Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings

[joshuadim]

ANYA PERIKOV

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hitoshi, Merrit, Noa, Ryoma, Suzerain

FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING

Noa's helpful words helped to add additional ease to Anya's mind as she appreciated the kind words given with a faint smile on the edges of her lips. But that quickly shattered after Ryoma's next line of inquiry regarding the potential of an imposter. She knew that these... powers of theirs could take many forms. But that was one angle that she hadn't even bothered to think about until Bruiser had brought it up.

Anya's eyes widened at Ryoma's question, her face growing pale at such a possibility having occurred. "W-what?" she managed to stammer out, "That... there's no way. I KNOW it was him. Not just by looks but by his actions too... right?" She now found herself doubting her own memory and even her own ability to judge appearances. If someone had managed to not only impersonate Hitoshi but get past her as well, then what did that make her in the moment? She spared a glance over towards Suzerain who tapped the laptop before jumping back reflexively. As nothing happened in response to the outside stimuli, it very much could be said that this was a normal laptop through and through on the surface. However, it did stir the laptop from its sleep as a sound played to indicate that it was back on at full power again.

The screen came alive with a soft glow in between the crack of its keyboard and its monitor, meaning that it had battery life to spare. Anya returned her attention to Ryoma and sighed, "Fuck... what if I let a complete stranger into Hitoshi's room...?"

Interacting: Ryoma ( Stros ), Noa (@Peckinou )
Observing: Suzerain ( Ambiloquous )

 

[joshuadim]

RYUTARO HASHIMOTO

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie

THE HEIST

Ryu looked to Camila first to begin briefing on the situation: "They deal in more than just wealthy individuals in Amestria. Drug cartels, gangs, international syndicates, warlords. They funnel money for them all, without a care for international law or regulations, for so long as the money flows it's good business for them. Which leads me to the main point: Gordon & Gordon, or as you may know them by G&G. A multinational corporation that is very well known in dealing with both legal and illicit industries. The black market for organs mostly stems from them and their abetting of human trafficking operations."

He then tapped the desk and let out a frustrated sigh: "And now they're expanding into real estate, as additional buffers for their illicit fronts. They've been making moves in New Oasis, especially in our own turf and in central. In turn, these actions threaten not only my company's ability to expand but also an essential revenue stream and front provider for the Tigers. This cannot be allowed to happen."

"Like I said, our hand is being forced in this matter." Ryu replied to Jennifer with a hard stare, "As I too would rather not deal with that can of worms. But regardless, necessity drives action." He then pulled out a large paper from his desk, rectangular in size and with large dimensions to boot, before laying it out neatly onto the guest table in front of the Tigers present to reveal its contents. "This is the layout of the New Oasis branch of the bank, provided to me by an insider." He did not mention that it was the woman from the gala he had attended recently, who had made her ominous comment to him. The gift had arrived a week prior which not only made planning this much easier but also provided critical insight into several security flaws in the bank that could be exploited.

Such a magnanimous gift, and yet he didn't even know who she was or what she wanted from him. Time would tell once he dealt with the nuisance that was the Gordon brothers. "Cal had already run through the schematics and found what we need to pull this off as smoothly as we can. Security gaps exist, despite the bank claiming otherwise."

He spared a glance to Sylvie before speaking: "And who knows, after this you might expand their account numbers more." he replied in regards to Sylvie's parents.

He then returned to his attention to the matter at hand, "The main point of this is to break into the safe-deposit vault of the building, which is where the gold bars are also stored on racks. My only concern is the box owned by Milhouse Gordon, the elder of the Gordon brothers. The rest is pickings for everyone here."

He pointed to the map and drew a line as if he were marking a route on it: "The plan is a covert approach, exploiting these security weaknesses in a more quiet manner; involving the use of a Poincare-Scholtz truck to enter its loading bay and enter from there to the nearby security booth. Once we have control of the systems, we can use the deeper interior of the building to move around and deal with guards on the way to get to the vault and break in. After that, we come out the way we came. We don't draw noise, and in turn we don't draw attention. Any questions?"

Interacting: Samira ( Beann ), Camila ( Roda the Red ), Sylvie ( WhiskeyMarten ), Jennifer ( Uasal ), Maria ( Shoya )

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

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

Having been around Celeste for all his time as a Serpent, Jozef knew that her lack of smile was nothing to worry about, giving her a thankful look as she ruffled his fluffy hair. As the cashier received their money, Jozef received his ice cream in return, the syrups already beginning to drip down onto the cone prompting the rookie to start licking the sides clean.

Mid-lick, Jozef brought his attention to Nikolai, who had now begun to lecture him, and to that, he brought his smile into a toothy grin. Disregarding who was the one lecturing him, he replied with a cheery, flippant tone.

“You told me not to ignore what I desired, boss.”

The youngster quickly returned to licking his cone while Tri placed his order, and when there was mention of a group selfie, Jozef was quick to take his place beside the King, more than happy to join in.
-->

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

JESPER ALBRECHT

CS Link

SCENE:

Securing the Future

LOCATION:

East District, Tech Expo, Private Meeting Room (Crime Scene)

PARTICIPANTS:

Jesper, Sophie, Amari, Kasumi

Securing the Future

Jesper didn't even know how he should stand. His hands wavered front of and behind his waist, his expression being a forced blankness. Ordinarily he'd feel just fine amid Albrecht Industry staff—especially the house staff, Amari and Sophia. This time, it felt hard to meet their eyes. Despite not helping at all, Jesper knew how much effort went into the event, and for things to begin like this off the bat... As an Albrecht, he felt some weight of responsibility for once, regardless of how valid such feelings were.

Amari's voice came first with a few questions. "Amari..." Jesper's face almost melted into the whiny, needy one he always had on at home. As much as he would've liked to collapse somewhere and let everyone else deal with it, actual things were at stake here. He took a breath. "The priority is 'sussing' out the killer, then we figure out what happened to the USB from there. And, probably the sooner the better; we can't rule out a chance they're working with some external party..."

The heir let out a sigh, bringing up his phone to look through the suspect files again. "I suppose we oughta get cracking..." These were all names he'd heard at least once, before. Business associates, 'friendly' rivals, close friends of his parents... and in Reyner's case, his own brother. As much as he felt obligated to protest his being on the list... he couldn't exactly deny it, considering Reyner's past excursions overseas... Jesper stopped at one of the suspects. "Ariadne runs a cosmetic and drug business. If anyone could get their hands on this kind of poison, it would be her... so I'm gonna start there."

Sophia was next to ask her piece, to which he only needed to nod. "You guys don't need to follow me. If you wanna talk to any of the other suspects, knock yourself out. Any bit that'll help piece together some motive or the story will help."

angel doe azenva FabulousTrash

 

[Elenion Aura]

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

Silence is a gift. These days the world is so full of noise. Human noise. Car alarms. Cell phones. Factories. The thrumming of electricity through power lines. Generators. Heavy machinery. Cell phones. Aeroplanes. Construction. Automobiles. More construction. Cell phones. Static. Noise.

The world hasn’t been quiet for a very long time.

Silence is a gift.

A man’s mind is loud. Thoughts buzz like bees between his ears. The what, and the how, and the where, and the who. It’s easy to forget to ask why? What’s it all for? What’s it all mean? Why are we here? Why am I alive?

It’s all one great, big fucked-up self-perpetuating machine. An algorithm writing algorithms that write algorithms. A self-fulfilling prophecy. A serpent devouring itself. Round and around we go.

"There’s someone here I’d like you to meet."

Roland led her down one hall, then the next. Meandering corpses paid them little heed as they passed by the ruin of what had once been a quaint, little library. Someone had probably petitioned for the clinic to open it. Someone had probably stocked the bookshelves with care and attention. Now light streamed in through a half-caved in roof. A young, strong oak tree had begun to grow out of a crack in the tile amidst the rotted and crumbling pages.

"She’s right through here." Roland bid her follow him across a threshold that led them into another wing of the hospital, through yellowing-white double doors, the paint chipped and faded by both time and neglect.

Guinevere was just finishing up.

"Thank you for doing what I couldn’t. For giving them peace. I—" Roland paused. His eyes were suddenly clouded, and he was suddenly far away. His body turned in the direction of a low building not a block and a half away… Though the building itself was obscured from his sight, that did not seem to stop him from perceiving it.

"I am speaking now to the pair of you spying from afar."

The voice, though it was still his voice, did not sound as if it had come from his throat. In fact, the voice that Dagger and Jack heard from their lookout did not appear to be coming from anywhere at all. But rather everywhere. From outside, from within. The Voice went on,

"Come."

There was a rush of air as Roland’s Law—the Potential that, in life, had made him the strongest King alive—returned to rest, undoing the Rule it had set upon its master that had allowed him to speak, and see, the Tigers in their faraway den.

His eyes were once again focused, if a bit glassy. He turned again and asked the pair of women, "What do you feel?"

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

SOPHIA ALBRECHT

SCENE:

Securing the Future

LOCATION:

East District, Tech Expo, Delegate/Press Lounge

PARTICIPANTS:

Sophia (NPC), Chikage

Securing the Future

She already felt sick. Standing amid the cacophony of a growing crowd, the starting expo cells, the whirring machines; she hated public events. Was something like this good enough as the letter wanted? Maybe she should have sunk more time into planning. Not to mention the incident that happened only a walk away... Maybe the letter was a falsehood. Maybe she should leave for home while she still could, leave it to—

Sophia straightened herself firm. Chikage just walked in; there was no backing out now. As she focused on him, the rest of her surroundings seemed to phase out. She offered a calm and gentle smile. "Good afternoon, Mr. Nakazajo. The wait was not too sufferable; I've been known to be... patient." Despite having a new object of focus, her gaze still wandered every few seconds—to each door and certain passersby.

Though her cadence was soft a lovely, and though she only meant to talk business, it still held a hint of longing. "I should not waste any more of your time. Walk with me, if you please; there's a meeting room across the expo straight down from here." Her hands fiddled in front of her, and soon enough she was off and leading the way.

In one of the nearby exhibits, a programmer unveiled a four-legged machine painted orange and white. Its head—which really was just the end of its ovular body, reared a wide camera lens and boasted a couple gun barrels sticking out. "Here is Albrecht Industries' most recent prototype of a robot 'dog,' which we're hoping to be mass produced for exploring places few people could, while collecting limitless amounts of data! Named by the Albrechts' youngest son as..." the man squinted at his notes, "Updog, like our signature drones, it'll be connected to Guardian and will dish out peacekeeping measures if necessary..."

The showing muffled once they walked far enough, and the room in question came into view. A guard opened the door for Sophia and Chikage, letting them into the meeting room at last. She held her breath in anticipation... only to let it go with disappointment once she scanned around the room.

He was not there...

It took her a few moments to regain herself, looking back at the police with forced glee. "Right. The meeting... I apologize if I was acting amiss. I've had a lot on my mind as of late..." More than Chikage could probably fathom, no doubt. "Have a seat. Shall we get started on business?"

Doctor Llamabean

 

[Stros]

KENJI & WREN

Collab Post

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]

LOCATION:

Heavenly Beast Plaza, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Ezra, Elias, Isobel, Kenji, Passeri, Wren

WHERE GIANTS SLEEP

At the sound of a familiar voice, Kenji lazily looked over his shoulder as a disguised figure began to jog their way towards the pair. Mustering an equally lazy half wave in response, he muttered to Wren behind him.

"We've company. It's the Idol by the sounds of it…"

He'd expected Wren to still be fully invested in investigating the statue or deciphering the clues he hadn't bothered to look at even as his phone notified him of more to come. It was a habit of Wren's, to become self absorbed and oblivious of her surroundings at times, alongside the use of ASL.

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

"It's not like I had much choice."

Was Kenji's apathetic response as to why he was present, casting a knowing glance at Wren, he was met with her stoic stare in response, before he shifted his gaze back to Iroi. He had been hired out to the woman in the past, but their interactions had been purely business. He had sat by for a few of her performances, mostly to insure she wasn't interrupted during her singing and speeches, but just as well to amplify the "fantastic auditory experience extravaganza". She had paid him well for little work in the end and hadn't bothered to micromanage things which was a plus.

In between idle minutes during missions, Wren had told him a bit about Iroi's potential and their run-ins with the woman. He hadn't paid enough attention to most of it in order to solidify it as memory, but the specific aspects of her love empowerment had piqued his interest. Along with the fact that Iroi had been with the Tigers even longer than Wren herself. As potentials went he considered it quite useless, given the fickle nature of even the "notion" of love, but it explained the woman's overall behavior and popularity.

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

He prevented himself from rolling his eyes at the comment about spy movies, though if he had the energy to spare he likely would have.

"Pointless if you ask me. Clandestine ops are hardly as eventful…"

He hadn't the faintest clue as to what series or film she was referencing, but he assumed it was like all the rest. Tailored to an audience and hardly interested in depicting the realism of daily life as an undercover agent. Her query as to her makeup earned her a shrug from Kenji as he adjusted his posture to position the Mugenjin on his back and shoulders. Resting his wrists on either end of its sheath, he squatted to shift around the flow of blood in his body. It was a mildly uncomfortable position, but that was the point of it. His gut was telling him that with the abundance of vague details and personalities, that the mission would shape up to be a long and winding one. As such he settled in for the long run, but would need to remain awake to seize an opportunity to slip away.

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

As the three chatted idly, it wasn't long before the others of the group began to appear. A sharp dressed man followed Iroi's arrival, bringing with him a bag of assorted drinks and food. While his greeting was rather hollow, the gifts he bore weren't. Unable to remember the last time he had ate, while a bit out of character, Kenji took him up on his offer with a curt nod.

"Thanks."

While he wasn't solving riddles, that didn't stop him from helping himself. Peering into bag, he spotted a popular brand of canned coffee and snagged it alongside a packet of sushi nestled near the bottom. In light of the gesture, Kenji considered introducing himself to the man as he returned to his squatting position. The Mugenjin this time left resting on his shoulder. Though, reflexively, as he popped the tab of the coffee, he decided against it given the fact that someone would mention either of their names eventually. Most chose to be more connected and knowledgeable of each other than he personally cared to bother with. That typically saved him the time and energy.

With the can opened, Kenji downed the black, bitter liquid with practiced ease. The caffeine that normally would trigger a wakeful response went ignored by his body for the most part. As if in protest, immediately after chugging a quarter of the can, Kenji let out a yawn before moving onto the sushi. Popping the lid off the packet, he tossed a roll into his mouth and savored the flavor with an uninterested expression.

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

Wren’s finger had been lazily tracing the lines of the compass, familiarizing herself with it, those eyes narrowed and honed in on it. There was more to it, Wren just felt it deep down. One of those ‘trust your gut’ type moments. Alas, the snowy haired girl couldn’t quite wrestle any thoughts down that would be of use. They were fleeting and all seemingly leading to dead ends.

With a huff of disapproval, Wren glanced back up towards Kenji’s disinterested expression and those eyes narrowed even further. Pulling out her phone, Wren glanced down and was about to start taking pictures and notify the group of what they’d found before the man began muttering in a more hushed tone about the arrival of someone.

The phone was hastily forgotten and shoved back to occupy a pocket once more, no longer of importance if those within the group chat were starting to converge to where they were. Easier to communicate in person, or well, maybe for them. Wren’s lips found themselves scrunched to the side, revealing a dimple upon her cheeks, before they stretched back out into a smile once Passeri came into view.

That now free hand shot up, waving about to match the energy and greeting the other woman eluded. Truly, whilst many might not feel this way, Wren found Passeri to be a breath of fresh air. Someone who alleviated tension and did most of the talking. A true conversationalist, even if it was nonsensical sometimes. Only two reasons out of quite a few that Wren enjoyed the company of the other woman.

Big sky blue eyes lifted up to stare as a bunch of rambling came forth which Wren only dared to acknowledge once Idol seemed to be done. A thumbs up alongside an approving smile, was given in response to her inquiry about the make-up.

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

Elias seemed to converge on their location next. As much as the vet wanted to be interested in his arrival alone, it was the bag within his grasp that kidnapped most of her attention. Azure hues settled on it, staring quite intently, as if she could peer inside and see the contents from sheer will alone. Even more intriguing was the fact that Kenji was the first to surrender to his hunger and take food from a person who Wren knew was a stranger to him. From what she knew, the two hadn’t met before.

Those eyes followed Kenji’s hands, watching him pluck out a can of coffee and then the other hand that arose from the plastic bag with a tray of sushi. Wren fidgeted a little bit, nose wrinkling as she scooted closer towards the katana wielding man, completely ignoring any semblance of what one could consider ‘personal space’.

And it was like this she remained, surveying every movement as he chugged the can, emptying it of its contents and moved onto the sushi. With a stealthy like hand, whilst he was busy bringing a piece to his lips, Wren snatched one from his tray. It was promptly shoved into her mouth with lightning fast reflexes, lips curtly and forcefully shut in an attempt to hide it before she reached for another and also disposed of any trace of it the same way she’d done the other.

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

Ezra’s arrival had been completely missed by the woman so when he spoke, Wren all but went frigid, face draining of color as she began to stare at him guiltily with a sushi roll stuffed away into a cheek, causing it to bulge out. Just like a child who had been caught doing something they shouldn’t.

Slowly a hand rose and went side to side, almost robotically, to welcome him to the little, completely and totally unsuspicious, gathering of Tigers that was growing with each arrival.

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

While caught up in the unfolding events of their current mission, it would be easy for a few pieces of sushi to go missing without a thought. When everyone's mind was preoccupied with unraveling the mystery behind the strange verses found on each statue and the cryptic nature of their mission's nature all together, it was easy to not pay attention to one's surroundings. If it were anyone but Kenji, Wren's deft and swift acts of petty thievery may have gone completely unnoticed. However, Kenji's single mindedness had him notice the shift in weight , beginning with the first piece that went missing.

Stopping his chewing momentarily, he paused, only continuing shortly afterward as he chose to ignore the obvious act of grand larceny. After all it wasn't uncommon for Wren to mooch off him once he had proven something wasn't poisonous. Bringing another sushi roll up to his mouth without paying it further mind, he stared blankly at the forth new arrival who seemed to be in a staring competition with the ground beneath him. Eying the additional rookie, the familiar shift in weight made him stop entirely and turn his attention back towards the last remaining rolls in his plastic tray.

Merely squatting there a moment, staring at his remaining food in silent contemplation, he slowly turned his head over his shoulder to stare at Wren beside him with a dispassionate expression. Noting her swelling cheek deflate almost instantly, he stated flatly.

"Get your own."

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

“ Don’t need to when you have some. “ Wren signed, smiling smugly, not even trying to hide it.

Shortly after, Isobel came waltzing, no speed walking as if in distress, towards the gathered group. Wren couldn’t help but look towards the petite woman in bafflement, gaze flickering over towards the small boy that was on her heel like one of those tiny dogs that liked to nip at ankles. Unsure of what to think of that particular situation, Wren managed to catch Isobel’s visible plea of help that was dancing amongst each eye like an S.O.S of sorts.

Hastily thinking and moving into action, Wren appeared next to Ezra and gave him a very beaming smile before beginning to sign. “ You’re so great with Ezra the cat, you got this! “ She exclaimed by putting emotion into the hand movements, nudging him towards the small child. Truthfully, children made Wren uncomfortable due to her inability to properly communicate with them. This would be no different and so Wren wanted her hands completely free and clean of having to babysit or deal with the young boy. White hair soon disappeared from view as Wren flashed back over to the statue, pointing towards the compass she’d found hidden beneath the thick foliage and revealing it to everyone.

Of course Isobel’s question didn’t escape her gaze, an inquiry to which Wren shrugged a bit at. Admittedly Wren’s interest was directed at very specific things around the city and the mines certainly hadn’t been one of them. Isobel nearly tripping and going for a swim with the fishes seemed to be a thing of fate, or chance depending on who you ask, since as she fumbled around wildly to regain her balance, the compass that Wren was displaying to the group was altered.

Both eyes widened a bit, clearly bewildered enough to start pointing at it repeatedly in an attempt to have everyone look at it. “ Turn it? “ Wren made the motion with her hand but didn’t actually physically follow through with the action. She wanted to see what the rest of them wanted to do. Not all switches or buttons were meant to be pressed even if every part of her was screaming to do it, just so that she could witness what would happen. Curiosity killed the cat but then again, cats had nine lives.

_________________________________________________________________________________________​

Carrying the Mugenjin behind his neck, with both hands firmly grasping the sheath. Kenji shrugged without a word when asked about what he knew of the local mines. He couldn't recall ever hearing about them, and had only ever been to an abandoned mine as part of a discreet execution some years back. Naturally, his ability had been valued in making the whole thing seem like a freak accident. Though, he was confident none of that experience would come into play now. As such he idly shifted his gaze from Tiger to fellow Tiger, waiting for the inevitable consensus to turn the unorthodox dial and discover what it did, if anything.

Spoiler: Tags

Kyuubey QuirkyAngel Saturn_moon Stros The One Eyed Bandit

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

HIRAM ABAYAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Azure Dragons Arc 3: Scene 3 [Ripples of Stardust]

LOCATION:

Zhànzhēng Resort, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Hiram, Kairong, Kazue, Omar, Ottilie

Ripples of Stardust

Hiram tried not to think too much about the empty space where the other Dragons were supposed to be. It wouldn’t do him well to show annoyance when they did arrive, especially since the venerated Kairong was expected among their number. The better option was to try and get a sense of the dissent brewing around the resort and try his best to ignore more of Ottilie’s oddities (even if he found them endearing at times).

It was a strange thing to see, people protesting against what was possibly the most stable and (relatively) crime-free of all the gangs. There was no plausible reason for this to happen, unless… it was sparked by something from the outside? Someone? Perhaps the influence of powerful enemies coaxed these people into dissent. While Ottilie rambled on about the characteristics of foxes and their similarities to cats, Hiram considered which gang would benefit the most from the protests. Serpents couldn’t comprehend a cohesive plan if it dangled in front of them, and there was that uneasy peace with the Phoenixes through a fragile truce.

The Tigers, then. Maybe? What would they gain from all of this? While Ottilie was mimicking a fox tail, Hiram looked back on the many atrocities Tigers committed on a regular basis for the simplest and smallest of gains. Perhaps they needed no other reason than to diminish the influence of the Dragons while increasing their own. That was definitely on brand for them… with exceptions. ‘I wonder how Kiwi is doing over there… Is there some way I can make contact with her again? Maybe I can–’

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

The howling went on for a full minute, during which Hiram wanted to curl into a random hole somewhere and cringe in second-hand embarrassment until he died. All his trains of thought crashed into each other until the only thing that remained was his desire to deny any connection to Ottilie– nay, deny her existence entirely. Only when Ottilie pointed out the red paper to Hiram did he feel obligated to respond in some manner. Before he could grab the paper, venerated Kairong and Kazue approached them, the former with all the grace of his station, the latter slurping an ice cream cone in hand. Hiram immediately bowed respectfully to the two higher ranking members, ignoring the jab of irritation at the veteran healer’s explanation for her tardiness. Ice cream? A frozen dairy treat was more important than enforcing order within the East District? Ice cream?

Hiram already had to regulate his emotions multiple times in the span of an hour. He was exhausted, and they hadn’t even started doing anything about the protests.

“Master Kairong. Master Kaneko. Hiram Abayan and Ottilie James reporting for duty,” Hiram said. Just as he rose from his bow, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a man wearing a top hat and holding a briefcase. It was for a moment, and Hiram swore he could almost recognize the man.

Just then two men arrived, strangers, claiming ownership of the strange, blue fox. Hiram wasn’t inclined to trust these men any more than he trusted Ottilie to drink less than five cups of orange juice in one sitting. Then again, he wasn’t sure who the fox belonged to, even if he felt some sort of… familiarity with it. “No, we weren’t bitten as far as I know,” Hiram said to the man, glancing every now and then at the fox. “Are you the fox’s owners?”

Mentioned: gxxberkit
Interactions: Saturn_moon BluEndings Vahn azenva simj26

 

[The Prophet]

DIMITRI BELLARI

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 1 [PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Florence, Miles, Gavril, Milo, Dimitri

PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT

The moment the cameras cut on, Dimitri was dead, replaced with VAMP. The introductions were simple enough; smile, laugh quickly, look joyed to be here but still calm. Tilt just so so that lighting looked perfect, stand just so to show of their form while making it look natural and not practiced. keep stray looks to a minimum; only look at the camera if he was talking to the 'audience'. Take smaller, quieter breaths and keep the jaw slightly clenched when not talking. Dimitri had been doing gang stuff more actively recently, but that didn't mean he stopped being an industry titan. The camera's didn't want to see the person, they wanted the metaphorical throne he sat upon. And they would glimpse it indeed.

He had to. Ever since the bridge, his gang obligations had picked up significantly. And as someone who couldn't be seen in the publice eye while working, he had to make up for it behind the scenes. And all that extra work meant he had to do extra work in the public eye to keep up appearances and remain the redheaded vampire heartthrob they wanted him to be. It all really was kind of annoying. Phoenixes were habving a meeting today, no? He would have to buy Lyric a bottle or two after; he could already hear the exasperation and frustration. Speaking of Phoenixes, he hadn't exprected to see another one here as a contestant, much less a rookie like him. They say Milo was an artist? If Dimitri wasn't pretending he didn't know who the hell Milo was, he might've asked to commission him. Sparing a look towards the camera, he waved in time for the comercial break, no doubt boosting ratings as the good folks at home reacted. Yes, As far as the world knew he barely even knew what the gangs were all about in the first place. For the duration of this show, Milo was nothing more than a random who's name he caught during the game.

“How’s it goin’? Don’t think you’re really here for the hustle, are ya?” Dimitri looked over to the voice now that they had a free moment, smiling as they apprached. Florence was another big name, though for a much different field. Dimitri liked boxing and watching combat sports, but he didn't think he could get into it like Flo did. “Did ya hear from Passeri about the show?”

"Oh no, if I win i'll just donate to charity or something like that. I felt bad i missed Pass's concert, so when she told me about this event I offered to appear. Gotta support my dearest friend. Didn't even eat before this, to make it even." Dimitri winked at his obvious joke, stretching while the ad time ticked on. "What about you, doing well? Gonna go out on a limb and say she told us both about this, hence here we are. Gotta say, good production work in the background here, 'laughing' aside." He mused, referring to the laugh tracks peppered in the host's lines. They weren't bad, but could do with a little variation. He'd have to call Passeri after, when they innevitably talked about the show.

 

[The Prophet]

RA YAHYA

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Isaiah, Helva, Hou, Kanna, Maho, Meirin, Ra, Rin, Shen, Soren, Vulken, Varoslav, Yong-Yut

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]

Ra was quiet so far. Not in the grim, solemm silence that seemed to take certain peole present, but one of contemplation.

"..."

What will happen should we fail to make a treaty with the Phoenixes? Sure, they were not the most of threats, but he did not want to hurt them, or really anyone. As the bridge showed, it was far too easy for the cities' people to suffer most when the gangs had a 'score to settle'. It was very saddening. Sparing a look across to look at the phoenixes, most seemed pretty serious. He would have to applaud their resolve. They clearly wanted peace; they would not have made such a desperate play otherwise. But when you look at them, they still stood strong, lke this was the dragon's idea to make the peace call. they sort of reminded him or the rebel cells back at home, before he shipped out here. He winced at that, reliving a bad memory before decideing to take a seat. He was unarmed -he left his gun at home, he didn't much need it anyway-, so he felt confident enough not to bristle when a smaller looking woman approached their side boldly. He could do naught but watch as more drama and antics unfurled, from singing to romance troubles, to nasty looks and still more. The tall man vould not help but smile and laugh slightly, glad that the hound like stares were waning. When the Kings returned, Ra hoped they would return with lighter shoulders like out here.

"Is this going to take a long time? Should I make a seat?" Ra asked no one in particular, already tapping the ground just in front of him to draw the now glittering bridge concrete up and into the shape of a simple golden chair. Taking a seat, he looked towards where the kings left to before checking the time on his phone. "Am and Mit might have to wait a while, I should walk them here later.....Oh! Phoenix side, should these talks go well, we are friends then, no? Would you like a chair while we wait? They are far more comfortable than they look." He called out, motioning to the large empty space between the two groups. "Or is that rude to ask? I apologize."

Easing tension was good. If the worst case scenario passed, he at least didn't want them stressed before they came to blows.

 

[Beann]

SAMIRA CALRISSIAN

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie

THE HEIST

After the short elevator ride, Samira strolled in with the rest of the Tigers and immediately made herself comfortable on the couch that faced directly toward Ryutaro’s desk. She crossed one leg over the other and offered Cal a polite greeting in the form of a smile. Her attention then turned to Ryutaro, who dived into business by asking the group about their familiarity with the Poincare-Scholtz Bank. Samira raised her eyebrow slightly as she took a moment to think. She was aware of their…’under the table’ dealings — which is why her assets remained in Telabiim.

She glanced over to Jennifer as the woman expressed her concern, responding with an amused smile. Ryutaro was the first point of contact when she first arrived in Amestria, she knew better than anyone that he was not one to ‘kick a hornet’s nest’ just because he felt like it. No. If anything, the bank had to have overstepped first to try the Queen’s hand. So, she remained silent, waiting for further explanation.

Poincare-Scholtz Bank and Gordon & Gordon. Two powerhouses.

To mess with both of them was not ideal but as the Queen stated, it was necessary for not only his business but for the Tigers as well. Anyone who dared hinder the stream of revenue to the gang was swiftly dealt with and this would be no different. Samira uncrossed her legs and leaned forward as Ryutaro laid out a layout in front of them. Break in, retrieve Milhouse Gordon’s box, and get out. Simple enough — on paper that is.

Samira allowed herself several moments to study the layout before looking back up at Ryutaro. “The security guards — do we know a general percentage of how many of them have potentials?”

Spoiler: Tags

joshuadim Roda the Red WhiskeyMarten Uasal Shoya

 

[Saturn_moon]

Ottilie James

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 3: Scene 3 [Ripples of Stardust]

LOCATION:

Zhànzhēng Resort, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Hiram, Kairong, Kazue, Omar, Ottilie

Ripples of Stardust

Ottilie's attempt to converse with the animal was rudely interrupted by the arrival of two strangers dressed in what she could only describe as sloppy beach chic. Looking them over, she concluded that they were undoubtably not members of the Azure Dragons. For one, she - or more accurately, Hiram - had made it a point to review the members involved in today's mission beforehand. All that was required on her part was a quick glance through their dossiers while Hiram went to refill his coffee mug to commit their faces and information to memory. The two men standing before her were not included in the dossiers. Secondly, neither of them seemed to recognize Master Kairong and everyone in the Dragons knew Master Kairong.

While Hiram made polite conversation, Ottilie's attention shifted over to the little white fox struggling in the man's grip. Besides looking highly uncomfortable, she had a feeling that the fox was also sent there for them. It wasn't like arctic foxes were especially common here to warrant the classification of pests what more one that went around with a neatly tied ribbon around it's neck.

"Do you like ice cream?" Ottilie suddenly piped in before they could answer Hiram's question. "I heard there's a cart selling pretty good ice cream over there." She stretched a hand out and pointed over in the direction Kazue had come from. "You look like you could use one. Did you know that an average adult has approximately 2 to 4 million sweat glands all over their body? Most of these glands are concentrated on our forehead, armpits, palms and soles of our feet. The main function of sweat is to control our body temperature by cooling the surface of our skin as the water in our sweat evaporates. While it is perfectly normal and healthy to sweat, excessive sweating could be a sign of obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease, or a viral infection such as malaria. Excessive sweating also results in the rapid loss of body salts and water that could result in life threatening conditions such as heat exhaustion."

Without missing a beat, Ottilie leaned in close to the man holding the fox and pressed two fingers to the side of his neck. It was clammy and her fingers slipped slightly against the beads of sweat dripping down his skin. "Your heart rate is a little high and now that I think about it, you do look rather pale. Perhaps you should let us keep an eye on the fox while the two of you take a seat in the shade for a bit or go get a drink to cool down?"

BluEndings azenva simj26 Vahn YumenoTsukishiro ​

 

[Nobody Special]

BASH HIRABAYASHI

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 3: Scene 2 [Hunting Filth]

LOCATION:

Lab Icarus, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jiak, Silva, Laura, Ruriko, Schroeder, Bash

✕ POTENTIALS BANNED:

None

HUNTING FILTH

The vile creaking of one of many doors opening in Lab Icarus could briefly be heard, shortly followed by a slam seconds after. As Bash stepped outside, the cool breeze rustled his freshly-dyed locks and his head craned upward to look at the cool-blue sky above him.

For the past few months, following, well, everything that had happened to the Serpents all while he and Kisara were busy kicking the shit out of the Dragon Queen and stealing worthless stones, he had been doing his best to ‘step up’ as an Ace. Actually talking to other Serpents, learning the names of others instead of just knowing them by their faces, spreading influence through means other than violence– hell, he had even been training with his uncle to get strong enough to carry the gang on his back. And fuck, was it some grueling training.

But, out of everything, what he was currently doing had to be the worst of them all.

Bash had taken it upon himself to personally oversee operations at Lab Icarus every now and then, about two or three times a week, to be exact. It was always something that he wanted to be a bigger part of– and, besides, he was never fully trusting of whatever bullshit Tri was probably doing here while not under watch. And while things were interesting here, Bash always found himself quickly growing frustrated within minutes of him arriving at the lab. He would stand there with his arms crossed– listening, watching, making sure that dipshit Sang-Cheol wasn’t screwing anything up, but the real issue was…

Bash was too stupid to understand what the fuck was going on.

“Damn it!” He exclaimed, angrily stomping the sole of his boot into the concrete below him before leaning on the wall closest to him in an attempt to calm down. His mom was right, he should have stayed in school. All that sciency-bullshit that was being spewed out of their mouths sounded like a completely different language to him. Maybe this was all useless. He should just let the new King (who he still had zero respect for) take care of this stupid lab.

…

. . .

“Fuck that!” His fists tightened, slamming into the wall he was leaning on and leaving a large, deep dent in his fist’s place. No matter how long it took, he’d figure out just what the fuck was going on in that fucking lab. It was his job as Ace to make sure everything was running smoothly, and with his not-so-new-and-improved attitude, running away from things that made his brain hurt wasn’t an option. He’d stroll his ass back in there and gather as much information as he could to help things sail smoothly.

… Right after a short break. With his arms now crossed, he leaned on the wall again, using his frame to hide the hole he had just put in it. He took a few whiffs of the air while he cooled off, his eye twitching slightly as he did so.

Today’s gonna fuckin’ suck.

BOOM!

After the sound of the explosion forced his head to jerk in its direction, the smell of burning quickly flooded Bash’s nostrils. His pupils were fully constricted as his body and his mind reacted to the possible situations at hand. Either they had fucked up– bad, around the lab, or they were being attacked. Like a guard dog on high-alert, his feet kicked up dust while he sprinted towards the scene of the rapidly-burning fire.

Either way, someone was getting their ass kicked.

Doctor Llamabean Beann RedArmyShogun Vahn The Regal Rper

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

TAZZ (August August)

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]

LOCATION:

Mysterious Black Site, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Damian, Kinsley, Kisara, Kyo, Peyton, Raph, Sab, Shinko

THICKER THAN WATER

August didn’t know anyone by the name or alias Ruri, nor did he know many names or aliases of the Serpents in general, but he naturally assumed they were another Serpent that the Veteran knew, and so did not ask any questions.

In fact, the mention lingered for not even a second on his mind. However, the Vet’s behavior that followed did.

Raising his brows—the rest of his face uninhabited by emotion—he asked in a tone that suggested no true concern, “Bump ya head on tha way ovah, didja?” then nodded understandingly, wearing only briefly an expression that said ‘I saw that coming’ before he released his hold on his potential—the gauntlet of wind ceased—and he looked out across the mayhem at the one who held Kyoden’s sword.

“Mmm,” he hummed, squinting, debating. Things were much cozier on this side of the field, but he reckoned thinking like that wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he made up his mind and nodded, speaking to Kyoden but never tearing his eyes from the warzone. “Roight… Yeh… Sure… Count on me… Ah’m all ‘bout it… You just… sit toight…”

Before bounding off in a flurry of wind, August left Kyoden with a salute. “Won’t be long… Bring ya a pillow on tha way back.”

He was next seen cutting through the disorder with ease. Wasting no breath to stop and fight, he moved with purely the intention of fulfilling his objective. Meanwhile, the masked opposer that stood out from the others was calling upon what August assumed were some equal-caliber associates based on their names… or, perhaps, aliases, August thought as he landed just outside the range of Sabrina’s potential.

More uniformed bodies filed out of the darkness of the back of the warehouse and formed a barrier at the nose of the Serpents’ advance, but August prioritized acquiring the sword in Sabrina’s hand.

Come the arrival of the next two characters and the scattering of blade-like peacock feathers, however, he blinked and the woman was gone. One of the many feathers grew abruptly larger before his eyes, aiming to pierce between them, but his gauntlet of wind returned, possessing an exterior as hard as concrete, and he swatted the threat away.

Wheh’d she go? August searched for Sabrina but was, unfortunately, unsuccessful when came the pervasion of a thick blanket of fog throughout the warehouse. Though, remarkably, rather than frustration, that fog appealed to the hypersomniac in the most soothing way. Masked, now, was the surrounding battle, and he could almost pretend he didn’t know it was still there. That much nearly lulled him, and he swayed, blinking slowly.

Ah.

August could feel himself drifting off in spite of the throbbing in his temples.

Only the sting of a high-pitched thrum piercing his ear-drums snapped him from his trance before a pulse of energy traveled from a bright, crackling source amidst the smoky battlefield and into the hairs on his nape. And he winced, shoulders tense.

Newfound alertness overcame him.

He heard the disembodied, robotic voice that dared their stay and tried to discern the goings-on around him. In this fog, he couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t attack a fellow Serpent out of failure to recognize a face, so there he stood like a damned fool.

His head turned every which way, stance shifting in defense against every sign of movement in his peripheral, every potential threat that neared close enough to see.

It became frustrating… and that’s when he asked himself, what am I doing?

Why was he here?

His actions leading up to this moment, since he left that little town to return to New Oasis, had been determined and without hesitation, so why, now, was he so unable to do what came to him?

He was thinking too hard.

Trying too hard not to miss a beat, not to get in anyone’s way.

This chaos. It wasn’t his scene, never had been. But it had been his father’s…

Clenching his fists—he relaxed them.

The motivation that had initially led him here came rushing back when the face of Markus Weiss flashed across his mind, and an abrupt aura of wind erupted around him. A fierce cyclone that tunneled its way up and through the roof, sweeping with it the blanket of fog that lay over the battlefield.

He needed to adapt.

A few uniformed goons who happened to be close by were sucked into the rotation and harshly tossed aside. Their screams faded into the rest of the commotion, leaving no more than the impression of a fly buzzing by.

A full cyclone of this size was one August had seldom executed in his time as a gangster, but he felt the situation called for it. Perhaps, also, his emotions had taken hold.

As the thing bore through the ceiling joists and rafters, large chunks of metal and wood debris were swallowed and slung about, and there came a noticeable shift in gravity by its upward current, which he hoped would not be a nuisance to his “allies”.

Thank me latah… he told them without telling them.

Then, when he assumed all of the fog had been cleared—he hoped—the wind abruptly ceased, and whatever debris was left in its clutches descended.

AUGUST/POST NOTES​

— —What he's wearing (See post image) White turtleneck; Teal jacket; White pants; Black shoes + Earrings, and ski goggles around his neck

— —POST RECAP: August leaves Kyoden to retrieve Kyoden's sword from Sabrina. He almost gets hit by a peacock feather then loses sight of Sabrina as she charges to attack the masked enemy. After Romero's fog appears, he zones out before snapping back to reality. August proceeds to clear the fog. In the process, he tears through the roof and send debris everywhere.

Beann (Interacting w/ Kyoden) Lucem simj26 Coyote Hart Elenion Aura AriAriAbabwa QuirkyAngel Kyuubey

NPC POST - THE CHESSMASTER

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]

LOCATION:

Mysterious Black Site, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Damian, Kinsley, Kisara, Kyo, Peyton, Raph, Sab, Shinko

THICKER THAN WATER

Standing between her two defensive Pawns, Chester shivered with excitement at the arrival of Peacock and Romero, hugging herself tight.

As for the other two, they had become attracted to a black-and-yellow haired fellow as Romero’s fog stretched throughout the warehouse, slowly screening everything in sight. He introduced himself as Cavia, then another did so as Kraken, the latter of the two mimicking Chester’s behavior.

To see it, just before Romero’s fog fully concealed them from sight, Chester’s heart skipped a beat. Wide-eyed with admiration, she touched a gentle finger to her bottom lip. How beautiful… she thought, and stepped forward slightly.

Just then, a pale hand tore through the fog…

It was him.

Chester stumbled at first, startled, but submission quickly overcame her and she opened her arms to accept him, shutting her eyes. Pure serenity was the element of her expression.

​

At the firing of Cavia’s weapon, the first of the two Pawns looked aside. Then, when the pointed tip of the bayonet threatened to pierce its stomach, it attempted to stagger back.

Both Pawns brought their short-swords over their oddly rotund heads and prepared to bring them down—Cavia’s bayonet pierced the first Pawn’s stomach—but the second of the two quickly altered its approach and swung in a horizontal arc.

It would cut the human in two… if not for the beam of crackling energy that severed it first.

The second Pawn’s upper torso slid from its lower half and flopped limply to the ground. That light at the center of its face flickered weakly, dimmed, then died altogether, but the first of the two maintained focus on Cavia.

With the bayonet in its gut, it twisted its body to trap the Serpent’s weapon and swung down.

​

Chester’s eyes shot open.

Everything slowed down, and she turned her gaze—Kraken’s hand neared ever closer—to see her defensive Pawn’s head shatter per the appearance of a new beast.

In that same instance—everything happened at once—the second Pawn moved in front of her to act as a shield, shoving her back in the process, and Chester tripped.

When her descent finished, she quickly withdrew a Knight from her pouch, recognizing the shape of its composition without having to look, and threw it into the air over the two Serpents’ heads.

With a flash of light, there came the clopping of four heavy hooves behind them, and a ghostly howl rippled forth. Blue flames danced from the ornament on its helm, and made up the entirety of its tail, generating waves of powerful heat.

Standing again, Chester’s face contorted with sadness and rage, and she said to the symbiote, “IT WILL NOT BE YOU!”

The Knight howled again and rose up on its hind legs, lance twirling above its head.

That’s when a powerful wind traveled through the warehouse, sending Chester’s hair into a frantic flurry, and the building shook with destruction. Chester brought a hand to her ear, trying to keep her hair out of her face, and lost her balance when her feet slid across the floor, but did not fall. Her body was being pulled with the hungry current.

A metal support beam flew past them, just feet away, and it collided with the stocking shelves from whence The Chessmaster had earlier come.

In good time, Romero’s fog was cleared, and when the winds died, Chester looked out at the warehouse to see its new state.

Her Knight, on the other hand, cared not for what went on around it and proceeded to swipe at the symbiote Serpent with its lance as the remaining Pawn engaged in battle with Kraken.

CHESSMASTER/POST NOTES​

— —THE CHESSMASTER'S POTENTIAL: Chester, for short, has the ability to bring any standard chess piece to life, and these pieces will willingly do her bidding, as well as protect her at any cost. The pieces possess similar strength to HPs, if not slightly more due to their overall size, and some of the pieces, depending on their title, may display additional talents. She is limited to one Queen and King despite the other pieces being doubled.

— —PIECES IN USE:
Pawns (4/16) - Pawns possess similar strength to that of the average HP and no additional talents. Easy to kill.
Knights (1/4) - Knights generate powerful heat and possess above average strength relevant to HPs. They are alarmingly fast. They may generate flames at the end of their lance.
Bishops (0/4) - TBA
Rooks (0/4) - TBA
Queen (0/1) - TBA
King (0/1) - TBA

— —POST RECAP: Chester's Pawns battle with Peyton while Chester is met and enraptured by Damien. One of Chester's defensive Pawns is killed by Kinsley, so she summons one of her Knights.

Beann Lucem simj26 Coyote Hart Elenion Aura AriAriAbabwa QuirkyAngel Kyuubey

 

[simj26]

Dagger

CS Link

SCENE:

New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 3 [Silence for the Damned]

LOCATION:

Dilapidated Clinic, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jack, Dagger, Roland, Charmy, Guinevere

Silence for the Damned

The handgun was out of her holster when the Ковбой poked his head over the balcony. She studied his features for a second, then returned the weapon to its home. “It’s you,” she simply commented. She glanced towards the door of the dilapidated apartment, and, while she wasn’t about to admit it loudly, wished that he had tripped the mines outside instead. “Make yourself at home.” She rummaged around her supplies, dug out a pair of binoculars and a bar of chocolate, and set them on the parapet, and nodded to indicate that they were for the Ковбой. She straightened up out of her chair, flicked her expired cigarette butt onto the floor, and peered through the scope of her rifle. “No sign of that King just yet.” She swept her rifle around. No interesting movement from the shamblers either. This was beginning to feel like a waste of time. Maybe they should just torch the place and be done with it.

She pivoted on her bipod, then stopped. “What the…” she fiddled with the focus on her scope. “First floor. Corridor with windows,” she indicated to Jack. Whether he took up her offer of the binos to take a look, she didn’t care. Providing information was just a necessary habit. She fiddled with the knobs on her scope. “Female. Doesn’t look dead.” Was she related to the walking dead? Better to just finish this off quick. One bullet, close the gap, then finish her off personally. Distance, check. Wind, check. She could drop her right now. She held her breath, readying her shot. She exhaled when another figure came into view. “Wait. Another. Male.” What the hell was going on in there? Her finger lifted off the trigger. She couldn’t be sure who her target was. “Ковбой, you recogni–”

The male turned towards their direction. For a second, she swore that he was staring at her through her scope. A voice snaked into her head, permeated the air around her, speaking directly to her. Out of reflex and a sudden surge of primal fear, her finger snapped towards the trigger and pulled. The bullet went wide, slamming into the concrete of the wall above the window. “Fuck!” she cursed loudly, and slammed the bolt back, then forwards, chambering another round into the rifle.

She glanced towards the Cowboy, before taking aim again. “What’s the plan?” It smelled like a trap. She didn’t know if she could handle that many undead, with or without a partner. She didn’t know what either of the two sentients on the ground could do either. This was shaping up to be more trouble than it was worth.

Spoiler: tags

The One Eyed Bandit BluEndings Elenion Aura Chaos Gallant

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

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

"Oh, I'm fine!" Passeri chirped, waving off Elias's offering. "Meal plan and all! Today's not my cheat day, either, so I'll have to pass."

With Elias's arrival, the atmosphere within their corner of the park shifted. Whatever suggestions of the clandestine that she'd felt ebbed away, replaced by those of a sun-soaked school lunch. A smile remained fixed to her face, and her demeanour sunny enough to match, but she honestly found it a bit exasperating. Showbusiness was just that, business, and it was in times like these that she found herself sorely missing the professionalism that came with it.

Her thoughts shifted to Dagger, and just where her appreciation for the woman came from. She'd had a rocky start with the woman, but over the course of the last eight months, she'd come to find her more valuable. As much of a mess as the woman otherwise was, she was one thing that many of Oasis's gangsters seemed to have little interest in being: A professional.

Though, it wasn't like she expected any better in the first place.

As if to further her point, Isobel's arrival brought with it trouble. Four feet of chatty, curious trouble, to bat. At Isobel's heed, the other Tiger set about shooing away the boy, whilst Passeri elected to melt away into the Dragon's shadow instead. Brought about by sheer luck, the Jack's fumbled arrival had spurred a change in the statue. There had been a subtle, weary whirring of gears, and then a short, mechanical pop.

A small, stone compass now protruded from the statue's base. Passeri's brow furrowed, and she dropped into the spot where her friend, though she wasn't sure if she could call her that quite yet, had couched some time before. Her fingers laid across the stone star, and she cast a brief look over her shoulders.

The Jack could clean up her own messes, she figured.

Passeri jostled the star in its socket, first lightly, and then quickly. The star moved like an old, weary thing, creaking lightly as the ancient mechanisms behind it groaned to life. She wondered, briefly, just how long it had been since they'd last been used. Surely, for something in as public a place as this, and especially one that they'd triggered by happenstance alone, they were not the first to take notice of it? It seemed like an impossible chance.

It was an odd thought, and one that was quickly banished as she felt a shift in the compass's mechanisms. It was fast, or, as fast as a piece of machinery as old as this could be. She rotated the star to the right, and after a light click, it depressed a touch back into the statue's depths. Her brow raised, and she twisted it again, only for it to snap back up into its initial position mercilessly.

A puzzle. She'd been joking at the time, but it looked like she'd be right about spy movies after all.

Passeri began to fiddle with the star more intensely, spinning it from one position into the next, darting from each one as cleanly as quickly as the stone could muster. A few moments, ones which felt like minutes, passed before her movements slowed, and she clicked the star back into the position which has originally caused it to depress. She threw another look over her shoulder, ensuring that the boy and his commotion were dealt with, before turning the star clockwise, pausing on each of the cardinal directions and waiting for the star to depress a few centimetres further before moving on.

"Guys!" She called over her shoulder as she turned the compass hand to point West. "I'm trying something out here. Tell me if anything happens!" She waited for a response, and then turned the hand once more, stopping it dead on North, and feeling the star sink in one last time.

Spoiler: Tags

General: Saturn_moon Kyuubey Stros Lucem QuirkyAngel

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

NPC POST - OLIVER LAWLESS

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

CDPD-HQ, Upper Central — Records Room, 3rd Floor

PARTICIPANTS:

Ashley, Boltius, Eric, Gideon, Inigo, Roza, Tatsuya

TACTICAL MAYHEM

Steeling himself against the heat wafting out of the filing cabinet with plumes of red smoke, Oliver Lawless stuck his hand into the drawer and quickly removed the flare, tossing it aside.

He smacked his hand back and forth on his leg as he watched it roll away, then moved to pick his bat from off the floor, which he’d dropped earlier. It was then that movement in his peripheral drew his attention, and he turned his view to find only an unfamiliar face—a boy of red-and-black hair with a steel pipe in his grasp standing barely beyond the door’s threshold.

“Hmm?” Oliver hummed in response to Ashley. “Last uh felt it, fire wus hawt, yuh?”

He tipped his glasses and eyed the boy from head to toe. Red streaks… Red smoke… It prompted a thought—“You uh Phoeniss, bwuh?”—“Dis a con-quest, bwuh?” Each question carried the officer a step closer to Ashley, and paper crinkled underfoot. “Yuh come fuh that one?” He pointed his bat at the prone and unconscious Dynamik.

“Hmph… How many there ah?... Hah. Yuh look tuh polish da crown? Or dis a personal endeavuh?”

Whatever be the answer, Oliver Lawless, rolling his shoulder, finalized his interrogation with a confident, “Yuh undah the rest fuh criminal trespassin’... Yuh gonna come nicely?” He suspected he knew the answer to that, and so adopted a defensive stance.

OLIVER/POST NOTES​

— —Oliver's Potential: He can absorb impact through objects and convert it into energy, which he can then release in powerful shockwaves.

— —POST RECAP: Oliver questions Ashley and prepares for a fight.

Lucem

BLITZ (Boltius Beckman)

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 2 [Tactical Mayhem]

LOCATION:

CDPD-HQ, Upper Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Ashley, Gideon, Roza, Tatsuya, Inigo, Eric, (NPCs)

TACTICAL MAYHEM

Boltius maneuvered through the outflow of people without interference, but he didn’t go without notice, for his choice of attire had a way of drawing attention.

“Hey!” an alert voice called over the moving stream, and Boltius knew it was meant for him. He didn’t stop, though, and quickly reached the second floor where the mixed flood of civilians and CDPD associates had thinned, only a few stragglers left who paid him little mind.

Pushing through the door before it could fully shut behind the last man out, the Phoenix Ace stepped aside and waited, back against the wall, for his officer in pursuit. Only the officer never came, subdued by another Phoenix.

Boltius could hear the shrieks of the startled. The calls and hollers of civilians and other CDPD personnel putting two-and-two together.

“Keh,” he scoffed a snicker and moved.

The Phoenixes were flooding in, roughly ten per floor, and would soon be joined by those of Operation Havoc if successful.

Walking the halls of the second floor, where most uniformed officers and beat cops resided on the day-to-day, Bolt’s phone elicited a tone, and he pulled it out to read a message from Ashley, alias Riot, which spoke of an ugly problem in the third floor’s records room.

Brows furrowed, Boltius scrolled through a series of messages from other Phoenixes reporting their statuses, and that’s when Gideon’s voice spat through his ear-piece. Many of them were equipped with walkies or other (only those of Operation Breach) but, to avoid clutter, were advised to use them in short intervals or not at all. He acknowledged Gideon internally without tearing focus from his phone.

Ashley’s situation called for priority with it being the first complication of, suspectedly, many to come. And so, with fast fingers, Boltius forwarded the message to all of the Phoenixes who had reported entry to the third floor, then pressed a small button on the side of his ear-piece and spoke. “Comin’ to you, Riot.”

The emergency stairwell he’d entered through reached only the second floor, so he needed, now, to find another.

​

Elsewhere, a single black butterfly fluttered down a hall… It passed the rooms by without pause but also without noticeable purpose.

Until it came upon one of the building’s four break rooms and caught sight of the Phoenix standing within, a paper cup in his hand. Subtly, the butterfly changed course and entered the break room, and it perched itself upon the rim of the Phoenix’s cup.

Idly, it sat. Doing nothing.

Moments later, there came another. Then another. Then, within seconds, there were seven of them and growing…

​

Outside, CDPD officers were rounding up civilians and non-field trained personnel to evacuate them from the area, or relocate them to the nearest precinct.

Handheld radios were bogged down with constant incoming reports on the situation.

“Gunfire on the second floor!” — “Officer Maynard, moving in!” — “Prioritize civilian evacuation!” — “We need to identify the culprits!” — “How many are there?” — “Man down in Emergency Stairwell two! Seems we’re facing- GAH!” — “What’s the situation!?”

They were in disarray. Sheep without their shepherd.

Those who had failed to tune their radios still struggled to regain control of their devices, and therefore could not report their situations despite being able to receive others’.

“My fuckin’ radio’s jammed or somethin’!”

“You gotta tune into the HQ’s direct transmitter! For some reason broad wavelengths are fuckin’ everything up.”

BOLTIUS/POST NOTES​

— —Current Temperature: Neutral...

— —What he's wearing (Click) Black Coat over an orange/grey/black Jacket + Matching Shorts w/ black leggings underneath; Orange sneakers; Black flat-bill cap; No gloves, harness, or jewelry as seen in the reference image...

— —Boltius' Tattoo Reference (X) His tattoo is currently hidden/unseen by his clothes...

— —Boltius' Physique Reference, since his face-claim art doesn't accurately depict it (X) (X)

— —POST RECAP: Boltius reports Ashley's situation to some other Phoenixes and begins looking for stairs to the third floor. Things are in disarray outside as police try to understand the situation. Gideon is approached by butterflies...?

— —Upper Sector CDPD Floors:
1st Floor, Visitors Center... The main floor from which people come and go.
2nd, Officers Division... Where officers conduct their work. Includes many rooms dedicated to varying purposes.
3rd, Detectives Division... Where detectives conduct their work. Includes many rooms dedicated to varying purposes.
4th, Dispatch Center... Includes two large, separate offices of call cubicles, one labeled Center A and the other Center B.

When descending from Upper CDPD to Lower CDPD via freight elevator, one passes through a glass tunnel that offers a high-rise view of the underground city.

— —NPCs Mentioned so far:
(Phoenixes) Barbados, Boo, Delson, Muskrat, Pipsqueak, Lacy, Dynamik, Deadcell...

(CDPD) Oliver Lawless

Nobody Special Roda the Red Coyote Hart RedArmyShogun Lucem simj26

 

[Ambiloquous]

Flo Léon-Kang

[

CS Link

]

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT]

LOCATION:

Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Florence, Pascal, Gavril, Milo, Dimitri (

The Prophet

)

HP

STA

CHR

The man had a pretty smile, as befitting someone who used their face as their livelihood. She grinned back, though it dimmed somewhat as she realized his reply to her question had nothing to do with the motivation behind this show.

Charities. The idea of charities was fantastic—altruistic souls with a little extra cash in their pockets giving away to the less monetarily fortunate. In practice? Even household names couldn’t be trusted by word of mouth alone after multiple scandals surrounding large non-profits had tarnished the legitimacy of their donations. It wasn’t to say Flo was judging Dimitri for his actions. No, that would be hypocritical. She’d donated to scams before, and it was something she couldn’t make up for—good intentions were only as good as the results, and results like that were better off not existing.

Flo winced when the bloodsucker mentioned the concert. She’d heard shit had gone down and tigers had gotten hurt, but wasn’t clear on the details. The pink-eyed idol seemed fine after the fiasco, but visible bruises didn’t always show up when damage was done. Guilt crept up through her feet and tangled her thoughts every time she remembered that she hadn’t been there. Hadn’t done a thing. Even if she knew that it wasn’t possible to always be there when catastrophe hit, the many “what if?”s broke down her barriers. What if she had rejected that casting call? What if she’d checked the news? What if… The looping reminders of her incompetence brought back memories of worse times. Times when her actions only served to harm the ones she tried to aid, when it didn’t matter what she did because she wasn’t strong enough to make a difference, and—

“Didn’t even eat before this, to make it even.”

Her attention was caught by the mention of a missing meal, and her spiraling thoughts dispersed. The wrestler furrowed her brows, misunderstanding the joking wink he’d given. Was Dimitri talking about some newfangled diet? Was fasting before a physical activity healthy? He probably knew what he was doing, but what if?

“You sure ya should be starvin’ before runnin’ this course?”

She thumbed her finger towards the gamut of gadgets.

“Might have an energy bar somewhere, if ya need a bite. Or maybe the staff have leftovers from lunch you could nab.”

“Can’t say I’m not doin’ better than most.”

She hesitated at his assumption and crossed her arms.

“Er, Passeri did bring it up, but I kinda came here without tellin’ her, yeah?”

Her sentences turned to mumbles.

“Thought she mighta wanted a jumpstart on viewership, but I ain’t sure now.”

Quickly switching tracks, she nodded.

“Production’s crazy for somethin’ on such short notice. But Passeri’s like that, going above and beyond even when ya expect it.”

TL;DR:

Flo thinks about charity scams, concert damage and confuses the resident vamp for a dieting fanatic.

 

[Chaos Gallant]

Jack

CS Link

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

“Woah now, easy there buckaroo.” Jack held up his hands to the woman waiting with her pistol at the ready. Fortunately she recognized him easily enough and Jack accepted the welcome, moving in closer.

“Well don’t mind if I do,” Jack floated a little higher, taking a seat on the balcony railing, limply swinging his feet in the air while Dagger explained the situation. He squinted towards the first floor of the hospital, making binoculars with his hands and pretending to zoom in. “Hm hm…” Failing to get any clarity, he took up the binoculars Dagger had offered. It only took him a moment but he was able to sync up his sight to Dagger’s target.

“Oh, hey that looks a bit like…” His voice drifted as a man came into view. ‘Now who could that be?’ Jack had only a moment to ponder before Dagger piped up, just to be cut off a moment later. What he assumed to be the man’s voice permeated Jack’s mind with skin-crawling ease. He tried moving his hands to shield his ears, but Dagger’s trigger finger certainly didn’t hesitate. The concussive sound of the rifle shot left him with a splitting headache, no doubt made worse by his still lingering hangover.

It took him a moment before he could consider Dagger’s question, rubbing his temple’s while he tried to think. He groaned, “Well, we certainly don’t have the element of surprise anymore, if we ever did... And as much as I’d love to ride on in there guns ‘a blazin’ like a pair of bandits, it would be rude to accept a ‘non-hostile’ invitation.” He raised his hands up making air quotes with his fingers. “Besides, what’s a coupla’ corpses to Slicey McDicerton and the sharp-as-tacks Dagger, eh eh?” Jack said with a grin. He summoned a steel disc just large enough for the two of them. He pushed off the balcony stepping on to it, holding his hand out to Dagger, “Worst case scenario; I’ve got Henry waitin’ just a few alleys away and we make like trees.”

Spoiler: Tags

The One Eyed Bandit BluEndings simj26 Elenion Aura

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

Nakazajo Chikage (Raging Ogre)

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 3: Scene # [Securing the Future]

LOCATION:

Delegate & Press Lounge, Tech Expo, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Chikage, Jesper, Kasumi, Amari, Sophia (NPC)

SECURING THE FUTURE

Chikage nodded gently. Contrary to the woman, his gaze was firm, save for the initial surprise upon first seeing her.

“I see… … I’m glad,” he said.

Sophia requested that he walk with her then, and mentioned a meeting room nearby, and he stepped aside to let her pass, turned to follow, then soon matched her pace and walked beside her.

An exhibit of a quadrupedal machine resembling that of a dog, but more machine in nature than anything else, caught his attention as they moved. A rather impressive example of human intelligence and capability, but Chikage wasn’t easily impressed. Never had been.

He noted the mention of the thing’s name and that of Guardian, but moved on for now.

Relaxed as he appeared, he had not forgotten where Albrecht Industries’ loyalties lied, and thus remained aware of himself and others at all times.

Finally, the two of Sophia and Chikage entered the meeting room and the woman’s sigh was not without notice. As a result, her mask of glee was easier to see past, but he wouldn’t address it.

Not yet, at least.

Instead, he took a seat and dismissed her apology.

“Act as you wish. I am in your company…” A pause. Then, “Where would you like to start?”

CHIKAGE/POST NOTES​

— —The majority of the front, right half of Chikage's body is badly scarred from burns, stopping halfway up his neck. For this reason, he wears a black, leather glove always covering his right hand, and usually wears long-sleeved, concealing clothes. Reference (X)

— —What he's wearing: (Click) Formal suit with a red overcoat; Only the right hand is gloved

— —Chikage's Jeep: (Click)

— —POST RECAP: Sophia and Chikage arrive at the meeting room to discuss business.

AriAriAbabwa

 

[Coyote Hart]

Peyton Xiong

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

Damian's dramatic entrance to the battle with the Chessmaster almost distracted Peyton. The octopus's method of violence was so fun, expressive, and prideful that Peyton found it hard to believe that he had once been opposed to Damian's philosophy on fighting and killing. And he felt a little guilty that he has ostracized Damian for it. But that was all in the past; even if Peyton claimed to dislike Damian's fighting philosophy, Peyton would just be a hypocrite.

Peyton felt the satisfying crunch and tearing as his bayonet buried itself into the pawn's body, the impact reverberating pleasantly up Peyton's arms. But that attack had not been enough. Somehow, the pawn was still moving, and Peyton's eyes widened as he realized that the pawn was going to counterattack. Peyton's defensive skills were near nothing. Even if his weapon hadn't been trapped in the body of the pawn, Peyton would've found it difficult to dodge or even block the attack. But the sight of the deadly sword pummeling toward him was enough to make Peyton realize that he had to do something-- even if it wasn't necessary dodging or parrying.

Desperately, Peyton fired off another shot of his gun. The bullet's impact was enough to blast the pawn a few steps away and send the lighter, shorter Peyton flying away, with his weapon getting violently ripped out of the pawn's body. At that very moment, August had blown together a storm, which spun Peyton around in the air. Thankfully, before Peyton could fly out of the warehouse, someone broke his fall. Unfortunately, that person was August himself

"I wish I could've drank milk when I was younger," Peyton groaned, wondering why there was a cushion underneath him, "I'm so small I could be a bird."

Then, realizing that he was laying on top of somebody, Peyton yelped and rolled over, careful to not stab the person with his bayonet. "Sorry! Are you okay-- wait--"

Suddenly, Peyton's eyes narrowed at August, as if realizing that the man clad in an expensive outfit of teal and white didn't belong in the group. His eyes traveled to trace the designer jacket, the pants that looked like they cost a fortune, and shoes so luxurious that Peyton's elevator shoes looked like a pile of bricks.

"So, uhh, I know this isn't really the best time," Peyton finally spoke. He proved himself by having to raise his gun and shooting the kneecaps off of a soldier who tried to encroach onto their space, "But do I know you from somewhere? Did we go to school together? I was the quiet black haired, brown eyed kid in the back of the room glued to a book!"

Lucem Doctor Llamabean
Beann simj26 AriAriAbabwa QuirkyAngel Kyuubey Elenion Aura

 

[Saturn_moon]

Isobel Pham

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]

LOCATION:

Heavenly Beast Plaza, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Elias, Ezra, Isobel, Kenji, Passeri, Wren

Where Giants Sleep

The compass face fell back into place with an audible click followed by the sound of metal sliding against metal. The piece that Passeri and Wren had been fiddling with began to slowly turn on its own, anti-clockwise, inching back to its orginal position like an analog timer. Hidden from view, an intricate series of gears were simultaneously set in motion by clockwork. Slow and hesitant at first after being left to slumber for decades past, the mechanisms groaned with lethargy from the sudden awakening. After taking several moments to stretch out its rusted joints they gradually picked up pace and were soon running again as originally designed. A slight tremor rippled through the ground beneath them but was subtle enough that the few people present on this side of the park besides the party remained oblivious to the happenings.

With bated breaths they watched the compass complete its rotation. As it did, a heavy thump echoed through the shaded space with finality and the dragon statue jerked to the side by no more than an inch. Isobel, who had since stepped out of the stream, knelt down beside the statue and placed a hand above the dark gap. A current of cool air rushed up to meet her palms indicating that there was definitely more hidden underground than there appeared to be. Standing up, she leaned her whole weight against the statue and began to push with all her might. Even as a HP, a significant amount of strength was needed to be able to move the statue. Whoever had built this entrance had done so with the intention of keeping NPs out.

With some assistance from some of the other members, the statue which had apparently been set on top of metal treads was eventually moved to the side revealing a gaping entrance in the ground. When the dust cleared, all they could see were tunnels resembling the arteries of the earth, blackened by the abuse of years. They went on and on into pitch darkness without an end in sight or possibility of sunlight, tracks to nowhere leading only to the cold.

Kyuubey Stros QuirkyAngel The One Eyed Bandit Lucem ​

 

[First Rose]

¡Mucho Pablícimo!

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 3: Scene 3 [The Faceless Fox]

LOCATION:

Akira's Office, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

| Pablo | Akira | | Dante | Welsha |

The Faceless Fox

Swinging each shoulder from side to side in an uncharted rhythm coherent only to him, the grown male wisped each step across the bedroom in a joyous cadence. Lowly humming a bustling tune beneath his breath, all whilst fine garments were slid of his stout figure as if he were prompt to attend the finest junction. Though in a quick spasm of a heart beat, he stopped…

“Play that funky music white booooiiiiiaaaaa..”

And with fluid motion, smooth steps wisped his figure to the edge of his bedroom; the top most room overhead Jade Tropicana. Despite the exuberant flavor in each bustling step however, his steps made no sound louder than the drop of a pen. Careful not to wake the woman slumbering just a few rooms below. Though even then, the door was pushed open an inch, and not a creak echoed down the halls as he pranced across the floorboards. His Abuela would question him surely if she found him setting out at this time, and if he could lie as good as he busted move then well- he wouldn’t have been avoiding the elevator to sneak down the stairs.

The shimmering glint that encompassed the pristine silver watch rose to the air between the pearly white grin that held his excitement. Right on track~ Softly continueing his elated hum, careful steps neared the main floor of the establishment, and there waiting to meet him was a wagging tail mounted upon a bundle of black fur. The loyal pit bull drawled out its tongue as swaggered paws marked the polished slate as eager steps followed the prince-ly refined man that made his way to the door. Pablo lifted a finger to his lips as he maneuvered through the staff halls, finally arriving at the back door with a cautious look around. “Heh, home free ain't we, Pit” As soon as the door was ever so carefully shut behind them, Pablo tossed his keys into his hands and gunned it; Pit right at his flank. A blink of green would flash the headlights of his cobalt shaded Rimac parked outside, starting as soon as the keys came into proximity. Pablo threw the door open, and Pit hopped inside to take passenger whilst Pablo sat at the wheel. Like a lioness, a serene purr rose from the engine before rubber burned against the asphalt; and with a final roar of life, a beautiful blur swung immediately into the nearest set of traffic.

He’d taken such haste to get here in a stylish fashion, making his presence known to the lowly punks and goons just who exactly was walking in. Markus’s Right Hand Man. King Cold’s Chum. The Wingman. The Best Man. Well- perhaps the last was a bit much, but alas, he practically owned this place, and everyone in it. Poor bastards; he was sure they didn’t even know who walked amongst them either. Nonetheless, as his steps neared the office he was instructed to attend for his first node of business, he could feel a knot slowly contorting in the depths of his chest. He had this, it was only the first impression- what could go wrong. Afterall, he’d been practicing this exact scenario all week, and wrote notes onto his wrist to remind him of each step. Nothing could go wrong, he was.. “The man..” he uttered to himself. “Who’s the man, you the man, strong, healthy bold man. Dun, dUn duunn dunnaa duna dun’n dun’n!” And the simple referential phrase sparked him with enough confidence to toss open the door.

Fashionably late of course.

Step 1: Charm “Muchachos!” He announced with an informal salute from his brow as he stepped through. Just about everything about the young male spoke loud and obnoxious, from the flashbang that was his crimson patterned tux to the complement of a dozen patches of gold etchings in his tie, suit, and belt, and chain. Refined dress shoes clicked against the tiles, an all too arrogant grace in his motion as his hand subtly plucked Welsha’s wrist to raise toward his chin. Step 2: Humility

And a quick smooch was gifted to the back of her palm, “Señorita~” A cheeky grin was mused at her gaze, one that would most would call rather rugged– at least, most would if there wasn’t a nearly thumb-width gap between his two front teeth. The attempt at flattery seemed almost laughable, but alas, he tried..

Step 3: Assert Dominance Behind him, the door shut, not by anyone here, unbeknownst to them until the charcoal-furred pit bull softly padded around them to take an obedient seat beside the late arrival, panting gleefully as if happy to simply be apart. With a bored demeanor posing off of him, Pablo reclined a shoulder against a wall as bright orange aviators slid toward the suppossive ‘man in charge.’ He’d bite.

“Bossmaann.” He sang. “Lady’s got the right move goin', East sounds fine to me.” The end of his words marked with yet another grin tossed in the girl’s direction. Though only to wonder under a facade of confidence.. What the hell they were doing in the east to begin with. Ah well- he supposed he'd be able to put the pieces together one way or another.

 

[angel doe]

amari

CS Link

SCENE:

dragons arc 3: scene 1 [securing the future]

LOCATION:

east district, tech expo, private meeting room (crime scene)

PARTICIPANTS:

sophia, jesper, kasumi, laurent, amari

securing the future

“sussin' out the-" amari pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sharp sigh, “right, okay, we need 'ta find the killer. gotcha." she went quiet as jesper continued, nodding along to what he said before walking up behind him and looking over his shoulder at the phone. scanning the information, amari's eyes locked onto a name she recognized all too well.

“yer brother's a suspect? would he really do somethin' like this, though..." amari muttered, mostly to herself, her gaze still trained on the phone in jesper's hand, “ya said ariadne is most likely to be able to get this kinda poison? if you are goin' to see her, i'm coming with." if this girl had the means of getting a poison like this, maybe she would still have the smell of it on her; if she even had it, to begin with.

“if she had the poison at any point i might be able to sniff it out," amari tapped her nose with a finger, “super-enhanced sense o' smell and all that." after she'd said all she needed to, amari took a step back, arms crossed over her chest, waiting for jesper to lead the way.

gxxberkit

( AriAriAbabwa azenva FabulousTrash )

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

LAB ICARUS

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 3: Scene 3 [The Sun in The Gutter]

LOCATION:

Lab Icarus, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Mimi, Orion, Ten, Rutheless, Sang-Cheol, Yuna, Yuto

THE SUN IN THE GUTTER

With the team in the warehouse and loading bays busy making their own contributions to the work that had to be done, a swarm of white projectiles soaring from beyond the woodland perimeter went unnoticed… Until they made contact. Shots scattered across the blacked-out windows lining the warehouse’s wall, creating a blast on impact that sent tinted glass, as well as the window frames, flying through the space accompanied by a plume of smoke that dissipated into the humid air.

Of course, the workers took immediate notice, some looking up at the new opening in the wall, dumbfounded, unsure if it was a problem they had caused or perhaps an act of God. A few wandered away from the loading bay, into the open as the next volley made landfall.

“What the fuck is th-”

No god was looking over the lab today. More shining projectiles hit the area, this time landing on the road, already in severe disrepair but even more now that chunks of concrete were being propelled from the ground. Though the most curious Serpent had been felled by a direct hit, his status uncertain as blood trickled down his face and limbs lay akimbo, the others that dared to venture out were smart enough to figure out what was going on as they retreated back into the warehouse.

“WE’RE UNDER ATTACK. PULL-”

Another Serpent’s voice drowned out, this time by a deafening blast from within the warehouse itself. As more rounds continued to tear the concrete apart outside, a few shots managed to hit the warehouse again, this time bypassing the exposed window, exploding on the ground and the wall, colliding with shelves, and even hitting one of the trucks being loaded.

“PULL THE ALARM!”

Rubble and boxes of product continued to fall and car alarms blared as the explosions died down, the attack ceasing for now, not without leaving the area smoking as well. Though it seemed like the worst of the damage had been done, the truck that had been hit continued to smoke, a fire beginning to brew from within.

Suddenly, it seemed like someone had heeded the Serpent’s instructions, as an abrasive noise crackled from speakers overhead. In fact, everyone in the lab could hear an alarm begin to sound, triggered from the warehouse assault. It was no longer business as usual.