Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings

[Mqueserasera]

Fahrelnissa Peynirci

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masker Concertgoer K, Minato

ALL PROCEEDS

The vast directionless ocean Fahru was sailing did not cease expanding at the utterance of the beautiful word “love”. She recoiled at the very sound of it, and a distressed look passed over her face. What could she do with so general a concept? Before this Fahru had only facts, or rather, vague, rumored facts, and wanted to dig deeper to get a glimpse at the underlying root of this amazing person before her. She had thought of Iroi as just someone who had been driven by her unique circumstance and character to become who she was nowadays. But the one thing she did not expect was “love” at the heart of it all. So vast a thing. So grander than her finite imagination. But what exactly did she mean by it? If it was someone lesser, someone Fahru knew as selfish, petty, unremarkable like all the common folks out there, she would have dismissed it as a meaningless answer uttered to glamorize their pitiful existence. But it was Passeri Park who had invoked the word with such earnestly in her eyes. Naturally, it came out pregnant with implications. And yet she struggled to grasp all the meanings behind it. Love – what could one do with it? What could one do for it?

Just then, she was startled by Passeri’s finger snap in the middle of the phone call.

That kind of love.

Her head spun.

It made not much sense at first. But then at once, by a faculty much more primal than reason, Fahru found herself struck by the implicit meanings behind Passeri’s words. Love comes in all shapes and forms, for things we can touch, things we cannot, and things we can but sense by the most delicate sentiments that come, perhaps, once or twice in a lifetime. And the love Passeri spoke of, it was not for a particular person, nor a specific subject, not even a passion. No, when she said New Oasis, she meant every single little thing about it, didn’t she? It was the grandest one could have, the most selfless, for which—by which, it was the most beautiful. And was it not the very truth she had been searching for all this time? In Fahru there was hatred still, and resentment, and fear and also weaknesses. Ever she fancied herself a good person, yet flawed. Though she knew, she never tried to improve her shortcomings. She had thought herself only human, and thus allowed such failures in character to exist. For it seemed foolish to hold oneself to standards much beyond human capabilities. She was just a mere young girl in the face of the world—there were limits to what she could do.

But here, right here, she had been proven wrong, had met someone who could love everyone and anyone, and had pushed and had strived for heights few humans ever lived could, with the results to show for it.

And not just love. For love is something easy to proclaim. One can love humanity just like one loves being a good person and loves nature. But that kind of love is rarely tested, hence worth little.

No, hers, so she said—crazy, scary. And Fahru only understood what Passeri meant because she had thought long and hard about it before. Not a love that is vague, half-hearted, uncertain, and timid, but one that is expressed by all means necessary, crazily, passionately, hotly, boldly. Here stated true love in the face of the artificial varieties this city is so plagued by. It is one ordinary people are incapable of. The love they call agape.

And this must be stated again, quite strongly: Fahru, for so long she had settled with mediocrity, had found an inspiring idol, and thusly transformed. In just a few sentences, Passeri Park had exposed Fahru’s cowardly compromises and deep-seated weakness – all the things that had prevented her from reaching her true potential. There were no secret formulas there, only to try harder, to do one’s best, which she so far had failed to do.

The surface broke. And then her vision blurred. On the verge of tears, in an almost broken, stifled voice, she said, not through the parrot, but in her own voice that these days she rarely used. “Thank you, Miss Iroi—I get it now! You’re… certainly the most amazing person I have ever met! That I’m sure. It would be, if you’re willing to take it, it would be my greatest pleasure to assist your cause with all I have—all I can, the best I can!”

Of course, she now yearned to internalize this “Crazy love, scary love for everyone and everything” in her life. And to do so, she must no longer pull her punches. She must fulfill her dreams with obsessiveness. And violence, if needed be, should also be employed, for that certainly was what it meant by scary love.

Full of gratitude and burning conviction, the girl pivoted on her heels and strode with sure steps towards the door.

Spoiler: Tags

Refaulted QuirkyAngel simj26 Mqueserasera azenva Elenion Aura The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Taigakitt]

Old Mystery Man
Location: Fancy Gala
In Scene: Jesper ( AriAriAbabwa ) | Lucy ( BriiAngelic ) | Akira ( Nobody Special ) | Dimitri ( The Prophet ) | Helva ( Peckinou ) | Ryutaro ( joshuadim )​

<<< Remember

The man rose an eyebrow behind his circular shades as the young man put his cream puff back.

“Oh don’t let me stop you. You’re still young. Enjoy your sweets while you still can.” There was a hint– maybe it was longing– in his tone as his eyes glanced over at the cream puff that had been rejected.

Too bad he had to watch his sweets intake nowadays. He used to love eating all of the baked desserts his granddaughter would make him, but now even she was limiting him.

Maybe it was her secret payback for her young adulthood.

Ah– where is someone he could chat up about his granddaughter anyway? She would be taking over his company once she met her goal, so people needed to know his plans.

The young man would… maybe be interested, for certain reasons.

“Say–” the announcement by the Seda boy made him roll his eyes as he was interrupted. Running a hand through his scruffy beard, he sniffed and turned his attention to the speaker.

Behind Jesper’s back though, he reached his free arm to the cream puff that was placed down earlier and grabbed it with his bare hands.

If anyone dared correct him, oh they’d learn!

He brought it up to his mouth and chomped down, watching the presentation up above. At least the dessert table was enough out of the way.

Asking an old man to move to another location– the audacity!

Though he quietly watched the performance, intrigued.

The young man’s remark had him look back over. Ah, smart enough to realize, maybe at least partially, what the presentation was meant for.

“Research would do a young heir like you some good, young Albrecht.”

 

[Roda the Red]

Charlie Hughes

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 4 [Shopping Spree!]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Reika, Hitoshi

Shopping Spree!

<<< Remember

His determined attempt to pay for his own purchase had been masterfully negated by the sweet and comforting words of the Phoenix Queen, it was clear by the confidence of her voice that there was no way to change her mind. So instead of fighting the current, he decided to just go along with it, there will be plenty of opportunities to repay her kindness anyways!

She then mentioned looking for new horns, speaking of it, she usually wears a pair, doesn't she? Certainly an odd choice of fashion, but not necessarily a bad one. And either way, he had decided that finding a new pair for her was now top priority.

"I'll keep my eyes wide open for them, then!"

He walked once again towards the cashier, who had now gift-wrapped all of the trinkets and baubles that would hopefully make those he holds dear happy. Now he waited for the others to finish their transactions, browsing a little bit more just in case, while also ignoring the slightly discomforting pressure slowly building up above his groin.

>>> To Next Post

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Alicia Morel

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Upper Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Jackson

Happily Ever After

<<< Remember

Alice took a pause the moment Jackson mentioned where he came from. Her eyes, now wider and piqued with curiosity, lingered on him for only a few second. She was born in the East; it'd been so long since she was anywhere close to, well, anything related to that part of Amestria, and she had so many questions to ask... For now, though, Alice nodded. They'd have time to chat when the supposed followers were no longer around.

"She's really busy, but I don't know with what..." she answered about Acacia, though a ping from his phone (and everyone else's by the sound of it) cut him off from finishing. Alice tilted her head curiously as he scrolled through the device, trying to get a better look at what made him so concerned—and failing.

Instead, Jackson suggested they get moving. She decided not to be so nosy this once. "Y-Yes... Let's."

Alice led the way, further from the checkout and towards the back of the store. Their route, going around clothing racks and hangars, provided a small sense of comfort to Alice, who believed they couldn't see her; she hadn't seen them, after all. Only now, though, was the gravity of her situation now weighing down on the Tiger. It had never occurred to her until now that she was vulnerable. Right now, the only person by her side was this blonde stranger she'd met not too long ago.

Their brief escape didn't drag on for long. They eventually reached the double doors marked by a red EXIT sign above.

If Jackson looked around, he would have noticed there were no signs of the followers anymore.

Alice spent a few seconds scanning around, too, before looking back at Jackson. Safety should have been right behind the doors, but... "Apologies again for my selfishness, but... would you mind accompanying me further?" While the issue of her own well-being was one thing, she couldn't just let go of someone from the East. She had stuff to ask! Things to know! And it wasn't like she would come across another person from that district, again, right?

As they walked through the doors, something already stood amiss. For whatever reason, there were guards stationed within the fire exit entrance, two of them glaring daggers into the pair. But a flash of Alice's aforementioned card, and they did not make another move.

The pair found themselves in empty white halls, extending far and long to connect with many other shops. The only thing to interrupt them was the occasional bump into mall security on patrol—who definitely weren't usually stationed here.

"Thank you, Jackson," she began suddenly. "To be honest, I asked you come along because wanted to talk to you a little more..." When Alice looked back at him, she was back to smiling at ease once more. She gently laid a hand on her chest. "I was born in the East! But, my mother and I moved West when I was four, so I don't remember much of what it was like." Her eyes practically sparkled by now, as though expecting to hear something stirring. "So... what is it like in the East? All my friends don't seem to like it there for some reason—well, not that they like any other district." She giggled softly at her own fumble.

"Oh!" She paused again, fiddling around with her own fingers. "I suppose I should also give you something for being so kind as to protect me..." Alice didn't usually handle this, but she would have felt guilty for letting the other boy help without any sort of reimbursement. "How does $15,000 sound?" As much as a bodyguard's paycheck.

BriiAngelic

 

[gxxberkit]

TENEBROSITY

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 2: Scene 1 [Arcane Informant]

LOCATION:

Nearby Heavenly Beasts Plaza, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Caio, Urien, Ten, Darius, Delynn, Orion

Arcane Informant

At Caio’s... offer? Ten turned around to face him and began walking backwards. They had considered it for a moment —well, feigned consideration, as their answer was definitely going to be yes— before a Dragon appeared and socked the orange-y lady in the gut, sending her to the ground.

They stopped walking for a second, watching the lady get back up and kill the man. They gave her a gentle applause. “Good j- good jo-ob, lady!” they called out.

Ten turned their attention back to Caio, remembering that they were asked a question, and gave him a two-finger salute. “Right, ye- yeah! Will d-o!!” With that, they sank to the ground, their form darkening and pressing onto the earth.

Their silhouette quickly moved towards the crowd. Once they had reached it, they stalked around the edges, searching for someone that looked 1. like one of the dragons, and 2. easy to pick off. Ten remembered being shown the data, so all they had to do was to find one of the people they were shown, and leave the picking-off to someone more capable. They were there for a reason, right?

They slid under the people at the edge of the crowd, looking up to their faces. They scanned over them, seeing if they recognized any of the— ooh!

Ten found a Dragon~

The umbral form slid back to the other side of the Dragon, now a few feet behind them. They rose up from the ground without a sound, turning back to the other Serpents and pointing excitedly towards the Dragon with a wide smile. While they would’ve grabbed the Dragon themself, they didn’t want to mess this up and put everyone in the crowd on their tail and ruin the mission; though, that would’ve been really fun. They decided that marking each Dragon they found for the others would be better.

They dug into one of their pockets and pulled out a pack of stickers that they showed to the others in order to indicate what they were doing. Why did they have stickers with them? That’s a good question. They just thought it’d be fun to keep stickers in their pocket. They have a few other things in there, too— but that’s beside the point.

Stepping a bit closer, they peeled off a sticker from the sheet, and gently stuck it onto a loose part of the Dragon’s shirt. They took a few steps away to seem unsuspecting, and then returned their attention to the others. They gave them a thumbs up as they sank back to the ground, moving deeper in the crowd to find more Dragons.

WhiskeyMarten BriiAngelic Mook-LandStrider @The Regal Rper Tobi Naefaerne

 

[BriiAngelic]

Red Riding

CS Link

SCENE:

Dragons Arc 2: Scene 4 [The Underground]

LOCATION:

Azure Dragons HQ, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Yo, Lorrin, Kasumi, Red

The Underground

<<< Remember

"N̶̨̕ơ̴̺̞̩̒͋̄w̴͎̎̌̂ ̷̘̯̠̖̂̈̅w̵̩͈̼̎̂̕h̶͎͖̱̬͐̃͘ȯ̶̟̭̈́ ̶͓͇̃͂̿i̶͇͠s̵̘̊ ̶̛͙̿̚B̴̥́̊̚͘ͅl̶̹̬̤̼̆̅͝u̴̙͆e̵͙̒͊͝ ̵̣̰̯̚ḁ̵̐́̚͝ǵ̶̤͉̳̺a̶̼̘͇̋̂͋̃i̷̢͍͚̒̄ͅn̵̳̜̙̝̎?̵̹̹͝”̵̗̣̀͒͊͜

Blue? BLUE RED SILVER PINK. Colors began to flash before her eyes. The darker blue hair of their eyes in the sky seemed to form before her vision before shaping into a muddied green. She started darting her eyes across the room trying to find any indication of what was real and what wasn’t. Smoke she needed to follow smoke.

“RED. Blue and Red in the wings.”

The sound of scritch-scratching on paper came from the back wall. Light reflected on the person’s eyes before she found herself looking away. Had they brought in her?

“̷͖͘Ẇ̵̡h̵̼̑e̸̦͊r̵̦̈ê̶̥’̷̭̏ș̴̀ ̵̞͠M̷̻͝ó̷̯ǹ̵̟a̴̹̎r̷͇̾c̴̟̊ḧ̵̤?̷̲̃”̵̫̏

“Monarch, Monarchy, Ruler, Sovereignty, King, Queen, Jewels, Gems. FINDIT. GOTTA FIND IT.”

As if spurned by an intense desire to complete whatever she had understood herself to be doing she tried to kick with her feet mimicking the move she had used to scale buildings in the prior week only managing to knock herself over with the chair crashing down as well with a thud.

​

>>> To The Next Post

Spoiler: tags

Taigakitt
@FabulousTrash
@Pik

/border]

 

[Elenion Aura]

MINATO MAEDA

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masked Concertgoer K, Minato

ALL PROCEEDS

Minato wasn't really listening to the answer Daemon gave. He might've even already forgotten the question he'd asked. He wondered what people saw when they looked at Daemon. Probably depended on who was looking... The citizens of New Oasis, though. What did they see? Did they see a kid volunteering his time to help set up a charity concert? Giving back to his community? Maybe. Maybe some of them were more savvy. After all, it was no real secret who really ran these streets... A kid like him in a place like this might, might, raise a few eyebrows, invite a few questions... What was he really doing here? Was he really volunteering out of the goodness of his heart? And if not, then what?

The other Tigers saw a Rookie, a tool to be used and cast aside once its usefulness was exhausted. Based on the menial shit Minato had found Daemon doing back here—what the hell was all that stuff in the box for, anyway?—at least somebody in the Tigers must not've thought he had many uses at all... Besides pack mule, maybe. Some of the more cynical Tiger Veterans probably took one look at Daemon and wrote him off as fresh meat for the grinder, a nameless, faceless grunt in a war that would forget him before his body had hit the ground. Some of them might've even taken one look at the mess he'd made of whatever task he'd been given that had landed him where he was now, picking up the spilled contents of his box, and decided his worth of his parts might've been more than the worth of the whole...

What did Minato see? Why, thank you for asking, invisible reader of my thoughts ~! When Minato looked at Daemon—friendly, amiable, 'happy-to-be-of-service' Daemon—he saw Potential—Heh; get it? Potential—as in, untapped potential. His ability was, in Minato's humble estimation, a veritable gold-mine, with the potential—heh, did it again—to dethrone the Tigers' resident golden goose, little miss Princess herself. But beyond even that, Minato found he wanted to understand Daemon. By all rights, the kid should've been a sad sack.

Parents? Gone.

Debt? Accrued.

Interest? Climbing.

Prospects? None.

Girlfriend? None.

Jobs? At least... 3? Minato actually had no idea on this front. And yet, either Daemon was a world-class actor, or he was actually able to take all of these hardships in stride. Even Minato, as something of an expert on the subject, had to admit that that made Daemon pretty cool. Though, more than anything, Mina wanted to know precisely what kind of psychopath was capable of pulling off a thing like that.

"Minato, over here!"

”Yo?" Said the leading Mina, Daemon's sudden outburst having utterly interrupted his quiet daydream as the pair (nay, the trio) of them jogged toward the star of the show. He stopped short briefly, and then kept running, leaving the other two behind. Big D had given him an order, after all. He had to trust Daemon, and himself, to handle whatever trouble they'd come across back there.

”Huh?" Said the lagging Mina, the one who'd returned for Daemon to begin with. He stopped when the other boy stopped, and stayed stopped. Together, he peered with Daemon into the... The... The big fuckin' uh... He lost the word with which to describe it as he struggled to see what it was that Daemon wanted to draw to his attention. Eventually, though, his eyes were drawn to the slight movement of a disappearing figure in the distance. Bingo!

”Nice spottage, Big D!" He clapped Daemon on the shoulder with one hand, shooting him a thumb's up with the other. His congratulations were short-lived, however, as Minato was quick to return both their attentions to the fleeting figure across all that space. His first thought was to give chase himself, but then he had a better idea.

”Yo, whaddaya waitin' for, mang? Go get 'im!" Before Daemon had a chance to protest—not that Minato even thought he would—the Tiger Vet threw in a complementary, ”Don't lose him, now, yo! ~"

Meanwhile, Minato had just poked his head into the woman of the evening's private chambers... —nice—and was greeted by the sight of a pair of women conversing alone. Nice! Hopefully they weren't discussing a dude. Suddenly, one of them broke away—not the babe of the hour, but a babe nonetheless—and began trudging toward the door, his door.

Stepping out of the doorway, but no less in Fahru's way, Mina shot her with two fingers from the hip—he didn't have much time for flirting right now—before he called beyond her to the lingering Passeri Park beyond.

”Yo, Ms. P! Just checkin' in. You all good back here?" As he said it, Minato took this opportunity to glance around the here that marked the borders of the Pop Princess' domain...

Nice.

Spoiler: Tags

Refaulted QuirkyAngel simj26 Mqueserasera azenva The One Eyed Bandit
Slav

>>> To The Next Post

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Matsuda Russo

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 4 [Hostile Agenda]

LOCATION:

Westside, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

August, Camila, Chou

HOSTILE AGENDA

No guard dog... so that was already a plus. Before he had more time to look around however, one of his white haired companions followed after him. Matsuda felt a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as a thought came into his mind. 'What were the chances of having two white haired angels on my team? Honestly- it seemed luck was on my side, being accompanied by such good looking homo-sapiens.~'

A shock went through the ebony haired man's system as he was broken out of his thoughts by a finger pressing into his chest. Blinking, his eyes trailed downwards towards the sultry tone being directed at him. He relaxed slightly, realizing he was in no immediate danger. A smirk slithered onto his face as his eyelids became half-lidded, promptly catching up with the game they were playing.

This girl and the previous purple-haired one were obviously very different, though definitely still attractive in their own ways. This one however, seemed more bold- which was truthfully a pleasant surprise. "Maybe if you're lucky little clover.~ Let's just hope you're a four leafed one, eh? " He chuckled at that. Her green eyes were quite prominent, showing more vividly in her otherwise achromatic appearance. Emeralds in a sea of stone. The devil tail was only a plus~

As the one other white haired man arrived, confusion took up the entirety of Matsuda's being as he rambled about.. rackets and crosses or something... Matsuda had no clue what this guy was going on about. Then he started to role-play as... he didn't even know. Some poor excuse of a home salesman? Everything this dude did just perplexed Matsu further... at least he did something Matsuda could figure out. Drilling a hole through the door which was- honestly kinda cool to see. He wouldn't complain if he saw this guy performing at his full capacity~

...Gasoline? Did he just say gas? what the hell- as he stepped away, Matsu stepped closer to get a whiff himself, still unbelieving. His brows furrowed in confusion. What- did this guy just plan to blow his house up or something? "Uh.. yeah... sketchy is an understatement.... " Saying so, he stepped back. His spine and limbs stiffened due to anxiousness as he made his way back over to the stone wall, having full intent to just piss off of the investigation. He was not getting blown up or set on fire today- thank you very much.

He swiftly hopped back over the wall, jogging back over to the car in the rain. His normally somewhat unruly hair was matted down to his face by now... annoyingly so. He swiped his hair back from his face, his bangs previously blocking his vision as he made it to the street. He didn't care if he had to leave without his comrades- hell, he'd Hotwire the damn car if he had to! Just as he lifted his elbow to break through the driver's window, he heard... something amongst the rain. What the hell? Nah- it didn't matter now. He just had to get the hell outta here... but curiosity has always been his downfall.

Sighing, he lifted his head to the sky, cursing the gods. He angled his head to where he first heard the noise, hesitation tensing his muscles. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath before trying to actually inspect the area... alright no- maybe it was the droplets messing with his eyes- but he could've sworn-

No. he was right. Something.. flashy most definitely caught his eye. Flashy as in- a literal flash went off in a bush... but nobody in sight. Now he definitely wasn't imagining that! So what the hell-

Before he could second guess himself, he steeled his nerves and bunched his fists, before sprinting across the street and leaping to ram himself- full body- into the bush, where he was 99.9% sure he wasn't fucking imagining something. If he was wrong- well then, no harm no foul. He would just make himself into in idiot- which, was quite the norm for him so it would be perfectly fine!

Spoiler: Tags

Doctor Llamabean Roda the Red Taigakitt

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Acacia Fox

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Upper Central

PARTICIPANTS:

NPCs

Happily Ever After

Elias Yumin. Acacia knew him from what Janay told her. It couldn't have been a coincidence that he was here; there must have been other Tigers on the premises—especially with what she was hearing from Genevieve. So far, though, there were no other news. No news was supposed to be good news, but the worrisome pit never stopped wrenching into Acacia's mind.

Alice is going into the fire escape halls, by the way, Lana remarked.

Boys?

On it. Two figures exited the Stacy's.

Acacia's attention went to a frolicking Genevieve the moment after. She knew she'd brought Elias to the closed cosmetics store—she even asked for Lana to come back her up—but the model was to her own devices for the time. By the sound of it, things were getting excitable in the store. Genevieve, do not let him touch you.

...

Genevieve?

That fucking bastard... I'm fine. Nothing happened.

You idiot! Bahahaha!

Great. So much for that. Who knows what Elias might have seen. As much as Acacia wanted to reprimand Genevieve on the spot, she figured the model would already be learning from her mistakes, if she knew her personality well enough. Putting aside Genevieve's fiasco, anything on anyone else's end?

Not really. I was talking to this weird-looking guy in the Victoria shoe store! I've got him on my radar, now, too!

Lana, please focus on the mission.

Alright, Mama!

Acacia rolled her eyes. How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?

Sorry!

There was a brief flicker of annoyance to the older woman. Then, in a tender tone, she finished. Be careful, Lana.

With that, Acacia opened her eyes again, rubbing her temples under a soft groan. "Dear Lord, that girl..."

Her gaze fell to her cellphone. Acacia didn't want to add more to Janay's plate; he was stressed enough, but... She sighed. "Please tell me you've got a plan..." She swiped the device off her desk, unlocking it to get to her contacts. "Janay, the Tigers are here."

Janay Fox // Mr Hat

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Lower Central

PARTICIPANTS:

NPCs

Happily Ever After

"I need a little more time, I'm afraid!" Janay, gnawing his lip, hurriedly spoke as he scampered down a sidewalk. "I've just gotten the safe house ready—wire some extra funds to my account while you're at it. I'm working on the escape route now, you need to hold them off just a little longer..."

Acacia took a breath. "Alright." She was curious about one other thing, however. "Any update on Ophelia and Zac, yet?"

Janay bit his lip. "No." He could sense his sister deflating on the other end of the phone. "Calling only goes to voice mail. They haven't gotten back to my texts. I'm not even sure if that guy gave me the right number."

"I see..." Janay knew that tone. It was the same tone Acacia took when she found Lana. The same one when she learned of Alice's guilded cage within the Tigers.

He sighed. "Look, Acacia, it's not your fault. They chose not to follow us into the Tigers all those years ago. We can't bank our chances on them turning up now." His sister remained silent for a good while, thinking of what to say. Not that it mattered; Janay didn't want to continue the conversation. Any more would be detrimental to their own minds, and they needed to focus now more than ever. "I'll talk to you later."

Acacia was the first to hang up.

As the call ended, another notification popped up.
KING OF THE SABLE SERPENTS SPOTTED IN CENTRAL
Great. Another thing to look out for.

He slipped his phone into his pocket, now returning his attention to the apartment building before him. It took days of asking around old associates and sources in lower Central, and it led him here. A small motel somewhat dilapidated and filthy, but in operation nonetheless.

The caretaker didn't remember Lower Central feeling this cold. Maybe he was too used to the Tigers' lifestyle. But, on a hurry for his sister's sake and to escape the weather, he pushed into the motel. A cheap but homely interior awaited him, embracing Janay with the scent of a bitter sweetness and spruce. Red and brown made up most of the room, applied on aged decor. At the reception desk sat a wiry, old lady holding glasses to her eyes, reading a lengthy book—wait... "Matron?"

The elderly woman perked her head up, eyes shriveling in confusion. It took a moment of silence before she flickered with recognition and awe. "Janay...?" She set her book and reading glasses down, carefully departing from her chair and around the desk. She was a lot shorter than he remembered—older, too. Could have just been her age and the hunchback that came with. "Oh my goodness, I never thought I'd see you here! You've grown into such a fine, young man..." Her smile still held the same positivity, though—the same sense of comfort being around her always brought. "Have you and Acacia been well? Stayed away from the gangs like I taught you?"

It felt different this time. Janay's smile became forced, taking the Matron in for a brief hug. "Yeah... We're doing better than ever, Matron."

"I'm glad to hear." He'd never felt guilty around her until now. "Oh, and I'm not the Matron anymore. Please, call me Edith this time." Janay mouthed the name back as she went around, back at the desk. "This is my friend's property. She lent me this job after the orphanage closed down." A solemn look took over the old woman, as did Janay. He figured that old place shut down, neglected by the community and the Amestrian government as things in Lower Central typically were. "So what brings you here? In need of a room?"

Still wearing a kindly smile, Janay waved her off. "No, actually, I'm looking for some people. I was told there's an old couple staying here: the Morels?"

Her expression only turned grimmer. "There was." A knot tied in Janay's stomach. "We found them dead in their beds just last week. Both drank poison, holding each other's hands..." Edith sat in silence for a minute or two, reminiscing. "Poor souls... lost their daughter, received no help from the police, then their money problems... I'm terribly sorry, Janay, you—" As she looked back at him, her countenance softened. "Janay?" her croaky voice called out, as gently as she could have.

Too late. He was too late. By a week. If he'd acted any sooner... If he didn't hesitate for so many times, for so long... "I-I should be the one apologizing." He wished he could stay here by her side; much like she did for them so many years ago. But, there was no time. He and Acacia joined a gang, and they were finally paying the ultimate price for such a choice. "That's all I needed. Thank you, Edith." As soon as he spoke those words, he turned to leave.

"Wait." The former orphanage director's voice stopped him. Janay turned back around, trying to hide the awful look on his face. Here he was, thinking he could be a hero, but now... he felt utterly helpless. "Here, J." His nickname, all the way back in childhood. Finally he glanced up, and Edith was in front. In her hand, she offered two marshmallows. "One for you, and one for your sister."

Janay froze, staring at the sweets... couldn't help but smile. "You still give those?"

Edith warmly chuckled. "If it makes people happy..."

The caretaker left the motel with the marshmallows in hand, stuck staring at them. Just as the Matron never lost herself nor gave up hope... he should share the same sentiment. Janay made a promise to Alice and her mother, and he intended to follow through with it—even if it was so many years late.

His phone pinged. Did Acacia forget to tell him something? Bringing it out once more, his eyes widened at the new message. It wasn't Acacia—they received his message. He immediately recognized the phrase: their designated "Go" signal back when they lived off the streets, no older than 18.

We're all mad here, J

Maybe things were still looking up for them.

 

[BluEndings]

MIMI

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 2 [The Bounty]

LOCATION:

Dilapidated Slums, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hide, Kyoden, Raphael, Sang-Cheol

THE BOUNTY

Rain.

Mimi hated days like this. She hated rain. She hated mud. She hated things not going like they should. The unexpected was unpleasant, and this was most unpleasing. She had given the clouds every chance to cease their whining, but they did not heed her empty threats. No sour-faced fist shaking or wordy hops of frustration would move their watery swollen hearts. She couldn’t very well stay holed up forever, but the act of doing so didn’t bother her either.

She had waited it out as long as she could before her impatience surpassed her own displeasure. It was but one of few instances where the word ‘patience’ was not such an obtusely outlandish match for the taut woman. She hated hated hated it, is what her stomping foot declared. Yet she had left her abode all the same, and with a not so usual wardrobe of armor.

Though it lacked her preferred level of endearment, Mimi made due with a sizable coat and matching hat to battle the torrent that awaited. It might have seemed odd at first, but the sense in her lack of umbrella was owed to a preconceived operation. Before such plans could flourish, however, it would take the careful navigation between suffocatingly close buildings. No doubt built as carelessly as anything else in the North, but providing the necessary shelter anyway.

Shortly after arriving at the first of several stops, she had slipped off a single glove and peaceably placed it against the cold stone of an adjacent wall. In a matter of seconds, her once free fingers became interlaced with another’s that had formed from the concrete. Then with a quick tug, she pulled the rest of the creation free. Flecks of debris crumbled forth, and the craggy mass was born. A lanky thing standing about eight feet tall—at least if it didn’t stand in such an arched manner.

Its purpose was obvious, but today it would be given an additional directive. One much more consistent with the current state of affairs. Indeed, on this rainy day the golem had been declared an umbrella holder, but not just any umbrella. A full-sized picnic parasol. Bless the poor souls who would find their belonging missing, but it was their fault for leaving it out to begin with. She would get far more out of it anyway.

Despite the entire endeavor, there was no reason Mimi wouldn’t have made it on time, or at least an acceptable five or so minutes late. Yet, there she was standing in the middle of nowhere as a slab of concrete shielded her from the pattering precipitation. It wasn’t that she was lost, at least according to her, but according to reality, she was very much lost. Completely clueless.

She tabbed through her phone messages. There was a hit, but she expertly blocked the number as natural as blinking—and she didn’t even do that. Unfortunately, after a second or two of consideration she amended her decision. Bother her as it may, the action could bear worse results in the future.

Why did she even come to begin with?

Better question: was she intentionally given the wrong address? She wouldn’t put it past them. If the menagerie of individuals wasn’t the first thing she saw as she turned the corner, she may have very well called it a day right then and there. It was the expected array of faces, more or less. Though she hadn't been informed on there being another—not that she was informed of much at all.

They better not have been her replacement. That would seriously irk her.

Whatever. She chose not to think about it and joined the others as nonchalantly as one being tailed by a hunk of rock could.

“Whoopsie!” She playfully knocked on her head. “Looks like I’m a teensy bit late.”

* MIMI JOINED THE PARTY! *​

Spoiler: Tags

Caffeine_Obsessed
Beann
Elenion Aura
Misuteeku

 

[Beann]

KYODEN

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 2 [The Bounty]

LOCATION:

Dilapidated Slums, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hide, Kyoden, Mimi, Raphael, Sang-Cheol

THE BOUNTY

It would seem his general observation of the stranger was not appreciated, even by Sang-Cheol who had pointed out it was not an appropriate time. What was not the time? To point out the obvious? He didn’t mean to offend the cornered man but he sure took it that way as he threw an insult in return. Overgrown…termite…? That certainly was a new string of words, termites were meant to be tiny, were they not? He didn’t understand why the temperamental man decided on that word, termite. Perhaps he would ask his cousin about it later — if he remembered it.

At least the cornered dog was starting to calm down. Naturally, of course, considering the three of them weren’t showing any hostility — in Kyoden’s perspective at least. Kyoden listened quietly to the reason why he was in their territory, tilting his head to the other side this time. He was after someone and then lost him? Lost him? Lost. Ah — not a lost dog but rather one that lost his toy. That made much more sense.

He turned his attention to Raphael who took over the conversation — he did that often — offering what would be a temporary alliance. Kyoden didn’t mind teaming up with the cornered dog but he wasn’t certain how reliable he would be given his temper. Well, if Raphael trusted him enough to work together then he supposed he could too. Speaking of working together, he looked over his shoulder to see the new voice that entered the area.

Ah. He forgot Mimi was supposed to tag along too.

“Better late than never, it’s good to see you.”

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura BluEndings Caffeine_Obsessed Misuteeku

 

[Elenion Aura]

MARKUS WEISS

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 5 [A Dangerous Game]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Callahan, Ernesto, Ezra, Mbaye, Isobel, Welsha

A DANGEROUS GAME

Contrary to popular belief, a belief among the Tigers that the King himself was more than happy to let fester, Markus was a very patient man. He knew the value that came from waiting for the things that he desired. In fact, in a way, his whole life up to this moment had been one long lesson in delayed gratification. As a kid, he'd worked hard to set himself up for his future.... As an adult, he was still doing that same exact thing, striving toward a nebulous, far-off future state wherein he could finally rest. But today was not that day.

Today was the day that he righted a wrong. Repaid a debt.

Another rumor that circulated regarding the King of the Tigers was this: he hated to lose. Lose a fight. Lose a bet. Lose a war. It didn't matter how large or small the competition was, if there were winnings to be had, Markus would have them. And unfortunately, unlike the story about his short temper, this rumor was undeniably true.

The memory of the fiasco at the White Tiger had been burning an ugly hole in the tapestry of his thoughts since that fateful night. The intruders had vanished into the ether, with nary a trace of their intentions, nor their benefactors, to be found. His casino—one of, anyway—transformed into a warzone. And, to make matters worse, the girl was missing. That Big-Hat bastard had used the chaos of the evening as a smokescreen to squirrel her away somewhere in the city.

The Phoenixes stealing his prize out from under his nose was just the cherry on top of a ten-layer cake made of shit.

Markus' eyebrow twitched. Maybe it twitched because his brain had decided to review the week's worth of annoyances that had been his world these past few days. Or maybe it was on account of this little freak shoving his gadget into Markus' personal bubble.

Markus was a patient man, but even a patient man has his limits.

He peered at the blinking lights on the screen—touch me with this thing and I freeze your face off—each one labeled with a little name and photo. Fancy. Markus was only half-listening as the freak in the backseat explained something that was only tangentially important. He definitely ignored any questions he might've been asking him. Sorry, not sorry, weirdo. All this shit's on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know.

Markus' eyes lingered on the tiny blip on the tablet with Isobel's name flashing beside it. Beyond his obvious expectation that she complete the objective he'd tasked her with, Markus was surprised to find that he was... Curious. What did she really think of her new appointment? Was she about to betray him? Did she trust him? Markus knew he could answer that last one with a firm and definitive, No. Not that he expected any different, really. In fact, if she did trust him, he might not've offered her the job in the first place.

Markus smirked, imagining Isobel's dismay. And all for what? He imagined her thinking. A trinket? More-or-less... Markus liked people to think he knew more than he let on, which, to be fair, most of the time he did. Markus always had a reason, after all. But sometimes, like this time, that reason didn't make all that much sense to him.

"Shut up." Markus shushed his Tiger as he tracked the movements of the blips across the screen. Something wasn't right. Isobel... If he was reading this correctly, which he knew he was, then that meant that... Isobel was now inside the house.

Markus roughly kicked the back of the driver's seat ahead of him.

"Drive."

After a brief bout of confused sputtering, the Tiger returned a meek, "Y-yes, sir!" Before putting the elegant, expensive car in drive and peeling out of the side-street they'd been holed up in for the better part of the morning. And as they did, a motorcade of fifteen black SUVs filed in behind the lead car as they made their first turn onto the main drag. The blips on Actualize's tablet began inching steadily closer.

Spoiler: Tags

EdwardDewey98
Lucem
Nova Anyw
Peckinou
Saturn_moon
BriiAngelic

>>> To The Next Post

 

[Chaos Gallant]

Jack

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Alice, Elias, Jack, Charmy, Jackson

Happily Ever After

Jack watched as Lana practically skipped away from him out the store, listening to the workers gossip. “Shoot, I shoulda’ asked if she knew the girl, godda…” Jack trailed off as his attention turned towards the employees only door that just opened. ‘Well, ain’t that look suspicious as all get-up,’ he thought as he paced towards the pair coming out of the door, not able to catch much of what they said.

Just as he neared his phone went off once again. He stopped a short distance from them, turning towards a shelf of shoes to act inconspicuous as he waited for the two to finish talking. He took a quick look at his phone, giving him a bit of a startle. ‘Well I’ll be, it is just a rodeo at the mall today.’ The knowledge that so much gang royalty was present got Jack’s blood pumping.

Jack turned back to the pair as the two seemed to be done with their conversation. He walked up to the pair, “Say, y’all seem like the people I could get some help from. I don’t suppose you have some time to answer a few questions for me, do ya’?” He asked, getting in close to the two so they couldn’t slip by him and escape like Lana did.

Spoiler: Tags

AriAriAbabwa QuirkyAngel BluEndings

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Masked Concertgoer N

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masker Concertgoer K, Minato, Osamu

All Proceeds

Where were those idiots?

The plan. They had a plan. A plan with steps. Step One: Meet up outside. Arguably, that was the most important step of all. And yet, why was he the only one that had been there. Two hours. He'd sat there, squatting like an idiot for two hours.

Shit, this crowd was awful. The smell of sweat and desperation permeated the stadium, penetrating the man's nostrils even through the protective barrier of his mask. The noise was even worse. The endless drone of the crowd, hopped up on sugar and caffeine at best, and whatever party drug was trending this month at worst. He wanted to be away from this. He wanted to retreat to the quiet, peaceful glum of his apartment, and not leave for the next three months.

But he needed to pay rent for those three months. The job. The plan. Rent.

He knew why he was here. Nobody else did. Because he was a professional. It didn't matter. He'd get the job done on his own.

Metal clattered against itself as he wandered through the crowd. His gait was sloppy, weighed down by the pair of gnarled garden shears dangling at his side, and every other thought that went through his head passed through his lips in tandem, muttered out incoherently to an invisible audience. Freak. Freak. Halloween act. Those were the kind of things that usually would've been spat at somebody of his disposition, and yet, the crowd seemed entirely unperturbed by his presence. Almost as if he wasn't there.

Even security hadn't batted an eye when he'd wandered through the entrance, weapon-in-hand and ticket nowhere to be seen. He was like a ghost that only he himself could see. That was why he'd get the job done. Nobody could fight what they didn't know was there.

Spoiler: Tags

General: Refaulted , QuirkyAngel , simj26 , Mqueserasera , azenva , Elenion Aura , Slav

Masked Concertgoer S

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masker Concertgoer K, Minato, Osamu

All Proceeds

Smooth. Like butter. A masked young woman slipped through the crowd like a hot knife through butter, as if she owned the place, and with the grace of a ballerina, all in one. This wasn't her first time at a concert, duh, and she'd long since puzzled out the rhythm that these sorts of crowds had. Once she'd pieced that together, squirming through masses of fanatical flesh had gone from trying to navigate a swarm of bees, to something more akin to driving down an old, windy country road.

Annoying, but kind of tranquil too.

What was harder, was trying to track down A. What was the expression? Like trying to find a needle in a haystack? Mmm. All of these crazy-fan types had the same look. The same aura. It was way, way too hard to tell them apart, especially with these masks that N had insisted they all wear.

On that point, where was that guy, anyway? For all his insistence about professionalism, he'd been the only one that hadn't showed up at the meeting place on time. Or, like, ever. Not that it bothered her all that much. Both of the guys gave her the creeps anyway.

S popped out from between a pair of particularly aggressive fans, and then scanned the area. She'd worked her way through most of the stadium at this point, and she still hadn't found A. This was supposed to have been simple. N sneaks them all backstage. They'd all do what they wanted. Then they'd all slip back out all quick and clean. Easy!

Or not. On account of like, N not being aNywhere to be found.

She laughed at her own joke.

Just as she was about to give up, S finally spotted her. At least, she thought she spotted her. She looked like A, at least. Short, sad, and flat. S weaved her way past a final few fanboys and girls, until she was looming over the other masked woman. She squinted her eyes a bit, attempting to penetrate the other woman's brilliant disguise, before giving up almost immediately.

"Hey!" She jumped at the sound of her own voice, and then reduced it to a whisper. "...Hey, A. Did you manage to find N or..." Her voice trailed off, and then she pondered something. Did she really care if they found T? No. "Nevermind. N. Manage to track him down? I didn't..." There was pain in her voice. "What're we gonna do if we can't find him? I spent like... SO! MUCH! Hiring him!"

She paused, looked over her shoulder, up at Sabrina, and then back to who she assumed was A.

"Who's this, by the way? Did someone else want in?" She looked over her shoulder again. "Can she pay me back for my portion?"

Spoiler: Tags

Interacted With: QuirkyAngel , azenva
General: Refaulted , simj26 , Mqueserasera , Elenion Aura , Slav

 

[BluEndings]

CHARMY DEVLIN

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Alice, Elias, Jack, Charmy, Jackson

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Charmy exhaled, and her posture softened.

She would like to believe the clerk’s mannerism and decisions had all been genuine. Though it was exactly that ‘want’ that allowed herself to stay sharp. In the event she was only seeing what she wanted to see, things would have to become a little bit less agreeable. However, it was too early for that. They couldn’t afford such arduous slipups yet, or at all.

"L-Look, I'll take you to her, okay? My friend is standing guard over her in the Victoria shoe store, I can convince him to give her up..."

“Please do,” She nodded, “and after that I implore you to make yourself scarce.” She leaned her head back towards his direction. “I have no intention of letting things go sour, but for your own safety it would be wise to leave the mall—maybe even central.” She placed her fingers below her lips. “I suppose that's getting ahead of things. Do lead the way.”

Following after Claire, Charmy fished out her phone and updated herself on the handful of things she had missed. Updates on the presence of other gang’s leadership mostly. Concerning no doubt, but nothing to be done in that regard. Though it did set a precedent of remaining discrete. That was to be desired anyway.

<<Following lead at the Victoria Shoe Store.>>

A simple reply. There was no use expanding on a hunch. Not to mention, mobile phones did not bode well in the presence of 'Ms. Fortune'. Far too many complex components, and innumerable opportunities for a single one to go wrong. She always carried a backup or two, but if things started to escalate those too would become nothing but mechanical scrap.

Best to update while things were still calm.

NAVIGATE

 

[EdwardDewey98]

MBAYE & ERNESTO

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 5 [A Dangerous Game]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Callahan, Ernesto, Ezra, Mbaye, Isobel, Welsha

A DANGEROUS GAME

As they waited for the operation to start, Ernesto had noticed the presence of various Phoenixes in the target. "Obviamente, no iba a ser fácil." he muttered in his native tongue as he pulled up his phone to warn Isobel. He then looked at Welsha. "Wake up Welsh, time to get yer groove on." He said as he awaited for further instructions.

"New plan - Callahan, drop a ladder next to the window for Mbaye to climb down. Stay out of sight until you hear my signal. I’ll need you to help hold back a very big cat… and a couple of birds. Z, tell Welsha and Ernesto to be on the ready. We’re going to need a distraction if we plan on getting out of here with all our limbs attached."

In the midst of their operation, Mbaye noticed as Isobel pulled up her phone before looking at the rest of them, using ASL she told them of a change of plans. "Understood." said Mbaye with confidence as everyone got into position. "Lets make this nice and easy, like proper professionals." He said to the others as he stood over the edge of the building, waiting for Callahan to do his job.

"Mouse has a new plan. While Far Thinker holds back any Phoenixes that retaliate, she wants you two to create a distraction so we can all get away safely."

Knight was quick to update Ernesto and Welsha on the situation. Ernesto showed his phone to Welsha so she could read the message too. "I got an idea." He said with a big grin on his face while staring at the targeted building. "I hope they don't have a problem with a few windows." He said as he turned on the engine of the car.

There wasn't a lot of time left, they had to be quick but also careful about this. The Olofa mercenary watched as Isobel descended the ladder, he followed right after her while she took a look inside the room. It appeared it was currently occupied, it didn't matter to him if it was or wasn't occupied, he had a plan if they decided to interfere with their plan - he remained silent as Isobel appeared to be having a conversation with Alex, since couldn't see much from the spot he was hanging, he did not know what they were "talking" about.

“I'm sorry. This isn’t personal.”

Suddenly, Isobel whistled, giving Mbaye the ok to act. He jumped from the ladder and looked straight into the room. He extended his right arm, focusing on the claw being held by the strange woman before using his abilities to pull it from her with full force, the other watched as the claw was yanked away from the stranger and straight into his hand. Mbaye would then focus on the other individual in the room - based on the fact he had some sort of talk with Isobel, he assumed he was some sort of acquaintance of his team mate, not wanting to upset her, Mbaye decided to not twist this strangers spine, instead he attempted to use his telekinesis to push him against the wall. "Isobel, we need to move." He said calmly before climbing up the ladder with the claw on his right hand.

Spoiler: Tags

EdwardDewey98
Lucem
Nova Anyw
Peckinou
Saturn_moon

>>> To The Next Post

 

[Elenion Aura]

MILO NAGISA

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 1 [The Recruit]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Boltius, Hector, Milo

THE RECRUIT

Hector's upward swipe sliced through the outer layer of Milo's jacket, nearly curdling Milo's blood from the closeness of it, as he felt the blade barely caress the pale skin beneath it. A few centimeters closer and it would've been bad. Careless, Milo cursed himself for not ending this already. How would he handle the trials to come if he couldn't snuff out this simpering ember of a man? Hector Moses... Thanks to a certain information broker, Milo knew a fair a bit about him. His Potential was the least of it.

No matter who Hector Moses, the man, was to anyone else, or who he was to himself... To Milo, right here and now, he was only an obstacle, a stepping-stone that would lead him forward, closer to his ultimate goal... There was no way in Hell Milo was going to allow himself be tripped up on his first real hurdle. He'd made one too many promises over one too many graves for that.

Then Bolt spoke again, and Milo was reset. He was undone.

There was no time to ruminate, however.

Because the fight wasn't over, yet.

That much was obvious by the fact that, during Milo's brief lapse in attention, Hector had snagged the sketch-pad in Milo's hands with a hook fashioned out of metal. Luckily, Milo had the wherewithal to tighten his grip on the flimsy thing. The sound of tearing pages mixed with the sound of beating wings as the notebook, as fragile as any other mundane object would be, was torn in two. Milo came away with one half. The other fell in tatters to the ground, pages scattering across the street. That act sent a wrinkle across Milo's thoughts as he quickly shoved the pen and the remains of the sketch-book back from whence they had come, tucking one in the waistband of his pants and the other in his pants' pocket.

He shouldn't underestimate Hector.

Monster or not, stepping stone or not, Hector was still the Ace of the Scarlet Phoenixes... And in addition to having a powerful Potential, Hector's mind apparently wasn't so blunted to not start to put the pieces of Milo Nagisa's curious Potential together on its own. Perhaps Milo should've kept the sketch-pad hidden—taking it out in front of him was stupid—and yet Hector had hardly left him much choice, had he? The Ace was far more relentless than Milo had expected. Milo had slipped up. He'd started to let Hector dictate the flow of the battle without realizing it. But it wasn't too late. He could still bring it back. He would. After all, he'd yet to unveil his final surprise.

"Bolt—" Milo had started to speak, but then thought better of it. Not only could he not afford to take his eyes off of Hector for very long, but at this point, based on what Boltius had said and done, Milo didn't think he was in the mood to hear anything that came out of his mouth. I owe you an explanation. Milo thought, sparing a sidelong glance for his friend—his former friend, maybe, after the dust settled—before his eyes were on Hector again.

Hector was shouting at him. He sounded angry. He sounded enraged. Milo thought, Good. Get mad. Get sloppy. Make mistakes.

The murder of crows were doing their job. They'd slowed the monster's advance, giving Milo the space he needed, but they'd also managed to royally piss him off.

Back-pedaling as Hector fought his way through the birds that circled him, hounding the Scarlet Phoenix for every step he took, Milo didn't bother to respond to Hector's threats in kind. He didn't have to. He had said all he ever wanted to say to Hector in the first moments that he'd met him. He'd waste no more breath on him, he who was more beast than man.

Casting his gaze over his shoulder, Milo spotted the place he was hoping to see. Only a few more feet and they'd be right on top of it: an unassuming tarp—colored to look like the sidewalk it mimicked, was coming quickly into view as their battle rapidly moved down the not-so-quiet-anymore side-street.

The world will be better off without you, Milo thought to himself as he leapt backwards across the threshold of the tarp, with Hector hot on his heels. As the Ace of the Scarlet Phoenixes passed over the top of the side-walk, one corner of the tarp peeled back to reveal a cluster lustrous, black bricks... Before each one flickered to life in turn, briefly turning white hot from the heat that raged within them. A split second later, the trap exploded upwards from beneath Hector's outstretched frame like a nest of tripped proximity mines, slinging heat, smoke, and jagged pieces of side-walk high into the air.

The resultant shockwave threw Milo bodily away from the epicenter of the blast, which left a smoldering crater in its place, smoke billowing out from it as clouds of dust and detritus slowly fell back towards the ruined swath of pavement. He landed with a crash into the side of a parked car. The impact of his body with the driver's side door crumpled the metal frame, and would've killed Milo if he'd been a normal person. Still, the jolt sent a shock up Milo's body, knocked the wind from his lungs, and cracked two of his ribs. He exhaled sharply, gasping from the pain as blood from a fresh wound opened up over his left eye, the result of a molten shard of sidewalk slicing clear through his skin as it jettisoned away from the site of the blast.

Spoiler: Tags

Doctor Llamabean
Elenion Aura
WhiskeyMarten

>>> To The Next Post

 

[Slav]

Osamu Ueno

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 6 [All Proceeds]

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masked Concertgoer K, Minato, Kazue

All Proceeds

Osamu could barely perceive what was happening around him, making him jump up in surprise at Dagger's presence behind him. He stopped his natural response of turning to face the threat, feeling what he could deduce was some sort of firearm against his head. Before he could get a word out, he listened to the sound of a knife being removed from it's sheath. Whoever was behind him wasn't playing around and Osamu decided to tread carefully to prevent a bullet being lodged in his head. "My name is Osamu Ueno, an Albino Tiger who is currently operating at about 40% of his brain capacity." He tried his best to not slur as he was speaking, but a few got through. He usually wasn't open with his gang affiliation, but he had a suspicion that anybody carrying that weaponry around was probably part of his fellow group, or he was just fucked. His best bet was to go with the first option.

"I'm here to enjoy the music since we are at a concert." He wasn't there for the music; he was there to get drunk. "Pointing a weapon is.." He paused for a moment as his head started to get dizzy again, trying to collect his thoughts to finish his comment. "It's rude to point weapons at defenseless people, I'm sure your mother taught you that." Osamu had learned quite a few faces of his fellow gang members, but when it came to voices, he was still learning. Either way, not knowing who had a gun against his head was rather annoying to Osamu.

His struggle to stand completely still was increasing as his level of intoxication was quickly catching up to him. "Can I move now? I think I'm going to collapse if I have to hold this position any longer." He resisted the urge to put more beer down his trap, though the thought was becoming more enticing the longer he stood there. He let out a belch that had been evading him for a few minutes, feeling satisfied. While he didn't like the idea of being shot, the idea of dying was something that didn't scare Osamu. He just wanted to drink more beer.

simj26​

 

[Lucem]

Ezra Knight

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 5 [A Dangerous Game]

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Callahan, Ernesto, Ezra, Isobel, Mbaye, Welsha

A DANGEROUS GAME

When Isobel announced that she had a new plan, Ezra never imagined that it would involve the woman knocking on the window and asking to be let in. He just watched her, wondering if she had a death wish. There was no way this could end well. At least, that's what he thought until he saw one of the people inside the building actually let her in.

He was as confused as he was surprised. Why would they let a stranger inside? It was possible that they could've been intrigued by someone who was crazy enough to show up at the Phoenix King's home like this, but he doubted it. The only way this made sense was if Isobel wasn't a stranger to these people. When that thought crossed his mind, he remembered the day she was interrogated by Markus. All of his unasked questions from back then seemed to have answers now.

Shaking his head, Ezra decided to save his theories for later. He couldn't afford to get distracted right now. If he wanted to get out of this place in one piece, he had to trust that Isobel knew what she was doing.

All he could do was watch and wait. Keeping his gaze on the window, he tried to ignore the sound of his heart beating in his ears and listened for the signal. The thumps only got louder with every passing second, each one feeling longer than the last. It wasn't until a loud whistle came from inside the house that his sense of time returned to normal. Eyes darting to Mbaye, he saw an ivory claw fly into the older man's hand.

For a very brief moment, he felt a touch of relief. The mission was far from over, but they got what they came for. It seemed like things were taking a turn for the better. However, his infinitesimal hope was quickly snatched away, just like the claw that was wrestled from Mbaye's grasp. An otherworldly limb stretched out from the window, yanking the prize back inside.

The moment he saw the green aura retreat with the claw, his contained emotions overflowed. This was definitely not good. This was the worst. Not only did they instantly lose the claw, but they'd given themselves away in the process. Their chances of making a quick getaway had dropped astronomically. Even if they managed to get it back, they still had to get away from all the Phoenixes who were now on alert, which was much easier said than done. Ernesto and Welsha were supposed to create a distraction to help with the escape, but there was no telling how long that would take. To make matters worse, Isobel was still inside, and Ezra didn't think the rival gang members would be nice enough to wait until she safely got out.

Isobel definitely had some sort of connection with the Phoenixes, but Ezra didn't think it was strong enough for them to laugh off what just happened. If the Jack had to signal for Mbaye to use his Potential, the people inside probably weren't very willing to part with the claw. Now they had it back, and Isobel was all alone after potentially betraying whoever she knew. She was definitely hiding something from the Tigers, but that didn't mean she wasn't in danger.

Ezra thought back to the night he stayed over at Isobel's apartment. He was just as stressed as he was tired, unable to trust the quiet woman or her strange friend. To survive, he had to always be cautious, always doubt people and consider the worst possible outcome. Even now, he wasn't sure if he could completely put faith in anything. However, he didn't think she was a bad person. He didn't know her reasons, but she'd shown him kindness, letting him into her home and making him breakfast. That morning was the first time he'd shared a meal with anyone in years, and despite everything else surrounding that situation, it was the only positive experience he'd had in a very, very long time.

Even if that moment with those two Tigers never happened, he probably would've made the same decision he was currently mulling over. He would've been a subordinate acting in his best interest, taking the best possible course of action that lined up with his orders from the gang and his father. However, because of that one moment that didn't really mean anything to anyone, his reasoning was tainted by emotion. He had to serve the Jack, get the claw, and succeed to earn a stunning reputation, but there was a simpler justification. He just didn't want anything bad to happen to a good person.

Letting out a deep breath, he focused on his gloved hands. Strands of hair had been tied around his fingers, each one belonging to a different member of the team. Getting them had been an awful experience. He explained why they were needed, but it was hard to go up to somebody and ask for some of their hair without seeming creepy. The whole thing was embarrassing, but he knew how useful something as simple as hair could be in a situation like this.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ezra jumped from the rooftop and felt a pull as he used his Potential. Defying gravity, his body soared into the sky, wanting to reconnect with the strand of hair that had been left inside the car he'd parked in a nearby alley. Adjusting the speed of the restoration, he looked at the window, taking note of the two strangers inside before locking on to Isobel.

Channeling his power into the strand of hair wrapped around his left index finger, he tried to pull the Jack out of the birds' nest as she attempted to wrestle the claw away from the same supernatural limbs that retrieved it from Mbaye. Unfortunately, the ectoplasm was stronger than it looked, and Isobel hovered in the air as the three of them were trapped in a terrible game of tug-of-war. Seeing this, Ezra was forced to resort to something he had hoped wouldn't be necessary.

As he saw several black SUVs approach the townhouse, Ezra reversed the pull of his restoration, sending him flying toward the open window. Without the luxury of time, he wasn't able to make his flight a very enjoyable one. He came into the room like a speeding bullet, only slowing down when he adjusted the speed again to make sure the restoration remained incomplete. Quickly shaking off the turbulence, he landed safely behind Isobel as she continued to hover. Now in the thick of it, he said the first thing that came to mind. "Wait!"

Ah, this is stupid! What am I doing? He was now inside the Phoenix King's home, and two possibly very angry gang members were right in front of him. One was bleeding, and the other was being held against the wall by Mbaye, so they didn't seem to be in the best condition. However, an unknown number of enemies waited below them. If he made a wrong move here, an entire army could pounce on him. He was already regretting this, but he couldn't turn back time. He just had to figure something out as he went along.

"I'm really sorry about barging into your place like this. Really, I am. But we really didn't have a choice. We're on a really short schedule. That's why things ended up like this." While trying to disguise his voice, Ezra did his best to show his sincerity, knowing that someone in his position wouldn't be trusted very easily. "If we don't get that claw now, things are gonna end really badly for everyone. Backup is supposed to arrive if things go wrong, and if this escalates further, a big fight is gonna break out. People on both sides are gonna get hurt, and innocent civilians will probably get caught in it too. Nobody wants that, right?"

While he hoped things could be sorted out by talking, he realized the chances of that happening were slim. Even if these Phoenixes were reasonable, he and the others were still enemies. That's why he was also trying to buy time for Isobel to think of a way out of this. If he couldn't convince them to give up the claw, maybe the Jack could. In the event that talking solved nothing, then it'd really come down to a fight. As much as he didn't like the thought of that becoming a reality, he was preparing himself for it. Even failed negotiations could buy a little extra time for the approaching Tigers to get into position.

Keeping up his Potential's pull on Isobel, he raised his hands, showing he had no intention to do harm. "If we have the claw, we have no reason to be here. I know we're the ones who came to you, but I'm asking you to please think about what could happen if another war breaks out." Innocent people got hurt because of the incident in the East, and an ongoing conflict with two large gangs would be terrible for the Phoenixes. "Please, let us take the claw and leave you alone."

Spoiler: Tags

Mook-LandStrider Nova Anyw Peckinou Saturn_moon Tobi Naefaerne

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Sabrina Felton

CS Link

SCENE:

All Proceeds

LOCATION:

Cloudwalk Stadium, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Daemon, Sabrina, Dagger, Fahru, Masker Concertgoer K, Minato

All Proceeds

At the light, somewhat forced-sounding chuckle, Sabrina’s eyes darted to the seated stranger and rolled. “No need to laugh if you don’t find it funny,”

Being a little drunk made her more relaxed, but she wasn’t intoxicated enough that she couldn’t notice signs of dislike from the short-haired individual perched on her raincoat. Or rather, withdrawal, as the masked girl—who had yet to really speak—pulled out their phone. Then again, drunk company didn’t always make the best company, even if Sabrina’s tolerance was fairly high. Not as high as the Serpent’s Jack–thank god–but overindulgence did lessen the effects of liquor on her.

This was a concert as well. Most people, that Sabrina could see, seemed to have their phones out, either to take pictures of the band on stage, or record it so they might post their whereabouts on social media or some such. Once upon a time she had been like them. Kind of. She wasn’t especially attached to social media, but she’d idolized various famous artists and saw pop culture as her ticket out of the North District and into a better life. Now she needed alcohol just to keep her spiraling negative thoughts at bay so she could enjoy the music…granted, if she just wanted to listen to music, attending a live concert wasn’t necessary.

Why was she here again?

Arms folded, with the finger of her painted nail tapping to the beat, Sabrina sighed. Despite it not being her taste in music, the band wasn't bad per say. She could see how such a song would appeal to the masses; A simple, generic-sounding, yet catchy tune.

Shaking her head, Sabrina glanced at the masked concertgoer that still looked a little uncomfortable as she texted someone. The eyes, and half the face, couldn't be seen, but Sabrina didn't need those things to read a person. Posture. Lack of words. “On second thought, sick or not, maybe you need something to loosen yourself up after all.”

Reaching into her bag, Sabrina pulled out her last can of 'North-District' beer and placed it onto the ground next to the masked concertgoer. Whether or not the 'sick' individual took the offer or not was up to her. Pleasurable intoxication was a choice. “Tastes like shit if I’m being honest, but it gets the job done.”

Sabrina paused, studying the suspiciously dressed individual for a moment, before introducing herself with a shrug. She didn't give a damn. "Sabrina Felton. I think I’m going to go sober up in the restroom before I do something stupid."

And maybe a quick smoke.

Her new HP body seemed to protect her from bullets, but did it protect her from the harm she did to herself? Could she die from bad habits? Who knows. Sabrina certainly didn’t. It’d only been a year since she’d gotten used to her newfound powers, after all. A year since she’d forcefully carved herself a place in the strongest gang in the North District. Valerie, the Chessmistress and veteran of the Sable Serpents, still gave her check ups from time to time. She could still feel the eyes of creeps researching potential drugs on her like pins and needles. However, it was just as her former teacher had promised. Safety. Those who feared the gang kept their distance and those within the gang didn’t target each other…too often at least.

Though Sabrina’s actual reason for joining the gang was even simpler than that.

Straightening, the dark-haired woman was about to turn and leave when she found herself interrupted…by another masked concert goer. Or rather, the masked concertgoer she’d been speaking to did. A? N? T? Were they playing some sort of game? Curious, Sabrina was content to silently watch the apparently shady acquaintances interact…until the masked newcomer with gaudy earrings turned her attention to Sabrina. Sabrina scowled.

Unlike the first masked concertgoer, this masked concertgoer managed to irk her, so she ignored the questions directed at her in favor of asking her own.

“Who the fuck are you and why should I pay you anything?”

Not that Sabrina had the money or intention to pay the stranger regardless. Mild intrigue about what 'A' and her friend were involved in kept Sabrina stationary, but frankly, they could tell her they were planning a murder and Sabrina wouldn’t give a rat’s ass. Half the Sable Serpents were already there.

azenva The One Eyed Bandit
Others: Elenion Aura Slav Refaulted Mqueserasera simj26

 

[Nobody Special]

BASH HIRABAYASHI

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 2: Scene 2 [Tailing the Dragon's Heart]

LOCATION:

Second-Highest Floor of Platinum Rabbit, East District

PARTICIPANTS:

Anna, Tri, Yuto, Kisara

✕ POTENTIALS BANNED:

None

TAILING THE DRAGON'S HEART

“tch tch, language language Mr Bash~ no one likes a rude dude~ hehehe..”

As annoying as the taunting scolding from the three-eyed freak already was, the tortuous giggle at the end of it was the icing on the cake that prompted another harsh response from Bash’s mouth. With a curled lip, he let the words growl out of his mouth, refusing to even look up at Yuto as he climbed the wall.

“I’ll fuckin’ murder you. Quit talkin’ ‘ta me, fuckin’ weirdo.”

Once he finished spewing threats at the spider-boy, he diverted all of his attention towards Kisara as she spoke. Then to Anna. Then to the ladder.

As he stood on the rooftop, Bash’s mind raced with thoughts of pure, uncontrolled violence. He had plans on balancing his abilities out, yes, but for some reason flashes of that moment in the bowling alley were continuously assaulting his psyche. Every few seconds, he would clench his fists as though he were about to punch something– only to unclench them within that same moment in a furious attempt to keep himself under control.

He was the Ace. He couldn’t allow himself to fuck up other people’s plans anymore.

… Unless he wanted to, of course.

He continued to quietly think to himself while staring at nothing until Kisara’s familiar voice pulled him back into reality. From the looks of it, the mask-wearing bimbo who had tried crushing him to death mere days prior had disappeared during his internal tirade, leaving only him, his rosy-skinned companion, and… the Spider-Bitch.

“Guess we can still fight,” he thought out loud, following Kisara and picturing the image of the jewel they had been sent to capture in his head. “We just gotta do it quietly. Can’t be too fuckin’ hard, right–”

Right on cue, Bash’s sentence was cut off by the loud thud that came with Kisara vaulting the balcony and landing gracefully– or so it seemed, for fucks sake– on her feet.

He paused along with her, unable to do anything but hope that the arachnid behind him was doing the same, and waited. His eyes were stitched onto the doorknob in front of Kisara, and his feet were positioned to leap and go for the kill should it make the slightest unauthorized movement. During this brief pause in time that felt like forever, Bash got another glimpse of the new scars that had marked the girl’s body. While he kept his guard up, he couldn’t help but feel a little bad for not checking in with her since her last job.

...Fuckin’ dumbass.

When Kisara signaled that they were clear, Bash quickly leapt over the balcony as well– making sure to land thousands of times quieter than she previously did– and grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her behind him. He’d always forgotten how heavy the girl was, and moving her actually took quite a bit of force, but he always fought hard to get what he wanted. This was no different.

With a right arm that now felt like it had single-handedly pushed a heavy appliance down a 50-foot hallway, Bash opened the door.

“Stay behind me. Both ‘a ya. Don’t piss me off, or I’ll fuck you up.”

Without looking back at Kisara or Yuto, Bash narrowed his eyes and stepped into the building.

Ya ain’t gettin’ hurt again…

…Not on my watch.

simj26 The One Eyed Bandit Damafaud Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[joshuadim]

HITOSHI YAMAKAWA

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 3 [Shopping Spree!]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Reika ( Taigakitt ) , Charlie ( Roda the Red )

Shopping Spree!

<<< Remember

Hitoshi rubbed his hands together and licked his lips in anticipation as he saw *the good stuff* laid out right in front of him. Oh fuck. an inner voice spoke out to him, We are going to bring the end times with this amount of *produce* in our system. As he ran through his fingers through the vials and baggies however, another voice of long-absent internal caution suddenly chimed in. Do I really *have* to do all this in one sitting? Why not... over an extended period of time? This line of thinking immediately brought backlash from his more adventurous tendencies as it shot back: Fuck that, what are you some kind of pansy? We will literally break into a new dimension with this.

"I'll take *all* of it." Hitoshi then announced to the storekeep, and he closed the box and gathered it into his arms. He was cradling it as if it were a child, or something extremely valuable. Once paid for, he continued cradling the box close to his chest, along with the gift he had bought for Alex, and turned to Charlie and Reika. "Alright, mission accomplished. Where to next?" he asked with a cheery grin. Blasting off to orbit... coming soon. another thought crossed his mind, but he shrugged it away.

>>> To Next Post

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

DARIUS KENNEDY

CS Link

SCENE:

Serpents Arc 2: Scene 1 [Arcane Informant]

LOCATION:

Nearby Heavenly Beasts Plaza, Lower Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Caio, Darius, Delynn, Orion, Ten, Urien

ARCANE INFORMANT

“Hey, I'm Delynn I uhh… work for Caio?”

Ah, so she was under his thumb as well, hm? Or perhaps not, despite being newer she seemed to be in better standing than Darius was with the Queen. He didn't respond to it with anything other than a nod. Best not to pry into her business.

“More or less yeah. Same way Dairy here works for me. Dee’s got some skill as well.”
You don't get to call me that. Darius tried to keep his composure. He was already on edge, he didn't also need reminding of Caio's control over him.

With Ten's presence leaving him slightly distracted, he didn't react immediately as Delynn moved from under the umbrella, over to Caio. She seemed to be doing just fine without him though, so Darius walked after her, lacking urgency. Maybe Caio was just trying to scare him with the threat of electrocution. He continued to follow as she dodged the puddles towards a supposed ozone smell. He kept following until the threat popped into view, attacking Delynn, and Darius did what he did best. He took a step back from the action and watched the show.

"Shit," he blurted out, as Delynn fell from the initial attack. He wasn't about to play the hero for a woman he just met, or most people for that matter. He watched as the man received a taste of his own medicine, being shocked out of the fight by the rookie. Darius took another step back. Suddenly he felt like he'd rather be scouting out dragons with Ten, rather than being tasked with standing next to this woman.

"...You okay there?" He looked between her, and then shot a look at Caio, nodding in Delynn's direction, as if to silently ask 'What the hell do we do now?' He heard Ten voice their approval, and slip away towards the crowd on Caio's orders. Darius leaned back, looking past the other Serpents towards the crowd, getting a glimpse of Ten reemerging from their shadow form. While it would be unwise to ignore the Serpent that just delivered a fatal electric shock, he couldn't help but keep an eye on Ten instead.

As the newbie marked the Dragon with a sticker, Darius returned the thumbs up. Thank God they aren't going straight into attack mode. "Ten found a dragon... I think." Darius mumbled to the others, hoping that Ten had actually found a Dragon, and hadn't just been distracted by the colourful stickers.

>>> To Next Post
BriiAngelic gxxberkit Tobi Naefaerne @The Regal Rper Mook-LandStrider

 

[Misuteeku]

Sang-Cheol Man

http://

CS Link

SCENE:

Phoenixes Arc 2: Scene 2 [The Bounty]

LOCATION:

Slums, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Raphael, Kyoden, Sang-Cheol, Mimi, Hide

THE BOUNTY

Sang-Cheol rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses at Hide's comments and dismissed them as a childish whining. Perhaps Kyoden wasn't off the mark with his comment since all this man did was yap, yap, and yap. Did they have time to indulge this man child? Though it saved him that Raphael wasn't going to engage in a fight, at least that was something. It didn't help Sang-Cheol from viewing Hide as a joke, for all that back talk of not being a 'lost dog' the white-haired man was dragging his tail trying to find his target. Though, frustratingly, Sang-Cheol didn't voice out his feelings.

A tiny drop of sweat slid down his comment as he heard a statement directed at him from Raphael. Sang-Cheol lowered his head in a polite gesture and avoided any further conversation. Any talk with Raphael usually resulted in being a sweating mess internally, so Sang-Cheol opted to avoid it whenever possible. Other than that, Sang-Cheol didn't mind Raphael bringing Hide along for their little hunt. It'd just mean less work for him and less time for Raphael to cause bloodshed with his HP. The dog at least had to be trained if it belonged to the Phoenix gang.

With Mimi joining them, Sang-Cheol didn't bother to greet her like Kyoden, that would make the five of them. Hopefully, there weren't any more interruptions before they hunted down their targets. "If you're done deciding, then let's get going already," Sang-Cheol impatiently said to Hide. Looking towards the shack, it'd look like it'd burn nicely if a fire were started inside. Some of the buildings needed renovations anyway, so the government would thank him for offering a free service. That and it'd be a good stress reliever.

Spoiler: Tags

Elenion Aura Beann Caffeine_Obsessed BluEndings

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Elias Yumin

CS Link

SCENE:

Tigers Arc 2: Scene 3 [Happily Ever After]

LOCATION:

Shopping Mall - Security Room, Central District

PARTICIPANTS:

Alice, Elias, Jack, Charmy, Jackson

Happily Ever After

“This way, Mr. Yumin.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Officer.”

“But of course! I remember you’re a friend of Ms. Fox, after all.”

As Elias followed the mall security officer–who he’d shaken hands with–down the halls of an employee-only area of the mall, he glanced at his surroundings, committing the location of every door to memory and greeting every security personnel he passed with a friendly hand and an open smile. Outwardly, he appeared to be a friendly–maybe a bit too friendly– businessman, but otherwise harmless. Weaponless as well since he’d allowed them to ‘check’.

What they didn’t know was that they did find a weapon and they did stop him at the door for it…until they forgot. That, with every touch, Elias drew memories from them while simultaneously inserting himself as one of Acacia Fox’s ‘friends’. Implanted a pre-prepared memory of the two of them together discussing business so that there would be no questions as to why he was wandering through the mall’s employees’ only room on his way to the security room in the back. That was also how he knew Acacia Fox had already left.

Shame, shame. Seems I was a bit too late.

Oh well. While he would have welcomed a discussion with one of the ‘perpetrators’ that had ‘kidnapped’ Alice, her lack of presence made it easier for him to do what he came to do in a way. “When do you think she’ll be coming back?”

“Who knows,” Officer Tim shrugged. “She’s a friend of the mall’s owner. Frankly, I have no idea what she's even doing here, but what the employer says goes…ah here we are! The surveillance room!”

Elias watched the security guard undo the lock with a series of punched numbers, committing the combination to memory, and opened the door into a room full and full of monitors. More security guards as well. Elias refrained the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, the Albino Tiger’s memory manipulator shot the wary looking men and women with a disarming smile while Officer Tim explained his presence.

“Mr. Yumin…and his friend…have come here at Ms. Fox’s behest to discuss business and help with the mall’s security.”

“Tha’s right! So bugger off!”

Damn. He’d almost forgotten that Ronald was right behind him. Keeping up with his smile, despite the wary looks the security personnel were giving each other, Elias stepped between them, placing a hand on the shoulder of each. “What my friend means to say is that you all look like you could use a break. Don’t worry about your paycheck. I spoke to the store’s owner myself, and they agreed you all deserve a day off, remember?”

Hand gripping their shoulders, Elias watched as faces morphed from doubt, to glazed, to realization.

“Oh yeah…”

“I can’t believe I’m working on my day off!”

“Thanks alot, Mr Yumin!”

Returning the fist bump he was given, Elias waved as one by one the security personnel in the room filed out. Some still looked a bit confused, but a couple of pats on the back for reassurance seemed to do the trick.

“I don’t remember getting a day off–,” TIm started before a bat slammed into the back of his head, knocking him out.

Resting the wooden sports-equipment against his shoulder, Ronald rolled his eyes. In the time that Elias had been dealing with Genieve, the NP Tiger had bought many things–including a change of clothing–while searching Stacy’s Department Store. Ronald locked the door to the surveillance room. “Your potential gets creepier every time I see you use it.”

“That’s a little rude,” Elias responded with a smile before sitting himself in front of one of the monitors and reviewing the footages that had been recorded by CCTV cameras. Phoenixes in one store. Jack trying on shoes. Charmy knocking down a whole display case. Even himself at the food court. Acacia really had seen a lot. While Elias searched the cameras for Alice...with no luck...Ronald kicked at the locked door in the back of the room that held the supposed ‘dead body’ of Alice.

“Can’t you use your damn HP strength to knock down the door, Anamnesis?”

Elias shrugged. “I can try…”

As the CFO of Yumin Entertainment got up, he felt his phone vibrate with a message from Charmy, aka Ms Fortune. Pulling the device from his pockets, Elias read quickly and texted a reply:

I’m in the Security Room and will back you up as needed. If you bring me any suspicious individuals, I can do a memory search for more information.

P.S. Watch out for Janay Fox. He can turn invisible.

P.P.S. Also keep an eye on pair of dark-haired, violet eyed boys, a red-eyed girl, and a dark-skinned HP. They are connected with Acacia.

Elias sent the message to Jack as well. He'd been using his potential all day and, if he were to completely honest, he was getting a little tired. While he did want to a chance to speak with the girl whose memories he'd been sealing since he'd joined the Albino Tigers, he figured he could give Alice some time in Wonderland before bringing her back to reality.

“Anamnesis!”

“Coming, coming~”

AriAriAbabwa BluEndings Chaos Gallant BriiAngelic
(others at the mall: Taigakitt Roda the Red joshuadim )