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

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Back in the Game

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 5 2022

LOCATION:

Boustan [About a four hour drive from New Oasis]

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Hitoshi, Milo

Back in the Game

"A-ANIKI!" The boy shouted with desperation inn his voice, pupils reduced to mere dots at the sight of the pool of blood below his dear friend. Hitoshi's wound looked deep and unwilling to stop the flow anytime soon. "You're all cowards, RELEASE HIM NOW!" He gave a step, or rather a stomp forward, the hard floor beneath denting and caving. Fury and frustration overcame him, once again dismayed by the excrutiatingly limited his powers were in a situation like this. He wasn't quick enough, he couldn't take them out from a distance, either. He was at the mercy of the enemy's whims, lest underserving blood be spilled further.

However, the thugs behind the one-eyed man didn't take kindly to Charlie's thunderous advance, all four taking the initiative, their coordinated, confident march signaling their violent intentions. Weapons raised, they all rushed down the narrow tram path.

Fueled to the brim with leftover adrenaline, unbridled rage and a desperate sense of urgency, Charlie's punches were delivered with reckless abandon, ignoring all sense of self-preservation for the sake of pushing the offensive. The gang's strikes were true, uninhibited by pesky avoidance. Yet their target didn't faulter, delivering back what he was sent tendfold, until four pummeled bodies lied scattered around.

"*Huff, huff* Now..." As ready as the phoenix might've been for a follow up, his head was clearer than one might assume, well aware that his small victory amounted to very little. "...Tch...You win." The boy stood straight, dropping his baton on the floor, steel clanging loudly on the solid floor. "Just let him go." Mission be damned, the rookie didn't wish for an innocent woman to be caught in the clutches of those born and raised in chaos...But they still had a chance to take her back once more, a luxury that the sobered veteran didn't possess. He stared at Elizabeth, apologetic eyes begging for forgiveness.

Spoiler: Notes and Notifs

Hypercharge: Full-Activation!

joshuadim Elenion Aura

 

[joshuadim]

LOUIS

CS Link

SCENE:

Back in the Game

TIME:

Post Arc-3; July 5

LOCATION:

Boustan [A metropolis about a four hour drive from New Oasis]

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Charlie, Milo

BACK IN THE GAME

Louis had kept his grip on the back of Hitoshi's neck as he observed the chaos unfold with Charlie's reckless advance with a bemused smirk. Truly this blue-haired kid was quite a wild card, especially since he could oh so very easily kill the man in his grasp. But given the boy's about face return to reason once he aired his frustrations onto his men, Louis couldn't help but chuckle as the tram slowed down for its penultimate destination. Elizabeth herself remained frozen in fear from the situation, shaking where she stood like a wet dog as she looked back into Charlie's eyes with fear. Louis was the one to break the ice however as he let out a laugh: "Damn kid, you put a run for any mercs' money. I'd hire you if you weren't taken already."

"N-n-now ar-rriv-*shhk* at *shhk* Station." the broken intercom attempted to relay, unaware of the destruction that had been wrought upon it as the doors slid open.

"And just in time too. I'm a man of my word." Louis commented, before tossing Hitoshi over - colliding with Charlie as a bloody mess - before grabbing Elizabeth and forcing her out. Just outside the cabin on the platform was another orb he had planted earlier in the day, which opened to its abyssal insides at his demand. At the corner of his eye, however, he saw a third figure speeding in the sky above towards them. He could fathom a guess as to who it was - the young man he had taunted earlier when he had first claimed his prize - and couldn't help but scoff. Too little too late to be playing hero after all, as the distraction he had employed bought space and time for him to escape.

Elizabeth tried in vain to struggle out of the man's grasp as he pulled her into the void, and in turn looked up as Milo sped ever closer. Her rescuer had come just a moment too late... and still she held onto a faint hope as she tossed away her doll towards Milo.

"Find me!" she managed to yell out with teary eyes, before being swallowed into parts unknown.

HITOSHI YAMAKAWA

CS Link

SCENE:

Back in the Game

TIME:

Post Arc-3; July 5

LOCATION:

Boustan [A metropolis about a four hour drive from New Oasis]

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Charlie, Milo

BACK IN THE GAME

Hitoshi found himself trying to stay awake, using his remaining strength to keep pressure on his wound while barely managing to acknowledge what was unfolding around him. He found himself in Charlie's grasp once the man let go of him, and soon enough he and Elizabeth had disappeared right before Milo's arrival to the terminal. "Gah..." Hitoshi managed to get out, "D-doctor... I know a guy... alleyway... two blocks away... Main and Weston..."

His breathing had now become labored, signalling the compensation his body was trying to make for blood loss, as he kept himself conscious as best as he could. "Fuck... I fucked up... he got away, didn't he?" the veteran then said through gritted teeth as another wave of pain ripped through his abdomen. "We'll... get her... back... for sure..."

It wasn't just meant to just be comforting, but also a promise to the two rookies under his purview. They couldn't lose sight of the job, even when the chips were stacked against them. After all, In the great game you only stopped when you were dead.

Roda the Red Elenion Aura

 

[thebigfella]

TAK & HIACHI

Collab Post

SCENE:

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak, Hiachi ( miki )

The Memories of Summer Are Remembered More Fondly When You’re Stuck In The Cold

It was almost like Hiachi’s eyes were perpetually widened like saucers. The festival games… were trying to trick her? Would people really do something like that? But then it made sense—if she kept losing, they got more of her money when she kept trying. Just as she had demonstrated, it was easy to get absorbed in the game. Despite all that, this boy had found a way to hack it.

Hiachi stood opposite him as he sat down on the fountain's rim. She was far too antsy to sit. He hadn’t just hooked her interest—he had captivated all her attention as she stared at him with fascination.

His proposal was met with an open-mouthed expression of shock. “Really!?”

Sliding himself off the fountain and landing back on his feet, the boy confidently pointed a thumb at himself with a sly smirk.

“Course! I was gettin’ bored walking around by myself anyway. It will be fun if we… " trailed off for a bit, the boisterous hero facade dropping for a moment as he looked to the side, kicking a pebble on the ground.

“Hang out together, I guess.”

Looking back towards Hiachi, he brought back the energy, pumping up a fist and raising it high in the air as his cape flapped behind him.

“Ready to tear this festival up!?”

Hiachi didn’t have an ounce of hesitance. When the boy asked if she wanted to know how to really win these festival games, she shook her head up and down in quick succession.

With her excited agreement, the boy grabbed Hiachi’s hand again, bringing her along to follow back into the festival crowd, though this time, he made sure to pace himself so as not to drag her along.

“We got a lot to cover! Let’s go!” He beamed back at her as they once again found themselves basked in orange light, the voices of the festival fading back into earshot as the focus panned upwards towards the moon in the cloudless sky.


When the perspective returned downward, the pair found themselves crouched at a small wooden table, squares of pink candy placed in front of them, each with a different shape. While Hiachi had something that looked like a penguin, the boy had a simple-looking rocket.

“Good luck, you two!” the booth runner cheered them on before walking away and leaving them to try and break out the shapes from the candy as he dealt with the other kids surrounding the table who had already shattered their pieces.

Tak glanced over towards Hiachi with a grin, twirling the toothpick they had been given between his fingers, “This one doesn’t have any real trick to it, but this is how you make it easier!” He exclaimed before taking the toothpick, rubbing it across his tongue, and sucking on it until it was thoroughly moist; he pulled it out, and a small trail of spit connected it to his mouth.

“If you get it wet, it melts the candy, so you can cut through it without breaking it!” He spoke barely above a whisper before quickly turning his attention down toward the candy. He placed his toothpick into the small crevice, letting his saliva soak in and saturate the small spot before slowly digging through it.

Hiachi watched him with great intent. She wasn’t as skeptical as she was eager to get it right. She knew how hard this game was for her older brothers, so if there was a way to make it easier, she had to perfect it.

Sure enough, instead of instantly breaking the thin candy, the toothpick gently wore down the lines of the cartoon rocket. If she focused on it, she could see the bubbles in the candy dissolve instead of being outright broken.

It was like a lollipop. If you bit down on a lollipop, it would crack into sharp pieces and stab you in the mouth. But if you licked it like an average person, it would wear down slowly.

With that logic, couldn’t she just… lick the candy? It aligned with what the boy had said and what she observed. Without any reservations about looking strange, Hiachi picked up the square and started licking it.

Already making a decent dent in his shape, the boy decided to look away to see how she was doing. Seeing her go at the piece of candy and just lick it directly, his jaw dropped as the eyes of his mask visibly bulged.

“W-What are you doing!?”

When Hiachi moved the candy away from her face, she could see her candy wearing down. She turned it to the boy, proving herself correct. “This is easier.”

The boy leaned forward towards her, lowering his voice, “Of course it’s easier, but--”

“Hey! You’re not allowed to lick it like that!”

A shout from the man running the booth made him immediately stiffen up, looking over to see the old man pointing at them, chastising her for trying to cheat so openly. Being caught red-handed, there wasn’t much chance for them to win a prize now.

So, the boy simply smirked, picking up the piece of candy and putting it into his mouth, quickly standing up and stumbling to his feet as he dashed away,

“Run awayyyyy!” He shouted behind him, laughing childishly, hands up above his head.

As upset as she wanted to be that she had gotten caught ‘cheating,’ there was no time for that. She snatched the candy off of the counter and booked it behind him. She copied him, hands stretched above her head, even though she looked more confused than anything.

The man was simply left scratching his balding scalp in confusion at the whole ordeal, “Kids, I swear…” he murmured as he watched them both disappear into the crowd.

The loud crunch of the pink candy brought the scene back to the two kids as they once again walked through the festival, passing different tents and counters of food, games, and merchandise.

“Oh well, guess that’s one game we won’t be getting a prize from,” the boy brushed it off, glancing over towards Hiachi as he swallowed. You gotta be careful next time! If they see you, then they won’t give you anything, you know,” he warned.

Hiachi pouted at that. How was she supposed to know that wasn’t allowed? These vendors were really out to get her…

She crossed her arms, her disappointment clear.

“Well, it’s fine. The prizes there were lame anyway!” He put it behind him with a smile, stopping his walking pace to look around the various offerings that surrounded them.

“Now…what should we do next?”

Hiachi perked up. She forgot her disappointment at the promise of choosing the next game. When the concept first came up, she had kept one game in the back of her mind. One game she had never come close to winning.

Basketball. She wasn’t nearly tall enough to make good shots. Her older brothers, even Kenki, who was the tallest, always missed. Their friends could never get it. Even the one time her dad tried it, he couldn’t figure it out.

She grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and dragged him along with her. She scanned the horizon, quickly focusing on the long nets and orange basketballs. Hiachi squeezed past people, only partially conscious of how much she was disrupting the flow of the crowd. All she wanted was to get to that game.

Hiachi planted herself in front of the teenage girl running the basketball stand. The ponytail that poked out the back of her baseball cap swung as she turned her head to the duo. She gave them a toothy smile before asking, “Would you two like to play?”

Still clinging to the boy, she turned to him for his wisdom.

The mask did nothing to hide the hero’s confidence as he looked upon the basketball hoop. With a charismatic flick of his finger forward, the woman in charge of the stand.

“Yep! We’re playing!” he swiftly replied, with not a bit of hesitation. Just as the woman turned back to grab the balls for them, the boy glanced towards Hiachi, leaning to the side to whisper under his breath with a smirk.

“You've never seen anyone beat this?” he asked, pointing over his shoulder towards the nets with a small grin. Seeing how invigorated she was to bring him over, he could only imagine she had some history with the game.

Hiachi shook her head, her eyes darting between the game and the boy’s confident demeanor.

He made some space between them, placing his hands on his hips. Despite their size difference, from them to the nets, he wasn’t deterred; after all, he knew the trade tricks to make a game like this a breeze.

“Here you two go!” The woman in the ponytail leaned across the table she was behind to offer the two their balls; the masked hero took his ball excitedly, tossing it up and down into the air and catching it a few times. While it seemed like harmless fun, after the fourth time he caught it in between both hands, he paused for a moment, looking towards the net silently, staring at it as if he was evaluating it, before a toothy smile appeared.

“Alright, I got it!”

He stepped up to the front of the shooting line, where a tarp and wood kept him from moving further. In position, he crouched down onto his knees, and in preparation, he shifted his hold onto the basketball. Instead of holding like how many would, like they were shooting in a proper basketball game, the boy held its bottom with both hands, acting as the base of a catapult, to lob it upwards as he jumped up.

The ball launched through the air, reaching high enough to the point it could bounce off the backboard, stopping all of its momentum and leaving it to drop right into the net. It wasn’t flashy at all, but it worked.

“Alright!” He gave an excited fist bump before quickly spinning around towards Hiachi. "You should try now!” he said as he walked to the side to grab his next ball from the kind lady, having to stand up on his tippy toes to do so.

The boy hadn’t yet told her directly what the trick was, but maybe she could figure it out just by watching him.

Hiachi held the ball in her hands but at arm's length. Her eyes were on the boy and his movements. She had copied everything about how he held the ball and how far he stood from the net. She bit the side of her cheek as she reflected on the events. He was taller and could jump higher than her. So, if she moved a little closer, she could copy him exactly.

Her geta pushed stray dirt into the wooden soles as she slid forward. She held the basketball just as he had—both palms underneath it—and launched it towards the backboard.

She executed it in a way that should have worked. Though her eyesight was nothing short of perfect, her aim was… well…

The basketball hit the basket's rim and was launched back at her with as much force as she had exerted. Before she could even think, the basketball hit her in the face and knocked her onto the ground.

“OW!”

She toppled back into the dirt, dumbfounded. The forehead impact burned slightly (and was definitely going to leave a light red mark), but other than that, only the shock remained. Her eyes were wide as saucers.

“Hahahahah!”

A loud laugh came from the masked boy; a brief snort showed that he at least tried to stop his chortling as he covered his mouth, looming over the girl as she was sprawled out on the ground.

The vendor tried to hide her spontaneous amusement with a cough. “—Sweetie, are you alright?”

“You know you’re supposed to hit the basket, right?” The boy joked, bending down slightly to look at her. His amusement at her mistake was short-lived, though, once again putting on a smile as he beckoned her to get back up with a hand.

“C’mon! You gotta try again! You got it this time!”

Hiachi didn’t answer. She tucked her legs into herself before pressing her palms into the ground. She didn’t bother trying to dust any dirt off her yukata. Instead, she stood up again and went to pick up the ball that had rolled away.

She was almost one hundred percent sure that she hit the rim because she was standing too close. His ball had taken an arc before landing, unlike hers. With this new information, Hiachi backed a decent amount from where she stood.

She tried to toss it again. This time, it launched and made it past the rim. The ball hit the backboard and the rim, but it bounced away from the basket instead of inside.

Not perfect, but better. That was enough determination to get her to try it again. She grabbed the ball from the wooden pit and backed up again. The marks in the dirt let her know exactly where she had once stood.

With both hands, she launched the ball towards the backboard for the third time, but not too closely and with less force this time. When the ball hit the backboard, instead of erratically bouncing off, it halted—and gravity dropped it directly into the long net.

Hiachi clapped her hands together, her eyes a little shinier, and her straight-lined mouth curved towards a smile. She was extremely delighted.





“You did it!” An enthusiastic shout came and, soon after, a rough pat on the back of his head, which was enough to cause her head to jut forward. The boy stepped forward, picking up the next ball between both of his hands as he gave a cocky smirk.

“Let’s see who can get more balls in the basket! The loser has to buy the other an ice cream!” He shouted before bending down in preparation to toss another shot.

Now, that was an incentive. A glint at the center of her eyes sparkled at the prospect. Taking the same position she had before, she poured all her focus into making her next shots count.

As they both continued to shout and play, the vendor watched them on with an innocent smile. Leaning forward on her stand to rest an arm, she watched both of them continue on, resting her head on her propped-up hand. “Looks like they’re having fun.”

As a ball flew up into the sky, it quickly transformed into the moon as the scene transitioned. The focus shifted from the starry night to sprinkles of cookie crumbs that decorated a white ice cream cone. A tongue came out to scoop the swirl off its top.

“Yummy!” The hero childishly bubbled out as he let the frozen cream run across his taste buds, waving the cone around, “I love the ice cream here! It’s great!”

Hiachi bit the top off of the white, red, and pink swirl of ice cream she got. Even without the privilege of having ice cream at any other time of the year, she had to agree. The strawberry-flavored soft serve was something she looked forward to every year.

Even though she had lost their little competition, the loss hadn’t stung for long. In fact, the running around and rush she got from trying to win made the treat more refreshing.

He and Hiachi walked through the crowds, the bright lights of the lanterns above them passing by as they strolled past the booths and markets littering the sides of the pathway.

He turned his attention away from his own ice cream to look towards the girl next to him, a small cock on his head.

“What did you get? It looks good…” He leaned in, almost as if he was about to take a bite.

Hiachi did a double take as he closed in on her ice cream. Whipping her head back a second time, she yanked it away with both hands.

The masked boy pouted as the sweet treat was suddenly pulled away from him. Even if he had the faintest desire to take a bite right there, it’s not like he would have done it!

Well, maybe just a nibble.

She held the ice cream away from him, at arm's length. Other festivalgoers had to maneuver around her drastic hand gesture, but she was too busy staring blankly at him to notice.

Her heart pounded in the way it normally did when she was especially upset. Her face flushed, and a pout formed on her lips. She wasn’t sure why this caught her so off guard, but now that it happened, she was so flustered that she didn’t know what to do.

“Mmmm…” She hummed, displeased with the current situation. “You… already won.”

Deep down, she wasn’t sure if that expressed what she meant, but it made perfect sense.

“Huh?” There was initial confusion in the curl of his lips and the tilt of his head at Hiachi’s statement before he finally realized what she was talking about, “Oh, you mean the game? I kinda forgot already,” he admitted, “I guess it’d be unfair if I took a bite…”

Going silent for a moment, the boy was concerned only with eating his ice cream, but as if he had a brain freeze, he suddenly stopped.

“Oh yeah!” he remembered and quickly turned to look towards Hiachi once again, grabbing her by the shoulder with a smirk. "I got another game to show you the trick for! C’mon,” he said, giving her a small shake before turning around and running off ahead, the bed cover around his neck fluttering as he ran.

She swiftly followed behind him with her slowly melting ice cream clutched in both hands.

The moon reflected, and the sky mirrored. Fish swam amongst the stars, their bright orange scales shimmering underneath the lantern light. The water was serene, with only the sound of crickets and the faint ripples of water as the fish swam in disjointed directions. Calmly and slowly, they glided through the water, dancing across the moon and weaving through the galaxy.

A sharp splash disrupted the cosmos. A paper net dropped into the water sharply, sending waves and ripples through the small pool. The moon and stars disappeared, and the fish scattered quickly in different directions.

As soon as the hand dived, it quickly retracted itself from the water; water poured out through the gaps of the net to drizzle back down into the tiny man-made pond-like waterfalls, leaving behind a small goldfish that flopped and flailed, gasping for breath.

“I caught one!” the girl holding the net exclaimed, raising the goldfish up high, as her mother squatted down beside her with a smile. “Good job! Now get the nice man to bag it up for you so we can take it home, okay?” she urged, grabbing her daughter by the shoulders and turning her towards the older man who was already getting off his stool.

“Well, ain’t you a lucky little lady? That didn’t take you any time at all,” he congratulated her as he opened a tiny plastic bag towards her, taking his finger and gently inching the suffocating fish into its new temporary home. And with a quick dip into the water bucket, he pulled the fish back out, now swimming around within its container pleasantly.

He pulled a small tied to his finger off and quickly twisted it around the bag as he spun it, ensuring it was tight. He placed it in the girl’s hands as her eyes sparkled. “Fishy…” she spoke out in awe, still in shock that she had caught one. Her mom grabbed her by the hand, ushering her along to the next venue.

“Does my heart good,” the booth runner mumbled to himself, smiling happy as he watched the mother and daughter run off to enjoy the festivities, rubbing a hand across his balding head.

“Guess I should get ready to close up; fireworks are about to be startin’ soon!” He stepped back into his booth, beginning to organize the bobs and bits into his nearby carrier case, only stopping when he heard footsteps approaching but saw no one present.

He blinked before leaning forward to look over his counter. Beaming up at him were two kids, one in a mask and wearing a sheet as a cape and a girl who clearly had her mom spending hours making sure her hair was done right.

“Hey, mister! Let us play a round!” The boy in the mask exclaimed, pointing towards the fish pond nearby with a grin.

Hiachi tilted to the side, trying to get a look at the fish pond while remaining at his side. The sight of the school of fish all scattered and swimming about the pond made her gape in awe.

She had never been at this stand before. In the years prior, whenever she or any of her siblings tried to point at the stand, their parents would quickly direct their attention to something else. Hiachi looked back at the old man, her interest clearly expressed through her wide eyes.

The old man gave them a small smile, a sheepish rub of the back of his neck, not wanting to tell them no outright, “Are you sure, kids? The fireworks are gonna start soon, y’know. You should probably get back to your parents,” he cautioned, trying to keep it casual, afraid of crushing their hopes and dreams.


Instead of being dismayed, the masked boy only gave a thumbs up of confidence, grinning as he stood on his tippy toes to really put the thumbs up right in his face, “We’ll be fine! All we need is one net for each of us! Pleeeeasseee!?”

Hiachi gawked at the boy’s expression, trying to study it. Whatever he was doing was a part of the master plan. She matched his tippy toes and hastily held out two thumbs up as she stared at the old man—her big eyes full of hope. “…Pleeeaeease!??”

The man looked between them both for a short moment before his heart was immediately warmed, “Awh, what the heck. You kids have pulled my arm!” he exclaimed, quickly reaching over and pulling out two of the paper nets from his small bin, handing them each one, “Here ya go you, little scamps, it’s on the house! And good luck!”

“Thanks, mister!” Tak represented his best manners by giving the man a handshake before he could retract his hand back, taking the net, and turning towards Hiachi with a “C’mon, let’s go get a fish!” before quickly hopping over towards the small metal basin.

Hiachi moved her cone to the other hand and grabbed the net before raising it triumphantly. “Thank you!” she echoed as she nodded up and down for his kindness.

She followed closely behind to the basin. The pond was brimming with red, white, and bright orange fish.

She watched the boy and his net intently. Like in most other games, she suspected there was a trick here, too.

“HIYAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”

In an abrupt change of tone, the boy slammed his net into the water without enough force to cause the whole basin to shake. Water plummeted up in the air like a geyser, and fish flew amongst splatters, their momentum carrying them high up in the air.

His head raised as the water began to pour back down, dousing him and everyone near in wetness; the squeals and shouts of passersby in the background as the man running the booth looked at them with bulging eyes, nearly toppling over on his stool as his draw dropped.

The boy raised his hands in the air and quickly tried to grasp a fish between both of his hands. Hoping up to snatch one out of the air, he closed around it tightly to keep it from flopping out, and the rest fell back into the basin in a series of splashes.

With a self-satisfied grin, he held the fish between his hands, brimming with pride, “So, do something like that!”

“LIKE HELL YOU DO!” An angered shout came from behind the boy. As the man running the booth slid onto the scene, he gave the rambunctious youth a heavy swat on the back of the head without hesitation, causing his whole neck to just forward. The eyes of his mask bulged outward as the fish slipped out of his hand and flew right back into the basin.

The boy rubbed the back of his head, a huge bump now in place as he looked up at the old man, more annoyed than anything else by his sudden discipline, “What was that for geezer?” he whined, waving the paper scooper at him.

“That’s no way to treat fish. You should know better,” the man stated, snatching the stick out of his hand as he pointed it towards them both. "Listen, kids, these are living creatures. They deserve respect and care just as much as you or me. Got that?” He lectured before moving between them to crouch down next to the basin. "Now watch me.”

He slowly dipped in the net, and with practice in knowledge, he moved it with the waves, following their path. Instead of going for a fish, he waited patiently for one to cross his path, and then, with a gentle flick of his wrist, he lifted it out. The goldfish didn’t even flop around. Even as it gasped for oxygen, it seemed almost like it wanted to be caught.

“See, it’s about going along with nature, not against. If you do that, the fish will naturally come to you,” he gave both of them a look, a return of his warm smile as he gently dropped the net back into the water, allowing the fish to swim back into freedom.

“Now you try,” he turned to Hiachi, motioning to the water, “It’s a lot easier than you think.”

Hiachi’s eyes hadn’t left the pond since the boy’s first attempt. The same white goldfish with an orange splotch over its eye was trapped within her gaze. With permission to try herself, Hiachi shifted the net in her hand and slowly lowered it into the water. The ripples of water that bounced off of it were synchronous with the sway of the mini-ecosystem.

Hiachi waited until that same goldfish swam by again to start moving towards her prize. The net billowed gently through the water like the fins of an angelfish. The slight movements of her wrist stalked the goldfish through the water. It moved peacefully through the water, past other fish—but Hiachi never took her eyes off that specific one. The imitation of the movement of its brethren brought its guard down.

Then she struck.

Though the fish tried to course correctly at the last minute, so did Hiachi. It swam back in the other direction, and she swung the net back into its new path. The scare had effectively backed the fish into her net. Before it could swim back out, she snatched the fish out of the water.

As it twitched erratically in the net, Hiachi held the achievement out to the others. She looked between the fish, the man, and the boy, anticipating their praise with an idle, open-mouthed smile.

And praise did she get, the booth runner beamed at her, ruffling her hair, previously neatly put together hair, as he congratulated her, “Good goin’ lil lady! You got some good eyes on ya. You looked like a master fisherman,” he quipped, pulling himself up back to his feet to walk back to his stand.

The masked boy gave her a brotherly pat on the back, examining her catch from behind the red lenses of his mask. He wasn’t about to butter her up like the old man, but he did flash her a small smirk.

“You’re pretty good, I guess,” he gave a half-hearted shrug, “You win this one, but I’ll win next time!”

He spoke of the next time as if he were sure it would happen. To ensure that, he extended a hand towards Hiachi, giving an affirming nod, “I’ve taught you everything, so that means we’re rivals now, okay?”

She stood quietly for a moment. The moment tasted bittersweet on the back of her tongue. On one hand, she had done it! She had mastered the games, just like the heroes of her favorite ninja show. But on the other hand, she had grown so used to working with him that the sudden declaration of their rivalry dampened the mood.

But overall, it wasn't so bad, she figured. Now, they were equals.

She returned the handshake with equal fervor.

A focus on their handshake, their hands stayed connected as the scenery changed; the crowds were beginning to get hectic as they all moved toward the best places to watch the upcoming fireworks; both had to be careful not to be swept away by the crowd.

“So, what are you gonna do with your fish?” The boy asked as he glanced over Hiachi, waving his free hand around in an energetic stroll.

Her swirling irises were distorted into funny shapes through the other side of the plastic bag, occasionally interrupted by the prize in question swimming in tiny circles. The sight lifted the corners of her mouth—she had never had a pet before.

“I will put him in a tank…” She started, tapping her chin as she dreamed up her fish’s new home. “...with sand at the bottom, seaweed, and a little castle for him to live in… Hey, what should I name him?”


Despite him asking the question, it was clear that as she spoke, his interest suddenly drifted somewhere else. “Uhhh, maybe Nugget, or something?” He gave a half-baked answer, his head tilting upward to look at something out of the girl's perspective as he began to slow down his pace, until eventually, their hands naturally unlatched from each other.

His lips clasped together in a nod to himself in confirmation, turning to Hiachi as he began to take some steps away, “I’m gonna do something real quick! Let’s meet at the bridge! You know the one that goes across the river?!” He shouted towards her as he began to run in the direction they came, disappearing amongst the crowd.

“H-hey!” Hiachi called out. She trailed after him but lost him quickly without guidance. Now, it was just her and the fish, standing in the middle of the path as the sea of people parted around them. Well, this wasn’t so bad—this was how she originally meant to spend her evening.

She did wonder what he was up to, though. He ran in the opposite direction of the bridge across the river, and the mystery was a little exciting.

Her wooden geta shuffled across the large rocks in the path. She laid eyes on everything on the side path: the one where they sold talismans and sewn charms, the machine that spat out omikuji fortunes, and the strings of origami cranes that rocked in unison with the breeze. She held the fish bag in her hand, holding it close to her face as if she was about to consult it.

She paused as she came across the big stand with a roof of paper parasols. It was always her favorite stop, but the visits were always cut short by the attention of her family being stretched in a million directions. While she suspected she would have to get to the bridge soon, she figured she could take her time to browse.

Roys of toys with pink price stickers smacked on the sides lined the table in the middle, while bags and t-shirts hung on square wire walls. She circled the small stand, browsing the limited selection. She twisted her lip, disappointed that nothing caught her eye.

As she wandered back out, she looked at the rack of costumes. In the middle section on the left side was a small red cape with a superhero logo that she couldn’t quite place. The bright color drew her in.

The more she stared, the more she thought about it, and the more it made sense for her to buy it for the boy. It would be a nice ‘thank you,’ she thought. Her mom was always giving gifts to people for all sorts of occasions. She always loved it when gratitude came in the form of sliced fruit or a small toy, so he probably would, too. Plus, he was a real hero, right? He deserved a real cape, she thought.

She grabbed the cape from the wall and placed it before the vendor. She counted the right coins and placed the stack before the vendor. The garment was folded into a neat square and handed to her with a smile.

Now back on track, she made her way to the bridge across the river. The crowd had slowed now that the fireworks show was approaching. The planks arched up in the middle, where Hiachi stood patiently, armed with her goldfish and gift.

She faced the edge of the bridge, choosing to watch the river as she waited. The flow of water maneuvered around rocks and strands of long grass. Petals from the trees fell onto the river and got swept away by the stream. White light from the moon and orange light from the red lanterns were reflected on the surface. On the hill next to the river were small groups of people, talking amongst each other as they anticipated the fireworks show.

“Oiiiiiiii! Over here, over here!” A recognizable voice came from the other end of the bridge. There was the boy waving both of his hands right at her, grabbing her attention before dashing his way on over. The wood rattled against his feet as he transitioned into an energetic series of hops midway through, before stopping right in front of her to lean in close.

“I was a bit worried you’d get lost; happy I didn’t need to go find you,” he teased, giving her a small poke on the forehead before straightening back up. His eyes naturally wandered downwards, and seeing the cloth in her hands made him purse his lips in curiosity, “What’s that? Did you get a shirt?” He questioned, pointing towards it nonchalantly.

A smile grew across Hiachi’s face, brimming with pride and giddiness for the surprise. She extended the gift to him with a straight arm. “This is for you.” She unfurled the folded red fabric to reveal it in all its glory. “It’s a cape. A real one, ‘cause… real superheroes should have real capes.”

The hero found himself silent. Words that might have reached his lips couldn’t find the pathway up his throat as he stared at the kind gesture, the smile on the girl’s face. He had been given gifts before by his mom and his grandparents, but never did a friend go out of their way to give him something.

It was weird, but in a way he couldn’t describe. It made it feel like his stomach was flipping, and he was probably blushing underneath the mask.

“U-Uh,” he stuttered out. The facade he had been putting on for so long of the valiant hero faded, and with a gentle grasp, he took the cape. He untied his old cover from his neck, rolling it up into a ball.

“Mind putting it on for me?” He asked, turning around to present his back to Hiachi to do the honors.

“Mhm.” Hiachi twisted her ring finger and pinkie around the plastic fish bag as she held the ties of the cape with both hands. She placed the ties around his neck before spinning him around by the shoulders so he faced her again. Her tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth as she carefully tied a safe knot at the end of the ties. When she finished, she stepped back to admire her job, which was well done.

With his new cape in place, the hero breathed deeply, steeling himself with a small roll of his shoulders to pump himself back up before he twirled around, letting the cape flutter behind him as he struck a heroic pose, moving his arms through the air in a trained motion, though much less practiced than the ones on TV, to finally end up with both of his hands raised like a mantis.

“Guts!” he shouted zealously, giving Hiachi a warm grin as he slowly let his posture return to normal. “How do I look? Cool, right?”

“Y… Yes!” Hiachi nodded up and down, slivers of moonlight caught in her awe-struck eyes. This was different from the courteous compliments she was prompted into by her parents. She believed it herself. He looked like a serious hero, as he had in her eyes the whole evening.

She put her hands together so that her long sleeves concealed them. As an homage to the game they played, she tried to make her smile as princess-like as possible. She gave him a tiny bow as she said, “Thank you, hero.”

There was another moment of silence from the boy as he looked towards the ground in embarrassment; the feeling in his stomach hadn’t gone away, and he was feeling more uneasy by the second, afraid of throwing up. He mustered what he could to say the words he had been finding hard to say until now. “Thank you, princess.” it was said, barely above a whisper.

“I actually got you something too,” he admitted, taking a breath as he stuck a hand in his pocket, trailing off after saying, “It’s not as cool but…” while he rummaged around for it.

Eventually, what he pulled out hung between his fingers, connected by a small latch. It was a black Maneki-neko, dangling loosely between his fingers as he shyly showed it off.

“My dad told me these things ward off evil, so I thought, when we gotta leave, I won’t be the hero there to protect you. You’ll have this, right?” He explained his reasoning, averting eye contact as he did.

“Oh, and it also does this,” he continued, taking his other hand to place a finger on the cat’s head and giving it a slight push down.

Squee~

With that sound, the cat’s tongue stretched out of its mouth, eyes opening wide.

“Funny, isn’t it?”

It felt a bit embarrassing. He didn’t have money to afford anything as good as a cape, and this cost every cent he had. His eyes were kept towards the ground as he offered it to her.

She took the keychain into her hands, holding it like she had been presented with a magical artifact. She pressed the creature down, delighted to find it stuck out its tongue and eyes again when she tested it.

Hiachi waved her hands around, trying to express her feelings through motion. She hadn’t expected anything in return when she picked up the cape. They hadn’t even planned it that way. But to know that it ended up like this anyways…

It was yellow, like summer sunshine or lemonade. Warm and sweet.

“I’ll keep it forever,” She finally said.

“Really!? Forever is a long time, y’know, a really long time!” He blustered out, abruptly taken aback by the genuine comment, but a look upon her face assured him she was serious. He let the shock wear off and matched her energy by proudly placing his hands onto the tie of his cape. “Me too, I’ll hold onto this cape forever!”

Hiachi smiled back as she held the keychain against the festival's backdrop. As she admired it, a scene unfolding in the background caught her eye.

When she focused on it, the sight made Hiachi freeze like a deer in headlights.

It was her mother, pressing questions into a poor bystander. Her glasses glinted in and out of screens of white light, her fury jumping out in flashes. She looked around in a million different directions before facing them again, grabbing them by the shoulders.

It was a miracle she hadn’t spotted Hiachi yet. But with that came the revelation that her adventure was dangerously close to being cut short. Hiachi looked left and right frantically, trying to spot a convenient escape.

She didn’t want it to end. Not like this, anyway.

And then, the sound of something popping, and succinctly, the whistle of something flying through the air.

“The fireworks!” the boy shouted, and cheers and shouts erupted from everyone nearby. The audience all turned their eyes to the sky, children on their parents' shoulders as they pointed towards it, couples with hands interlocked as they leaned into each other.

The fireworks whirled like a spiral in the sky, flying above the city’s skyline, reflecting off the water until it reached the precipice, and in a burst of dazzling light and color, it exploded. The flash went across wide-open eyes and soaked into the faces of the onlookers as it burst and faded.

With only a second for everyone to catch their breath, more began to rattle off, soaring into the sky in a series of different cries and whines, splattering, gushing, and spurting in the air within different shapes, flowers, stars, and galaxies. The sky was illuminated by a vibrant fire that painted pictures within the cosmos.

The imminent threat faded from Hiachi’s mind as the explosions of color consumed everything around her. She couldn’t have torn her eyes from the picturesque view, even if she wanted to. The whole world seemed to stop, except the little bubble with her, the boy, and the fish.

With a tap of her shoulder, the masked boy snapped Hiachi out of her trance, beckoning her to follow as he stepped forward, weaving through the few people standing in front of him, pushing himself up onto the railing of the bridge, plopping himself down as he twisted himself around, extending an arm out to Hiachi, “C’mon get up here, you can see ‘em better.”


She took his hand before jumping up, draping her upper body over the railing. She kicked her legs as swiftly as she could to gain enough momentum to leverage the rest of her body up. When she finally reached that point, she swung her legs around and pulled herself back using her grip on the boy’s hand. It was a rather impressive feat, considering she did it all in a yukata with a fish bag in one hand.

With both of them together on the railing, he twisted back around to look up at the sky, resting his hands on the wood for support. The flashes and the following sounds of distant sparks were all that were heard, everything going quiet as everyone stopped to watch the fireworks. It was a stillness in time.

He couldn’t recall another time he had so much fun. He wished it could last forever.

Even if forever was a really long time.

The colors exploded and fizzled, accompanied by the whistling of fireworks to come. Orange, yellow, pink, and red decorated the starry night in starbursts. She had seen it before atop her dad's shoulders, but this time, it felt different. The reflections over the water made it more special.

A line of fireworks shot up at once before exploding into a golden color. She jumped, startled before she shook the boy by the arm. He could clearly see the same thing she did, but she was urgent to share her excitement.

“Yeah, it’s amazing!” the boy exclaimed, his mouth wide open as he looked to the sky with amazement. "I never seen it so close before…” he breathed out, leaning forward on the railing, uncaring for the danger as his legs dangled. He glanced back at Hiachi; it was at this moment that something came to his mind.

He had never even gotten her name.

“Hey, what’s your--”

His words dropped from his lips and eventually faded into nothing. The approach of a scornful parent was something he had known well, and it immediately made his whole posture droop. Silence came across his sealed lips as he saw something Hiachi did not yet realize.


But all good things must end: a lesson Hiachi was about to learn the hard way. The way she was violently yanked backward was telltale enough.

She didn’t dare squirm in her mother’s grip, even as she held her up by her collar. How could she? Her mother’s twitching eye, sharp breath, and firmly pressed lips were all signs that she was about to regret even thinking about sneaking away. It was like an aura of dark purple burning around her, and the flames were licking at Hiachi’s heels.

“Ito Hiachi.”

Hiachi didn’t verbally respond; instead, she avoided her eyes by staring blankly into space.

She clenched her jaw at the lack of reaction, but eventually, she let out a drawn sigh. “We are going home. Now.”

“W-Wait a second!” His rejection of the situation came with the movement of his body as he slid himself off the handrail back onto the bridge, but as quickly as he found himself looking up at the woman, the words he felt he should say were lost on him. His outburst was weak, and his stance even more meek as he was no longer a valiant hero, a simple kid with no chance against an adult.

Her attention was torn from her daughter for a brief moment. The glint in her glasses faded as she turned his head to him.

She looked at him with a face that should have been bewildered. But something festered in that gaze. It grew deeper and deeper within the moment, static rising in intensity as her irises twitched across him. Absorbing everything that he was.

Her mouth flattened into a line, and she turned her shoulder away from him as she walked away.

Hiachi looked up at her mom and back at the boy. She felt bad that they couldn’t part at a better time, but there was little she could do now. The best she could do was wave at him with the hand that had the maneki-neko keychain hooked around her ring finger.

The boy didn’t wave back. He watched her leave, with gritted teeth, as she slowly was taken away in the distance. Before they could even give proper goodbyes, before they could even trade names, it was over. He wanted to grit his teeth, cry, and scream.

But he kept it all sealed. Instead, he swallowed heavily, sniffling as he kept the tears inside. Instead, he simply turned around. His cape fluttered in the wind as the fireworks flashed in the sky.

He raised an arm in the air, his pinkie raised high; it was his promise, and even if they couldn’t link their pinkies together, they could still make a promise.

“Let’s meet each other again someday!”

 

[Nobody Special]

BASH HIRABAYASHI

CS Link

SCENE:

Reparations

LOCATION:

Ruined Bridge, North/East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Bash, Shen, Kisara, Kanna, Sang-cheol, Celestine, Sabrina, Peyton, Raphael, Ruriko, Lloyd, Jesper [Guardian], Sylvaine

✕ POTENTIALS BANNED:

Rule of Iron [Shen Yue]

Reparations

Like a rod of steel slamming down against a hardened splinter of flintstone, the King’s words sparked the Queen’s temper. Embers of his once concealed rage were now dimly burning behind his hardened scowl.

His once loose hands were now balled into tight fists. His eyebrows lowered into a furrowed position. The pace of his breathing picked up. He takes responsibility? That’s it? If he wanted to settle things now, he would let the others go?

Who the fuck did this guy think he was?

“You–”

Before he managed to crumble, Bash’s sole support beam tempered herself, stepping into the fray to keep him standing. She stood tall, unwavering– it inspired him to do the same. Her words to that blood-slinging freak proved to be nicer than anything that would have come from his own mouth. And, most importantly, they helped his fists loosen back into relaxed, open hands.

Bash couldn’t help but flash his teeth in a toothy grin at his partner-in-crime, for he knew that she had bought them more time.

That’s right, motherfucker. We ain’t scared ‘a you. I don’t gotta prove shit.

There was still a chance to settle things the way he wanted.

“Fuck me, will you chill the fuck out?” He chuckled, swinging his arm around Kisara’s so that they could both face Shen. “I ain’t come here ta fight. If I wanted ta do that, I woulda just caught ya on the street and handled this shit days ago.”

His free hand slid into his pocket, so as not to reveal any potential internal fits of anger that may come in the future.

“Y’may have been ‘struck first’, or whatever the fuck, but your people took shit too far.” He continued, glancing off to the side to gaze at the view the dilapidated bridge provided them. “So, now I want somethin’. First, a ceasefire. I’m tired ‘a this shit. Then, money. Or territory, or somethin’. Whaddaya say?”

Spoiler: tags

Elenion Aura @Misuteeku QuirkyAngel @angel doe Coyote Hart @simj26 @Beann @Jexon Whells @AriAriAbabwa FabulousTrash TheAphelion

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

Reaching The Heavens From Hell (Pre-Arc 3)

LOCATION:

Tourist & Casino District, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Shishido Takakazu, Sylvie Slezák ( WhiskeyMarten )

Reaching The Heavens From Hell

There was a nervous twitch in Tak’s face, a visible quake in the brows, and the right side of his lips as visible veins of anger protruded from his forehead. For a moment, he looked half a second away from pouncing on Sylvie right then and there and wringing his neck.

But, with an exhale and a smooth run-through of his hair with his palm, slicking it back for it just to have it bounce back like it was stuck with rubber and old gum, he let a smirk replace his evident distress, “Man, I was gettin’ so bored of winnin’, I decided to come over here and see how you were doin’. Big-booty babes were all rubbin’ up on me and dousin’ me in champagne; shit was crazy!” He gloated with a haughty laugh as he placed his hands on his hips.

“I’m so lucky today! Real lucky! I shit gold basically! I only need a few chips to be a walkin’ out here, a millionaire. Lady Luck removed her blindfold to look over me today, ya know!?” He continued to shout loudly as he strolled himself over, aggressively sliding out of a chair and plopping himself down into a seat. He quickly handed a few dollars to a nearby dealer, who dropped the matching stack of small chips.

He leaned forward, glaring at Sylvie across the table with gritted teeth. His fingers were so deep into the wooden banding that they were beginning to splinter underneath his grip as he looked between the pompous guy and his giant stack of chips. “You think you’re lucky, huh!?” he spat, the weight of the table beginning to shift as he pushed more of his weight on top of it.

“How about this? We bet on opposites! If I pick red, you do black! If you pick black, I’ll do red! If it’s odds, I’ll do evens! You get the picture!? It will be a challenge to decide who’s the luckiest person, damnit!”

At this point, he was shouting so loud and close that Sylvie’s hair was beginning to get flung back from the concussive force. Spillers of spit fell onto the table in front of him, and his tower of chips looked like it was about to topple over.

Tak flopped himself back into his chair, and with confidence, he gripped his chips and immediately split them into two different stacks, placing a few measly chips on both odds and reds.

He looked at Sylvie with a confident gaze as if he had something planned. His hands were placed on the roulette table, his foot tapping impatiently. His wild eyes were gazing through him with a malicious grin.

What was he up to? Was there some trick or trap he had planned, or was it all idiotic confidence?

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Zachariah C. Locke

CS Link

SCENE:

Bedlam Blitz!

LOCATION:

Whitepeak South District - ATV store?

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 — July 10th, 2021; Early morning

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Hector, Milo, Yukari, Raquel, Leaf, Zach

Bedlam Blitz!

Zach’s eyes, behind his sunglasses, had already started to do their work the moment the small group of phoenixes stepped into the building that would ultimately turn out to be a trap. Eyes that scoped their surroundings like an overhead bird, peering through every crevice and wall. Every canister of gas they passed. Eyes that roamed where those without his potential were incapable of breaching. Therefore, there were a plethora of things Zach had seen before his gaze was inevitably forced shut.

Exits.

People.

The woman whose potential reminded him starkly of Yumin’s.

Were he a faster person Zach might’ve been able to warn his fellow gang members of the dangers they’d stepped into, but alas, it was far too late. Fighting such people alone didn’t seem like the brightest notion. So he did the only thing he could do given the situation–bite the bullet. Pocketed a butter knife he found a table before going “down” with the rest. Besides, he doubted a coward like Armond would show himself unless all of them were incapacitated.

Faking unconsciousness was surprisingly simple. Gas was lighter than air and having one’s face planted to the ground alleviated most of the symptoms. The hardest part was holding still while they removed his sunglasses. The urge to reach up and punch the fucker was strong. Fortunately for them, and possibly Zach, reason won out over personal grievances.

He’d track them down later.

Instead, Zach focused his attention on observing their surroundings - while keeping his eyes mostly closed, of course. He remained with the captured Phoenixes while they were tied up and tossed into a room where Armond awaited. Stirred “awake” only when he saw his allies do the same.

Sitting up, hands tied behind his back and his back to the wall, Zach’s shimmering, kaleidoscopic eyes darted to Boltius before letting out a sigh. He answered when Leaf spoke.

“He’s not himself. There’s potential all over him.”

Zach wasn’t sure how else to describe it–the aura he could see whenever HPs used their potential. Swirling lines that differed in color and shape. If he focused hard, he could read the woven lines and guess what the potential did…but he didn’t have to. The pattern was all too familiar to him. It was the same sort of potential that made him believe he was “best friends” with Eli all those years ago; Not exactly the same, mind you, as there were always subtle differences in the lines that let him differentiate one person’s potential from another’s, but the woven byproduct was the same.

Were it not for his own potential developing, Zach would still be under such influences.

Finally, Zach’s kaleidoscopic gaze landed on Armond, a wide smile stretching across his face.

“Golly geez~! What kind of greeting is this for old friends? How have ya been, ma dude? I see you’ve gotten some new drip~”

@Doctor Llamabean WhiskeyMarten Elenion Aura @Misuteeku @Astrylan Haze-

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

The Only Difference Between Cream and Custard Filling Is One Is Better Than The Other

LOCATION:

West District

DATE:

June 2nd, 2022 || Post-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak, Lazlo WhiskeyMarten

The Only Difference Between Cream and Custard Filling Is One Is Better Than The Other

"You bastard," Tak seethed. Lazlo's tone of speech and whole attitude ticked him off. His scowl grew harder. He couldn't stand someone who didn't understand the balance of flavor. He was just like people who douse their salads in dressing, cover their burgers and ketchup, and even go as far as dousing their ribs in BBQ sauce. Not allowing all the complex tastes to fight for their chance on your tastebuds was a sin of the gravest.

Just before Tak could spit out another word of frustration against the tub of lard, a donut flew through the air from out of his sticky, gooey grubbers. Doused with icing and saliva, it slammed him right in the face, causing Tak to freeze in disgust. His hands held up in the air, twitching with his ligaments from fury and disgust.

It slowly slid off his face and plopped against the ground, leaving him with a clear streak going down his nose to his chin, bloodshot eyes, and jolting brows as his teeth ground together, veins pulsing within his neck.

"You fat fuck! I'm gonna make you spit up yesterday's desert!" He threatened, already taking a first stomp forward to make good on his statement, but abruptly as Lazlo went ahead and gauged in food warfare. Tak's eyes widened, knowing what was coming quickly dove to another shelf for cover as Lou stood there dumbfounded.

"What are you doing--!?" He tried to question the idiotic actions only to receive an eclair right in his throat, causing him to gag as it slipped down his esophagus, and he was left hacking and coughing, trying to force it out.

"OI! DIDN'T YOUR WHALE OF A MOM TEACH YOU NOT TO WASTE FOOD?!" Tak shouted over the barrage of pastries, jelly, icing, crumb topping, and cream cheese burst from the donuts as they splattered onto the windows and slammed into the shelf he hid behind. But the barrage didn't stop.

With a growl under his breath, Tak gripped his hands around the shelf he hid behind. His muscles bulged underneath his clothes as he bent down, grasping the shelf from the ground. All of its contents fell loose inside of it, and the door opening made some of the donuts on display splatter against the ground.

"STOP THROWING SHIT, DAMNIT!" Tak exploded, and with rage, he threw the whole shelf right towards Lazlo; it slammed right into the shelf he was getting his ammunition from, clattering into each other and falling to the ground, breaking and shattering at multiple places.

Tak breathed heavily from exertion, a wild look still in his eyes as he looked at Lazlo; this wasn't over. Now, he was all gross and sticky, covered in jelly and icing, and about to even the score. But before he could begin his plan for retaliation involving the jelly (blood) bursting out from the donut (Lazlo), a firm hand against his shoulder made him stop.

"WHAT IS IT--"

A fist slammed into Tak's face before he could even finish speaking; its size and heft crushed his face like it was made out of dough, making his whole structure collapse into rugged knuckles, the moment of impact delayed in one spot before the momentum followed, sending Tak flying into the air until he slammed into a wall, a huge fist-shaped bruise on his face, missing teeth and rolled back eyes.

Standing there was a man who looked like he had gone to the gym every day since he left the womb. Every part of him bulged with powerful muscles, and even his eyelids were muscled. His eyes glowed red with demonic fury, and the bright yellow aura surrounding him was so powerful that his apron fluttered from the energy he was exerting. He towered over Lazlo, looking down at him with a stern frown.

"You two idiots just ruined my whole stash. Do you know how long I spent making all of those? DO YOU!?"

His powerful shout rattled the windows. Before Lazlo could respond, a firm hand reached over to grab him by the collar, dragging him along like a kitten. As he made his way towards the door in the back, Tak grabbed him as well.

"Well, you're about to learn."

The door to the kitchen slammed open, and both the troublemakers were dragged through.

 

[Haze-]

Leaf W. Natali (2020)

Scene:

Broken Fingers Hold Blood Money

Location:

West District

Time:

July 1st, 2022 || (Post-Arc 3)

Participants:

Leaf(s), Red, Pei, Callista

Broken Fingers Hold Blood Money

Space, comfort, luxury.

Flashing, yellowed headlights played with the mist that hung like the damp, hot breath of the world washed over the highway. Clinging to tinted windows. A solitary haze, giving way to the sleek black shadow on wheels stretched across the road, wheels making a low hiss on the morning-drizzle-covered tarmac. Outside, the world rushed along the peripherals of the black, tin box they rode— like a soulless play of blurs and colorlessness screened on the windows.

Inside, plush seats lined on a U-shape, thrones for kings and queens. Enough empty space for about a dozen silver-spooned snobs to lay their asses to sleep while the chatty chauffeur brought them to their destination. Such as it was in the old times, destriers bred and raised by rulers since foalhood, this was the modern rendition of a knightly steed.

Now, the damned thing only housed a thirty-year-old hag perpetually stuck playing tea-time, some failure of an industry plant and a delusional psycho.

Irreverents, filthy, unbelonging.

It was funny, admittedly. Milk and honey spoils after a bit. The lavish is often meaningless when it’s tethered to the grand, and their childish idiosyncrasy. They’d take greedy slices of their own wealth, leave it completely bloodless; until they all grew dissatisfied.

As a used-to-be rich, big city kid himself— he could confidently say that some things just grew out of fashion. Even timelines apart.

Vainglory. All your mortal possessions don’t come with you to the grave. His pops taught him that.

Some things, on the other hand, just don’t get old at all. The chauffeur, for example, was still as chatty as always— “Oh, so, you’re just gonna rawdog that shit? Not even gonna cover it up, dude?” — 20’ tutted at Leaf in the passenger seat, shaking his head. He shifted from the wheel, bumped his shoulder to his, eyes still glued onto his work taking shape in his lap. One leg craned up to work the steering wheel while he multi-tasked.

It earned him a mortified, yet resigned, begrudging look from Leaf. Pure dread washing over him for a moment. Oddly, or maybe not, enough there wasn’t a single complaint as he kept the limo stable on the road just by using his foot. Hell, he hadn’t been looking at the road for ten minutes now while he worked on Red’s teddy bear.

At first it might’ve been a heart-skipping sight, but— after a while of keeping the wheels steady without a single bump or violent curve, uncannily safe feeling for the way he’d been driving— he’d proven that people from the future were scary.

Leaf had told them not to worry about it. As reassuring as those words might’ve (not) been — “Mm, here…” — He fitted the miniscule lens under the flap of a chest pocket, fidgeting with Leaf’s suit, tucking a loose wire into his dress shirt. After a bit of adjustments, he plopped himself back down on his seat. Getting back to work on the other camera he was setting up into the plush bear’s eyes.

After a couple of seconds of inspection, shamelessly winking and wriggling his brows at his own video feed coming up on his laptop’s screen, he flung the bear by its foot over his shoulder. Not caring to look back to see who’d caught it — “Ey wake the hell up back there! It’s almost party time already.”

“You guys wanna take a peep at the guests list and see what we workin’ with?” — He propped an elbow on the headrest, looking at the trio in the back with a shit eating grin as he set the laptop on the cupholder and flipped the screen to them — “I mean, Pei’s smart-ass probably already knows everyone in there, but I was curious.”

“Eyes on the road, please…” — Leaf was pinching the bridge of his nose, groaning as he tried to lean into the window and ignore how 20’ was steering with a knee.

Before them was a plain-simple spreadsheet of names. Rows of unfamiliar faces and likely unfamiliar positions. All in alphabetical order.

“We got a handful of tech corps CEO’s, household names and even— look’a that!— Jason fuckin’ Benson! HAH! I knew he was a freak of nature here too…They caught his ass blood-handed sacrificin’ goats at an altar once in my time, y’know that? Probs haven’t caught him here yet, but I put 50 on that he’s doing it in his spare time.”

“How the hell did you even manage to get all that?”

“T—heh…” — There was an instantaneous scoff that came after the question, almost as if he’d wanted him to ask from the very beginning. 20’ looked at Leaf with a puzzling expression, lips twisted to a sly smirk — “Don’t even worry ‘bout that, lil’ man. Just watch your tone when you talk to me, okay?”

Leaf waved him off with a grunt, crossing his arms and sinking further into his seat. 20’ cupped his hands on the back of his head, leaning back with a grin. One spit-shined work boot veering a left on the steering wheel as a curve presented itself ahead. He, again, didn’t even bother to look. They were almost there, from what he could gather. The high garden walls were already peeking just around the bend.

“Hey, Leaf,” — As they were going into the parking space, 20’s head lazily drifted over a shoulder. Gawking at Leaf with puppy-dog eyes. The redhead sighed, already knowing the dance — “I’m not, like, tryna imply anything or whatever but like…y’know how I’m more goodlooking than you and everything, right? In that vein of thinking…can I, like…take your place? It'd make more sense if I was out there instead, don't you think?”

“No.”

“WHADDAYA MEAN NO????”

“You’re already doing too much.”

“PLEASE DAWG I NEEEED IT!!!! PLEASE BRO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEA—”

“Won’t happen.”

“DO YOU KNOW HOW HIGH MY EGO WOULD GO AFTER GETTING THOSE PRUNY, ENVIOUS RICH PEOPLE STARES AT THE PARTY!??!?”

“You’ll just have to settle for pruny, envious butlers and maids. I don’t make the rules.” — Leaf shrugged, pushing off the pleading, whining mess that was clinging to him like a child wanting to (and unable to) shove the chocolate cereal into their mom’s shopping cart at the mall — “Tch! Fine! I’ll be the best butler you’ve ever seen…”

20’ sighed, waving the white flag — “Let’s just get it over with then…” — The butler extraordinaire flicked the latch on the door, bumping it open with a shoulder as he walked around from the driver seat over to the other side. He wore white gloves, watched his hands, his every movement methodically humble as to not throw off the guarding hawks at the entrance.

20 knocked gently on the glass, waved a hand before expectantly extending it out. Bowing curtly. Putting on the most handsome, yet punchable, smile he could humanly concoct.

“Shall I walk you two up the stairs, miss Reinhart? Lady Red?”

“This fucking guy…”

Wxnter miki thebigfella

 

[Coyote Hart]

PEYTON XIONG

CS Link

SCENE:

Reparations

TIME:

Post-Outbreak || July 21st, 2022

LOCATION:

Ruined Bridge, North/East District

PARTICIPANTS: Bash, Shen, Kisara, Kanna, Sang-cheol, Celestine, Sabrina, Peyton,

Raphael, Ruriko, Lloyd, Jesper [Guardian], Sylvaine

REPARATIONS

From his place in the gaggle of Serpents, Peyton looked on with the proceedings with dumb interest. Bash and Ruriko both seemed miffed at the behaviors of the other's gangs, but Peyton never had any firsthand experience. He also didn't really care. Serpents were bastards, and Dragons were the type to get into the Serpent's stuff. So wasn't this all business as usual?

But what Peyton was interested in was how willingly Shen was to shake Bash's hand, even despite Bash's Potential. A mischievous idea sprouted in Peyton's mind, and although Bash explicitly instructed the Serpents to not instigate anything, Peyton couldn't help himself.

"I'm gonna ask the king for a hug," Peyton said to the assembled Serpents, a toothy smirk on his face. He hoped that one of them would get a kick out of Peyton's stupid malarky. And it didn't seem that farfetched either. Shen, from what Peyton had seen, was the type that partook in gang violence on a matter of honor and duty, not due to interpersonal reasons. So maybe, just maybe, Peyton's request would have an inkling of a chance.

Peyton had always requested for a hug the times that Peyton had met the more-than-life King when he was a Dragon. Sometimes it would be as a way of saying hi, or most of the time it would be a parting hug.

As tensions rose, Peyton waited patiently for a moment to pitch in his request, finding the perfect opportunity when Bash was reading out his demands. Peyton piped up to add, "Oh! And with all of that, could I also get a hug, Shen Xiansheng? It's been a while since I've had the chance to ask you for one!"

The pint-sized former Dragon sauntered in Raph's shadow towards the group of Dragons. Peyton tried to put up an air of jubilient innocence. But the Dragons would be forgiven for not trusting the arms that Peyton had within his hoodie pocket or the cheerful bounce in his step. He was, after all, a Dragon turncoat. When he got close enough, Peyton's face lit up with a blush and a small grin, almost as if he was sheepish at his own request, "Please?"

 

[King Crimson]

Phoenix Veteran

SCENE:

Two Birds On A Wire [November 18th, 2020]

LOCATION:

Shady's Motel, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Little Red ( miki )

Two Birds On a Wire

"...And uh...yeah, that's how the trial for my first sponsor went! Sure the kid botched it, buuut apparently he's in construction now, so I guess, in a way, he's still kinda workin' with the gang!"
How did he get roped into this?
Steve kept his nose clean, did as he was told, marked his P's and his Q's and whacked whoever the gang said needed whacking, so why was he here, at Phoenix HQ, walking alongside the 5" powder keg wrapped in a big, red hood?
It's because he drew the shortest straw, that's why. And knowing Sam and Jeremy, they probably colluded together to make sure he drew it, those conniving sons of bitches.
He kept a fair distance between himself and the slight girl at his flank, almost an entire hallway's worth, anything to give himself a chance in case her notorious temper flared, and rambled on, mostly to himself, to ease his own frayed nerves, and to dance around the reason why she'd been brought here.
Unfortunately, Steve was well into his 40's, and he was never a particularly fine dancer.
An unsettling silence began to fall upon the hallway, broken by the slight whistle of Steve taking a sharp inhale to gather his thoughts.
"Alright, so I know it's a big pain, asking you to come here on your day off 'n all..." he began, making doubly sure to keep his voice stern, but measured.
"But, well...to be frank, you've been gettin' more erratic, more unpredictable, more violent; a lot of the other axes are as worried you'll turn your blades on them, as you are to turn 'em on a mark."
With a note of sympathy in his voice, he adds, "T' be honest, we're kinda gettin' worried for you. And we ain't the only ones. Higher up's 're worried about your ability to perform your job..."
Alright, worst part out of the way, and they were just about there.
"...And look, I get it! It's a tough time for ya, in the wake of your...loss. Hell! I lost family myself to that damn storm! Two cousins and a goldfish! It's tough, we all lost somethin'!"
The two turned the corner, the door was just within sight
Alright, now to bring it on home.
"So...we thought, maybe you might need somethin' a little 'new' to help take your mind off of the old, and it just so happens we've got just the thing!"
Walking ahead of the little girl, Steve quickly saunters over to grab hold of a doorknob, the door leading towards one of the hotel's still-intact recreation rooms.
With the best smile he could muster, learned from wasted years of working as a sales pitchman, he explains,
"Y'see, Jerimiah, he found this kid out in the sticks, decided to take him in and gave him a trial...but before he could turn in his approval, he up n' disappeared on us, so the kid's in limbo right now..."
The smile on his face fades, returning memories turning over unsteadily in his stomach; Jerimiah being the latest in a string of disappearances was upsetting enough, but what happened after that, when he first met...him...he blanched a bit at the thought, the doorknob in his hand feeling like the lid on Pandora's box.
"Normally, we'd have someone fill in as his sponsor, make him do the test over...but nobody wants to take him, on account of 'is...well...you'll see."
Bringing Little Red over with a bit of encouragement, and a lot of force, he quickly pulls the door open, and pushes her hastily into the room.
"Just uh, y'know, say 'hello', hit 'im with some of yer ole charm..."
"--Oh yeah! And don't forget to duck!"
With those enigmatic last words, the veteran quickly snaps the door shut, leaving her alone, with but only one other soul in the foyer.
He was a small youth, sitting leisurely on an off-white leather couch, a long streak of bright red hair standing taught like a sail amongst a sea of dark black.
He was faced away from her, seeming to be looking into his lap, leaving the features of his face out of Red's sight.
He didn't hear, or at the very least, seem to acknowledge that someone else had entered the room, and judging from the faint sound of rhythmic tapping, and the small, bright red plastic bud in his ear, he was far more concerned with the music on his phone, than with the new arrival.

 

[thebigfella]

Zentsupa Pei

CS Link

SCENE:

Losers!

LOCATION:

East District, Skate Park

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 || June 11th, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Pei, Javi

Losers!

“Kekekeekek! I guess it is that simple, huh?” As Javi expressed his disinterest, Pei retracted his offer immediately, turning around on the dime as he cackled, strolling his way like it was every day.

“So, does that mean the deal’s off, then!?” Brut said excitedly, a fist raised as he looked to the rest of his crew expectantly, “Guess that means we can get back to tearin’ this place up!”

“Deal? Kekekekekekek!” Pei laughed maniacally at the concept, stepping onto a lone skateboard, as Q-Bot’s rattling mechanical steps came running up to him; the tiny robot climbed up his legs and clutched onto his back like a baby monkey as Pei turned back with a malicious grin, “I wasn’t offering anything! I was just giving you a pregame countdown! KEKEKEKEKEK!”

Pei stuck a hand inside his jacket and promptly pulled out a single switch with a bright red button. Its implications weren’t good, but without hesitation, he pressed it and showed that the assumptions would be accurate.

A trigger fired, and a series of beeps came from the pile of his TVs he had already forgotten about; some of the delinquent Playmates had decided to prop themselves down and start watching the programming, but as the sudden, rapid droning signals came through the speakers, they all looked to each other in confusion.

But as the screens and their cases burst at the seams, light flashing out of the openings, their eyes went wide in a moment before the combustion swallowed them. Fire and flames burst outward to swallow them, shaking the ground. Debris flew through the air, whizzing past like bullets as the concussive blast kicked the discarded trash off the ground and sent it airborne.

When the blast dissipated, a giant crater was left in its place; the Playmates were left there, only pairs of blinking eyes, ash, and char making up were formerly their bodies, as they let out coughs of smoke before falling limp in a burnt pile.

“KEKEKEKEKEKEK!” Pei chortled in joy at his handiwork, kicking off his skateboard as he wheeled down the nearby ramp, twirling around the activator between his fingers with a demonic grin, “I wonder how many of those are planted around!? Guess you’ll have to catch me to find out! Unless you want this skate part to become a crater! KEKEKEKEKEK!”

Brut looked in horror at what had become of his boys before his eyes turned to rage towards Pei. “That maniac! That’s what he meant by 'handle it!'?!" He spat in frustration. "We gotta stop him,” he stated, looking up towards Javi with a scowl. "We’ll deal with you later!”

Charging ahead, Brut quickly jumped up to get onto one of the nearby parked tricycles, slamming his foot on the pedals. The wheels skidded like motorized wheels as he picked up speed. He accelerated to try and catch up with Pei as he rose from the other side of the ramp, skating around as he cackled madly all the while.

All of the Playmates' attention had turned from Javi to Pei, attempting to pounce on him or grab onto his skateboard, but anticipating their approach, he weaved through their tackles, giving a sharp kick to slam them out of the way as he balanced on one leg, while Q-Bot leaned over the edge of the board to paddle it with his tiny hands.

Once again, the skatepark had erupted in chaos, and the threat of the subsequent explosion could happen anywhere. What kind of ridiculous game was this supposed to be?!

 

[Elenion Aura]

MILO NAGISA

CS Link

SCENE:

Blank Canvas

TIME:

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

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Milo, Hector

BLANK CANVAS

Milo shrugged. Better, he thought, but didn't say. Under normal circumstances, he’d have swelled with pride at the praise. These days, he couldn’t remember the last time circumstances had been normal.

As he watched Hector work with the blade, all the while a tiny, paranoid part of him half-expected to have the Phoenix Queen snap and turn the dagger turned against its creator.

He noticed the car around the same time Hector did. "Friends of yours?" Milo asked, changing the subject and shaking his dour thoughts away. Quickly, he discovered that these were, in fact, not Hector's friends. A cold sliver of dread worked its way down the length of his spine. Milo did as he was bid and followed Hector's lead. Together, Milo trailing a few paces behind, they approached the idling vehicle.

Milo watched the car, though he couldn't make out much through the front windshield... Then he watched Hector, as the former fell into what Milo could only presume was a fighting stance. Were they in for a fight? Milo felt his adrenaline spike, his heart suddenly working double time in his chest.

Milo let Hector do the talking... Not like he'd have any clue what to say, anyhow. There had been no response from the car. Milo wasn't surprised by what happened next, but he ducked his head and shielded his eyes anyway to the sound of shattering glass and twisting metal.

As two men exited the car, Milo flicked a furtive glance in Hector's direction. He spoke in a soft, strangled whisper. "What do we do?"

 

[Roda the Red]

ERIC EVENSEN

CS Link

SCENE:

You Know The Rules, And So Do I

LOCATION:

Some Park, Central District

TIME:

Post Arc 3 || July 1st 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Eric

YOU KNOW THE RULES, AND SO DO I

The Queen of the Scarlet Phoenixes was a tenacious man, even moreso than before, back when their roles were not as prestigious as they are now. Ah, it was nostalgic, the good old days, which were arguably no different to today, but still, being nostalgic is all the rage with kids nowadays. He somersaulted backwards, away from Hector's reckless charge, swatting his hand to the side while mid-air, summoning three more arrows of light traveling to his enemy's way.

He landed on his knee, calmly making his way back to a straight stance. The faint sound of sirens had sneaked its way into his ears, having now grown loud enough to catch his attention. The detective peered behind him, distant flashes of red and blue making their way through the street. "Seems like the others are catching up now." His hands were released of any leftover energy, instead being placed inside of his pockets, taking a couple of nonchalant steps towards Hector. "Look, the date was lovely, but I don't think they'll let us keep it going anymore." One of his hands released itself, reaching for the pair of handcuffs attached to his belt. He twirled it a couple times before catching both cuffs into his grasp. "If you come quietly we can make it easier for ya, and don't think about running away, because I'll chase you like a maiden in love." He finished his statement with a playful wink, or at least, as playful as it could be with a stone-cold, emotionless face like his.

Truthfully, considering all the man has been known to do to this day, he'd easily earn himself three to four life sentences, regardless of whether he cooperated, or fought with nail and tooth till the very end, but Eric had grown tired of their little squabble, and ultimately never care much about really 'settling scores'. He just wanted to crack a cold one at home and watch the new season of Pre:Nero.

WhiskeyMarten

 

[Wxnter]

​

Callista Reinhart

CS Link

Scene:

Broken Fingers Hold Blood Money

Time:

Post-Arc 3 - July 1st, 2022

Location:

West District

Participants:

Callista, Leaf, Pei, Red

Broken Fingers Hold Blood Money

Callista Reinhart, the sole heiress of the esteemed Reinhart Corporation, crossed paths with a charming young man during her regular visits to an animal shelter—a sanctuary she ardently frequented during her cherished weekends. Their initial meeting ignited a fervent flame of passion, swiftly igniting a kindling romance that defied all odds. Despite the disapproval looming from her late father's shadow, they hastened into matrimony, propelled by the irresistible allure of their love.

In the early years of their union, they basked in the euphoria of shared dreams and whispered promises. Yet, like ships navigating treacherous waters, they encountered storms that tested the resilience of their bond. The cruel sting of infertility cast a shadow upon their hopes and dreams, testing the very foundations of their relationship.

In a bid to evade the impending threat of divorce, the young couple embarked on a fervent quest to realize their long-cherished dream of parenthood. It was amidst the poignant corridors of an orphanage that they discovered a beacon of hope—a winsome, gifted young girl whose presence seemed to shimmer with the promise of a brighter tomorrow. The final piece completing their family puzzle.

…Or at least that’s the story.

A plush teddy bear smacked Callista in the face, snapping her out of her fanciful musing. A disgruntled noise rose to her throat, and her features contorted into a deep scowl. "What the hell—" She resisted the impulse to lash out. Instead, she focused on restraining her hands, which twitched with the urge to snatch the plush toy and hurl it at the driver's head. With a frustrated sigh, she crossed her arms tightly across her chest.

"How annoying," muttered Callista under her breath.

The car ride had dragged on, the incessant chatter making it feel almost unbearable, but they finally arrived at their destination. As the door swung open, a cool breeze washed over Callista's face, bringing a welcome sense of relief. Drawing in a deep breath, she conjured up a bright smile, erasing any lingering signs of frustration. She took Other Leaf's hand and gracefully stepped out of the car.

“Quite the gentleman, are you? But I'd like to walk alongside my husband.”

Callista turned around to face Leaf, mustering a sugary smile while her eyes betrayed a simmering intensity. Clearing her throat, she locked eyes with him, gently intertwining her arm with his in a gesture of affection. In a hushed tone, she implored, "Perhaps you could play the role of a doting husband a bit more convincingly. Pretending to adore me shouldn't be too challenging. After all, I am rather beautiful." Leaning in closer, she added, "If you maintain your aloof demeanor, our charade would fail to fool anyone. Perhaps I should take your... other self?"

Without another word from Callista, they ascended the grand staircase leading to the opulent entrance. She motioned for Red to remain at her side, wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulder. As they approached the towering doors, Callista stole a final glance in Pei's direction, her expression betraying her disdain for his strange getup. Nevertheless, she pushed the thought aside. Acting came naturally to her. Tonight, she would flawlessly perform the roles of the perfect wife and mother.

"Shall we?"

As they entered, they were welcomed by the dulcet strains of a string quartet serenading the gathering. The hall exuded extravagance, adorned with ostentatious decorations that spoke of wealth and refinement. At the entrance, a distinguished man meticulously scrutinized each guest, ensuring the exclusivity of the affair. Beyond, buffet tables were laden with a vast selection of gourmet treats, while an abundance of fine wines flowed freely, promising a night of indulgence and excess. With the party in full swing, it was time to set their plan in motion.

Haze- thebigfella miki

 

[Roda the Red]

CAMILA GASPARI

CS Link

SCENE:

Everyone's a Critic

TIME:

Post-Arc 3, July 9th 2022

LOCATION:

Feralia Art Gallery, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Takakazu

Everyone's a Critic

Why the fuck was that woman here. Camila dug her back further deep into the wardrobe, her shoulders pushing aside elegant silk dresses and shirts. She had accidentally failed to fully close the door of her hiding spot, artificial orange seeping through the thin gap. She peeked over, getting a glimpse of the pretenious bitch, and next to her? To the surprise of absolutely fucking no one, that brainless dumbass was with her. Every time Tak proved himself to be surprisingly capable and useful, be it intentional or not, he would follow it up with another cringeworthy fuck up, nay, this time it was just plain infuriating.

"Huh? Where?" Hillclad asked, her eyes tracing at Tak's finger, then following the imaginary line towards the location he pointed at, despite the man's extreme theatrics, her reaction left much to be desired. "Don't know what's the big deal though...It's just a cockroach, there's bound to be some here and there in an underground building..." She crawled over the couch's rest, aiming to put the critic's distress to rest, her rear wigling as she reached further to investigate better.

The moment the two tigers' faces met, Camila responded to Tak's look with one of her own, her frown expressing something along the lines of "Like hell I trust you, I'll feed you to the dogs after we're done.". Her mouth opened wide as the young man's hand pushed the wardrobe shut, letting out a silent scream.

"Well, it doesn't matter." Said Debora, staring back at Tak with a gentle smile. "we were just going to start getting to know each other a little bit, you know?" She leaned over towards the man, her face, half-lowered eyelids and all, coming extremely close to the man. Just as the man might've expected their lips to come into contact, she got past his face, eaching over behind him, her hand grabbing a hold of a small notepad laying atop the arm rest.

"So! I'm so endlessly curious about you." The pen in her hand clicked as she pressed the small button on its back, the small metal tip jutting out forward. "So, tell me more about your career as an art critic? What gets that mind of yours going full speed ahead." She went ahead and wrote down a header on the page, with Tak's fake name on it, as well as a couple hearts adorning the corner.

"Whenever you look at memorable art, the kind that gets your mind and creativity going...What kind of words would you say come to your mind?"

thebigfella

 

[Elenion Aura]

JAVI ONEIRO SILVA

SCENE:

Losers!

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 || June 11th, 2022

LOCATION:

East District, Skate Park

PARTICIPANTS:

Pei, Javi

LOSERS!

At the moment when Pei turned, Javi felt himself a little lost. Or rather, more accurately, felt like the man who'd turned his back to him was lost. In his own mind, if not the real world. Is this guy for real..?

Javi started after Pei. Rocco started after Javi. After all that, after determining that this guy was the cause of all the disruptions, there was no way he was gonna just let him walk off!?

"Hey..!"

One of the playmates jumped the gun. While Pei and Brut bickered, one of the toy-like beings—a koala, maybe? It was wearing a biker jacket with the sleeves ripped off—made a move on the pursuing Dragon. Snarling, it jumped at Javi's back, teeth and weird, stubby claws bared.

Before it could even get close, an unseen flipper knocked it off its trajectory and out of the air. The man-handled playmate landed on the pavement in a heap. Dazed, it shook the stars from around its fuzzy head as it gazed indignantly around in search of the source of its current predicament.

A flash of yellow across its field of vision was its only warning before Rocco fell on it like a swooping bird of prey. Shoving the playmate to the dirt, it slapped the creature with clenched flippers until whirlpools swirled dizzyingly in its black, beady eyes.

With one fin, Rocco grabbed the collar of its jacket and hoisted it. With the other fin, he was reeling back to deliver another slap. It was only the sound of Javi's voice that reminded Rocco of its higher charge. And spared the playmate its walloping.

"Hey. I'm not kiddin', man. You gotta get outta—" Javi's eyes alighted upon the detonator, sucking in a sharp inhalation of breath. He was too late to do anything. The resulting explosion drowned out the rest of what he had to say, as both Javi and Rocco shielded their eyes from blinding light of the blast that rocked the skatepark. Shrapnel and bits of cloth and fur rained down around them.

There was no time to mourn.

That freakazoid was getting away.

He dropped the board from under his arm. Javi kicked off hard, pumping the ground beneath those four wheels, building up speed in his pursuit of that blonde renegade bomber.

Rocco was busy savaging another innocent playmate, pummeling it into the pavement with its flippers, when a crouching Javi swooped by, scooping him up like a bowling ball before depositing him on his left shoulder, its favored perch.

As the pair of them rumbled after Pei, the orb within Javi's satchel swirled with color. Blue and white, like frothy ocean waves crashing against grey rocks. A flash of cerulean light lit the park, as an amorphous globule of blue energy sloughed out of the orb like some kind of radioactive spew.

From out of this crude viscera, a blue creature with a slate grey, chitinous shell emerged. The creature hovered beside Javi as he rode along, chirping agreeably as it curiously snuffled the outside air.

"¡Oye!" Javi called for the newly-summoned entity's attention. He pointed to the fleeing figure of Pei ahead.

The creatue chirped inquisitively, glassy eyes glancing from Javi to Pei and back again. Then, seeming to understand, Luvi puttered off toward the mad bomber, approaching from the air.

The creature bobbed through over the dilapidated skatepark like a fat, wingless bumblebee, floating along at a relaxed pace.

As it neared Pei, its belly puffed up, before it discharged the contents of its insides—a volley of blue, gooey globules of plasma—at the fleeing figure. They stuck fast wherever they struck, glueing in place trash, playmates, and anything else caught up in their area of effect.

Puttering up beside Pei, the creature rocked back and hocked a vibrant blue loogie at his board, aiming to gum up the wheels of his escape vehicle

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

Everyone's A Critic

LOCATION:

Feralia Art Gallery, Central District

DATE:

June 30th, 2022 || Pre-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila ( Roda the Red ), Takakazu

Everyone's A Critic

The tension was growing; for Tak, it was sweltering; he could smell the growing bit of sweat growing around parts of his body, acting as oil greasing up long unused parts of his body that hadn’t found their proper service done in years.

For a moment, Tak remembered a time when he was only a few years younger, and this was the norm. Girl to girl, he would get with a chick who’d catch his fancy, get a chance to roll in the hay with her, and then lose interest. A behavior he had stopped as he got older, but one that he couldn’t decide was a good change or not.

The only reason he ever stopped living that life of parties, hooking up, drinking, and going from the next crazy night to the next was because of her.

The thought crossed his mind, and memories swirled back to the surface he had been forgetting for a long time. His head slightly turned away from Hillclad’s approach. Luckily, she aimed to reach something instead of trying to lock lips.

Tak looked at the artist with a new gaze, much more sober and grounded. He analyzed her for who she was. He was on a job, wasn’t he? And this woman was the one he was supposed to pop like a balloon. A hand reached up to cup his chin. He would have to keep playing along as the interested critic for now.

“A tease, huh?” Tak mused on her little gestures, small notes to lead along. Expecting him to play along with her tune, he couldn’t deny, for a moment he was letting himself get swept up by it. He had watched the same thing happen to many characters in his soap operas, and he would scream at them for being idiots while flinging a spoonful of ice cream at the screen; now, he was letting himself be toyed with.

At that moment, something in Tak changed; his usually lifeless eyes sharpened, and as a hand came to cover his mouth in a feigned attempt to scratch at his nose, a smirk came across his lips. If she wanted to play around, then sure! He’d kick down her sandcastle, shit in her bucket. Maybe that would give Camila enough satisfaction to make it so she didn’t chew him out too hard after all this was over.

“Hooh, so this is an interview, is it?” Tak responded to her prodding by folding one leg over the other; he let his eyes visibly drop down to her notepad, scanning over his alias and all the pretty hearts, giving a sheepish smile as he averted his gaze, raising a carefree hand and spinning it through the air, “I suppose I could give you a taste. But I can’t just do it off the cuff. It wouldn’t be…” He took a moment, a pause that might have seemed deliberate, as he closed his eyes as if carefully considering his words…

But in truth, the opposite was happening. Within Tak’s head, his mental image of himself quickly sorted through words scattered across the dark void of his mindscape, picking up the words from the ground like pieces of paper.

“Authantiac? Accurate? Authors? Arthur? Abraham!?” He rattled off names as he picked up a pile of them between his fingers before tossing them all away in a rage, “None of those are it, damnit!”

Back in reality, Tak’s eyes opened again, giving an awkward look to Hillclad as he realized he had abruptly paused, quickly shifting his stance on the seat to stand up, “Well, safe to say, it wouldn’t be a true showing of my skills! A masterworks best in their own environment, yes?” Tak stated, a self-affirming nod, before he turned to look at Hillclad with a small smile, “You have some art pieces in this study of yours, don’t you? Allow me to see one! I wouldn’t be against reviewing one of your newest creations,” his hands pompously folded behind his back, speaking as snooty as he could, “People have begged for such a chance, you know? But I can make an exception for a woman as beautiful as you.”

Tak glanced at the wardrobe. He hoped Camila was paying attention. For once, he was about to earn his keep.

 

[thebigfella]

Zentsupa Pei

CS Link

SCENE:

Losers!

LOCATION:

East District, Skate Park

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 || June 11th, 2022

PARTICIPANTS:

Pei, Javi

Losers!

The board rocked underneath him as it strode over pebbles and dirt. Pei looked down at Q-Bot, the tiny robot’s legs flailing as it tried to keep up with the skateboard, screaming out loud in fear, “I’m gonna fall! I’m gonna fall!” as he pushed the board for Pei, who was too lazy to move it around himself.

“Keep running, shitbot!” Pei ordered, slamming a shoe down on the robot’s square head and shoving it into the board's edge. Muffling his cries as Pei cackled, “If you stop, I’ll use turn you into a can to hold green beans and spinach! Kekekekek!”

As Pei let his foot off, Q-Bot’s anguished cry came with spurts of tears from his eyes, frantically shouting in response as he looked up at Pei in horror from his statement, “Anything but that! I hate vegetables!” The tiny robot shrilled.

Pei ignored his cries, though, instead focusing his gaze upwards to narrow toward the only exciting thing of this whole scenario. He had a slight grin as the wind blowing against his back fluttered the edges of his jacket and his dyed hair.

“Finally showing off a bit more!?" He questioned expectantly, a dry, breathy chuckle from within his throat as he watched the flash of bright blue across his corneas. He watched as the critter flew through the air towards him, impatiently rubbing underneath his nose.


“You bastaaard!” An enraged shout drew his attention to the side, the sound of a metal pipe scraping against the ground, sending off sparks that ignited from the friction, the spinning of plastic wheels.

The pipe's trail was followed. From its curved end, its rusted veins came to a tiny green hand, and attached to it was the familiar, loud-mouthed Ruffian, soaring across the park on his tricycle, joined by two more of his jacket-wearing Yankees, their vaguely plush-like appearance not fitting the scars and tattoos that covered their fur.

“I’ll teach you a lesson for messin' with us!” Brut cursed, a devious lick of his lips as he closed the distance between him and Pei, all of his followers readying their weapons, from blunted to spiked. Pei only gazed at them with half interest as the distance closed and their weapons raised, prepared to slam into him with all the momentum.

From within the space between them, a glob of vicious blue shot by; Brut’s eyes widened just in time to see it, but it was far too late to react as it shot overhead to nail the front wheel of one of the tricycles behind him. The abrupt stop sent the Playmate within it flung outward, flying high into the sky and off into the distance.

“What the--!?” Brut’s shock was interrupted by another wad nailing him right in the face, causing his tricycle to swerve sideways before the whole thing toppled over, rolling the other trio member into a high-speed pile-up.

“Kekekek. Fuckin’ trash,” Pei spoke with slight amusement before letting his eyes snap back towards the burping, spewing creature; his hands slowly reached up to his mouth, acting as a megaphone as he took a deep inhale before his mouth opened in a massive shout.

“KIIIIIIIIIIIIIYYYYYYYYYYYYSSSSSSSS!”

With his holler, there was a glint in the sky, a precursor to a crimson blur soaring through the air. A demonic bat shot down from the sky like a falcon, its red wings slicing through the air like razors, and its mouth opened wide to let it cackle loudly.

“KIKIKIKIKIKIKIIIIIIIIII!”

Like a crooked mirror of its master, the devil bat bared its talons, and as it crashed into the ground, a sharp twirl of its trajectory cut off its dive before it splattered into the ground, weaving its way between Pei’s legs as straightened like an arrow.

It dodged out of the way as another glop of vicious goo came from it, and immediately to the chance to flip itself upward, rising above Luvi, a beat of its wings stopped it in place for a moment before another flap rocketed it into a spear that slammed into the floating monster’s back, just enough to disorientate it.

The blur shifted its weight in the air on the dime, coming back around instantly to bash itself into Luvi again. Cackling all the while, it pestered it, claws raking down its shell like nails on a chalkboard.

Pei’s amusement at the scene was clear in his face. He watched as the adhesive bile flew towards the wheels of his skateboard. Immediately, the blonde slammed the board down, leaping himself off as the wheels spewed flood into the spokes like caulk. The sudden stop caught Q-Bot off guard, his whole body flinging over the board as the front wheel abruptly glued to place.

Pei’s shoes skidded against the pavement as he twisted himself around, raising a hand to catch Q-Bot by his leg, the momentum causing the robot to twist and spin around between Pei’s figures as he looked at the quickly approaching Javi, still grinning ear to ear.

“Kekekekek! Still interested in ending this peacefully, huh!?” Pei called out his lack of malice with a joyful sneer, twisting his tiny robot in his hands to grasp him by the non-existent waist; the Playmate looked around confused, looking to Pei for answers, but instead of getting them, he was rapidly shaken, like a soda bottle getting prepped to explode.

“P-P-P-Professor w-w-w-w-what are you d-o-o-o-ing!?” Q-Bot questioned as it was jostled, but as Pei stopped, the robot’s eyes spun around like spirals, its cheeks puffing up, hand grasping at his mouth to hold back what was about to blow.

But it was fruitless. With a guttural belch, the tiny robot spewed out a massive cloud of disgusting-smelling green gas that flew in Javi’s direction, slowly swallowing Pei into the unknown as it began to spread around the whole skatepark.

Playmates covered their noses if they had them, while more sensitive ones fainted upon a sniff, falling onto the ground immediately. Coughing and hacking, they all tried to run away from the noxious gas.

“Kekekekek!” Pei’s laughter was muffled by a series of filters. The madman sulked through the noxious mist. A gas mask had already found its way on his face as he stood in the middle of his chemical warfare.

“So, what’s next!? There's more tricks, right mossball!?” Pei shouted expectantly into the unknown, his hands calmly at his sides. The edges of his smile were barely visible within the lenses of his gas mask. He would meet whatever was next head-away and foot-first.

 

[FabulousTrash]

[media]N/A[/MEDIA]

KANNA KATSURA

SCENE:

Reparations

TIME:

Post-Outbreak, July 21st, 2022

LOCATION:

Ruined Bridge, North/East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Bash, Shen, Kisara, Kanna, Sang-cheol, Celestine, Sabrina, Peyton, Raphael, Ruriko, Lloyd, Jesper [Guardian], Sylvaine

Reparations

As she idly listened to the conversation between Shen and the one that appeared to be leading the group of Serpents, her eyes watched the rest of them behind Bash. So far so good, but the night was still young. And if Kanna had learned anything from their meeting with the Phoenixes, it didn't take much to cause things to go south.

Kanna could tell there was something going on between Bash and Ruriko. To her, it felt like they recognized one another, which meant that they had met previously. Whether it was under friendly terms or not, eluded the Jack. She gestured for Ruriko to go join the rest of the Dragons while Kanna remained nearby Shen. Just in time too, as some of the Serpents walked over to mingle with them. Hopefully, they could keep themselves under control.

As she returned her attention to her King, her gaze caught the glimpse of a person whom she wasn't entirely fond of. Not anymore at least. As Peyton approached, Kanna shifted her position so she was in between him and Shen. Eyes narrowing, she answered Peyton's request.

"No."

She wasn't sure what Peyton was thinking, but as far as she was concerned, he was no longer one of them, and would be treated as such. It was worse that he joined the Serpents as well. Kanna maintained her position between him and Shen, while not interfering with his conversation with Bash. But had she wanted to, she'd also direct her answer to Bash's requests as well. But for now, she remained silent, curious as to what Shen would say.

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

Hot and Bothered

TIME:

Daytime, Post-Arc 2, January 11th, 2022

LOCATION:

Phoenix HQ, training grounds, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Boltius

Hot and Bothered

The lukewarm water pouring down from the shower refreshed the young man, his obscenely long hair, now pulled down by the added weight of the water, partially stuck to his body, conveniently covering his private parts from view. The memory of the first many days at the Phoenix's showers was still fresh in the boy's mind, the panicking reaction that some of the men had as he entered, let alone when he started to undress. It was a slow and excrutiating process until all of the regulars in the place got used to his precsense.

It was that overall train of thought, as well as the shower in of itself being the primordial nest of the thinking man, that reminded Charlie about a long forgotten observation: Bolt wasn't suspecting that the Charlie was a woman...Right? He had his suspicion about it, all the way back to their first meeting at the ruins of the nightlife district.

No, there was no way. To begin with, the rookie never managed to actually confirm his hypothesis, so it's possible that this wasn't the case to begin with, and, even if he did back then, there was simply no way the hothead would still mistake him like that, they DID meet several more times ever since, so it was simply impossible...Right?

The pondering would have to wait for another time, at least, couldn't keep his friend waiting any longer, after all, especially considering he was being nice enough to lend him a hand. He hastily dried himself as best as he could, putting on his spare change of clothes, putting his hair up into a loose low ponytail.

Finally making his way out of HQ, the rookie was left in awe at the sight of Boltius' beautiful SUV. It was true that Bolt was a veteran with quite possibly a hefty sum in his savings, and that was not even counting the fact the man had snatched the title of Ace not long ago. Yet somehow the blue-head had fabricated a more...humble picture of the man in his head, but hey! If hard work makes way to wealth, why not enjoy its benefits?

"Oh, that's actually less time than I expected! Means we'll have plenty of sunlight to train under." He spoke, pulling on his seatbelt across his chest, fastening it with a satisfying click. He was pretty unbothered by the loud roar of the machine, he'd gone on rides with Vulken before, it was unlikely that the little brother could be just as reckless. "Whatever I want? Hmm, alright then!" He reached for his phone in his pocket, an icon on screen signaling its successful connection with the car's system.

The boy wasn't quite sure what to put on, he didn't listen to a lot of modern pop or techno music, but he didn't think Boltius would be all that appreciative of classical either...He then remembered, a recent song from one of his favorite independent musicians, perhaps that'd be more up the driver's alley.



"Lemme know if you'd rather listen to something else!" He spoke loudly over the combined decibels of the exhaust and the speakers. "What kind of music do you usually listen to, anyways?"

@Doctor Llamabean

 

[TheAphelion]

[media]N/A[/MEDIA]

SYLVAINE VALENTINO

CS Link

SCENE:

Reparations

TIME:

Post-Outbreak, July 21st, 2022

LOCATION:

Ruined Bridge, North/East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Bash, Shen, Kisara, Kanna, Sang-cheol, Celestine, Sabrina, Peyton, Raphael, Ruriko, Lloyd, Jesper [Guardian], Sylvaine

Reparations

Unfortunately, Sylvaine was not about to go unnoticed. He had caught the interest of a particularly reckless Serpent, who was currently sauntering his way over. Sylvaine resisted the urge to groan and roll his eyes, instead pressing his lips together in a thin line and staring down this serpent with a dull gaze.

He was all too familiar with the tricks of these snakes -- he wasn't about to let it get to him. So, when the bothersome stranger spoke, he did not respond, simply regarding the other with a cold, unwavering stare, his turquoise gaze holding nothing but mere boredom at the Serpent's attempt to catch his attention. As always, he ensured that his demeanor as calm and collected, a tactic to avoid showing any sort of weakness. He knew from personal experience that even the smallest slip up could result in devastation, especially when faced with a Serpent. He wasn't about to allow this fool the satisfaction of seeing him boiling with rage. Not like Sylvaine was particularly known for his anger, anyway, though he had to give it to them, they were excellent at being able to get under one's skin.

There was one thing he was searching for, however. Whilst holding the man's gaze with an unfaltering expression of absolute apathy, he examined the other's features for... something. A flicker of recognition, a recollection of a time they might've met beforehand. Of course, Sylvaine didn't recognize the stranger making a daring attempt to poke at him, though his memories regarding faces were quite foggy. Must've been that knock to the head he sustained ten years prior...

Even as the bold snake was ordered back in line, Sylvaine continued holding his gaze, his expression completely neutral and his eyes conveying nothing that would hint to any sort of annoyance. He was practically like a statue, impenetrable and unbothered by the antics of this stranger, whom he would come to know as 'Raph'.

 

[thebigfella]

Shishido Takakazu

CS Link

SCENE:

Mom Told You To Come Home Before it Gets Dark Because After The Sun Falls Good Things Happen

LOCATION:

South District, Police Department

DATE:

July 13th, 2022 || Post-Outbreak

PARTICIPANTS:

Tak, Musai @Kameron Esters-

Mom Told You To Come Home Before it Gets Dark Because After The Sun Falls Good Things Happen

There was a silent, awkward pause as Musai went on his long-winded ramble. There was a clear tiredness in the detective’s eyes; he didn’t even write anything down, his notepad hanging loosely between his fingers and his mouth hanging open slightly.



Tak was in a similar situation, a small bead of sweat on the side of his face as he looked at Musai with a silent glare of uncertainty, a very “What the fuck is this bozo talkin’ about?” type of side-eye. However, his apprehension quickly turned to annoyance as Musai’s earlier statement garnered a delayed reaction.



“Oi, who the hell you calin’ Tik-Tak?” He loudly grumbled, leaning forward towards his ‘partner in crime’ as he propped up an arm on his leg, his lower jaw extending forward in a begrudged scowl, “The hell have you been talkin’ about? Strategic genius? Pawns and kings? You gotta have a brain under that crow’s nest you call a hair-do?!” Tak shouted, giving the man an audible rap against his temple, insulting him despite the fact he wasn’t much better.





“Don’t listen to this dumbass,” Tak said, turning to the detective with crossed arms, “He probably doesn’t know his mouth from his ass. I’ll tell ya what really happened! I ain’t boutta have this fucker get us both locked up.” Tak sternly stated, his eyes narrowing with seriousness as one leg folded over the other, and he leaned back in his seat.





“Really!?” The detective was surprised that Tak was so willing to let the truth spill, catching him off-guard. He quickly cleared his throat, letting his relaxed, stoic demeanor return as he rocked himself forward, bringing his chair closer to the table that separated them. “Then go ahead. If you confess, I’ll ensure you’re both let off the light.”



Tak gave a nod, a smirk coming across his face, “Trust me, you won’t be thinkin’ about charging us with anything when you hear this shit,” he prefaced before raising his hands in some flair of display.



“It all started a few hours ago…”

---

With a hazy blur, the scene quickly transitioned. Shelves lined with junk food and snacks, coolers filled with soft drinks. Everything was lit up in a bright light above the convenience store.



A single man stood behind the counter, occupied by his phone. He mindlessly swiped through it, leaning over the register and waiting for the next customer.



Then came the sound of the door opening, the robotic chime of the bell going off. Cold night air rushed in, and following right behind it was a familiar figure of white and black. His posture was slouched, his eyes hazy and unfocused—just the norm. The man at the counter only afforded him a glance as he walked in.



“I hope they got some meds here, my ass’s burnin’...” Tak mused underneath his breath, scratching his chin as he rounded the corner. He looked around with a blink at the shelves, but as he turned forward, he paused; his eyes widened, and he froze.



His eyes focused on messy, unkempt hair, an uneven shave upon lips, and a pair of bushy brows. A disheveled man who looked like he only had a few pennies in his wallet, he felt incredibly familiar for some reason. Like he had seen him before.



“You’re…” Tak began, raising a finger to point at Musai, but stopped with his finger weakly holding in the air as he blinked at him as if waiting for something to come through his memory. He definitely knew this guy from somewhere.





“...Wait, who the hell are you!?” Abruptly, his thoughts were broken apart, and the memories he didn’t have were forgotten, with the realization that he had never seen this guy before in his life. He was almost like a doppelganger or a long-lost brother, but the similarities were almost uncanny.



“Oi, oi,” Tak immediately went on the offensive, a frown coming across his lips as he titled his head upward pompously, “You gotta get yourself a new look, man. You’re stompin’ all over my identifiable character traits. Not cool,” he spat, raising a hand to massage over his uneven shave, “You’re tryin’ too hard to be the original article. I know I’m a fan favorite, but you gotta get your own thing. Nobody likes imitators.”



Just what was he going on about?

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

DARIUS KENNEDY

CS Link

SCENE:

Dissonant Ichors

LOCATION:

Alleyway, East District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1: December 21, 2020 -- Dusk

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Shen, Raph

DISSONANT ICHORS

What are you thinking, idiot!?

Darius couldn’t look away from the giant as Raph attempted to kill it, and almost felt satisfaction seeing him fail. Serves him right for being so blasé about the situation. There was no time to feel anything but fear though, as the giant headed his way again, kicking up a flurry of snow. In the brief moment of isolation, where Darius could see neither giant nor Raph, but only white, he considered running again. But that was still too risky. Even if he outpaced them both, he was outed as a Serpent, and he reckoned the other Serpent was the vengeful type if he were to be left here.

“Do you need to fight this thing?”

As the flurry cleared, Darius ran to avoid another foot. The pain didn’t matter right now. Patting down his body, he realised something grim. He was completely unarmed. His bat was- well, he had lost sight of it, and any hidden knives must’ve been dislodged in the chaos. In desperation, he grabbed for something off of the ground, and a hand squeezed around him.

This time, the giant was too stubborn to cease his attack, even as its skin withered away further. It did loosen its grip a bit, only when a sharp piece of Darius’s old restraints was driven into its wrist, allowing him to wriggle free and breathe again after an excruciating few seconds. He wasn’t allowed to rest for long. The giant slammed his wounded hand, and Darius, back towards the ground where Raph had landed.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

SYLVIE SLEZÁK

CS Link

SCENE:

Reaching The Heavens From Hell

TIME:

Pre Arc-3

LOCATION:

West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Sylvie Slezák, Shishido Takakazu

Reaching The Heavens From Hell

“Bored of winning?” Sylvie sniffed the air around Tak. “You don’t smell like champagne. I’m not saying you’re lying, but…”

An arm Sylvie was passively resting on the table dropped, and he went briefly off-balance, knocking over some of his chips. It only highlighted the difference between their stacks further. This guy is really serious, huh?

“If you don’t break the table. Come on, it is just a game, right? And if we’ve both been so so lucky so far, it will be fun!”

Sylvie cupped his hands, slightly too dainty to grab enough neatly, over half his chips. Seeing where Tak went, he nodded, and put them opposite. Half on even, half on black.

“I wish you the best of luck.” Sylvie spoke quickly, before ducking his head away from Tak to wipe the spittle off his face. “What will you buy with your riches anyway? I was thinking a second car for myself.” It wasn’t true, but the gloating did make Sylvie realise something. Why was he still playing games? He had gotten ahead. He could leave right now and have enough to knock out a chunk of debt. He regretted placing his chips down, but the wheel had already begun to spin. Overcome with greed once again, great job Sylvie. He looked at his glass and reckoned he could do with a stronger drink.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

You Know The Rules, And So Do I

LOCATION:

Some Park, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Eric, Hector

YOU KNOW THE RULES, AND SO DO I

”You’re not gonna chicken out of a good fight, are you? Thought you appreciated our exclusivity a little more.”

Hector swatted the arrows down like they were just some annoying midges. Contrary to his words, Hector backed away a few steps. He was very much aware he’d be swarmed by police soon.

”Oh for sure, course I’ll come with you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.” He reached towards his pocket, and without looking, tapped a few buttons with such speed that it seemed he’d done it a thousand times before. A muffled voice replied, quickly overspoken by Hector.

”Hey, I’m still at the park. In an annoying situation so if you could send some folks in the area my way- Don’t matter what they’re doing, this could be big. Cops.” Without waiting for a reply he couldn’t hear anyway, he continued. ”Thanks, thanks, I owe you one.”

He smirked at Eric.

”You know, I have friends too. And if it’s more bloodshed you want, then it’s bloodshed you’ll get. Hope at least one of yours will be left standing to give you a good eulogy.”

Hector reached out a thin line of metal, which attempted to hook the cuffs in Eric’s hand and toss them aside, cementing his decision of defiance.

---

Down the line, far away from here, some people huddled together in a room illuminated only by the lights of several devices.

”Yeah, I know, but Queen’s orders.”

”I’m sure this won’t be the ooonly chance you’ll get to kill him. Leave it for now.”

Hey, I thought you loved killing cops, and it ain’t out of your way that much.”

They had tabs on every Phoenix mission, bar a few that slipped through the gaps because they were only HPs, after all. Coordinating and recoordinating were their specialities, and thankfully there were enough Phoenixes nearby to redirect to Hector’s aid.

---

”Wouldn’t be a day o’ work if nobody needed my help.”

It wasn’t long until the nearby Phoenixes found each other. A lady tied her hair up as she walked ahead of the group towards the park. With a face full of makeup, and a dress down to her knees, it was obvious this wasn’t what she had in mind for today, but it seemed she was the most eager to help out.

”-I had him, right here-” a shorter man behind her continued to grumble, pinching two fingers together to emphasize the closeness he had to his target. ”- and they just had to bring me to this dumbass cop fight-” He pulled his hood over his head, and unsheathed two blades from his sides.

”Long as I’m getting paid overtime. I was about to head to lunch. I,” the man furthest bag stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes. ”I’ve been out all night and morning. Just finished my job.”

”Oh you poor things. But it’s the Queen we’re talkin’ ‘bout. Think he’d be sending us here for no reason?”

”You’d defend him even if he sent us out here to pick up dog shit.”
”Everyone knows you two have a thing going on.”

The gal blushed, storming ahead, with the two picking up the pace to follow. They weren’t there yet, but they could hear the sirens in the distance.