Multiple Settings New Oasis: Gangsters Edition (CLOSED)

[Vahn]

Omar Ayad - Sapphire Dragons - Jack

Location: East District, Erich's Silva's House (Currently driving to Erich's Silva's House)

Interactions / Mentions : Doctor Llamabean Erich Deon Silva . Cracker Nionet Sinblade, FabulousTrash Katsura Kanna and BriiAngelic Cordelia Paderau Vaughn

Cordelia Paderau Vaughn: “.... Uh I guess it’s good right? Not really a clear question there. What are you expecting? If you’re unsatisfied with something you say it and fix it. Where’s this coming from?”

Omar was thinking to himself that maybe his tone was not right as it seems to have struck a nerve on Cordelia Paderau Vaughn and he decided to be as blunt as he could be on his next response.

Omar: Its coming from three things.....the first thing is mostly boredom....I didn't bother buying a van with a radio and I thought people like small talk.....Also yes I do consider this small talk even though most of the time I don't talk much at the Temple....well not casually most of the time it's just me relying the orders of Nionet Sinblade, Erich Deon Silva or Katsura Kanna....

Omar would stop at the red traffic light waiting for it to turn green before looking at the various events happening outside the van and at the side walk. Seeing the red head woman in a business suit shouting at her cellphone while driving her convertible or at the two kids playing near the side walk or the grey haired old lady pushing her shopping cart as Omar thought to himself that maybe this is how the rest of the Sapphire Dragons see him... The unlucky person who got promoted turned into a lap dog for the heads and at a position where no one takes seriously as the thought festers in Omars head did the traffic light turn green as Omar continued the drive to Erich's Silva's House.

Omar: Second thing, you know I'm powerless right?.... Best thing I could do is check on the other members and see what could I do to make their experience with the gang better. When ever I have a chance to talk with someone alone and away from the temple, I could hear the concerns of the gang member with out them getting all scared that maybe someone would come in and laugh at them or insult them....and in some cases if there is someone in the gang that likes messing with someone and that person does not like what is happening to them. I could raise that concern with the other Elders to stop it. Apart from that I am just the glorified human resource officer and powerless accountant rolled up as a Jack.

While Omar was deep in his thoughts did he hear the same voice from his head whispering softly to his ear.

Jack-O'-Lantern: "You really like pointing out the obvious to the Sapphire Dragons....Pretend to be powerless and hide your powers is the best way to play the long game...."

While Omar let the thought of him not being suited for the rank fester in his mind a bit and about the things he does for the Sapphire Dragons while working for the small group known as the neighborhood association, Omar would notice that they are getting close to Erich's Silva's house. The van would be passing a few buildings before appraoching the street which Erich's Silva's House is located as Omar pulled up to the drive way. Omar sees what seems to be an open garage with Nionet Sinblade and Erich Deon Silva close by as Omar went into a full stop just right in front of the two before ending his slow speech to Cordelia Paderau Vaughn.

Omar: Third thing, I'm trying to make the Sapphire Dragons a good gang to be in and unless I know what people expect from the gang there is no way to improve it...so more or less I'm asking you how can the gang make your stay with us better..within the rules of course...Huh seems like I need to add gang concierge as well....Well time to see what a bright idea look like to Erich Deon Silva...lets go.

Omar made sure that the van was in a full stop before pulling up the parking brake then Omar pulls out the van keys. Omar opens the drivers door and stepped out of the van. Once outside Omar would then pull the duffel bag that was hidden under the driver seat out. Omar made his way to Nionet Sinblade and Erich Deon Silva stopping a few feet away from them before speaking out loud.

Omar: I brought Cordelia Paderau Vaughn. Please tell me what is so important that you couldn't tell me over the cellphone.....Also if it is something ridiculous like you just like blonde girls and want to meet her like the last blonde....

Omar Ayad turns to look at Nionet Sinblade before saying to her directly.

Omar: If it is the case do you want to handle this or should I tell his mother about this?

Omar Ayad waits for a response from either Nionet Sinblade or Erich Deon Silva as well as waiting for Cordelia Paderau Vaughn to maybe reply or say something.

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

​

DETAILS​

______________________________________________Location______________________________________________
[West District]
Ruby Revenants' Headquarters

_____________________________________________Interacting_____________________________________________
Vulken Beckman Nobody Special

______________________________________________Wearing______________________________________________
Long-Sleeve Hooded Crop Top + Orange Playboy Jogger Pants + White Nikes + Earrings (X) + Sunglasses (X)
[Reference] [Shoes]
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________​

She looks like Anita, except her hair is buzzed, and she's quite clearly several years younger however many scars blight her face.

A heart monitor, opposite of the side of the bed where Anita sits, paired with the ventilator that's powering the child's lungs are the only sounds within the room.

Anita's hands are pressed together in prayer before her, wetness glistening in the corners of her closed eyes by the light of day peeking in through window blinds. And she asks her God for her sister's protection--a recycled plea; though, sometimes she changes it up lest it go stale. She wishes for mercy and forgiveness, and she wishes to take her sister's place.

Then for a brief moment, as perhaps a dark desperation descends upon her, her fingers tightly interlock, hugging the knuckles of each hand, trembling in likeness of her bottom lip.

Following a passing in time when she has recomposed herself, she hangs over her sister to show her sleeping face a smile, and she runs a gentle hand across her forehead. So gently so that a whisper could fit between her palm and the soft chocolate of her sister's skin.

"Wake up soon, Jey."

[. . .] SOME TIME LATER [. . .]

She's dressed lightly and for comfort--something loose yet complimenting of her toned physique. A simple pair of earrings to boost her confidence. Sunglasses to protect her eyes.

On her phone, a list of comments beneath her most recent image upload; there's about twenty of them, and they're all positive. All but one, that is.

It irks her.

Tapping the 'delete comment' option, then confirming the action, she clicks her tongue, shaking her head on a sigh. Haters gonna hate, I guess... I ain't done you wrong. Who even is you?

"Jerk..." she mumbles, clicking off the screen.

The Ruby Revenants' hotel is up ahead and to the right, past the abandoned self-storage lot where many of the Revenants park their vehicles to protect them from the weather. The hotel lot, itself, is mostly empty, save for the few members scattered about, most of whom Anita can recognize as she passes through, nearing the hotel.

Her golden brown eyes scan the area for red hair, but when they find none, Anita enters the building, still holding her phone.

She glances around again, and there he is--Vulken Beckman--and so she raises a hand into the air on a smile, "Yoo-hoo~! Did you wait long?" She approaches him, finally putting the device away into the orange of her pocket.

 

[Taigakitt]

Jaimmé "Thundersnow" Hoshizora
Weather: Sunny, partly cloudy
Personality: Mostly sweet, some sour thoughts seep through​

Jaimmé sat back in the car seat, the back leaned back quite far. If he was to put his life in the hands of a ditzy, maybe well-meaning, woman, he would rather not see the road. With one hand behind his head, he rolled the window down so the wind could blow across his face, brushing white strands away from his face, his expression more relaxed despite their… half-failed endeavours.

Scrolling through his phone, he had ended up letting Chikage know that they were about to be back in the district a while ago.

Verity was weird, stupid sweet, and a bit… doltish.

To him, she was the reason they didn’t get half of their plan.

Speaking of weird, Verity did a giggle that actually could fit a gang member. At least she wasn’t candy all of the time.

A smile came to his face, “We only achieved some, as you said. We hit half of our goal, which isn’t the most ideal situation.” He sighed, “At least we didn’t bomb all of them.”

Bzz.

His phone buzzed, to which Jaimmé brought his attention back to his phone. So much for getting some downtime once they got home.

“Did, but change of plans. Chikage needs us to go to the medical facility on the outskirts of the East district."

“On it,” was the reply that Verity gave.

The sound of the car speeding up had Jaimmé sit his seat up to begrudgingly watch where they were going. It was time for a mission.

~*~​

Arriving at the facility didn’t take long since their change of course. The unfortunate thing was that Jaimmé didn’t bring his bag that had his changes of clothes whenever he needed to play with the weather. He preferred to have it on hand for every mission, because it was impossible to know what they would all run into.

As soon as the car rolled to a complete stop, Jaimmé was out of the car instantly, not bothering to wait for Verity. Entering the building, it seemed the nurse had been expecting them and let him pass.

He was given a room number, and he set out to find it. Upon walking down the hallway, he could pick up Alistair’s voice, and it spoke of trouble.

Stepping into the doorway, Jaimmé took in the scene, a smile on his face, “I do not approve of people stealing what is ours.” He glanced in Alistair’s direction, noting the kid. Understanding what the package was, he was even more inclined to not let them have what was deemed the Tiger’s.

Taking the expandable rod off his belt, he expanded it as he side-stepped away from the door, into the room. It was then that he recognized the two that didn't belong here. The past brawls, which placed these guys as Revenants. “Leave, please.”

Mentions: BriiAngelic WhiskeyMarten Caffeine_Obsessed ​

 

[FabulousTrash]

Katsura Kanna - Sapphire Dragons - Ace | Katsura Kasumi - Sapphire Dragons - Senior
Location: East District, Kasumi's Apartment
Kanna's Clothing Reference: Bomber Jacket (minus logo on chest and right sleeve) | Shoes | Pants (minus chain and pin)
Kasumi's Clothing Reference: Purple Hoodie Jacket | Plain Black T-shirt | Pajama Pants | Slippers
Interactions: Kimiko Kugisaki ( Nobody Special ), Saito Tadashi ( Elenion Aura )

Kasumi smiled at Kimiko's comment about her appearance as she went into the kitchen area, filling a kettle with water and placed it on the stove, turning on the heat. Her eyes glanced over towards the living area as she heard Kimiko speak up again, asking Kanna a bunch of questions about their lives as twins, quickly stopping once she realized how quiet the room had gotten. However, Kanna just softly chuckled and smiled as she stroked Snowball's back before releasing the cat to roam around the room.

"Its alright."

The kettle whistled and Kasumi shut off the heat, pouring the water through a strainer filled with tea leaves into a tea pot. She placed the pot on a tray with matching cups and brought it over, setting it down on the table and began filling the tea cups, placing them in front of the others, eventually sitting down.

"I was born second, 3 minutes after Kanna. It was pretty easy to tell us apart since she always kept her hair tied up."

Kanna reached forward, picking up her cup and took a drink from it. It was classic green tea, nothing special or fancy. As she glanced over to her sister, Kanna's gaze was met with Kasumi's. Without a word, Kanna already knew what she was going to say. Placing down her tea cup, Kanna reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out the phone that she picked up earlier and placed it on the table. Kasumi reached over and pulled the phone closer to get a better look at it.

"We're investigating recent crimes that have been happening. Though, these aren't related to the attacks on our members, but only innocents living in the East District. That phone is from the most recent crime scene we checked out."

Kasumi looked over at her sister, an expression of concern and caution on her face.

"You took this from the area?"
"I did think about it. The police hadn't tagged it officially as evidence and I think its our best chance of finding new leads on what happened to the victim. Plus, I-"

Kanna stopped short as Kasumi held up a hand.

"Its fine, I understand. I'll take a look."

Kasumi's eyes shifted over to the phone as she stared down at it. Within moments, the screen came to life as the phone unlocked itself. It then started to open and close apps, scrolling through text messages and contacts and even photos quickly. To everyone but Kasumi, it all looked like a blur on screen, but Kasumi was able to process all the information. It wasn't even a full minute before the phone stopped and the screen went black again. Kasumi looked up at the others.

"The phone belonged to a young woman, who was celebrating her 21st birthday. Her name was Emily."
"Is there any information about who attended the party? Contact info?"
"Yes. There are some names mentioned and addresses noted down in some of her contacts. All of them live in the East District as well."

Kanna nodded, taking another sip from her tea. Tracking down the other party-goers was now a priority, both to question and to warn them that their lives were most likely in danger. It wasn't out of the question that whoever was instigating these murders had the other party guests on their kill list.

"If I may suggest, you might want to start with this girl named Jenna. She seems to be Emily's closest friend. There's recent message history, so I believe she's still alive."

Kanna's eyes moved up, looking at her sister. More often than not, the two were always on the same page, finishing eachother's sentences or having the same ideas. Though, they weren't perfect. There were times where the twins disagreed on something, but it never took long to come to a resolve between them.


Her gaze shifted down towards the phone, then back to Kasumi once more.

"Can you hold onto the phone for us?"

Kasumi nodded.

"I'll send the address to yours. Its not that far from here."

 

[Anne Boolean]

Shore Salvatore​

While they waited with Estella, from the corner of their eye, Shore noticed someone bounding over towards the two. Turning to see who it was, they blinked upon recognizing the familiar head of green hair. Their purple eyes stayed on the man as he was doubled over panting.

"Hello," they responded when Emrick gave his out of breath greeting, taking in his excited expression. Shore themselves were looking forward to this heist, but they had a feeling it was for a different reason than their own. They let out a chuckle at the other's wording, noticing the flirty demeanor from the previous day was still around. Had he been like that while at the orphanage? Shore couldn't remember. Once the IDs were presented, they took a hold of the one with their picture. They eyed the information on the card, seeing their name for the day would be Rosalind West.

"Is that what you usually go by? Or what we'll be calling you today?" Shore questioned when the other introduced himself. Despite ascribing himself to Robin Hood, the green-haired person had a feeling the other wouldn't be giving his money to the poor any time soon. "I typically go by Shore, though for today, I'll be Rosalind West."

When the green-haired man, Emrick, mentioned they'd be a couple and patted Shore's shoulder, an amused look appeared on the non-binary individual's face. "You seem quite a bit excited about it yourself," they commented. "Though I will admit I am looking forward to it. I'd love to hear learn more about you."

Interactions: Estella ( Galaxy Bear ), Emrick ( Caffeine_Obsessed )

 

[Elenion Aura]

«я тебя уничтожу».​

Yelena Zaytseva

It was never in Yelena’s nature to gloat. Evidently, and wholly unsurprisingly, it was in Eustass’ nature to lord a victory over a fallen enemy, even if that victory did not belong to him. Yelena found his behavior distasteful, even as she stayed quiet, letting him carry on cackling like a hyena. This was a job. And they were done. From the looks on the faces of their stunned crowd, the Serpents’ message had been received. Loud and clear.

”Okey. Let’s go.” Yelena said, waiting for a break between Eustass’ hitching laughter. Though she’d forgotten that she’d even opened her mouth in the next moment, when Eustass punched her in the arm.

There hadn’t been any warning. One moment, he was clutching his sides in apparent glee. And the next, he’d swung at her. Yelena’s nerves exploded another moment later, as her rational mind struggled to keep her instincts in check.

The spot where he’d struck her smarted. It would probably—no, definitely—bruise. Yelena sluggishly turned her head to gaze at him where he stood.

She doesn’t speak. She doesn’t blink.

Her eyes are wide, frozen, in shock, or, something else... Mutely, she hears him, but makes no effort to move, let alone react to his words, until he asks about her Jinx as he stands over the downed Armond. My Jinx? What does it do?

Her pupils waver and constrict with barely contained rage.

”...You... Vant to... Find out?”

There’s no chance for Yelena to follow through, however, as in the next breath, Armond’s hand is around Eustass’ ankle. Unbeknownst to either of them, the low level gang lord had been siphoning steam. He’d already regained a fair bit of strength, enough so that, with a roar, he leapt to his feet, hauling Eustass up with him up by his ankle.
Tags: Doctor Llamabean (Eustass)

 

[Anne Boolean]

Jordi Calisto, a.k.a. Float
"They better not cause any trouble..."​

A small smile graced the Tauredian's face when the other agreed to lend the issue. "Thank jou," he responded. "I know they are available on the Internet but I do not 'ave the first clue on 'ow to go about finding them." Before moving to New Oasis, everything he wanted was practically handed to him. There wasn't anything he needed to go through illegal means to acquire, at least not himself personally. He wasn't sure what his family and the servants had done to get him his material desires.

When the white-haired man brought up two other customers at the cafe, Jordi rose a brown. His green eyes moved from looking into his friends to the ones he pointed out. "Jes?" he asked, lowering his voice. He was expecting August to mention something funny about them or point out that they were an awkward couple on a first date, or even tell him that he thought one of both of them were cute. That's how the conversations usually went when he was watching the nobles in the capital plaza with his friends back home. What his fellow Dragon said was a reminder that he was no longer at home. He was no longer in a high-security location with guards station practically around every corner. There was danger here, and he was vulnerable.

He listened to the guy describe Markus's power. "Oh... jou mean like Elsa?" he asked, trying to find another comparison. "Well, 'ow are jou so certain er... Bowl-cut is a Tiger too? Perhaps King Cold is just meeting with one of 'is friends?" He straightened his posture and glanced around, making sure there were no customers trying to get his attention. "Nevertheless, this is the Rose District. We are in neutral territory, no?" Since becoming part of the Dragons, Jordi had yet to take part in a fight. He wanted to keep it that way, especially if it would be in front of his boss at his place of employment. "As long as they don't cause trouble, they are welcome customers." From what he knew, August wasn't once to incite any sort of altercation, but just to be sure, he added on, "if jou are planning on doing anything, please do so outside, okay?"

Interactions: August ( Doctor Llamabean )
Mentions: Ivan ( Cracker ), Markus ( Elenion Aura )

 

[Anne Boolean]

Pascal Corbin
"Heh... those were the days..."
​

New year, new Pascal. At least that's what he told himself. Instead of only eating chips and junk food while knee deep in his work, his new year's resolution was to take breaks to eat properly, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. How long would that last? That's why he was here at the grocery store today. Although cooking things would probably be the best, he found himself gravitating more towards the ready-made stuff. Baby steps and all that. A TV dinner was certainly somewhat healthier than a bag of chips, right?

With his shopping basket in hand, he looked through the canned goods. He eyed the canned vegetables but figured the frozen vegetables he had already picked up were a better choice. His gaze instead fell on a can of ravioli and his eyes narrowed. How long had it been since he had had that? The last time was probably when he was still a child, before Chikage went away. The thought of them eating together at a table came up. He imagined he would have tried to eat as fast as he could, so that they could get back to playing. His plan would have backfired though, as he would have ended up getting sauce all over his face and his shirt. The time saved would then be used for him to be cleaned up, often times taking longer. A small smile stretched across his face as he reached for the can with wistful eyes.

"Alright, I'm finished finding what I need for myself," the blond said turning to his fellow Tiger. "What's next on the list? Do you need to find anything for yourself?"

Interactions: Carter ( WhiskeyMarten )

---

Adrienne "Ady" Hawthorne, a.k.a. Wendi
"Hmm... what's on the menu for this week?"​

The shopping list in her hand was certainly extensive. If she let it fully unroll, it would have definitely touched the floor. Despite how full her cart was, Adrienne only had approximately half of the items she planned on buying today.

"Next on the list is..." Her crimson eyes scanned the small text. "... pineapples!" Her face lit up and she turned to her companion. "I'm going to make Hawaiian pineapple rice on Wednesday. You should come over." They weren't exactly close before, but it had been six months since she had seen Owen. The time apart seemed to have made her extra friendly.

"Say, how was the food at college?" the black-haired woman asked. "Was it better than what you had here? I'm sure it couldn't compete with my cooking, but if it was better than what you're used to at home, it'll just make the transition harder. Why don't you let me cook you a few meals for the next week while you get settled back in? Don't worry, they'll be vegetarian." A mischievous smirk spread across her face. "... unless you want to try some my 'special' meat?"

Her gaze lowered to the man's hand and she stood silent for a moment. "How much would you want for you hand?" she asked, raising her eyes to meet Owen's. There wasn't an ounce of sarcasm in her tone. "Or would you rather give me a foot instead? I don't mind either, but just let me know before we check out because I'll need different ingredients for different body parts."

Interactions: Owen ( Elenion Aura )

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

​

DETAILS​

___________________________________________Location___________________________________________
[North District: Ol' Pleasant Neighborhood]
(Albino Tigers' Mansion)
Main Foyer

__________________________________________Interacting__________________________________________
Grégoire Tanaka Caffeine_Obsessed

___________________________________________Wearing___________________________________________
Black Turtleneck Sweater + Black Jeans + White Wool Long Coat + Black Boots
(He wears a black leather glove on his right hand)
[Reference]
_________________________________________________________________________________________________​

As the nameless, faceless Tigers pile out of the room, a slow clapping bounces off of the high-risen walls.

Grégoire's face shows a condescending smile, and Chikage's--wide and wily--twitches at the corners with annoyance.

“Wow. Always the gentleman, Chikage. Clearing out a room just for me?"

Chikage's smile dwindles, slowly forming into a seething scowl as Grégoire continues.

"My my, if I’m not mistaken, would that mean that I hold a dear place in your heart?" he asks rhetorically, unphased by the growing tension in the air. A tension so dense that it threatens to break the walls by its increasing intensity.

A brief laugh sweeps Chikage's lips into a short-lived smile before, again, a nasty frown takes its place as he glares ahead at his greatest enemy.

"Get on with it," he gnaws, fists tight at his sides.

Grégoire runs a hand over his hair, smoothing it back, and sighs, saying, "Well, no matter. You are blessed to see me here because-" However, he hesitates to continue, and Chikage notices, studying with narrow eyes the sudden change in Grée's demeanor: arms crossed; no remaining trace of the smile he'd been sporting so confidently.

In that split second, Chikage tilts his chin high again, baring his teeth with satisfaction. "Go on..." he purrs.

Grégoire continues, "...because I have a favor to ask of you-"

And Chikage scoffs a laugh almost immediately, but he halts his words at the hand raised at him as the Serpents' Elder continues. "And don’t you go parading just yet, you ass."

As asked, Chikage waits. He's not about to risk wasting a chance at leashing obligations around the scaly neck of Century Lunique's killer.

"I-.. My sister. Misa, you remember her? Well. She’s hurt. And-" Grée fumbles with his words, tearing up as he chokes on the impending doom of his beloved sibling--but even so, he manages to carry on, explaining the situation further.

Drawing to a finish, he pleas in one final issue of desperation, "..I... Will do anything you ask. I’ll even cut off my own tongue for you for one of your healers to heal my sister."

A stream of wetness streaks the Serpents cheek; a single tear dropping from his jaw into a slow descent toward the marble floor.

Chikage's focus narrows in on the tear, then when its descent has finished, something within him snaps, and he lifts a hand to hide the sickening pleasure on his face, apparent only by the squinting of his ruby reds. But then, the deep bubbling of sheer joy in his throat that seeps between his fingers on a laugh.

"You-... You're joking, right?" Chikage lowers his hand, hovering it in front of his chest--palm up, fingers relaxed.

Never would he have imagined this day.

"Ha! Taaanaka! I'd sooner mistake you for that pestering little boy that lurks where he shouldn't." Chikage refers to Pablo. Stepping closer, "Now, I know you to be a slimy bastard, so I never thought..." he traces a gloved finger up the streak down Grégoire's cheek, purposefully testing his patience, then shortly after pretending to inspect the wetness, he flicks it away and chuckles, "I never thought you were human."

Another laugh bursts from Chikage's lungs, but it dies quickly.

He reaches up and rakes his fingers halfway through his hair before stopping it still tangled within the strands, peering sinisterly down at the other, reveling in this impossible moment.

Then, softly, he declares his conditions, "A life for a life."

 

[GrieveWriter]

Vice
Sable Serpents- Junior
Location: Hutch's Hut ==> La Grante Hotel
Interaction/Mention: Doctor Llamabean (Malik) FabulousTrash (Jaiden)
There were many things that Vice was deceptively good at, one of which was being able to clean herself up. After half an hour of absolutely annihilating any trace of the cheesy fries, one wouldn't expect her to walk out of Hutch's Hut looking as though she'd just stepped out of a spa. It was one of the wonders of being fluid and flexible, excusing herself to the bathroom for a quick mirror session was all she really needed to make herself look professional. Finally making full use of the formal wear she sported. Whilst cleaning up, she'd busied herself with mulling over the particular angles of this mission.

She'd seen it in their reactions, she wasn't the only one viewing their assignment with a degree of confusion. Some knew more than others, but it definitely tickled her interest that Gree was leaving them all out of the loop in one way or another. Being on equal playing fields was essential for on the fly coordination, after all. But more than that, it gave her another angle to approach things from in the future. As Vice ran her fingers through her hair, she made sure to file that little tidbit away in her mind palace for further perusal.

It wasn't time to be thinking that stuff over, now was the time to be Ace.

With the goal of merely establishing a good rapport set before her, she emerged from Hutch's Hut whilst rifling through the metal case she had. She hadn't really done much in the bathroom before massing the area around her eyes and moistening her hair a bout. A dab of water rubbed into a lower lip after a paper towel was used to ensure the removal of any trace of her snack, and a different posture adopted in comparison to the usual lazy stride she had. If she were merely acting as the Ace, she probably wouldn't have put any effort in physical presentation. But a business-savvy advertiser knew better than to leave their appearance untouched when trying to coerce a certain reaction from someone.

So business Vice joined Malik and Jaiden outside instead of regular ole Vice, wordlessly popping several small tablets into her mouth before closing the metal case and taking the lead as requested before they began making their way to the La Grante hotel. As they approached, Vice made sure to take in the grandeur of the locale as they drew close. But despite the way it loomed over them with all of its splendor, Vice frowned as she examined it. Not slowing down, it wasn't long before the trio found themselves entering the main lobby of the La Grante Hotel. The ostentatious presentation of its external facilities paled in comparison to the inner workings: shiny rails on the stairs, expensive looking rugs, chandeliers, the whole shebang.

"Drink it in, brothers." she commented to the others upon entry "We're swimming in the belly of opulence here, a far cry from home, isn't it?"

But the clientele? The clientele were a whole other thing, especially since Vice recognized a good number of them. But they weren't here for any regular corrupt official or sleazy high-roller, they had a specific target in mind: Deelo Sabat. Investment Banker, secret drug lord, a rather influential figure who was often accompanied by hired muscle from Martial Armaments. Whether it be a boon or a blessing, finding him once entering the La Grante was rather simple, now they were in the game phase.

 

[Nobody Special]

AKIRA SENDO
"Inari"
Albino Tigers |Senior / Bodyguard|Jinx: Item Teleportation
Location: West District, Ruby Revenants Hotel
Interacting: Lucy ( BriiAngelic )
________________________________________________________________________________

"My my trying to get me to a hotel on our first date. And here I thought you were a gentleman." for some reason, Lucy's words caught Akira off guard. He looked at her for a second, obviously puzzled, but smiled once she revealed that she was joking. While she tapped away on her phone, Akira peeked over the wall again to get a better look at the building. If his plan was going to work, he needed to find a weak point of entry for them to get in through. And so, he stared. A few seconds passed, and those seconds turned into minutes. It had been about 2 minutes before he finally moved again, rising to his feet and gently gripping Lucy's wrist to guide her behind him.

As they snuck around the perimeter of the building, making sure to remain crouched should anyone be occupying one of the rooms on the first floor, Akira wasn't nervous at all. To him, it was like messing around on your own turf. While he hadn't technically been a Revenant for years, he still felt the most comfortable in the West District, and it was almost impossible to detect any hint of nervousness on him at the moment. Though he had to remember that although one of his main ulterior motives was returning glory to the Revenants, that he and Lucy would both still be in serious trouble if they were caught snooping around. The things I do for a good asset. He'd have to scold himself later for getting himself in such an unusual situation all for the sake of getting closer with this girl. For now, however, it was time to get on her good side.

They came to a halt, and he released her wrist, reaching inside of his jacket and pulling out a needle. He took a quick glance at it, making sure it was one that was good enough for the job, before nodding and looking up. Above them, on the second story of the hotel, was a boarded up window. Once he had spotted it back when they were crouched behind the wall, he knew that it would be perfect for getting in-- as long as his accuracy was on his side today. A grain of rice was definitely going to fly away with the cold winter breeze, but the thicker, heavier needle he was holding? It was perfect. He never carried too many of these types, however, so he would have to make his shot count. Without wasting another second, he reeled his arm back, and sent the needle flying. Luckily for him, it slipped right through one of the openings between the plywood being used to board up the window, which prompted him to pump his fist in the air in fake-excitement. "Keep your guard up," he started, looking back to Lucy. "There may be someone in that room. Don't worry, though. I'll protect you." he placed his hand on her shoulder, and in another flash, they were in the hotel room.

...Right, she's going to be dizzy again. Damn it, I'm not thinking right today.

Immediately, Akira's hand zipped into his jacket, gripping a needle in case anyone was in the room, but quickly relaxed when he realized it was empty, and the door was closed. It was fully furnished, albeit obviously abandoned, with typical hotel wallpaper and a television resting on a stand. It was clear that the rooms hadn't been on the receiving end of proper maintenance in moths, maybe even years. He reached over to keep Lucy stable and prevent her from falling, while keeping his eyes glued on the door, still ready to take out anyone he saw. "Okay, we're in. Anything specific you'd like to take a look at? Or is this all the thrill you needed?" he smiled, loosening his grip once he knew she was alright. "I wonder if the Elder has an office? Where could it be..."​

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

​

DETAILS​

___Jinx___
Corrosion
He can corrode and disintegrate things by touch at a rate of one or two-inches-per-second.

______________________________________________Location______________________________________________
(South District)
[Random Neighborhood]
Random Ramshackle Abode [Reference]

Contrary to the reference image, the ramshackle building is under construction--though, the construction has temporarily been halted for personal reasons by the new owner of the property. One of the front windows has been shattered. Where another road can be seen in the image beside the building, this is actually the property's parking lot in the story. There is a long chain connecting two concrete posts that's blocking the entrance to the said parking lot in order to keep people from loitering for the time being until the business is up and running. The parking lot is littered with different construction equipment.

_____________________________________________Interacting_____________________________________________
Yelena Zaytseva Elenion Aura

______________________________________________Wearing______________________________________________
Tightly Fitted Spandex Shirt + Black Cargo Pants + White Belt + Black, Red, and White Sneakers
[Reference]
[Crowbar Saw]

Since he's shirtless, the hand-shaped scar on Eustass' right hip can be seen. By appearance, it's like a bruise that never fades, but upon closer inspection the skin is hard and cracked, dry and rough to the touch.

Due to his recent fight, almost the entirety of his back is reddened and blistered with burns, as are the palms of his hands and his right cheek.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________​

Eustass doesn't fear consequences.

That winter night, mid-January--the coldest night he can remember despite there being no snow--he didn't fear the consequences of killing his stepfather, nor his mother after that.

As he abandoned his decrepit apartment, covered in the ashes of his only family, he didn't think about getting caught or where to go or who to go to.

No.

He wondered why his Jinx hadn't come sooner.

Through the abuse and neglect, his mind became contaminated; thus he vanished into the night believing that all people are evil no matter the meins with which they present themselves. Every smile belies a hatred, and every good deed is done for self-satisfaction, or to hold over others.

And so, Eustass wears his boiling hatred inside-out for all to see. His undying, ever-growing abhorrence toward people.

The poor boy knows no better.

Wide golden hues lock with gaping cold blues as an eternity of silence fills the room. Stifling still, the air is, and while many might consider the idea of a sauna in the winter to be pleasant, the steam lingering about is no manner of relaxation to Eustass per the sticky sweat that's burning the torn blisters on his back.

If he didn't know any better, he'd think he fell backwards down a slide covered in battery acid. Though, thinking about it, he cannot decide which is worse.

"...You... Vant to... Find out?" Yelena asks.

Immediately, Eustass recognizes this as a threat. He lunges forward; however, his face suddenly meets the floor. Hard. Then, he's abruptly hoisted up by the ankle, hanging upside down and dangling within the now-recovered Armond's grasp.

Realizing his helplessness, Eustass squirms, releasing an involuntary whimper as he swats and grabs for the powerful yet enervated man.

"L-L-L-LLL-LLLET ME GO!" His otherwise demanding and growly voice is anything but--rather, a weak plea as flashes of his past taunt his memory. A trapped mouse, once again, as he's been before by his stepfather's hand.

"NONONONONONONONONONONO- LET ME- LET ME GO!" Eustass cries, flickering expressions of anger and fear playing peekaboo on his features.

Armond laughs, "Would'ja look at that!"

Eustass writhes, panicking, "LET ME GO- LET ME GO- LET ME- LET ME GO!"

Armond only laughs harder, swinging Eustass around like a toy before tossing him aside, staggering somewhat when he does, then turning to Yelena.

The boy thuds onto the floor and scrambles away until his back is against the leftmost wall from the entrance of the building, gasping for breath and trembling to the bone while Armond picks up his broken bat and straightens his spine. He points the weapon's jagged end at the Russian woman, declaring, "Caught me off guard, there..." As intimidating as he may appear, the coughs that escape him hint at his weakened state. So does the soft hissing from the releasing steam that's denying his control.

It's obvious that he doesn't have much fight left in him.

Even so... "DIE, BITCH!" Armond zips to the right, Yelena's left, in order to throw her off guard, hopefully tricking any predictions she might have had that he would attack head-on. In doing so, he sends out a few streams of boiling steam to his left, Yelena's right. They twirl through the air, honing in on her from behind as Armond continues his approach, readying his bat.

 

[Nobody Special]

Vulken Beckman
"Draken"
Ruby Revenants |Senior| Jinx: Incinerator
Location: West District, Ruby Revenants Hotel
Interacting: Anita ( Doctor Llamabean )
________________________________________________________________________________

As he patiently waited, propped up against a wall, he pulled out his phone to check for notifications. Nothing. He had at least expected a text from his brother to tell him that he had his number, at least a simple "Boltius" or some other kind of confirmation, but his screen was blank, nowhere near as active and loud as it had been back in his early Revenant days. But he never liked it that way, did he?

Boltius' phone must have been dead. He was obviously drunk yesterday, and when you're wasted, you tend to forget about the little things like charging your phone and changing clothes before you go to bed. Things like that even carry over into hangovers. He smiled to himself. "My little brother's gettin' drunk..." he sighed, raising a hand to his forehead, only to slide his palm down his face in frustration. "...And I missed all of that. You're a fucking idiot, Vulken." he continued to berate himself for another brief period-- probably looking like someone who'd lost their mind, especially to the newer recruits who had no idea who he was. Hell, he was practically a new recruit himself. He didn't recognize a single person in the hotel.

He groaned out loud. The mixture of guilt, grief, and regret were obviously starting to get to him. "Need a cig..." As he did back at Boltius' apartment, he patted his pockets-- only to reach the same conclusion he had about 30 minutes ago. He didn't bring any with him. Groaning once again, he put both of his hands on his face, but his disconsolate expression quickly switched to a surprised one when his thumb gently brushed against something behind his ear. He poked it again, just to make sure he wasn't crazy, and pulled it out, looking at it. Damn sure, it was a Viceroy cigarette, his favorite brand. Did he really have that thing behind his ear this whole time? he probably looked like an idiot, walking around town like some 16 year old who wanted to let the whole world know he smoked. Fuck you, past Vulken. After he cursed out his past self for, at some point, putting the cigarette behind his ear, he pulled out his handy plasma-lighter and ignited it, enjoying the smoke rush into his lungs before exhaling. God bless you, past Vulken!

"Yoo-hoo~! Did you wait long?"

His next puff was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice calling out to him. The surprise made him choke on the smoke, coughing plumes of white for a second before composing himself and looking at the person he'd somehow let sneak up on him. Her face was an automatic relief, and he softly smiled at her. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the lovely Anita Boston. Feels good to finally put a face to a name." he looked down at his cigarette, frowning at it before reluctantly tossing it on the ground and immediately stepping on it. His respect for the hotel would come back with time. Reaching into his pants pocket, he pulled out a pack of gum, taking out a strip, unwrapping it, and tossing it into his mouth to quickly get rid of the lingering smell of tobacco before it decided to stay. "Even if I did wait long, I'd have forgotten about it the second I caught a glimpse of a beauty like you." he extended his hand out to her, hoping that his choking fit hadn't made her too uncomfortable for a shake. "Name's Vulken. I'd appreciate if you called me Draken, though. Kind of a comfort thing."​

 

[GrieveWriter]

Deli
Sapphire Dragons- Senior
Location: East District ==> South District ==> En route to Meat Packing Plant
Interaction/Mention: Available

There are fourteen hundred and forty minutes in one single day, five-hundred thousand twenty-five thousand and six hundred every year. If there was one great misfortune that Deli found with life above all else, it was that people weren't able to spend every single one of them working.

The body just wouldn't cooperate with such efforts, requiring breaks in order to sleep, eat, digest and recuperate from excessive exertion. It wasn't able to spend every moment in a state of exertion, such a state was simply impossible. But damn it if Deli wasn't going to try for it anyway, as he felt uncomfortable considering any other alternative. He just couldn't understand the desire to relax that so many seemed to have, as he could never stand being idle for too long even as a youth. If he wasn't being productive then he wasn't living, and if he wasn't living then why pretend to be anything else?

It was notions like this which he kept to heart even as he clocked out of one of his many, many jobs as a delivery man. Whereas others would find their routes blocked or inaccessible due to the many unforeseen factors that could plague a modern transit system, Deli wouldn't be as much of a renown workaholic if he let such things as a traffic jam or attempts on his life from rival gangs to slow him down. A job was a job, and a true worker does everything in their power to see its completion.

Which was why as he sped through backyards and back alleys on his scooter, swerving through lawn ornaments and pulling maneuvers over anything he couldn't simply weave past, he felt absolutely no semblance of hesitation or regret. Workers saw their jobs done, after all, and as long as nobody was hurt who cared if a couple backyard slides got nicked or a fence got broken? As he skidded in front of the suburban house that was his destination he leaped off his vehicle package in hand before skidding to a stop at the base of the front steps and leaping up all three at once. Ringing the doorbell with two whole minutes to spare.

A man in a sleep robe pulled open the door after a few moments and yawned, "Who...? What is this?"

"The Pizza you ordered, sir." Deli offered the package "I hope my timing wasn't inconvenient for you."

The man leaned back to check a clock he had on his wall, "I ordered that like... five minutes ago."

"Haste is part of the motto, sir." Deli said with a slight bow

"The lady on the phone said it'd be thirty minutes."

Deli shook his head, "Anything more than a sixth of that can't really be considered haste now can it?" he pulled a small pad out of his coat "That'll be fourteen bucks and thirty eight cents, would you be paying in cash or credit?"

Honestly, thirty minutes to cook and deliver a pizza? They already kept most of the ovens preheated during work hours, why did everyone seem convinced that a quicker timeframe wasn't possible? Even his manager had seemed convinced that such a notion was impossible, no matter how many times Deli did it. He'd probably see such low expectations as a sin to replace this job with another, but they had stayed in business despite their original home office getting swept away during the West District Tsunami. Their willingness to move out to the East District and continue their aspirations was exactly what drove Deli to sign up after all, and he couldn't just leave determinations like that behind.

After clocking out, he swapped jackets as he prepared for his next job: being a somewhat different kind of delivery man. This job required even more movement and had far more danger, but a job was a job and this particular one didn't endanger any civilians despite the danger it brought to him. Swapping his phone for an ear piece, he hopped on his scooter and took off for a nondistinctive dumpster beside a strip of small stores. Behind said dumpster, he found his package: a sealed tube that needed to go somewhere fast.

Luckily for both him, his employer and the client, haste was something he knew intimately.

The dangers of the job being that he needed to pass through certain unsavory areas to reach the package's destination. But for the South District, the entire place was like one big unsavory area. He lived there for much of his life, so its not as though he wasn't use to the general neglect this district of New Oasis faced constantly. It wasn't even the reason he'd left in the first place. No, he tended to avoid his home district specifically because the disrepair and violence made it extremely hard for him to hold down the immense number of jobs he needed to feel satisfied.

But going through it occasionally because of a job was far more manageable. As such, he zipped off into the south district looking for a meat packing plant known as Ray Ray's Meats. The package needed to be stuffed into a light fixture there, and Deli was just the right man for such a delivery. But while he made his way through the South District, he couldn't help but check around to see how the place had held up since his last visit. It had only been two days since a job led him through there, but ever since joining the Sapphire Dragons he'd come to truly understand just how much could happen in only two days.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Artemis "Arty" Barfield, a.k.a. Fontaine
"Let the games begin!"​

As was common for her while growing up, Artemis was bored. She stared out of the window of her small, dingy apartment with a sigh, watching the people of the South District going about their business on the street. The ginger wanted so bad to hunt, yet all her potential targets were boring. They were just average civilians trying to make ends meet, working whatever grueling 9 - 5 they had and then probably going to a second job to work another shift after. Hunting them would be as simple as slaughtering cattle. They wouldn't easily be able to run, hide, resist, or retaliate, and there was no fun in the hunt without a challenge.

Her blue eyes then fell on a man on a scooter, one who was an all too familiar face whenever she was people watching from her window. Her eyes narrowed on him. Usually he wore some sort of uniform and was presumably running some delivery for whatever company he was working for. She was used to seeing different logos on each of his shirts every time she saw him, imagining he worked more than the folks who had to work doubles just to survive. Today, he only wore a regular jacket though. Was it his day off? No, he still seemed to be in the regular haste she had seen him in. Perhaps he was eager to see a friend or attend an event? Artemis had her doubts though. The pace he was going at didn't seem to be one of excitement but rather urgency. Perhaps he was working a more covert detail.

The eighteen-year-old couldn't help but compare his speed to that of a cheetah. She remembered when she was just fourteen her father took her on one a safari, and they had to chase their mark. It certainly gave them quite a run for their money, which was to be expected from the world's fastest animal. This man, though, seemed as if he could just about outrun a cheetah. The idea of chasing after him caused a giddy grin to appear on the woman's face.

She quickly packed up her bag, stowing away her trusty crossbow along with an ample amount of bolts, all while keeping her eye on the man from her window. She prepared herself to use her typical technique by de-aging to appear as she did when she was only nine years old. Finally, she strapped a hunting knife to her outer thigh, allowing the fabric of her white dress to fall over it. With her preparations made, she hurried out of the apartment.

The delivery boy was fast, but thankfully the street Artemis lived on didn't have many twists an turns. She could she him in the distance and noticed he would come up to a fork in the road. Once she saw which direction he would take, the woman, now little girl, hurried to find a shortcut to the path in hopes of intercepting him. The shorter legs of her younger self made running more difficult, but eventually, using the adjacent streets and alleys, she managed to get ahead of the man on his path.

The ginger peeked around the corner to see him fast approaching. She would only have one opportunity to do this, and taking note of his speed, she knew she needed to act fast. As the distance between they closed, she ran forward into his path, feigning unawareness by looking straight ahead and giggling. At the last minute, she turned to face with and did her best to fake a surprised expression, preparing herself for the collision.

When she was hit, she tumbled to the side and rolled a few times. The pain was certainly real, and after the accident she found herself covered in scrapes. Her main concern was not with the state of her body though, but rather her crossbow. While rolling, she had ended up on top of her backpack a few times, though was confident in the quality of her weaponry. On top of that, her weight was sufficiently less in her child form as an adult.

Wincing a bit, she moved to sit up, her new wounds actually making it somewhat difficult. She started tearing up and then sobbing loudly, doing her best to mimic an actual child who had gotten hurt, trying to draw the delivery boy to help.

Interactions: Deli ( GrieveWriter )

 

[Doctor Llamabean]

​

DETAILS​

___Jinx___
Sensorial Link
He can bind a person to himself or someone else, causing them to mimic his or another person's physical disturbances. He may also heal his own injuries once per link, but only the injuries inflicted upon him during that link.

_____________________________________________Location_____________________________________________
(Rose District)
La Grante Hotel

____________________________________________Interacting____________________________________________
Vicky Burnomi GrieveWriter , Jaiden Wilson FabulousTrash

______________________________________________Wearing______________________________________________
Yellow and White Striped Button-Up Shirt + Black Slacks + Black Dress Shoes + Wrist Watch
[Reference]
[His Bike - Harley Davidson Fat Bob 107] [Helmet]

His face is busted up pretty bad--mostly the left side. Bruised, scuffed, and swollen cheek; somewhat of a black eye; and his lip is cut, sort of swollen too.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________​

Malik, himself, is a drug dealer, known throughout the district as "Voodoo", so you can imagine he's heard of the infamous Deelo Sabat once or twice.

Never paid him much thought, though.

At this point, it seems he'll never have to. After all, they're trying to sell him fake synthetic drugs, as well as steal some antique firearm he's come to New Oasis to add to his collection, so Malik can only imagine that the end-game results in the fall of this Mister Sabat.

He, Vice, and Ares are simply the pawns to set things in motion and open up the playing field for the rest of the pieces involved.

He's the only one that doesn't vanish to the bathroom to wash up, not really interested in seeing the bruises on his face again. Instead, he swipes a cheap napkin across his lips and heads outside to stand by his bike, holding his helmet under an arm with a cigarette between his lips.

In the meantime, waiting on Jaiden ("Ares") and Vicky ("Vice"), he studies the details of their assignment in the group-chat made by Grée.

So Deelo's expecting us... Doesn't know what we look like... "Vice" is playing Ace... We're establishing an agreement... One of Deelo's personal bodyguards is on our side... How many guards will be there, though? What about guests? Nah, he wouldn't... Malik's eyebrows pinch together. He might.

The time for analysis is over when "Ares" and "Vice" are seen exiting the restaurant, at which point Malik stomps out his cigarette and dons his helmet, following behind "Vice" at an even pace with "Ares" to his right.

The wearing of his helmet is simply because he doesn't feel like carrying it--and one would be foolish to ask why he doesn't leave it with his bike--but he removes it upon entering La Grante Hotel moments later, once again tucking it under an arm as he takes in the magnificence of the place; though, the appearance of resplendence and luxury is nothing new to his way of life as a con-artist.

"Drink it in, brothers." Vicky comments. "We're swimming in the belly of opulence here, a far cry from home, isn't it?"

Malik scoffs, "Smells like fraud and mendacity to me. Bunch of nefarious wealthymen flaunting their gains to disguise the similarities between them and the poor. My dad fucked with sex-trafficking. The hounds don't care if your wallet's full or not- a body's a body. We all bleed the same... Tch- How much you wanna bet each tenant here's no less criminal-worthy than me."

 

[GrieveWriter]

Deli
Sapphire Dragons- Senior
Location: South District Alleyway
Interaction/Mention: Anne Boolean (Arty)​

There were few things that could truly cause Deli to stop while he was working. He'd soldiered through junkie ambushes, police chases, and attempts on his life from rival gangs. While all of these could be worked around with enough grit and determination, the little girl that ran out in front of him from out of nowhere was not one of them. There wasn't even a chance for Deli to move out of the way or vocalize a warning, she just darted out in front of his scooter smiling in blissful ignorance until looking towards Deli in surprise. The Scooter collided with her side and sent her spinning to the ground, rolling a bit before collapsing into a heap at the side of the alley.

Deli looked back to her as he slowed to a stop, closing his eyes and grunting as he checked the time. He refused to be late, but he wasn't about to leave a civilian with potentially life-threatening injuries. Though he'd clipped her, the speed at which he'd struck would be enough to leave even adults critically injured. And so he capitulated, bringing his scooter to a stop as his form seemed to shimmer for a split second. After he finished shimmering, an identical copy of himself pulled away from him and approached the downed girl, with Deli keeping track of his time while Doppel-Deli approached the downed girl and took stock of the damage.

"Hey, don't try moving too much, okay?" Doppel-Deli said as he approached "You could have a few fractures and those'll hurt way more, trust me."

He slowed his approach as he drew near, not wanting the wounded girl to panic by being to hasty. It was a direct contrast to the nigh anxious manner by which Deli was checking the time as he drummed his fingers on the handle of his scooter. Doppel-Deli tried to take stock of her injuries from where he stood, but already things weren't looking up. She seemed to have trouble moving if her attempts at rising were anything go off of. Leaving a girl like this wounded in a South District alley way was almost begging for a kidnapping, and Deli knew that he'd have to at least move her out of the alley if not to a hospital.

"I'm sorry, really sorry hon, but you've got to be strong here." he kneeled before gesturing to her "Where does it hurt the most? Are your parents near here?"

Deli hoped beyond hope that they were, otherwise he'd have to take her to a clinic himself. But the parents would have to be nearby, wouldn't they? The South District wasn't exactly a place where any self-respecting parent would allow their child to run around unsupervised. But then again, South District wasn't exactly known for its model citizenry, and the idea of negligent caretakers neglecting their daughter and losing her to the streets was far from impossible. If he could just get her to tell him where her guardians were, or maybe at least if she had trustworthy friends he could take her to.

Because dumping her right next to a clinic was not something he wanted to do, even if he slid her some funds for any treatment costs.

As Deli contemplated how he was going to remedy the situation in a timely manner, Doppel-Deli offered her a hand as he tried to examine her injuries, offering comforting words as he did so to try and calm the child down.

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Matsuda Russo
“Ticco”

Shaking the water from his hair (like a wet dog), Matsuda laughed at himself. He was undoubtedly hilarious. He sighed and muttered under his breath, “..I could be a comedian one day, I swear.” Shaking his head and laughing once more, Matsuda heads into his bedroom to throw on some clothes. He didn’t think he needed to wear anything special for this, other gang members should just be normal human beings- not some TV Show mobsters or shit like that.

As he went to collect his phone from the couch, Matsuda realized Boltius still hadn't seen his messages. The hell? He would never just leave Matsuda on read. Wait- shit. He might be in danger!.. Then again, it’s Boltius he could handle himself. There wasn’t any need to worry.. well- there wasn’t much need to worry. Clearing his throat, he shook his head of such thoughts. He’s sure Boltius is fine, Matsuda needs to be on his A-game if they are gonna do this. They were going into much bigger threats than Boltius not reading his messages. With that in mind, he puts on his shoes and heads out the door to start the day-err.. Afternoon.

Matsuda arrived at Boltius’ and Brielle’s apartment, with a brownie halfway eaten. He just couldn’t resist when he saw it sitting inside a cafe, marinating in its own deliciousness. In fact, he bought a whole bag of the finger-lickin freshly made brownies- out of pure impulse once he got a taste. Stuffing the rest of the soft delectable sweet in his mouth, he knocked a small beginning portion of Mozart’s “A little night music” on the door.

Interactions: Boltius - Doctor Llamabean
​

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​

​

 

[Elenion Aura]

​

SONIC​

Saito Tadashi

Tadashi rolled his eyes at Kimiko's seemingly endless string of questions. Did she already forget that they were here on official business? Good grief... He shot her a look back as if to say, What? I'm not the one pestering our host with silly questions!

The twins were humoring Kimiko her questions, which, if Tadashi was being fair, he would have done too. She was a good kid at heart, from what he could tell. At least the Dragons could do far worse... Tadashi thanked Kasumi in Japanese for the tea. It seemed only the proper thing to do. He tried his best to always remember his manners, but around Kanna and Kasumi, he couldn't have forgotten them if he'd tried. There was something just so... Orderly about them. So much so that they seemed to be able to inspire it in others.

Tadashi took a sip of his tea as Kanna explained the situation, and specifically, why they had roped Kasumi in. Ow, ow, ow! Too hot!! Tadashi tried to keep his face neutral to not disrupt the proceedings, but the inside of his mouth was on fire. Why did he think it would be cool enough to drink yet?!

In short order Tadashi regained his full composure, just in time to watch Kasumi's Jinx in action. He marvelled as the smart phone blinked to life and was suddenly a blur of activity, its screen moving and switching applications faster than Tadashi's eyes could register. Could Kasumi really consume information at that speed? Incredible...

When Kasumi started speaking again, Tadashi felt his heart drop. Emily. He didn't know anyone by that name--thank goodness--but, still. Was Emily... Probably. Why else would she have left her phone at the scene if she hadn't... If she wasn't... Tadashi's throat felt dry. It was too much, too awful to think about.

A memory flashed before his eyes. A young boy was reading to him from a book of stories about a monster terrorizing a small village in the mountains. The heroes of the story--shamans from the neighboring province--vowed to capture the monster, and investigated its grisly deeds for years to no avail. Until one day they discovered that the creature behind the killings had not been a creature at all, but a normal person. The memories of the story faded, but the boy's face remained, the imaged burning itself into his mind. Tadashi wondered why he'd remember his brother at a time like this.

"Thanks, Kasumi." Tadashi spoke, if only to clear the thoughts from his head. He stood up and stretched, his tea simmering where he'd left it. "...Should we get going, then?" He asked, trying to hide how crestfallen he felt behind a guise of action.

Tags: Nobody Special (Kimiko) FabulousTrash (Kanna, Kasumi)

 

[Elenion Aura]

FULCRUM​

Owen Mathias

Owen hated grocery shopping. He'd never successfully gone grocery shopping without forgetting at least one essential. "Make a list, Owen!" Owen hears you say. Fool. He does make a list. He checks it twice, like his name is Kris Kringle. It's a karmic joke of the universe that he's come to accept as his immutable reality. Not to mention the lines, the people, the carts with the squeaky wheels, the people. Hence, in a nut shell, his dislike of grocery shopping.

To make matters worse, or better (the jury was still out), Owen wasn't alone. No. He had a fellow Revenant with him. Fellow was a stretch, since he'd hardly consider himself a Revenant anymore. Though, maybe that was about to change. Maybe he didn't have a choice. She had a list, too. From the looks of it, maybe Owen ought to ask her to do his grocery shopping for him from now on. Or at least, help compose his lists. "Sounds delightful." He grumbled in monotone, trying his best to avoid direct eye-contact. Even before the schism, he'd never been buddy-buddy with this girl. And the way she was acting right now made him suspicious. Speaking of... Why did he agree to go grocery shopping with her in the first place?!

"Food's fine." Owen added in a tone that did not invite further conversation... Though, he had a feeling this one had never let that stop her a day in her life. He tuned her out for the most part, until he heard some weird shit, and his focus snapped back to reality like a taut spring. He looked her dead on. "My what?!" Despite his outburt, her question wasn't exactly a surprise to him. He may not have been as 'in-the-know' as someone of his compatriots, he'd still heard the rumors about this one. More than rumors, really. Had he subconsciously hoped to not find out first hand? Maybe... Score 1, reality. Score 0, Owen's subconscious.

"Can't believe I'm about to say this out loud, but, for the record, none of my body parts are for sale. Ask again and I'm outta here. Capisce?"

God, he hated this town.

Tags: Anne Boolean (Ady)

 

[Anne Boolean]

Artemis "Arty" Barfield, a.k.a. Fontaine
"The situation has become much more interesting..."​

As she heard footsteps come towards her, Arty rubbed her eyes dry. She stayed sitting, looking up at the man when he spoke to her. She blinked when she saw the duplicate still sitting on the moped behind him. So that was his secret. Of course he could move around so quickly if there were two of him. She concluded it was his jinx, although Artemis did entertain the idea of them being twins who dress the same in her mind for a few seconds. Learning that this man wasn't actually super speedy or teleporting or something did lower her enthusiasm for a moment, but it went right back up when she realized she would need to figure out which one's the real one. This could still be a challenging hunt yet.

"Here..." she said between sniffles as she held her left side. It was the side on which the collision took place. Thankfully, the moped had only given her the vehicular equivalent of a love tap since the delivery boy had managed to mostly stop by the time he hit her. If she had jumped out any later, he would have been able to fully stop, and if she had jumped out any earlier, well... she certainly wouldn't have been able to continue with this charade, even if she did manage to live.

When he asked about her parents, she sniffled and gave a small nod. "My mommy and daddy said I was old enough to walk home from school by myself... my house is only about five minutes away." Her apartment was indeed close, but she planned on leading him to a familiar alley instead, claiming she was told to enter through the backdoor. Before that though, she had to deal with the duplicate situation.

She hesitantly took the man's hand and let her help him up, letting out pained grunts and groans. Many of them were just for show, but many of them were also real. "Mr... I think I hit my head too hard..." the ginger said, looking up at him. "I see two of you..." She innocently pointed to the one sitting on the moped.

Interactions: Deli ( GrieveWriter )

 

[GrieveWriter]

Deli
Sapphire Dragons- Senior
Location: South District Alleyway
Interaction/Mention: Anne Boolean (Arty)

As she answered his questions, Deli found his distress steadily but assuredly decreasing. Doppel-Deli wasn't finding the grievous wounds he'd been expecting, instead finding that this young girl suffered harsh bruises from the impact. It was good news for him as, save for internal injuries not readily apparent, she would most likely recover well with proper oversight. However, he was unsure whether she'd receive that kind of oversight if he brought her to her parents. When she'd initially said that they lived about five minutes away, he had been ecstatic as that wouldn't cut into his schedule at all. But when she passed along their excuse for letting her out on her own, both Deli and Doppel-Deli simultaneously narrowed their eyes.

He'd lived in the South District long enough to know the score, carelessness was an open invitation to be preyed upon by the district's worse individuals. When you were young, you had to be either street-smart enough to keep out of dangerous scenarios, group up with others to cover individual weaknesses, or simply have a jinx strong enough to dissuade any foul actors. There weren't any other kids around that he could spot, and this child was far too distracted for him to consider her street-smart. His scooter may not be a gas-guzzling motorcycle, but it should've been more than loud enough for anyone on the block to hear it coming. She might not have been able to hear it over her own giggling, but that just made it worst in his eyes.

As Doppel-Deli helped her up, Deli himself cast his eyes over the alley around him. What had gotten her so happy that she wouldn't have been able to hear an incoming scooter over her own laughter? He couldn't remember many times when he felt such joy in this District, if anything the place just made it harder for him to get work done. But his peers, his classmates could laugh and enjoy things. The cause for their enjoyment despite the environment was rather straightforward: Mischief. Most of the kids from his school were always getting up to some mischief here and there, taking after the District itself.

The thought made both Delis narrow their eyes again, for all they knew this girl had just gotten away with swiping a candy bar or two from a convenience store. That mental image made everything click together a bit more, the oddities of the situation. But even if that were true, it still didn't mean he could leave her unattended. He took a breath before glancing away, he'd drop off her off with some condolence funds and be back on schedule in the blink of an eye.

Hearing the pained sounds she made as he helped her up, Deli threw out the idea of letting her walk on her own. She'd be limping most of the way if her injuries hurt as badly as she was making them out to be. Even if they weren't, his legs would be able to go far faster than her little limbs would be able to carry her. So as she voiced her confusion over the fact that there were two of them, he knelt down beside her.

"That's nothing to worry about," Deli said as he looked back to her "just something I do."

"If anything it means your head's doing better than the rest of you." Doppel-Deli continued as he scooped the young girl into his arms and turned around, mindful of her injuries. "Point me in the direction of your home, I'll get you to your folks as soon as I can."

 

[Anne Boolean]

Artemis "Arty" Barfield, a.k.a. Fontaine
"I require a strategy..."​

When Artemis noticed the man's eyes narrowing, she had to keep herself from doing the same. Instead, she did her best to put on an innocent and curious face, her gaze shifting between the two clones. Had he suspected something was a miss? Or had he caught on to her plans? The ginger's suspicions only increased when his eyes narrowed yet again.

"Ooh..." she responded to the one still on the moped when he spoke, feigning awestruck eyes. "Is that your jinx, Mister? I haven't gotten mine yet. I hope I have one that's as cool as yours!" The girl gave a cheerful smile.

When the man picked her up, Artemis's eyes widened. If she was in his arms, she would be completely prone. There would be no way she could reach into her backpack and pull out her crossbow. Perhaps she could only use her knife for this mark. He was close enough for that to be the case. Perhaps she could catch him off guard by suddenly returning to her real age and use the extra weight to push him down on the ground. His physique made it evident that he was quite strong though, and she was certain her own frame even at fully grown wouldn't be nearly as heavy.

There was also the matter of his duplication jinx. At first, the woman was just assuming it was an illusion, but seeing how one of them was able to pick her up, that may not be the case. Then again, perhaps the one still sitting on the moped was the double.

"Um... okay," she responded, looking at the man holding her before turning to the doppelganger. "What about him?" She paused for a moment before asking again. "Is he real...?"

Interactions: Deli ( GrieveWriter )

 

[Elenion Aura]

Царица​

Yelena Zaytseva

Yelena was ready for Eustass this time. She would teach him not to make idle threats. So focused on the boy, Yelena failed to notice the big man begin to stir. Until it was too late. Armond rose, a dangling Eustass in his grasp. The boy’s voice sounded different, more mewling and desperate than she’d become accustomed to. In a flash of weakness, she almost caught herself pitying him. Armond tossed the boy aside, his body rag-dolling through the air before landing hard on the floor.

Emboldened once more by their leader’s charismatic rise, the other goons approached Eustass where he had skidded, peering down at him with smug, victorious faces.

Yelena could do nothing for him now. She already had her hands well and full with the reinvigorated Armond. His attack caught her off guard for how unorthodox it was. She hadn’t thought the man capable of formulating a plan of attack involving anything other than charging blindly forward. Her Jinx was not suited to respond to fast attacks or assailants rapidly changing direction. Her only option was to retreat a little ways, as the columns of steam coming for her from the rear caught her in the forearm and immediately seared the fabric of her sleeve as the skin beneath began to blister.

The two of them clashed over and over, the whole while with Yelena on the defense. There was little space for her to run to in that cramped building, and precious little time for her to summon her Jinx before the man was upon her again, swinging with that jagged-edged bat or buffeting her with steam. It took all of Yelena’s focus to avoid the worst of the blows, dodging, parrying, and creating space with the use of her Jinx. All the while she bided her time, waiting for an opening to counter-strike. And when that time came, she was prepared.

As Armond gathered steam for a powerful blow, Yelena saw her chance and struck out at him with a wave of force emanating from her hand. Their powers collided and the resulting shockwave rattled the bones of the building and knocked both combatants away. In the settling dust, Yelena rose off the floor to find Armond already standing, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. A cut above her eyes was leaking rivulets of blood which ran like tear lines down the side of her face. With a huff, Yelena readied herself for the next assault. Only it never came.

Armond stayed where he stood, eyes widening as his expression morphed from rage, to confusion, until finally landing somewhere between fear and agony. And all the while Yelena watched on as a hole opened in the man’s chest.

Tags: Doctor Llamabean (Eustass)

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

Carter Renshaw

Status

Albino Tiger's Junior | Supermarket | Interactions: Pascal Anne Boolean

​

The past week had flown by for Carter, after the incident in the Rose District that Christmas. Under normal conditions, a win for him and his close friend, Emelia, should've been something to celebrate. Especially when the Elder of the Revenants himself was present to watch after Emelia neutralized the hot-headed Jack that night. Unfortunately, though, these conditions were far from normal, and tensions only grew higher without any light shed on the gang murders.

Carter was almost relieved to be accompanying Pascal on a trip to the grocery store. Almost. On the one hand, he saw Pascal as an inoffensive individual and knew the chance of a conflict being started was small. As well as that, even though Carter found it hard to be impressed by Pascal's lack of a jinx when the Tigers possessed such powerful and unique talent, his seniority in the gang was respectable at least. However, it was unlikely this trip could be the distraction and return to normality that Carter craved right now. He remembered seeing Jin's look at Pascal that night, and it was not one he expected to see between the two men. He had no choice but to be wary of anything that didn't seem right at the moment.


But here he was today, on a fairly pleasant shopping trip. Carter hadn't much to buy, just some meal ingredients to last him through the week, as well as some general items. He walked through the aisles, following a short, neatly written list to a T, crossing off each item as he placed them in his basket. During moments of silence between the two, Carter glanced over at Pascal, wondering if it was worth enquiring about Jin. He might have dismissed Jin's look as something that didn't mean much, but Emelia's confirmation of what he had seen meant a lot to him, and he had followed her advice of not bringing it up immediately. However, he hadn't had a chance to speak with her since and wondered if she was even worried about it.

"Alright, I'm finished finding what I need for myself. What's next on the list? Do you need to find anything for yourself?"
Carter glanced down at his shopping basket, almost full, but his list still had a few items that hadn't yet been crossed off. He smiled at Pascal and replied,
"Oh right, cool. I gotta get a few more things, some fruit, and veg next. Gonna eat healthier this year, y'know, New Year's Resolution and stuff. You got any goals for the year?"

After receiving a response, Carter would start to make his way through the aisle, to find the rest of the items he needs, but he halted after a few moments to look directly at Pascal. His expression was neutral but if you looked carefully enough, you could sense his concern. Not breaking eye-contact, he said,
"Look, I kinda want to ask you a question. It's about you, in the Rose District last week, when the Revenants were there. After the fight Emelia and I got into, I noticed you and the Revenants' Elder. The way he looked at you, it was like he knew you personally. Have you two been talking or something?"