Realistic or Modern New Oasis: Monochrome Dreams

[BriiAngelic]

Igarashi Hari

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

Godfather

LOCATION:

The Quarter, South Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Conrad, ???

Hostile Takeover

The man not immediately going on the offensive was the sign he was guessing right with how to deal with this greasy punk. That held little to bring him comfort with the way things were panning out though. The shouting was either a ploy to make them drop their guard at the idea that reinforcements were coming or a legitimate turn of advantage, and Hari always erred on the side of caution.

As the bastard ran he had half a mind to pursue into what was likely another trap. Still, most of his men lay cooked, and from the smoke, another threat appeared. He took one blade hoping to make it count as he tossed it with all the amp of his power at Conrad’s figure above. Even if it didn’t land he added material for Angel.

Now there was another fool to worry about. But his slip-up had cost him and he felt a hand on his wrist. Always focus on the enemy closest to you. Her smile unnerved him and he was already injured. With a focus on slowing her as much as he could he put his all into jerking his captured hand out and his other fist to her face.

thebigfella luciferin @RoninN7 @kakemha HTCOR @TheRealAngeloftheStorm

 

[Roda the Red]

VERNON FARNESE

CS Link

SCENE:

Trevisani Arc 1: Scene 1 [Panic in Paradise]

LOCATION:

Ballroom, West Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Vanessa thebigfella

PANIC IN PARADISE

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It was reassuring that in the face of discord, the old woman had retained an unchanged degree of stoicism and composure, her intense glare being plentiful in meaning, they DID just converse about it, after all. Vernon smiled, his eyes staring at the safest end of the ballroom, the most distant location from the explosion.

Seemingly as if errant embers had bitten his clothes ablaze, small flames began to erupt from across Vernon's body, no bigger than a palm and burning calmly, the cloth from wence they sprung forth unaffected by their heat. The man leapt away, his body feeling light as a feather traveling across the ballroom, his feet landed atop one of the many white-clothed tables lying around, carefully avoiding to step on any food or platters that might ruin his expensive black oxfords.

He leapt from one table to another, taking the fastest way possible to relative safety, his flames shining brighter as the air current fed into their endless gluttony. Once he found it to be a good enough distance, he gently, or at least as gently as his charging movements would allow, threw the barely conscious entrepeneur atop a cushioned bench, his generous proportions jiggling and rippling as he landed.

Satisfied with his awfully selfless gesture, one that Vernon hope his good friend would not forget, the Farnese representative turned around, adjusting his unacceptably disarranged tie, before leaping back towards the tiger's den. Now that he had no bothersome overweight body on his shoulder, the redhead displayed a playful level of acrobatis, spinnng and flipping on the air, alternating between landing with his feet or his hands. Without interrupting the flow of his advance, he grabbed a hold of a good handful of bladed silverwear, safely forming a secure row of them throughout the length of his belt.

Eventually what was just moving around a mostly intact room turned into a game of dodging debris and rubble, unbothered fire spreading and controlling its territory further, dyeing the sorroundings into an unsettling sunset orange. Fortunately it didn't take long for some recognizeable figures of the main Trevisani family, like the monster know as Tito. But that congregation seemed to be doing just fine, and there were more Trevisanis that might be in need of urgent assistance, thus, he leapt forward, deeper into the ruin and blaze.

By now, almost everyone has left this section of the ballroom, or their bodies lied motionless on the ground. Vernon's eyes scanned the vicinity, his trusty gut telling him that there was at the very least someone to find. Maneuvering was difficult, but the young man could manage just fine, his pace remained unaltered, lungs filling themselves with dark smoke as if it were just air.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed a short frame trapped under rubble, a young girl dressed in a dress worth more than what he must have earned in the last month. He recognized the girl, Adelina Trevisani, one of the youngest of the main family, the man was familiar of her presence, given her mother's tendency to throw any party she feasibly could.

He spared no second to push the rubble aside, hoping that the child beneath wasn't particularly injured. The fact she was still conscious was a good sign, at the very least. Her frame was soon released from the overwhelming weight, seemingly in good condition at a simple glance, although to exhausted to really get on the move.

"Let's get you somewhere safe, little lady" Reassurng words escaped Vernon's lips, yet not reaching anyone's ears, not even his own. He held the girl on his arms, gently getting back on his feet. He smiled, unwilling to show her any kind of doubt. With a refrained haste, the man began his way out of the collapsing area.

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

JIÀN QIÁNG

CS Link

SCENE:

Hydras Arc 1: Scene 1 [BITE BACK AND TEAR THROUGH]

LOCATION:

Place of the Battle, East Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

(Eiji, Mitsuki, Kygo, Adol, Carmen)

BITE BACK AND TEAR THROUGH

As the mystery attacker—the lone yakuza survivor yet pacifistic man—retreated, there was a momentary silence. A lull as realization struck that it was over. A fleeting moment cut short by the rest of the Hydras, too late and with nothing but themselves to take it out on. Their once peaceful solitude had shattered, and never would it mend.

There was one notable figure coming from the crowds. Wanmiao. A Headhunter. She proposed a very simple, very Hydra-esque plan: revenge. The Higa family took one eye, might as well take one back.

But Jiàn Qiáng did not appear again. Instead, they watched. Watched from the safety of a rooftop, listening in on their peers' words. The Hydras' politics (or what little semblance of politics existed) rarely interested them. Not unless they coincided with what Jiàn wanted. Even today's attack was more so a distraction to them, whose one desire was plagued by one man.0

Whether the Hydras' next course of action would interest Jiàn was in the air. But their thoughts lied with rebuilding their Clay Soldiers and laying low again.

thebigfella

 

[thebigfella]

Mack

SCENE:

Northern Star Arc 1: Scene 1 [Union Born Under Starlight]

LOCATION:

Warehouse, North Ward

INTERACTIONS:

Nika Coyote Hart

Union Born Under Starlight

Stoic, silent. Lack of reaction. Twang, twang, twang. The slam of a mallet against superhot metal, the sparks that flew. Burn scars upon his arms, spots of missing hair. Singed clothes and soot-covered boots.

He forced the metal into the shape of his desires, or more aptly, of their demands. Curved edges, sharp corners, and sturdy folds came together to make one part of machinery that would act as a small part of something bigger.

Yet, to them, this was nothing but the whole picture. They could not step back to view more of the painting, with all its blurred edges and fading colors.

Mack raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow, giving Nika a once-over.

“Frail,” Mack said his first impressions out loud. His countenance betrayed no inner expression as he turned his eyes back to his work.

“You should look into getting a different job,” he stated bluntly. Once again, flaming hot metal was placed in front of him from a burning furnace, sizzling as it burned away all moisture in the air.

Mack slammed and pounded for another pause; the chain continued and did not stop for idle chatter. With each flash of plasma reflected off his face, his eyes bore down into the hot steel, picking apart its atoms to try and find its purpose beyond its chemical composition, and then when it found it.

Smash, his hammer came down and bent it out of place.

Another piece done, the same as the first, a consistency that seemed only akin to a machine made from one forced into the life of an artisan. A second to breathe and another ticking of hands to speak.

“Watching is better for you,” Mack remarked, glancing at Nika from the corner of his eyes, “Ask questions.”

With that, Mack turned his eyes back to work, more hot metal before him. The vibrant heat reflected off his eyes, and his hammer again came down.

There wasn’t a lie about him being much of a talker. It seemed information wouldn’t come out of this worker quickly unless Nika could find some way to let his guard down.

???

SCENE:

Northern Star Arc 1: Scene 1 [Union Born Under Starlight]

LOCATION:

Warehouse, North Ward

INTERACTIONS:

Yelizaveta The One Eyed Bandit

Union Born Under Starlight

Liz walked. Or wandered? In its form, the definition depends on what you believe of “fate” and “chance.” Regardless, the end result was the same. She had entered a forgotten hall within the labyrinth of machinery, brick and mortar. A part of the building found no purpose and lacked any demand for existence. Featureless, besides the dust that hugged into corners and the cobwebs that bridged constellations between the flickering, hanging ceiling lights.



Marks in the ground, shadows left behind, stains of oxide within the cement, and scratches that dug into the earth spoke of what had been the hall’s purpose before. Another segment of different production, removed once it had been outdated, was replaced with the newest system to replace the old, leaving behind an empty vessel, allowing it to be housed by roaches and centipedes, making their homes within the cracked cement.





A hall was a space between; it led from somewhere to somewhere. The space between was nowhere, yet it had been given the identity of being there. Would life not be simpler without halls? Traveling from point to point negated to just ensure all points converged in a singularity, one star that encompassed all rather than a vast network of galaxies.



Each step made within this space was purposeless. It held no reason except to act as a barrier between two spaces that could not converge. Times zero, divided by zero. Infinitesimal.



Each foot echoed across the vast empty space, and the echo did not grow louder or quieter each time. It stayed the same as if being replayed by a record. Same cadence, same timbre, and droning rhythm. The walls were unmoving, the ground unchanging, the featureless expanse stretched only a few feet. Meters, yards, kilometers, miles. Metrics were useless in a space that needed something to measure.



Yet, something had to be there. The space between us was still somewhere; the worlds were separated by matter and its various states. Everything here was real, and it was true.



To believe one’s own senses, in comparison to the truth of every stagnant world, may be folly. But, something was amiss.



This hallway would not end. It would not reach point B.



For it did not exist.

 

[thebigfella]

Conrad Carter

SCENE:

Guroko Assoc. Arc 1: Scene 1 [Hostile Takeover]

LOCATION:

The Quarter, South Ward

INTERACTIONS:

Hari BriiAngelic

Hostile Takeover

Conrad’s hefty form ran up the stairs using the railing to support himself as he quickly became winded. He took a second to catch his breath, something that he learned quickly would be a mistake.

Metal glinted through the air, and whizzed like a falcon through the wind, blood splattered across the steps, as a groan of pain left Conrad’s lips, his leg immediately crumbling as pain coursed through his body.

He snapped his direction backward to assess the damage, seeing his blood seep through the back of his pants leg, soaking into his soaks and staining them a deep shade, a blade thrown with enough force to embedded itself into the wall was right next to him, allowing him to piece together the pieces.

“G-God damnit…” Conrad cursed through labored breaths, the pain keeping him knee-bound for a long moment before he finally hobbled to his feet. The growing disorientation was starting to get to him, the ache in his whole face from the earlier kick was making him stumble, not to mention the new wound leaving a slug trail of ichor behind him as he trudged along.

“I gotta…get those papers…” He wheezed, each step a stomp to keep his body from crumbling over, “If I get those damn papers, even these fuckin’ kuzas are gonna have to take a second guess of fuckin’ with me!”

He made his way down the dimly lit hall, using the wall to support himself as he finally reached his office. Barreling his way in.

???

SCENE:

Guroko Assoc. Arc 1: Scene 1 [Hostile Takeover]

LOCATION:

The Quarter, South Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Choji luciferin

Hostile Takeover

“Guroko…” those words hung on the woman’s tobacco stained lips, her eyes narrowed in reflex. Despite Choji’s appearance and demeanor, the undeniable fact was still on the wall, this man was a gangster, and only in it for his own interest and of his overseers.

The woman did her best to hide her disdain, but she knew what the score was. This wasn’t a deal, there was no negotiation, it was simply “I’ll look the other way because it benefits me”. He was already acting like he was in charge, tearing the guts out of a corpse just to dance around in its skin.

It had happened before, she didn’t want to live through it again. She wanted out, she wanted all of her friends to be free. And she knew Guroko wouldn’t let the merchandise that came with the place just waltz out.

Her breath stilled, her eyes disappeared behind the shade of her sunglasses, she gently placed the papers in her hand onto the desk as she stared Choji down, his inhuman arms weaved through the air, moving around limitlessly like tentacles made from flesh and bone. Whatever his ability was, it wasn’t something she could take lightly.

The weight of a gun hidden underneath her skirt, tied in an impromptu holster made with a belt, she felt the cold metal more intensely than ever as her fingers twitched with desire to grab it and make her stance on the situation known.

But, in a moment of hesitation, from either fear or apprehension of someone who had never taken a life before, the orders she had been given resonated in her mind. There was one person, in this whole situation, who actually would make sure she and everyone else went free.

It was her best chance. It was her only chance. She couldn’t let emotions get the better of her now.

“Alright,” she finally breathed, doing her best to hide her disdain as she could, “I’ll stay out of your way--”

“What the fuck is goin’ on in here?!”

Conrad stood in the doorway, his sharp scowl as his eyes scanned the room, a narrowed gaze at Choji, “You…” he didn’t recognize the boy, but with him being here and rifling through his things it was clear he was unwanted. But while he gave the Guroko a strong glare, the shift of his gaze towards the woman in the room turned it into an expression of frenzy, his eyes visibly dilating.

“And you…” he breathed the next words leaving his lips with scorn as his shock turned to fury, “Julia.”

The woman quickly reached underneath her skirt, and the gleam of a metal as she pointed her revolver at the boss, the click as the barrel turned and she placed her finger on the twitter.

“Conrad,” she replied bitterly, an icy chill, placing Choji between both cold and hot.

“So, he’s finally making his move. And he got you roped into it too you slutty whore?” Conrad cursed his fists clenching tightly, veins popped out of his forehead, his whole body quaking with rage as the temperature in the room began to rise.

“Fine, then both of you can fry for all I care, you and your yakuza pal!” He roared, as his arms extended forward.

The fingers around the gun shook, and the trigger was pulled as the sound of the gunfire echoed through the room, only for the bullet to whizz by Conrad’s head and nail the door frame, a grin coming across Conrad’s face as he looked upon Julia, the woman now shaking as the reality dawned on her.

“Show’s over.”

It was up to Choji to act fast if they weren’t all going to be burnt to a crisp.

Olya Burshiov

SCENE:

Guroko Assoc. Arc 1: Scene 1 [Hostile Takeover]

LOCATION:

The Quarter, South Ward

INTERACTIONS:

Hari BriiAngelic

Hostile Takeover

Olya’s head recoiled in response to the blow, but her grip on his fist only tightened. As blood dripped down her nose, an overall minor response in comparison to the power of Hari’s blow, steam emanated off her cheek from the point of the strike.

“You’re pretty good,” she responded to his attack, before her own fist reeled back, fist shooting through the air to nail Hari in the face just the same, letting go of his arm at the same time to let him stumble back.

It was at that moment that the front door opened, reinforcements? No, instead who stepped through was an unfamiliar figure, one who Olya immediately recognized.

“Silk, took you long enough!” She beamed, putting her hands on her hips like an annoyed housewife as Silk simply rolled his eyes, dusting himself off, “I suppose that means the job’s done, yeah!?”

Silk smirked and with assurance he said, “Please, I’m a professional unlike you,” turning to look at the Guroko with a haughty raise of his hands, and a shake of his head, “Sorry to disappoint you all, but there won’t be anyone else coming to help you.”

With a point towards his bright green eyes as they shimmered underneath the lights.

“I decided to give them some time to stop and think.”

All it would take is a glance outside to see what had happened to the rest of the Guroko stationed outside, meant for support. Their bodies turned to stone, frozen in position in the midst of their attempts to run or attack.

“Looks like the Boss’ plan worked!” Olya said, an energetic fist pump, really not acting like this was a gang war they were in the middle of.

Silence drifted over the arena as each team waited for their next move. Guroko had the Alleycats outnumbered, but the multiple head turns have harmed morale, hesitation was amongst all the members as everyone shared looks.

“Well, it seems it’s time for me to make an appearance!”

A new voice earned confusion from the Guroko, but Silk and Olya’s eyes promptly widened in realization, heads snapping over right towards the source. “You!” they both said in unison.

A man sat on the counter of the bar, his legs crossed over each other, a fuzzy jacket around his body as it was left wide open to show his abs.

“Sorry for being late, but I was waiting for a moment like this. I am the deal maker afterall, right?”

The man slid himself off the counter, and casually he strolled up to Hari, smiling as he put his fingers up to let his sunglasses slide down his nose, looking at the man with his shimmering eyes.

“You seem like the big guy around, so let’s talk.”

“How about you and me come up with a deal?”

 

[angel doe]

Alessia M. Trevisani

CS Link

SCENE:

Trevisani Arc 1: Scene 1 [Panic in Paradise]

LOCATION:

Ballroom, West Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

vernon, alessia, arthur, dominic, cesare, marcello, toby, carlos

panic in paradise

Alessia eyed Cesare as he offered her his arm to hold. Normally she wouldn't even consider taking it, but right now the pain from her wounds was making it difficult to put any weight on her leg. Reluctantly, she slid her arm through his and held tight, a sigh of relief escaping her as she shifted her weight to her uninjured leg.

So focused on the pain, Alessia wasn't paying much attention to what was happening with the fedora man. At least, not until she saw her uncle lift him like he weighed nothing and launch him through the ceiling. She covered her mouth with one hand to hide her smile; Marcello was a fool to send someone else in his place.

Alessia's focus was immediately drawn elsewhere when Toby emerged from the rubble and was immediately apprehended. She only saw it out of the corner of her eye, but it was enough to make her let go of Cesare and limp towards them. She moved as fast as she could, wondering why he of all people had guns pointed at him. Toby had seemed like such a sweet boy, nervous and out of his depth at such a glamorous party. Watching closely as her Uncle Tito and Vanessa "spoke" to each other, her eyes widened at the old woman's statement.

Toby did this...?

She would have laughed if not so shocked by the accusation. Typically she was a great judge of character, she was perceptive and knew precisely when to be cautious. Had his nervousness thrown her off? Did he resemble Alessia so much in her youth that she failed to see his true nature? She hardly trusted the boy, but for him to be the one who caused all of this chaos...

Alessia scoffed, arms crossed over her chest; she couldn't believe her naivety. This sort of thing never happened to her! She prided herself on her ability to discern others' worthiness, and it was embarrassing to realize she had failed to glean his true nature. She made sure her expression betrayed none of what she felt as she approached Vanessa, looking up at her with narrowed eyes, "How do you know it was Toby?"

Perhaps there was a part of Alessia that held out hope that Toby had nothing to do with this.

 

[Stern LuLuLu]

Adol L. Crush

CS Link

SCENE:

Hydras Arc 1: Scene 1 [BITE BACK AND TEAR THROUGH]

LOCATION:

Place of the Battle, East Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Eiji, Mitsuki, Kygo, Jian, Carmen

Bite Back and Tear Throughh

Watching the future victim in front of him regain his composure was helped by the fact that he was able to run and grab himself and a bottle of wine from one of the many destroyed homes. He even gets a couple of cups for everyone there. As he walked around offering his fellow hydras some. Ado was trying to pass out drinks. Mr. Sunglasses certainly got up, raising his hand into the air as if he was calling something saying that time was up. Ado took a swift swig of his drink, getting ready to see what was about to happen. Then all of a sudden some weird creature came out of nowhere and headed straight from Mr. Sunglasses. This came as somewhat of a surprise to him. But keeping his relaxed disposition Adol didn't do too much about it.

The creature seems to have brought something with it from the church. Adol really didn't recognize it, but it seemed important to Guy in the sunglasses saying something like this is our secret weapon. Then the creature took off in the air with Mr. sunglasses. As they floated away, the only thing that went through Adol's mind was thank you for this opportunity. this was all cut short by the arrival of Wanmiao another headhunter who suggested what Adol already had in mind.” I couldn't agree more. They struck first, so why not strike back at them? The Higa Family.Now we all get to have some fun and no one can really blame us for it. it’s better than standing around licking, our wounds“. Then another Hydra showed up Kygo seemingly soaking wet. Adol gave him a strange look but then moved on. It seems that Jiàn disappeared somewhere. It was fine. She's probably just skulking somewhere.

“Hey, why don't we all raise a glass and toast to this momentous day?" Adolf said pouring everyone a glass of the drink. Even those who had left earlier were welcome to come back and join in the celebration. He raised his glass and took a long sip, enjoying the taste of the drink. Once he finished, he grabbed the bottle and drank the rest straight from it, feeling the warmth of the liquid spreading through his body. With a loud crash, I shattered the bottle on the ground, excited for what was to come. "Let the games begin! I have a feeling this is going to be a lot of fun.”

 

[gxxberkit]

JULIE WAYNE

CS Link

SCENE:

Trevisani Arc 1: Scene 1 [Panic in Paradise]

LOCATION:

Ballroom, West Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Marcello thebigfella

Panic In Paradise

…Hm? Where were they?

Julie’s face paled as she realized the clear absence of her associates. Her eyes flicked over the smokey room, confusion coloring her expression. She really was thinking too much— she was hallucinating! Okay, or maybe not. Maybe she was just a little out of it. Maybe it was just too loud here. Loud? No, she’d just silenced everything. No, no, no, she understood now. The noise was inside her head. Was that worse?

Ah, it didn’t matter. She’d already decided she was going to act, so she was going to do something!

Her fingers—all nine of them—reached up to adjust her cardigan. She was going to be helpful. She took one shaky step forward in the smog. Then another. And another.

And then a hand was planted on her shoulder.

Her mouth opened to let out a scream, but while the air escaped her lungs, no sound escaped her lips. It was a very brief moment of shock before she recognized the man who had placed his hand against her. Oh, good! Julie flinched— relaxing when she realized Marcello was just examining the fact she was missing a finger.

She was missing a finger!?

No, she knew that already. She knew that long before he began taking care of the stump where her digit used to be. Her thoughts were jumbled right now, that much was clear to her. Well, that, and the fact that she was pretty sure Marcello was trying to talk to her. For whatever reason.

The radio star’s face contorted. Didn’t he know there was no noise? Of course he did, that was rather difficult to miss. Honestly, the only word she got out of his supposedly inspirational speech was the name ‘Trevisani.’ If only because the name was undeniably unique, and also the name she heard the most in her day-to-day life. And Amestrian not being her first language definitely didn’t help the issue with understanding him here. She glanced up, her eyes directed to the grim sight of the room beyond their conversation. Some people were stuck under debris, others supposedly talking despite their inability to hear each other, and others more trying to escape. Her eyes settled on him, her confusion turning into worry once more.

Whatever he may have said, she was sure that the silence must’ve been inconvenient. It was definitely inconvenient to her, at the very least, and she wanted to be helpful. She’d fix it. Her free hand rose gradually, as did the volume of everything around them. It was slow but sure, so the people in the area could adjust as needed to the return of sound.

Once the noise level was back to normal, her hand dropped. She wasn’t… sure if she preferred the sound or the silence, but at least communication was easier now. She almost felt a little guilty that she’d been a hindrance to everyone— but she didn’t have the time nor space in her thoughts to ruminate. Julie gazed over her wounded hand. “What was that, Marcello?” she asked softly, but the question was quickly replaced with a shake of her head. “How do I help? What should I say?” She needed guidance. Guidance from a real Trevisani, because, as of this moment, she felt a bit like a chiseler.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

CESARE PARLATORE

CS Link

SCENE:

Trevisani Arc 1: Scene 1 [Panic in Paradise]

LOCATION:

Ballroom, West Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Vernon, Alessia, Arthur, Dominic, Cesare, Marcello, Toby

PANIC IN PARADISE

With Alessia having taken his arm, he considered the night a personal win for him. Not for the family, of course, but he was sure everyone saw where he was right now. And he was in big guy Tito’s good graces. That oughta get him into higher places down the line. The reality of the situation hadn’t quite dawned on him, friends he hadn’t seen since the blast, blood splattered across the floor, but he had years to be angry about it. He was letting himself have this moment.

Damsel Saved. He could nearly tick that off his to-do list if Alessia hadn’t broken away from him. Get back here, woman. Or at least get behind me. Cesare hurried up to her and spotted the cause of the newest commotion. At this point, the eerie silence was slowly broken. He didn’t tell immediately that he could hear the flickering fire or the distant yells but realised when he heard himself call out.

“Alessia, we’ll take care of it.”

Oh, this was gonna be good. Front row seat to Toby’s comeuppance would be so sweet… But being on the stage would be much nicer. Cesare cracked his knuckles as he walked forward.

“I knew he was bad news. You think you can mess with the family, huh?”

Before moving within range, he looked to Tito, hoping he’d be called upon to teach Toby a lesson.

 

[AnemoVictorious]

SANYA MOROZOVA

CS Link

SCENE:

Northern Star Arc 1: Scene 1 [Union Born Under Starlight]

LOCATION:

Warehouse, North Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Yelizaveta, Jacques, Helena, Nika, Grisha

UNION BORN UNDER STARLIGHT

“No. That will be all. I shall take my leave.”

Sanya stood up, clutching the folder close to her chest as she took her leave from the office. Finally, she was free from just listening, from just receiving orders and explanations. As soon as she exited, she took a look at the information given to her, taking it in and storing anything deemed important enough within her mind. Then, with a sigh of relief, she continued walking, hoping to find Yelizaveta, or one of her other comrades, to discuss the useful information stored within the file.

Maps and names, it held. Codewords to keep an ear out for. Sanya would keep her ears open, just in case she heard any of them as she walked, eyes narrowed and scanning around for faces she recognized.

Ah. Jacques. Perhaps he'd enjoy getting a look at this information for himself. She approached him, giving a hum in greeting. After all, it seemed Yelizaveta had taken her leave, off on her own with her brand new prize. Certainly a pain to lug around, Sanya assumed. In her eyes, not worth it at all.

“Do you wish to look?” She asked, getting straight to the point. “Study the maps and floor plans, make note of every codeword they use. Faces and names. Useful information. Perhaps having it will let us get out quicker.”

Sanya held out and offered the folder to Jacques, an eyebrow raised as she waited to see if he would take it. “You may keep it for yourself, if you would like. Share it with others. I am planning to go observe the masses, see if I cannot catch any codewords or see any of those leaders. I do not like being here, I want to get this over with.”

And so, with anticipation, she waited for him to make his decision, eyes and ears open for any potential prying eyes she'd have to deal with. A pain it would be if any non-Star saw this exchange.


"Dialogue format"

Spoiler: tags

Haze-

 

[thebigfella]

???

SCENE:

Trevisani Arc 1: Scene 1 [Panic in Paradise]

LOCATION:

Ballroom, West Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Panic in Paradise

Pristine pearl skin was muddied from soot and dirt, clothes torn upon jabbed debris. Bruises of purple upon the trapped parts of her body.

Her breathing was soft and gentle, the subtle pumps of her heart as he clung to Vernon's chest, the rattling of the explosion never left her.

She looked up at her hero through bright eyes, one's left pristine in the midst of everything else falling to rubble, her lips opened, and as sound came back words barely above a whisper left her lips.

“I saw…two…”

“Before the explosion…”

“Two men who looked the same.”

---

There was a moment where Vanessa's eyes trailed over towards Alessia, her sternness melted in the face of her superior, a small bow was curt as she dropped her head, “My accusations come from a place of certainty my fair lady.”

“Vanessa's potential allows her to view sections in time as if she was really there, from her memory or photos,” Tito explained to his niece with a cross of his arms, his rugged grimace loomed over the fear stricken Toby like a tower.

“She has never been wrong.”

The firmness of this statement shook the ground beneath the man's feet, the feeling in the air grew dry with heat, making it hard to swallow.

Toby's eyes were engrossed with genuine fear as he looked upon the wrath of the Trevisanis. “I-It wasn't me! I swear!” He looked around desperately, pleading eyes turned to Alessia in hopes she would do something to help him, “Please! I need to go find Mr. Simmons! If something happened to him--”

A boot slammed into his chest with enough force to crush a few ribs on impact. Blood gushed from his mouth as his back slammed against the floor.

Tito's furious eyes glared at the secretary, heavy breathing brimming with the desire to pummel him into paste, but instead he turned to Cesare with a sneer.


“Have your fun with him. Just don't kill him,” was the only order he gave before his feet took him elsewhere, he needed to ensure all of his family was safe.


Toby Patternson lay there damned, lungs coughing as they struggled for air even now.

---

Marcello looked upon the crowd. The uproar all of them were in, anguish and anger. His gloved hands drew to his waist as he stepped backward.

“You are Julie Wayne, are you not? The voice of the people.” he said with a slight smile, and a gesture of his hands towards the masses.

“Tell them the truth they want to hear. That this whole situation is under control. That help is on the way.”

He turned away with a small pat on Julie's shoulder.

“After all. You're very good at getting the crowd to dance along with your tunes.”

Marcello left Julie to figure out what to say herself as he turned away the frown returning to his face once he no longer had to put up the facade, a weary sigh as he stepped through the destruction of the explosion.

“It's about time to wrap this “show” up.”

---

A single limo pulled up to the front gates. The way unguarded as all of the guards had piled into the building, smoke still wafted up high in the air.

A figure strode down the stone pathway. A black suit clung to his lanky body, messy black hair hung over his forehead. A cigar hung on his lips. He strode with calm, as the vision of the explosion bled into blur as it sounded dulled into distant screams.

The man stopped as the door of the limousine opened in front of him, and he only took one glance back, his face peering out of the shadows.

Revealing Toby Peterson.

He gave an amused exhale out of his nose, turning his head up in pride before he slid into the car door. It shut behind him.

There was the growl of the limo, before it drove down the road, disappearing into the distance.

Like a shadow in the night, it was never noticed.

The Trevisani party crashed. And it burned.

 

[thebigfella]

???

SCENE:

Hydras Arc 1: Scene 1 [Bite Back and Tear Through]

LOCATION:

South Border, East Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Bite Back and Tear Through

Racour mixed with elation from the Hydras. The extinguished flames of war had only done it's part to ignite sparks within their hearts.

Weapons sharpened, teeth bared, headbands tied. Whatever they had to do to prepare themselves was done.

They had been attacked, now was the time to bite back and tear through. The conquerors be damned. There was no hesitation as they all united together. At least as best as a bunch of lashing heads could. They did not form an army, as much as they did a mob.

Those stationed at the bridges didn't expect it. They were primed for an attack but not a war. They didn't survive, and even the bridge did not withstand the assault

Blood fire lined the Hyrdas path as they spit their noxious venom all the way to the south. Any attempts to stop them only found more falling, for every ten Guroko there was one suicidal Hydra who would cling tooth and nail to take out the most with them.

The sky erupted with screams of fear and anger, the night life was disrupted, as the sidewalks were covered in bodies and viscera.

The shouts faded into the night, as the Conquest saw its first battle.

It was a Hydra victory.

But, all were watching. To see what the real ones who decided the winners and losers would say.

New Oasis froze still in its uncertain future.

 

[Haze-]

Jacques H. Fontaine

.

CS Link

SCENE:

Northern Star Arc I: Scene I [union born under starlight.]

LOCATION:

Warehouse, North Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Helen @Damafaud Yelizaveta The One Eyed Bandit Sanya AnemoVictorious Grisha @Seraphine Nika Coyote Hart

UNION BORN UNDER STARLIGHT.

“Learning?” — A tilt of the head, parroting, both begging and mocking for elaboration. Lips tugged to a sheepish smile, eyes half-lidded with impartial detachment and disregard. Complete disinterest, and interest all the same. An odd expression he learned to only show to her throughout the years.

At close, sharp intervals, momentary passings, his eyes linger on hers like she were an alien thing. Staying dead silent during the whiles, eyes moving to her gesturing hands, to the swallow. Wondering, if it were a breathing, living thing right now, would it bear the gift of patience, or would Yeliza chew its ear off too?

It was their happy little even medium in a sense.

She talked and went on with passion, even when there shouldn’t have been much to talk about, like she enjoyed the sound of her own voice. He listened, dispassionate, like a parched, withered sponge soaking up everything that slipped off her tongue— like he enjoyed the sound of her voice.

Polar opposites; complementary in some foreign, backassward way.

The more she spoke to him, the more he remembered how diseased she really was. Her spine was rotten, unlike his— so she was left to move and think using her brain, and to be cursed by thought. Jack was taught to think with the spine, to move out of reflex. He didn’t live truthful to his whims and trifles, unlike herself.

Every word they exchanged always felt like he were stepping into untreaded territory. Something he shouldn’t be testing.

Business, business. The fetish of this nation, wasn’t it? It had a different name in the mother land, преданность. A dogma. It was all he knew, the one thing that never left him. No, curiosity was a commitment men— dogs, performers— like him couldn’t wrap their laughing gear around. Business, well, business was a simpler motion. Easy on the joints — “Coffers…” — Like a broken record, he parroted again, scoffing this time around.

“I pay you to do that, don’t I? Enrich.” — Culture too, was something some no-name, Liberean stray like him could ever hope to understand. As far as the other Stars were concerned, at least. No matter how much he stuck his neck out to be bled dry for Ruthenia, it just wouldn’t do. He didn’t belong. He didn’t bleed like any of them, had been his one and only guess.

He ran a cursory glance over the swallow in her hands, drifting to Graham’s office before the vagrant in him decided to pluck one of the feathers out — “Predictable, then.” — In some minutely imperceptible, paused elapse, eyes fell like the judging gaze of a thousand upon Graham. Methodical. Analyzing. His eyes dropped as fast as they rose to take in the sight of him, coming down as he mindlessly fidgeted with the nametag on his chest.

One leg crossed over the other, he leaned into the railing further — “A man with an ego is often a problem. A greedy man…that’s a headache.” — Jack craned his head back, humming, musing. A smile playing on his face the moment Rudy came to mind — “Taking and taking without a care…”

He never liked his own predictions.

A held-up hand and a half-hearted wave was Yeliza’s one and only dismissal form Jack, he didn’t even bother taking his eyes off the play of shadow and heat blurred on the ceiling as she took her leave. He waited there, just thinking. After a beat, two, there came the steps he was waiting for. Again, he didn’t even bother to look. Just nodding, humming back at Sanya.

For a split fraction of a second, the world shuddered around them, disfiguring where he once stood on the railing in front of her. When she blinked, Jack was right back where he left off, arms crossed. Eyes on the rookie. A taxidermized trophy from Graham’s office now dangling his hand. The Mudanan Swallow. Trifles. Food for the idle mind — “We share that sentiment,” — He paused, head tilting to look down at the name tag that hung on her chest — “Sawyer.”

He turned his back to her, elbows mounted on the metal fence as he looked down upon the mighty works of the industry, and their little tin-men, clanking their hammers — “There is a man that caught my attention when I was taking a look around. Something about the look in his eye. Didn’t seem nearly as soulless as all the other men. It was a thing of my musings at first, but now that the kid— Nikoloz— is down there talking to him, it likely means something.” — He raised an index, pointing her loosely in their general direction — “I would start there if I were you.”

Again, a blink, a howling sound of the wind or the world shrieking, Jack disappeared before her very eyes, along with the documents in her hand. His voice came up behind her — “Phil Silvers. Ask him about that name. If he reacts in any way, strongly, then you’ll know that’s your man.”

Thudding steps bumped down the metal railing, drawing further and further away from Sanya — “Be safe.” — He called out, his monotone making it seem almost like an order. He lazily brought up a hand, waving her off — “I’ll go check up on the old witch, make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. Just take a look over your shoulder if you need me. I’m watching.”

The steps abruptly stopped behind her. Enough of a cue for her to understand that he was gone for now.

---

“What do you think a woman’s touch would do to this? Wonders?” — Another re-appearing act.

His voice hung out and echoed, bounced endlessly across the halls. He watched his own voice stretch parsecs beyond where he couldn’t see along with the room, leaning a shoulder into one of the walls as his eyes tried following it. An endless, colorless crevice. Stretch upon stretch of land. A timeless man himself, used to in-betweens, the only real acknowledgement he gave to the ever-going halls before him was a long, drawn-out whistle.

Amusing was one way to put it.

He paused a couple of times, disappearing and reappearing throughout the halls. Bringing his hands up to the walls, passing them over, handling them like the bumps and blemishes— the feel of them— could speak tongues to him. Even a space like this couldn’t run from the cruel bruising of time, he figured. He looked around with a frown, a dire look on his face. This wasn’t nearly as interesting as it was a headache.

“Any insightful thoughts?” — He turned to Yelizaveta, completely certain that she was having a much grander time than him.

 

[luciferin]

CHOJI NAKAYA

- CS Link

SCENE:

Guroko Assoc. Arc 1: Scene 1 [Hostile Takeover]

LOCATION:

The Quarter, South Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

??? thebigfella

Hostile Takeover

Choji’s mouth curves at the woman’s agreement, given despite all her previous spite. He’s no good at negotiations, but resentment has always been easier to deal with than calculation. As long as the status quo doesn’t change, the deal will be set, and the Guroko Association will be primed to enact their takeover.

His satisfaction ends as the door ricochets open, leaving widened eyes to watch the ongoings with intrigue as the two Alleycats converse. With the emergence of a gun from his negotiator’s skirt, barrel trained steady on the aggressor, the interruption is set to be swept underneath the rug.

Though, perhaps he should pay more attention and dispose of the corpse before the blood seeps into the furniture. The office is destined to end up in the hands of the higher-ups, and leaving them in need of a new rug and floorboards is hardly the way to leave a good impression.

Of course, all of this is built on the assumption that the woman will fire and hit. Which it doesn’t. At the sight of the bullet shattering against the wall before the heat begins to boil the air, Choji scrambles onto clean-up duty.

His mutated hand sinks into the meat of his arm, sending rivulets of red trickling down like water between roots. Veins and muscles pulse, drawing in the strength of his Potential, and erupt forward. One portion of his arm snakes outward, whipping toward Julia and wrapping around her wrist in an attempt to drag her away from the rising temperature.

In the other portion, flesh and filament meld into a large, lumpy mass, one without defining features be that fingers, wrist, or nails, that barrels toward Conrad like a swinging club. Passing through the shield of heat, the layers blacken and peel, disintegrating into drifting ashes.

Yet, when damaged tissue breaks away, it’s to the sight of pulsating muscle in its place. The remainder crashes against Conrad with a sickly crunch that leaves blood splatter on the wall.

Choji’s arm shrinks backward, leaving him to choke on the stench that lingers in the air while he conscientiously avoids the sight of his ruined arm, barely clinging to his shoulder after the combination of his own shredding and the searing flames. It’s quite nasty, even to someone as experienced as he is, and the burns mean that it’ll be impossible to manipulate again later.

Fuck, that’s going to hurt like hell once his Potential wears off.

Ah, there’s no way I’m holding the deal down in this state, Choji realizes, glancing up at the woman beside him with a quiet huff. Nevertheless, he gives a wry smile and asks, “Well, what were you looking for again?”

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Yelizaveta Vasiliev

CS Link

SCENE:

Northern Star Arc 1: Scene 1 [Union Born Under Starlight]

LOCATION:

Warehouse, North Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Helen, Jacques, Sanya

Union Born Under Strarlight

The air stilled. One pace divided was to the infinite. The passage of air stopped in a passage without to or fro. The hairs on the back of Yelizaveta's neck bristled to a forest of needle points, brimming with fascination born of mundanity. The same walls, the same decals, the same signs and the same pieces of random clutter.

Nature had laws, and all of them were being violated.

"Pah!" Yelizaveta spat at Fontaine's abrupt reappearance and questioning. "What are you, a puppy? Trialing at my heels like some dog... And right into the hive, too. Have you not heard what they say? Divide and conquer. What is the point of a Hydra if all it's heads are looking at the same thing, boy?" Despite the thorns in her words, Yelizaveta's lips were split wide into a grin. "But... No matter. This is a good opportunity for you to exercise that head of yours."

Yelizaveta never broke her pace. Not when Fontaine joined her, nor as she lectured him. Her attention was on the walls. All of the fixtures they repeated themselves one after the other. The laws of mass and energy violated like a kitten's plaything. It was fascinating, so much so that if she'd packed more appropriately, she could've surely spent days wandering up and down the infinite hall, but alas, she had not.

And she supposed she had a job to do, too.

"Do you know much of the sciences, boy?" As she pressed on, Yelizaveta's hands went to the endless folds of her coat pockets, rivalled only by the hall in the manner of the seemingly infinite depths. It was awkward work, digging around on the move and with her hands full, but if there was anything they had in surplus in the moment it was time.

"Biologists, Zoologists, Chemists... They are all oh-so-fond of rats." Yelizaveta's hands returned from the depths. Pinched between two of her fingers, now, was a tightly wrapped parcel, smelling faintly of soil. "They build them mazes you see, and then they fetter them with rewards and tests and other nonsense, all in the name of science. What can this one solve? How long can this one starve? How long until they turn on themselves? Which chemicals can this one withstand? So they watch them scurry and crawl, jotting their notes on their clipboards and filing them away for their studies."

And then, she tossed both the parcel and her stuffed rat over her shoulder. A faint clatter came from behind her, though she didn't spare it a glance. She kept walking, walking, walking, until-

It all repeated. The halls, the fixtures, the stains and the blemishes.

But not the rat.

"Not looping, then..." She muttered under her breath. "Jacques, boy, keep your nose keen." A pointed index finger, and a readied click of the thumb. "Mmm. What was I saying? Scientists. They're fascinated folk, you'll find, so much so they waste their days cataloguing the lives and deaths of rats, can you believe?"

Back along the trail of their footsteps, something bristled. A tangle of fine roots dug into the cured flesh of the taxidermied rodent. It was a meager meal, but still just barely enough.

"But- hmm- They need to be watching for that much, don't you think?" She snapped her fingers, and the tanglework of soil, roots and poppyseed within the package burst to life. The rat was consumed whole. Fresh roots dug into concrete, red blooms trailing in their wake.

"Let me know if anything reacts."

Spoiler: Tags

Interacted: thebigfella Haze-
Relevant:@Damafaud Coyote Hart @Seraphine AnemoVictorious

 

[angel doe]

Alessia M. Trevisani

CS Link

SCENE:

Trevisani Arc 1: Scene 1 [Panic in Paradise]

LOCATION:

Ballroom, West Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

vernon, alessia, arthur, dominic, cesare, marcello, toby, carlos

panic in paradise

Alessia held her gaze on Vanessa for a moment longer, expression conflicted, "I... I see." That was all she could muster, lips pursed. To say she was disappointed would have been a massive understatement. When Uncle Tito explained Vanessa's potential and how it worked, she could only sigh and accept the evidence for what it was- Damning.

Alessia turned towards Toby and it was clear on her face just how much she didn't want to believe this to be true, but had resigned herself to the facts. She jumped, startled when the young man was kicked in the chest, and watched as Tito passed him off to Cesare. Alessia frowned, kneeling in front of Toby and leaning in close, "Darling, the only way I can help you is if you can prove it wasn't you. I do not want to believe it was you, but I must always put my family first. I am sorry." She rose to her feet, turning to face Cesare.

"If any appendages are missing next time I see him, there will be problems." Alessia didn't doubt Vanessa's potential, but there was always the possibility that something more sinister was at play and they wouldn't know for sure until they talked to others who had been in the ballroom. The blonde's eyes darkened as she looked at Cesare, her clawed hand reaching up and grabbing him by the collar so he was at her eye level, so close their noses almost touched, "Do I make myself clear?"

 

[thebigfella]

???

SCENE:

Northern Star Arc 1: Scene 1 [Union Born Under Starlight]

LOCATION:

Warehouse, North Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Jacques Haze- , Yelizaveta The One Eyed Bandit , Sanya AnemoVictorious

Union Born Under Starlight

The roots dug. They branched, reaching deeper until they sprouted like a bush, and it rose upon the other side. Hands clutched around it, grasping, tugging, pulling. The ground split and the world followed suit; a mirror fractured. Glass shattered. The whiteness of nothing.

Then, the darkness of everything.

Spurts of darkness sprayed from the ground like a burst artery, and another dimension leaked in, and a pool of blackness soaked at their feet; it dropped across the ends of the hall like paint across a canvas. The veil shifted, and the wall fell apart, revealing a network inside, neurons and nodes as signals running through it. The connections fell apart, lines splitting from below the layers, and hands burst free. Sketched, spindly, incongruous, they pulled themselves free from spots on the wall, their formless lips stuck together by strands of Slime, gurgling from nonexistent lungs. They pooled onto the floor, spat out like popped zits, their forms slid across the ground, and the fracture grew. It spread until the shell fell apart.


Reality began to melt away, replaced by unintelligible formless mounds of purple that attempted to mimic natural human creation.

Graham sat in his office, eyes focused on a paper. Pen tapping against a blank line.

He was uninterested and detached, but something made his eyes rise. A shadow hung on the wall of his office. It had not entered through the door, yet it was there.

"You." The man spoke in clear remembrance, but a finger was raised before he could say more words.

And then it dropped.

Blood splattered across the necrotic face of a decapitated deer.


Those within the foundry watched the world fall the way; those too close to the wall had already been dragged into the expanse, screaming and kicking. Struggles to save them only ended with disappointment.

"RUDY!" A shrill cry came from one of the workers, watching his coworker be consumed, his arm clutched around, tendrils wrapped around his neck

Flight kicked in, and many ran away, going toward the doors only to find it no longer existed. Inhuman creatures built from the ground like fungal growth tower over the poor workers, picking them up between their hands to push them upward against the ceiling, smothering them into nothingness.

Hot metal continued running down the cauldron conveyor, splattered across the area, but didn't deter the shifting; even as workers bashed with tools and improved weapons, the mysterious material pulled it in.

Everything devolved; the workers, well-built, hardened men, and women, were powerless against the monstrosity.

 

[BriiAngelic]

Igarashi Hari

CS Link

SCENE MUSIC:

『DARK ARIA ＜LV2＞』

LOCATION:

The Quarter, South Ward

PARTICIPANTS:

Conrad, ???, River

Hostile Takeover

He had to let Conrad go for the moment fully expecting his death to be swift when he ran into the other Guroko waiting in the wings. Instead, it was time for him to make quick work of the woman in front of him or he would if not for the new presence ahead of him. He was walking uncharted territory here but the fool wasn’t wrong on him being the closest thing to a head with these crispy critters around.

He took a step forward expanding his power as subtly as he could reaching out just before the other man. So long as nothing in this space moved he should be able to hide the defensive constriction of time just meters from his own body, a bit of extra insurance for himself if it all turned to shit.

“A deal huh? I’m willing to make once, but let me be clear if you want that pig alive as part of it well that’s already highly questionable. If his wounds don’t do him in then nothing will stop my men from tearing whatever sad existence he has left to pieces considering the state he’s gone and left our little ones in. Life for that fool was dropped at the first advance.”

He shot out a sign to which River would recognize to get lost. They were smart enough to clear out and find the head, preferably dragging as many sorry saps as little River could.

thebigfella HTCOR luciferin