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Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings

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VULKEN BECKMAN
CS Link
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 4 [Home Cook'n]
LOCATION:
The Deep, Blue Sea
PARTICIPANTS:
CURRENT STAGE:
4 --> 3 --> 2 --> 1 (Cooling Down)
WHEN SUNNY GETS BLUE / SUNSHINE BLOWS THROUGH THE CLOUDS


What the fuck…

What the fuck just happened?

Once the arms that were tightly wrapped around his neck disappeared, Vulken sat there in confusion for a moment. As he remained there, completely oblivious to his surroundings, he struggled to find an emotion to feel and stick to. He was angry. Angry at the interruptions, angry at Markus, angry at himself – All because he had finally been so close to erasing that piece of his past, that weakness, once and for all, and he wasn’t able to finish things. He was tired. He was cautious. He was both calm and excited at the same time. But, one feeling seemed to stand tall above all the rest.

He was confused.

As his senses slowly came back to him, he felt… something. Cold, abundant…

… Wet?

He moved his arms around, and he finally realized that sound had disappeared for this entire time, emphasized by the sudden rush of noise filling his ears. With every movement of his arms, a sloshing noise followed, and his clothes lagged behind them, almost as though they were being gently tugged on by something.

When he moved his head downwards to see where the hell he was, his eyes widened slightly.

“Wha…”

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

A few seconds were spent flailing and splashing about in the same fucking body of water he’d ended up in during his last fight, not too far away from the now-obliterated bridge that had connected the East and the South. Instead of freaking out even more, he exhaled loudly, craning his head upwards to look at the sky, and realized that he felt one more thing.

He was tired.

...

...Laying here for a while wouldn’t hurt, would it?

If the weak-ass, pathetic King of the Tigers was being saved by his lackeys like that, the battle must have been over. And right now, he was too tired to move. He was floating, so the waves would carry him to the shore eventually. He’d get up and go home then.

And so, Vulken floated about, bobbing up and down like a fishing float, or, rather, an unusually large piece of driftwood. As time passed, he found that he was floating not only in the sea, but also his thoughts. Tangerine irises drifted towards the sun– his namesake. In his eyes, he was so close to being on its level, so why was he still so flawed? He had so much power in the palms of his hands– so why, why wasn’t he able to finish things the way he used to?

He was so sure he’d be able to put anyone– The king on the throne of ice, the ruler of snakes, even the steel planet– out of commission with enough effort. He was even willing to bet his life on it. But, he’d faced two of the three in such a short period of time and they both managed to walk away from them with their lives still clutched within their hands. He was strong. He knew that. But, evidently, something was missing.

Then, seemingly involuntarily, a string of words he never thought he’d utter left his mouth.

“...How come I ain’t a King?”

Then, as if on cue, the tide that had slowly been pushing Vulken around aimlessly suddenly picked up– and became violent. Before he could fight back, he had been trapped within a vicious assault of waves, and within moments he was on shore, buried beneath the sand with his head being the only visible part of him, like he was straight out of a comedy show.

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Silent, he gazed at the sky once again– a neutral, nonchalant expression painted onto his face. However, instead of sulking even more, or growing angry at mother nature for interrupting his thinking time, he laughed.

And his laughter continued for a few more moments before he pulled himself out of the sand, dusted and dried himself off, and headed back to the West.

Worthy as he was, his throne wouldn’t be handed to him.

If he were to be a King one day, he’d have to get some work done. Simple as that.

 
Arc 3: The Four Kings [Tuesday, May 31st 2022]
  • Index
    • NEW OASIS
    FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS
    ANIME INSPIRED
    SUPER-POWERED
    GANG WARS
    TIGER
    "WE'RE BACK, BABY!"
    • 「ARC 3 」
      READY, SET, GO!
      "3, 2, 1 let's JAM😤"
    「INTERLUDE」
    OST 1 — MAIN THEME
    SABLE SERPENTS
    "LABS'RE UNDER ATTACK! AND LABS ARE BEING ATTACKED! What's with your Serpents and your proclivity for lab-based violence?!"
    AZURE DRAGONS
    "Azure Dragon's, doo-doo. Doin' Dragon Stuff. Keepin' Peace, Breakin' Up Peaceful Protests, Doo-Doo-Doo-Yeah."
    SCARLET PHOENIXES
    "WE ARE THE REVENANTS RISING FROM THE ASHES! YOU WON'T CATCH US SLIPPING! WE'RE COMING FOR WHAT'S OURS!!!"
    ALBINO TIGERS
    "Fetch Quests! Fetch Quests! And ~ more ~ fetch quests. It's the Tiger way."
     
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  • Index
    • NEW OASIS
    SCENE:
    New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 1 [PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT]
    LOCATION:
    Central District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Florence, Pascal, Gavril, Milo, Dimitri
    PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT
    "GOOOOOOOOOOOD EVENING NEW OASIS CITTTYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" A heavy, electronic beat ricocheted about the studio space. Lights and cameras swirled about the room in a mechanical frenzy, positioning and repositioning every other moment. Every shot, every angle, every stray hair of a moment caught of luxurious, 4K film.

    "WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME! YOU'RE WATCHING THE FINAL EDITION OF PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT! AND I'M YOUR HOST, MILES MIDDLETOOONNNNN" In the studio, the announcer's voice rang loudly, but in solemn solitude. That was something, one of many somethings that they'd be changing in post. Sound effects, misleading cuts, stock laugh tracks, the whole shebang, they had it lined up and ready.

    "Tonight we're joined by our luck-luck-luckyyyyy finalists! Let's give them all a round of applause, shall we?" An array of cameras, some on tracks and some handheld, swept over the contestants. It went unsaid by the host, but they were of many stripes. Red, White and Blue. Phoenix, Tiger, and Dragon. The contestants themselves might not have been aware of it, but the absent proprietress's machinations had already begun to spin.

    "First up on the lot are our surprise contestants! Mister and Miss of New Oasis itself, DIMITRI BELLARRIIIIIIII AND FLO LEON-KANNNNGGGGGG!!!!" Synthetic applause rippled throughout the room, and the cameras made themselves busy with pestering the pair of celebrities. "What was it guys, pockets not deep enough? Not that we're judgin'! The hustle never stops, am I right follkkksss!?"

    "But the rest! They're a mystery! First up, measuring up at a stunning six foot five GAVRILLLL. SURRRIIIII. ALCAZAAARRRRR!!! Let's all give him a warm welcome!" The cameras and applause changed their targets, starting to make their way down the line on contestants. "Got anything to say to the folks at home? Any plans for all that sweet, sweet dosh? Sides from stockin' up on the protein powder, I mean! Seriously folks, have you seen that washboard!?"

    A laugh-track joined the applause.

    "On the total other end of the spectrum, we've got Milo the Five-Ten-Menance Nagisaaaaaa!!!! Fell just short of the line there, didn't ya pal? Don't worry though! Without my heels, I'm in just the same position as you!" The laugher kicked back into gear, and Miles gave Milo a hearty pat on the back. "Sources tell us you're quite the artist! What is it, bud, tryna finally kick the 'starving' part of the art school grad package? Best'a'luck with that, buddy!"

    With a hop, a skip and a strut, he was then beside the next contestant.

    "Next up, the sandy-haired heartthrob from the Wesstttt! At least, so we think, the guy practically appeared outta thin air! Let's up it up for PASCALLL CORBINNN!" The announcer shut off his mic for a moment, and sidled up alongside the blonde. "Seriously though, bud, you got potential. If nunathis goes your way tonight, you know who to call." He shot the other man a wink, and then with a click of a switch, the show went on. "Really though! You all the last guy might be the same height, but damn you if don't wear it better! I'm gunnin' for this guy tonight folks!"

    "Now, last, and definitely least, we've got... THE REEESSSTTTTT!" Beyond the first five, a group of around ten milled about. They, for lack of a better word, were the extras. Second and third places from the preliminaries, burdened with tasks and challenges to ensure that while they'd be able to pad out the runtime, they certainly couldn't be able to win.

    "If you wanna know who any of 'em are... Tough luck! Let's give 'em a chance to shine... IN. THE. GAUNLETTTTTTTT!!! SHALL WE????"

    Behind Miles, the wall parted, two screens of violent hypercolour parting to reveal a sea of delight. It had been industrious of them, the renovations it'd take to convert his ho-dunk mall into the absolute bonanza of photogenic mania that unfurled in front of them. The hall proper, which had once been a thoroughfare between the various stores that filled the mall, was now a gauntlet that would give even a spartan warrior pause.

    "We've got all the bells at whistles!" Cameramen milled about the hall, collection footage of each of the gauntlet's challenges for the announcer to later exposit over. Water pits, climbing walls, spinning batons, giant balls, tight ropes, boxing gloves and booby traps, if you could think of an obnoxious, pain-in-the-ass contraption that'd appear on an obstacle course, it was probably there.

    "But let's not get ahead of ourselves! We've gotta let our contestants Get Prepped! Get Pumped! And. Get. In. Positionnnnn! We'll be RIGHT back with you, RIGHT in the THICK of the action, RIGHT after these messagggeessss!"


     
    Isobel Pham
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]
    LOCATION:
    Heavenly Beast Plaza, Lower Central District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Wren, Elias, Kenji, Passeri, Isobel, Ezra
    Where Giants Sleep
    The West was rarely a place of peace and quiet except in those moments just before day break. When casino patrons retreated to their abodes after a night with Lady Luck, either as kings or paupers, the collared workers had yet to start their day. The streets were usually empty except for the occasional stray making its rounds through the alleys in search of scraps and shelter. On this day however, a lone figure could be seen making their way quietly through the streets towards the shining skyscraper that was the Tigers' headquarters.

    As the figure passed through the glass doors, the night guard on duty glanced up surprised but said nothing as they headed calmly towards the elevator. Climbing rapidly up and up, the elevator finally came to a stop at the top floor. The Tiger King's Office. Unsurprisingly, it was empty and the automated lights flickered on as they stepped into the somewhat familiar space.

    Lowering her hood, Isobel stepped up to the large desk and pulled out an envelope from her pocket. It was plain and white except for Markus' name scrawled across the front. Staring at the letter in her hands, she hesitated briefly before placing the letter neatly in the center and heading back out the way she came. There was no turning back now.


    Sunlight filtered through the circular glass dome that stretched across the top of the Heavenly Beasts Plaza, illuminating the space in a warm diffused glow. All around, people could be seen picnicking amidst the greenery, taking leisurely strolls along the winding man-made stream, or simply whiling the afternoon away in carefree bliss. The plaza was a popular spot for many during the summer months, as it allowed visitors to take full advantage of the sunshine and longer days while offering some respite from the heat.

    At each of the four cardinal points, a heavenly beast stood watch as they always did. Whether they meant to keep the peace or defend their territories from the others, no one was really sure. That was how New Oasis had been for as long as Isobel could remember it even if the history books said otherwise. A never-ending battle between the gangs for power. Everything was an excuse for another raid, another incursion, another standoff. She always wondered how everyone had the energy to keep going, and what the drive behind all of it was. Was it power for the sake of power?

    So many times she had wanted to escape from it all, but here she still was.
    Holding on to the past, stuck in the present, hoping for a future.

    Like a damn fool.

    Admittedly, the last eight months had been a test of the foundations upon which Isobel’s beliefs had been built and she could see the cracks appearing. Animosity between the gangs was growing and Markus was gradually becoming more unhinged and volatile. But it was learning the reasons behind August’s departure from the Tigers that left her feeling most uncertain, and every day since had become a question of why she was doing what she was doing; Her own reasons for staying found wanting.

    Maybe it was time to give up not because she didn’t care but because she was starting to care too much. Everyone had their breaking points and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

    … But maybe just one last try.

    Several weeks ago, Isobel had decided to scour the Tigers’ archives in an attempt to look for answers, any answers, to a problem she didn’t fully understand. For the most part, the archives turned up useless. Boxes upon boxes of nothing but old paperwork and accounting records. Just as she was about to call it quits, she came across one particularly dusty box tucked far away in the back corner where the sun didn't shine. It was unlabelled and contained an assortment of random items that looked like they had been tossed in a hurry. Amongst the objects was a leather-bound journal, paper stained yellow by time. Much to her surprise, scribbled across its pages, in neat penmanship, were the writings of the deposed Tiger King, Roland Dreyer. The world truly had a sense of humor.

    In the journal, he wrote of magical objects called 'totems' that supposedly granted each King with unprecedented power and strange forces at play. Page after page, Roland noted down every unexplainable event that had happened in New Oasis and his thoughts on what purpose these totems served. However, what really caught her interest was the mention of voices that only he could hear constantly calling out to him. Were these voices what Markus was hearing too? All those times she caught him glancing over his shoulder when there was nothing or staring into empty space.

    Between the writings, Isobel eventually came across a map that pointed her here, to the Heavenly Beast Plaza. Whatever Roland had uncovered, he believed that it was connected in some ways to this place. Unfortunately, that was the only lead he had left and Isobel was again left scrambling in the dark. Realizing her limitations, rather than pursuing the lead on her own, she'd resigned to calling in some help.

    Hidden beneath one of the towering column arches that kept the plaza standing, Isobel sent a quick message to the motley crew she'd pulled together. “Be on the lookout. Text if you find anything.” As far as they had been informed, they were here on a reconnaissance job led by the Jack at the behest of their King. While it wasn't ideal, it would be easier for them to claim ignorance should Markus find out they had been aiding her on this unsanctioned mission.

     
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    SCARLET PHOENIX
    SCENE:
    Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]
    LOCATION:
    South District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Hitoshi, Merrit, Noa, Ryoma, Suzerain
    FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING
    Bar Shellac was situated in one of the many winding and small alleys of the south district, finding itself tucked away from the larger establishments in company with other smaller shops that attract a niche customer base. Its lone sign flickered every now and then as the neon lightning was old but retained a colorful introduction to the few people that ventured here. Outside of just being a lone bar however was that it was also “home” to Hitoshi. It was rather known that he took up residence in the upstairs of the tiny, box-like building, but to those that arrived they were here for another reason.

    Incoherent ramblings aside, the voicemail that each of the phoenixes had received the night prior indicated genuine distress. Over what however, it was hard to say. Yet they knew *something* was up. Bad enough for the bar’s owner, a middle-aged woman by the name of Anya, was standing out front waiting for the eventual phoenix arrival. She dragged a cigarette in her mouth with her right hand, her worried expression marking her visage. Her foot tapped the ground in a steady, rapid pace as her own thoughts wandered towards worry for her “tenant” but also for potentially drawing the ire of the phoenixes themselves.

    She pondered on what to actually say as she looked up and down the tiny alley street, waiting for any sort of movement to head her way. What the hell am I going to tell them? She thought to herself, letting out a puff of smoke from between her lips. Despite her worries, she also hoped that at the end of all this everything would be alright in the end for Hitoshi. She was grateful to him for a fair number of things, and for something to happen to him now… it would be too much to bear for her.

    Out of the corner of her eye in that moment, she saw some people moving towards her. She broke out of her thoughts and turned to face those who had arrived.

     
    SHEN YUE
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]
    LOCATION:
    Central District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Helva, Hou, Isaiah, Kanna, Maho, Meirin, Ra, Rin, Shen, Soren, Vulken, Varoslav, Yong-Yut
    THE DRAGON AND THE PHOENIX
    At last it had come to it. After eight months of bitter fighting, here had they found themselves, on the Eastern edge of Upper Central that overlooked the shattered bridge, a symbol of their fractured alliance. Shen recalled with a pang of regret that fateful day, the day that had sparked so much strife and death.

    He and his Dragons approached the pre-ordained meeting place and were met by a contingent of Scarlet Phoenixes. Standing at their vanguard was the King, Lyric. With her was her Jack and right hand, Alex. Shen recognized him as the one who'd broken into the East District's temple to seek out these peace talks. Shen, for his part, was flanked by the Jack and the Ace of the Azure Dragons. He turned once to Kanna, and then to Isaiah, nodding assurances to both of them before he stepped forward. His eyes scanned over the gathering crowd until finally landing on Lyric. Her gaze met his, and held it.

    The silence stretched uncomfortably long. An unspoken understanding passed across this shared connection, and the two Kings stepped forward, each signalling to their retinue in tow that they two would discuss terms, alone and in private. Their respective parties fell back and circled up amongst themselves while the two Kings sequestered themselves away, finding the relative privacy of a small culvert overlooking the ruined bridge.

    With the two Kings gone, the Dragons and the Phoenixes that remained were left to face off, one against the other. While some sought peace, especially as greater threats loomed—the Phoenixes had the Tigers to contend to, and the Dragons the Serpents—there were undoubtedly whispers from both their ranks, that this peace was a sham. All in attendance knew, though they perhaps chose to ignore, the fact that it was impossible for the two Kings to divide the spoils without having to fight tooth and nail for every inch of ground gained. It was true enough; there could be no peace for any of the four Kings while the other three remained. No, this game had only one victor, and to them would pass dominion over New Oasis itself.

    And so the battle lines were drawn.


     
    JACKIE PILTER
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]
    LOCATION:
    Central District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie
    THE HEIST
    ‘Hello! Welcome to Hashimoto Real Estate, where your investments are our priority! Our main goal is to provide the utmost quality of service to our clients…” a large display in the lobby blared, repeating its corporate friendly message to all visitors that entered and left the building at any given point during the work day. For all intents and purposes, it was a lavish entrance to impress visitors and remind workers of the magnanimous nature of the building’s owner: Hashimoto Real Estate. Indeed, only the top several floors were reserved for that business but the rest was rented out to other companies and tenants for their own office spaces.

    A large reception desk at the center of the lobby, facing towards a grand fountain and pool for koi fish at the front, while polished marble floors glazed the ground and stairs leading towards the elevators, stairs, and other areas of the ground floor. Inside there was a buzz of people shaking hands or rushing to meetings. A lot of these activities that are reserved for the high-end white collar worker that seem almost alien to anyone else from a different background. But for the Tigers that were there waiting in the lobby, they were here on a meeting of their own: with the new Queen of the Albino Tigers.

    Heading down the elevator, with its glass viewing able to see the building from top to bottom as it travelled, was both the Head of Security for Hashimoto Real Estate, Jackie Pilter who was by all accounts a large and gruff man with an exterior that could be described as unchiseled rock. Standing already at 6 foot 5, his stature made him perfect for the job of maintaining order on the property as he leaned against the railing inside the elevator as it descended down towards the lobby. He had to collect the Tigers that were here to meet with Mr. Hashimoto, but he himself was distrusting of these outsiders.

    He wasn’t a member of the gang, and so he didn’t know how they operated or what their goals are. And that made them an unknown variable in all this. He didn’t like unknowns. As he reached the lower levels he could spot the very conspicuous individuals making themselves comfortable in the lobby. He gave off a scoff to himself as he observed them from a distance before having to approach them. Fucking amateurs. he thought to himself as the elevator came to a halt, They aren’t even dressed for the job.

    He stepped outwards and headed towards the lobby reception desk, focusing on that first before collecting the Tigers for their meeting on the top floor. “Hey Amy,” Jackie asked as he approached one of the receptionists, leaning onto the counter to twiddle his thumbs, “Tell Mr. Hashimoto that his visitors are coming up shortly.”

    “Will do Mr. Pilter!” the receptionist replied with a step in her voice and a soft smile on her face as she pinged on her phone to relay her message to the upper offices. Jackie in the meantime kept his gaze only slightly towards the Tigers in the lobby and he shrugged. “Did they cause any trouble?” he then muttered to her, to which she responded with a shake of her head to indicate that all was well. “Alright… well if anything comes up, you know where the ping me.”

    He then gave a quick knock onto the counter before turning himself around and stepping forward. He eyeballed the Tigers in the lobby and motioned with his hand for them to approach.

     
    SCARLET PHOENIXES
    SCENE:
    Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]
    LOCATION:
    Upper and Lower Central Districts
    PARTICIPANTS:
    (200-some NPC Phoenixes), (NPC CDPD personnel)
    TACTICAL MAYHEM
    It was a day like any other. But under the surface…


    North-Central, Upper Central District

    “MAN, BLITZ REALLY GOIN’ ALL OUT, AIN’T ‘E!?” Barbados took a wide stance, wielding his sledgehammer with two massive hands, and he reared it to the side to swing.

    Boo rolled her eyes. “Feels like compensation for something, if you ask me.”

    Quiet a moment, Barbados scoffed; annoyed. “Yeah, well ain’t nobody asked, ‘id they?”

    “You support him?” Boo cocked a brow.

    “Heh…”

    “...You know there’s-...” She paused. “Victory’s not guaranteed, Barbs.”

    Barbados looked at her askance, smiling, and asked, “You scared, chickadee?”

    “Tch.” Boo shook her head, arms crossed, and sighed. “You’ve known me long enough that you should know that’s not the case.”

    “Cold feet can sneak up on anyone, toots.”

    “...Whatever, man. Let’s just do this.”


    CDPD HQ, Upper Central District — Fourth Floor, Dispatch Center B

    The dispatcher picked up the phone on the first ring. “Upper Central Police, what is your emergency?”

    . . .

    “And what is your location?”

    . . .

    “I understand. If you’ll focus for me, I- Yes, help is on the way. What number are you calling from?”

    As the caller spoke, the dispatcher worked away at her computer. Elsewhere, two officers nearest to the emergency location received information about the case on their cell-phones, and their sirens blared as they raced along the streets to the destination.

    Supposed gangsters, affiliation currently unknown, causing a disturbance in North Central.

    But not just that… many more calls were suddenly incoming, all of them reporting blatant gang activity in Central. The phones rang an unending symphony, keyboards clacked with the racket of dispatchers’ hands dancing dexterously across the keys, and the air buzzed with scripted murmur.

    One particular dispatcher wore a look of concern as he looked over the center and recognized, perhaps, an underlying stratagem, stiff in the knees with worry and trepidation. What could be the cause for such an abrupt wave of distress throughout the district? What was the play?

    As he wondered this, he sought the manager’s office in order to voice his concern.


    CDPD HQ, Upper Central District — First Floor, Visitors Center

    Delson sucked his teeth into the phone, “Ah, yup~ Yeah, of course I told the president.”

    A woman passed him by and raised her brow. Delson smirked and winked at her, “He shook my hand and told me-”

    “Del, shut the fuck up,” Boltius interrupted, amused, “Are you in position?”

    Delson leaned against the wall, looked at the nearby fire alarm outside of the restrooms, then nodded, “Yuuup. Ready when you are, just lemme know-” Spotting an officer down the hall, walking toward him, Del made a quick switch of dialogue to needlessly avoid suspicion, “WHEN THE PARTY’S ABOUT TO START I DON- Ahem, I don’t wanna be late. Gettin’ ready to pay my gramp’s bail and shit, you know how he is.”

    The officer, chewing some gum, offered him a nod, to which Del reciprocated and smiled, then waited for the officer to be gone.

    “Anyway… How’re things down low? Do you know?”

    Boltius eyed his phone’s screen and scrolled through some messages before saying, “Muskrat’s in position and ready for the go… Pipsqueak in Upper and Lacy in Lower are both in position with smoke flares. When you see Pip, you pull. Same for Muskrat- when he sees Lacy, he pulls… We’ll get as many civilians to vacate the buildings as we can before we make our move. Operation Havoc is already in play.”

    Operation Havoc—a total of one-hundred Phoenixes split into fifty per level of Central—the job was to spread throughout the Central levels near enough to CDPD-HQ that multiple scenes of unfiltered gang activity would primarily draw their attention instead of that of the smaller precincts’. The idea was to thin CDPD-HQ’s security and, for the most part, it appeared to be working; though, Boltius couldn’t speak for Lower Central apart from what he was being told, but everything sounded to be going smoothly so far.

    When the time passed and it was decided that Operation Havoc had succeeded in working its magic—meaning they’d managed to dwindle the number of field officers in the direct area—Boltius gave the go ahead for Operation Smoke, which entailed a handful of Phoenixes infiltrating the two levels’ floors, one Phoenix per floor, where their only job was to light a smoke flare and tuck it somewhere it couldn’t immediately be seen, but where the smoke could still escape from and pervade.

    Following that, Operation Evacuation. Once Pipsqueak had placed his flare on the first floor of Upper Central’s CDPD sector, and Lacy had placed hers on the first floor of Lower Central’s sector, it was their job to signal Delson and Muskrat to sound the fire alarms.

    And just like that, Operation Breach was underway. As civilians and members of the CDPD including officers, detectives, and office workers filed into the emergency halls and stairways, aiming for the exits, and began to crowd the parking lot, the Phoenixes swooped in and set about taking over the building (fifty in Lower and fifty in Upper, another split hundred, making roughly 200 Phoenixes, give or take, in the fight counting those currently engaged in Operation Havoc).

    If all seemed it would surely fail, the end goal was the total destruction of CDPD-HQ.
     
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    AKIRA TSUCHIYA
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Tigers Arc 3: Scene 3 [The Faceless Fox]
    LOCATION:
    Akira's Office, West District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Akira, Dante, Pablo, Welsha
    THE FACELESS FOX
    Click, click.

    Many days had passed, yet all was well in the glorious city of New Oasis.

    At least, all was well in the vulpine eyes of Akira Tsuchiya, the Inari of the Albino Tigers. As he tapped away at his computer, looking into subjects that would remain known only to him, a soft and ‘innocent’ smile grew on his face. The people were growing tired, the police were beginning to take action, – but, the absolute best observation out of everything that had been happening in these past eight months was the one that had been slowly and quietly brewing beneath the large pile of chaos that had plagued this colorful megalopolis:

    An all-out war between the Four Gangs was imminent– on the cusp of inevitability.

    It excited him– to the point where even the mere thought of it almost caused his wicked smile to show in front of his assistant as the two sat in his high-rise office.Thankfully, they were both focused on their own separate projects today. Suddenly, he rose from his chair to look outside at the city through the tall windows lining the walls.

    The West District was a beautiful place. Filled to the brim with people– clueless individuals who had no idea that one of the most dangerous pairs of eyes in the city was gleefully looking over them. Eventually, at least a handful of them would fall victim to his schemes– but not today. He had more important things to worry about.

    Today was one of many ‘collection days’, where, normally, he’d be tasked with paying his precious little toys a visit. But after some thinking (and some well-thought-out calculations), he made the decision to try something new. He’d let his fellow Tigers collect for him, and see how things went.

    And, right on cue, the gentle creak of his door opening sounded from the entrance of the office, prompting him to turn around with a faux smile warmly painted on his face.

    “Right on time!” He clapped, stepping forward to greet his employees for the day. Not quite the turnout he’d expected, but he couldn’t complain– they were there to help him, after all.

    “I don’t want to waste much time, so I’ll get right to the point so that you guys can get on with your day. Out of the three other districts, which would you rather go to?”

    He lifted a playful finger in front of them before they gave their answers, waving it around with an innocent grin that somehow still bled with malevolence.

    “First come, first serve!”

     

    • JESPER ALBRECHT
      CS Link
      SCENE:
      Securing the Future
      LOCATION:
      East District, Tech Expo, Private Meeting Room (Crime Scene)
      PARTICIPANTS:
      Jesper, Amari, Kasumi, LAURENT, Sophia
      Securing the Future
      Jesper never handled stress all too well. Like usual, he'd much rather prefer being back home, relaxing in his air-conditioned basement, playing video games for hours on end. But as the only heir and one of only two Albrechts constantly present in Amestria, it seemed a rich-people-event was always around the corner.

      This time, though, it was more than just the event itself.

      Staring at the wide-eyed corpse of Esperanza Bonilla, who he knew as a member of an overseas royal family that's been close with Albrecht Industries since before his birth, it wasn't just the putrid stench of death that made him want to shrivel away.

      Under normal circumstances, the event would've been called off; authorities called in to investigate such a major happening. However, his mother was strangely persistent in wanting the Expo to continue. So, blocked off in the room and hidden from eyes, just feet away from the passing public, the murder scene was left where it remained while Mrs. Albrecht did her duties. Thing is, Jesper perfectly understood why, and it wasn't for the deal with the Central District police captain.

      So while Sophia Albrecht anxiously waited outside, the responsibility of the cadaver fell to himself and to whoever Dragon was kind enough to lend a helping hand. Jesper, trying to maintain at least an arm's length distance from the body, shuffled closer to the Security Captain, Roy Callison.

      unknown.png
      "Her body's been here for about an hour; as long as the Expo's been open," he began, not even looking away from the corpse he knelt over. "So our murderer lured Esperanza into the private meeting room—tinted the smart glass and sealed off all noise—stab wound directly into the chest! Missed the heart by an inch, prompting an ensuing struggle. However, the blade was laced with some plant-based poison, killing her in due time." Finally he rose, freely resting his hands behind his head as other investigators closed in to examine the body. "That's all we know for now. Our analysts are trying to discern the exact poison from the traces we found on her, but that'll take some time."

      "Do we... know when it took place? Suspects... maybe?"       Jesper was more quieter, unable to take his eyes off Esperanza's frozen expression of horror.

      However, Roy conveniently moved in front, blocking Jesper's view—perhaps he noticed the kid's trouble. "The murder took place right before the Tech Expo was opened to the public. At the time, only a select number of people were allowed early entry: individuals close to the Albrecht family, or just the business in general. And, that leaves us with six suspects! Which I've taken the time to sort neatly out for you. All in the Cloud!"

      Jesper snapped his head up, staring at the Albrecht employee for a moment. "Right, the Cloud... In that case I can share them." He glanced around at everyone else joining him, breathing a small sigh of relief. He appreciated the company more than ever. Though he grimaced slightly as he saw his older brother listed within—he'd only just returned from overseas last week.

      As Jesper got his device out to share the files, Roy continued. "You should also note that while our suspects are aware of the crime scene and prohibited them from leaving, you are under no circumstances to leak this incident to anyone outside of the Dragons. Capisce?"

      "Yeah, yeah, capisce."       Jesper hit the send button, hearing the notifications pop around him.

      "One more thing, Mr. Albrecht." When he looked at the security captain, Roy donned a more serious expression. Biting his lip, Jesper hesitantly stepped closer to have him whisper to his ear. His face blanched at the news.

      Roy departed without a second to waste, meeting up with the people analyzing the corpse. Jesper met everyone with forced calm in each breath. "Finding the killer is our top priority... Esperanza carried the only existing copy of Guardian's manual override... my father trusted the family enough to give it, should the program go haywire..." Jesper nervously fiddled with his fingers. "Whoever killed her stole it. Any questions...?"

      Elenion Aura Elenion Aura @angel doe @azenmannumber2 @FabulousTrash @The Regal Rper


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        Art \\ @umeu_me7
        Name \\ Reyner Albrecht
        Age \\ 24
        Gender \\ Male
        Affiliation \\ Albrecht Industries
        Can Be Found At \\ Enterprise AI Talkroom

        Description \\
        Jesper’s older brother and would-be heir to Albrecht Industries, if not for his scandalous behavior and a lack of care for the position—not to mention his responsibility for several covered-up crimes in the past. After handling business deals from oversea companies across the globe (securing deals for Albrecht Industries), he made a spectacular return to Amestria just two weeks prior from a cruise ship.


    Name \\ Reyner Albrecht
    Age \\ 24
    Gender \\ Male
    Affiliation \\ Albrecht Industries
    Can Be Found At \\ Enterprise AI Talkroom

    Description \\
    Jesper’s older brother and would-be heir to Albrecht Industries, if not for his scandalous behavior and a lack of care for the position—not to mention his responsibility for several covered-up crimes in the past. After handling business deals from oversea companies across the globe (securing deals for Albrecht Industries), he made a spectacular return to Amestria just two weeks prior from a cruise ship.

    -

    Name \\ Zhou Jiaying
    Age \\ 21
    Gender \\ Female
    Affiliation \\ Qilin Gateway
    Can Be Found At \\ Crypto/Digital Asset Investment Room

    Description \\
    A representative of one of the two eastern manufacturing companies illicitly supplying Albrecht Industries with materials. The company is known in circles to play buttering sycophants to whoever can pay them the most, and Albrecht Industries is no exception. Zhou, however, is one of the few in the business that don't wield a high opinion of the family. She acts as the Gateway board of directors' voice and messenger, and lets everyone know that's all she is. But whether or not she has any more skeletons hiding in the closet is up for debate.

    -

    Alias \\ Vasya Nikolaev
    Age \\ 22
    Gender \\ Male
    Affiliation \\ Nikolaev Pharmaceutics
    Can Be Found At \\ Around the main room itself, observing the booths

    Description \\
    An up-and-coming entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry, Vasya was lent a helping hand by Albrecht Industries to stay afloat and make a new entry into the circles of the higher-class. In return for their patronage, he's equipped all his locations with Albrecht tech to mass produce medicines and other extravagant services that make Nikolaev Pharmaceutics stand out the most. Info suggests he was rather close with Esperanza; no other detail is known.

    -

    Name \\ Ariadne Nicolaides
    Age \\ 44
    Gender \\ Female
    Affiliation \\ KATHAROS
    Can Be Found At \\ Eighteen 86 Cafe

    Description \\
    An info-broker with a wide network and the CEO of a prominent drug syndicate disguised as a fragrance and cosmetics business. She's worked with Albrecht Industries since the beginning and has seen proportional growth as the other company rose in power.

    -

    Name \\ Griffin Blanchard
    Age \\ 56
    Gender \\ Male
    Affiliation \\ GriffinCorp
    Can Be Found At \\ Crypto/Digital Asset Investment Room

    Description \\
    CEO of a global private military company. Griffin is a war veteran who, although saw very little combat, believes that conflict is necessary for the world to evolve. He runs his company through these ideals rather than for money; like Lars Albrecht, his ambition is above the clouds. The two have had a fruitful partnership, with Griffin funding Albrecht Industries for better innovations while providing a profitable market to the family's expenditures in more "destructive" technologies.

    -

    Name \\ Attakullakulla Carver
    Age \\ 30
    Gender \\ Male
    Affiliation \\ Union of Flora and Fauna Conservation
    Can Be Found At \\ Enterprise AI Talkroom

    Description \\
    A renowned environmentalist and one of the board members of the UFFC. Carver has been constantly attending these gatherings in attempts to speak with Albrecht and their associates. He only wishes to protect nature and its land from the illegal resource-harvesting by the large corporations.
     
    CAIO SANTANA COELHO
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]
    LOCATION:
    Mysterious Black Site, North District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    August, Damian, Kinsley, Kisara, Kyoden, Peyton, Raphael, Sabrina, Shinko
    THICKER THAN WATER
    Caio closed his ungloved fist around the neck of a man in uniform and squeezed, sending a wave of pure, unbridled creation surging into the flesh of the one who would keep him from what he was here to reclaim. The man's head shriveled and popped, his body collapsing under the weight of its newfound power.

    Stepping over the body as it fell, Caio stormed into the fray, a ravenous pack of Sable Serpents close on his heels. Their destination? A non-descript warehouse that had appeared all but abandoned until unseen eyes had taken notice of the army of Serpents mustering at their doorstep. That was when the claws came out. Masked men in black uniforms filed out into the open and took up positions to defend whatever it was that this place was, truly.

    Truly, Caio did not care what lay within the walls of this black fortress. This was not a conquest. This was a rescue mission. The true purpose of the place did not matter. What mattered was freeing one of his own from captivity before whoever had taken him, killed him… Or worse. He could feel a cold rage filling every inch of his being as he thought of the past eight months of grief, believing his brother to be dead, when the truth was... All this time, he'd been... The Queen pushed his dark thoughts aside. His mind once again focused solely on the task ahead. There was no room left for fear, doubt, or second guessing. "Get in there!" He commanded to the Serpents who followed him here as they poured over the defenses like a river over rocks. "Fuck shit up!" With a roar, he charged straight into the building without hesitation, kicking in doors, smashing windows, and throwing people out of the way as he went.

    ***​

    Of course, Caio had heard the rumors by now. Sang-Cheol's report of the slumhouse they'd raided—that had been more than it appeared upon first inspection—had all but confirmed it: there was a new power flexing its muscles in New Oasis. Existing in the underground and the shadows. Faceless and nameless. They seemed to be making inroads in the North District of New Oasis, perhaps mistakenly conflating the lawlessness of the Serpent's domain for weakness. Caio had no idea who they thought they were to challenge one of the Four. Though, it didn't matter. Today would serve as a reminder to all of who truly ruled the North.


     
    Last edited:
    HECTOR MOSES
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 3 [Whole World Blind]
    LOCATION:
    Vantaggio Tower, West District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Alicia, Charles, Dante, Hector, Hide, Mizuya, Raquel, Zachariah
    WHOLE WORLD BLIND

    julius-drost-Ariu17epnPk-unsplash.jpg

    The Vantaggio Corporation began its last project in 2013, an office building to sit among the stars of the West District. In the wake of financial ruin, it lay dormant shortly before it was ready to let out offices, and throughout the years until recent times, it remained dormant. Locked in a bitter back and forth between various parties, it seemed like its doors would never open and its floors would only be worn by the warm sunlight that shone through its uncovered windows.

    All it took was a man operating on his own motives to smash its security cameras and bust the back door off its hinges under the cover of night. It was free now. Only when the dust settled in the silent air without a soul around would it be breached again, and again for a dozen nights over a few months. The man would take to his haunt solemnly, a sillage of blood and dirt marking his territory, and he would watch the city ahead of him. He would watch, and watch, and watch until the scenery loomed in the backdrop of every thought in his head.

    Little figures raced below him. Little bicycles that could fit in his palm. Cars that he could see himself playing with if he were a child. How very quaint it may seem. A play scene. Just one flip of the table and it would all be dismantled. But it didn’t work that way. The little faces may be disposable, but the ground they stood upon had deep roots, a wretched combination of the entrails of the forgotten and the money wrenched from their grips that fortified the scene in its place. It didn’t matter how high he climbed when the foundations he stood upon remained grounded.

    He couldn’t just flip the table and kill the beast, he had to starve it.

    And so an eye wandered from the ground upwards, until he saw the beguiling sight carved into his mind so many times before.

    A glowing rabbit stared at him with its soulless eyes and entrancing smile. In his paw, he held 3 green notes, which danced back and forth in his grip. His other paw waved in time, inviting everyone to join him.

    LUCKY RABBIT CASINO

    Sickening neon burned his eye, and yet he continued to watch. It was a wonderland. A racket. An entertainment palace. A place where millionaires are made. A place to have tea with a princess. A place to lose it all. A place so bright it would make the
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    WC-4.jpg

    Before 12 PM, Lucky Rabbit Casino​

    “Ah, Mr Vardy. Welcome, welcome. Miss Alice is so glad you chose to return. I trust you know where to go, yes?”

    “Mm.”

    Norman Vardy-Hendrick was a man of few words, at least, under normal circumstances. A kempt fellow, tall, reasonably attractive, with glasses and neatly styled hair giving the impression that he was nothing but business. No discernible character behind the businessman facade, which only crumbled on occasion. This occasion was a Tiger manufacturing.

    4 people stood at the main entrance, and 2 more stood just beyond, greeting each person that made their way inside. They had been tasked with memorising a list of names and faces, some were regulars to the Lucky Rabbit casino, and others were conducting business. None of these guests drove their own cars, so they all joined the parade of pre-booked taxis and chauffeur cars waiting for their 5 seconds of fame in front of the bustling casino complex. Of course, the number plates of each guest’s ride had made their way to the greeters as well.

    Just beyond the doors was a large check-in desk. The gamblers would pay it no heed, only a distraction from the games, but there sat four women, voluptuous and impeccably dressed up. Keycards for the hotel guests and passes for other special visitors were handed out here. It was busy, but despite being clear eye candy, the ladies could do their official jobs well too. They had to, they were as disposable as the rest.
    Far above the entrance, above the slots and the businessmen, was the 8th floor. The floor where common folk could, hypothetically, have the chance to taste a much higher fraction of the casino’s wealth with their high-limit games. But on that floor today was the beginning of one of the biggest Poker finals in Amestria, with millions lying in the cards. And of course, that wasn’t the only place with millions of Amestriyen on the line. In the bowels of the 9th floor, was the Ruby Room, the most intimate conference room in the building.

    A table and 10 chairs, all made with imported Pink Ivory, all adorned with the most beautiful carvings. An emblem of a rabbit, looking rather solemn in contrast to his cheerful mascot counterpart, embedded itself in real ivory on the back of each chair. But similarly to the rabbit smiling on the casino logo, it was ravenous. As ravenous as everyone else in this hive of cannibals.

    This morning, 10 people entered the Ruby Room, flashing their passes at the guard who stared down the corridor in a beast-like manner. Inside, the real beasts shone through.
    “Mic check! One two, one two.”

    Back down to the lower floors sat a row of beauties out of sight of the public eye, as workers carried chairs and equipment to one of the many stages present. Dressed in glittery, tight-fitting outfits, and painting layer after layer on their faces, they all stared intently into the line of lit mirrors. They chattered among themselves in silky soft voices. The oldest among them, evidenced by the wrinkles cracking through her foundation, paced across the dressing room, speaking advice, critiques, and compliments to each person in a maternal fashion.

    Despite the exhaustion they all felt, being pulled out of their routine to attend the casino so early while their evening engagements remained in place, none dared to complain. Madame Hauer had secured them all bonuses and they returned the favour by preparing themselves in a timely manner for their big show later
    “Down there and to your left, just give your name to the guards!”

    “Hm. Thanks.”

    Vardy wandered the 1st floor for only a couple of minutes until he was approached again by a staff member, who had been trained on the identities of their special guests just like the door staff. A metal pin on her suit read ‘Floor Manager’. She knew he might be lost, and he was.

    “No problem! It takes a while to find your way around, it’s a big place!”

    Of course, anyone could reasonably be lost in this maze, but there was no denying the pattern of repeat visitors to the tea room forgetting their way more often. But the manager waved him off with an innocent smile as he turned down a fleetingly familiar corridor.
    jannis-lucas-lzO1h8-Lf5s-unsplash.jpg


    12 PM, Vantaggio Tower​

    Hector had been wandering the tower since the crack of dawn, staring the Rabbit down. That stupid fucking rabbit, how Hector wished to tear it apart. Maybe he could, of course he would. It’ll all be gone soon.

    He had been muttering to himself. He had been doing that a lot. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, though he had slept a fine couple of hours before riding into West, his car left in a parking lot a few blocks away. Maybe he was losing his mind? Of course not, though the thought plagued him on occasion. He knew exactly what he was doing and he had a good reason for it all. He always did and it wouldn’t change. Everything was fine.

    He didn’t know what to expect today. Of course, his delusions of grandeur were as present as they always were. Visions of him standing among the rubble, comrades congratulating each other as the filthy cats fell to their knees. His blade dripping with the blood of his foes, with nary a scratch on himself. He wouldn’t let them have a chance again, not since that- FUCK. It took all his willpower to keep his fist from striking the fragile wall, instead, he uttered a few choice words and continued to stomp around the room he stood in.

    A chime rang from his pocket. The default beeps of a phone alarm were promptly turned off with a sharpened finger stab that left a scratch on the phone’s surface.

    It was time.

    Thus began his descent. He had been merciful enough not to make his troops climb to the very top, instead meeting on the fifth floor that still offered a good vantage point and a roomy layout. Each footstep he took echoed through the desolate building, and he thought he could hear the steps of others too.

    Bright windows illuminated the fifth floor, and soon Hector entered, greeting all who were present with a warm smile and outstretched arms, like an old friend.

    “Welcome everyone. I trust you’re all prepared for this. If you have anything to say, now’s the time.”
     
    Last edited:
    TRI
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Serpents Arc 3: Scene 2 [Hunks in the City]
    LOCATION:
    Central District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Celestine, Jozef, Nikolai, Tri
    HUNKS IN THE CITY
    Today was a great day. The sun was shining, people were going, and there was absolutely no murder in sight. Tri, in a graphic tee and a casual jacket, strolled with a happy hum. Various streets webbed off of the main promenade take the form of cobblestone roads winding through dazzling boutiques, restaurants and arcades. Every shop shone bright. Valeria Street I to XVII and Fortune Street I to XIV was known as a trendy center for middle-upper shops. Just being here, surrounded with people of great fashion taste, Tri felt trendy.

    "Attention," Tri said to everyone there at their designated meeting place. "I have ice cream." A vanilla ice cream cone glimmered with mint chips and strawberry syrup on his left hand.

    Everyone there was Anna, his new Jack Nikolai, trendy college guy Jozef, and pretty lady Celeste. They were here on a three-days all paid outing that absolutely had no fighting at all because that was the content of the bet with Paris. Today was the third day of the bet and they hadn't had a fight. He was winning.

    "Oh, right," said Tri after he licked his ice cream. "There was actually a murder yesterday in my hotel, but getting the police involved was a pain, so I knocked the murderer out and hid her with the body in the closet. So, where will we go next?" Tri asked the team, looking for suggestion.

    Absolutely nothing can go wrong today.

     
    DARIUS KENNEDY
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Serpents Arc 3: Scene 3 [The Sun in The Gutter]
    LOCATION:
    Lab Icarus, North District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Darius, Mimi, Orion, Reese, Rutheless, Sang-Cheol, Yuna, Yuto
    THE SUN IN THE GUTTER

    LI-1.png

    Few locals dared to peer through the electric fence and marshy woodlands surrounding the old medical centre. Though it was meaningless action, they’d shut their curtains whenever a van went by and would pretend not to know why so many would pass through the gates leading to the seemingly abandoned building. It was none of their business when plumes of smoke would emerge above the trees and it most certainly wasn’t their business when people would start going missing periodically.

    It was still the old medical centre to some, closed for years due to failed safety inspections, but to those who dared to acknowledge it, it was Lab Icarus, a name that held much weight in the North. One of the most important drug labs of the Serpents, and they were needed more than ever.

    Drugs were always in demand, and if the Serpents weren’t facilitating that demand they wouldn’t be worth anything. That meant they needed to constantly be developing, testing, manufacturing, sorting, delivering, and advertising their products in a cycle that couldn’t stop, and so Lab Icarus was always running.

    The rise of the new king, the mad scientist Tri had complicated the lab’s routine. Of course, their usual wares were needed, but Tri had great ambitions for other products. Some had already been unfortunate enough to meet some of Tri’s prototype “weapons”, and now that he was running the show, his own prototypes weren’t enough anymore. Now with the expansion of the gang’s product line Lab Icarus found itself under increased pressure, but it was coping. You could say it was operating like a well-oiled machine, but it would be more accurate to say it was a well-oiled grease fire.

    Deep within the lab stood one of the gang’s veteran members. The Contaminated, known for his tragic potential used to inflict disgusting injuries on those less fortunate. But today Darius was mopping a gelatinous substance off the cold floor of one of the many corridors in the maze of a building. How he obtained such a mundane position after over 4 years of service is a mystery he was unwilling to discuss, but an observant person would notice the way he was treated by those in charge. He had earned Sang-Cheol’s hatred pretty quickly by no fault of his own but had still remained unscathed throughout his employment, an impressive feat considering the lab boss’s temper. On the other hand, the Serpent Queen treated him with little respect as well, but with a keen interest in the young man’s potential that brought him to Caio’s section of the lab frequently. Fortunately, neither was present at the moment and so Darius could breathe a little.

    The substance under Darius’s mop wasn’t budging, in fact, it seemed to be caving into the hard floor, gross. He wished people would be more careful transporting things around the lab, he had no idea what new stuff they were cooking up, but he had no authority to give any lectures. Most of the regular staff creeped him out anyway, and he’d rather say nothing than talk to them. Setting the mop into its bucket, Darius tilted his head up, scanning his surroundings. Nobody around seemed to be acknowledging him - good. With slow movements as though he was in a stealth game, he turned around and walked away from the mess casually, heading towards a more secluded part of Lab Icarus.

    “Ten?”

    Though Darius often debated with himself on whether this was a better deal than what he was getting outside of the lab, he always ended with one thought. It’s not about me, it’s about Ten. He looked for signs of his partner down the dimly lit corridor. They had started working here at the same time Darius had, and a lot of his energy was spent keeping them from angering anyone. That was why he had tasked them to mop an empty part of the lab today, out of sight. Of course, no amount of precautions could soothe the anxiety that constantly flooded his mind. He just hoped it would be a peaceful day so they could both go home and enjoy their evening together.

    “Are you here?”
     
    Kiwi Dior Bonheur
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Tigers Arc 3: Scene 4 [Puzzling Directions]
    LOCATION:
    Akira's Office, West District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Kiwi, Matsuda, Minato, Oliver
    Puzzling Directions
    The light from the window behind the laptop illuminated the office Kiwi was sitting in, just barely lighting up the service dog’s face underneath her desk. Her fingers mindlessly typed away at the keyboard in front of her. A phone that had her muted but the other side on speaker was placed on her desk, while in her left ear was an earpiece. While she might’ve seemed invested in what she was doing to any outsider, anyone looking a little bit closer would notice her glazed over, dull eyes— a tell-tale sign that her mind was elsewhere.

    That elsewhere was somewhere in the Upper Havant zone, focused on the back of a particular dog’s head. The German shepherd, equipped with a black and neon green backpack with a speaker embedded into it, was trotting straight towards a decently popular cafe in the district. Round umbrella tables surrounded by people were situated on a patio in front of the cafe, with a cute set of stairs leading up to it.

    Kiwi’s view of the dog spun around, from looking at the back of the dog’s head, to its face, then back to the other side. At that moment, a voice came from the backpack’s speaker.

    “Ayyy, good job. C’mon, stop right there, Zygarde. Yeah, great! Siddown there.”

    The dog was now sitting next to the cafe patio’s stairs, his tail wagging endlessly. The people that glanced or stared at Zygarde didn’t bother him.

    “Yea! Good job, now stay.”

    Her sight turned black for a split second, a moment of nothing, and then Kiwi opened her eyes to the office. She looked over what she had typed up while out of it. She began to fix any mistakes in it with her left hand, using her right to mute herself on the earpiece and then to pick up the phone on her desk. Kiwi glanced at the phone screen to unmute and quickly put her phone up to her ear.

    “Yo. Dog’s set up at the cafe. Things should be in tha’ backpack. Shouldn’t be too…”

    She glanced back towards the door behind her before returning her focus to the call.

    “Too necessary. Just extra safety, ya know? Anyway… give tha’ dog a high five for me while ya pick up the phone and call me. I’ll give instructions as I get ‘em from there.”

    The call ended with a beep, prompting her to replace the phone she was holding with a second one. A flip phone, this time —matching with the phone in Zygarde’s backpack— that she got specifically for this delivery. She probably didn’t need the burner phones —in fact, she probably didn’t need to be in Akira’s office, either. But these were all, in her head, necessary precautions, set for Kiwi’s own privacy and safety. It was part of the reason she sympathized with the client and agreed to the whole delivery thing in the first place. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She probably would’ve made them deliver if she was in their place, too.

    Of course, Kiwi couldn’t deliver it herself, hence the delivery crew.

    She flipped the phone open, settling it on her desk before leaning back in her chair and unmuting herself on the earpiece. Her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling before she blinked and she saw somewhere else again.

    Once again, she saw the happy face of Zygarde, who was observing the area around the cafe. She turned the invisible camera around to face the other side of the dog, zooming in a bit to see over the dog’s shoulder. Looking out to the street, all she had to do for the time being was wait for her delivery team to show up.

     
    JIAK
    SCENE:
    Dragons Arc 3: Scene 2 [Hunting Filth]
    LOCATION:
    North District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Silva, Laura, Ruriko, Schroeder
    HUNTING FILTH
    He'd left the Serpents because he couldn't take pretending anymore that he was okay acting like life was great when it wasn't. He'd joined the Dragons because they were active- but since he'd joined, there was only one who really had been active in his eyes, and she was out of commission.

    Karma's a bitch but man do I love it when it pays its dues.

    The time they'd spent working their way into this place had finally paid off.

    The skies wept, but he didn't really give a damn. Hood up, hands in pockets, eyes brighter than normal, Jiak moved through the uneven streets of Buggjog, the Northern tattered and abused streets were slick from the droplets of rain, the pavements just as cracked, worn, broken, and a stepping hazard from the sheer lack of construction efforts.

    His eyes swept over his birthplace, his home, and his hell hole. The squishing of ground underfoot was a sign of improperly cared for road reminded him of his youth. How he used to walk around here with his sister, and a single friend. Neither of whom had lived long enough to survive up to the present despite two of these three being HPs. Back when she'd been alive, they had often talked with their parents about all leaving the North together.

    Loved how it took only one bad accident and being at the wrong place at the wrong time for people to just get killed in a district that barely cared for its own people.

    As he passed an alley he watched as someone pulled their sleeve back down, tossing out the syringe into the dirt next to the box they'd been sitting on. Reclining against the slick wall and letting out a sigh of relief. He thought of Iseul. How she'd joined as a willing experiment despite his protests and then come back to die for it. Trying to get something she was never born with- or before that, forgetting her worries through psychedelics and dopamine fueled daydreams- doing the dirty deed just to scrape by when it was something he'd never wanted for his older sister.

    Physical contact pulled him out of his thoughts. He bumped shoulders with some piece of work, and the guy shoved him roughly, telling him to watch where he was going. Jiak took the shove in stride, merely moving along. The dude wasn't worth his ire- he was saving that for someone else.

    He paused, letting droplets of rain hit his face as he looked into the sky.

    Demons below, why won't you just take this place and let it all burn already?

    He had hoped walking these streets would bring back good memories. Something to channel to keep himself from getting too carried away- but all this walking around and taking the long way to their destination was just reminding him of every reason why he'd left the Sable Serpents, and gave the middle finger to anyone that had tried to stop him.

    Now here he was, a good 3 years later. A veteran of the Dragons- here to do his part.

    But there was a greater goal to this mission. His eyes burned bright at the mere thought of it. He wasn't just here to dish out righteous justice for all those poor souls that had gotten roped into this sick game of profit and success. He was here to get payback. In a way he was returning to his roots. The Dragons liked to give an eye for an eye- the Sable Serpents liked to beat the shit out of anyone that disrespected them, here he was, about to do both. Part of it was for the Queen, and the damage the Ace he was looking forward to reuniting with had done along with his buddies.

    Thanks to some third party support with the raids, they had been able to sneak into Northern territory deep enough that whatever Lancer and those buddies of his were doing, was enough to upset the flow of things that the alerts they'd set off assaulting the carriers Serpents had been working with to sell their product, wasn't even focused on them.

    He'd never met Lancer, never knew the guy- and never fought with him personally. The HP was a shadow even in Serpent streets, but one in the past who hadn't bothered getting involved in Serpent activity till recently. This recent debut, after hearing how he had not only fought the new Ace but was also targeting the drug circuits of the Serpents- either painted the unknown HP as a genius in strategic assault, or some kind of brave idiot.

    If he ever found him personally, he'd send him an invite to join the Dragons. Now that he was a veteran he had that power. They needed people like that more. People doing their actual job, to make this shitstain of a city better instead of the trash everyone else outside the East tolerated.

    Hopefully, coming here and fucking up the main chemical factory would shake things up enough that the Serpents might start focusing more on their arms dealing instead. At least long enough for the Dragons to come in and clean up the mess they'd been making in Central to pull in more favor.

    He came to a stop where at a distance their target, the warehouse, a base of operations for all the chemical potions were made. Jiak didn't waste a second.

    "Alright guys, real simple. We're going straight to homebase- tearing the place down, and if we have time before Ruriko has to port us out, we'll see if we can get back the thing they stole from Rabbit. Honestly," he scratched the side of his cheek, "that's like the last thing on my priority right now. Damaging as much of their business as we possibly can is my number one goal with minimal casualties to us."

    A green haze wafted off his body.

    "Fuck it up. Any Serpents that get in your way are bonus. Word of advice from an ex-- beat them down hard and make sure they stay down. Their petty bitches. Give them a chance and they'll make you regret sparing them even a little."

    He cracked his knuckle with his thumb. "Kill em if it comes down to it. Chow." His voice distorted near the end, body flickered, and the haze followed the forward direction of his ascent.

     
    ROLAND DREYER
    SCENE:
    New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 3 [Silence for the Damned]
    LOCATION:
    Dilapidated Clinic, North District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Charmy, Dagger, Guinevere, Jack
    SILENCE FOR THE DAMNED
    That which dies ought to stay dead. Roland remembered when he'd believed those words. As a matter of fact, he still believed them. Borrowed or stolen, this time that he occupied—the life, or perhaps un-life, that clung to him, now—was not rightfully his. It was difficult to tell whether this life was new, or old. A continuation, or a fresh start. Was he even the same man who'd been put into the ground all those years ago? Did it matter? When he slept, now, he did not dream. Did not sleep. Not really. At night he merely closed his eyes and waited for the coming of dawn, for the answer to the question yet unasked.

    Before he could think on it any longer, he was distracted by the wailing. The dead who were not dead wailed often in these days. Confused as they were, despondent, half-awake yet longing for sleep, much as he was. Though they were not as he was. Ever the favored son of some unseen force, Roland, even in death, was one of the lucky ones.

    He rose and strode toward the source of the screams, the wailing growing ever louder as he maneuvered through the dilapidated bones of a once pristine hospital, now derelict and abandoned. He took the shrieking woman by the hand, dessicated, with skin sloughing off in places. He spoke to her in a calming voice, saying, Your name is Mary. You were a mother. Remember, remember, remember.

    It was hard to say how much help he could be to them. After they'd shoved off yoke of their shared, former master, the dead had been left to their own devices. Roland, the only one of them that was awake as well as alive, had taken to shepherding them, guiding them, he hoped, to find their lost humanity once more.

    When the woman quietened down, Roland lifted his head to the figure who stood in the threshold, half-in and half-out.

    "Ah, you came."

     
    "HANUEL" BAE (HIFUMI)
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Azure Dragons Arc 3: Scene 3 [Ripples of Stardust]
    LOCATION:
    Zhànzhēng Resort, East District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Hifumi, Hiram, Kazue, Kairong, Omar, Ottilie
    RIPPLES OF STARDUST
    As sunny as it was, the sparse clouds that did speckle the blue above hung heavy with trepidation.

    The impressive expanse of sand was dotted with individuals, couples, and families. Each one privy to their own activities. Whether it be eating, sunbathing, swimming, or any other variety of leisure, the populace was reveling in bountiful abandon. Illumination from the sun brought both warmth and light in equal sum, lathering unfurled expressions of blithe. It was a place free from the leaden anxieties of the waking world where hope was allowed to lighten the burden of heart and mind.

    Today this atmosphere stood challenged—fully and carelessly interrupted by a secondary objective.

    The prospect of protesting a criminal organization might seem odd from the outside, but the Azure Dragon’s grip on the district was woven far deeper than petty misdeeds. Some residents knew no better, others could not be bothered to oppose, and plenty even believed the gang’s rule to be righteous. It could be argued as a matter of culture. One that was carefully and deliberating cultivated. Much like a small tree whose leaves were clipped for the delight of the one who held the pot.

    That’s what made this particular event such an outlier.

    Huizhong Sieh, the resort’s current owner—along with those prior—had always held a strictly neutral stance. Never before did they unnecessarily try to curry favor, nor attract azure eyes through turbulent actions. What was transpiring here was an undeniable, and entirely intentional, display of contradiction. The continued allowance of the locations’ occupation went far beyond happenstance. So much so, that it could easily be condemned as indisputable collusion.

    Zhànzhēng Resort was vast, and its history equally so. It was a building that had been standing for hundreds of years with sections built and rebuilt, as well as near constant refurbishing and maintenance. It was just as much of a historical site as it was a destination for common amusement. One of many monuments to the preservation of peace, safety, and well-being of the district. Any kind of demonstration that was to be held here was one that deliberately asked for attention. So it was no wonder the brazen flaunting of an anti-dragon agenda was cause for scrutiny.

    It was a delicate situation, however.

    Though there was no rule barring the entry of Azure Dragons—and the prospect outlandish—it went without saying that the organizations’ presence would be an unwelcome one. Whether it was decided to pursue swirling suspicions under the guise of normality, or to pressure the authority of the Dragon’s Reign, the den they were entering was one of their own and its residents' fallacious innocents.

    The assembly tasked with this undertaking, by themselves or another, gathered a way away from prying eyes from both building, and beach. From this point onward their method of approach, and conduct in general, would decide the outcome of the day’s tribulation.
     
    TENEBROSITY
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Serpents Arc 3: Scene 3 [The Sun in the Gutter]
    LOCATION:
    Lab Icarus, North District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Darius, Mimi, Orion, Rutheless, Sang-Cheol, Yuna, Yuto
    The Sun in the Gutter
    Gentle taps of Ten’s shoes on the tile floor echoed through the bathroom. They swayed around the small space, mop in their gloved hands, dancing as if they were in a ballroom instead. Their date —the mop— was like a man in a suit with his tie swinging as they danced. It —the mop— had taken the lead in this dance, imaginary footsteps guiding Ten’s. It —the mop— spun the shadow around before pulling them into its arms. It —the mop— slowly brought its arm out to dip Tenebrosity.

    Promptly, the rug of their illusion was swept out from under him just as their legs were. They were now on the ground, with the clack of the mop hitting the floor just following their fall. She giggled, scratching their face. They supposed they forgot that mops didn’t have any arms.

    A few moments after they fell, they heard someone calling their name from the hall outside the bathroom. They immediately recognized the call as Darius’ voice. Scrambling to their feet, they pushed the mop aside before moving to open the door. Just as they got to the door, they paused.

    They stuffed their hand into one of their pockets, feeling around until they found a box-shaped object buried deep within it. Good! It’s still there. A pleased look washed over their face.

    With the newfound reassurance, they found themselves on the other side of the door, waving Darius down. “O- I- I’m o- I’m over here!”

    The dim lighting of the hallway allowed Ten to clearly see their beloved’s face. The light that was there seemed to bounce off the other’s orange eyes, making them look like tiny suns. It was a little silly to look at.

    Tenebrosity lowered to the ground; however, just as fast as they pressed into the ground, they popped up in front of Darius, beaming. “Did- did- do- um- did- did- d- did- did you ne- n- need something?”

     
    Ryoma Matsuno
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]
    LOCATION:
    South District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Hitoshi, Merrit, Noa, Ryoma, Suzerain
    FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING
    In the shadows of adjacent buildings, Ryoma could be seen ambling his way down the small alleyway towards the Shellac. His mind a mixture of minor apprehension and resolute curiosity. Initially he had only been surprised to find that he had miss a call on his family phone. His surprised further intensified as he listened to the voicemail left by a stressed and heavily inebriated Histoshi, rambling incoherently while repeatedly asking for help.

    In dealing with this situation, he had maintained a demeanor of calm caution. It wasn't as if he hadn't received drunken calls from the man in the past. And despite Hitoshi's age or general lack of combat prowess. Ryoma fully trusted the man to take care of himself. He had always been surprisingly resourceful, and more often than not turned his enemies on their head because they underestimated him.

    Still yet, in spite of that, the distress in his voice had been every bit genuine. Ryoma knew when Hitoshi was in desperate need of actual help. The man's ramblings had incessantly repeated in Ryoma's head long after the message had ended due to this. And as it turned out, he wasn't entirely sure who all else had received the message, if anyone. No one had called him with information or asking about Hitoshi's whereabouts.

    Though, in part it couldn't be helped due to many others being busy with their own preparations for something or other. The message in turn had put a halt to Ryoma's own plans to aid Bolt in his assault on CDPD-HQ. To the point, where Ryoma had considered leaving the matter until afterward. But had reconsidered, as Hitoshi might need him now, and later would be too late. Ryoma wouldn't let what happened during the Hurricane repeat itself.

    Getting closer now to the front entrance, he could recall and picture a dozen nights he had carried Hitoshi to the front of the Shellac. Several of those nights had been when he was much younger than he was now. At times they were so drunk, that they forgot where to even find the front door, let alone unlock it. There were also the countless times he had been down this way to pick Hitoshi up for a job or merely come by to visit. Momentarily reminiscing on times past, a familiar face greeted him below the bar's neon sign. Anya had always had a habit of being a bit restless, but that usually entailed her smoking more than usual.

    Her face as he approached clearly showed that wasn't enough this time, as if her body language didn't already convey just how worried she actually was. It was possible that she knew something he didn't, which promised the possibility of both tragedy or fortune. In the same step, Ryoma could spot someone opposite of him down the street. While he couldn't discern exactly who, he could only guess it was someone else who had also gotten the worrying message. This fact both relieved and intensified his concerns. It meant there would be more hands to help find Hitoshi and figure out what was going on, but it also meant the threat merited a cry for help to numerous people.

    "Been a while Anya. How's the kids?" Ryoma said with wave.

    Being the first to reach the woman he wanted to ease her tensions a bit if he could. He hoped a familiar face and some small talk would make the situation easier to swallow. In the meantime he stood by and waited as the others closed the distance in their approach. Only thinking to look behind his back afterward to see if anyone had been trailing him.
     
    Last edited:
    JOZEF DAALMAN

    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Serpents Arc 3: Scene 2 [Hunks In The City]
    LOCATION:
    Central District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Celestine, Jozef, Nikolai, Tri
    HUNKS IN THE CITY

    “Does that not count as a fight, or did you take her out too fast for that?”

    Jozef eyed the ice cream with envy as he spoke candidly to his boss. He was in quite a fascinating position, once part of a group despised by the former King, and now on a funded outing with the current King, but by the way he acted it didn’t seem special. Jozef didn’t care who Tri was, all that mattered was that they were having a fun time. He preferred the fun times.

    Standing up straight from his slouched pose, he looked around the area. Partially to find the ice cream parlour he must’ve missed on the way there, and partially to see if anything stood out as a King-pleasing destination. Despite being a frequent sight in Central due to his student status, he was one that fit the broke student archetype to a tee. There were no boutiques or fine dining or designer outlets on a Serpent rookie’s budget, but maybe on the King’s son's budget… He was still thinking about Tri’s ice cream.

    “Ummm… We could… There’s some cool stuff down at Central University today but I told my roommate I wouldn’t go without him so… I don’t know.”

    He pointed down one of the many streets that converged at their current spot, he had no clue what was down there, but it was as good a place as any.

    “What’s happening down there?”
    -->
     
    Dagger
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 3 [Silence for the Damned]
    LOCATION:
    Dilapidated Clinic, North District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    ???, ???, ???
    Silence for the Damned

    The walking dead. If she wasn't seeing it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it. They shambled around the complex aimlessly, their mangled, desecrated bodies trailing flecks of blood and drying innards across the ground. She wasn't sure exactly, how they worked. A hive mind? A puppetmaster like her and her dogs, perhaps? Did they operate as a pack? Could she pick them off one by one? She wasn't about to take any action until she figured out how they ticked. What she did know, however, was that the dead should remain in the ground, buried, but not forgotten.

    Once again, she was going into this blind. It was becoming a terrible habit. She drew back from her mounted rifle, and leaned back on her folding stool with a groan and a sigh. She unwrapped her unfinished chocolate bar and bit down into it. Gunnolf glanced her way as she chewed pensively on the the day-old, half-melted chocolate. She returned his gaze with a glare. "You don't even need to eat, dumbass," she snapped. With a pitiful whine, the giant wolf fell back to its paws. Alpha was roaming around her hidey-hole in another blown-out, dilapidated building near the venue, while Akela was scouting out the target area itself. It would seem as if the shuffling bodies ignored the ghost. After all, it was no more than a memory of the dead, just like them.

    She leaned forwards, picking up one of the bottles of water on the ground, and took a gulp of water from it. What intel she had was shoddy, at best. A former King wandering around was not something her employer wanted. Even if it was a husk of a long-gone specter, just their appearance would probably shake the already unstable foundations of the Tigers. If it was any of the Kings of the other gangs, then this would be a service to them as well. Not enough for them to owe one to the Tigers, but it might come in handy. She laid the plastic bottle down, and fished out a pack of cigarettes from her jacket. She lit one up, and took a drag.

    All things considered, this was a fairly good job. It was…peaceful. Park, Weiss, Knight, they were all distant memories in this place. Her wolves by her side, and an armory of guns and caches of ammo surrounding her, she felt almost at peace. She leaned back once more against the cement balcony, letting out a plume of smoke from her nose and lips, the taste of tobacco heavy in her mouth and nostrils.

     
    RURIKO IKEDA
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Dragons Arc 3: Scene 2 [Hunting Filth]
    LOCATION:
    North District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Silva, Laura, Ruriko, Schroeder
    HUNTING FILTH

    What a fucking shithole — people live like this?

    Ruriko pulled the bill of her hat down to hide her disgust at the surrounding area. She had been to the north district several times but never got used to the filth and muck that lingered around every corner. It was a stark contrast to the beautiful, and mostly clean, east district. Even the south district was better than this and they’ve been in shambles for a good while.

    She followed quietly behind Jiak, a fellow veteran leading their little raid team. Hitting the Serpents sounded fun and all but in all honesty, she didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be with Shen and the rest of the leadership, handling their business with the Phoenixes. More importantly, being this far away from Xuefeng put her on edge. The old man reassured her that Karin would have no problems watching him while most of the Dragons were out doing their own business but the idea of him slipping away and attracting danger created a pit in her stomach.

    These past months made her realize she was growing soft because of the child. She wasn’t sure if that was bad, but it made her feel uneasy. Ruriko worried a lot lately because of this. She was worried about Shen and his meeting with the Phoenixes, and by extension, she was worried about Isaiah and Kanna. They were all important to her and the thought of losing another important person in her life made her chest ache.

    Without much consideration, she pulled out her phone from her front pocket and stared at the messages between her and Karin. Did she really want to be that overbearing figure? With a huff, she tapped away at the screen, deciding to message Isaiah instead:

    Call me if things go sour.

    Her thumb hovered idly over the digital keyboard before sending a second text to him.

    Be safe.

    Ruriko slipped her phone back into her pocket just in time to see a random asshole shove Jiak out of his way. Her hand moved to the hilt of her sword but she soon relaxed after realizing Jiak had no interest in beating down a stranger. Instead, she offered the asshole a glare as she walked by him, counting the man’s blessings since he clearly couldn’t do it himself.

    Eventually, the small band of Dragons set their sights on their targetted warehouse as Jiak gave them a rundown on the plan — which was to just wreck the entire place. “Don’t stray too far, I’m not leaving the portal open for long when we dip. Either haul ass or get left behind,” she added. Ruriko intended to link the portal to HQ and she wasn’t about to risk letting a bunch of serpents follow them through just because someone was too slow.


    Doctor Llamabean Doctor Llamabean Vahn Vahn Lucem Lucem RedArmyShogun RedArmyShogun
     
    Passeri Park
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]
    LOCATION:
    Heavenly Beast Plaza, Lower Central District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Wren, Elias, Kenji, Passeri, Isobel, Ezra
    Where Giants Sleep
    She had to admit, it was nice.

    The plaza was a thing of artifice. Recycled water and filtered air, were pumped through a carefully maintained facade of the natural world. The trees were transplanted, and the grass was carefully trimmed and manicured. She wouldn't have been surprised if even the soil had been hammered and pounded into just the right shape as to ensure nobody tripped themselves up on their morning job. A forlorn sigh escaped Passeri. The plaza was just as much of a monument to the city's inadequacies as it was its virtues.

    But... It was nice. Any amount of greenery was a welcome break from the concrete jungle's usual urban sprawl, and even if she was here for business rather than pleasure, she was glad she was spending the day in the company of butterflies and picnic ants, not zombies and office buildings.

    A truss of blonde hair bobbed behind Passeri as she wandered the area. It had been a queer task, one that she'd just barely caught creeping through the Tigers' grapevine. A rare request from the Jack, who until now had been loathsomely inactive. Isobel had been somebody that Passeri held hopes for, a rare soul within the Tigers' royal pantheon that might have the inclination to do anything other than horde power and wealth, but so far she'd been let down. It'd been almost a year since the so-called Mouse's ascension, and not much longer since the new Queen and Aces', and all she'd done was hide in her hole.

    It put her on edge. With Markus chasing ghosts, and Isobel playing at nothing, the other side of the Tigers' regality was the only one that was making any moves. Sincerely, she hoped that whatever this was, it turned out to be important.

    She'd been kept in the dark in on this one, something that was essentially the Tigers' modus operandi. Scour the park. For what and why, she had no idea, and it bothered her. She'd been fed a reason, sure, but she put about as much faith in the honesty of the Tigers as she did in the tooth fairy. The big cats of New Oasis were always playing an angle. She was sure that Markus's pet rodent was no different.

    It wasn't often that Passeri had the chance to wander in peace like this. She'd found herself quite taken with disguises ever since she'd become more involved with the Tigers, but she'd never had the time nor the thought to use one to go on a stroll. The anonymity was nice. It reminded her of old days, and for once, it wasn't for the worse.

    But, that was besides the point.

    Passeri had been scouring the plaza for a while now, cutting inconspicuous paths about the artificial park, and she'd yet to have much luck. The northern statue lingered the closest to her, rearing its ugly head up high, near the park's glass ceiling. She'd spent some time studying it, hoping to glean some sort of ancient lore from within the titanic beast's stone form, but if it had any secrets to tell, it was not sharing them with her.

    She was at a loss. Besides the architecture of the plaza itself, there wasn't much else of note about the place. It was a park. It had water features, it had grass, and it had prim and perfect shrubbery. None of those particularly rang of history, unless Isobel wanted them to record the tree rings on all of the local flora.

    Before anything else, she needed a lead, and she had no idea where to find one.

    General: Saturn_moon Saturn_moon Kyuubey Kyuubey Stros Stros Lucem Lucem QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel
     
    SAMIRA CALRISSIAN
    CS Link
    SCENE:
    Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]
    LOCATION:
    Central District
    PARTICIPANTS:
    Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie
    THE HEIST
    Slender fingers typed away as the strokes on the mechanical keyboard seemed to have put Samira in a trance. This happened often, the young woman would become so engulfed by her work that hours would feel like minutes. She was finalizing her proposal to send to the board, the exciting unveiling of their new line of sake. Wine was her family’s main point of interest but it never hurt to find alternative options for business. Rather than her own home country, Amestria would be the first to experience their new line of products — so everything needed to be perfect in terms of marketing and quality.

    “Ms. Calrissian,” a soft, quiet voice — akin to a mouse — tore her attention away from the computer screen in front of her. Samira looked up from her work to find her personal assistant standing at the doorway, holding a rather thick binder to her chest. The girl was always soft-spoken and unsure of herself but her work ethic made up for that. “Yes, Danielle?” Samira turned her attention back to her monitor, saving her work before closing out of the program.

    “I wanted to remind you of your meeting with Mr. Hashimoto at noon, I have already arranged a ride for you.”

    Samira looked back to her computer, noting how much time has passed since she initially started her work for the day. Assistants were certainly useful when it came to reminders and punctuality. Ryutaro had hinted at the importance of their meeting today and it would not look good on her as his selected Ace to be late. “Thank you for the reminder,” she smiled as she gathered her belongings before following Danielle out of her office.

    The car ride was rather short, about a fifteen-minute drive from her business to the Hashimoto Real Estate. She offered the doorman a polite nod as she was welcomed into the building, her heels clicking against the marble floors as she passed by the koi fish and fountain. Already she could feel the attention of a few visitors and employees looking in her direction, no doubt because of her attire and presence in general. Samira wore a gold tube top with a white blazer barely resting on her shoulders, along with high-waisted, white bell bottoms and ornate gold heels. It was eye-catching yet practical in any business setting.

    After a brief conversation with the receptionist, she waited with the rest of the Tigers that were gathered in the lobby — mostly speaking with Jennifer and Sylvie as she knew those two best as opposed to Camila and Maria. The group didn’t wait long as a familiar figure exited the elevator, making his way to the reception desk. Samira watched him exchange a few words with the receptionist, not all that interested in what they were talking about. She did perk up slightly though as he turned and motioned for the group to approach the desk.

    Samira decided to take the initiative as Ace to lead the small pack of Tigers, holding her chin high as she approached the man. He was more than a foot taller than her yet she showed no hint of being intimidated as she was already acquainted with him. “Jackie, it’s so good to see you again,” she smiled, extending her hand out for a handshake. “You look a little tired around the eyes, I hope you’ve been taking care of yourself.”

    joshuadim joshuadim Roda the Red Roda the Red WhiskeyMarten WhiskeyMarten Shoya Shoya Uasal Uasal
     
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