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

[Elenion Aura]

MINATO MAEDA

CS Link

SCENE:

Love at Yu Min Cuisine

TIME:

February 14th, 2022 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Elias, Zach, Sabrina, Meirin, Samira, Minato, Camila, Passeri, Alice, Gideon

LOVE AT YU MIN CUISINE

If Minato knew of Alice's... Evolving circumstances—I mean, really? How could he not? Look at her eye! (or lack thereof)—he didn't let on. He winked and smiled a goofy smile as she waved, before his eyes were drawn to the assortment of desserts that had been laid out. Wiggling his brows, Minato inclined his head toward the nearest pastry, giving Alice a pointed look.

”May I?” The clone asked before daintily snatching up the sweet treat at Alice's urging. He took a generous bite, savoring the sublime synthesis of flavors that only money—real money—could buy. He didn't even know if it tasted good, more like it tasted expensive, which was good. He took another generous bite as Eli—whether one's name is Elias or Elijah, Eli works just as well—was paying Minato—little ol' me(-nato)!—a compliment. Flattery worked wonders for him, and so even before the waiter, whom Minato clocked at once as Pascal, had returned with his drink he was already floating on airs.

”Mmh, mmh...” Minato nodded and gesticulated, pantomiming deep thought and also understanding. The truth was, he didn't give it much thought. And he didn't much understand it, either. At least, insofar as he cared, being the center of attention was great! Regardless of one's circumstances. People only have a finite amount of attention to give in their finite lives, after all. There was just something about the very act of taking something from someone that they can never get back that appealed to him. He didn't dwell on it.

Not that he had the time, because just as he finished his first sweet treat and prepared to move on to another, who should appear but the Big P herself! And Samira Calrissian. Hers was soon to be a household name! Minato was sure of it. What with all the... Recent developments.

"Enough of that stuffy-stuff, though! We've got a nice dining room and lovely company, isn't there anything less gloomy we can talk about?"

Minato, as ever in his life, was not afraid to fill silence. ”Heck yeah! Congrats on the new restaurant, bro," the Tiger chimed in, winking not-so-discreetly at Ms. Iroi—apparently attempting to feign ignorance to the fact that they'd, ahem, worked together on a project just a few short months ago. And while the charity concert that Iroi held in the South District wasn't exactly what anyone would've called a rollicking success—angery ex-bandmates and chaotic rooftop battles aside—it hadn't gone as bad as it could've done. He clapped Eli on the shoulder, padding the suit for longer than was strictly necessary to get a feel of the rich fabric. He went on, ”This place is dope, my man!”

Spoiler: Tags

@Beann
@QuirkyAngel
Roda the Red
The One Eyed Bandit
AriAriAbabwa
@Coyote Hart

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[Silver Lining]

TIME:

Post Arc 1, September 19, Afternoon

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Alice

Silver Lining

Charlie started coughing for a short moment, being caught completely by Alice's question. What was the intention behind a question like that, perhaps just a joke? But her face...That smile looked sincere.

"Uhm, no, not really, my hair color is natural...Thanks though, yours is really nice, too"

Bit of an awkward comeback, but better to come off as gullible than rude.

He looked down, slowly caressing his left arm with his right-hand as he repeated to himself the first question the girl asked. He probably wasn't even sure about the answer, the literal rain was just a little extra to the metaphorical one pouring down in his mind, barely worth worrying over. Well, that's what he thought initially, but the cold was slowly starting to catch up to him.

"Well, I guess I just wasn't feeling like running for cover, or doing anything at all, really...I was just trying to relax today but uh...Things didn't really go exactly as planned, Haha..."

He looked down towards Alice, his expression now a bit more relaxed.

"What about you? You also just enjoying the weekend?"

AriAriAbabwa

 

[Saturn_moon]

Isobel Pham

SCENE:

Cookies & Cream

LOCATION:

Pre Arc-1: September 30th, 2008

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Isobel

Cookies and Cream

Feet rooted to where she stood, Isobel watched Sang-Cheol's figure grow smaller as he sprinted off into the distance. His laughter, so free and pure, reached her ears like an untitled melody. She'd never heard him laugh like that before, but hearing it now tempted her heart to skip along. Unconsciously, her hand closed in on itself and her fingers lightly traced the spot where the ring had rested, the feeling of it lingering on her palms.

While Isobel couldn't care less about diamonds or jewelry, there was something oddly comforting about the promise that Sang-Cheol would be a constant in her future. It warmed her from the inside and brought a flush to her cheeks. Whatever he saw in an awkward thirteen-year-old mute was beyond her but she hoped it wouldn't change.

It took the ringing of the second bell to snap her out of her thoughts. Realizing how late they were going to be, she started running after Sang-Cheol, each stride as light as the way she felt. Although they were about the same height she had the advantage of slightly longer legs. Eventually, she managed to catch up to the boy and took hold of his hand once more. Mostly it was so she could lead him in the right direction, but also to let him know that, in her own way, she'd always be there for him.

Misuteeku

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Cookies and Cream

LOCATION:

North District, Lab Icarus

TIME:

Pre Arc-3 | Janurary 12, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Isobel

Cookies and Cream

BANG

The sudden boom had woken up Sang-Cheol from his dream. Was there an intruder? The adrenalin kicked in, and the decision to Fight or Flight immediately surfaced. Kicking back the chair from behind him, his fingertips were immediately encased in fire. Whoever dared infiltrate Lab Icarus was going to regret living their-

"Aristotle, you dumb oaf! That was my ice cream!" Gerda's voice shouted from another room. The familiar yet grating voice reached Sang-Cheol's ears. The mere irritation calmed down the Head of Icarus. These fucking goons. Sang-Cheol frequently wondered if they were something wrong with their head to be so... defective. "Now look what you did! How am I supposed to eat my ice cream when it has a pair of arms and legs!"

"Hahahaha! It's all a matter of perspective, Lady Gerda." Next was Aristotle's voice. An equally annoying voice in an equally annoyingly tall body. Sang-Cheol clutched his fist and began counting to three. "I can't help but sing to such a wonderful event. O' equally wonderous Gerda, to have ice cream with a fair lady with you. It makes my heart pound." What an emotionless line. "For that, I'll sing to you. Ahem, La-"

Sang-Cheol had enough. "SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET BACK TO WORK!" He screeched through the top of his lungs. It pierced through the thin walls of Lab Icarus, which circulated through the lab. There was silence; he took a deep breath and slowly picked up his fallen chair-

"GOT IT, BOSS-NIM! WE'LL DO OUR BEST!"

Only to crush it with his hands. That was going to be cut from his salary. If only there were some way to shut up his workers now and again. Though, Sang-Cheol knew that he couldn't do that. "Family..." They were, unironically, the closest thing he had to a family. His father died from an overdose, and he made sure Hyung would meet a justified end for his part. Sang-Cheol was the last one in the family alive.

That had reminded me of something, though, "Ice cream..." It was the most disgusting food out there. Who in their right mind would put such a cold, sickeningly sweet substance in their body? He was an idiot back then. Always crying, always looking for attention, and too naive. It took a moment for Sang-Cheol to realize that he had been breathing too harshly and quickly calmed himself.

Breath in. Breath out. Anger only resulted in more stress, and stress was bad. Sang-Cheol's eyes flew toward a nearby drawer. This was the fifth floor of Lab Icarus, his floor. Walking over to the drawer and opened it. That was there. Sang-Cheol stood there and stared at the boxed object in front of him. After he got out of jail, he did various things. Burn down his old school, find a job, smoke, and live in a shitty apartment. Though, for some odd reason, he bought THAT for no reason.

No, it wasn't for no reason. After living in jail for a few years, it was hard to remember any happiness in his life. All he felt living on that cold nights were fear, sadness, anger, and resentment. Fear for the dangerous environment, sorrow for his situation, anger at his reality, and resentment for everything that lead him to that point.

Yet amidst all those feelings, there was this picturesque memory. It was like a faded photograph blurred by the sands of time. For some odd reason, Sang-Cheol felt happy whenever that memory resurfaced. He didn't know why, but it gave him comfort that his past wasn't so blackened with pain. The memory of him and someone close spending time with each other. A memory that persisted no matter how harsh it was.

Reaching into the drawer, he opened THAT. Sang-Cheol stood there looking at THAT before putting back into the drawer and closing it. "I promised after all..." The childish adult said to himself. He was unsure why he even said that. But THAT had installed calmness inside him. With now refreshed mind, Sang-Cheol headed up to the upper floors.

THAT RING was the only thing he had left of his past. A wishful promise of a child who yearned for the warmth of companionship in a world that buried him under snow.

Spoiler: Tags

Saturn_moon

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Behind The Scenes

TIME:

October 6th, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric

Behind The Scenes

There it was. Another crinkle in the armour, just big enough for her to plant a seed into. Passeri's smile turned genuine. It looked like the day wasn't going to be a loss at all.

"That's great!" The bright-eyed bubbliness with which she'd greeted the officer returned. She felt like she was getting a feel for which of the man's buttons did what. "Trust me, nothing's ever hopeless! I won't go into it, but I've had to face down some pretty grim odds myself, and look how far I've gotten!"

Eric's mention of the North gave Passeri a sliver of pause. It was her home, she couldn't deny that, but of all the Districts it was the one that she wanted to think about the least. Until the time came, it was a subject that she preferred to keep cleanly stowed away under the rug.

"Give me a bit to put something together and I'll have you on the line. Or we could chat about it another day! I'm sure you've got a better idea of how we could pitch in on the police's efforts than I do. Do you do brunch? There's this lovely vegan scramble that my chef does that's delightful to share, or..." Her voice trailed off, and a flush of embarrassment flashed across her features. "Sorry, sorry! I'm getting ahead of myself. It's just nice to meet something with authority in this city who's willing to co-operate! I don't know if you've got any idea how rare that is."

She cleared her throat, and waved at him to follow her towards the entrance.

"By the way, Eric Evensen? Love that! P.P. and E.E.! We match! Though yours is a little less embarrassing." They were at the entrance now, and Passeri paused just before the elevator's threshold. The elevator, unused since Eric's arrival, still sat on her floor, but she didn't press the button to open the door. "I won't keep you any longer, though! I'm sure you're a busy guy, what with all of the um- Business that gets done in this city. Expect a call, though! I see big opportunities in our future!"

And she wasn't one to less them pass her by.

Roda the Red​

 

[Elenion Aura]

MILO NAGISA

CS Link

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

"Yeah," said Milo, rather unconvincingly—even by his own low standards—in response to Boltius' question about whether or not he was having a good time. Bolt was looking at him with a puzzling expression. Like he wasn't sure he believed what his eyes were telling him. Milo didn't blame him. He wasn't sure if he believed it, himself.

He asked with his eyes, Are you?, but saved his breath. Boltius would've sold him a line about how much fun he was having, even if his eyes told a different story. He'd always had that way about him, that machismo, even when he'd been a little beansprout of a kid. It was something Milo had once looked up to him for, and even emulate at times. It was no wonder that he'd ended up a Phoenix. It hadn't taken Milo long to realize that it was a trait that many of them shared.

Then Boltius said what they'd both been thinking. What Milo hadn't stopped thinking for one moment over all these eight long months. He suppressed a wince between the words You and Phoenix, and offered only a simple, "I know," in response. "Weird."

He took a sip.

Every now and again, Milo would find himself wondering if things ever could be like they were. If Boltius would ever look at him the way he used to... Even though the Milo was... Different. But then, the boy had to constantly remind himself that Boltius had changed, too.

"Yeah," Milo smiled warmly when Boltius elbowed him playfully, shrugging his shoulder equivocally at the mention of his path to Kingship. His ears reddened a little as he remembered his grand declaration in front of Hector, then the Ace, now the Queen, and Boltius... Now the Ace.

Please don't make me go through you, too.

The thought wormed its way into his mind before he could suppress it. Milo could only smile weakly and hope that Bolt didn't detect the discomfort growing across his face. Luckily Milo caught sight of Ashley out of the corner of his eye, another familiar face from that fateful day eight months ago. He nudged Bolt to follow as he sat himself down beside the sullen-looking boy.

He thought about greeting him cheerfully, but reading the temperature of the room, decided against it.

"Hey... Are you okay?"

Spoiler: Tags

@joshuadim
Caffeine_Obsessed
Roda the Red
AriAriAbabwa
WhiskeyMarten
@EmperorsChosen
@RedArmyShogun
@Doctor Llamabean
@Lucem
@Coyote Hart
@The Prophet
@weatheringwings
@Astros

 

[Roda the Red]

ERIC EVENSEN

CS Link

SCENE:

Behind the Scenes

LOCATION:

Passeri's Penthouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Eric

BEHIND THE SCENES

"Hm, not used to vegan food but it sounds lovely, we'll see about that"

Neither deny nor confirm was the best approach, he still needed to uphold their dynamic of civilian and law enforcer to a degree.

As Park started to suggest for heading towards the door, Eric gathered his belongings and followed suit. He listened to her cheerful little remark, a bit ironic given that he knew a bit more about that than she might suspect.

"Well..." He pulled up his sleeve to check on his wrist, a fancy silver watch resting on it.

Sike, nobody uses those nowadays, he just pulled up his phone from his pocket, pressing the power button on the side, the phone lit up, showing a screensaver of a cool game, as well as the time.

"Yeah, I'd say it is about time I leave, still need to do a couple things before I can clock out at the station" He pressed the button on the frame with his palm, watching the metal doors slowly slide open. He walked inside the elevator, giving a couple steps in and turning 180 degrees.

"Once more, we'll stay in contact and try to get things going as smoothly as possible".

He approached his finger towards the button that would head to the ground floor.

"Miss Park, it was nice seeing you..."

He finally pressed the button, the doors quickly closing before him.

"...Again"

He rested his back against the rear wall of the elevator, needing a minute to properly process everything that took place. It seemed like Passeri Park was honest for the most part with her words, Eric believed that there was little reason to suspect anything.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel like this whole situation reeked, that something was hiding behind the scenes, and Park wanted no one to find out.

He pulled up his phone once again, scrolling down through his contacts until he found the one he was looking for, one more press and he placed it next to his right ear, tapping his foot patiently as he waited for the other end to respond.

"Hey Selene? It's me, Eric . . . Yeah, it went well . . . No, I didn't ask for an autograph, hey, remember that you still owe me one from last time? I need you to return the favor now . . . Yeah, but promise me that this stays between us, alright? . . . Good . . . Well, I need you to get me all the information you can get about Passeri Park . . . Yes, I know what I said, don't worry about it . . . Yes, I said everything, history, records, documented movements, leave no stone unturned . . . Alright, thanks, I'll call you soon."

His phone went once more into his pocket as the doors to the elevator opened. He walked out of it and through the entrance hallway, giving the receptionist one final relaxed smile on the way.

Eric had no idea what waited for him in this rabbit hole, but he was willing to dig down either way.

-SCENE END-

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

JESPER ALBRECHT

CS Link

SCENE:

Just Another Training Day

LOCATION:

East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Peyton, Laura, Hou, Jesper, Isaiah, Schroeder, Ra, Meirin

Just Another Training Day

Jesper's totally deserved break met a rude interruption when a sheer wave of terror and the feeling-of-his-life-coming-in-imminent-danger washed over him. His phone almost slid out of his grip as he panicked and cracked his head around, only seeing among the Dragons a bigger man reaching into his pocket with a scowl. The man turned away in the end, though... was that a false alarm?

The boy didn't have time to slip back into his flow, either.

The organizer of this whole thing delivered a swift kick on the side of Jesper's box—he let out a less than manly yelp, dropping his phone in his lap and without a second of time to react to his snacks being stolen by the perpetrator! Though ordinarily that'd be the very first thing he'd fuss about, it was what Meirin said that shook him to the core. She was offering him up in a sparring match!

But surely this opponent wouldn't be that much of a threat, right? But one glance at the passionate red-headed boy she spoke to, and his heart sank. Hou's whole demeanor practically screamed "fight monkey."

Jesper looked up at Meirin in horror, scrambling up the side of the box like a child looking up at an adult. "I-I'm going to die if I fight him! Especially without Guardian!" Which, Jesper only just realized, meant he implied that he chose the other option. Also notably without his Potentiality, lest Meirin snitch on his laziness...

Sulking, Jesper reluctantly climbed out of the box. "I'll run..." Eyes trained to the floor, he slowly trudged across the grounds to wherever the starting point was...

@QuirkyAngel Vahn SilverFlight

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

TAKAONNA

CS Link

SCENE:

Only Human

LOCATION:

Alleyway, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Takaonna, Jozef

Only Human

It hurt.

A piece of her hip was not there anymore. She would have felt it—not the pulsing warm fluid that leaked through her fingers and dripped on the concrete. It was mucky; gross. It seeped in her clothes and her bandaged body. His blood. Her blood. She did not know which was which. Though he most certainly was dead (the crushed bits of viscera on the alleyway floor near the Takaonna proved so), she still begrudged how his presence lingered in the pain.

The killing was ugly by her standards, simply going by her own state of being. It was always the fighting ones that were most annoying...

One hand clutched the pulsating hip, and the other slithered up a wall, feeling each crease in the brick structure for the edge of the roof. She groaned. She whimpered. She cried. Water. She needed to wash everything off. Then rest. Rest will fix it. Rest always fixed it.

The sound akin to plastic stretching and bones breaking and reforming came from the alleyway. The occassional whimper followed. Shinko finally found the rooftop ledge, and with one arm extended firm against the wall, she slowly brought herself upward like a pulley. Her legs, constantly shifting in length, rubbed against the wall in attempt to support herself.

WhiskeyMarten

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

HIRAM ABAYAN

CS Link

SCENE:

The IT Guy and The Scientist [xx 2021]

LOCATION:

[Classified], Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiram, Ottilie

The IT Guy and The Scientist

Beakers and test tubes lined neatly on a steel shelf. Centrifuges, microscopes, and other tools stood clean atop the table. Complex machinery and equipment hummed as numbers and other figures plinked on their screens. Hiram himself sat at the far end of the room, typing away at the computer that would be used --along with all the things inside the laboratory -- to unlock the secrets of Potential in humans. As far as places went, this filled Hiram with a sense of calm-- the harsh lighting from the fluorescent bulbs above, the sharp scent of sterilization and industrial cleaning, the white tiles forming a simple grid pattern along the floor. It was all pleasant. So clean. So orderly. Not unlike his days posing as a student at the New Oasis Central University.

Configuring the computer's firewall (specifically adding rules to prevent traffic from any IP address touched by Kiwi), Hiram looked back on the one week when he pretended to be a transfer student at NOCU for one reason: orders to observe a certain individual named Ottilie James. He couldn't reason it out. He was an individual contributor to the Azure Dragons, tasked to maintain and improved their technical infrastructure. This was an assignment that better suited to other agents, but orders were orders, and he needed to raise his reputation within the gang. He needed more power, until the time came when he could walk back to the West District and...

The door opened behind him, taking him out of his reverie. Hiram took a quick look at his watch. On time, just how he liked it. With a click of a button, Hiram finished his adjustments to the computer and stood up to meet the newcomer. He adjusted his white coat, put on a small smile, and waited.

Saturn_moon

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[The Hellion Charge]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1, May 2021

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hide, Charlie

The Hellion Charge

Charlie's eyes widened as a smile formed on his face, he clapped his hands together as he straightened his back.

"So glad you're interested! But well, I think you need to know the details first"

He pulled up his phone from his jacket's right pocket. He tapped through the menus until he got to his chat with Jasmine, where all the info was laid out, just in case he forgot anything.

"So! There's this really rich guy over at West District, you know? Glenn Gulliver, guy's in charge of a subsidiary of a large car manufacturing company, the specifics don't really matter, what's important is that the guy is no small fry"

He took another sip of his coffee, making sure to pace his explanation adequately, he knew that if he tried to explain too quickly, Hide would lash out at him...As well as if he explained too slowly.

"Enter Gwen Gulliver, Glenn's special little daughter that he likes to spoil rotten...She's turning 21 in a couple days, and insisted to her dad that all she wanted to her birthday was to be completely free for a day to party. The funny thing? She insists on doing it here at South, I think she probably believes Nightlife District is still intact or something. Glenn decided to agree with her daughter's demand...But here's the catch, she's only allowed to do it if she gets guarded by two reliable people, and it just so happens that those two would be us!"

Charlie took a gently folded paper from his other pocket, he opened it up and slid it up to the middle of the table, tapping it twice with his finger.

"We take care of her and make sure not a thing happens to her, the whole day from morning till midnight, and that's it...As for the payment, we're talking about eight grand for each of us, I'm not kidding...What do you think?"

Charlie's full hand was now in display, now, the boy waited nervously, to see how his unpredictable and volatile friend would respond to this.

Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[Misuteeku]

???

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Blood Stained Girl

LOCATION:

Alleyway, South District

Time:

Pre-Arc 1 | ???

PARTICIPANTS:

Raquel, JHector

Blood Stained Girl

GULP. GULP. GULP. GULP.

More. More. More! It's tasty. I want more. I'm hungry. I want more—the finest dish of the last month. I want more. There has to be more out there. I want more—a feast where this hunger can finally be abated. I want more. I want more...

Suddenly the thoughts ceased. The girl covered in red froze at sight in front of her. Every inch in front of her was covered in blood. Her hands, her tattered clothes, everything was covered in blood. Chunks of flesh and bits of bone adorn her body like a french doll. They drip and fall.

"No... No..." The girl muttered to herself. She stared at her bloodstained hands in horror before noticing an object. Immediately, she flinched back and covered her mouth with her hands. A knot tied in her stomach and her mouth spoke wordless fears as she stared at the dead body in front of her. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" She screamed. There was no way she could have done it. She couldn't have eaten and killed someone; there was no way-

Yes. A drop of blood from her hands touched her tongue—a sweet yet delectable taste. A faint blush appeared as her brain focused on her new fixation. In an instant, she brought her hand over her mouth and started to lick the blood off it. The chunks of meat and bone were like the bits of chocolate that enhanced the flavor. Wonderful. How wonderful she was to be alive to taste this.

More... More... More...

"Urk..." She hunched over. Again, that same feeling of despair washed over her. This couldn't be happening. There was no way. Her emotions cycled from sadness and joy in rapid repetition. Her eyes cried, but her face smiled. The girl covered her face with her hands in a vain attempt to protect herself. After all, this had to be one bad dream.

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Stros]

Ryoma Matsuno

CS Link

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

With a widening grin, Ryoma agreed to Rin's statement with a nod.

"Romero's not your everyday mutt."

Despite these words, he felt the dog's actions at times contradicted the statement of confidence. However, leaving that as a discussion for another time, he turned to the other new acquaintance as she introduced herself. "Red Rabbit". The phrase vaguely seemed familiar to Ryoma as he tried to recall his visit with Jasmine. After a moment, and upon drawing a blank, he settled on learning about the Rookie through first hand experience.

"I'm Ryoma Matsuno. Most just stick with Ryoma. In the field I'm simply Bruiser... Pleasure."

He tacked on the last word with a nod to return the formality. It wasn't usually his practice, but Ryoma could tell at a glance the girl was trying to be more polite than would suit her normally.
~~~

"You'll have to show me how that right hook's coming along." Ryoma remarked, in response to Charlie's gun display.

As Charlie showcased the fruits of his training efforts. It reminded Ryoma of the stretch of time since the two had last gotten together. A fact that manifested with a pang of guilt, due to how long he had been gone from the Phoenixes recently. Their last sparring session in particular had been a bit of an odd sight, what with Charlie's stature being dwarfed by his own, and the two trading blows that would otherwise punch holes in concrete. Though, it had had its fair share of good memories, such as the post training lunch.

Offering Charlie the tray as he snagged a burger, the opportunity to finally catch up presented itself over a couple of drinks.

"It's not a Phoenix get together until the streets littered with drunks. I'll have a few."

~~~

Ryoma merely nodded in response to being asked if he were a veteran. The status often went forgotten by him, except when in the presence of Rookies, and even then he had to be reminded about it. Each time brought with it memories of being curious about Aniki, the former Queen and King, and faces that seemed to just vanish except from his memory.

"I do protection jobs mostly. I like to keep things civil in South District."

Pausing, he realized the obvious contradiction of his statement, adding.

"Civil as far as Phoenixes go anyway." "Ever since the... well Hurricane, things have been pretty vulnerable. Thankfully things are getting back to the way they used to be...

Pausing once more, but for a separate reason. Ryoma reflexively reached into his pocket and retrieved two plainly printed business cards, both with the words "Hayashi Corp" printed in large bold font.

"When I'm not being useful as muscle I manage a local construction company. Lately, contracts have been a lot less hectic... If you ever have questions or want to chat give the main number a call. If you're in a pinch, or caught some place you shouldn't be, give the secondary a ring."

The numbers in question were printed in black and red respectively to highlight their order of importance. It had been Ryoma's custom to hand out these cards to every new recruit when he got the chance. Often no one ever had a need for them and they were routinely lost and had to be replaced. Though, there were occasions when Ryoma would receive a call on his family phone and manage to save a Phoenix from a terrible fate. In light of this they easily paid for their cost in printing.

~~~

Ryoma's grin returned as Romero relented under the pressure of temptation. Digging around in the tray of food that still rested in his opposite hand, he produced a large rib bone that had been tucked away underneath the top half of food. Tossing it Romero's way, it had never been his intent on being cruel to the dog, merely to lightly punish and tease him for his rowdy behavior.

Interactions: @RedArmyShogun (Roza) Roda the Red (Charlie) AriAriAbabwa (Romero)@EmperorsChosen(Rin)

 

[Saturn_moon]

Ottilie James

CS Link

SCENE:

The IT Guy and The Scientist [January 2022]

LOCATION:

[Classified], Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiram, Ottilie

The IT Guy and The Scientist

"A fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam
It was worth it just to learn some sleight of hand
Bad news comes, don't you worry even when it lands
Good news will work its way to all them plans~"​

Ottilie slowly made her way across the campus, Modest Mouse blasting through her headphones, following the set of directions slipped under her door. About two weeks ago she'd received an email informing her that the school would be moving her lab to a new facility. While the upgrade was a nice surprise, it also meant that she had to channel her time into packing rather than focusing on her research. In hindsight, she should probably have questioned who the directions were from or why they would choose such an obscure method to deliver them. But after two weeks, she was too eager to get back to work to think about anything else.

Passing through the third and final biometric scan, Ottilie stepped into a large space set up with multiple desks and computers. Along the back wall were even five large data servers lined up next to each other, a luxury considering all she had previously was a single computer squeezed into the back corner.

However, the most surprising thing in the room was not a thing at all. Rather, it was the dark-skinned boy standing in the center of the room. Ottilie pulled off her headphones and narrowed her eyes at the boy. She vaguely recognized him from her statistics class last semester but struggled to put a name to the face. "Hi." She greeted. "We... took a class together, didn't we? Applied Stats with Professor Grant." She dropped her backpack into one of the chairs and extended a hand. "I'm Ottilie by the way. Nice to meet you."

YumenoTsukishiro

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

Sweet Talkin' Woman

TIME:

December 22nd, 2021 | Pre Arc 3

LOCATION:

The Dollhouse, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dagger

Sweet Talkin' Woman

Click. The truck's door swung wide with a rusty creak, and heels snapped against the dusty pavement. Passeri's gait wobbled, and she followed loosely after her morose companion. Heavy shoulders and weary eyes. Exhaustion on her breath. A dry throat ready to be drowned. That was who she was today.

"Mmm... M'sorry." She fell in beside Dagger, and slung an arm over her shoulder, loose a jovial. "She's'a little randy tonigh'. Can't keep it in her pants! What's say youse let us through before she jumps one'a'ya?"

The bouncers exchanged a look. One quirked an eyebrow, and the other rolled his eyes in response. They spoke without speaking. Not their problem.

"Invite?" The taller of the two asked bluntly.

"Inv...?" Passeri's eyes clouded further for a moment, grasping at the man's words. "Ah! Y'mean this!"

She stuck her hand into her pocket, rustling around through it messily. Her fingers grasped at something, a sheet of crinkled paper, which she presented to the two men. The smaller of the two took it, smoothed it out with a hasty, practiced motion, and then shared it with his companion.

"Poker? Explains the getup." The other one nodded. "Alright. Go ahead. Poker room's up top and the girls are down below. No touching without paying, you hear?"

"Yeah! Ya hear?" Passeri shook Dagger heartily and gave her a sloppy grin. "No smoochin' Till I'm winnin'! I'll cover ya!"

Mumbling a word of thanks to the bouncers, Passeri passed through the casino's threshold, practically dragging Dagger along with her as she went.

Stark, red light spilt over them, and the smell of unwashed, booze-stained carpet quickly replaced that of the crisp night air. The entrance to the casino was tight, a long, narrow hallway off of which several rooms and staircases branched off. Above, they could hear a the muffled calls of a few dealers, and from below, a crack of sultry, pink light spilt out. A drop of pity flashed through Passeri's consciousness. If they were going to find Liz anywhere, it was probably going to be down there. She'd been a part of an idol group, after all, there was no way they were going to 'waste' her on the tables.

Passeri suppressed a grimace. It was the existence of places like this that made her blood run so hot.

"What do you think?" Passeri spoke normally. As far as she could tell, they were alone. "Should we split, or do you think going it alone is a bad idea?"

Her voice was frank and hid an air of concern. Espionage was hardly anything new to her, but she wasn't usually the one with her boots on the ground, sneaking and skulking through shadowed corridors. There was more than one reason she'd asked for Dagger's help on this. She needed a professional's touch.

simj26​

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Blood Stained Girl

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1 - Night, 2016

LOCATION:

Alley, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Raquel

BLOOD STAINED GIRL

Hector loved the hunt, it was a thrill like nothing else he had experienced before and never got old. His body quivered as he took a long stretch, feeling the crackling of stiff bones having been stuck in an awkward position for the past hour.

Below the rooftop where he stood was the dimly lit back alleys of several sketchy bars. A few Phoenixes took to them every night, but more often it housed independent miscreants, most of which knew not to linger for too long. It had passed the time where Hector expected a man to pass through the back doors, to wander into his web. That was his quarry, apparently in charge of a minor gang that had been causing a great deal of trouble to locals. Of course, he preferred a more direct approach, and if he had things his way the target would’ve died long ago, but for reasons beyond his understanding, it had to be covert. By now he had learned the man’s schedule, where he would frequent and at what time, including where he would meet up with Target #2, who Hector hoped to bag in the same night if things all went smoothly — which right now were not.

His phone buzzed with a text from a number he had not in his contacts, but memorized in his head as one of the eyes on the inside tracking this particular lead.
“the espadon. 1 just left. boss says use any method necessary”
The bastard had to switch things up tonight, didn’t he? The Espadon was another bar of similar repute to the ones Hector had been staking out, but entirely off his radar, and a good 2 miles away. Without bothering to text his informant back — the results were the only important thing for them to know — he set off, exhilarated at the prospect of a proper chase.

By the time Hector reached The Espadon, the streets were desolate. Most bars had closed their doors by now, and anyone insistent on keeping the night going would have already made the trek to the Nightlife District, or in the case of Target #1, they would be headed right about… Hector scanned the empty street, getting his bearings to estimate his prey’s destination in relation to his current location, but he wasn’t as familiar with this area as he was with others, and so he walked further up the road, peering down the dimly lit alleyways in the hopes that he’d pick up their scent once more.

Hector did find something, and even if it wasn’t what he had hoped to find, he approached as one of the district’s self-proclaimed protectors, never to shy away from a mess. And what a mess it was. Though no stranger to gory scenes, being the cause of many a butchering in his time as a Phoenix, the sight was shocking even to him. A carcass lay mangled on the cold ground, dismembered and coated in crimson. Though features were hard to discern, given how many the body was missing, it almost looked like… No, he couldn’t assume that it was his target, even if the location matched up.

He looked up to the girl hunched over the husk that was once a man, sensing some fear, but ravenousness also. She was not a Phoenix, he knew that much, he would’ve known her by now if she was. He had no reason to trust her, and yet he took a step towards the feasting girl.

“Did you do this?” His voice was commanding, overpowering the unnerving feeling that grew the longer he examined the carnage in front of him. He tucked a hand behind his back, growing a machete out of the girl’s view, lest she be hungry for seconds.

“What’s your name?”

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

JOZEF DAALMAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Only Human

LOCATION:

Rooftop, Upper Central District

TIME:

Pre-arc 3 - Night, 26 December 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Jozef, Takaonna

ONLY HUMAN

As the cold air continued to race against the young Serpent's skin like tiny knives setting the surface aflame with cold, Jozef could only regret not bringing a heavier coat as he lay on the icy rooftop, eyes lazily focused on the moon overhead as he drifted in an out of light slumber. He had tried to sleep in his bed, and though his roommate was respectful of his wish to sleep, those living around them were not, drunk on the atmosphere of the holidays, and on the cheap alcohol they consumed to create a racket that prevented any sort of relaxation.

He might have been tempted to forgo rest in favour of joining the raucous crowd had he not been feeling so uncharacteristically melancholy, leading him to wander far away from home into unfamiliar grounds. When he realised just how far he had travelled, he could only shrug at his own actions, scaling a building to watch the stars and hope that dawn may come quickly.

Jozef let his mind travel elsewhere until the semblance of a destination began to manifest, only to plunge him into the dark unfamiliar. It happened a few times that night, not uncommon for him, the feeling of thinking a thought that he was unable to think about. But the last time it happened, he jolted upright, head tilted towards a horrendous noise from the alley below. He was not alone this time.

As a Serpent, it would be expected for him to have some danger awareness, but the young man brought himself to his feet as he blinked his mind awake, not bothering to brush off the frost that settled on him as he took cautious steps towards the ledge. Before he could peer over the side, a hand clutched the edge of the roof, and rather than cower, he continued his investigation, until he was leaning over the edge and looking down on the Takaonna.


“Oh hi.” His voice was soft but chipper, and he reached a hand down next to her in an offer to pull her up, unaware of her lack of vision. One thing he quickly became aware of was her injured state, even in the dark of the night he could tell she was hurt. He had been around too many injured people to not be able to tell.
“Are you alright there? Need any help?”
-->

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

HIRAM ABAYAN

CS Link

SCENE:

The IT Guy and The Scientist [January 2021]

LOCATION:

[Classified], Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiram, Ottilie

The IT Guy and The Scientist

She was just as he remembered the first time-- pink, inquisitive, and interesting. Hiram's smile grew wider, and he was surprised by how... happy he was to be seeing her again after a relatively short period of time. He approached the scientist and shook her hand, trying to find the best way to break the news to her.

"Nice to meet you, too," Hiram tilted his head a little, amused at the inaccuracy of his words. "My name is Hiram Abayan, technically a student taking a course in Computer Science. I'm also the one who set all of this up for you."

He stepped back, pointing to several equipment that were brand-new, just out of the packaging. "A state-of-the-art polymerase chain reaction machine. Enough supply of restriction enzymes to last you a couple of years. And a gel electrophoresis machine to round it all out."

Hiram walked over to one of several high-spec supercomputers and pointed to some of the icons on the attached monitor. "Here we have the latest in software tools to help you handle workflows and organize all your findings, plus a bespoke security A.I. coded by yours truly that ensures no malicious attacks get through to your systems."

Lastly, Hiram placed a hand on the side of a vending machine sitting a little out of place amongst the specialized machinery. "We figured you'd get snacky at times, so we have this machine for you that offers a variety of chips and crisps. And it also comes with a built-in espresso machine plus steam wand for when you want a nice cup of latte."

He approached Ottilie once more, putting on the kind of smile he learned from watching Tigers when they were looking to sell. "These are only the first of many benefits offered to you, should you accept our invitation."

Interactions: Saturn_moon

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

Blank Canvas

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3: September 30th, 2021 - 11pm

LOCATION:

On the road, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Milo Elenion Aura

BLANK CANVAS

“Hm. Could’ve fooled me. Did you not want me dead?”

Of course, Hector still felt bitter against the young artist, and even if his potential (in a figurative and literal sense) was worth too much to let him go, he wasn’t going to pretend everything was water over the bridge, and it seemed neither would Milo. He stared back with a gruff expression.

“You don't have to kill anyone today. If we’re lucky you won’t even need to do anything… But that wouldn’t be a great trial.”
Without any further elaboration on the job, Hector turned away from Milo, starting the car. As the engine roared to life, the car radio started to play a quiet tune as Hector pulled out onto the road, joining the queues of cars. In an uncharacteristic move, he followed the flow of traffic as intended, not trying to speed through gaps between the cars, or lean on the horn as though it would clear a path for him, or yell aimless expletives. He kept both hands on the wheel, and after a moment of silence, he spoke again.

“Tell me what you want out of being a Phoenix then.”

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[A Helping Hand]

TIME:

Sunrise, January 10 2022, Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Kazue

A HELPING HAND

"Tch..."

Charlie walked at a slowed yet steady pace, holding his injured arm with his free hand as he looked around constantly, last thing he needed was to meet more of them jumping behind his back. He looked back on how he ended up in this situation.


"A trusty contact of mine has some juicy leaked information about some of the Dragons' operations, but he's very paranoid about leaving traces, so I'll need you to head over there, and he'll hand you a flash drive"


In a nutshell, that was the task that Cotorra assigned to Charlie. It was supposed to be an easy job, just a quiet and uneventful transportation of data, but what the boy didn't expect was to see that over at the informant's place, he would be ambushed by a dozen or so dragons.


It was a gruesome fight. Enemy attacks coming from all sides, giving Charlie basically not enough time to avoid all of them. For every hit he took, he gave one back threefold. He was able to defeat most of them, but his optimism was gone the moment he heard reinforcements coming in. He knew well that if he stayed there, this random house in East District would become his early grave.


He took his leave from the place, climbing up the walls and running on the roofs of the houses bathed by the lights of sunrise. The chase was long, and it covered a large distance, but eventually there was no one tailing him anymore. He was able to relax to a degree at last, but at that point he also realized that he was injured, nothing too major, but it was enough to have the exhaustion sink in.


Eventually, he came across an alley that looked deserted and discrete enough. He walked into it and laid his back against the wall, slowly sliding down until his rear hit the ground. He couldn't allow himself to fall asleep, as dragons could still lurk in the vicinity, but he needed a rest. The morning January cold wasn't helping either.

azenva

 

[Roda the Red]

ERIC EVENSEN

CS Link

SCENE:

Cleaning Duty

TIME:

Nighttime, February 19th 2022, Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Inigo, Eric

CLEANING DUTY

An index finger was tapping repeatedly at the wheel, following along at the rythim of the chill music playing on the radio. Eric and Inigo occupied the front seats of their police car, driving through the streets of Central District on patrol as they were assigned to do every now and then, it wasn't a particularly exactly thing to do, but at least it was a bit more entertaining than just sitting their asses at the office.

"Just another thirty minutes and we can go home... Got any plans for tomorrow, Ini?"

They kept driving for a little while until the radio suddenly caught a message from CDPD.

"Attention, calling all units in the vicinity, we have a 10-103 over at Gaulvar Avenue 563, Club Whirlpool"

Eric sighed as the communicator spoke once again.

"I repeat, attention, calling all units in the vicinity, we have a 10-103 over at Gaulvar Avenue 563, Club Whirlpool"

10-103, code for Disturbance, which meant that there were a bunch of pricks causing unnecessary trouble inside the club.

"Damn youth these days, I swear..." Eric grabbed the comm from the radio with his free hand and held it close to his mouth.

"This is Detective Evensen and Sergeant Han, we're close to the location and heading in immediately"

Eric gave his partner a weak smile, that that spelled defeat more than anything.

"Let's hope we can deal with those rascals quickly, don't want Kat getting all worried again"

A few minutes later, the duo had arrived in front of Whirlpool, the club was of moderate size, with large and bright neon lights highlighting the letters of the sign, as well as a cartoony martini glass with a whirlpool coming out of it.

"Alright, time to work"

 

[Saturn_moon]

Ottilie James

CS Link

SCENE:

The IT Guy and The Scientist [January 2022]

LOCATION:

[Classified], Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiram, Ottilie

The IT Guy and The Scientist

Ottilie could only watch in confusion as the boy walked around introducing all the new equipment and features of the lab to her as if he were some sort of sales agent. Showing immense self-restraint, she resisted the urge to reach out and touch everything in sight. Instead, she nodded along absentmindedly, half in awe by the level of technology she was currently surrounded by, but also with skepticism.

Ottilie and her thesis supervisor had spent months trying to convince the university to allocate additional funding to her research. Time and time again they were denied under the pretense that her research was deemed to be 'high risk' and ethically ambiguous. Mathematically, the probability of the ethics committee suddenly changing their mind and approving her research funding request was 1 to approximately 126,000. Evidently, the numbers were not in her favor. Hence, it was highly improbable for her to currently be standing in a school funded laboratory designed specifically for her needs. Yet, here she was.

"Er... Hiram, was it?" She began cautiously. "This is all very nice, but what am I supposed to be accepting exactly?"

YumenoTsukishiro

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

CS Link

SCENE:

The Punchline

TIME:

February 12th, 2016 || Roland's Reign

LOCATION:

The Precipice

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri Park, Charmy Delvin

The Punchline

"Only four?" Behind her mask, Passeri smirked. "You're selling me short! Let's make this night an unforgettable one."

Passeri could feel them. Gazes cast by wandering eyes, peppered about the narrow hall. Curious leers and hushed whispers. A spotlight, born of the crowd's myriad gazes shone on the stage door, gleaming with expectation. They'd all come here for the same thing.

She'd give them something better.

Passeri stepped into the ring, and her demeanour shifted. The nervous, inexperienced young woman was gone, drowned out by cool-eyed confidence. The crowd tonight might have projected a different set of desires than her usual one, but they were still a crowd nonetheless. No matter what sort of show they wanted, it was still a show, and if there was anything she was confident in, it was her ability to put on a damn good one.

"Stuck 'ya with me did they?" Her opponent, the elegantly named 'Drip', spoke to her from the ring's opposite edge. His body was plastered with bandages, bruises and scraps but his demeanour was calm, totally unfettered by his gallery of wounds.

"Shame, that. Even with the mask, I can tell 'yer a pretty thing. It'd be a waste to scar up that face of yours." He smirked, but his eyes were cold. Pre-match chit-chat was like a ritual for him. He liked to get to know the people who he fought, even if it was only in passing. Passeri, or Mysteria now, remained silent. She might've been able to hide her face, but her voice? She wasn't so sure.

"Don't suppose you'd be steppin' back in the ring without a reason, so I'll spare ya' any offers. Instead, I'll spare ya' some advice."

Above the two, the announcer started to count down the match's beginning.

"Watch 'yerself with the splatter. You know what they say in all those movies? It'll hurt me more than you? Well-" He unfurled one of his bandages, and dark, sticky blood started to weep from beneath. "-It'll hurt ya' more than me"

@BluEndings​

 

[Nobody Special]

VULKEN BECKMAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Building Bridges

LOCATION:

West-South Bridge

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3: December 12, 2021

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Dante, Charlie, Milo, Yong-Yut, Jozef, Gideon, Corvo, Boltius, Dagger

CURRENT STAGE:

1

BUILDING BRIDGES

The girl’s cherry eyes widened as her star heroine approached her, lifting her phone in the air and smiling for a photo. Overwhelmed with emotion, the girl briefly stared at her own reflection on the phone’s screen with a stupefied gaze. However, when those two magic words left the pale-headed woman’s mouth, they hit the young girl’s ears like a command that was impossible to disobey. She would do anything for this woman.

Amelie’s blank look quickly disappeared, replaced by the widest grin she could muster, tightly shut eyelids, and two peace signs up at her cheeks. Her smile was bright, and this was made apparent by her guardian, who was staring at her as though it was his first time seeing the night stars.

It was, by far, the biggest smile Vulken had seen on the girl’s face. He continued to stare with an amazed look on his own face, completely absorbed in this display of exhilaration that was, unfortunately, a temporary one. He felt a warmth in his veins, a bustling flow of satisfaction rushing over him and causing him to smile in turn.

Was he… proud? No,

… Happy–

“Holy SHIT–”

Suddenly, before he could finish enjoying the moment, Vulken’s legs came crumbling beneath him. They bent forward– like how they would back in school when your friend poked the back of your knees in hopes of sending you crash-landing into the ground– except this time he was able to catch himself as his knees hit the ground before he was embarrassed even further in front of everyone. It was only when he felt a wet, slobbery tongue endlessly lapping away at his face that he knew exactly who the culprit was.

“God DAMN– DARN it, Corvo! What the fu–” His exclamation was cut short by the growing amount of eyes locked onto him after the tornado that was Romero had slammed into him. Hearing the well-pleased tone in his sponsee’s voice didn’t help, and the area around him significantly rose in temperature for about a second before he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He should have been used to her stupid antics by now, but she always found a way to push his buttons. It was like she was some sort of tactical-genius when it came to fucking with him. If only she could put that kind of effort into being a Phoenix.

He rose back to his feet, promptly ordering Amelie to ‘call her stupid’-- an order she obviously refused to follow, instead remaining quiet while the red-haired woman gently rubbed the top of her head. He was about to go off on Corvo again, but his attention was quickly grabbed by the radiating woman ahead of him. Upon her asking him for his phone number, a sly smirk immediately appeared on his face, erasing any traces of a scowl that may have remained in a heartbeat.

Heh, so even famous chicks can’t fight the urge, huh? I’ll play ‘yer game, ruby-eyes. I was thinkin’ the same thing.

“‘Course, anythin’ for someone as stunnin’ as you are. It’s–”

Cut off again, but this time by a much bigger, human-like canine. Suddenly, ‘Elaine’-- or, at least, that was what he knew her as– was between the two, dragging this future date off to the side to have a conversation with her. A small sigh escaped his mouth as she moved past him without even greeting him. Maybe she didn’t recognize him, even though not much had changed about him since their little moment in that apartment of hers. He’d have to see if he could get a word in with her later. It’d been a while, after all.

But, for now, he had something much, much more important to do. As soon as the attention was taken off him, he whipped around and aimed a flick directly at Corvo’s forehead, launching his finger forward and going straight for the kill as punishment for her antics.

The One Eyed Bandit AriAriAbabwa simj26

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[Family Comes First]

TIME:

Daytime, October 5th 2021, Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

Roudy Robin Restaurant, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Raquel

FAMILY COMES FIRST

Charlie stood in front of the store, a certain fear inside of him paralyzing his legs, disabling him from taking another step forward. But it was futile, he knew that he had to go inside, the eerily-smiling pink-haired girl beside him was a constant reminded of just that.

Going back a few hours ago, the boy stood in front of King Lyric's desk, her face was a mixture of disappointment and apathy. He had made her point clear to him: Back in the day of the Tigers' attack, she was notified by Reika shortly after arriving, that the two phoenixes who were meant to join here in backing up their family ended up turning tail and ignoring their duties. Charlie tried to defend his side of the story, but it all fell on deaf ears, a Phoenix was never to put strangers and outsiders over the well being of their fellow Phoenixes, of family.

And so, a task was appointed to him, one that could allow him to prove his worth and dedication once again, one that would require him to twist the arm (whether it be metaphorically or literally) of civilians, the type of people he oh so desperately betrayed his family to help. The Roudy Robin, a restaurant that happened to be near the bridge connecting South and West Districts, used to be the constant target of vandalism by the hands of wild Albino Tigers who happened to wet their toes in enemy territory. Or at least, that was the case until they started to employ the services of the Scarlet Phoenixes, paying a monthly fee in exchange of constant patrolling on the area. Now, in reality, The Roudy Robin was not the only place to benefit from this service, in fact it was paid by most of the businesses that happened to be located near bridges. Problem is...This restaurant was 5 months behind on paying fees, yet still benefited from it.

And so, this is where Charlie came into play in this situation. The job was very simple: Head inside, and either come back with the money, or get the message across that their payment was due, any alternate outcome would not be tolerated.

He looked to his side, straight into Raquel, the Phoenix Veteran who happened to be assigned of overseeing that Charlie would see this task through. It was clear to him that the money mattered little, if they really cared about it, any veteran could've done this already without an issue. But instead, they left it to the one person who would struggle with it. Charlie felt a painful stab on his chest as he fully realized the borderline sadistic nature of this job. Raquel did not seem bothered by it all, not in the slightest. The boy had heard rumors about her, that she supposedly had a condition that...Required her to consume...People. He hoped that it was just that: A rumor. But the possibility of its authenticity made his stress only higher.

"Well...I suppose I'm heading in now"

Misuteeku