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Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings

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Noa Bakoria Aquanaut
CS Link
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]
LOCATION:
South District
PARTICIPANTS:
joshuadim joshuadim , Merrit , Ryoma Stros Stros , Suzerain Ambiloquous Ambiloquous
Follow the Lightning

Noa rolled her eyes at the guy when he buckled in pain, it typically took a few minutes before she would be able to activate her Tattoo, what he was feeling was simply the burning effects of getting a Tattoo etched onto him by contact. "Oh stop crying you baby! I didn't even activate the Tattoo yet, Now I bet those guys you saw were suppose to pay you right? Was there a spot you were suppose to meet them at in order to collect your payment? If so your gonna lead us there, and you will be playing bait for us." Noa didn't even bother to mince her words. As long as the Tattoo was on him, she practically owned him in just a few minutes she would have the ability to activate it as she pleased, and once she does have the ability to activate it he wouldn't have any choice but to follow her every command or else.

Noa walked back over to Ryoma and her Bodyguard, who had now sheathed their sword, seeing that the lizard man would no longer be a threat. But Noa was still angry with the fact her dress was ruined due to the garbage being thrown, during their altercation, she looked over to Ryoma and her bodyguard with clear annoyance in their eyes. "So the suit guys that man is talking about, sounds like something in the Tigers playbook, but i don't know exactly what they would want with Hitoshi, think it's cause he got a loan from them and couldn't pay back?" It was a genuine question though, they didn't know why Tigers would attempt something as brazen as trying to Kidnap a Phoenix in the South, it was too bold of move, then again, she did hear about them attacking Kings home. So it seemed like a very real possibility, but if that is the case, why send someone to come back and spy on Hitoshis residence? it didn't make much sense, but then again, she wasn't a Tiger and only knew a little about how they played. But what she does know is if it was indeed the Tigers who did this, it would probably be best to hurry up and retrieve Hitoshi before they can ship him out of the South, then again, it has been a bit of time since Hitoshi was taken.
 
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
Once Ottilie and Kazue got to the other side of the fence, Hiram climbed over next. Now, some people would take a look at him and draw their own conclusions, especially when they hear about what he did for a living. But one of the benefits of having a Potential was the freedom of movement compared to the regular person. That didn’t mean Hiram completely ignored physical training altogether; a strong mind lived in a strong body, and a strong mind was one of Hiram’s greatest assets. He was loath to have it wither and weaken when he needed everything he could to survive in this world where an alleged tornado could tear the earth apart, and where heartless people could tear his own family apart.


As he dropped onto the other side, he absentmindedly tapped on his tech deck and let the concrete block return to the ground. No need to leave behind overt signs of their comings and goings. The next step was getting inside the building quickly without drawing much attention. Ottilie, the intelligent woman that she was, rushed to the back porch and decided to call out to the staff inside in the loudest voice possible, all while banging at the window. Hiram, suffering in annoyed silence, made his way to where she was, resigning himself to just roll with what happened next.


And then someone just crashed through the window above where they were, falling on the ground with a sickening crunch. It was followed by a strange, pale-haired boy landing gracefully amidst the party. Hiram listened to his words as Hifumi introduced himself, and delivered more disturbing details about the events happening around them. Ouroboros? Explosives? Infiltration? Hiram had already felt there was something more to the protests when they first approached the hotel. These were all well within his expectations.


Something Hifumi said made him snicker in amusement though. “The only superior we have here is Master Kazue. Master Kairong… had something else to handle so he decided to leave this up to us. Ottilie and I are both rookies, and this is our first mission, so we’re probably not the best people to look up to for guidance.”


Hiram turned to look at Kazue and gestured towards her. “I believe she can help you with getting information out of this one on the ground here.”


Interactions: azenva azenva Saturn_moon Saturn_moon BluEndings BluEndings


 
Elias Yumin
CS Link
SCENE:
Tigers Arc 3: Scene 1 [Where Giants Sleep]
LOCATION:
Heavenly Beast Plaza, Lower Central(Beneath Dragon Statue)
PARTICIPANTS:
Wren, Elias, Kenji, Passeri, Isobel, Ezra
Where Giants Sleep

Elias couldn’t say he had expected the idol to take him up on his offer, but if he was surprised by her initiative in reaching for his hand–which most people who knew his potential/habits tend to avoid–, he didn’t show it. His smile simply remained fixed in place as his fingers casually curled around hers. Passeri Park? Scared? Unlikely. Catching a hint of…mischief?...as their gazes briefly met, Elias’s eyebrow rose with his curiosity. Sadly, he wasn’t a mind reader. Whatever message the idol tried to convey with the intensity of her eyes was lost to the memory manipulator…but it roused his curiosity all the same. And so he activated his potential.

Most humans can’t control their memories anymore than they can control their dreams, but there are ways that individuals can influence what information is important enough to get encoded into their brain and what isn’t. Repetition. Mnemonic devices. Conscious effort. As he dove into the storage area of the brain where his potential had dominion over, Elias could tell that Passeri was actively attempting to influence her memories by the way certain images shifted, pieces of information rushing to the surface of her mind as if shoving themselves into his face.

Memories of Isobel Pham, Jack of the Albino Tigers. Memories of recent planning, observation, and curiosity regarding the mute Tiger and their current “mission”. Emotions and memories weren’t the same thing, but they often had strong ties, since the more emotional the memory, the more deeply it was ingrained into the brain. Therefore, it wasn’t hard for Elias to feel the deep curiosity emanating from the memories Passeri so desperately wanted to show him. Her strong desire to know the secrets Mouse seemed to be keeping.

Help me out, would you? I'm sure whatever she's up to will be fascinating.

Chuckling at the stray thought that echoed through the halls of her mind’s storage, weaving itself into a memory, Elias had to admit, he was impressed by her gamble. After all, there was no guarantee he had the information she wanted even if she did open her mind to him. No guarantee that he could even put two and two together to deduce her desires let alone provide her with the information she wanted.

I’m touched by your faith in my competence. The fabricated memory of Elias’s voice danced across her mind in search of an empty spot to settle before their skin contact broke and pink light flooded the cavern they were in, diverting his attention.

And so they pressed on.

“It really isn’t so scary, is it Miss Park?” Fingers once more intertwined with the idol’s, Elias transferred the memories he’d recently acquired from Isobel over to Passeri because…well, why not? He had nothing to lose by sharing. The Jack’s library excursion. Roland Dreyer’s diary. The map that would ultimately lead them to Heavenly Beast Plaza. Showing her the truth of why they were traipsing beneath a Dragon statue wasted less time. In his mind, it wasn’t really a secret worth keeping from those directly involved anyway. And, if such actions garnered Iori’s trust, all the better.

“Well? What do you think?” Elias whispered into Passeri’s ear before letting go of her hand.

Gravel and dirt turned to stone and it wasn’t long before an archway–clearly man-made–became visible up ahead. Brows arching in interest, Elias followed their Jack through a narrow tunnel that opened up into a circular chamber…one that seemed to house coffins. Violet eyes traveled from the high-domed ceiling, to the six stone coffins, to the massive dais in the center with unmasked interest. Really, how could one not be interested?

It was a catacomb beneath a mine.

Elias couldn’t say he’d ever had any real deep desire to explore a catacomb, but it was certainly an interesting experience–one he’d engrave into his memory. Maybe a picture or two to commemorate the experience.

Fearlessly climbing on the dais, since he didn’t believe in ghosts, curses, or whatnot, Elias slowly traveled around the hexagonal plinth, his bare hand tracing the decorative engravings until he stopped at the side with the immovable door. Elias tilted his head. “Rules in sleep? Or perhaps ‘In Sleep he Rules’? I can’t say I’m the best when it comes to old languages, but, whichever the case, we now know what’s been watching us this entire time…” The heir of Yumin Entertainment smirked teasingly at Isobel. “Ghosts.”



The One Eyed Bandit The One Eyed Bandit Lucem Lucem @ Saturn_moon Saturn_moon Kyuubey Kyuubey Stros Stros
 
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Suzerain Schema
[
CS Link
]
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]
LOCATION:
South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Hitoshi (
joshuadim joshuadim
), Noa (
Peckinou Peckinou
), Ryoma (
Stros Stros
), Suzerain
Suzerain blinked, rocking back a bit from the force of the push and scraping the fingers of her gloves against the gravel. The alleyway behind the bar might have been narrow, but with the intruder’s wall-adhering expertise, it appeared to be no issue to simply climb around her and circumvent her shield altogether. She couldn’t believe they actually—couldn’t believe she was so genius! Yes. She hadn’t been making a feeble effort at fighting the trespasser. This had been her plan all along. Plastic clearly didn’t bring to mind electric conductivity, which meant that the near-invisible figure splashing itself with old rainwater thought they could charge into her without repercussion, so of course, with impulsivity and adrenaline pumping through their veins, they did just that.

This achievement called for a showing of appreciation, so she curved her eyes in an approximation of a beam. When Ryoma—who had somehow strolled over without her noticing—threw her a compliment on her brilliant tactics, her half-smile became a little more real. She even ignored his shortened alias this time. Recording the praise for later retellings, she added proudly,
“I do a good job 80% of the time.”


The battle soon stuttered to a halt after Bruiser chose not to bruise anyone and instead opted for a vaguely threatening conversation starter. As the crocodilian criminal unveiled themselves and complained of formal attire employers, things clicked for Suzerain. Hyperstar was a bar. Bars had owners. Owners did business. Business meant suits. The likelihood that Hyperstar’s owner was the backing behind this scheme was above 70%, and that was too high not to pursue. She had entirely forgotten what Anya said about the “sleazy suit”, but somehow, her subconscious had gotten her to the same point by doing some simple mental gymnastics.

Before she could act on her assumptions though, the ponytailed Phoenix came marching over with a passion that resulted in her grasping the intruder’s hand with a much too tight grip. At first, the rookie was confused—was she shaking on a deal or proposing? It became evident that it was neither when both Noa and the lizardman began screaming, one about trash and the other just general noises of pain. She winced for both of them, and then some more for Noa because never let it be said she wasn’t dedicated to the organization she signed up for.

Her mind rummaged through sanitized greetings and landed on something neutral-sounding enough to be nice if one squinted and applied a hefty dose of a positive outlook to it. Between the burglar’s swears, she managed to squeeze her sentence in.
“T-the trash isn’t that bad. The stains add points of interest.”
They did attract the eye, if not in a necessarily beneficial way.

Once the intruder finished his information leak and Noa tried to wring out another location, she raised a hand and then set it down. It was very possible that he had revealed all he remembered under the torture, so asking him a question about Hyperstar probably wouldn’t amount to anything. While the tiger-loan situation was a possibility, there had been no sign of it so far and the bar had played a prominent part in her search. Convinced that the suspicious establishment was related to Hitoshi’s disappearance, the rookie cleared her throat, repeating her guess.
“Hyperstar was in Hitoshi’s laptop, and the owner presumably wears a suit. The bar has a greater possibility of relation to the case than Tiger creditors.”



TL;DR:
Suzerain states her percentage of good jobs, tries to make Noa feel better about trash and estimates Hyperstar's connection to Hitoshi poofing.
 
Jackson Reese Alessi
SCENE:
New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 1 [PASSERI PARK'S ULTRA PASSIONATE MELODY ONSLAUGHT]
LOCATION:
Central District
PARTICIPANTS:
Florence, Pascal, Gavril, Milo, Dimitri, Jackson
THE GREAT THRESHOLD
Gross, seriously she was resorting to spitting now?

Actually, she should probably get that looked at with it globbing up like that. Her hygiene only seemed to be worse and worse. He was grateful he shouldn't need to deal with her much longer. He only snorted at the girl’s declaration that she’d get the job done. Yeah, right she couldn’t get shit done.

And burnnnnnn.

Okay, he knew he was probably pushing it trying to flirt his way with the new woman, especially when it looked like she could twist him into a pretzel given the build, but hell if that was going to stop him from trying. What could he say he was always a sucker for a strong lady.

With the complete and utter shut down he knew to knock it off for now though. It was one thing to not be someone type, it was another hurdle entirely to overcome someone seeing you as a child. Instead, he waited until she returned with a hint of her own.

He’d pretty much already decided the girl would be no help so it was just him and Flo then. He took a look at his hint. Purple swirls on the left… Okay, he could probably get this done. He glanced at the paper Flo showed them. So hers was pretty much opposite of it? Maybe?

“I think I got mine, actually if we can just arrange them and hold them up to the side we might be able to get this.”

He stepped up to the door hitting each level one by one seeing exactly which section of the door it corresponded to. Once he managed to find the pattern he used his fingers to trace each swirl working to match the pattern to the swoop on his paper. Once he found it he flicked the corresponding lever trying to align his piece of the puzzle.

“Hmm. Like this maybe? Flo, mind giving me a hand here? Ah you too girlie, unless you’d rather sit back and continue to think you can insult your way out of this one.”

General: The One Eyed Bandit The One Eyed Bandit Ambiloquous Ambiloquous
 
Nakazajo Chikage (Raging Ogre)
CS Link
SCENE:
Dragons Arc 3: Scene # [Securing the Future]
LOCATION:
Meeting Room, Tech Expo, East District
PARTICIPANTS:
Chikage, Jesper, Kasumi, Amari, Sophia (NPC)
SECURING THE FUTURE
“See, that is the problem with the modern day press!” Lars declared passionately.

Chikage twitched a brow, hands on the table, leaning into them. He listened and eventually relaxed, but that bubbling anger inside sought release, painting his knuckles white on clenched fists. The numbers on his smartwatch were normal again.

He never liked to be angry.

Lars continued. “And now we're trying to... to make amends with a good-as-dead band of barbarians who only know ruthless death and suffering!” Chikage noted that, sitting now, drink in one hand as the other tapped a finger to the armrest. And he listened on.

When Lars finished, Chikage stayed quiet, eyeing him. Then when he was satisfied with the length of pause, he adjusted himself in his seat and spoke. “They’re a gang.” Another silence and he shrugged matter-of-factly. “No matter how you look at it. That political activist pretense doesn’t butter things up. They’re a gang, but the label is hardly the cause for concern. Call them what you will, but their actions can’t hide behind it.”

“Change has to start within. Pluck and discard the weeds,” he said. “The ones who don’t and won’t support your ideals.” Chikage thought of the King, Shen Yue. “You…” He scoffed, chuckling, “...make these claims- the fight for peace, yet supply an unspoken agenda of death and destruction with a means to contradict that fight.”

He finished his drink and set the glass on the table, matching it to a ring of condensation that had formed earlier. Settling back with folded arms, he thought, touched a knuckle to his lips and ignored the offer of touring the expo for now. Slowly, the seconds ticking by, he turned his head side to side, letting the knuckle glide along his lips.

After a while, he finally stood. “Secure my faith, then we’ll talk. When you can assure me that I won’t find any of Albrecht Industries’ little toys at the scene of gang violence, I’ll consider the arrangement.”

He needed time to think. There was much to consider.
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 + Watch on his left wrist; Only the right hand is gloved

— —Chikage's Jeep: (Click)

— —POST RECAP: Chikage turns down the offer... for now.

(Interacting w/ Lars) AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa ​
 
CHARMY DEVLIN
CS Link
SCENE:
New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 3 [Silence for the Damned]
LOCATION:
Dilapidated Clinic, North District
PARTICIPANTS:
Dagger, Guinevere, Jack
SILENCE FOR THE DAMNED
Riddle was right. The dead man’s rectification had done little to settle Charmy’s reservations. The kind of roundaboutness that might have been charming in a different light but, in the here and now, only lined the path for apprehension. Answers weren’t the sort of thing she normally bothered with, but the air was all wrong. The adulation she had arrived with had bubbled to a standstill, and the fresh guests only added to her unusual contrite.

Tigers.

She should have known. Yet the way they knew was more important. Certainly she hadn’t been tailed. Was there a slip of information? She had been biding her time among a den of tigers, so it wasn’t impossible, but the mystery of it was unsettling. There was never any guarantee from the beginning. From the very start, she had willingly chosen to throw away everything for this. What followed, or didn’t, was of no consequence. She would have this moment.

Luckily, or otherwise, further action did not become a necessity. The surrounding bloodlust drained away on its own, in favor of mundane curiosity. She bet it was a deviance from their intended presence, and thus an instant that would only last until the convenience ended. After that it was anyone’s guess how things would go. The result wouldn’t matter. It never did.

“I could eat,” Charmy mused to Jack.

Then turning back to Roland, “My truth is that no matter how horizons widen, it will only result in a bigger cage.” She let out an oddly genuine sigh. “Hope is finite. Excitement is finite. Power is finite. Life is finite. Love is finite. It’s all just a matter of if it's spent before or after oneself.”

“What is it that you’ve felt?”
 NAVIGATE
 
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JESPER ALBRECHT
CS Link
SCENE:
Securing the Future
LOCATION:
East District, Tech Expo, Enterprise AI
PARTICIPANTS:
Jesper, Amari, Sophie, Kasumi
Securing the Future
Reyner rolled his eyes when Amari shot back. But when pressed for details, only now could annoyance be found on his face. "What, there's just nothing to do in this place! It's all just boring business crap, and—"

"Can you just answer her?" Jesper spat, his eye twitching. "One of the suspects saw you go somewhere private with Esperanza for a while, so let's start there."

That shut him up for a moment, and in that moment Reyner finally showed a hint of expression other than his casual annoyance: surprise. By the time he realized he slipped a telltale, he sighed, and put his hands up. "Fine, fine, if you really wanna know, I guess it can't hurt to tell you."

Jesper's confusion found its answer in the next minute or so—in vivid, vivid detail.

In summary, what Reyner brought Esperanza into the private meeting rooms for some "fun." Which he was more than happy to tell his less-mature brother about, even while he froze in place. Sure, he should have guessed his older brother would get up to something like that, but to hear it so explicitly from his mouth...

"... and I got her to admit I'm better than Vasya."

Jesper's face shriveled up in disgust. Though, he did catch one other detail. "Vasya...?"

"Oh, yeah, those two've been having a fuzzy little romance." Reyner calmly put his hands behind his head.

"And you... knew that...?"

"Yep!" He looked proud of it.

Jesper glanced at Amari as if to apologize for the umpteenth time for the way his brother was. Then, after a frustrated sigh, he spoke in a sharp whisper. "You're fucking awful."

Reyner scoffed; Jesper knew he couldn't retaliate loudly as he normally would, not in the middle of a public event. "Here I thought we were finally having a friendly conversation..."

azenva azenva
Jesper gladly turned his back to his brother, even shooting a quick text to Sophia with the info, since she was probably questioning Vasya right about now.
Esperanza and Vasya have been in a discrete romantic relationship, but Reyner apparently has been in many affairs with the former. Also, Ariadne brought three vials of the same poison used to kill Esperanza. According to her, she sold one to Vasya, one to Griffin, and the last was stolen.

@FabulousTrash
There was another notification; his upset frown flipped to a light smile when he realized it was from Kasumi... except the contents of her message weren't promising. What a rollercoaster of emotions... Apparently the surveillance system was manually tampered with, and the only ones with access to it should be the venue's own security team (separate from the Albrechts). It could not have been on the Albrechts' end considering their extensive background checks, meaning it could only have been from them.
I'll get Roy to send people over to look into it, but are you okay??

He knew she probably was, but if she was at the surveillance room right now, she had a definite reason for concern, and he needed reassurance. Now for said message to Roy...
Someone in the venue's security tampered with the footage, and I need you to look into them.

@angel doe
 
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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
Roland nodded. He understood.

"Astute questions, but most of them are the wrong ones," Roland snapped a little tersely, brushing her off. He'd circle back to her in a minute, but for now he had to address the White Wolf in the room.

As the ghosts filled the hall and bared their fangs at him, Roland turned his head meaningfully toward the drafty open window and observed the tide of dessicated flesh that was now descending upon their location. Indeed, the cold bodies that roamed the halls of the clinic already had altered their course as well, pressing into and against one another in an effort to shamble through the confining doors.

And when the threat had passed, and the dead placated, Roland carried on.

"I was just getting to that."

Roland, what the Hell do you want?

It was not a question he was unfamiliar with. In death, as in life, he'd wrestled with things like fate, destiny. For a time, he'd believed he'd been chosen for something. Chosen by something. Sometimes he still did. Though, sometimes being dead made it hard to keep the faith. Still, there was hardly time for all of that now. Was there? If he'd asked his cowboy-hat wearing friend here, Roland could guess at his answer. No...

"To business it is. Officer..." Eyes the color of stormclouds found one Guinevere Blank. Was it compassion, or macabre intrigue that drove her to soothe the dead into their tombs?

"You asked me what it was that I want. You too." He said with a nod to the White Wolf. "Well, this is it." He splayed his hands, as if indicating the shabby, run-down building that now housed them. It had been a funny way to say, life. Or, if not life, continuance. That had been what he'd wanted, when he was alive. Had been why, upon learning of the plot to depose him—not in time to stop it, but in time to make one last-ditch effort in the face of annihilation—he had made a deal.

It was why he'd had his corpse lugged away.

Why he'd left a Rule with his dying breath, that should he ever be revived...

Apparently, the man who'd agreed to receive his remains had not expected him to be so... Lively when he awoke. The devil had kept locked him in a tube underground somewhere, until he could figure out how to subdue him, until...

That was eight months ago. Roland turned again, leaning up against the sill of the window, minding the scattered shards of broken glass. "But it isn't about what I want, either. Not precisely." He stepped away, turning his back to them.

"It's about what the World wants. And what it needs."

When Charmy asked him what it was he'd felt, he stopped himself from saying, nothing, because it wasn't true, and it was cruel. Instead he said nothing, though his eyes were again lost as if in thought, as if searching for the words though they laid like stones upon his chest.

"That's cheating," he said at last, wagging his finger at her, though he smiled. "But fair enough. I feel—"

The heartbeat of the world, or rather its ill-begotten parasite, struck the building in the North District. It was little more than a whisper upon the wind, but Roland recoiled from it as if he'd been struck. He stumbled forward, hands clutching either side of his head, eyes squeezed tightly shut, mouth contorted in a soundless scream.

And without the gentle hand at their tethers, the dead attacked.

 
SECURING THE FUTURE
SCENE:
Securing the Future
LOCATION:
East District, Tech Expo, Private Meeting Room (Crime Scene)
PARTICIPANTS:
Jesper, Sophie, Amari, Kasumi, Jane
Securing the Future
"Crap..." As if the murder mystery amid an ongoing event wasn't enough, now there's reason to believe the venue's own security is partly to blame! From the very get-go, Roy, the head of security, wanted to call it off for the safety risk, but nobody said no to Mrs. Albrecht. Especially not with how oddly determined she was in seeing this through... But whatever the case, bigger risk or not, it was up to him to oversee things until the storm passed.

"Fatima, can you go to the surveillance room and question the venue security? One of them may be working against us." Fatima was the company's unofficial, cat-eared fixer. You rarely saw her normally, but she'd pop up whenever her name was called. So when she didn't show up now, Roy finally looked up from his phone. It was just him, Esperanza's corpse, and the guards stationed outside. Nobody else—

"Mr. Callison?"

His gaze shot to the source of the voice: a tall, suited woman, who just turned a corner. Was she here the whole time? "Who're you? Where's Fatima?"

"Fatima said something urgent about work for another department. I don't think she'll be coming back for today."

Roy massaged his temples. "Of course. Code for 'I am bored and want to go somewhere else.' Good God... Would it hurt for her to stay in one place just for one day...?" He looked back at the woman with a curious look.

"Well, whatever the case, I'm here to help with the investigation." In her hand, she ushered a small stack of papers to him; documentation, general paperwork identifying her and her sudden presence. "It was a last minute secondment; Sophia Albrecht directly approved me to aid."

Jane Sherman. A new recruit in Albrecht Industries' internal security department... by the look of things, another up-and-comer trying to get in with the Dragons... Mrs. Albrecht has a knack for picking people off the streets, doesn't she? Whatever happened to order and organization? After skimming through the papers, he set them aside on the table, less alarmed. "Christ, this event's going to shit... Alright, I'll give you a rundown on the situation, then I want you out there doing work. If you don't mind the cadaver right over there, please have a seat."

Unfazed, she did, rattling the tabletop with her fingers. With Fatima's keycard and phone (connected to the group chat) stuffed in her pocket, Jane was more than eager to start. "Thank you, sir. I promise, I'll expose everything."

wNxhSXSKqOHZwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg.png
 
TENEBROSITY
CS Link
SCENE:
Serpents Arc 3: Scene 3 [The Filth in the Gutter]
LOCATION:
Lab Icarus, North District
PARTICIPANTS:
5 million bajillion people
The Filth in the Gutter
The sound of the duo’s footsteps clattered throughout the hallway, out of sync with each other. The woman to Ten’s side was visibly apprehensive about the plan that she herself had proposed, but it was a bit too late now. Ten was in their own little space.

Time dawdled when Ten was lost in their thoughts. Shadows fought for their attention, but few really mattered. While the light traced everything around them, highlighting it all, Ten imagined the light encapsulating the people within the lab. Worry would vanish from the inhabitants, only focused on the toxic burns. Horrid, melodic shrieks would escape the victims, muted only by the walls of the laboratory. Ten would dance with Yuna to the screams. It’d be beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Almost as beautiful as… Shit! Dairy!

While they searched for Darius’ silhouette, many shadows outside seemed to vanish. Sudden light was never a good thing. They skid to a halt, pulling on Yuna’s sleeve. “The- the- th- the— the- the.. O- outside. It’s… lit up. Hold on….”

As they clasped their face-covering together, they grumbled to the girl, “S- se- send.. Send-- send.. Send Dairy… a text. Warn, uh, w-warn him.”

“Right..”

A moment was spared waiting for the girl to text Darius a warning message. As soon as Yuna hit send, Ten let out a shriek, followed by the sound of roofing and foundation alike crashing down.

Startled, Yuna opened her mouth to respond, but Ten quickly placed their gloved hand over it. They shook their head, whispering, “Th- th- this.. This… is.. We.. this- is so exciting! The giant outside… coming s- straight towards us!!”

“The.. fucking what? There’s —”

“G- G- G- g.. G.. GIANT!!! GOING STRAIGHT TH-THROUGH THE— SsssssssssssssssTRAIGHT THROUGH THE— LAB!!

“. . .

“And-- a- and.. It’s on fffffffffire!”

Realization slowly set in. The two stood in silence for a moment too long. The crashes were loud and only getting louder. Closer.

Too close for comfort.

Yuna pushed the shadowling to the side, running the opposite direction of the entrance.

Ten, on the other hand, kept going forward.



WhiskeyMarten WhiskeyMarten (texted darius a warning for fire, both normal + toxic)
 
Alicia Morel
CS Link
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 3 [Whole World Blind]
LOCATION:
Lucky Rabbit Casino; Alice's Penthouse
PARTICIPANTS:
Alice, Dante, Charlie, Hector, Hide, Mizuya, Raquel, Zach
Whole World Blind
It was an ever-growing realization that he'd messed with the wrong person, worming its way into Nico's mind from the very start when the other man did not acknowledge him for the first several moments. The way he spoke; the crushing pressure on his shoulder from just his hand—making Nico's eyes water from the intense discomfort, albeit he muffled any yelp and blinked his eyes dry. "I-I wasn't serious...!" he pleaded in a sharp whisper. "I—Nico was just being silly, of course!"

The fallen idol forced a cheerful smile as Alonzo walked past, suppressing the urge to scowl with just how much his blood boiled. He could only sigh in defeat; the guests clearly had no complaints (neither did Alice, for that matter) and he tried reprimanding an important higher-up. The only choice left was to walk out of the party and lick his wounds...

--

The color did not leave Alice's face for now, not as long as Dante took control of the scene. Not with the way he weaved around like a dolphin in water, being Alice's only protection from falling. "I-If I had known, I could have prepared myself..." she meekly uttered.

A shift in tone brought Alice to meet his eyes, finally. What was once his signature playfulness was now the seriousness she was used to seeing of him. "N-No..." she whispered while stunned looking up at him. Then, a shake of her head. "No!" Some of the guests turned head for only a moment, believing for a moment that the gentle princess let out voice louder than the usual picture-esque. "I don't hate this... and... I wanted to talk to you about something."

Only then did the color fade, and Alice steeled herself up for the declaration. As the sentence formed in her mind, she realized the music blared a little higher in volume—Dante must have sensed her apprehension. She breathed in. "I... don't want to leave the Tigers." Her chest exploded with butterflies—as did every word she planned to say after that. After a countless amount of sentence beginnings and stoppings, she sighed. She knew what she wanted. "I want them to see me, not just my Potential. I want to have control over my life. I want people to listen."

She let out a light, solemn chuckle. "But... I don't really know how to do that, either. It's weird. I think I'm stuck." She kept following the dance, this time without the awkward stumbling or lost focus. "Do you think one day I can be someone like... Markus? And how everyone listens to him?" The name only cropped up in the spur of the moment, but in her eyes there wasn't a better example. He had a splendid position, and everyone took him seriously. They saw him for who he was, not his Potential. "What do you think it takes to be someone like Markus?"
Nico - #F47A94

@The Regal Rper
 
RYUTARO HASHIMOTO
CS Link
SCENE:
Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]
LOCATION:
Central District
PARTICIPANTS:
Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie
THE HEIST

Chaos erupted in the loading bay of the bank as gunfire sounded throughout and panicked yells cried out in its interior. A few workers darted towards nearby cover to weather the storm, one of whom even began to cry aloud and covered their ears as they curled into a ball in a corner. A barrage of pops let out as the security guards began to return fire and took cover as well, peppering the crates and pallets nearby with bullets. Splinters flew out into the air from these impacts in this duel for survival, though the security forces were outmatched in many respects at the moment.

"C-call for backup!" one of them yelled as he popped out of cover and fired a few rounds at Camila, with only one managing to graze her on the shoulder due to the impact of such a sudden attack doing a number on his nerves. His compatriot, kneeling behind cover, brought his radio unit that was attached to his vest and pressed a button.

"Eagle Nest, this is Alpha 3, we are under attack! We need backup NOW!"

Static. The two looked at one another in uncertainty as the latter fired a few more shots along with his surviving men to try to stave off the Tigers' attack.

"Damnit Eagle Nest, we need help NOW! CAN YOU READ ME!?"

---

A Few Moments Earlier...

Inside the security nest, the guards inside witnessed the sudden outburst of violence with shock and a moment of stunned silence passed. Such a bold and brazen attack, here? It was unthinkable! They weren't trained for this. The captain quickly gathered himself and growled: "Get a signal to corporate, stat." he spat out towards one of the guards manning the camera array, who quickly nodded and picked up a hardline phone. "Everyone else, gear up."

None of the others responded, as they looked towards the far end of the room with widened eyes. The captain himself quickly turned and he too froze with fear. The glint of an ivory and gold oni visage stood plastered upon a figure wielding a sword.


"Holy shi-"
---

The door to the security nest, just a few meters from the door to the security bay itself, opened softly. The Queen of the Albino Tigers stepped out calmly as blood dripped from his blade and followed his footsteps. The stains of the guards now soiled his suit on his gloves, jacket, and shirt underneath. His mask also had blood stains on it, with a drop falling from it to the ground beneath soon after. Had it not been for the mask, his face would have been splattered with blood as well. Ryu took a deep breath and a moment to recoup himself after the amount of strain his body had taken from his maneuver.

"Boss, you alright?" Cal then chimed in his earpiece, having kept tabs on the situation thus far. Though his voice held composure, there was audibly a bit of a nervous quiver that Ryu had heard before.

"...I'm Fine." Ryu then replied as he stretched his shoulders and neck about. The dulled sounds of gunfire and shouting were heard behind the door towards the loading bay, though they weren't of concern to him. The Tigers were competent enough, in his view, to get through this. He then opened channel to the other Tigers that were in the loading bay. "Alarm has been taken care of. We won't be getting any trouble. I'll go set up the drill at the vault, get us inside there as soon as possible. Pilfer the armory in the security nest afterwards then meet me there."

Ryu then moved his bag straps to his hand and lowered the bag to his side as he walked further into the bank halls, his bloody footsteps marking where he had gone as he advanced in silence.



Sylvie ( WhiskeyMarten WhiskeyMarten ), Samira ( Beann Beann ), Camila ( Roda the Red Roda the Red ), Jennifer ( Uasal Uasal ), Maria ( Shoya Shoya )
 
Last edited:
Ryoma Matsuno
CS Link
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]
LOCATION:
South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Anya, HItoshi, Suzerain, Noa, Merrit,
FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING
"Relax. I believe you."

Ryoma's grip on his jacket eased at these words and the eventual surrender of their intruder. While rare, he always enjoyed getting to solve things civilly than compared with his fists. His words weren't a lie either, as Ryoma really had little reason to doubt the man's confession. Need for money was abundant, and no better an example was apparent to Ryoma than the disappearance of Hitoshi. It was especially the case among their profession and organized crime at large. It was to no ones surprise, one of the very reasons that the Albino Tigers were able to even compete with the Phoenixes at their height. It was also the case, as he had learned from others, that when unaffiliated you took what jobs came your way. Regardless of how shady or too sweet to be true they appeared.

Looking their scaled thief over more closely now, it was clear that his clothes, beneath the water and grime they had collected from the alleyway, were faded and wrinkled. While one might not wear their best clothes to a heist, it was still likely that they were one of only a few sets to the man's wardrobe.

Still yet, though his potential was quite useful for a burglar, it came with an obvious and clear drawback. His reptilian appearance would prove difficult to overlook when applying for work among the public. Let alone performing any social services. He would be lucky if his parents hadn't abandoned him like many other HPs Ryoma had met. These minute details about the intruder pointed towards a two bit burglar down on his luck and looking to feed himself or an addiction for another week. It reminded Ryoma that not all HPs are gifted equally. Which had been the unfortunate case for many a Phoenix who had attempted to live off petty crime until it wasn't enough, and took on a trial to prove themselves.

Reaching into his pants pocket for his business card, Ryoma was prepared to let the man go and offer him a possible alternative to the life he was living. However, no sooner than the thought had occurred and Noa began voicing her own intentions for the man. With a sigh, Ryoma raised his hand to rub the back of his head as all he could do was watch as the fiery young lady branded the helpless man her puppet. He considered for a moment making the point that it was better to get people to cooperate with you rather than the force their hand, but upon noticing the fierceness of Noa's eyes when she approached, he realized that wouldn't be an option. Instead, he put the man's fate aside, and chimed in with his opinion on the matter of culprits.

"Hitoshi knows better than to do business with Tigers. He has his addictions, but he looks after his family. You don't do that by paying the other side."

"I think the kid has a point." Pointing to Suzerain briefly, he continued.

"Hyperstar is our only real lead. We don't have time to go chasing down Tigers about a debt, and Hyperstar sounds like their type of business anyway."

Looking to their petty burglar once more, Ryoma ventured on discovering another clue to the events that had unfolded before their arrival. Looking to the recording device that he still clasped in his hands, Ryoma turned to Suzerain with a question.

"Hey Mono. Think you could work your magic on that thing?" He asked. With a nod to the recording instrument, and only the vaguest idea of Monohybrid's potential.


Anya( joshuadim joshuadim ), Suzerain( Ambiloquous Ambiloquous ), Noa( Peckinou Peckinou ), Merrit(@Abyss)
 
Meirin Azuza
CS Link
SCENE:
New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]
LOCATION:
Eastern Edge of Central District, overlooking the SEC Bridge
PARTICIPANTS:
Helva, Hou, Isaiah, Kanna, Maho, Meirin, Ra,
Rin, Shen, Soren, Vulken, Yaroslav, Yong-Yut
The Dragon and the Phoenix

“Geez, what the heck?”

From the tiny figure perched atop Yong Yut’s scarf, a hand grew and grew, stretching out to catch the stake that flew past Yong Yut and towards the rookie seated atop a golden chair. Maybe Ra would’ve blocked it on his own. Maybe he wouldn’t have. However, so long as her comrades were in her line of sight, Meirin would do what she could to protect them. Crushing the stake with a single, swift motion, the hand retreated as Meirin’s eyes flew back to the battle in the sky.

Unlike some of the onlookers around them, Meirin wasn’t terribly shaken by the fight of the kings. She’d seen Shen fight before, after all…quite brutally as well. She knew he was strong. Rather than fear, rust-colored eyes lit in awe as she watched the sovereign powerhouses of each gang duke it out. A good fight, even if only watching one, always got her heart racing–more than the building game at any rate, though Meirin wasn’t rude enough to say that to Yong Yut’s face.

Perhaps it was because she was watching so closely. Perhaps it was because Shen seemed to fight a little differently than normal. Perhaps it was just gut instinct…but Meirin couldn’t help but feel something was a little…off.

Frowning, the tiny young woman sighed as “Hellie”’s voice could be heard from the phoenix line and the gangsters that were in shock, that had just been pacified back to quietness, once more took up arms. Why did it not surprise her that the Dragon hater would be the first to blame the Dragons; First to call for blood. At this point, the fire seemed too big to contain, even with firefighters. Meirin’s gaze darted to Yong-Yut, curious what the woman would do, and blinked when the Phoenix lowered her to the ground. She’d expected to either be attacked or not-attacked, but Yong Yut’s action of silently setting Meirin on the ground, and the message she was trying to send, was oldly ambiguous to the Dragon veteran as well.

Was the Phoenix telling her to “run”? To keep her distance? Were they going to fight, after all? Either way, she was pleased that Yong Yut seemed to have a sense of honor.


As she stepped off the cloth, Meirin’s body grew back to its normal 5’6’’ size and she texted her sister.

Negotiations went sour. War with Phoenixes will likely continue. As always, plz be careful and stay safe.

Then to Isaiah. I’m fine. Make use of invisibility. Keep an eye on Shen 4 me. I’ve got a bad feeling.


Slipping the device back into the folds of her sash, Meirin finally directed her eyes back towards Vulkie’s friend who had taken up a defensive position. Her friend? Who can say? They’d only just met briefly, barely started playing a mobile game (she was still processing the game-instructions), and now they were at war. Yong Yut’s stance seemed to indicate that she was prepared for a fight as well. Meirin sighed again before drawing the guandao strapped to her back. “Sorry about this, Yong Yut.”

She walked ten paces before facing her opponent. On one hand, she didn’t mind fighting Yong-Yut if that was what the woman wished. She enjoyed friendly competition…and the defensive stance made it seem like Yong Yut was challenging her. On the other, instincts were telling her to finish quickly and make her way to the Dragon King’s side.

That something was wrong with the situation.

It made no sense. The Steel Tempest was strong. She was certain he could defeat the Phoenix King with or without her help. However, the instincts that helped her to thrive in the Azure Dragon gang, that made her the warden of Eternal Night Palace, were ringing wildly…and she didn’t know why. Nor could she face Ruri if she let harm come to Shen.

What the heck could the gang leaders have been talking about to start attacking each other anyway?

“Seriously. I don’t know what happened, but it looks like our respective kings aren’t getting along…”

Free palm poised in a prayer-like position, Meirin bowed at Yong-Yut before lifting in the long polearm in both hands, spinning it in the air, and leveling its blade at the woman she’d just been playing Cavecraft with.

“If you wish to fight, I will oblige. If you do not wish to fight, please step aside. I have a duty to protect my King.”

And her other comrades. As far as she was concerned, Yong Yut had yet to do anything aggressive. Lyric, Helva, and some other Phoenixes had. If stopping the battle wasn’t possible, the next best thing was to boost morale and limit casualties...by winning. Disorganization would only get them all slaughtered. Taking a deep breath, the warden of Eternal Night Palace bellowed. “IF YOU’RE DRAGONS, STAND YOUR GROUND AND PROTECT YOUR COMRADES! WE FIGHT FOR PEACE!!!”



Peckinou Peckinou @SilverFlight Lucem Lucem @FabulousTrash @The Prophet @EmperorsChosen Elenion Aura Elenion Aura @LXI @Nobody Special @L.Amour gxxberkit gxxberkit @The Suspicious Eye
 
SAMIRA CALRISSIAN
CS Link
SCENE:
Tigers Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Heist]
LOCATION:
Central District
PARTICIPANTS:
Camila, Jennifer, Maria, Ryutaro, Samira, Sylvie
THE HEIST

The ride to their target destination was short and sweet — like her. After exchanging their desired aliases to be used on the mission, Samira kept mostly to herself, grinning behind her mask as she read the text she received from Jack. An invitation to drink, eat, and gamble? Now that certainly motivated the heiress to complete this mission quickly. Rather than type out a full reply, she held her thumb down on the selfie that followed the invitation, reacting to it with a heart. She powered down her phone, just in time as the driver notified the Tigers about the upcoming security check.

She relaxed in her seat, recalling the layout of the bank from memory. So long as none of the other Tigers acted on their own, she truly had no qualms about their mission. Within a few short minutes, the truck rolled to its final stop. Samira peered over to Ryutaro who carefully peeked through the back doors of the truck, assessing the current situation. “Do be careful, boss.” She smiled through her mask though she didn’t have any real concerns about her queen being in danger, she was confident in his abilities.

It was showtime now.

The other Tigers were quick to jump into action. Jennifer certainly was trigger-happy but that was in her nature, of course. Camila also proved to be useful just as she claimed to be, perhaps there was more to her than just her pretty face. Samira hung back for a bit, watching the loading bay erupt into chaos. She wasn’t one to dive head first into the unknown, better for someone else to do it than her.

She watched Sylvie dispose of one of the guards before taking shelter behind a pallet. Even from where she was positioned, she could see how uncomfortable her friend was based on his body language. On one hand, she sought to comfort him but on the other, she figured she’d jump into the fray to lessen the burden.

The click of her heels echoed in a pleasing manner against the concrete ground. She carefully stepped over the body of one of the bay workers that Jennifer took care of. Shielded by two trucks, she walked down the narrow pathway, casually gripping her handgun. In front, a guard rounded the corner of the truck on her right, panic written clearly on his face. Just as he aimed for her, a glint of gold shined from underneath the mask. The guard’s knees bent, quivered, and then dropped down to the ground, forcing him to misfire. His chest and shoulders dropped as well as if a sudden weight was placed on him. Samira looked down at the guard as he bowed down to her, involuntarily, of course. Without a word, she aimed at his head and pulled the trigger.

She jumped back slightly as blood splattered everywhere. Looking down at her outfit, she frowned behind her mask. Perhaps she shouldn’t have worn one of her favorite outfits. Her anger was short-lived though as she heard Ryutaro through her earpiece, confirming that the alarm was taken care of. “Much appreciated, boss. We’ll head over soon.”

joshuadim joshuadim Roda the Red Roda the Red Shoya Shoya WhiskeyMarten WhiskeyMarten Uasal Uasal
 
THE INTRUDER
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]
LOCATION:
South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Hitoshi, Merrit, Noa, Ryoma, Suzerain
FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING

The Intruder looked to where he had been branded with fear before darting his eyes between the three phoenixes again, taking a nervous gulp before speaking. "N-no, I got paid already!" he then said, "Cash, up front. Said he'd pay more after the job's done too but I dunno how!" His eyes then widened at the potential of him being used as bait, which got him to shake his head and clasp his hands together. "Please no! I ain't a fighter! I don't wanna get mixed up in this shit!"

When Hyperstar was brought up, the Intruder cleared his throat and turned his attention towards Ryoma and Suzerain while still on his knees. He shifted awkwardly before nodding: "Yeah, that place. Run by some guy... Sajeem his name I think; he bought the place up a few months back and turned it into some shithole bar and club. G-go ask him!" He opened his mouth to add more to his pleas, but he wouldn't have time as Anya approached after gently bumping into Ryoma's arm.


ANYA PERIKOV
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 1 [Follow the Lightning]
LOCATION:
South District
PARTICIPANTS:
Hitoshi, Merrit, Noa, Ryoma, Suzerain
FOLLOW THE LIGHTNING

Anya quickly walked over to the Intruder, broomstick in hand, as her brow furrowed and her nostrils flared in anger before she began to whack the reptile repeatedly, causing him to shield himself with his arms and hands. "YOU BREAK INTO MY PLACE, SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME, THEN ASK FOR MERCY!?" Anya yelled out as the whacks of the wood echoed int the alleyway. "WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR THAT WINDOW, HUH!?"

More whacks ensued, causing the Intruder to yell out in embarassment, "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY, OKAY!?" the reptilian man yelled aloud before peeking out from cover towards the others in the vicinity. "H-HELP MEEE, OH MY GOD!"

A few extra whacks for good measure before Anya stopped, breathing in heavily from anger and frustration. She took a deep breath to calm herself before looking towards the Phoenixes with a smirk. "Go to Hyperstar. I'll deal with this one."


Interacting: Noa ( Peckinou Peckinou ), Ryoma ( Stros Stros ), Suzerain ( Ambiloquous Ambiloquous )
 
DAMIAN, KINSLEY, CHESSMASTER
CS Link
SCENE:
Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]
LOCATION:
Mysterious Black Site, North District
PARTICIPANTS:
Damian, August, Kinsley, Kisara, Kyoden, Peyton, Raphael, Sabrina, Shinko
THICKER THAN WATER

Kinsley felt strong and firm hands grab at her waist, wrapping securely, before being launched in the air in tow with Damian. If it had been anyone else, Kinsley would’ve had a mouthful of slurs, fists, and profanity to sling at whoever dared pick her up in such a manner, but Damian got a pass. So instead of scowling or fighting it, the red head adorned a wicked smile that continued to grow the higher they went. She was filled with more euphoria than a child at an amusement park by the freeness of this flying feeling.

The Queen’s silhouette got closer and closer into view and Kinsley heard the lowly rumble of a laugh come from the entity.

It’s mocking us… A tentative but observant voice said.

Let’s take a page out of the Octopuses’ book and choke the ever living shit out of it. Another venomous and aggressive voice hissed.

Kinsley laughed in retort, mostly to the voices bouncing around in her head. The symbiote was always a well of perpetual entertainment that drove most of her actions. They were fun. Especially now in the heat of things. They were as destructive as she, even if the quieter one in the back was more reserved. She knew deep down that their survival would always win as a priority regardless of how she went about it. It was acceptable for that reason and that reason alone to the more reticent voice of the two that resided there and made up the symbiote’s consciousness.

“I’m having so much fun!“ She cackled after Damian released her and creatively used his tentacle to launch her. As she flew over him, a giant grin tugged at her lips before she fell atop of the Queen at an impressive speed. It was an impact like a bullet but the symbiote protected her from the harsh rattling the collision offered. Those legs wrapped about the piece, body flipping and twisting so that it brought the Queen barreling towards the ground. Kinsley felt the cold of the metal bite into her skin as they crashed below and it only amplified the high that she was riding.

The symbiote opened its maw, slippery wet tongue lashing out to drag across the Queen’s face, or what could be considered its face, as if trying to taste test its meal. It was a taunting gesture but it brought Kinsley glee. Those hands wedged themselves into any nook or cranny that her fingers could invade and curl against, trying to solidify a grip that couldn’t easily be shaken or pried away as the symbiote began to slide into those tiny gaps.

Soon the Queen’s armor would be filled with that ebony substance, a slime-like liquid that filled every crevice and available space as Kinsley stared down at the piece with a sadistic expression. Its tongue swung from side to side, inherently pleased.

“Squirm before you paint the room with the remnants of your carcass.“ She hissed, watching and waiting, wanting to play with her food, more like prey, before ending it. Damian would be proud that she was giving it an opportunity to put on a show for them to watch but he was currently indisposed with the King.

While Kinsley played a wonderful, grotesque melody with the Queen, Damian watched the King with great interest as it swung its blade at the air. Like the royal, he remained in place, unconcerned with the many hazards surrounding him. It had crossed his mind that his armor-clad opponent may have been up to something, setting up an attack of some sort instead of simply flailing about like a mad monarch. However, that was far more exciting than it was worrying. He wanted to see everything the silver sovereign was capable of.

As he held his position, humming to himself to pass the time, the chime of a bell broke through the chaotic ambience and stole his focus away from the motionless King. Without turning, he leaned back in order to investigate the source of the sounds behind him, using a tentacle to support himself as his head nearly touched the floor. While his dark hair brushed away a few dust bunnies, the smirk on his face widened. He watched as an invisible force scarred the ground, splitting everything behind him as it quickly approached. Wasn't that just splendid?

With a bit more pep in his step, he straightened his back and spread the four massive appendages connected to it. Each tip aimed behind him and released a powerful stream of ink, causing him to blast ahead and out of the path of danger. Like a jet-black jet, he picked up speed and set a course for the stationary lord ahead.

Instead of completely closing the distance between them, he rapidly circled the King as he continued to release the sable streams. He observed, watching the blurry figure that refused to move. So many questions filled his mind that it was hard to keep track of them all. Most of them had to do with the destruction he assumed the King was responsible for, and he hungered for the answers.

Eventually, he ceased his circling and shot a final surge of ink that sent him straight toward the King. As soon as he neared the animated piece, his tentacles writhed once again and rushed to grab the massive blade in its grasp. The weapon currently held most of his interest, seemingly being the source of the previous attack. He wanted to retrieve it as quickly as possible, but not out of a desire to hinder the King. He simply wanted a closer look at it. He wanted to learn what made it tick, and the same went for so many other things.

As several of his limbs went for the blade, he gazed into the dark depths of the King's helm, watching the azure glow deep inside. He wondered what was beneath that armor, if there was even a body at all. So thrilling.

Five feet of razor-edge steel sank into the stone floor, like a needle into pin-cushion, beneath the whim of two gauntleted hands perched on its pommel. The King’s one eye burned fierce, fixated on the approaching tentacled-Serpent, and for a few seconds nothing happened. For a few seconds, it seemed as if the King intended to take the Serpent at full-impact.

It happened then. Bell ringing. That same invisible force, as if the infliction of a monster’s claw, split the ground in a crescent between the King and Serpent. A rising wall of sheer blast-force like wind erupting from a chasm. It divided them, halting the Serpent’s advance, and would have sliced him in two had he made it a foot further.

The King was finished observing. He expressed that in three swings of his sword torn easy from its makeshift sheath of stone. The first two swings drew an X in front of him and, like before, split the ground behind Damian as they rushed up to meet him on the ring of a bell, and to carve him. The third swing, however, was different. This one’s power came from the sword itself, a switch-up. Tricky. It left no mark to prove itself, but it was there. No bell had sounded for this one, but it was there, and it swooped forward like the eagle for the rabbit with a decapitating edge.

Ding ding ding... The ringing stayed in his head, bouncing off his cranial walls and counting down the seconds before impact. He enjoyed it, gently swaying his body to the tune of a nonexistent echo. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time for him to properly indulge in the sound. At the very least, he now had an answer for one of his many burning questions. The bell tells.

Once again, the geyser inside of him erupted, sending out more ink that propelled him to safety. However, it was only enough to distance him from the invisible forces that attempted to slice him from behind. The King's blade was still a threat, clearly visible and intent on cleaving through him. Even so, the smirk remained on Damian's face, stretching even further as he came closer to the ruler who was now playing executioner.

Instead of attempting to distance himself from the strike like he had with the others before it, he kept himself in the path of its arc. His tentacles responded to nonverbal commands and rushed to wrap his body in living armor, covering him with writhing masses of muscle. A moment later, the blade found its mark, tearing into sucker-covered flesh.

Chunks flew and blood spewed, coating everything between the two of them in a mixture of red and black. His face and teeth now dotted with his own colors, Damian continued to observe the King with an unchanging expression, even as the silent warrior carved into him. From up close like this, he had a much better view. It was very satisfying, but the moment had to end eventually. He was short on time, after all.

As the layers of extra flesh were cut apart, the pieces that had been separated by the large sword still wriggled with life, flying forward as they continued to receive commands. They aimed for the depths of the King's helm and armor, seeking to burrow inside like parasites and explore a new host from the inside. In Damian's opinion, that was the best way to collect information with the little time he had remaining. It was rough and crude, but definitely efficient. However, if they succeeded in infiltrating, how much he'd be able to learn depended on how well the King could hold up before potentially popping, drowning, or losing its body to the swarm.

And just like that, the chinks in the King’s armor were penetrated by Damian’s tentacles. They revealed that there was, indeed, a body within when blood began to ooze from gaps in his metal. As the flesh was torn from bone, the King raised his sword and unleashed a flurry of attacks. For some, the bell tolled, indicating anomaly but the pattern became predictable after so many. Others were standard attacks, like the ones you’d expect, the ones that taste like steel that aren’t some invisible force leaving destruction in its wake.

Blood and black continued to pour from the fleshy walls. With each swing, the bundle of arms thinned, still leaking life and spreading the remains before new tendrils sprouted in place of the old ones. Through it all, Damian refused to budge, as if he was imitating the once immobile King. He voluntarily stayed in the center of the razor-sharp storm, consumed by a single goal. He wasn't finished observing, and he didn't want to lose his front-row seat.

The hunger lingered, unable to be satisfied with this alone. Too little time and too little progress. He needed an even better view, an even closer look at the shiny bauble that had fallen into his lap.

Responding to his desires, the leech-like limbs beneath the King's metal plates began to secrete what little remained of their slick mucus. It seeped out along with drawn blood, pooling beneath the two combatants and mixing with the already flowing river at their feet. Already cracked from the flurry of steel, the unstable ground proved hard to stand on, urging the pair to fall. Damian heeded the call, and as the four arms at his back did their best to protect him, the two at his front wrapped themselves around the chess piece.

After securing the embrace, he and the King collapsed in the puddles below. The tentacles pressed down with all of their weight, trying to crush and wrap as the fallen pieces continued to dissect the specimen. Now that they were overhead, both of the fallen fighters were showered in the red rain resulting from the restless assault. The entire time, Damian kept his eyes on the blue ball within the King's helm, trying to see if its glow would illuminate the wounded body he'd yet to see for himself before the light died.

Except the glow was suspended in an empty blackness, existing only as a signal of the piece’s artificial consciousness. While there was a body to rip and shred beneath the plate armor, there was no head. No face. And when the massive King’s writhing eventually stopped, when his struggle to free himself ceased, the light died, and the helm slipped from between shoulders, as if it had been held there all along by sheer belonging.

The King made no sound as his body went limp atop Damian. However, a high-pitched cry split the air nearby, riding just on the edge of the ongoing clamor of battle. Fraught and miserable, it sounded, but it erupted from between the crack of an ear-to-ear smile upon Chester’s face as she marveled at the defeat of the first of her two champions. Hands on her cheeks, she wept with glee from a distance, laughing.

The shriek went mostly unheard as Damian looked deep inside the now dethroned King's armor, sticking his head down the vacant space where a neck should have been. His quiet mumbling was accompanied by a faint echo as he inspected the remains, fascinated by how the headless body functioned. How it used to function.

Once he had seen all there was to see, he pulled his head out of the hole and took one last look at the lifeless suit of armor. It was an interesting specimen, but now that it could no longer entertain his curiosity and provide him with more data, he had no more use for it. It was merely a broken toy now, so he tossed it aside, not even giving it a second glance as he rose to his feet.

Once he was up, he imitated the Chessmaster's flashy movements once again, spinning in place to remove the fresh mess from his clothes. He made sure to finish with the dynamic pose, and as he did so, his detached tentacles slithered up from behind. Unlike the ones that had been chopped to bits, they stood tall and proud, aiding Damian in his performance. All except for one.

The final limb trailed behind the others, and the reason for the delay became readily apparent. After being commanded to go through the King's personal effects, it returned with a trove. Wearing the crown-like helm and elegant mantle, it stopped at Damian's side, the spitting image of the fallen foe. Of course, without arms of its own, it was unable to properly wield the royal sword, forced to stick it to one of its many suckers and wear the weapon like a badge of honor instead.

Damian didn't pay much attention to the new King, as he was much more interested in observing the final piece he'd yet to see in action. With that in mind, he and his regal companion slowly approached Chessmaster, intent on watching the final battle alongside the weeping woman in white. She seemed to be equally entertained by the spectacle, and her reaction to the outcome of Kinsley's battle with the Queen was sure to be just as interesting.

Chester marveled at the armor-clad tentacle now with childlike wonderment, and clapped excitedly. “How dashing, champion-foe!!” As they drew closer, she quieted and offered Damian and his appendage a stage-bow before kneeling within arm’s reach. “I am honored to stand beside you.” This went on for a spell, and Chester sniffled whilst kneeling. Dry streaks were left where the tears once streamed—the grief of having lost her pieces and knowing they’ll be no more, but the pleasure of having seen them fight so valiantly. Their purpose served. She was fulfilled… except…

A shadow cast itself across her changed countenance then, Chester’s, as she shot a glance in the direction of her Queen and the symbiote-serpent. The symbiote had not won her approval as her tentacled partner had with his showy presentation, the way he mimicked Chester’s performance. There was a compliment to be found in such imitation.

The Queen released a ghostly screech, sounding of a banshee in a well. She’d done the same when the King’s light died, as if a part of her had died with him. And her disembodied, levitating arms swirled around them, she and the symbiote who clung to her, swords pointed to pierce as the Queen herself wrapped her arms in an embrace around the black being. The swords would take them both, it seemed. The Queen had lost her will to survive and sought only to take as she’d been taken from.

Chester, too, did not appreciate the symbiote’s fight. She found her full height beside Damian, which wasn’t much—she reached his elbows—and linked a command to the remaining of her Rooks; that they advance on Kinsley and their Queen and ensure her sacrifice not be in vain. “Burn them,” Chester muttered. The Rooks found their escape from Damian’s fog. Their steps sent a rumble through the ground, overlapping shudders under their weight, each footfall in likeness of a boulder breaking against the earth. Slowly, they closed in on their Queen and Queen’s foe with a mind to cook them to ash.

While Damian seeked to find wonder and intrigue in the world around him, always putting on a flashy show, Kinsley just wanted to get this shit over with and watch the world burn. He’d be content watching the flames dance while Kinsley needed to be the one holding the match and reserves of gasoline to make the fire grow higher.

It wasn’t different here. Even if she hadn’t won the Chessmaster’s approval here, Kinsley and the symbiote’s cup of fucks to give was stark dry. As the swords hovered above them, a voice rang in her head.

Above. It warned and a flash of realization rang like an alarm within her head, not ceasing to go off until she’d rolled the Queen and herself off to the side.

Her gaze cast itself to the long deadly weapons that had impaled themselves into the ground, its sharp edges a breath width from cutting deep into the two. A snarl played at her lips and Kinsley stared at her reflection in the shining blades for a few moments. She writhed about and tried to free herself to no avail, frustration being made known as an audible noise of disapproval slipped into the air. The Queen’s grasp was like a steel cage, tightening and tightening and refusing to release her.

That black liquid retracted itself from inside of the being, enveloping Kinsley’s body once more before four tentacles much akin to Damian’s began to form. They started to overpower the ironclad grip the piece had on her. Little by little the Queen’s arms were pried off, those tentacles pulling and tugging, their strength combining to finally rip Kinsley from that hold. She stood tall, using the massive appendages to lift her up so that her entire frame was hovering above the ground. The other two lurched forward and wrapped around the swords that were still stuck directly beside them.

Both swords were plucked from the ground and they soon found their way into Kinsley’s awaiting hands. Those tentacles began relentlessly smashing into the Queen’s frame, trying to give her the sweet release of death that her previous shriek had asked for. That noise had been one of hope dying, Kinsley was all too familiar with it. At this point she was doing the piece a favor. They didn’t let up, their squelching noises only increasing as every impact began to push past the mass and cave it in.

More, more. Make sure it doesn’t get up again. The voice hissed in a complacent tone, seemingly lulled by the episode of violence going on.

Kinsley’s face showed nothing during this act of brutality. No smile, no laughter. Nothing. It would seem she’d reached a point of the fun being drained away. She didn’t like when things wouldn’t just die. After a while it became redundant and dull. Now their purpose for being here was being pushed into the forefront of her mind. Priorities or some shit like that.

The veil around her face slowly dropped, making her actual face visible once more as she saw the Rooks pooling out of the fog like a tiny army that was collecting in hopes to bring her down. They weren’t subtle, those loud heavy footfalls drawing enough attention that it couldn’t be ignored.

Kinsley’s eyes narrowed to a dangerous level, the colors in them darkening along with her mood. There was only one thing left to do. Fight until every stupid chess piece had been eliminated so that they could follow along after the others and stick to the reason they’d come in the first place. Play time was over.

Those fingers curled about the swords within her grasp, flexing off and on, as she suddenly dashed forward using the strength behind those tentacles to shoot her forward. Sword met Rook, over and over, as she bobbed and weaved around her enemies. It started to look more like a graceful dance, the way she ducked and maneuvered to avoid the flaming swords, slashing shortly after each parry to down another foe. Every now and then she’d get nicked by one to which a pained sound would leave the symbiote but Kinsley continued on, not slowing her onslaught. To stop would ensure more damage would come to her and in this life it was kill or be killed. With that in mind, she didn’t stick around long enough to watch the pieces clatter to the ground, unmoving and void of life. Broken and discarded. It was a sad scene and Kinsley would show a flicker of remorse if she were capable of expressing it.

Eventually she stood, chest heaving, as she breathed heavily from the exertion. Few flames had managed to touch her and the symbiote but it hadn’t felt pleasant. There were small beads of sweat trailing down along her forehead, dampening her fair skin. Both swords remained extended out, almost beckoning someone else to square up and try their luck against them. When all remained quiet, in terms of fighting in her general area, they started to lower to her sides in an idle notion. Her gaze fueled with annoyance made its way back to the Chessmaster and Damian at her side. It pissed her off to see the smaller woman so nonchalantly standing beside him, as if they were suddenly allies or comrades. Hadn’t she tried to kill them?

“I’m not doing some cute ass poses.“

Kinsley stalked towards them and put a hand on the crowned tentacle in an affectionate manner, patting it as if to tell it good job. She did the same with the others, giving them all the same praise before she turned to Damian and repeated the action by rustling his hair about messily.

“Thanks for the epic fight.“ She extended the courtesy of her appreciation in the form of a handshake. Whether she accepted it or not was an entirely different matter. It had been a pretty interesting fight and Kinz wanted to at least let that be known for whatever it was worth.

But the Chessmaster only spared an indifferent glance at the symbiote-serpent’s hand, rejection written plainly on her face.

The symbiote remained active around Kinsley’s frame, not daring to lower its defenses while there were still possible threats around but an exposed hand reached forward to grasp Damian’s hand lightly.

“We need to go with the others. Probably more interesting things to see that way. You’re going to miss them if we don’t get going, Damian.“ And with that she began tugging at his hand so that they could chase after the others who had moved on.

"Ah, that's right." As he imitated his fellow Serpent by using one of his many limbs to pat her head, a certain gear in his brain began to turn. He'd nearly forgotten about the Queen's exploration while watching the struggle between Kinsley and the remaining pieces, but now it was all he could think about. His eagerness to sew what the black site had in store for them had been his primary motivation to hurry things along, and now it was finally time to move to the next phase of the operation.

As the shorter woman pulled him along, he looked back one last time, eyeing Chessmaster. Even without her pieces, she proved to be quite interesting. There was still much he could learn from her, things that would have to wait until he had another chance to ask his unanswered questions.

While raising a finger to his lips, he used one of his tentacles to direct Chessmaster's attention to one of the gaping holes in the warehouse walls that had been created during the chaotic battle. It was a perfect exit for someone to slip through without being noticed. "Until next time." He left her with those words and a bit extra, creating a trail of smoke behind him as he and Kinsley finally regrouped with Caio and the others.


AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Beann Beann @Coyote Hart Doctor Llamabean Doctor Llamabean Elenion Aura Elenion Aura Kyuubey Kyuubey QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel @simj26
 
HIDE ISHIDA
CS Link
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 3 [Whole World Blind]
LOCATION:
Vantaggio Tower, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Alicia, Charles, Dante, Hector, Hide, Mizuya, Raquel, Zachariah
WHOLE WORLD BLIND
Unlike Raquel, who seemed to be joyful at the sight of so many people, Hide couldn't help the way his body stiffened up, his eyes darting from person to person as he kept his head down. His teeth clenched, trying his best not to shove the others away from him. Being trapped like this... Hide was trying desperately not to lash out. After all, he had to prove to Hector that he could! To rub it in his good for nothing one eyed face. Like hell he'd have something as stupid as this best him.

The white haired boy could only inwardly sigh at the cannibal's infuriating chattering. He closed his eyes, counting to five before even bothering to respond. He glanced at her, before resolutely turning his attention back to the line in front of him. "Got broken." Even though he bought new ones. "Didn't wanna bother fixin' em." lies. "I decided to wear contacts instead, at least those couldn't get crushed in a fuckin' fight. " That fact was true, but yet again- another lie. His vision was perfectly fine. He didn't need glasses, nor contacts, nor was he wearing any- but well... What reason did she have to know that? He smirked to himself, a devious fire lighting him up inside.

Why tell the truth when lying is so much more fun? He wondered how much stuff he could lie about with her and get away with... He just hoped she wouldn't bite his head off if she found out. After all... its just a game isn't it? There was no need for such a harsh punishment... he hoped.

"And don't fuckin' call me that. Sounds like a brand of underwear..." He scowled. He sputtered at her next question, swiveling his head to her with wide eyes. "Did I- What- You!-" He cringed as she held onto his arm. Was this woman crazy?! Why the hell would he- and how would his glasses-. He grit his teeth, vision forwards once more, his face aflame. As much as he wanted to shove her away, he knew it was in his best interest to stay still. Both for the act, and to prevent this cannibal from considering putting him on her dinner plate or some shit.

As they finally got to the front of the line, Hide couldn't help but pause, frozen on the spot. Shitshitshitshit what the hell was he supposed to do?! He hadn't planned this far ahead... At Hide's frozen stature, the bouncer lifted a questionable eyebrow, a hand extended out towards them. Was he... supposed to give him something? A gasp of realization left him. His ID! right! But... he really didn't think giving someone who's a potential Tiger his ID... plus well... he didn't even have it on him. Shit.

He quickly glanced behind him, then at Raquel, back to the bouncer, then back at Raquel. A silent panic was warring in his eyes, before he set his jaw at the expectant "ahem" from the bouncer. Slowly turning back to him, he stood for a second more, before an outraged snarl broke across his face. He tugged the cannibal closer to him, his hand resting on the shoulder farthest from him, his chin raised up. How to get into a pompous casino? Act like a pompous douche. "Excuse me? My ID? Are you fucking serious? MY ID?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" The bouncer furrowed his brows, mouth opening to speak before he was once interrupted by the boisterous man. "I CAME HERE WITH MY-" He glanced to Raquel for a second in hesitation, dying on the inside. "WITH MY WIFE! FOR ONCE AWAY FROM OUR GOD FORSAKEN KIDS- AND YOU'RE DOING THIS?! I COULD HAVE YOU FUCKING FIRED-no. I. WILL. HAVE YOU FUCKING FIRED IF YOU DO NOT LET US IN THIS SECOND." "Sir-" " NO- EVEN BETTER- I'LL MAKE SURE YOU CAN'T WORK ANYWHERE ELSE- GOT THAT SHIT FOR BRAINS?!" he pushed his way past the bouncer, a for good measure, "Asshole!" leaving his lips on the way, a literal vein nearly popping out of his neck and forehead, face red with rage.

He quickly ushered Raquel forward, hoping to all hells the guy wouldn't chase after them. A chorus of 'pleasedon'tfollowpleasedon'tfollowpleasedon'tfollow' repeating in his head. After a few seconds, he glanced back, an exhale, his shoulders sagging in relief. "Thank fuck... lets go." He quickly let his arm drop down from Raquel's shoulder.

Misuteeku Misuteeku

 
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
Foreign thoughts penetrated Passeri's mind, a deluge of images and memories twice removed from their home. Passeri suppressed a shudder. Regardless of if she'd permitted it or not, Elias's Potential engendered within her a sense of violation. Her ploy might have worked, but she had nary a clue if he'd left some other touches in place.

She wouldn't have put it past him, if for no reason than that unquenchable thirst for entertainment of his.

"Wow!" Blue glittered against pink within Passeri's eyes, her running commentary not missing a beat as she flittered about the room in faux-fascination. "Another secret. And this time with mystique. I told you guys this was like in a movie." She mused, whilst roaming the room. Her eyes were fixed and clear, studying each of the room's details, but her mind was caught betwixt. Isobel was clearly onto something, denying that much would've been ignoring what was in front of her eyes. But...

Her brow creased. Roland. She hadn't been too familiar with the previous king, but she knew his reputation. A laggard, and more importantly, a rival. He was the man from which Markus had stolen everything, and now his supposed right hand was merrily plodding along his trail.

With this much alone she decided that she'd been too hard on the Jack. She'd at the very least been up to something over the course of her reagency, which meant the question now fell to what, and whether or not that entailed anything she needed to concern herself with.

"Do you think the other three are seeing anything as funky as this? Maybe they're fighting those ghosts right now! Hopefully, we're not gonna have to exorcise this sleeping ruler out of one of their poor souls." They probably weren't, though that didn't mean she was without concern. There was clearly something up with these tunnels. She just hoped that Ezra and Kenji hadn't done anything dumb or brash enough to put Wren in harm's way.

"Or maybe it's just puzzles all the way down." Passeri mused, approaching one of the stone caskets. She stepped lightly about it, but, apparently, not lightly enough. She heard a click from beneath her, and then before she could react, something whistled through the air. If she'd been expecting it, she might been able to twist her body out of the way, but caught off guard as she was, the best reaction she could muster was a sharp wince, and then a swift slap as she felt something pierce her skin.

"The heck..." She muttered, dropping to her knees to inspect the offending object. "A dart?" She held the object closer to her eyes. Definitely a dart. She'd been joking before, but this really was starting to remind her of a treasure-hunting movie. "Watch out, I guess! I think a trap shot this at me when I stepped on something?" Passeri set the dart aside, and then squinted as she inspected the ground for what exactly that something was. It took a moment, with the room wreathed in the warped mixture of blue and pink that it was, but soon enough she caught sight of it: A small pressure plate, depressed beneath her foot. A quick inspection of the neighbouring casket confirmed that another was present there, too.

Six caskets, six pressure plates, and a six-sided plinth. Three repetitions of six. If that wasn't a bad omen, she didn't know what was.

But! Fortune favoured the bold.

"I think you two should duck! I'm gonna try something" Passeri called, and then spawned six generic constructs, which fanned out through the room, fixing themselves above each of the pressure plates. She paused for a moment, ensuring that the other two had at least done something to protect themselves, and then had them drop.

Interacted with: Saturn_moon Saturn_moon QuirkyAngel QuirkyAngel
General: Kyuubey Kyuubey Stros Stros Lucem Lucem
 
Kaede Shimokōbe
CS Link
SCENE:
New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]
LOCATION:
Eastern Edge of Upper Central District
PARTICIPANTS:
a bunch of names
The dragon and the Phoenix
It was an extraordinary sight, witnessing the Kings' converse calmly until a period was put to dot the interaction in a handshake. It almost led Kaede to believe that her worries had been for nought and that her constant vigilance in wings, tensed in anticipation to take off, and distant babysitting throughout the years were nothing but a self-serving gesture. Intended to provide her with an excuse to return to the place she had once called home. In truth, from the scene presented in front of her now and from the camaraderie she had observed among its members, it hardly seemed like anyone was missing at all.

The thought nursed a mental smile to grace her composure, crow suddenly looking more downtrodden and human in its tucked head. Perhaps I was the only one missing you guys- Yong-Yut, Hitoshi...Vulken. The last name prompted a pinch of irritation in her chest, but it was quickly disregarded and relegated to the back of her mind like such emotions always were. Unfit and unnecessary for a woman in her thirties who had supposedly left it all behind and was about to repeat it.

That was, until, the ground imploded in a deafening rumble. Debris and smoke mingling to paint a scene of destruction in which the focus was the two gang leaders that had just shaken hands. The air blast that rippled through the scenery sent the crow flying and Kaede scrambled for control in flailing wings as eyes fixated on the familiar mallet that her King brandished. LYRIC YOU FOOL YOU ABSOLUTE BABOON. Her mind reeled as the caws rang out in angry grating complaints.

Was this all for nothing? Had this been Lyric's intention from the get-go? Or did she suddenly just have a change of mind, seeing as the Dragon King stood vulnerable and unprotected in front of her? Kaede manoeuvered the splitters of earth that were hurled her way. Was that truly something that Lyric would do? In all of their years of acquaintanceship, there was not one sign that she could recall that would explain this situation. But...on the other hand, who was she to presume Lyric's intentions and character? No, she was unqualified to do so.

But she knew someone who was.

The brief moment of contemplation had left her attention scattered and in the very same second that she anchored herself to reality, a shadow encompassed her. Then pain when the head of the crow was cut right off by a piece of asphalt.

The scene flittered into darkness and then into the familiar contents of blue bathroom stall walls. Four to be exact, and Kaede slipping against one of them in sweaty palms. Hand planted upon it for support as the other clawed at her still intact throat in a hunched-over silhouette. Alive. She was alive. The hand patted over her face and head next as if to memorise the shapes, the protrusions and indents that had vanished on her other body.

The realisation spurred the woman to clench her hand into a fist that she pounded on the wall. The force rattled through it all the way to an anonymous neighbour that piped up "Hey! Stop that!". Right, public restroom. The brunette pushed her glasses into place upon her nose and stuttered back a flushed "S-Sorry...".

There she was. Apologising to strangers in a bathroom while a war was raging between superhuman-powered walking disasters. Not the first time and certainly not the last. Kaede collapsed onto the toilet seat and drew a trembling breath.

Concentrate. She chanted in her mind. Get back in.

The least you can do is tell them.

The brunette motioned two fingers in front of her eyes.

"Tag, you're in."
---
The next second she was sitting in a car, ropes cutting burn marks into the thick wrists that belonged to a man. The slightly loosened hoops were evidence that he had started to wake up before her arrival, and the eyes that stared hazily back at her in the rear-view mirror were foreign.

Not entirely so, though, as they belonged to a businessman she had met at a café before this. But unfamiliar enough that they didn't evoke any sympathy in the woman who had taken over his body. Rather, stirred her to sigh at his antics and slip his feet out of their shoes and socks to coax the knife out from under the car seat. The one he didn't have any way of knowing was there and therefore inconsequential for his escape but useful for hers.

Kaede gripped the handle between her toes and raised it to the steering wheel all while grunting at the great effort exerted. His legs weren't exactly flexible nor were his muscles that responsive after lounging around in a car for an hour. She still managed to come within the hand's reach and quickly clamped down on the blade once it waved close enough. The hurt was instant, skin split apart in the grasp and making a bloody mess of it all as she cut through the ropes.

It wasn't enough to hinder her, however, and she was soon freed from her bonds to immediately shift the gear into place and twist the key. The car started with a roar.

The surroundings flew by in a blurry panorama of buildings, streets and snippets of smoke that obscured the blue sky. The streets and buildings soon replaced by a familiar set of figures that she had observed in another body at another time. Kaede sped over the bump between road and sidewalk and hit the break. Ran the wheel through her hands in a quick turn as the force tugged at her body. The car skidded to a sideway halt in front of the people with a screech and tracks of burnt rubber leading up to it. Then a head popped out of the window.

"SOMMY! THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH LYRIC!" The affectionate nickname rolled off her tongue along with the presumption that she had forbidden herself from voicing.

Both a strange match with the middle-aged man that was blushing furiously from the act. It had been a while, after all, since the last time she used it.

tldr:
kaede died then she possessed a man who she kidnapped and then took the man to the meeting point and then yelled at yong-yut
 
Last edited:
水屋 雪翔 MIZUYA YUKITO
CS Link
SCENE:
Phoenixes Arc 3: Scene 3 WHOLE WORLD BLIND
LOCATION:
Vantaggio Tower, West District
PARTICIPANTS:
Alicia, Charles, Dante, Hector, Hide, Yukito, Raquel, Zachariah
WHOLE WORLD BLIND
After Pharoah took the frozen sculpture in his own custody, he (the worker) was nothing in Pluto's mind. Pharaoh looked to him as he went on to voice the theory of their targets location. Should be? Gods vision. His brows lowered in annoyance, but maybe it had just been his way of speaking. Hawk should come in handy for when they needed eyes and routing even if the target wasn't on the first floor. As lazy as the cats were, they would not remain sitting ducks, so there was that too if they did end up tipped off.

As Pluto walked with Pharoah and Temperer he confirmed again with hands raising up to his ears to check that the buds were still in place. It was already crystal what Yukito would be doing next. With his stature and habit, this was something he was familiar with though he had to give the Tigers the benefit of the doubt that they would have far more a complex system given their large industry. The first part though was to get in.

Yukito nodded to the two, more so Hector, with a determined, confident set of eyes. An indignance in the challenge especially of vertical kind. Yukito used the hood of the car next to them first, then moved onto Charlie, and then Hector before leaping off his shoulder to attach to the wall with the vent. At contact with the wall, his feet and hands froze to it to remain there. Holding himself up still required some effort and momentum, but nothing he couldn't manage. The important thing was not stopping.

He raised each limb in a rhythm with arm, leg, arm, leg, each time attaching with his own footholds of ice. As each foot hold was released to ascend higher it would start to dissipate over time. When he got the vent he briefly considered how he would open it. He didn't have the time or necessarily the tools to unscrew each bolt that fastened it in place. So the other option is... “Yo," he began as he temporarily relieved the mask, looking back down at the two who funny enough looked pleasantly smaller, "Get ready to catch this,” he didn't wait long for a reply, because this should have had their attention if Pharaoh didn't want too much noise. A metal grate plummeting at least ten feet or whatever it was against concrete was not going to be quiet. A hand laid over the crevice where the grate lipped the wall and ice began to seep between and then was willed to expand until the lid busted off and began falling down below.

Yukito slid in, still having to crouch inside, but it was slightly more spacious than any ducts he'd scampered in back home. The mask frosted back and ahead was a long tunnel where he could barely see the end, with other tunnels forking off, above, and even below. He made use of those ear buds to phone their eyes in the sky, “Hawk, do your eyes see into the casino's ventilation system?”
 
Albino Tigers
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
Nothing. Not even a creak as Wren reached out to touch the statue that bore the familiar visage of New Oasis’ founder, George Grant, dressed in some bizarre religious get-up that was certainly not synonymous with any religious organizations operating within the city. Around the statue’s neck was a bronze pendant with a large gemstone set in the middle. A moment passed. Then two. Still, the silence persisted.

Then came the ripple. Faint yet precise. Like a pulse of energy. A heartbeat. While invisible, they could all feel it travel up from the ground beneath them and reverberate through the walls. The pendant around the statue’s neck lit up and emitted a bright blue glow that filled the space. Immediately, the floor beneath them started to shift, rotating clockwise until the party was fully locked in. No escape in sight, the floor dropped open, sending the three tigers sliding down a long, dark, chute at great speeds.

“Just my luck…” Those words slipped out as Wren’s strikingly vivid cobalt eyes glared into the statue’s own unmoving ones. It was her final words before the ground beneath her disappeared, plunging the trio into darkness. However, seeing as they’d done nothing but amble their way through blankets of pitch black with little light this entire time this wasn’t entirely new to them.

The woman became very aware of the state her body was in as every thud against the wall promised a new bruise or mark that would later form and mar her skin. Those painful lumps were soon exchanged for something softer and much warmer - Kenji. Her eyelids fluttered open despite their freefall making them desperately want to remain close, to gaze at the man she’d come to know as her partner in crime. He’d never let her forget this. This was twice now that his body had become something akin to a cushion in both times they’d come to face peril no thanks to her own misdoings.

Kenji’s own dull amber-tinted fish eyes would meet Wren's for a moment in the darkness. In that brief instant, they expressed only annoyance at the predicament before being pitched in the opposite direction by the chute's sharp turns. On the one hand, he could be glad that he wasn't the one to drop in first this time, and no one would be coming in after him. He wasn't certain that his back would survive another trial. On the other, the current situation wasn't all that much better. Instinctively, Kenji tightened his grip on the Mugenjin, keeping it close to his person to avoid it getting caught in their surroundings.

Maintaining his potential's influence on all of them, they continued to fall in complete silence, save for the sounds that could be heard between them. Each shoulder seemed to get a turn, abruptly slamming into the hard cold surface of the chute walls as it swiftly bent and curved. At first, he had thought the chute had been used by the mysterious occupants of the cells above, but he now couldn't imagine anyone volunteering themselves for it.

Meanwhile, all Ezra could do was contain little yelps of pain as he bumped, bounced, and barreled down the uncomfortable slide. Each impact interrupted his thoughts as if telling him to stop complaining about falling victim to one of the many movie-like traps he'd been worried about before entering the mines. Instead of fretting about things that couldn't be helped, he had to focus on issues he could still do something about. Issues like speeding toward a very rough landing.

While he didn't know where the chute would take them, he figured it was better to be safe than sorry. So, channeling his Potential, he pictured the pieces of paper held by the trio moving to rejoin with the piece that had been left in the plaza. The three Tigers felt a sudden pull, slowing their descent while continuing to tumble. Unfortunately, the closed hatch overhead prevented him from bringing everyone back to the top, but he could still stop them from going splat when they reached the bottom.

Thankfully, his initial concerns of cracking like an egg on a hard stone floor waned as he got a better look at where they were headed. Albeit, what he saw was only better by comparison. With nothing else in sight except for rushing waters, there wasn't much Ezra could do except accept his fate and dive.

Ezra slowed everyone's descent as much as possible before cutting off the effects of his Potential. Gravity returned immediately afterward, pulling him and the others down into the depths.

Wren took note of every noise around them, every forced-out breath as one of them collided with stone. All of that was quickly drowned out as the heat of Kenji’s frame was replaced with an onslaught of cold. It enveloped her entire being, muffling out the noises of the world around her in a way that only brought on a mild case of panic. Still, she held onto the man, trying to get her bearings as the gushing and echoing of the water all around her assaulted her ears and senses. Being unprepared didn’t give her much time to ready a breath or fill her lungs so with the little air she’d managed to keep secure, Wren pushed off of Kenji and went the only way that would only offer a sliver of respite - Up. Refusing to leave the sleepy samurai behind, a hand blindly shot out and grabbed his free arm as she hauled them both up toward the surface.

Breaking through it brought no shortage of relief as her aching lungs immediately filled with the many gasps of air she took. Water of course came too but that did little to deter her from taking in what oxygen she possibly could. There wasn’t much time to relish in that alleviation as her eyes wildly darted about to assess where they’d found themselves. She couldn’t tell how much further underground they were but it must be pretty significant as the fall itself was by no means a short or enjoyable ride. At least they’d landed somewhere mildly pleasant when compared to the alternatives. More herself than the other two since she’d once again used Kenji as a landing pad.

After a few seconds spent below the waves, Ezra too managed to swim up, and he greedily took in the oxygen he thought he'd never breathe in again. While he didn't feel any pain, he was certainly a mess. There was still water up his nose, down his throat, and all around him. He coughed, nearly hacking up a lung as he tried to brush his wet bangs out of his eyes. As soon as he could see again, he squinted, looking far down the blue-green trail.

It was still difficult to tell from where they were, but there seemed to be a few structures in the distance, breaking up the stream. Taking note of that, he looked around for the Veterans, trying to call their attention to the shapes ahead. "Are you guys okay?"

As he tried to spot the familiar faces, he swam to the side, attempting to position himself in a way that would allow the current to take him directly to what he assumed was a patch of land. While said current was fairly strong by normal standards, it wasn't much of a challenge for an HP to fight the pull and move relatively freely. "I think we can get out a little further ahead."

The aqueduct came to an end up ahead, opening up to reveal a massive cavern with tall stone structures some with figures carved into the side. Time had eroded away part of the foundation leaving them in partial ruin. Still, most of it appeared intact, which would have made one wonder about the marvels of engineering performed to build this place were they not struggling to keep their heads above water. Ripples reflected in the ceiling above, the currents pushed on, eager to make their way to wherever it was headed. Considering how deep they had ventured, the only likely option here was the sea.

White untamed hair splayed out around her, Wren resisted the tug of the waters to the best of her ability, attention ensnared by the voice of Ezra from somewhere ahead of them. “Come on.“ A mouthful of water was taken in as she stupidly decided to speak and she immediately coughed it back up, ridding her throat of the dirty and mildewy-tasting liquid. Finally, she released Kenji’s arm, wading slowly and carefully towards the mop of wet and dark hair she spotted bobbing off to the side.

Her hands were hesitant as they grasped onto one of the jutting rocks, almost afraid of setting off another perilous trap for the group. After a few seconds of realizing the cave wasn’t going to collapse in on them or something similar, Wren allowed herself to pull herself up and out of the water with a weary groan. Her body hurt and ached but that wasn’t going to stop her now. She’d taken much worse beatings.

“Fine as can be. You?“ Wren spoke softly to answer his prior question, not facing him, flinching a little at how hoarse her voice sounded from their little impromptu yet violent hurtle into the rushing waters. The water she’d choked on earlier had done no favors to her throat. She gazed at the many stone figures with narrowed eyes. “Really starting to despise these things.” It showed in her tone as it was riddled with nothing but disdain and loathing.

Wren fished out the culprit that was jabbing into her body uncomfortably through her soaked attire - her phone. The screen lit up to reveal several cracks, no doubt most likely done as her body had slammed into the walls a couple of times. No missed calls, no texts, no notifications at all. Not that she should be surprised since the moment they’d descended into this place that could rival what one would imagine hell to be like they had lost any service. Great, Wren thought somberly as she looked in the direction of the rushing water over the dimly lit surface of the useless device.

There was no telling how they’d even get back or out of this place. It was beginning to not sit well with her that they were constantly being forced to move forward with little choice in the matter. She silently wondered how the other group was faring, especially Passeri, as she began wringing out what water she could squeeze out from her drenched top. It was to no avail as none of the weighted blanket feelings was alleviated. It just had to be wool on a day like this.

Wren sighed loudly and refrained from cursing outwardly as she began yanking at the hem of her sweater before completely pulling it off and chucking it off to the side in visible frustration. The woman cared little to be clad in much less now, shame wasn’t a big aspect of her personality to begin with anyways. Plus, it was exceedingly better than the alternative of mucking around in a waterlogged turtleneck. It landed with a loud heavy plop and Wren shot it a dangerous glare in an attempt to furtherly throw out her hatred for it at that moment.

Wren shoved her phone back into her pant pocket, situating it better so it wasn’t digging into her leg as she finally came to a stand. Her toes wiggled around, not truly caring for the sloshing and clamminess of all the water in her shoes. The socks only made it worse. It was uncomfortable and Wren found the sensation vexing. At least they were alive, right? That damp and dripping hair stuck to and framed most of her entire body now that it was down instead of being confined to a ponytail.

Slowly, she turned and outstretched a hand towards the rookie still wadding around in the water. She motioned with her fingers for him to take it so she could pull him out, remaining silent but looking out past Ezra to play ‘find the Kenji’. It was a game she knew all too well. It wouldn’t surprise her if he’d decided to just go with the flow, quite literally, and get taken to wherever that river was rapidly moving towards just so he could escape having to be a part of their super fun and not a dangerous or treacherous adventure.

Struggling with the wet mop on his head, Ezra looked between the dark brown curtains covering his face and took Wren's hand. At this point, he knew enough about the Veteran and her abilities to put aside his usual concerns about physical contact, so he didn't hesitate. He also just really wanted to get out of the water.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thank you." Slicking back his hair, he tried to look at Wren properly and make sure she didn't suffer any injuries during the fall, but that proved to be a lot more difficult than he expected.

As soon as both feet were on the ground, he quickly turned on his heels and kept his eyes forward. His expression didn't give anything away, but the speed at which he turned back around probably came off as a bit strange. Not that anyone could blame him. Wasn't that a normal reaction to... that?

Shaking it off, he tried to keep his head in the game and focus on the mission. Still, he refused to turn around. It was mostly out of respect, but also because he wanted to hide the rosy color dusting his cheeks. He hoped it would go away by the time they spotted Kenji, but there was always the risk of it returning when he inevitably had to stop looking at the water.

As the waters continued to rush on their course, out of sight of Wren and Ezra, Kenji's limp body could be seen being dragged along further downstream. Half submerged, the sleepy samurai had spread his legs and arms out wide in a poor attempt to float and ride the current. If not for the hunk of steel that he firmly gripped in his offhand, and the swiftness of the water all around him. The maneuver may have offered him some respite, but instead simply enabled him to slowly drown versus rapidly.

Sucking in air to his lungs in spurts between the rushing water that lapped over his face and blurred his vision, he stared up at the cavernous ceiling as his view blurred and the rush of more water deafened his senses. Holding his breath, he contemplated his odds of drowning if he further followed the waters out to their inevitable destination. In contrast to his fellow Tigers, joining this little underground expedition had not been a voluntary decision on his part.

Also unlike his two compatriots, Kenji had ended up diving into the waters inverted, and completely upside down. The paper airplane that he had stuffed into his coat pocket had done him no favors. The initial sensation of hitting the water and then being completely submerged had thrown his sense of direction out the window. As he tumbled in the rapids, he could only process the feeling of weightlessness and the sudden inability to freely breathe as water flooded his nostrils and invaded his throat. The world may have just melted into nothing but liquid for all he knew. He remained like that for a few moments, blindly trying to orient himself with his free hand until someone reached out and clamped down on his arm. Guiding him to the surface, it was one of the rare moments that he had been thankful for Wren's ability to stick to him like glue. He had greedily gulped down air and water, treading with his feet to merely stay afloat.

Between then and now he had managed to tire himself out and was in need of a break, to catch his breath. The only problem was that the torrent refused to let up in order to allow him even the opportunity. In one quick motion, the samurai made up his mind and flipped over in the water. Channeling his reserves of energy into a mad one-armed swim towards where he had seen the others. Ignoring the burning of his lungs, in one swift motion he swam to the rocky bank of the makeshift isle and hoisted himself out of the water.

Collapsing on the wet stony shore, the Mugenjin still firmly in his grasp. He gasped for breath like a fish out of water before turning to his left to spot Wren and Erza in the distance. With reunion only moments away Kenji then lowered his head and closed his eyes. Taking advantage of the lull to their "adventure".

Allowing himself this moment of calm after all the chaos, Kenji focused on the sounds outside of his bubble of potential. The rushing of water, the sound of footsteps from somewhere above, and the low rumbles of what he could only describe as chanting echoed in the cavernous space.

In collab with Lucem Lucem Kyuubey Kyuubey Stros Stros ​
 
Last edited:
NPC POST - ROMERO SERLING / THE RAVEN
SCENE:
Serpents Arc 3: Scene 1 [Thicker Than Water]
LOCATION:
Mysterious Black Site, North District
PARTICIPANTS:
August, Peyton, Kisara, Damian, Kinsley, Kyo, Raph, Sab, Shinko
THICKER THAN WATER
The Raven's arms splattered on the floor, flopping on their own like beached fish. The creature itself scuttled backward, screeching a graspy squawk.

It mattered little— penance was due.

The opposing monster, the being of pink that contested for a crown, sprung upon Romero. It latched onto the writhing stump of an arm, screaming and screaming. Her rage... he knew full well the sensations of blind rampage. He also remembered the remnants of the Monster of the West, incinerated by her...

Not again.

The Raven gripped Kisara's head with its beak, plucking her off its body and flinging her away towards the ground. She'd have landed near August and Peyton.

Romero was ready, now...

Again, the Raven morphed. Its body twisted and snapped, its spherical husk expulsing black muck and vile. Its tendrils pulled back in, only to extend once more as two wings and a pair of proper bird-like feet. Its beak emerged upward, and the Raven rose taller. Piercing white eyes stared down its attackers.

I tire of standing aside. Wallowing in the sludge, that is of pain, sadness, regret. To this, I say...

vAW8BZYkxb4b5bPGsCxI7ZAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC.png

Nevermore.​

Doctor Llamabean Doctor Llamabean @Coyote Hart @simj26
 
YONG-YUT SOMSRI
CS Link
SCENE:
New Oasis Arc 3: Scene 2 [The Dragon and the Phoenix]
LOCATION:
Upper Central District
PARTICIPANTS:
Isaiah, Kanna, Meirin, Shen
Helva, Kaede, Maho, Rin, Vulken
The Dragon and the Phoenix
Yong-Yut’s eyes did not waver from the size-shifter’s form. She stood there silently, waiting for the woman to go for her. Even after she grew, and even after she just started texting people in front of Yong-Yut. Which was a strange thing to do in the middle of a battlefield.

Soon, the woman addressed Yong-Yut again. A polearm was raised to threaten Yong-Yut’s face, but they were more focused on Meirin.

“I have a duty to protect my king.”

Yong-Yut gave a short nod to the other. It was a sentiment they shared, albeit for different Kings. And that would be the reasoning for Yong-Yut’s choice. Just as the scarf came alive, shaking off the dust that had made home on it, a car made itself known with a screech.

Yong-Yut’s head snapped to the vehicle. Who in their right mind would park here like that? Can’t they see what—

A strange and unfamiliar man’s flushed head popped out of the car’s window with a loud and clear “SOMMY!” One of the only clear words from the yells that came.

“DRAGONS— SOMETHING’S WRONG— PROTECT YOUR— LYRIC!— FOR PEACE!”

A confused, and pained, expression slid onto Yong-Yut’s face. They blinked, ears ringing from the yelling, trying to unravel the words.

Then it clicked. What a time to return.

“M- Momo? Huh… What happened?”

They turned back around to Meirin only slightly less confused, gesturing to the Kings. “Something is wrong. May we acquire your assistance?”

Yong-Yut may not have been sure what was off, or what they were going to do from here. But after a moment of thinking about it, Yong-Yut had to agree. And, maybe, Kaede and Meirin both had a little insight to share.

 
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