenixes (when they occupied Central) weren’t all that beautiful. If anything, he’d gotten to see what his ‘family’ became like when they got used to power. Legends painted a beautiful picture of accomplishments, but they rarely took into account the cost. Lyric looked to the future. She had a dream. An ambition so great she couldn’t see what he saw. Perhaps he really had become a coward…perhaps 10 years of killing people had made him into one…but all he had seen back then was the death of many more ‘family members’ as they continued down the bloody path.

He still saw it.

And, as he had seen, Reika pushed herself to remove the injuries of as many phoenixes as she could during a Tiger assault, driving herself into a comatose state. Lyric had lost her second in command, her most trusted ally, and still she wanted to continue? Why? What for? Or was it Hector, the new Queen, doing most of the pushing? Shouldn’t they still be focused on rebuilding and replenishing their numbers first?

Shaking his head, Zach chomped on his burger. It wasn’t as if he didn’t understand. Back then, he’d had those ambitions as well, swayed by pretty words of grandeur…until he saw the aftermath. Now, more than ever, danger was approaching. Lucy had left the city. Perhaps, if he were smart, Zach would’ve left the city as well…but, alas, his peerless loyalty had gotten the better of him yet again.

Reckless dunderheads with their insane plans would need a Hawk watching out for them.

“Hmmm, needs more mustard…” Zach reached for a yellow bottle on the table as his head bobbed to the music.

Elenion Aura · Sep 15, 2022

MILO NAGISA

SCENE:

The Enduring Hurrah

LOCATION:

Pre-Arc 3, Evening of May 27th, 2022

LOCATION:

Red West Bar, a Phoenix hub in the South District

PARTICIPANTS:

So many Phoenixes...

THE ENDURING HURRAH

Milo raised his drink when he was bid to. Milo smiled, and laughed, shared stories and rubbed shoulders with killers and crooks alike. He shared a light with a gruff, older Phoenix and the two of them took drags outside of Red West together. His presence among the Phoenixes, after all this time, had all but been accepted. Even in spite of the way he'd come into the fold, after a failed assassination attempt against the former-Ace, now-Queen. His sponsor, Hector Moses. No matter his past, Milo was a Scarlet Phoenix now. That was what he heard some of them say in his defense, strangers who didn't know him, but trusted his frank, honest face and the conviction of his voice. Milo was a Phoenix.

Milo was a liar.

It'd taken eight months but at last he'd accepted the fact.

His eyes were playing tricks on him. Either that or the drink was. Every so often, out of the corner of his eye, he'd catch sight of a bouncing head of wild, orange hair. Nanami... Is this what you felt?

Just then a shock of orange hair past across his field of view. Nana—, no. Too short, not fluffy enough, and its orange was that of licking flames. The hook of his black tattoo, like a raven's talons—or a Phoenix's—was barely visible; it clawed its way up, barely over the hooded neck of his sweatshirt. Boltius. He was standing beside a grill, drink in hand. Milo didn't think he noticed him.

Excusing himself from his fellow-smoker, Milo extinguished his cigarette on the pavement and stepped off the curb toward the grill. He was feeling lighter than usual, no doubt he had the alcohol to thank, and so the... Awkwardness of his and Boltius' relationship of late had been forgotten. For now. For the most part.

"Hey!" He said, coming up and nudging his old friend from behind. As Bolt turned, Milo's stomach sunk a little. Maybe he ought to drink more.

Milo was a liar.

But to whom was he lying?

Doctor Llamabean · Sep 15, 2022

BOLTIUS BECKMAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Park-Time Recreation

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1—2015, June 20th (Saturday)—1:00 PM

LOCATION:

Upper Central, Central Park...

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Milo, Matsuda, Nanami (NPC)

PARK-TIME RECREATION

Boltius sat in the shade with his back against a tree. The bottle of rum from his dad’s whiskey cabinet bulged under his hoodie.

In his hand, a cup filled halfway, which reeked of the nose-tingling booze and sloshed with his periodic self-adjustments, never satisfied.

Milo spoke, acknowledging the weather, then Matsuda followed up. Meanwhile, Boltius wrestled the whiskey bottle in his clothes, Nanami watching with a giggle in his throat.

“That looks so wrong, Bolt.” Having said it out-loud, the fluffy-haired boy fell back and rolled laughing, earning an amused grin from Boltius, who feigned ignorance while intentionally making it worse—“How do you mean?”—before he fixed the bottle and turned his attention to Matsuda’s question about the future.

“All the time, dawg,” he said neutrally, taking a sip of his drink.

Two joggers passed by ahead—paying the boys no mind.

“Heh,” scoffed Nanami, sitting up again, one knee up and an arm propped over it. “What’s ta think about?... I’ve got a goal in mind and I’m runnin’ head-long for it. One day ‘n’ step at a time. Thinkin’ too hard’ll just slow me down…”

Boltius stared at his friend. Nanami’s plan to join the Scarlet Phoenixes one day was no secret at this point, as he talked about it often.

“The picture’s painted, dudes,” a play on Milo’s talents. “I ain’t gotta worry about the details anymore!”

A moment of silence swept through on a gentle breeze that shook the tree against which Boltius was leaning.

Then… “Well good for-fuckin’-youuu~” Boltius shoved Nanami, causing the boy to flop to the side.

“Wha-”

“We ain’t all got our shit planned out yet- or… picture’s painted- whatever the fuck yer talkin’ ‘bout.”

Nanami pouted, “Boo-ooolt!? That was my moment!”

“Yeah, well, now it’s mine.” Boltius got to his feet and left his cup behind. He kept a hand tucked under the whiskey bottle beneath his hoodie, looking to cradle his seemingly sagging gut. Then, as he shook a leg to adjust his clothes, he said, “I’ve thought about takin’ my dancin’ somewhere, but who knows… Be like my dad without all the… spandex.” A pause preceded a shrug. “Or, maybe I’ll join a gang,” he smirked askance at Nanami, who stood beside him now.

“I think I’d make a good gangster, Nanami, don’t you~” Nanami clung to Bolt’s shoulder with a mischievous countenance.

Boltius leaned into him, their foreheads pressing together, commencing a battle of who could push the hardest before the other gave in. “Maybe even a King.”

“MaYbe eVen a KinG~” Nanami mocked.

Their battle consisted for a moment longer before laughter overtook them; though short-lived, and Nanami spoke again. “Realistically, Bolt, it’s possible for you!”

Boltius made his way over to Matsuda. “Oh yeah?”

Nanami nodded. “With a potential like yours and the dedication you put into bettering yourself!”

Bolt blinked.

“Yer always lookin’ out fer someone, too! In the halls at school or for yer family!... I dunno about you, but that sounds like leadership to me!”

“Eh.” Boltius absentmindedly poked at Matsuda with a foot, letting his mind wander—he pondered the idea and saw a flash of the future. An image of glory and power that lingered on the border of destruction and chaos, carrying him back to the incident one year ago… The Phoenix woman named Lyric who helped him evade consequence.

“And you!” Nanami jutted a finger at Milo. “With brilliance at yer fingertips-” he wiggled his fingers, shoulder-level, at the sky, “-there shouldn’t be anythin’ ta think about either! Your talent will carry you, buddy! To places all over!”

All of the sudden, snapping out of his thoughts, Boltius glanced at Milo and blurted without thinking, “Milo, you’ve got paint all over your face, dude. I meant to tell you earlier…” And Nanami buckled to his knees, palms hitting the grass in a display of utter defeat.

“BOLT, THE MOMENT!” he cried.

“YOU WANNA FIGHT ABOUT IT, BRO!?”

“NEXT WAS MATSUDA’S TUUURN!”

Just then, Boltius dropped down behind Matsuda, letting the whiskey bottle he’d been cradling fall out, and wrapped an arm around the other’s neck—a playful choke-hold that could easily be escaped with a little struggle. “Fuck was that about my clothes earlier?! What’s wrong with’em!? What’s wrong, Matsu!?”

Elenion Aura

Caffeine_Obsessed

BOLTIUS NOTES: — —What he's wearing (X) + His usual Earrings, Rings, and Chains

— —Boltius doesn't have any tattoos at this point in time. He is only sixteen years old.

— —This is almost two years after Boltius started working out and calculating his nutrition. Also, at this point in time, he knew nothing of Vulken's affiliation with the Scarlet Phoenixes.

— —Random Note: This scene takes place two weeks after Boltius broke up with his girlfriend, Haven Tembergarten, after she called his mother a bitch during one of the Beckman Dinners. Boltius has, since then, been calling her "Haven Tempergarten".

— —SCENE DESCRIPTION: It's a warm Summer day and the boys, Matsuda, Milo, Boltius, and Nanami have decided to meet up at Central Park in the Central District. A very casual, slice-of-life event.

Misuteeku · Sep 15, 2022

Raquel Filo

SCENE:

A Pleasure To (Not) Meet You

LOCATION:

Raquel's Warehouse, South District

Time:

Pre-Arc 3 |

PARTICIPANTS:

Raquel, Milo

A Pleasure To (Not) Meet You

How irritating.

Raquel stared at the her reflection that was reflected from the tea cup. There was a tea table set up in the middle of the warehouse? Why did she have the tea table placed inside of the warehouse and not outside? Well there was a reason that had be delved in later. For now, all she did was stare at her reflection. "Why didn't Hector ask me to come with him?" The woman muttered to herself.

After Hector had come from the dinner, Raquel had a miniature heart attack when she saw that he was missing one of his two eyes. What had happened? Then she saw the unknown boy right behind Hector. Her first immediate response was to remove the boy's head from his neck. That was until Hector stopped her the moment he saw the intent in Raquel's eyes.

"Don't kill him. He's your sponsor brother now."

Those few words instantly crushed Raquel. She had a new brother now!? Raquel that she was Hector's one and only. He couldn't just grab another misfit from the roads and add them to the Phoenix. What's worse was that she heard that Hector was going add another runt to his list. There was a sense a disappointment and shock that Raquel couldn't erase.

"Milo should be getting here soon..." Raquel muttered to herself. Her hair dropped down and obscured her face from the side. A sad look was adorned on her face as she continued to stir her tea. It was nice of Weiyuan to give her tea, but he should have realized that she couldn't drink tea. Unless this was for Milo. A sigh escaped from her lips as she waited for Milo to show up.

Elenion Aura

Coyote Hart · Sep 15, 2022

Peyton Xiong

SCENE:

Sir, This is a Hospital

TIME:

Tuesday, September 28th, 2021 || Post Arc 2

LOCATION:

Correspondance Hospital, Lower Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Yuto

Sir, This is a Hospital

Peyton didn't respond to Yuto's mumbled response to his confession. What could he even say? That he was thankful for it? Perhaps if Peyton wasn't so embarrassed, he could probably say that with a shy little smile.

As Peyton waited for the next fifteen minutes, he carefully propped himself on his back, enjoying how Yuto's body pressed up beside him. For some reason, Yuto refused to look at Peyton. Was it because of what he said? Or was he just as embarrassed? If only he knew that Yuto was worried about the two of them potentially fighting each other due to their gangs. Peyton of course had no qualms against fighting Yuto as friends and perhaps even beyond friends, but he was well aware that many did not share his sentiment.

Then, when the door finally opened and the nurse walked in, Peyton's muscles braced, getting ready to help Yuto however he could. When the nurse tried to run, she realized that she only had one leg. The other was laying on the floor next to the bloody shears. And when she tried to scream, she realized that Peyton was covering her mouth and muffling the noise.

"Wow, look at you go!" Peyton said in sick fascination as he held down the nurse for Yuto to feed. It was shocking just how much blood was in the human body. Peyton wasn't the type to elongate a person's death, so he was only able to see the blood that seeped from deep gash wounds. While he would never eviscerate someone to the point that Yuto did and despite how he disliked the gory sight, he was unable to look away.

"Once you finish cleaning up your meal, do you want something sweet to wash it down?" Peyton joked. He could tell in Yuto's eyes that Yuto was in a similar frenzy to when Peyton would let loose his Potential. But that didn't mean Peyton magically became any better at understanding the implications of his words.

Caffeine_Obsessed

simj26 · Sep 15, 2022

Lin Kairong

https://www.rpnation.com/threads/four-heavenly-kings-cs-thread.503332/post-11433369

SCENE:

Happiness & Prosperity

LOCATION:

白春花茶莊, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Amari, Jesper, Kairong, Levi, Meirin, Ruriko, Silva, Ottilie

Happiness & Prosperity

He brushed a hand against the framed photograph. Not a day passed when he would not think of her. It had been a few years since she had departed, her grip finally fading from his hand as he held it. It was her time, he had told himself. He had prepared himself for this. He had prepared himself for his own passage. He had told himself that he would not shed any tears, and that the last thing she would see was the smile that she so loved. Perhaps he let his guard down after, for he may have let slip just a few drops fall from his shrouded eyes as he sat, alone, in their, now his own, room.

“Looks like there’s someone here to visit, yeye.” Elvis stepped in from the door, the smell of cigarettes still clinging onto him. As much of a thug as he was, Kairong had only heard good things behind closed doors about him from Alex. “Hardly think they’re here to see me, as much as that’s a pity, so I’ll leave you to it. Where the hell’s Alyssa and Crystal anyway? OI! Are you two up there?!” he shouted up the stairs as he started to climb up. “I swear, Uncle Isaiah can take care of those two himself, why me?” His mutterings faded away as he disappeared upstairs. Sent here by Alex himself to babysit his two daughters, so his uncle could clear up some paperwork before he, himself, came over, was not an enviable position. Kairong managed a low laugh at his grandson’s expense, and set her photo back on the altar. He supposed he would have to go out to greet this mysterious visitor.

As he approached the door, he could just barely make out Karin’s excitable voice. She wasn’t prone to bursts of such energy, so she must be visiting with a friend.

“Oho! How polite! Gong Xi Fa Cai.” Kairong clasped his hands together and bowed formally. “Ottilie, hm? So young, and already placed your fate in the dragon’s hand.” How regrettable, he did not say. How many more must join their ranks before all of this is over? How many more must end up like Reveler? “Come in, come in. As you can see, Isaiah has prepared quite the feast. Thank you, Isaiah,” he nodded to the young man as he entered the room with yet another dish. It was strange not seeing Alyssa lurking in a shadow somewhere, staring at him. He wondered if Isaiah was perhaps the reason that she had disappeared entirely, unwilling to meet eyes with him.

“And where the heck’s Auntie Ruriko, huh? She said she’d be here!” Elvis re-emerged from the stairs, typing furiously on his phone. He paused as he looked up from his phone, his eyes darting from Ottilie to Kairong, then back at Ottilie. “Happy New Year!” He exclaimed, making a complete turn from his dark expression. He was always quite good at doing that. It helped in playing ‘good cop, bad cop’ or something like that, Kairong supposed.

Yet another entered through the doorway. “Ah, Meirin. Gong Xi Fa Cai.” He repeated the same gesture he had offered Ottilie. “It is a pleasure to have you here. Thank you for coming.” He wondered to himself where he had placed the red packets. His wife always had a habit of preparing as many as possible for events like these, and he had followed suit after. Long ago, he would never have thought that he would be doing this. Long ago, he would have been happy with just living his life as a hunting dog of the Dragons.

“You know, if you told me that Ms. Meirin was coming to visit, I’d have shaved,” Elvis rubbed the stubble of his chin. He promptly approached the young woman, inviting her to sit down. “Now now, Meirin, there’s no need to bother yourself with the kitchen. We’re the hosts here, and you can just relax. Uncle Isaiah’s got this covered.” He gave a thumbs up to Isaiah with a grin. “Besides, I already asked Alyssa to come and help out. She’ll be done in a minute.”

What his grandchild meant was that she was probably burying her head in a pillow somewhere and screaming. “He is right, Meirin. Do relax. You too, Ottilie.” He held up one hand as Karin made to assist Isaiah, “Karin, no. You stay here with your friend. It is your off day today, is it not?” He laughed in his strange staccato manner, and seated himself at the table.

Elvis leaned on one of the chairs, pointing a smirk directly at Ottilie. “So, you got wrapped up in all this Dragon business too, huh? What got you into it?” His eyes glinted as he spoke. Curiosity, perhaps. Or something like a hunger for knowledge. “Yeye doesn’t like talking much about his line of work. Heck, I don’t know if he’s still even working any more outside of this tea shop.” There was a hint of reverence in his voice when he talked about his grandfather, even if the words coming out his mouth were less than favourable. Kairong, to his credit, did not mind it. He was quite used to Elvis’ way of expressing himself. Amestria was a rough place, after all.

LXI

Roda the Red · Sep 15, 2022

ERIC EVENSEN

CS Link

SCENE:

Behind the Scenes

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric

BEHIND THE SCENES

Eric brushed a loose strand of hair with his hand, shoving it behind his ear before noting down the most vital parts of her answers with seasoned quickness.

"I'm sorry it had gone that way, must've been cause of many headaches, I imagine... I actually watched the broadcast, it was a nice show, specially when you sang Bright Stars, a personal favorite of mine, if I may say."

A little bit of friendly small talk couldn't hurt, if anything it should help ease the clear tension on Park. The fact that she appeared distressed did in fact rise a little bit of suspicion, but he'd rather have her be calm during the questioning, a clear mind tends to give better answers, specially considering what he was going to ask about next.

"And please, we're only here to serve and protect, you were not in the wrong, Miss Park, you had your priorities, and I can respect that... As for the negligence, it's not like we can expect civilians to try to play hero all, specially not in a city as dangerous as this one. And while I'm sure you'd be able to pull off the look, putting the cuffs on you is the furthest from my intentions "

He took another short moment to add to his notes.

"But then again, passionate or not, we can not just let someone do something so reckless and dangerous and let them walk free like that. What if they try again next time? And also..."

He reached for his fanny pack once again, this time taking out a small sealed bag and layed it on the table. Inside of it was a small amount of dried up, rust-red flakes.

"I apologize for presenting something so crude but, do you know what this is, Miss Park?" Before she could say anything, he continued. "This is dried up blood, and it was on the backstage floor, a bit hard to spot as it was hidden between some stored decoration... Do you have any idea about this?"

The One Eyed Bandit

Lucem · Sep 16, 2022

DAMIAN

SCENE:

I Won't Become a Monster!!

LOCATION:

North District, an icecream shop a few blocks from Tri's lab

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 || February 19th, 2015

PARTICIPANTS:

Damian, Peyton

I WON'T BECOME A MONSTER!!

It was cramped. The cold metal pressed against his skin, forcing him to curl up in the corner as the tight space refused to accommodate his large frame. With another body in the cage, it felt even more suffocating. He was being squished against an unfamiliar heat that refused to let him budge. Lacking the freedom to move as he pleased, all he could do was wiggle his fingers and toes in a futile attempt to reclaim even a miniscule amount of space.

The heat next to him spoke, but Damian did not respond. He remained silent as it called his name. He didn't respond to the various calls from outside the prison either. It wasn't as if he did it intentionally. He simply couldn't answer. He couldn't hear a single thing.

He was drowning right now, and the unintelligible voices were just noises above the waves that were currently choking him. Damian heard nothing. He saw nothing. From the moment the cage fell, it was like a bag had been placed over his head, cutting off his senses as it strangled him. The world beyond that veil didn't exist to him. He wasn't even in the decrepit home anymore. He was back in the lab.

"...out" Barely a whisper.

"What was that?"

Again, the words were incomprehensible. There was just static filling his ears. It was like listening to a broken radio.

"Let...out...me out...out..."

Old sights, old sounds, and old feelings. They all assaulted him, cutting into his skin and bone like a vindictive surgeon with a scalpel. The more he listened to the static and felt the stinging chill of the thin bars, the more painful it became.

"If you want out so bad, then you're gonn-"

"OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!"

He didn't digest a single thing. Even if he could comprehend, it would've all been drowned out by the sound of his screams. It was a deafening cry that came from a wounded, trapped animal, desperate for a modicum of comfort.

It was clear to all those who looked upon him that his reaction wasn't a simple demand. The noises that came from his mouth couldn't even be described as speech. It was an otherworldly cacophony of wails and groans that tormented the ears. The only thing more disconcerting was the shrieking beast's appearance.

A dark mass flailed beneath his coat, giving the appearance of an ebony entity begging to be born. One by one, massive appendages sprouted from his body, filling up what little space was left. Unlike before, they did not stand tall and proud, stretching out as far as they could. They fell to his feet after tearing themselves from his back, wriggling around like the detached tail of a lizard trying to escape a predator.

"OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!"

Rather than let the grotesque freakshow continue, the shadowy blobs around the cage took aim at their captives. However, before a single shot could be fired, the tens of tentacles inside slipped through the small gaps, drawing away attention. When the swelling masses of muscle fully emerged, chaos descended.

Bullets did nothing. Blunt weapons did nothing. Not even the sharpest blade at the captors' disposal could cut through the horrific limbs that towered above them. Anything they tried would be nothing more than a desperate attempt at delaying the inevitable.

Those who got too close were the first to feel regret. The tentacles were as quick as they were large, and they wrapped themselves around the individuals before they could even consider taking a step back. They constricted, applying force from all sides. Incapable of responding to pleas for mercy, they simply kept squeezing, not registering the cracks and creaks within their own coils.

Suckers tore flesh from the bodies, ripping apart anything that entered their path. It was a seemingly well-orchestrated act of carnage, but there was no mind to guide the tentacles. They moved on their own, only responding to movement and any other kind of stimulus. In his current state, Damian was unable to exert any influence over them.

In the room filled with dozens of screams, Damian's voice was still the loudest. As more limbs continued to pour from his back, he clawed at his own arms. New wounds covered old scars, remnants of the past that he was being dragged back into. Tears streamed down his face, but he wasn't crying. Everything was spilling out, trying to escape along with him.

As he released another roar, four more tentacles bursted out, pressing against the cage until the bars finally snapped. By some miracle, they didn't touch a hair on Peyton's head, narrowly missing the boy as they went over his small body and crashed into one of the fleeing men. The strike was followed by a brief shower of red.

Despite obtaining the freedom he desired, Damian continued to scream. Unaware of his own surroundings, he flailed wildly, his words devolving into demonic howls of pain and anger. He'd completely lost the ability to think, his brain only filled with flashes of his early years as he rapidly switched between the past and present.

Scalpel live on needle the coast inconclusive love of my new sample shines in the dark subject shows a Saturday hurt hurt hurt

Every time he tore through a body or a part of the building, he saw another instrument of demise. He felt an agonizing blaze of fire and then an unbearable chill. Both were soon overtaken by the overwhelming pain.

Eventually, the building released a worrying creak. It was also suffering, unable to take any more of the punishment being dealt by the unhinged creature's frenzy. The cracked walls crumbled, and the punctured roof collapsed, crushing everything below.

It was a scene reminiscent of his liberation day. Crimson painted debris-covered floors, and clouds of smoke obscured a majority of the carnage. When the dust settled, there was only a single thing left standing. There was only a monster embracing himself, wrapped in dozens of his own arms as he searched for comfort and protection. The rest was just blood and rubble.

Suddenly, a switch was flipped. He released his grip on himself, allowing his tentacles to sink back into his body. If light could exist in his dark eyes, it would have returned to the pools of ink at that moment.

He turned on his heels, scouring the wreckage for any sign of his black and blue companion. When he eventually found Peyton, he sauntered over to him with a limp, leaving a red trail as his self-inflicted wounds leaked. The smile was back.

"Hmmm, I don't think we can call this a success. You might not be getting those wages." No acknowledgement of what happened. It was unclear if it was because he didn't realize or simply didn't care, but he called no attention to the destruction around him. He just kept his eyes on the person in front of him.

"But that doesn't mean things have to end here. There's still the casino. Or would you prefer we return to the ice cream shop first? I think I've already settled on the next flavor I'd like to try."

Towering above the little lab rat, he slowly bent down, closing the distance between them. As he leaned in, red droplets fell from his face, staining Peyton's. "What do you think?" Again, he acknowledged nothing. Not the destruction, not the stains covering his body, and not the other boy's expression. He just smiled.

"Peyton?"

Coyote Hart

Elenion Aura · Sep 16, 2022

MINATO MAEDA

SCENE:

One, Two, Three, Four, I Declare a Nerf War

TIME:

March 15th, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3

LOCATION:

A Park, Lower Central

PARTICIPANTS:

Gideon, Kiwi, Jesper, Minato, Jozef, Dagger, Bolt, Pascal, Maria

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, I DECLARE A NERF WAR

Minato shot first. Then Minato shot second, third, fourth. A six-man band of Minatos, each sporting his own pair of semi-automatic paintball pistols and matching double-crossing bandoliers of extra ammunition, stormed the podium as the scene devolved into chaos.

Who needed alliances when you were your own strike team?

One Minato signaled to another that a family of four were attempting to flee the scene. The Minato who was signaled confirmed receipt of the targets, and un-slung a paintball sniper rifle from across his shoulder and took aim.

”Tarrrget Acquired,” the Minato said in a faux-Hibernian accent as he squeezed the trigger and painted the back of the father's head a bright neon orange. Meanwhile, the other militant Minatos shoved the various nerf-war officials away from the dias. Others still began to entrench themselves in place, kicking over tables and further fortifying their position.

Another shot rang out. Mom got a free dye job. Electric blue.

”One Shot, One Kill,” Sniperto said in a new, completely unrecognizable accent as he cocked and chambered a new round into the bolt-action nerf-rifle.

The main Minato, meanwhile, gathered his squad around him to lay down their battle plan, drawing unintelligible battle plans in the dirt. ”Fan out, flank 'em, pincer maneuver...”

Then, a cry went up from a nearby fox-hole.

”I'M HIT!”

”MAN DOWN!”

”Ohgodohgodohgod—”

”Stay with me, man. STAY WITH ME!”

”Tell Iris I love her... Tell her... To take care... Of the... BLEGH!”

simj26

Vahn · Sep 16, 2022

Schroeder Wildschwein

SCENE:

Just Another Training Day

LOCATION:

Wuyang Temple, East District

TIME:

January 8th, 2022 - 7:00AM || Pre-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Meirin, Laura, Peyton, Hou, Fade, Schroeder and others.

Just Another Training Day

Schroeder Wildschwein was a bit surprised when Meirin Azuza said she had no idea and that she will ask her sister Madam Chouchou later. Schroeder Wildschwein thought to himself isn't that how Omar Ayad always like to work and even wondered how many times Omar Ayad had always paid more than he should in Azure Dragons owned shops and businesses or how Omar Ayad would speak in strange code or act like a coward or even play it up that he was just an unwilling associate under the Azure Dragons thumb. Suddenly an idea hit Schroeder Wildschwein head if he puts all these unusual habits together and did not know Omar Ayad at all then as a normal person or even a police officer looking into Omar Ayad, they would believe that Omar Ayad is being extorted, pressured or even black mailed into working for the Azure Dragons as Schroeder Wildschwein mutters to himself. "Would not put it past him to do something like that "

They passed the Vacancy bar and most of the other Azure Dragons that were running well except for Schroeder Wildschwein, he is driving. Not even attempting to follow Meirin Azuza lead as she chanted with some Dragons who followed the chant which only made Schroeder Wildschwein wonder what are they doing? Stop shouting its to early for this sort of thing and this embarrassing. Schroeder Wildschwein decided against speaking out and decided to enjoy his ride while relaxing his hip.

Eventually the group had ran or quit running the whole twenty laps and it was obvious most were tired and sweating but that was not the case for Schroeder Wildschwein with a steady speed allow him to get a nice cool breeze well except for the sun that was beating down on him as Schroeder Wildschwein wondered if he should have customized a roof or grabbed an umbrella however that would defeated the purpose of using a mobility scooter. Schroeder Wildschwein wondered if he should have taken the mini car or the gold cart but realized there are certain street and side walk laws that prevented him from using them. Time to return to Wuyang Temple where after Meirin Azuza finished talking with the Abbot was lunched declared to be served along with the various trainings available.

Some where already going to get lunch but it was the sheer arrogance from the one known as Jesper Albrecht talking about running ahead and what not. This was enough to tick Schroeder Wildschwein off. To the point that when Jesper Albrecht came out of his box to get food, Schroeder Wildschwein reached into his jacket inner pocket and was about to unholster his pistol before eventually stopping himself from literally attempting to shoot at Jesper Albrecht as Schroeder Wildschwein let go of his pistol and let out a loud sigh. Schroeder Wildschwein would drive a bit off to one of the multiple training dummies as he wondered how to teach that young whipper snapper a thing or two but then he remembered one more thing that made Omar Ayad seemed suspicious.

Schroeder Wildschwein remembered a time when he was upset with all the annoying drones and surveillance cameras that he argued that he wanted however put them up to shut them down and the only person who listened was Omar Ayad. Omar Ayad did promised he will handle the situation and Schroeder Wildschwein remembered that Omar Ayad had a book titled: "Build Drones. The complete guide to design and make one." Schroeder Wildschwein remembered that Omar Ayad said radios are very interesting especially those with jam and that he needs to find the place where the servers are. It felt too convenient that the mysterious group the Cobalt Wolves would strike and bring down the drones and surveillance cameras just like Omar Ayad promised to him. The Cobalt Wolves even attacked the server room where Kasumi Katsura, Kazue Kaneko, Yo Saiwa and Meirin Azuza were and that location was on a need to know basis. More convenient that Omar Ayad was in a group with Caomei Hua and Lorrin Yumi when a Cobalt Wolf attacked them only for Omar Ayad to disappear halfway in the chase and for Jack-O'-Lantern to reappear when Lorrin Yumi managed to capture the Cobalt Wolf. Lorrin Yumi claims that Omar is Jack-O'-Lantern while Omar just says its a hired contractor and not him. With the cameras down, it was hard to prove and it felt too much like Omar Ayad had planned all of this.

Schroeder Wildschwein didn't have enough evidence to prove or deny it and had wanted to investigate more into this possibility. Schroeder Wildschwein was hoping that Meirin Azuza or her sister Madam Chouchou might know something other than what Schroeder Wildschwein has on his invitation. Which basically was an invitation to meet Omar Ayad at a private room in the Eternal Night Palace for January 9th, 2022 and Schroeder Wildschwein could bring a guest so Omar Ayad can explain how to remove the venom from a serpent. Maybe its the frustration of not getting any new information or maybe the frustration of being able to shoot at Jesper but Schroeder Wildschwein pulled out his pistol and quickly tighten a silencer onto the pistol. Schroeder Wildschwein turn the safety switch off before he blew off some steam by shooting one of the training dummies. Anyone who got close to Schroeder Wildschwein could hear him mumbling. "Balderdash clock and dagger nonsense. Gibberish floating rubbish. Tripe claptrap. Blabberin' Blatherskite! Balderdash clock and dagger nonsense. Gibberish floating rubbish. Tripe claptrap. Blabberin' Blatherskite!" Schroeder Wildschwein seemed to be shooting the training dummy where the eyes would normally have been if it were a live human being as he unloaded a whole clip before stopping to reload a fresh clip of ammunition. Schroeder Wildschwein would turn the safety switch back on and rehosltering his pistol back into his jacket.

Schroeder Wildschwein would drive back to the lunch table before simply saying. "Now who wants to eat?"

Coyote Hart · Sep 16, 2022

Gideon Gray

Phoenixes Pre-Arc 3: The Enduring Hurrah

SCENE:

LOCATION:

Red West Bar

TIME:

Evening of May 27th, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

The Scarlett Phoenixes

The Enduring Hurrah

Gideon didn't like parties. So why was he here? To indulge in the comradery? To talk to people in a meaningful way one last time before they potentially could get killed during their raid? Honestly, Gideon didn't know. All he knew was that Hector invited him, and by the lord satan himself, like all mafias, if you didn't come when the Queen calls, you weren't a good gang member.

So with a glass of daiquiri and a plate of ribs, Gideon politely listened to Hector's speech. Although he was not as vocal in his cheer, Gideon raised his glass, his face dark and determined. Regaining control of the central district was something that Gideon found to be agreeably important. After all, the gang that controlled central was the one who had an edge against the other gangs. To that end, Gideon was determined to help out, even if he didn't have the fighting prowess for it.

"Imagine the irony if the cops showed up to try to shut this place down for being too rowdy... or underaged drinking," Gideon said dryly to Hector after the crowd had returned back to doing their own things.

Gideon sipped on his daiquiri. It was like a mouthful of sugary soda, with fruity, zesty tones. If not for the warmth that trickled down his throat, he would've hardly known it was alcoholic. Gideon wasn't usually one for alcoholic drinks, nor was he one to usually intentionally break drinking laws. But this was a special occasion. It was like going to a frat party-- you couldn't escape the alcohol.

Gideon choked on the alcoholic drink, leaning over to the side away from Hector for a few moments to sputter and cough violently. God, the burning sensation of alcohol going down the wrong pipe felt awful. With that jolt, Gideon realized just how bright everything was, from the people to the environment. The bright yet gentle yellow glow of the lights reflected off of the polished surface of the bar, the neon lights added a dash of bright color, and serving trays filled with glass bottles shined. Everyone was having a good time despite the events that were peering off in the horizon.

Gideon wiped his mouth and took a more civilized drink of the daiquiri, "I don't get how you guys are able to get into the party atmosphere... all I feel are jitters and nerves."

Interactions:

WhiskeyMarten (Hector)
Participants:

joshuadim (Hitoshi),

Caffeine_Obsessed (Hide),

Roda the Red (Charlie),

AriAriAbabwa (Corvo),

Elenion Aura (Milo),

EmperorsChosen (Rin),

RedArmyShogun (Roza),

Doctor Llamabean (Boltius),

Lucem (Ashley),

The Prophet (Dimitri)

Misuteeku · Sep 17, 2022

Ophelia

SCENE:

Festival Faire

LOCATION:

Festival, South District

Time:

Pre-Arc 1 | May 18th, 2016

PARTICIPANTS:

Ophelia, Dimitri

Real Rodeo

"It's bloody hot."

The black-haired girl frowned at the intense heat that was showering over her. She carried a parasol with her and lifted it high in the air. The South District was known for its rather lucrative weather. Such high temperatures were expected in spring, but they were still irritating. Though it was only a little hot, it wouldn't stop her from coming to the rodeo. The event was held once a year, and she always attended the event. While she didn't have a particular fondness for events such as these, it did help her relax and talk to people she didn't get to talk to.

Such as.

"Right, Dimitri?" Tilting her head to look up at her palm tree-sized cousin, she inquired about his opinion. No, thanks to his size, it was slightly tricky for Ophelia to try and shade Dimitri from the sun while trying to maintain normal posture. "Though, I'd imagine it's harder on you." After all, Dimitri's condition made him a little sickly in the sun despite his robust health. It was regrettable that HPs like Dimitri lived with such drawbacks just because they were born with HPs. Then again, pity didn't contribute anything meaningful, so she discarded that thought.

"What do you try out first?" Looking around, there was a Ferris wheel, an ongoing rodeo, several food vendors, and other attractions. Ophelia didn't particularly care about which one they would do. The purpose of their little trip was to hang out and chat. If Dimitri just wanted to talk with her and spend the day watching others do stuff, that was fine with her.

The Prophet

Misuteeku · Sep 17, 2022

Sang-Cheol Man

SCENE:

Chasedown

LOCATION:

North District, Streets

TIME:

Pre Arc-3 | April 4th, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Chikage, Rebecca [NPC], Puppy [NPC]

Chasedown

"Rebecca. Please remind me why your dumbass dragged me out of my lab?" Sang-Cheol unhappily said. Since he left the lab, Sang-Cheol had a scowl on his face. After hitting a slump in his research, the word 'frustrated' was an understatement of how he currently felt. Whenever Rebecca tried to strike a conversation with Sang-Cheol, it was met with a retort or a glare.

"Well, I just thought you needed some time out, ya know?" As if she hadn't been insulted by several barbed attacks by her boss. Looking ever relaxed, the worker had that cheerful look that was often shared with Gerda. Though it was much more genuine than whatever Gerda tried to pull off. "Staying inside for too long is bad for your health, and I wanted to go to a recently opened store." A scoff could be heard from Sang-Cheol, but she didn't mind.

"C'mon, relax a bit, will ya? It's not like every day was a work day. Plus, Mr. Puppy over here hasn't seen you often as of late." Rebecca pointed towards the short, blond child that had accompanied them.

Sang-Cheol looked towards the child that was holding his hand. For the love of whatever god existed, Sang-Cheol didn't know how this kid got into his lab. It was a random event that his workers brought a kid out of nowhere and dumped him in front of him. Despite his sudden abduction, the kid did not attempt to escape or bite back. However, he bit Olivine's hand when the kid tried to treat him like a dog. Aside from that, he was an incredibly quiet and docile kid. So soft that Sang-Cheol thought he was a mute.

The kid looked back at him, and Sang-Cheol looked away. "Fine, though we're going to make it quick. I need to get back to my research." Conceding to Rebecca's plan, Sang-Cheol allowed himself to be pulled along by his weird worker. Something in Sang-Cheol's mind told him this would be a long day. Knowing Rebecca, she'd probably drag him around the district until she was satisfied.

Doctor Llamabean

Damafaud · Sep 18, 2022

Dyne Enjyre

SCENE:

Just Another Not Training Day~

LOCATION:

Wuyang Temple, East District

TIME:

January 8th, 2022 - 7:00AM || Pre-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Meirin, Laura, Peyton, Hou, Fade, Schroeder and others.

Just Another Not Training Day~

The morning shiver awakened Dyne from her slumber. She pried her heavy eyes. The broad, warm back of the trustworthy butler had disappeared. With a groan, she reached for her phone at the bed side. It was just minutes after 6 in the morning. She pulled the heavy blanket over her, planning to sleep some more. However, the aroma of coffee wafting in prevented her.

"It's time for breakfast, miss." The gentle voice grated her hearing. Dyne sat, propping her body rigid with a look of resentment. Faris smiled in return. His refreshing face left no signs of the vigorous night they spent. His hair was even damp and combed and his shirt ironed smooth. In his hand was a tray of warm breakfast; juice, toast, with a side of refreshing chicken salad. But Dyne wasn't happy.

"Can't we sleep more?" She mumbled, but knowing that she had no choice in this matter. When she spent the night with him, he controlled the rhythm in the morning. Faris sat with her, enjoying breakfast while occasionally feeding Dyne when her drowsiness slowed her too much.

After a warm shower and a change of clothes, Dyne lazed under the morning sun. A cup of cappucino accompanied her at the storefront. She took blissful sips with closed eyes. Around her, the district also came alive. People leaving for work, walking their dogs, on an exercise... but not her. At least Faris didn't ask her to exercise with him. But maybe she should. But she didn't like it, not at all...

A series of chant broke Dyne's daydream like a distant thunder. She blinked slowly. Not long after, she saw members of Azure Dragons jogging past by, led by Senior Meirin. She recalled vaguely about the call to exercise some time ago. The same time she didn't feel like attending. She saw Peyton, Senior Fade, Hou, and other faces she recognized.

Dyne waved a gentle smile to anyone that met her eyes. She opened her phone and continued lazing, with a coffee growing warm.

Yes, life was good.

The One Eyed Bandit · Sep 18, 2022

Passeri Park

SCENE:

Behind The Scenes

TIME:

October 6th, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric

Behind The Scenes

Blood?

If Passeri would've been anybody else, she would've cracked a grimace. Here she was, well under the impression that the Tigers' besuited fuckboy was supposed to be smart, and yet he didn't have the wits to know to clean up after his messes?

Her expression lit up with surprise, and then darkened a shade. Gross, is what they said.

"That's..." She set down the breadstick, and her hand shifted to hover over the packet tentatively. "...Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry. Could you give me a moment?"

Passeri sat up from her chair, and then paced across the living room. Her heart fluttered, her senses scrambled, and her eyes shook with concern. Why? That was the impression she gave.

"Sorry. Again. Um." She paced back over to the dining area, but didn't sit back down. Instead, she reclined against the table, and cradled her forehead between her fingers. "The guys- The security, I mean- They told me they roughed them up- The intruder, I mean- but they didn't tell me it was that bad. I was-"

She scrunched her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"-I was up on stage, you know? So I um- I didn't actually get an eye on most of what was going on, you see? Gosh, I-" She supposed this was what she got for working with thugs. "I just- Just took their word for it, you know? Um-"

She wondered if she was overselling this.

"H-how much was there? Like, was it, like, murder scene level? Or, like, um, nosebleed?" Her look of worry remained, but she allowed herself to look a little hopeful at the end.

WhiskeyMarten · Sep 18, 2022

HECTOR MOSES